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Twists

My head was pounding, throbbing with this immense pressure at the side of my skull. He had hit me too hard, so hard that I still felt it now as I gained back a shaky sense of consciousness. I sat up in my cell, my eyes adjusting to the darkness quicker than they ever had before. It was like my eyes were meant to be cloaked in a thin veil of night.

The first thing that seemed odd was the shackles that had been cutting into my wrist for days. They now slumped off my skin, falling to the bed when I moved. I was no longer chained down to the bed. And as I looked forward to the door and my guard, I found the cell open and the man seated in the chair right across was unconscious. He couldn't have been anything else. Rather than sitting in the seat properly he was sideways, his hip pressed to the seat as his body hung off, head squashed at an uncomfortable angle on the floor. But he was still alive. I could make out the tiniest sliver of blood pumping through his veins. It was enough to make my mouth water.

I shot up, attempting to finally stand on my legs, only for them to give way and send me to the floor. A cloud of dust and dirt flew up at my collision but I was quick in recovery, my movements desperate as adrenaline kicked in. Scrambling to the door, I took the man and dragged him into the cell in my place, taking the keys from his waist and locked the door.

He didn't even stir awake before I left him there. Taking the stairs two at a time, I nearly flung myself out of the dungeon, nearly tackled right through the door. But the sunlight beaming through the cracks stopped me. It wasn't really a fear, but a sensitivity. I had been away from the light for so long and my body had gone through so many changes without it, I was scared by the sizzling of my retinas with the slightest touch of brightness. It made me cling to the shadows a moment, my mind reeling at how I was going to escape.

I knew it was possible to walk out the door and into the light, I had seen Giovanni during the day. So I braced myself and prepared my mind for the pain. It only took two breaths and I flung myself forward, biting down on my lips to keep myself from screaming.

My eyes burned in the light, sizzling so loud I could hear them melt and slide down my cheeks. Even my skin felt like fire was crawling along it like vengeful ants. But it was brief, only seconds of torture until I had a new coat of skin and the meat of my eyes were whole again. When I opened them to look around, I cupped my hand over them, afraid they might combust. They didn't. Instead it was like looking at the sun, nothing was really visible around the blinding white spot in my graze. I tried to blink them away but it barely helped.

I rushed to the shadows of the hall, tip-toeing my way down with my face buried against the wall. I kept moving as my eyes healed, my ears in constant surveillance of my surroundings. I had gotten good at listening in, at focusing on sound. It had helped with the switching of particular guards who seemed a little violently handsy.

The halls were empty besides a single guard at the door. I only knew he was there because of the quiet humming.

I wondered my way towards him, careful to remain as silent as a blade of grass. My eyes had healed enough that I could peak at him against the light and could make out his figure. He was faced away from me, tinkering with a hallway plant.

I slithered behind him and down another hall. At the end of the winding marble pathway was an open door. I could hear the rushing of water and bustling of wind against trees. Hope filled me with drive to quicken my pace. I nearly ran for the door. But the sudden clinking of china caught me by surprise, cutting off any escape. It wasn't just the sound of people, it was the sudden scent filling my nose. It was a wolf and she smelled so familiar. It wasn't until I heard her voice that I truly froze.

"As far as the master knows, I don't leave the castle. He doesn't know about my little visits." Her voice was somber, choked a little. "Giovanni, you know I've always cared about the two of you, but you've gone too far."

Giovanni scoffed, the aggressive hitting of his palm on the table inclining me to get closer.

"You have never cared about us, Vera. All you care about is covering up your kings wrong doing. Even to the extent of destroying someone else." There was no humor, no niceties in his voice, just hatred. "He took everything from us and you have the audacity to sit there and play innocent mother. If you truly cared, you would admit aloud what he did, not just try to take away my nightmares."

She was silent for a long agonizing moment. "I've done all I could."

When the shattering of China fluttered in through the doorway and Vera's scream sounded off in my ear, my body moved before I could even tell it too. I was thrown forward with such power I hadn't thought anything could stop me. But there was. The moment I was through the door a hand was at my throat, holding me so tightly he could have hung me with his grasp.

Giovanni looked at me wildly, peering into my eyes like he could read my action, my thoughts, my rage. My whole body screamed at me to stay still, to stop fighting but I couldn't quiet my heart. It thumped in my chest and in my ears as my blood boiled in it's cold vessels. I hadn't looked at Vera, I hadn't had to. I could smell the blood swelling beneath her skin, rising to the surface to press at the wound, slight as it was. It may have been just a scratch but my gums burned at it, my body filled with rage at her pain as well as mine.

This was all his fault. I knew it wasn't true, that he was just an aid to most current villain, but I hated him. No matter what, my heart blamed him. And for the first time in my life, I felt it, felt it deep in my soul. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to hurt another human being.

This wasn't me. I wasn't a monster.

And as if reading my mind, he spat at me and slapped his palm onto my forehead.

"I'll show you a monster!"