The Angel and The Crow~Mother Miranda x OC

Dinner/Begging

It felt like an eternity had passed before Miranda appeared inside the room once again, the lab coat gone, replaced by the familiar black robes from earlier, and she seemed to hesitate, her hand near the latch on the door, as my body instinctively shrank back into the corner of my cage, fear writhing through me. "I see that at last, you are beginning to learn your place. Don't worry, I have finished testing on you for today. Considering how unsanitary feeding you with a dish inside of your cage would be, I am going to allow you to eat with me at my table. I expect you to be mannerly and quiet, or you won't receive any dinner at all for the next week." I nodded, my stomach rumbling with hunger, wondering if she could perhaps hear it, as something like concern shone in her gaze, before it disappeared. My body felt heavy and painful, as I dragged myself towards the cage door, hearing her unlatch it, and I knew that any thoughts of escaping had to be shoved aside. She likely had injected me with some sort of sedative, and I could never escape her with the way I felt..

         She sighed in annoyance, grabbing me by the shirt, and hoisted me into her arms with ease, then practically tossed me onto the floor like a rag doll, as if touching me disgusted her. Pain radiated throughout my entire body as I hit the floor hard, then felt a collar and chain clipped around my neck, the collar choking me as Miranda started tugging on the chain, and I had no choice but to crawl after her as she walked out of the laboratory, grimacing in pain as I was forced to crawl through dank and damp tunnels, my hands being sliced by sharp rocks, the sedative in my blood seeming to keep me from healing properly, as blood slickened my skin, causing me to fall onto my face, bashing and injuring it and the rest of my body against the rocks.

           Humiliation and shame flooded my body as we made our way through snow into a rather nice home, and I found multiple people in what I guessed was her dining room. One was an oily looking man with a scruffy beard and mustache, sunglasses covering his eyes, one was a woman dressed all in black, a doll held within her arms, one was a fish man of sorts, and finally, a rather tall and alluring woman completed the menagerie of strangers who looked down upon me on the floor. I lowered my eyes to the ground as I was chained to the table, shaking with pain, my body now battered and bloody, still unable to heal for some reason, and a beautiful voice said, "Mother Miranda, I do not mean to question your business, but what, exactly, is that filth on the floor beside you?"

        Miranda replied, "She is none of your concern, Alcina. Merely a new experiment of mine, and perhaps even a pet. She was quite a handful when I captured her, but now she has learned her place, as all of you should do." That seemed to quiet the other woman, and other voices started talking to one another, their conversation seeming to fade in and out as I began getting quite dizzy. The smell of fresh meat assaulted my nose, causing my stomach to turn with hunger, but then, another scent, one I knew all too well followed suit. Blood, strong and sweet smelling, seemed to surround me on all sides, and it was all I could do to try to contain myself, my whole body craving both substances nearby, and then, to my utter disgust, cold meat was set down in front of my on a plate, nausea tearing through me. "Eat up, my little pet, or you will suffer."

         The more I stared at the lifeless and cold meat, the sicker I felt, and I whispered, "I cannot. It's far too lifeless. I need something warm and fresh, almost as if it were living." A sharp fingernail dug into my chin, lifting my head up, and I shrank back the best I could, as Miranda glared down at me icily. "Oh, is that so? What were you told about your manners, beast? For your insolence, you shall receive nothing. You have spoken out of turn and disrespected me in front of our guests. What do you think I should do with you now, hmm? Shall I starve you to death within that cage? Perhaps I will allow Heisenberg to feed you to his pets.. Or shall Alcina make you into a rare vintage wine for her and her children to enjoy? Perhaps I should end your worthless life here and now."

A spark of cold fear ignited within me, and I tried to move my head away, but her grip was like steel, locking me in place. Hot tears cascaded down my face, and I stopped struggling a few moments later, as a thought occurred to me. "Do it, then, witch! Send me to the afterlife where my son awaits me! I would rather be slaughtered like some animal than succumb to the likes of you! Do whatever you wish to me, for it means nothing compared to the anguish I have felt for years!" As if struck by me, her hand snapped away in a flash, and her voice coldly told our visitors, "Leave us. Now!" Instantly, the guests rose, and hurried from the home, and I felt something like awe at the respect and power Miranda seemed to command over them, but I was snapped from my thoughts by the feeling of cold fingers prying the collar and leash from my throat.

            I was confused, to say the least, until Miranda muttered, "You shall not die tonight, pet. You are too valuable to my research." I didn't understand why her voice was suddenly filled with sadness, or why she wasn't going to kill me, but I felt anger flood me. "And why am I so important? I wish to die! Are you so cruel that you will not send me to see my child?! Please.. I have waited for so long- I wish you to kill me. I am begging you to do it." I was unprepared for her to gently help me up, as if I were a broken toy she wished to keep from dying out completely, and I hadn't realized I was crying, until her fingers gently wiped away my tears. "You poor, fragile, creature. I am cruel and feared by many, and I have murdered dozens of humans and monsters alike without remorse, but you are- You are not like them. Your soul is different, and unlike them, you are not begging for your life, but for your own demise. I understand what that is like.."

            Before I could make sense of what was happening, I found myself undressed, heat flushing through my face as I tried to cover myself, then hissed in pain as Miranda silently began cleaning my wounds with some sort of green liquid, bandaging others, her hands delicately using a cloth and warm water to scrub dirt and blood from my skin. I had not had a decent bath in a long time, so seeing my own scarred, pale skin was a bit of a shock to me, as was the fact that Miranda tugged clean clothes onto my body, which were soaked in her scent, so I knew they belonged to her. "I don't understand you at all, Miranda- One moment, you are horrible and manipulative, and the next, you are treating me as if I am something worth caring about." Something flickered in her eyes at my words, and she replied, "Quiet, pet. Are you not satisfied with being clean and cared for? I merely wish to take proper care of my property, that is all."

         The next thing I knew, my eyelids began getting heavy, the feeling of having clean skin and warm clothes making me relax, and I nearly fell forward onto my face, but her arms caught me. I was half asleep already, but conscious enough to feel myself placed onto what felt like a bed, covers wrapped carefully around me, Miranda's scent seeming to drown me beneath it, my body relaxing even more. I heard her whisper, "I too know what it is like to lose a child. And that is why I must use you- Your blood is the key to bringing my Eva back to me. You fascinate me. Unlike so many others, even though you defy and disrespect me, I truly do not wish to kill you. Something about you is drawing me to you, but what it is, I cannot discern. However, I cannot allow whatever this feeling is to cloud my intentions or my judgement. You are a mere pet, and experiment, nothing more- Rest well. Tomorrow, perhaps, will be different, and we will both be cruel to one another yet again, but for now, I wish to only see you at peace.." With that, I fell into deep sleep, wondering what she could possibly mean by all those things..