The cell was cool and quiet, making Cinder wonder what time it was. There were no windows, only bright walls that still seemed to glow in the near darkness. It could be anytime and she wouldn't know. She didn't know anything. She didn't know what the Doctor wanted from her, or where Scarlet and Thorne were, or even how much longer she would live. She was the definition of clueless.
It had been quite some time since Dr. Erland had left Cinder's cell, and everything was all too quiet. Her nerves were on edge, waiting for something bad to happen, but everything had been a mask of calm and silence. All was at peace, and that was the scariest part of Cinder's situation.
Though the atmosphere was filled with tension, Cinder had given a lot of thought to her position. She felt like a fool for falling into the Doctor's trap so easily, never questioning his kindness towards her all because he had helped her. She should have known that your enemies are often those closest to you.
Along with all the other emotions tumbling through Cinder, she felt guilty for believing Kai would want to hurt her after everything that he'd done for her. Kai was not the villain, but a victim. He was in the same position as Cinder. He was...
Horror struck Cinder in a sudden wave. What if Kai was there with Thorne and Scarlet? What if Iko was too? She hadn't answered Cinder's call, which could mean anything. They could be dead, and Cinder would be none the wiser.
No, she couldn't believe that. They were smarter than her in that direction. Maybe Iko had decided to go out on a shopping trip. It was Friday after all, and she could have been in the middle of a heated discussion over the price of hot pink heels. She also could have been on her couch watching some teen drama and shipping the characters so hard that she hadn't heard her phone. It wouldn't be the first time.
Kai could also be safe as well, though Cinder had no idea. She wished that she had called him. She should have gone straight to the police station and then called Kai. No, she should have just gone to the police station instead of the Darnel's house. She should have done so many things, but she hadn't. She couldn't change the past, no matter how much she wanted to.
The one time she had truly trusted someone, they had been her only enemy. She wouldn't make that mistake again.
What hurt most about the entire thing wasn't that Cinder was going to die. She could live (or die) with that. No, it was the fact that she had dragged her friends down with her and not ever letting them know what they were getting themselves into when they befriended her.
It was not unlike a simple mouse trap. All the mice wanted was the cheese; all her friends wanted was to be kind to her. She hadn't done anything but sat there, never warning then about the sharp, deadly claws that would enclose them if they came near her. She could have saved them, but she had been too selfish. People always want what they can never have.
No, people always want what they shouldn't have.
Why had she ever allowed herself to love? It had only ever hurt others and herself. She should have isolated herself from all of them. She should have never told them the lies to her past. Cinder should have let them go before they were captured. She should have saved them from the imminent destruction that was herself.
Cinder felt like a monster. She had been so selfish, to allow such kind, innocent people to be burned in her path to ultimate annihilation. She may as well have killed them all. She just as well would have stabbed them in the back at the rate everything was going. If they were in a drama, she would play the part of death, and them the too willing victims who trusted too easily.
The silence of the room was deafening, and Cinder wished that it would be filled. She would rather the sound of nails on a chalkboard then the silence. It was a scream in its own sense, slowly ripping Cinder to shreds in its icy peril. She would welcome anything else to cleanse her guilty thoughts.
She shouldn't have complained.
Suddenly, the deafening peacefulness of the room was broken in an abrupt crack, making Cinder flinch. She was still aching from her last fight when she had been kidnapped, and the movement sent a shudder of pain throughout her body. The sight in the doorway did nothing to ease that agony.
Two Mutant Wolves hovered in the doorway, both with sick grins on their faces. One of them was larger than the other, ranging over six and a half feet. He had fair hair, and bright eyes, though they were full of hatred. The other had dark hair and green eyes and was much smaller than the first, though still ginormous in comparison to Cinder.
Standing in the doorway, they looked like true wolves. Their open mouths revealed sharp fangs, and their filthy nails were manicured into long claws. Their entrance also brought in the awful musk of wild animals and blood, giving Cinder the sharp urge to puke.
It took only a few moments for the creatures to travel from the doorway, to hovering over Cinder. Only a few more seconds, and the monsters made their intentions clear. They were not here for a nice, "Hello, how are you?" or even a "Sorry we beat the crap out of you a couple hours ago." They were there to torture her.
And torture her they did.
The first kick hit Cinder right in the side, causing a groan to come from her. The second one landed on her other side, and this time Cinder let out a yell of pain, trying to get off the ground and into a fighting position. However, the Mutants only laughed, shoving her back to the floor, causing her to land hard.
Cinder screamed, though it came from frustration as well as pain. She eyed the poor stance of the smaller Wolf and took her advantage, swiping at his legs with her own. He fell down with a thud, shaking the entire room with his great mass.
Triumph exploded through Cinder, though it was short lived as the bigger Wolf landed a punch in her gut. Pain coiled through her as the blow caused another shriek of pain to echo from within her.
She heard a pounding through the walls, and it sounded as if someone were yelling. Fear cascaded through Cinder, and she worried that more Wolves were coming.
Curling in the fetal position, Cinder whimpered. She wanted the wolf-men to disappear into nothingness, and leave her alone. She wanted it all to stop. All of the pain, worry, hurt to just go away. She wanted to be safe.
No, she deserved this. She had brought it all upon herself. She didn't care if they tortured her to death, just as long as her friends made it out. She wasn't a victim in this situation, she was the villain that had allowed her friends to get kidnapped and possibly killed. She was a wretched creature, and she deserved whatever ending was brought upon her, however unpleasant.
Another blow landed on Cinder's face, and she felt her eye immediately begin to swell. She let out a scream, and tried to claw at whoever was hitting her. Cinder grabbed hold of an arm corded with beefy muscle, and dug her nails in. Blood popped under her short nails, though it was merely an annoyance to the large creature.
A snarl ripped from the wolf above Cinder, and he tried to pull his arm out of her grasp. Luckily for Cinder, he only succeeded in removing her from the ground, and onto her feet.
Using her momentary advantage, Cinder let go of the Wolf she was holding onto, and kicked him where it hurt. He buckled over and fell to the floor, cursing colorfully at Cinder.
The second, smaller Wolf growled, and Cinder turned. He shoved her straight in the shoulders, and Cinder hit the wall behind her. Fear coursed through Cinder's veins, and she let out a growl not unlike the Wolve's.
She was cornered, and both of them knew it. The small Wolf grinned, punching her hard in the stomach. Cinder let out a grunt, doubling over. Her brain was thinking of ways to get out. The door was still open, seeing how the Mutants hadn't thought to close it. A plan formulated in Cinder's brain. A reckless, suicide mission of a plan.
The bigger Wolf was still on the ground, though that wouldn't last for long. She had to get out now, or else she was doomed.
Cinder turned and judged the position on the smaller Wolf. He had his hands up in a punching position, and his left leg was splayed in front of his right. Cinder calculated her moves, and just as he was about to hit Cinder again, she kicked him in the knee, feeling a satisfying crunch echo through the room. He fell to the ground with the force of a refrigerator falling from a ten story building, and howled in pain. Cinder seized her chance.
Rushing as fast as she could with all of her injuries, Cinder made towards the door. She was going to make it. She could make it out of here alive, and run for help. She could save herself and her friends.
The door was only a couple strides away, and Cinder's limping pace seemed to be enough. She was really going to escape. She could right her wrongs.
Just as Cinder made it to the doorway, a hand grabbed her ankle, causing her to crash to the floor. She let out a scream, and kicked out at the larger Wolf, though he already had control of her.
The large Wolf laughed, and his companion joined him, crawling across the room. Cinder screamed again, and tried to struggle, though it was to no use. The bigger Wolf knelt beside Cinder, and scraped his claws slowly across her arm in the same manner she had dug her nails into his own flesh. Blood seeped from the wounds, and Cinder let out a shriek of pain and tried to escape. He only laughed, holding her down tighter.
Black hair flashed as the smaller Wolf mutilated her other arm, and Cinder's voice began to grow hoarse with all of the screaming. She would definitely not have her voice tomorrow.
If she even lived to see a tomorrow.
The corruption of her arm seemed to stop, and Cinder felt momentary relief. It didn't last long, seeing how another kick was aimed at her gut, and Cinder felt all the air rush out of her in a wheeze. Laughter filled the room as Cinder became a human punching bag.
Pain seeped through every inch of Cinder as the two Wolves beat her senseless. Kicks and punches bruised Cinder's entire body, and she began to cough up blood.
The air became filled with screams and the rancid metallic smell of blood. It consumed all of Cinder's senses as her mouth tasted it, her nose smelled it, and her body released it. Everything was blood and hurt. Everything.
Growling came from above Cinder, but she could hardly hear it above the pounding of her heart in her ears. Blows hit every inch of Cinder's skin, but her senses were dull; she couldn't feel it. A mixture of screams and coughing racked her body, but Cinder couldn't even remember her own name.
The silence that had once seemed so haunting had been filled with screams, only to be filled with silence again. Everything was quiet, except for the high buzz echoing drearily through Cinder's senses.
Lights were fading fast, and Cinder didn't even notice as the two men stop their beating. Cinder had stopped screaming though blood dripped slowly from her mouth. She knew that she wouldn't be able to escape, even if the Wolves weren't standing above her. Everything was going, and as the blackness swallowed Cinder, she knew that she was going with it.
But this time, she wasn't sure if she would ever come out of it.