Night Terrors -(TordTom)

Sister?

"What's the plan, then?" Edd asked, crossing his arms.

"We find a way back into the base and slowly destroy the lower ranks before we move up to the higher ones. Without any stability, the army will fall."

"How are we supposed to 'destroy' them exactly?" Tom asked me.

"If I remember it correctly, the last time I was at the base, all the lower ranks were mostly made up of kidnapped and orphaned children. Is it still like that?" I looked toward Pau and Pat for an answer.

"Yes, but now they've found a way to brainwash them so there is a lower chance of rioting." Paul told us.

"How do they do that?" I pressed on, hopeful for a quick and easy fix.

We don't know how exactly, but we've seen them inject chips under their skin and they've become completely unresponsive to anyone but higher ranks."

I turned away and started pacing. It was a habit that I'd intended to break earlier, but it helped me think clearer.

They've used it on lower ranks now?!

What could I do? I'm not even a part of that shit hole anymore.

I glanced at the partly healed scar on my arm.

"What if we cut it out?" I asked myself, unaware that they had started an argument amongst themselves.

"I know that this is going to be dangerous, so why can't Matt and I go back to the house? We'll be safer there." Edd was trying to explain to Pat why he thought it was a bad idea to hide out somewhere so close to the base.

"Any other time I would've agreed with you, but this is the Red Army we're talking about here. They've probably looted it and burned it down by now looking for Tom and Tord. It would be a miracle if they hadn't realized that Pat and I were gone by now."

But where are we going to hide six people? I don't think there's just a magical bunker somewhere around here-"

Then it hit me. My father was the god damn red leader. He had to have had somewhere to go in case he were attacked in his own home.

I carefully made my way back down to the kitchen area of the house. Where I came to a badly burnt and decayed door. I jiggled the knob to see if it was unlocked, and the door collapsed in on itself disturbing the dust and ashes currently occupying the old floor.

I had taken a breath in surprise, and the particles went down into my throat.

"Tord! What the fuck did you do?!"  I heard Edd shout down to me as I coughed up a lung.

"I might've found something!" I wheezed, trying to suck in a breath of fresh air.

Edd and the others made their way down to where I was as the dust and ash finally settled and I could breathe again.

I turned back to where the door once stood, hiding the entrance to a dark basement.

I was hesitant, as I was forbidden to go down there as a child. God only knows what could be down there.

I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone, turning on the flashlight. As I aimed it into the darkness, it seemed to get swallowed up the farther it stretched.

Taking in a deep breath, I made the first step into forbidden territory. I had to keep reminding myself that my father is dead, that he can't strap me to a pole and whip me anymore...

I winced at the memory as I took a few more steps down. Tom had followed right behind me, a worried expression on his face.

"Are you sure those stairs will hold?" He asked, clinging to the tattered doorway.

"Nope." I took another step and the stairs complained with a loud creak.

After some time I managed to make it to the bottom of the stairs with everyone trailing behind me. It was still pretty dark in here except for the small cracks in the decaying ceiling above us.

Something scattered across the floor. That couldn't have been a rat. It sounded too big.

I shined my flashlight over to where the noise was coming from, and it landed on the figure of a small girl hunched over in the corner. A collar made of chains hung loosely around her neck. She was covered in dirt and ash and what looked like dried blood.

Thinking she might be injured, I took a step forward, the flashlight still shining brightly off of her.

She turned around, shielding her eyes from the light. She was holding the remnants of what looked like a rat in her other hand.

That explained the blood.

She spotted me and jumped, throwing the bloody carcass at me as she hissed and dove through my legs as I flinched away from what she threw at me.

Before I got a chance to turn around, I heard her cry out in fear.

Tom had managed to grab her around the waist from behind, and now she was kicking and struggling to break free from his grasp.

"Shhh you're okay. We won't hurt you. Edd come over here, please."

I saw Edd's sillouhette walk out from the darkness towards Tom and the child.

"Put her down Tom."

But Edd she's gonna run away-"

"Just trust me. Put her down."

Tom reluctantly listened as she slowly started to slip out of his arms where she slumped onto the floor

Knowing that she was surrounded, she just froze, curling up into a ball, and squeezing her eyes shut as if she thought that if she can't see us, we can't see her.

Edd knelt down next to her, putting a hand lightly on her back.

"Where's your parents, hon?"

A small, soft voice rang out from her in muffled sobs.

"I d-don't know. You better go away before the people in blue jackets come back."

My stomach dropped. It couldn't be...

"How have you survived this long?" Edd had taken off his hoodie and put it over her frail little body.

"The people in blue jackets come visit me. They poke me with sharp stuff that makes me feel sleepy. When I wake up they're gone, but they leave me food."

"When did they last come?" I butted in. I had to know.

"I can't remember. Maybe a month? They visit at least once a month."

She was standing up now.

"Why are you chained to the wall?"

"Daddy said I need to stay here so his plan won't fail. Whatever that means."

"Who is your dad?" Edd asked.

"You know the people in blue jackets we were talking about? He's their boss. But I haven't seen him in a really long time."

I was starting to see it now.

Those eyes...

I remember those eyes...

"Whats your name?" I could feel a lump in my throat as I asked her the question.

I knew the answer. But I just wanted to make sure.

"Elaine," she responded. "Elaine Larrson."

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy lately. I will try to upload at least once a month on here. Also ty for all of the support! Love you guys!