JACK
The wound on my neck is aching so terribly but I managed to bit my hand to avoid making unnecessary noise. The werewolf got me deeper than the others but as long as everyone's alive, I don't mind getting hurt a million times painful. I leaned on the pillar for support and slowly ripped the hem of my shirt. I need to cover my wound to avoid infection I don't want to be a burden to them when we escape tomorrow. I gritted my teeth when I wrapped the cloth around my neck and shoulder. I grunted but I managed to tie it tightly as I can. My body temperature rises and with only ripped pants and shirt, I'm freezing.
I glanced around and saw Lauren awake. She ripped the hem of her dress before she rubbed her arm. Her chain is different from us and I can tell that there something she isn't telling us aside from the fact that she's pregnant, with my child.
"Lauren." I called gently. Her eyes shot up to mine and I'm guessing how her eyes widened for a second, she didn't notice I was awake the whole time. She stopped what she's doing and focused on me.
"Is your wound throbbing?" She asked. I shook my head before licking my lower lip. As much as I want to avoid it, I can't. I need to know.
"Is it true? That you're pregnant?" My voice sounded so little that I don't think she heard but when she sighed, she nodded at me. "I was pregnant. I lost the baby when Luna got me." A tiny piece tugged my heart and it is immediately surrounded by guilt and regret.
"I'm sorry." I whispered. "It was a mistake."
Lauren's forehead creases and she looked at me with mock. She then laughed bitterly. She massaged her temple and took a deep breath after. Her lips tremble and I know she's mad.
"A mistake? Really Jackson?" She spat. "What am I?" She pleaded. I don't want to hurt her, she's my friend after all but I want her to know how I regret it so much. Cheating with her, letting her drowned at an illusion that we made.
"Was it all just sex?" She mirrored my eyes but I didn't look away. "I'm sorry, Lauren. I was tempted and let it consume me because I needed someone at that time but that was pure lust and ecstasy." I answered. She wiped her tears reluctantly. "I'm sorry. But after we've been through, I'll keep on choosing Roni because she's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."
Lauren fell silent for awhile but after a few minutes, she turned her back at me before lying down the floor. I can see her shoulders shaking and I can hear her soft sobs. I know I've been a jerk. This is partly my fault but I have to tell her so she won't think there's hope for us. Lauren is kind and pretty but I don't see her more than a friend. And I realized it in a most difficult time. When I inflicted so much pain to her and turning Roni into that monster.
I closed my eyes but kept awake. Roni's image awhile ago flashed before me. Her hair turned darker and her eyes turned haunting. She doesn't look like herself. When she bit the girl and drinks the blood, I was torn and agonized by the fact that she cannot control herself. When she averted her gaze from the girl to me, I felt a spark of longing. I wanted to pull her into my arms so bad and kiss her head. Those beautiful eyes that I have drowned in first were stained with painful tears. For a moment before she passed out, I saw her weak smile and pain.
I am the root-cause of this and I will see to it that we can save her, even if it means sacrificing my own. I don't want to be selfish anymore, for once I want to think of others before myself. I want her to survive and live happily until she's old. I don't want her to be imprisoned by the madness that Antigen drove her to. We already lost our baby I don't think I can handle losing Roni too. I know I don't have any right to begged for mercy and for another chance but I want Roni to escape from here. That alone is enough for me before I die.
"Luna comes here at dawn but never at noon or after that. I might be wrong but I think she's sleeping around that time and so does the others. That's the only time we can escape." Lauren whispered to us. The guards behind the double doors are gone and dawn is about to break. We need to pretend asleep if she visits us. Art and I will check the other room while Prim and Matt will find something to melt the silver. We just have to make sure that before Luna leaves, we get the keys on her pocket. It sounds hard knowing that she has fast reflexes.
"If she finds out, I'll battle her out." Lauren uttered in complete authority. My forehead creased as to how she'll fight the werewolf alpha but I didn't say anything and just nodded at her. Prim's wound isn't so deep so she managed to help Matt by her side. I am not sure whether we'll successfully escape but I really want to. I want to dragged as much as possible, all of them out of here.
"Roni's laptop fell off the bridge so we can't track them out." Prim muttered. Lauren shook her head. "It doesn't matter. As long as we know where to go."
"The laptop tracks the five test subjects and not everyone. They multiplied for at least fifty or sixty so I doubt it'll be of any use." Matt said. I nodded in agreement. "As long as we stick together."
We all pretended to be asleep when the double doors swung open. The barefooted Luna came in with quite a resounding sound as her feet stomped on the floor. It was immediately followed by four more steps and I'm guessing it's her guards.
"Wake up sleepyheads. Time for you to eat." She used her high-pitch voice and I swear it was the most annoying voice ever. She's more irritating than Prim whenever she mimics Roni.
"Don't waste your time Luna. Their wound is too deep for them to be conscious right now." Lauren uttered in her bored tone. Though I can't see her I know Luna turned around to face her way.
"It wasn't that deep darling compared to yours." She teased. Lauren grunted when she pulled the chains. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Luna's back against me while she's talking with Lauren. My eyes darted on the pocket of her dress. That's where the key to our handcuffs is.
"I was just going easy on them and I won't turn them into monsters so you can keep a cool head about it."
I slowly sat straight, not doing any unnecessary movements to keep the chain steady. I looked around and noticed the two werewolves on the back, trying to guard the door. This is it. This is our only chance and I have to go grab it. I took a deep breath before extending my arm.
"You're a liar. Who knows what you will do once you bit them off again." Lauren muttered after she saw me. I nodded gently before reaching out to Luna's pocket. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She suddenly said.
I stopped my hand mid-air and stopped breathing for a moment too before looking up. Lauren averted her gaze to me, afraid. But before I can even withdraw my hand, the wall on the opposite side pounded. Luna was not minding me instead she's staring at the wall. I took the chance to grab the keys while she's distracted and even before the wall made a sound again, I already kept the keys to the pocket of my pants.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Roni." She muttered without tearing off her eyes to the wall. I glanced at the wall too when I heard her mention Roni but all I see is the rough cement wall. Luna signaled the werewolves to go check it out. And a few seconds later, the wall rose up slowly.
Roni is standing on the other side with her hands filled with blood. She's not moving but her eyes remained on Luna. She gritted her teeth at her and her eyes automatically changed colors.
"I won't mind giving you a few scratches." Luna whispered as she ripped out from her dress and transformed into a werewolf.
Everyone was on alert when the two started fighting. I took the chance to use the key and free myself from the chains. I passed the key to Art and then he helped the others. I grimaced but what was more painful than my wound is seeing Roni in a brawl with Luna. Her eyes were intensely drawn to the werewolf and her movements are too fast, my eyes couldn't keep up.
Luna was massive and she used her claws to scratch Roni's leg. Roni fell on the ground but before Luna could step on her, she spins around until she reached me. I saw her surprise eyes and gaped. Her eyes went back to her natural color.
"Oh, shit. Luna saw us. We have to leave now." Lauren alerted us. I extended my right hand, to reach Roni. I smiled a little before nodding my head at her. "Come on." Lauren shouted once more.
"Baby." I called. Roni's eyes watered as tears fell on her face but even before I can reach her, she pushed Luna back. In her peripheral vision a second ago, Luna was determined to cut my head off but Roni blocked her. "G-go." She muttered softly without looking at me. I automatically shake my head in protest. "I won't leave you here." I whispered. Luna growled as she tried to push Roni out of the way. Roni is holding Luna's head, securing her in place.
"Go. Please, Jack." She sounded so tired and weak but I won't leave her. I am not leaving this place without her. "Let's go." Art muttered behind me. He held me by the arm as he pulls me away.
"Let me go. I need to save her." I fought at Art but Lauren helped him and all my struggles were helpless. They both dragged me away as Roni pulled Luna on the other side of the room. The wall slowly moves down. "What are you doing? Didn't we agree to save Roni?" I screamed. "Let me go. She's still in there, we have to save her." I muttered desperately. "Please."
"We can't save her, alright? Wake up Jack! Roni gave us a slight opening to escape, we can't let this go." Art grabbed me forcefully before dragging me away. Prim and Lauren helped Matt walked and when we turned to the left, Roni's worried look were the last ones I've seen before passing out. The escape plan succeeded but we failed in rescuing Roni. I failed her, once more.
RONI
I feel hot and cold at the same time, like my body is going on some unusual phase that I don't remember having. I can't clearly open my eyes and I can't even move my own body. I felt the cold rough ground on my back while the fiery sensation hit my face and arms. I can't completely comprehend what I am feeling, let alone open my eyes to know where I am but I know I'm inside a fortress. I heard someone talking on the far right corner of the room and it's the only thing I can make out of.
I tried to raise my hand again, concentrating so hard to lift even my fingers and it won't cooperate. My nerves felt wrecked and heart isn't beating properly. I can breathe freely yet I felt a strange feeling being carried away by my blood throughout the circulation. I feel the need to eat. Hunger kept on striking me and as my sense of smell came back, a sweet aroma overwhelmed. My throat runs dry. And with that, my eyes sprung open forcefully.
I coughed so hard, inhaling deep oxygen, like I've been awakened after years of waiting. My eyes felt sharp and I can clearly see the dust particles on the ground. I heard some steps walking towards the other direction. But my hands shake on their own, hunger is taking over control. I glanced around, in search for food but to my surprise, no one's around. No one's here with me and even though it's dark, I can clearly see the four walls of the room. I ran to one side with so much speed and I hit the wall with my shoulder. Surprisingly, it isn't painful.
"Where are we?" I heard a familiar voice. I hurriedly went to the opposite side and leaned on the bricks. There are at least five people in the room and most of them are wounded. I felt a sharp pang of pain in my gut as my blood boils in excitement. My nails turned sharp and I screamed in pain. My ribs are crushing my inside, all of my bones are rearranging on their own. It's painful.
While I am lying on the ground, completely overwhelmed by the changes my body is occurring, the door on the left opened. Two werewolves came and they immediately dragged me. I don't have the strength to fight them or even stay away.
"W-what are you doing?" I muttered weakly. They both pulled chains that hang above us and handcuffed my hands. I grimaced when I felt my bones contract again. "Help, please." I whispered. Then in one swift move, something hit me hard on my back. My ears rang with the impact and blood pulses over. I screamed when they continued hitting me. I felt my spine breaking and blood gushing out of my body. It's gruesome and I can't even open my eyes properly now. My sight is starting to blur.
"STOP!" Someone shouted.
I opened my eyes and tried to look behind me but another force of pain hit me. I almost fell unconscious. The chains that bind me keep on clanging and it's ringing my ears. "It won't kill her. Unless we ripped her to pieces."
That voice. Luna! I tried to get up. I have to face her and save my friends. I heard them complaining in agony and begging, I can't let Luna harm them.
But I was suddenly mesmerized when the sweet aroma grew stronger and stronger. My throat runs dry again and I felt some of my saliva dripped. I stare towards the entrance and saw a young girl in chains, tied up by one of the werewolves. She's crying but something in me pushed me back and convinced me to feast on the girl. I gulped when I saw blood dripping from her face. It's calling me.
"Now watch how your dear little friend becomes a monster."
I didn't know what happened, I lost control and all I saw was Jack's sad eyes and pure tears that made me calm down. I subconsciously let go of the girl's pulse and faced my friends who's staring at me with wide eyes. Fear. But before I can walk towards them, my sight turned upside down and I collapsed on the ground. I heard Jack calling me again and again before I succumb to the darkness. In the end, I became what I did to others. In the end, I became the monster.