The scientists escorts Emma to a working place with bodies of dead waiting for her care.
One...
Two...
Three...
The fourth body looked drier than the rest.
Five...
Six...
The room is painted pure white, the lighting seemed so innocent contrast to what's underneath of it.
"It's good to see you today Emma." a smooth young voice greeted.
The doctor appeared on the sideline, his right hand holding a white folder while the other one waved at Emma.
"Good morning Doctor."
Emma bowed and gave a small smile to the man.
The particularly young doctor caught up to Emma with a pleasant vibe on his atmosphere.
"We have plenty products today." He said, happily flipping pages of papers from his folder.
Emma almost gagged, she just can't get used to humans being refered as something as low as an object, much less a product.
He let out a low whistle of appreciation then turned to Emma with his cheerful but equally unnerving smile.
"We have some elevens here, so it should be less tricky than usual."
"Though i suggest you take more caution in these, orders from above." the doctor added. Emma curtly nods and stares at the bodies of children.
The doctor was referring to the 6 year old kids which Emma previously practiced. Yes, practiced, and if that wasn't cruel enough, they also made her identify all organs by plucking it out of the body one by one.
It makes no sense. Why does these children need to be dissected when in the end, they are just to be stapled back and eaten?
Heaven knows how twisted Emma's life had become.
"I see... " Emma answered.
In her new profound world, Emma finds herself infront of a dried corpse.
Like the twisted array of intertwined fates, this dream-filled girl looked broke than anything else. She's beyond distraught yet controlled. Her soul being taught how to clamber the stairs of possible hope or perhaps what one could call a life line of something fragile like prayer for the better.
"A little quiz." The doctor beamed at her.
"Why do you think we dissect these products here, Emma?"
Thinking about it, The reasoning is lost on her.
Emma froze, the reality appeared surreal. It's murmured, whispered into the air, soft almost unheard. But it's there, haunting.
"We... " Emma hesitantly started, a sigh escaped her lips.
"These," Emma corrected herself. "Products are born in a farm, we do this procedures in order to ensure the quality of the food served to the lords, Hence it's grading system." Emma silently offered a prayer to the souls of these children to forgive her.
"Yes, that is certainly one. Plus points on you today." The doctor's smile turned into a full grin ,creepier to look upon but Emma is far more disgusted with herself than to be concerned of how unsettling the Doctor's eyes glinted.
"But not just to ensure it's quality." The doctor picked up a transparent plastic and waved it infront of Emma, brown contents jiggling.
"We season the meat as well."
Emma swallowed guiltily, there is nothing she can do. A busted sinner, used to be an angel now crestfallen in the depths of hell.
All she wanted to do was go home.
______________
"Emma, my dear." Grandma says in her soft airy voice. Her features sporting a gentle smile.
The woman who probably aged older than her looks, she had that tight bun for her gray hairs. She approaches Emma with proudness glinting on her charcoal coloured orbs.
"Hello, Grandmother." Emma stops all her previous movements to bow at the older.
The older woman couldn't look more prouder than she does now.
Grandma does not see Emma as a human being nor person with rights, all Emma to her is a prized product. A materialized trophy for her final and most glorious show. A feast of a food.
Emma wanted to throw up.
"How was your day, my dearest?"
Because the other girls in the training room were a huge disappointment to Grandma and Emma is nothing short of unique, overvalued perhaps but the girl continues to surprise the older. If Grandma could raise Emma, mold her into someone better then surely ----Grandma proudly declares and quote---- She'll be the greatest of them all.
Yes, greater than Isabella who Grandma thought was the best one she had.
Grandma is more than confident to say that Emma worth serving to highest lord. Hell, the girl is even better than Grandma herself if it was not for her experience in her cursed life.
"It had been by far pleasant Grandmother, even better that you graced me of your presence." Emma gives the older her practiced closed eye smile as she shoves retorts down to her throat.
Grandma laughs a little and says, "You flatter me too much, my child."
Emma smiles.
"I enjoy your company and our chat as much as it lasts Emma." There was a pause as Grandma reaches out and cups Emma's soft cheeks.
The girl does not flinch or even react in the slightest, Grandma inwardly chuckled, her eyes twinkling, pleased that Emma had grown out of her childishness and grown to maturity.
"But our bussiness today is rather urgent and important, are you ready my child?" Grandma's other hand moves to Emma's head to caress those soft and silky sunset locks.
Ready? Emma inwardly spat a laugh. In this world, in her situation, there is no such thing as ready. If it's gonna happen then it's gonna happen.
Ready or not, Emma's last straw of sanity nodded at the woman whose bony fingers dragged her short hair, how she wanted to swat those away from her.
Let's see if an angel can indulge the cold peircing fires of hell with humans as devils.
__________________
Turns out, being worked on yourself is something Emma loathed.
Surgical tools and equipments surrounded the girl, there were tubes, big and small, short and long, lying on the corners of the white washed room. Her senses turned dull and all things in her visual is bland.
She stares bitterly at the white ceiling, biting back possible sobs.
Just like Sister Krone, she's gonna get that tiny bomb implanted right beside her beating heart.
This is it, another scar to keep. The only difference is that, it's one she could feel underneath her fingertips.
Being trained as a mama as well as a specimen who also works and experiments the other human beings, Emma could laugh at all these ridiculousness of her little cattle life.
Emma gripped onto the white fabric of her bed, calming her racing heartbeat. A couple gulps of air could do, she can do this.
And her last memory of that event was the sharp needle of syringe against her skin and the harsh intrusion of a liquid into her bloodstream.
_________________
The evolution of life is simple to see but complex to understand, to comprehend. Then again, so is death.
You start to have life, you also start to end the said life, like a candle only there is no light, no flames ignited. Just a soft breathing becoming labored, a few harboured and maybe even cheated or extended until one crumples.
Another realization dawned at Emma.
She's alone in this.
She's fighting alone.
None of her siblings know she's breathing, no one knows she's here waiting.
Waiting for what? Emma isn't entirely sure.
Time passed as fast at she blinked her heavy eyelids.
Even with all difficult circumstances, she can do this. She will do this.
Even with her occasional migraines due to her brain's exposure to radiation, along with the slightly burning feeling of her heart because of the recent surgery.
Even with her body convulsing and spasming painfully all the while feeling as though there were needles continuesly prickling her head.
Hold the tears.
Hold on to the hope, hold on to her dreams, and hold on to the faith of her siblings.
Emma will do this.
She promised she will.
________________
Another day in another month. Emma laid once again in an operation table, green eyes cold as the blinding fluorescent light shone above.
There are no cries of pain as Emma had long forgotten how they were made. She just laid in the cold bed, a syringe filled with drug waiting to be against her skin and enter her system. Green eyes didn't flick, nor does the owner flinch when the needle of the syringe peirce her skin.
Then there was silence, a deafening one as the doctors around her panicked and her body shooked violently. Emma couldn't even blink away the tears because her skin stings and her head rang a thousand bells beside her ears.
***********
Another day in another month. Emma laid once again in an operation table. Her green eyes that used to shine like grass and leaves basked in sunshines, now dead as the wilting of stems and overgrown of molds.
The doctors doesn't bother to put anaesthesia on her, they know when to stop. And like all the other times, Emma is used for another round of experimenting.
After the session, Emma is left there, all to herself and pain. There was nothing to live for, everything is dying in her eyes, in her life.
But she remembers Phil and his wide bright smile.
She remembers how he would look up to her with a happy air around him.
Then her family, there was Norman and Ray. The two is too important for her to let go. There was Gilda and Don who probably swam in confusion as their world flipped twice harder, she owes them a big explanation. There was Anna, Nat, Thoma, Lani, Sherry, and everyone else in her family. Even Mama.
She loved them, equally and above everything she could ever want. She loved them beyond her desires.
Maybe one day she'll get to see them again.
"Emma..." A soft voice spoke.
Emma laughed heartily. She must be delirious. She's already seeing Norman standing opposite to her pathetic state.
"Emma!" Another voice chimed in.
Another laugh escaped her lips, except it's fonder. The voice coming from Phil with a smile on his young face.
"Emma."
"Emma."
"Emma."
"Emma."
"Emma."
A chorus of her name rang in her head. Together with the physical pain she is feeling, hallucinations mocked her, taunted her. Her family all lined up infront of her. She knows they aren't real but she wanted to hold them, wanted to reach out and rest in their warm embrace.
Anothe laugh fills the air.
They're real because she wanted them to be real, even the hand going up on her forehead felt real, the panicked voices all around sounded real.
Her vision went pitch black, but this time whatever she lost won't be coming back.
_______________
Silence will always be there for her, it's the only thing that welcomes her without hesitance or was it vice versa? Who knows.
It had been a year already, of pain, sorrow, grief and loneliness. She had a plan to escape but she couldn't do it all by her self. She needed something. Someone.
But who?
A shriek came, probably another girl who couldn't protect herself. Thrown here so they could play with her too. Emma sat up and got out of bed.
"Please no... " The girl's sobs reached the walls beyond her room.
"No! Don't eat me!" The girl screamed and Emma winced.
Emma walked, footsteps heavy and woobly. She desperately needed to reach the voice, to help it. To sacrifice herself because she could never bear listening to the screams, to listen to the shrieks of someone else suffering.
Emma opened the door, green eyes cold, but panic on it's surface. She gingerly stepped inside the room.
The young doctor held a scissor on his left and the red spider lily on his right. He turned to her, amusement on his gaze.
"Did i disturb your rest, Emma?" The doctor asked with a soft smile, slightly leaning away from the panting girl on the table.
"No." Emma answered as she inwardly grimaced.
"Would you like to do it yourself?" The doctor motioned to the girl whose eyes blew wide when the doctor gestured to her.
Emma hummed, No, she doesn't want to but she had to save her. Distract the doctor from the girl, pull those filthy hands away from the poor girl.
"I feel dizzy." She answered honestly.
"Oh?" The doctor puts down the tool he was holding. The other scientists around him eyed Emma suspiciously.
Emma laid her exhausted expression to the doctor and watched him frown.
The ground below her seemed to shake uncontrollably, her knees were weak it could barely carry her weight. Emma leaned on the wall and huffed feverishly.
"Doctor..." Emma felt herself become hyperaware of everything around her, her skin felt like it was on fire even blinking became hard, it stings.
The doctor was quick to carry her to her own designated bed.
Before Emma could process what is happening, tubes were once again being pulled under her skin. Machines were being hauled beside her.
Atleast she pulled them away from the poor girl, even if it was only temporary.
Emma smiled as they sedated her.
She kept her safe, even for a short time.
________________
"Hey... " Emma said through the thick glass separating her and the other girl she saved.
The girl perked up, fearful but eased back when she met Emma's green eyes.
Two months ago, Emma saved her. She's never been too grateful to anyone before but she is towards Emma.
"Would you like to join me?"
There was hesitance, the girl tilted her head curiously at her. Her brows perked and her lips formed a quivering smile.
"Let's escape."
The girl instantly knew Emma is gonna be her savior, her hero. Her doubts forgotten by just a few words.
"My name is Barbara." Barbara murmured, her gaze shying away. That's uncharacteristical for her but she couldn't bring herself to care when Emma's eyes glimmered with hope.
"Nice to meet you Barbara, my name is Emma." Emma smiled gently and genuinely at her.
The girl flushed, taken aback by the gentleness of the other. Her heart ached.
Emma had the sweetest and purist smiles, Barbara stared dumbly awestruck.
The smile. As if it's not of this world. It's too nice, too genuine. Too real.
The glass seemed to disappear between them, Barbara could see Emma, all of her as she glowed under her gaze.
When all fades behind Emma's presence and beautiful smile, Barbara swore she saw God.
__________________
Phil glanced up with teary eyes. His new family, his new mama isn't as kind or as soft as Isabella was to him. And that wasn't a bad thing, the boy just misses his old family more than anything.
Norman said they'll come back.
They all promised.
'Big boys don't cry.' The little boy reminds himself sadly. That's what Emma said and Norman quoted.
And the little boy clings into the word with all he is worth, waiting patiently for his saviors.
'I miss everyone.' The boy whispers to the air, a secret only the shadows heard.
'I want to be with my family again.'
The cruel world takes the purest souls.
_______________
Guys... This book is 2.5 k. I don't know why. This book needs a lot of corrections, there are lots of grammatical errors i can't find the time to fix them as well as the punctuation marks so you might not hear from me for a while.
Anyways, Drop a vote if you liked this (cruel and gruesome) chapter. Comments are appreciated while feedbacks are noted.
Check out "Timing the Crack" for a break from this sad and bad fic lmao.