Pondbell: Coldblooded (Ongoing)

Caput Nonem

Drifting in and out of wakefulness, Naira could see the stranger moving his lips while gesturing wildly, and despite being unable to make out what he was saying, she knew he was enjoying himself immensely. She can barely feel her limbs, her vision is blurred, and everything sounds muffled. Waves of heat crashed into her body with every breath. She was sure this was shock, and while she didn't register the pain as pain anymore, the urge to flee was very much still there.

"Where am I?" she thinks to herself and pauses. "Oh, I remember now. I'm with this guy. What the hell is he talkin' about... Why the hell am I still up?" Naira thinks to herself, not fully understanding what she's trying to say.

In between thoughts and breathless coughs, she notices the inflection in his voice, as if he's asked a question and is waiting for her to respond. Something cold and sharp pricks her skin, and the pain washes over her again in one big wave. Blood spills from every orifice of her body, and her heart spasms violently. Her head falls forward, and she is silent. In an instant, her heart jolts, and her head flies back. Her skin is red and flushed with heat as black veins splinter around the injection point. Unrelenting pangs of affliction set every nerve in her small body alight.

Naira's screams reverberate throughout the building as her eyes roll back into her head. While screaming, she feels her vocal cords tearing as blood crawls up her throat. He laughs over her screams. "That's a new reaction! Almost lost you for a sec. Can't have you missing out on the fun; this is the best part! That there is adrenaline energy to make a sloth breakdance. I made it myself. I'd give Cole a little poke every time he tried to take a nappy nap," he threatens. He raises his cane and begins beating her with it.

After about ten-odd strikes, his cane has left her bloodied and bruised.

The clock marks 5:16 p.m., and she tries to make out the time as she coughs and slowly gains consciousness. She knows that the first round of servers and movers should be arriving now, or is that yesterday? Maybe tomorrow. Yes, she's sure it's tomorrow. She couldn't remember what the rest of her day had looked like. She mumbled the lines of her speech to herself while nodding and smiling at the audience. "Wasters of gaffing. Come get food here. Art, Asha, arts beauty!" smiling she waves at them. "You go, kid!" Credence says as he walks on stage to meet her with a hug and kiss. "I knew you had it in you!" Jemina says, hugging Naira. Her friends surround her with hugs, and Naira cries as she basks in the moment. "Naira, you did such a good job! You did so good!" Cole says as he pats her back. "Cole! Where have you been?" Naira asks, pressing her face into his chest. "I've been here, Naira. I've always been here," Cole says as they embrace one another. "Come on, let's get out of here," Cole says. Naira looks at the crowd and takes a step forward. Cole holds her hand as he guides her forward. The pain slips from her body with every step she takes.

"Naira! Wake yo asss up!" Addy's voice rips through this hallucination and snatches her back into this excruciating experience. The applause stops, the spotlight ceases to shine, and the only member in attendance at her performance is the gaunt man.

A loud thud interrupts her thoughts. The man looks away from Naira and toward the door. "Guess I'm not hearing things. Looks like our guests are here early!" he claps excitedly and grins. "I'll get this all cleaned up. We'll continue our playdate downstairs."

Having been subjected to this strange man's torture, she is ready for it to end. Naira lets out a hopeless smile. "Please, man, just kill me... please," she pleads to herself in a whisper. Using all the strength she can muster, she looks up toward the ceiling as tears roll down her face. She hears a loud thud as the door being kicked open wakes her. The desk that once blocked it flew into one of the room's corners. "Who the fuck are you?" She hears the man complain. Confused, she looked back down and saw something she'd thought impossible. Her whimpers mix with weak laughter as she looks at them, unsure if what she is seeing is real. The man's eyes widened, and he stared into Naira's.