The Death of Hope

Chapter Ten

On the outside, he seemed placid, but inside he seethed. Her eyes glared right at him, never leaving his face. Her whole body dripped with water, puddling onto the floor. Her ghastly scar glistened, dripping down her face.
What should I do, Colette? His face melted into a smile at her quiet answer. Thank you, Colette. She'll never disobey me again, not after this.
~~~~~
He smiled and stood. It looked as if a new form of torture had just come to his mind.
"Come, Victoria... Didn't I warn you? Or did I happen to forget." He giggled. "Oops, it seemed to have slipped my mind." He snapped his fingers, and Amber was dragged out of the shadowy doorway. "Come over here, Amber, I want you present for this." She pulled free, walked over, and sat at his feet. "See, my pet, Amber has learned very well."
Victoria lunged forward, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to get close enough to do anything. The guards jumped forward, grabbing her arms, and dragging her backwards. The Leader chuckled.
"You know better, Victoria." He said, shaking his head like a disappointed mother. "Chain her up." They twisted her arms painfully behind her back, clamping the cold, metal cuffs around her wrists. A chain curled behind her, only letting her move a few feet from the wall.
"Is this the best you've got?" Victoria grunted. The Leader ignored her, stalking closer, and closer to her.
"When something like this happens, when someone causes trouble... Someone should be blamed, and punished for it."
"Get on with it then," Victoria interrupted, steeling herself for whatever tortures were in store for her. The Leader sighed, obviously enjoying the power.
"Interrupting is rude, Victoria. That's common etiquette." He chuckled. "As I was saying, someone must be punished. Now I've found that the best form of punishment is not punishing the one who caused the damage..." Victoria froze, her determination faltering. "But someone they care about."
"No. I did it, I helped them escape." Victoria struggled against the chains, picturing, once again, Eloise's sweet face. The Leader crouched, his hand snaked out and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer.
"You, Victoria, need to learn a lesson. Never disobey me." He shoved her back, standing. "Watch, Victoria, and learn." He practically skipped back to his chair. He sat, and the procession began.
~~~~~
They walked in, one after the other. Guards, Councilmen, and Chance. Callan smiled with glee at the little boy's soft face. The Captain marched in, slamming the door behind him. Chance's handler dragged him to the middle of the room, leaving him in the hands of the Captain.
"I hereby state, with you all as my witness, that Victoria Towers, Chosen of The Leader, has committed a crime against the monarchy. She is hereby sentenced to punishment, by the death of another. Amber Lake, you have three minutes."  She closed her eyes, waiting for death until they shoved her son into her arms.
"No, no, no. Not Chance, please, don't." She was close to hysteria now, clutching him close. "This is all your fault, Victoria. I warned you, I warned you not to do anything stupid. I told you nothing good would come from this. You didn't listen." Callan sat back, watching.
"Two minutes." She ran her fingers over his soft cheek, down his small arms, through his curly hair.
"I love you, Chance. Please, say you forgive me, please."
Victoria strained against her unforgiving chains, tears falling down her face.
I did it, Colette. I broke her. She's mine now. All mine.
"I forgive you, Mommy." She ran her fingers over his face, her sightless eyes taking in every detail of his sweet form. "what's happening?" Chance's small voice broke as he saw his mother in tears.   
"One minute."
"Why are you crying, Mommy? Why is the girl with the scars chained up?" He threw his small arms around her neck and cried on her slim shoulder.
"Your time is up, step away." Amber didn't move. She pulled Chance closer. "Step away." Callan sat up, and with a wave of his hand ordered them to begin. The Captain raised his gun, aimed, and fired.
~~~~~
Amber screamed as her son went limp in her arms. She laid him gently on the floor, seeming to hope, for one second, that he was still alive. Her white dress was splattered with his blood, her fingers became encased in the red liquid as she attempted to bring him back to life. She gave up, laying her head on his small chest, on the chest that should be breathing. On the chest of the boy Victoria had killed. Tears streamed down Victoria's face, she struggled to break free of her chains. She looked up at The Leader, and he smiled.
His face twisted in glee, as he watched her break.
"Learn from your mistakes, Victoria. Don't let it happen again." His voice was calm as if he'd killed a hundred people. A hundred innocent people.
The pressure on her wrists was released, and she sagged forward, free of the chains. She stumbled towards Amber, and the limp form beside her. when she rested her hand on Ambers' arm she didn't move. She sat, her head resting on her son's lifeless chest. She only repeated one thing over and over.
"Death, take me from this land. Life is not worth living without hope." The poetic words dug deep into Victoria's heart, shattering its scattered pieces. A soldier marched up and dragged Amber away. She made no move to fight. She was limp, waiting for death.
Victoria looked down at Chance's sweet, lifeless face. His golden curls splattered with red. His pale skin. His red lips, curved in a small smile as he stared at where his mother had been. He was innocent, never doubting, never frowning, always happy. All that happiness was now gone, replaced by lifelessness. She gently closed his deep blue eyes with her shaking hands.
"Victoria." The soft whisper came from behind her. She spun around, facing The Leader. "Listen to me."
"I will never listen to a man who kills innocent children, just to make a point," Victoria spat.
"Then you have not learned." He dragged her away. Down halls, through doors, into unknown rooms. He dragged her into a small room, a single chair sat in the center. He shoved her down, locking cuffs around her wrists, and ankles. He stalked out of the door, leaving her alone. The entire wall in front of her was a huge window, looking onto a lavishly decorated bedroom, her eyes lighted on the girl. Eloise.
"Hello, my dear." The Leader's voice floated through speakers, hidden somewhere in the room. "May I come in?"
"Why, of course, Callan," Eloise's soft voice replied.
"I must leave soon, but, can you answer one question for me?" He stared straight at the window where Victoria was watching.
"yes, I would do anything for you, Callan."
"Do you miss the Lower City?"
"Well, not really. I mean, Rip can take care of himself, and well, no one else really matters, right?" Her light laughter hit Victoria like a battering ram.
"You are completely right, my dear," The leader laughed. "I'm sorry to have to cut this short, but I have some urgent matters to attend to." He bent down, and slowly kissed her on the cheek.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Callan," she replied, blushing, as he sauntered out of the room.
Hatred boiled in Victoria's veins, hatred for The Leader. Hatred for the man who had pulled the trigger, without question. For the man who had put a bullet through the heart of a four-year-old boy. Hatred for life.
Hatred for herself.
~~~~~
Time passed, slowly. Victoria's mind replayed, over and over, the bullet. The noise, the scream. It played it, trying to convince her that it wasn't true. It was just a dream, it hadn't happened. She dreaded closing her eyes, seeing the nightmares of the past mingled with the torture of the present. When she finally fell asleep she dreamed of none of this.
She dreamed of freedom.