Burning Gold

Part 3

Rue

Skylark is worse than I could have ever imagined. She reeks of death and hatred. Her long nails are talon-like and there are chains dangling all around her. A wraith stays at her side, sending screams down the hall.

I know she is coming every few halls away from my cell. I gather myself up and prepare myself for the wraith. Screams from the other prisoners echo down the hall and drift towards me. The smell of death also enters my cell. I cover my nose and try to not get light headed. Metal heels clip on the hard floor. Rats scurry out of her path as she comes through the row of cages.

She turns the corner and I see her. I try not to make eye contact. She is terrifying.

A guard steps forward and puts the keys in the lock. With a loud pop the lock opens and the door creaks open. I know that Skylark is here about my execution. Well, they call it a new work position. But everyone knows anyone who works for the Capitol, especially Rebels, never comes back.

"Turn around," the Official commands, holding out a pair of handcuffs. I obey. He snapped them shut behind my back. He ties a blindfold over my eyes and grabs my arm. He draws me out of the cell.

We begin to walk. I can't see and am stumbling over rats or bones every few steps. My heart is pounding in my chest. I don't want to die, but there is no escape, this place is too heavily guarded.

The Official is poking me in the back to keep me walking. I try to shove his hand away, but end up just putting myself off balance.

Laughter fills the hall as a walk by. It sounds like the other prisoners, most of them have gone crazy awaiting death and think everything is funny. I want to turn around and say something to them, but I have a feeling I would be dead by the time I got to their cells.

I blink slowly for a second before picking up my pace. I'm walking into my own death. I can't let it happen, I can't leave Jayla again. I can't leave the rebellion just cause some demon wants us dead.

We turn around another hall into new corridors. This one is brightly lit with torches along the black obsidian walls. There are no more cells, rats or bones anywhere. We must have just left the prison area.

We walk for what seems like hours, but we never seem to go anywhere but up. I stumble blindly on the stairs. The guard leading me is paranoid and pokes me hard in the back anytime I trip. All I have for reference is Skylarks heels on the obsidian.

Finally, Skylark says, "take off her blindfold."

The guard puts a hand tight on my shoulder as he reaches around me and unties the blindfold off my head. My head is spinning and my vision is blurred. All I can make out is the shape of Skylark and the dark wooden door in front of us.

"Where are we?" I mumble.

"My office," Skylark answers, somehow able to hear my mumbling.

She opens the door with a huge metal key and holds it open for me. The guard pushes me inside, but stays outside the door frame as if waiting for permission. Skylark walks in the room behind me and slams the door in his face. I hear him grunt as I think the door breaks his nose before he can jump out of the way. I don't think that Skylark will treat the guard's nose. I feel a small amount of pity for the guard. He may have wanted to be a Rebel before he was captured from the City and turned into a guard.

"Sit," Skylark commands. I look for a chair. There is a desk full of papers and skulls. I sit down on the hard wooden chair on one side of the desk. Skylark takes a seat in a chair on her side of the desk. My heart pounds.

"So, how am I going to die?" I ask, not wanting to cut corners and just say the brutal truth.

Skylark gives me a fake sad look. " You're not going to die. I have a real job for you. You have proven yourself worthy of it."

"And that job is most likely dangerous and going to "accidentally" get me killed," I say, "am I right?"

"No," Skylark counters, I have a weird feeling that maybe I'll have a real job. Or at least not get killed right away. "You have a real job. You are going to find me the Rebels."

My heart stops. I have a chance to get back to Jayla. "Then you'll kill me?"

"No, your job will be permanent. You will undergo an operation to change your body. You will be stronger, faster, smarter, but most importantly,..."

"Wait,' I interrupt, "you can't mess with my brain."

"I can do whatever I want," there is a gleam in the Devil's eyes.

"Oh, I see," I hold up my hands in mock surrender. Trying to keep my breathing under control.

"As I was saying, once you find the Rebels you will eliminate them one by one."

My heart really stops. I can't kill the Rebels. I can't hurt what Jayla has built. There has to be a way to save them all. I didn't answer at first.

"When do I start?" I put a grin on my face.

"After the operation," she knows my next question, "it's starting now."

Skylark

The girl, Rue, screams as the wraiths come out from the corners of the room. Slowly they eat her away and she disappears. Her scream fades away as the wraiths take her. She will be a much needed help with the Rebels after the operation changes everything about her.

The operation will only take a few days to complete and for her to heal. After that she will be sent out on her first mission. As long as the operation works then she will take it with no problem.

I walk over to the window. I look out. The moon is high over the City. My tower is on the outskirts, every part of the civilization in my sight. Everyone is out now with their friends and family. I miss when I could do that too. But with what happened. I just can't help but wonder about the day I was changed. Blaze. He did it. He ruined my life. He tore me apart. He made me hate. I'm starting to remember. Slowly. I can feel the love that used to dwell on my bones, but I can't decide how I can do it.

I remember my friend. Her name was Arya. She was nice. Suddenly a memory comes flooding back. The day she went missing. I knew where she went. She left me for the Rebels. Then I was captured by Blaze and he changed me. He made me hate, he made me like this. I will kill him if I see him again. I don't think that I can make anything right anymore. I am torn. Torn between what I am and what I used to be. I'm a monster. I can't live like this anymore. I rock on the ground and cry.

A/N--

sorry this chapter is kind of short!

I find it very amusing how little baby me wrote Rue literally joking around with a Villain like they were best buds lol