My throat was raw by morning, or whatever time it was. The cell had no windows, nothing to keep track of time. My wounds still bled but some had started to clot over. When I moved my body exploded in pain and I gasped. It burned like hell.
-
Nobody came to get me that day, or the next. I didn't even know if time had passed, I couldn't tell. It felt like I'd been in this cage forever, my head was starting to hurt. I slept and I groaned and I slept some more.
-
More hours, more pain. It never ended. No one came through the hall, nobody dropped off food. I was beginning to think all my hope was for naught. No sounds drifted my way and not a single light went out, though they were on all hours of the day. Sleep eluded me most of the time and the pain ahd turned into an ever-present throb.
-
I neveer move from my spot on the floor, it hurt to much. Everyday was spent testing my body; which ways I could move, which ways sent my mind spiraling into pain. One of the gashes split at least once a day and I couldn't clean up the ppol of blood I was surrounded by.
-
I thought of what was happening to my family every hour. Was mom worried? How was Anthony? Were they okay? Then I thought of Mason, and how he hand't made it yet. I knew he probably had other things to worry about, like actually taking down The Ark. But it still hurt to know that he was out somewhere, instead of here with me.
-
I was starting to lose it. Little voices in the back of my head whispered horrible things. No one has come to save you because you're worthless. No one with want you now. Mason will sneer in disgust when he sees you. I tried to drown them out, but they followed me into my nightmares and chased me throughout.
-
I hadn't eaten in days, maybe weeks. I could feel my body trying to shut down. All of my energy was spent trying not to bleed out onto the floor. Most of the cuts were throbbing less, but I felt every single one as if it were the only one. I slept more, but I dreamt of nothing. There wasn't anything to dream about when everything around you is gray and black.
-
There was still hope. A tiny, tiny piece of hope. No matter how much I felt like crying that little spark kept the tears at bay. Hope was a dangerous thing, but it was a powerful one too. Hope could change one persons life, which in turn could change thousands, millions. Hope could overthrow governments and countries. Hope was the only thing keeping me alive. I wasn't sure I could hold for much longer.
-
The ring of silence had ingrained itself into my head. It was all I heard, I didn't even hear the grunting and the thuds until they were right outside the hall. When the noise finally reached me I tried to sit up, which ended in me on my back and in pain. I tried to call out for someone, but my throat was dry and raw and only air came out.
A door opened and I heard footsteps rush in stopping every so often. I tried again to make a noise, any noise but to no avail. So I hit the floor, I hit the wall. I hit anything I could lay me weak hands on. The footsteps were coming closer and I suddenly stopped hitting. It could be Caden coming for me. He's going to kill me, oh my god.
His words hit me like his knife had. "Because, if they get to you before I do, and I know they will, I want them to see what I did to you. So you never forget. So he never forgets. I want to leave a mark on this Earth, before they kill me. And I guess you'll have to do."
A pair of boots halted at the bars of my cell. I tried to shuffle away, but my injuries wouldn't let me. I waited for the cold command, Drag her. Kill her. Cut her. But instead I heard,
"Calsy?" Almost a whisper. More than a plea. "Calsy, is that you?"
I knew that voice. I had hoped it would one day show up and save me from the deadly quiet of this dark place.
"Mason?" I croaked.
A loud pop sounded as Mason shot the pad next to the cell door, opening it. He rushed in and kneeled beside me.
"Calsy, oh my god. Are you alright?"
What a stupid question. Did I look alright? I sat up, forgetting about the pain, and my bare front for a second. "Do I look alright to you?" It hurt to talk but it was a welcome reilef to talk to him. I felt a warm trickle down my stomach and onto my legs before adding to the pool on the floor.
That's when Mason looked down and finally noticed I was in a puddle of my own blood. His eyes widened and he swallowed. I looked at him and smiled.
The edges of my vision were going black, and tiny dots were starting to appear.
"I knew you would come." I said to him.
"Who did this to you?" Mason's voice was hard, angry.
"Caden."
Mason's face was one of he scariest thing I will probably ever see in my life. Hatred and rage swirled and mixed together.
He looked around me and finally decided what he was going to do. "Come on Cals, we can do this." Mason slid one arm underneath my shoulders and the other under my legs, like he did the night of the club shooting. When he lifted me up I yelled, the slices in my stomach all twisting at once and a wave of pain rushed through my body. I groaned.
"Calsy, stay with me. Stay with me. We're getting you out of here. Hold on." He carried me through the door and out into another hallway. The gaurds who tied me up were on the floor, blood pouring from their noses. A soldier waited at the end of the hallway and he looked familiar I just couldn't say from where.
"A1! Over here, now!" Mason screamed.
A1. Liam.
Mason nodded to me and said, "Get her out. Make sure she gets helped first. If anyone recieves help before her, bring their heads on a platter." Liam shook his head in affirmation and Mason looked down at me, "Calsy it's going to be all right. I'll see you outside okay? Can you hold on until then? For me?"
"Yeah." I said.
"Good. Good, stay awake for me. Stay awake for him."
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"To put an end to someone." Mason replied and started down the hall.
I found a voice. "Mason. Mason, don't leave me." I had to get up, to get to him. "Mason stop! Mason! Come back! You need to come outside with me! Mason!" He didn't look back at me as he ran past a corner and out of my sight. I scrambled to get out of Liam's arms and go after Mason, but all I managed to do was fall to the floor on my stomach. I screamed and tried to crawl my way to Mason. My gashes screaming in pain.
Black dots were multiplying. My head felt funny, like I was in the clouds. One part of it said, Let go. But the other part screamed at me to go after Mason. I didn't get very far when a pair of strong arms gripped my waist and pulled me up.
I kicked and thrashed, trying so hard to get out.
"Mason! Mason!" My voice was raw, and it hurt but I screamed anyway. Because he had come, and I had seen him. And then he left. Tears lined my eyelashes as I screamed for him to come back. The black was taking over my vision and my mind was sarting to fade.
I barely registered moving out of the hallway. I barely heard myself screaming. When Liam walked us out of the building and into the su, it was too bright. I closed my eyes, and found I couldn't open them. I was so tired.
Voices floated all around me, but they were all muffled. Somebody pulled my eyelid open and shined a light into my eye, I squirmed away. I felt another needle go into my neck and a warm feeling spread through my body.
Everything else fell away and I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.