La Femme Celeste

Chapter Two

Celeste stayed stock still, one of the guards cleared his throat and said, "Stand up. No sudden movements or we'll use force."

Celeste stood and slowly slid the chair under the table. After she held her hands out in front of her while the guards walked into the room with her shackles. Again she was chained up and led from the room. They ushered her down the hallway, past doors and splits to other hallways in the facility.

Celeste wondered if they were taking her back to her cell when they stopped in front of another door and unlocked it. Celeste stepped inside, they unchained her and left. Sealing the door and leaving her in a dark room again. Celeste stood in the darkness not bothering to feel her way around. This room felt different from the last. The floor was padded and she knew there wouldn't be a table or a chair.

Suddenly the lights came on, temporarily blinding her. When Celeste's eyes adjusted to the light she looked around. Everything except the ceiling was padded. She didn't understand what this room was for or why she was in it. Was this her new cell?

She decided to wander the room, the walls were soft, there weren't any breaks in them like the last room. While examining the walls Celeste heard the door open. Three guards stood in the doorway. Were they coming to collect her? She didn't do anything?

Before she could ask, one of the guards handed his weapon belt to another and stepped into the room. Celeste gulped. She begged the higher power, if there was one, to protect her from him. The door closed behind him, sealing him into the room with her. She was scared, scared he was going to force himself on her. She didn't know how to protect herself. She felt like a caged bird with a hungry cat watching her.

The guard spoke to her, "This is the second part of your training, self-defense."

Celeste gulped again. Her fears were now a reality. He was going to hurt her. "I don't know how to defend myself."

"I'm going to teach you."

"Are you going to rape me?"

"No. There are cameras all over this facility and I like my job more than your body. I'm here to teach you how to fight and to fight only. So you can relax a tiny bit."

Celeste didn't relax at all. She was still worried. How was she supposed to fight a man. A man in armor at that.

The guard took a step towards Celeste and she took a step back. They played this game until Celeste was backed into a corner of the room.

"You're going to have to fight me sometime. They're not going to let you leave until you do. I can play this game all day."

"I'm scared."

"Good. Use your fear and attack me."

"I can't."

"I'm unarmed, you can hit me. Just don't forget I'm going to hit you back."

"You're covered head to toe in armor. That's hardly fair. I'm just going to hurt myself."

"Do you want me to take off my armor?"

"Yes." Celeste squeaked.

The guard took a few steps back and began to take off his armor. First he took off a bulletproof vest, then a heavy looking jacket and last his helmet.

The guard looked at Celeste as he tossed his helmet behind him. His hair was shaved into a buzz cut and he had a scar over his left eyebrow that severed it in two. His nose had a bump on the bridge that looked as if it had been broken once before. His eyes looked black from where Celeste stood and her palms began to sweat. She looked past his face and saw that he was in shape. His arms were bigger than her thighs and his neck was so muscular it looked like he didn't have one.