Rising Moon (Book 3 - Moon Series Trilogy)

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

She opens her eyes again, yet closes them immediately. She feels weak. Tessa is lingering between consciousness and unconsciousness. She doesn't know how long she has been gone. Probably not that long since she's still wearing her armour. She feels numb. The wound caused by Rodian's sword stings with every movement. Kitaling are dragging her. She can't even focus her attention to where they are bringing her. Eventually, they stop and drop her on the cold stone floor. She moans. Her eyesight is blurry. Someone takes off her armour brutally and every time he throws down a piece, the bang is audible. Now she's only wearing the clothes from underneath her armour. Some Kitaling are holding her tight. Suddenly she feels a fire spreading through her body, coming from the painful shoulder. They have poured out alcohol to clean the wound. The smell of the drink is entering her nose. She screams out how much it hurts. As if she's burning. She struggles. She wants to be released. She wails. She yelps. All her sensors are directed to the fire that she barely notices that a needle with a string is going through her skin to sew it tightly. She sweats and swears. Her breathing is heavier and louder. Blood runs out of the wound, on the floor and stains her clothes. They release her. She is writhing in agony because the pain is still fierce. She still can't see clearly. Vague shadows loom up. They snatch Tessa by her unhurt arm to lift her onto her feet. Then someone grabs both her wrists and pull them above her head. She winces when they put on shackles, which are attached to the ceiling to chain her. Her ankles are undergoing the same. However, she isn't resting on her feet, it's more as if she's hanging. She has a suspicion of what's going to happen now, though she hopes that she's just imagining it. Someone lays his fingers underneath her chin and lifts her head.

"Are you ready to find out what the price is for your sins?" An older man asks.

She can clearly hear the smirk through his voice. Tessa doesn't reply. He releases her. She closes her eyes and bites the bullet. The whip flies through the air and the end harshly hits her back. The lash leaves a large mark. The pain spreads tremendously through her veins. She presses her eyes tighter if that's possible. She only makes little sounds that get through her teeth. She tries her best to swallow them away. The whip touches many places of her back. Sometimes the same spot. She can feel how it's ripping her skin open. All the cuts hurt badly. They sting. Red liquid is streaming. Tears are running down her cheek. Yet she disallows herself to scream. She has to fight. Continue to sustain it.

"Where are your cries of pain, miss?" The man asks her bluntly. She ignores him. She isn't sure if the fire that had raged inside of her earlier was worse than this. Perhaps this. His slams are becoming harder. She bites so hard that she can taste blood in her mouth. She knows that she's at her limit. He won't hear her scream. Not yet. The numbness attacks her. She closes her eyes and drifts away in her subconscious.

~

We descend from the steps of the bus. We have arrived in Ledai Town. It seems to be a nice, peaceful Town.

"I suggest we stay here for the night and depart for the next town in the morning. Tomorrow afternoon we'll watch the news to hear what he's going to do with the rebels. There we will find a way to go to Kejsare Island." Shakey announces. Pjay and I agree. Fortunately there's an inn free. We take a room for four people. After paying, we immediately leave our stuff there and go down again to eat dinner. In the evening we practice some more. Shakey said that it would help a lot to move with my own sword, not fight against an opponent yet. I think it's for the better since I don't want to hurt any of the guys. They don't heal that easily like I do. As I swing my weapon another time, suddenly a headache enters my mind. Oh no, not again. I release my sword, but don't hear it reach the ground. Images flash into my mind. The flashbacks I had a few times before return again. The drifting island. The hidden building. Halls with neon lights. Machines. My view from within a tube with green water. The blurry forms I can't divert. I'm not sure, thought I think I can hear a few words. A male voice. 'We succeeded'? Did he say that? Then the water fades. My body floats down. Wires are attached all over my body. The mask on my mouth and nose which helped me to breathe drops down. Finally I inhale real air since a long time. The scene disappears. I pant loudly. I shake and shiver. I find myself on my knees, my hands pressed against my head and my body withdrawn.