Toys of a Dangerous Mind-{Winner of Undiscovered, Watty Awards 2011} Under Edit

Chapter 26

I was struck down, by the pure horror of it all. I had thought that I had escaped Raxis's grasp, only to find that my previous belief was false. Death awaited me, with the Games of Pain ready for me. And to think, when I had thought Maia and Renae were safe, and maybe in Heaven, I found that every second of their existence, in their life after death- they were being tortured and were being hunted and put through an eternity of their worst fears.

When I had woke from my nightmares, a sheen of sweat was decorating my brow, and I breathed harshly and quickly, almost feeling like I was choking. Dry sobbing soon followed, and I had rocked back and forth, my eyes rolling around crazily. Liam had been sleeping, and though I was having hysterics, he did not wake. In a way, I was glad- because he would comfort me of course, but he would want to know the reason why I was going crazy. And I couldn't lie to Liam. But I also would never forgive myself if I told him of the life that waited for him, patiently, after his demise. This information had damaged me, and there was no going back from it. If I could burn the information from my brain, I would. I wanted to live the rest of my life without the horrible terror of what would occurr when I closed my eyes, and my spirit faded.

I didn't want to be gasping desperately for breath, and be absolutely terrified. That wasn't who I wanted to be. Tears slowly flowed down my face. I had dreamed of this moment, this escape. But now it was tainted, now it was broken. This moment was meant to be one of ultimate triumph for me, a moment where I could look back and think, This is where I escaped Raxis, this is where I regained my freedom.

But I had never done that. I was still tethered to Raxis, still a leash attached to my neck, which Raxis held casually and effortlessly in his hands. Even if I never saw Raxis again, for the rest of my life, he would be there, to welcome me into the Games of Pain. To smile that predatory smile of his and say,

"Welcome back, Danielle."

My shoulders shook as I cried. I was seventeen years old, and I had already gone through so much. I had already been tortured, watch my friends die, watch my boyfriend die, and be helpless at the hands of a different kind of animal. Ryan.

Most seventeen year old girls my age, were at school, chilling with friends, partying on the weekends, agonizing over crushes and boyfriends. The only shadow that fell on their lives was the slight possiblity that they were chosen for the Games. And most of them never were.

I ached for that kind of life, the kind of simple reality that every normal girl had. I wanted my biggest fear, to just be- embarassed in front of the entire school, or something similiar like that. But I never had that life from the start. I was scarred as a six year old, when my best friend, Evanna died. I was again damaged so badly, when I was fifteen, as I watched helplessly as my little sister, Carmen dashed onto the road, and was hit by a car.

And then being chosen for the Games of Hell. The First Stage, meeting Renae and Liam, my visits to Ryan, being tortured by Raxis in so many different ways. And falling in love.

Strange that, the one place feared by everyone, the place which reeked of death and pain, was the one that had strengthened me, the one that forced me to stand up properly, and fight. The place where I made friends. And the place where I lost them.

Crack! I jumped up, and my eyes darted around, to where I thought the noise had come from. The noise had been no ordinary noise that accompanied us as we travelled in the caves. This was something entirely different.

Someone or something was watching us.

Looking down at Liam's sleeping form, looking so vulnerable and helpless, and with bags under his eyes. I hesitated slightly as I bent down to wake him up but I knew it was for the best. I was in no condition to fight anyone right now, not in this swimsuit, which offered absolutely no protection for me. And because I was in an incredibly weakened state, with what had just occurred in my nightmares, and because...of Renae's and Maia's....passing away.