The Destruction of Madeline

Prologue

The cold was inescapable. It pervaded the air around her, causing every exhale to become a pale cloud that swooped upwards and disappeared within seconds. Sometimes she tried to make her little clouds fill up the whole room. It never worked. They would always leave her, seeping through the cracks in the ceiling as if they were never there. 

The cold would sink into her bones, wracking her frail body with shivers and causing her teeth to chatter endlessly. The only light in her room came from a small, rectangular opening in the wall that connected to the floor. Periodically, a hand would slide through that opening and push in a tray of food. The hand would then retract, and she would devour what she was given. Not with her hands, of course. Those were locked in metal boxes, each attached to a short chain. The other end of each chain was attatched to opposite walls of her room. She ate quickly, as she wanted the hand to visit her again. She liked seeing that hand every day. It was a small comfort, knowing that she wasn't alone. She tried to talk to it, occasionally, but it never replied. That never really upset her, though. It must be hard, being just a hand. She couldn't remember much of her life before this four walls. In fact, she could barely remember anything at all, and what was left was a haze in her mind. However, she could not recollect there being many other jobs for hand-friends in the outside world. She wished the hand would stay with her, though. It would reach out again, grab the empty tray, and retract again, not returning  until it brought her next meal. It was her only visitor, but it always left abruptly, leaving her alone with her stone walls and her breath-clouds and her frozen limbs. 

She had one more friend in that room that she had resided in for so, so long. It was a small black box, mounted upon the wall opposite to her. She knew it was a friend because it had a small red  eye that blinked, just like hers did. Sometimes they had staring contests. She always won.

She liked to win.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One morning, a strange, ringing noise echoed through her cell from above, along with the sounds of hurried footsteps. She waited patiently for hand to visit her, bring her food like it always did. It didn't come. She started feeling pangs in her stomach, but the hand still didn't come. She slowly became more aware of the sounds around her.

Sirens.

Gunfire.

Time passed, the jarring noises  continued. Still, the hand did not return. The hazy vision she had become so accustomed to was slowly clearing.

The first warning sign was the blinking red eye across from her suddenly going dark.

The second was the light pouring in from the opening in the wall cutting off seconds later, leaving her shrouded in darkness.

The third was the beginning of screams of agony from above her.

Then time seemed to slow, as the ceiling crumbled and collapsed on top of her. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All one could see a few moments later, when looking at the rubble, would be shattered stone and broken bodies. The military base has been attacked my missiles, leaving hundreds dead, their final moments being those of utter terror. Not a soul lingered in that place of death.

Except for one. An arm burst out of the mountain of ruin, grasping for air and light. The woman clawed her upwards, until she emerged from the shattered stone and collapsed with exhaustion. Her eyes squinted at the natural light she had not seen for decades.

Her fingers were thin, bones brittle from misuse. Her wrists were purple from the bruises the restraints had left on her pale skin.  She lay there for hours, trying to adjust to everything she had not experienced for years. The blocks in her memory slowly cleared.

She finally remembered all they had done to her. Why she had been locked in a cage for the last twenty years of her life, drugged and chained to prevent her from accessing her powers.

But now, she was free.

She bolted upright.

She was free. 

She struggled to her feet, stumbling across the shattered stones. 

She was free.

Shaking, she held her hand out towards the setting sun, and closed her eyes. She felt the familiar tongues of fire racing across her palms, begging to be released. Her fingers closed into a fist, and the flames disappeared. A grin spread across her face. She was free.

David. Morgan. Henry. Penelope.

She was free.

And now, they were all going to pay. 

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading, this is my first original story on this site and I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully I will be able to update soon. Until then, darlings! 

(All  writing is my own, please do not steal it.)

- Lazycatbooks17