debut | in the forest of the night
Everything hurt.
Her skin felt like it was on fire. It was no use to try to wipe her face off on her jacket. The vervain was still on her clothes, making even the smallest attempts to clean herself off absolute agony.
Everything hurt.
It had become a litany, being repeated over and over again in Caroline’s head. She had to get out of here. She had to make it stop. Gripping the bars of the cage, she panted as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her skin burned, she couldn’t get a breath. Sobs shook her body, choking her, making her wonder if she could escape.
He wanted information, wanted to know how many vampires there were. She could hear the question, but it didn’t make sense. Her brain was a fog of pain, of fire, of agony. A scream escaped her throat, the painful sound tearing out of her as she slid down against the bars. Another squirt of vervain to her face and Caroline clawed at her skin. It wouldn’t get off.
“Why are you doing this to me?” It sounded as bad as she felt, but she had to know. Her throat was raw, her voice was gravelly and broken. There was so much blood and all of it belonged to her. For the first time in months the sight of it didn’t make her hungry. Kicking against the bars of the cage, she was begging as she tried to make him stay away. “Why are you doing this? Why?”
The tears were hot on her cheeks. She crawled backward, curling upon herself against the corner of the cage. A squeal of pain.
“You’re a vampire.” The guy sounded almost happy. It was sick. There was something in his hands and he was pointing it at her. “Why not?”
The dart pierced the skin of her neck. It burned. One hand still gripping the bars, she recoiled as she clawed at her neck. The burning, the pain. It was awful and it made her angry as tears blinded her. Pulling it free she kicked the bars again.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” He was mocking her. At that moment she wanted to be free, wanted to rip out his werewolf throat.
“Let me out!” Shaking the bars, she screamed as if she could break them down through sheer force of will. Her voice was cracking and she couldn’t see. All that could be done was to kick, to fight, to hold onto the bars and try to keep him away as she slumped further down on the floor. “Let me out!”
A howl of pain and another kick as she squeezed her eyes shut. There was a small blast of cool air, a shift in the way that the air smelled but she didn’t notice it right away. “Let me out!”
Exhausted and full of fear, anger and pain Caroline crumpled still half-heartedly kicking at the cage. Why were they doing this to her? It wasn’t fair. Sobs still shaking her body, her hands locked around the bars she tried to recover. Tried to prepare herself for more of the pain that was to come.
“Let me out.” The words came out as a harsh whisper. The warm air blew over her, telling her that her captor must have gone outside. She could hear noise, the voices of people, but she didn’t open her eyes. She just wanted out. She didn’t want to die there. Not again. “Let me...”
Words failed her, confusion seeping in through the pain at how it was both cold and warn, the air strangely sweet. But she didn’t open her eyes, couldn’t allow herself to look. Maybe she was dying, permanently this time. Maybe that wasn’t so bad. She just didn’t know. So she didn’t think about it.
Everything hurt, everything ached, but Caroline did nothing. She just held on tight to what was there and cried.
Her skin felt like it was on fire. It was no use to try to wipe her face off on her jacket. The vervain was still on her clothes, making even the smallest attempts to clean herself off absolute agony.
Everything hurt.
It had become a litany, being repeated over and over again in Caroline’s head. She had to get out of here. She had to make it stop. Gripping the bars of the cage, she panted as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her skin burned, she couldn’t get a breath. Sobs shook her body, choking her, making her wonder if she could escape.
He wanted information, wanted to know how many vampires there were. She could hear the question, but it didn’t make sense. Her brain was a fog of pain, of fire, of agony. A scream escaped her throat, the painful sound tearing out of her as she slid down against the bars. Another squirt of vervain to her face and Caroline clawed at her skin. It wouldn’t get off.
“Why are you doing this to me?” It sounded as bad as she felt, but she had to know. Her throat was raw, her voice was gravelly and broken. There was so much blood and all of it belonged to her. For the first time in months the sight of it didn’t make her hungry. Kicking against the bars of the cage, she was begging as she tried to make him stay away. “Why are you doing this? Why?”
The tears were hot on her cheeks. She crawled backward, curling upon herself against the corner of the cage. A squeal of pain.
“You’re a vampire.” The guy sounded almost happy. It was sick. There was something in his hands and he was pointing it at her. “Why not?”
The dart pierced the skin of her neck. It burned. One hand still gripping the bars, she recoiled as she clawed at her neck. The burning, the pain. It was awful and it made her angry as tears blinded her. Pulling it free she kicked the bars again.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” He was mocking her. At that moment she wanted to be free, wanted to rip out his werewolf throat.
“Let me out!” Shaking the bars, she screamed as if she could break them down through sheer force of will. Her voice was cracking and she couldn’t see. All that could be done was to kick, to fight, to hold onto the bars and try to keep him away as she slumped further down on the floor. “Let me out!”
A howl of pain and another kick as she squeezed her eyes shut. There was a small blast of cool air, a shift in the way that the air smelled but she didn’t notice it right away. “Let me out!”
Exhausted and full of fear, anger and pain Caroline crumpled still half-heartedly kicking at the cage. Why were they doing this to her? It wasn’t fair. Sobs still shaking her body, her hands locked around the bars she tried to recover. Tried to prepare herself for more of the pain that was to come.
“Let me out.” The words came out as a harsh whisper. The warm air blew over her, telling her that her captor must have gone outside. She could hear noise, the voices of people, but she didn’t open her eyes. She just wanted out. She didn’t want to die there. Not again. “Let me...”
Words failed her, confusion seeping in through the pain at how it was both cold and warn, the air strangely sweet. But she didn’t open her eyes, couldn’t allow herself to look. Maybe she was dying, permanently this time. Maybe that wasn’t so bad. She just didn’t know. So she didn’t think about it.
Everything hurt, everything ached, but Caroline did nothing. She just held on tight to what was there and cried.