Children's Games: A Story of Modern Punishment

Chapter 56 - Emilia

~Emilia~ 

She had blonde wispy hair tucked behind her ears as she removed her hood. She was tall and slender, a statue that was just starting to move, starting with a wide grin. Her blue eyes lacked colour in the middle of the night, but Emilia knew those crystalline eyes anywhere. They were like ice, freezing her while Anna looked her up and down with amusement.

"I've been missing that," Anna continued with a wicked smile, her eyes wide as she stared at Emilia's hand.

Emilia was holding the knife that she had kept on her for the past month, relying on it as a backup weapon, or as an inspiration to what she had survived. The angry scar on her stomach seemed to grow stronger in its presence. But then Anna drew an identical knife from her wrist, engraved in aggression and kissed by violence. It pointed to the ground between her long fingers, but the glint of its sharp edge pointed towards Emilia. The scar on her stomach now burned uncomfortably.

"Don't play around. We've still got a job to do," Dominik mumbled, leaning closer to his companion as Gabriel let go of his brother. The half-brother Dominik was searching for when we questioned George.

Emilia quickly snatched the gun from its holder and aimed it at Anna with a steady hand. Only a millisecond later, Dominik and Jonny also had their weapons out, aimed at Emilia and Dominik respectively. Gabriel and Anna were the only ones to remain still, but of course, Anna was the one with an amused expression on her face, smirking and flipping her knife in the air casually.

"Who are they?" Jonny muttered over his shoulder. He had both hands on the gun, legs bent and apart. He was strong, tense and unaware of the shit they were in. "Now."

"Dominik. Anna. Unit 352," she answered in a quiet stutter, her mind too unfocused to speak in proper sentences. But luckily, it was enough for Jonny, who relaxed his shoulders as he stepped forward, his eyes dark as he aimed at Dominik.

"What are you doing, Jonny?" Gabriel's voice was low and calm. He took in a sharp breath, resisting the urge to put his hands up in order to resolve the simple conflict. But he also still looked hopeful that his friend would let it slide.

"These people abducted Emilia. They work for the people that tried to brainwash her. So does that informant inside, Oksana. Gabriel looked at his brother, but Dominik's eyes never left the stranger, half standing in front of Emilia. Both their faces morphed into subtle disbelief.

"Well obviously it didn't work," said Anna, her face turning downwards. Emilia tensed her aim again, making sure it was positioned to shoot for the neck, updating her threat. Anna answered by pulling her own weapon out. "If you were brainwashed, we'd all be home right now. And forty thousand more people would still be alive. How does that make you feel, Shortcake?" She whispered the last part, taunting her.

Dominik lowered his gun hesitantly, then pulled his eyes off of Jonny to turn to Gabriel, a desperate tone taking over him. "My brother, it's her." He put his hand to the side of the commander's head, forcing him to look him in the eye. "She created the disease. She knows the cure and she's keeping it from everyone. She's the key!"

Gabriel's face was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Emilia tried to keep her eyes trained on Anna instead, who looked like she might just shoot someone just for the fun of it.

"It's the only reason we took her. We need her; to study, to survive!"

"Don't listen to him! That's fuckin' bullshit! We found the truth in Australia! The only person who does know the cure is dead. Emilia was taken to experiment with. To punish. For fun." Jonny's voice was dark, like a low roar, and it gave Emilia goosebumps as she continued to watch Anna who shivered playfully at Jonny's ferocity. "Let's go, Gabi."