The Great Game

chapter 1

"Stop!" I yelled as another hot iron was forced upon my forearm. Searing pain went through my body making me scream out in agony.

The pain was almost numbing me after so many times of getting burned with the hot iron, but they knew where it would hurt most. They never burned me in the same place twice, always different, with the same blinding and agonizing pain. The man in front of me formed a wicked grin upon his face like he was enjoying my screams.

I looked up to another man standing in the corner looking as if he was bored by this. I looked at him with my eyes pleading for him to call this torture off. When he met my cognac eyes with sweat trickling down my face, he sighed and dismissed the man with the fervent rod. He nodded and took the iron with him until he stopped to talk to the other man in the corner.

"Are you sure you can get her back into her cell by yourself boss?" He asked in a hushed voice which wasn't very hushed to me.

"I can handle her perfectly fine, Peter. And besides after our little talk she won't need anyone to hold her back and will gladly go into her cell without any complications" Peter's boss spoke, looking at me when he spoke the last two sentences.

A shiver ran up and down my spine, wondering what new torture he has for me now. Peter nodded and walked out of the room, shutting the metal door which made an echo of a thundering boom throughout the room. The man walked out of the shadows towards me in a tuxedo. The sight of him made me sick yet filled with panic; after all he was the most dangerous man in the world right now. He grabbed a chair and sat on it backwards where his arms are resting on the back of the chair while he sat. For a long moment all he did was smile while looking me up and down, making me feel inferior.

Then I finally broke the silence "Who are you?"

The mysterious man kept quiet for a few minutes before replying "Don't you remember me? We used to be friends."

"Unfortunately no, you see I don't make friends with someone who would turn their backs on me then torture me. It's just not up my alley." I spoke sarcastically which is a stupid idea considering he can call in Peter to torture me again. The man just chuckled.

"I always did like your sarcasm, Lena. It was always amusing to me for some reason, but I must say I can't help but like your screams when you're getting burned by that fervent iron." He smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes, which made him look more dangerous. "I could call in Peter again if you would like. Pete-"

He was cut off when I screamed "No! Please don't." I didn't need any more pain than I was already in. If he came in again I wouldn't be able to handle it anymore.

The man chuckled again. He sure does laugh a lot for someone who is supposed to be dangerous, but then again the laugh only made him appear more dangerous. "Such a shame, I thought you were going to let me have some fun. Oh well, maybe tomorrow, you can have some fun with her." He spoke in such a manner as if he was rescheduling a meeting.

A shiver ran down my spine, fear bubbling in the pit of my stomach at the mention of her, but I didn't let it get to me like all of the other things that have.

"Why don't you just kill me now, huh? What am I? You're little chew toy." I spat at him suddenly getting aggravated at him. I didn't want to play this game with him, but he gave me no choice.

"I can't kill you." He said with what seems to be like pity in his voice.

"Why? You killed so many others, what's another person on your hands?" I asked thinking back to all of those people he killed. I'm just like all of them, ordinary.

"Like I said we were friends. Don't you remember all those happy times spent together?" He tried to sympathize with me.

Now I'm the one who laughs. "We may have been friends but that was a mistake that I'll never forget." I may seem angry on the outside but inside I remember all of the good times and that's what's really killing me, not the physical torture.

He sighed "You know I really do regret all of the things I have done to you." He said sincerely, looking down, which took me by surprise.

It's all just a trick I reminded myself. He wants to use you not befriend you. He's trying to play mind games with you, and you won't let him win. Not this time and not the next.

"You should have thought of what you were doing before you did them. Then maybe this would have turned out differently." I mumbled not sure he heard me, but by the shocked look on his face he definitely heard it.

He looked down in what appears to be shame and regret, but I didn't let it get to me. I spoke up after a few moments of silence "Just take me back to my cell and then do the torture tomorrow."

I went to get up from the chair I was sitting in since Peter unlatched the leather straps that held me down. I didn't get very far until the man that used to be my friend held me back with his hand.

He spoke softly "Lena."

I took my arm out of his hands, wincing as I did and kept walking, hiding the fact that every muscle that was being used felt like each strand was thinning every minute. Before I reached the door I spoke one last time for the night.

"You were right, I am willing to go to my cell without anyone holding me down or making me. I hope you're happy."

And with that I shut the door and went to my cell and lay down in agonizing pain for the night, wishing I won't have to face that burning iron again tomorrow. I didn't want it to be like this but this is what happens when you let someone get close to you. You're probably confused how this came to be at this time, I guess I should start at the beginning of something that was bigger than all of us.