Metal—sharp, frantic.
Jingling.
Clashing against each other.
I turn to my left.
Creaking.
A metal gate opening.
Pounding in my chest.
Steps.
The tip of black shoes appears first.
Then cloth… black.
A cloak.
And something weird on their head…
Her head.
Green eyes.
Soft face.
A woman…?
A stick — the one with the gem at the top.
…
Av…
"Aveline…" I whisper.
I push myself up, stumble forward, hands grabbing the bars.
Clasping tight.
My fingers shake.
My face twitches.
I can feel it.
"Aveline! It's me!"
"Warren!"
I call out.
My voice breaks, desperate.
She turns slow, the echo of her shoes scraping stone.
She faces me.
"Ave…line?"
I whisper again.
Her face—
Her mouth stretches too wide.
Ear to ear.
My arms twitch.
Her eyes narrow, pulled down into a sharp frown.
A shadow cuts across her face.
My legs shake.
Something's wrong.
So wrong.
She must be hurt.
She has to be.
"Aveline… are you hurt?"
"I hope you're okay," I say — smiling without meaning to.
Steps.
She walks toward me.
My smile doesn't go away.
I don't know why.
But hers…
It's haunting.
Why is she looking at me like that?
Metal clinks — she pulls something from her cloak pocket.
Turns it, fits it perfectly into the lock.
I step back.
Give her space.
Is she going to walk in…?
The door swings open.
Slow.
Slow.
The taste of metal leaves my mouth.
I press my tongue to the roof, swallow.
She's walking toward me.
Slowly.
Each step echoes off the metal.
That smile — still there.
And something else in her hand.
Long… thin in the middle…
Moonlight glints off it from the crack in the ceiling above.
Her hand raises above her head.
Slowly—
Slowly—
Slowly—
Snap.
Before I even register it, a red line tears across my arm.
Pain blooms sharp and hot.
A scream leaves me — I didn't even know it came from me.
Wet heat floods my face.
Tears.
So many.
White-hot agony.
It hurts — it hurts—
Sobs and gasps spill from the other cells around me.
Aveline…
she's… laughing.
Laughing.
Wh-why…?
It hurts.
So bad.
"Aveline…"
I choke out, sobbing.
I'm scared.