Bound in ashes

Reckon!

Aria

A shrill, steady beep dragged me out of the dark, my lashes fluttered open to the blinding white lights of the room.

The sterile bite of antiseptic trails every corner.

The sheets clung to my skin, my mouth was dry and my tongue heavy.

I pushed myself up, but my legs trembled, and I sank back into the bed, my breath uneven.

Then the images came, a rush that cracked open my skull, the blood on gold hair, the unmoving crowd and those eyes that made the chills run up my spine.

A sound left me half yelp and half gasp, my fingers curled into the blanket, my knuckles whitened, my breathing increased, tears flowed down my face, and I swallowed hard, my throat dry.

The IV line tugged as I tried to reach the water dispenser, a strong twinge of pain snapped through my wrist and then the door clicked open.

A man stepped into his creaseless scrub, that permeating smell of antiseptic trailing after him. He didn't look down at me as he moved over to the heart rate monitor, then the IV stand.

“Could you get me some water?” my voice rasped, barely recognized.

He didn't give any response, he drew a syringe from his pocket, the liquid inside catching the light of the room. In silence, he slid it into the IV line.

“I said…” My throat is dry “water.

And then he looked at me, his mask hid the rest of his face and those eyes, the ones I had seen amongst the crowd.

“ You…”. I stuttered.

But then I felt a swish of pain wash over me, heat spread throughout my veins like fire and my world spun.

My hands fumbled for the call buttons, but my fingers were indifferent.

“Hi there,” he walked over, and he had a smile that didn't reach his eyes.”

“I was hoping you'd die tonight, Sissy

Seems D still has a soft spot,” he said.

What do you want? I half screamed, my face in pain, my voice a whimper, cracked with pain.

I noticed it was the effect of the serum he had injected into the IV line, and I was about to pull out the cannula, when I heard his voice c***k through the air like a whip.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you. I suppose you've heard about Cocoon,” he said.

It began to feel like my skin was being scraped layer by layer with a hundred knives.

“You take off that needle, and you'll be dead before a second. You have to let it run its course, you'll be fine just after you feel like your skull is about to be ripped from your head, just before you feel like choosing death over life, it'll stop,” he said.

The mattress beneath me burned, my body shaking so hard the metal railings rattled.

“Why?” I asked, my voice cracked.

“You're just paying for the sins of our parents' love,” he said.

“My parents.” A scream erupted through me.

He snickered. “You're just a living lie,” he said, and turned to leave.

“Sayonara, small sister, till we meet again”, he said.

Before he exited, he clicked the small red button on the wall of the room.

“I'll pay the bills a little courtesy before you die,” he said over his shoulder and he disappeared.

The door closed and I screamed. The sound wasn’t mine, it clawed out of me. Then the room filled with footsteps, voices, the cold touch of gloves and everything went dark. The beep of the heart rate monitor picks up the pace.

I woke up, and I saw Ethan standing in front of me, blood still marking his shirt, but his smile was soft. I ran to him with tears streaming down my face. I cupped his face and was about to kiss him.

When he leaned into me and I felt the jab of a knife into my side, and I screamed, holding my side, but there was no blood, only pain.

“You should go home. Your parents are next,” he snarled.

And then I woke up, startled, and the pain in my side was still there.

I pulled off the needle in my hand and

Helped myself up. The door burst open, and a lady came in.

“Ma'am, you need a rest,” the woman said.

“What time is it?” I asked, and the fire in my side was still there.

“Ma'am, you need to rest, you're not ready to leave yet,” the nurse said.

“I won't repeat myself," I said, looking into her eyes.

I saw a flicker of fear in her eyes, but she stood her ground.

“I'm sorry, but I can't let you. I was assigned here specially for you,” she said.

“Who assigned you?” I asked her.

“That's confidential,” she said.

“He'll kill me if I let you leave,” she said.

“Then I'm afraid I'll have to kill you first,” I said until she looked away.

And then I turned around the mirror and caught my reflection, a stranger with red eyes and tangled hair, the hospital gown clinging to me like a ghost's dress.

I turned to the nurse.

“My parents will die if I don't leave here right now. Please don't stop me,” I said.

She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her short.

“Please,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, tears blurring my vision.

Something in her expression cracked, she said.

“What's the time? “I asked again.

She drove me home, and it was stark dark, and I could only see the blue and red lights flashing out.

I stepped out of the car to see the police at the venue and duct tape that read do not enter.

I didn't wait to ask questions. I stormed off into the house, and they came running after me.

“Mum, Dad,” I screamed their names, going all over the house looking for them.

The house was unusually quiet. I climbed the stairs and ran up to the balcony which linked to the safe room.

In the safe room, two guards slumped in front of the room, papers were fluttering everywhere, the marbles stained the floor and two figures were on the floor, my parents.

My knees buckled, the air stopped, my screams engulfed the room, my arms tried to move me back, but I clung to my parents.

On the wall, there was a statement scribbled in the paint no other than the blood of my parents.

“You're next,” it read.

With a seal beside it.

As I stood there, frozen in grief, Mum's warm smile flashed before my eyes. I remembered the way she'd kissed my forehead, her voice whispering, "We'll meet Ethan after the date, sweetie. We're so excited." Dad's laughter echoed in my mind, his arms wrapped around me in a warm hug. "You'll do great, kiddo. We're proud of you.”

I wailed loudly, not caring if others were there, and then I felt a syringe pierce into my neck and then I blacked out.