Reborn

14: Torn

Breaks:

[L1,2 or 3] represents the beginning of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives. There is more than one past life, which is why I have put up the numbers. Though, these memories are usually told as she sleeps and Elena herself cannot remember them.

[/L1,2 or 3] represents the end of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives.

[P] represents the beginning of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

[/P] represents the end of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

~3~ is just a time skip

AN: Remember when I said this was a story for mature audiences? Yeah. Enjoy the story!

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I didn't have the breath- let alone the energy- to scream. My hands dangled above my head and, immediately, I saw why I had lost my grip, why everything had been so slippery, why everything hurt.

From the inside of my wrists down to my palms and fingers... I was... I was torn to shreds. Ripped open and bloody. Pieces of chunky flesh dangled like something tried to use my hands as a chew toy and spat me back out half way through. I could even see white from between the chunks. Was the white supposed to be my muscle? Veins? The thought was making me sick. 

Perhaps if I had more oxygen in my lungs, I would have had the energy to spare to be sick from the very sight. On what little breath I did manage to suck into my lungs I knew that the scent of iron was thick in the air. I could taste it. On top of it all, if this was what my arms looked like... I didn't even want to think about the mess that my legs must be in.

That panic that had gripped me so thoroughly slowly began to ebb. My fear remained. 

Somehow there was no real pain despite the clear damage that I could see. I couldn't even flex my fingers... but there was no pain. Instinctively I knew that wasn't right. It was wrong. There was no way that my hands could look like this only for me to not feel it. Pain would have been natural. Instead all I could do was numbly stare at the damage as though the limbs belonged to someone else entirely.

My fear swelled in my chest as though an ocean of it resided inside me. Another thought had hit me heavily- there was no way I'd be able to create my portals. Portals were now out of my reach. I was moments away before this thing was clearly going to eat me and making a portal was now impossible. This was a terrifying realization.

Then, a bout of shame and loss came to me as I also realized how stupid it had been to hang onto the creature rather than immediately go for my portals when I'd had the chance. Perhaps I could have chopped the creature up with them ...all the while hoping that I didn't accidentally do the same to my companions while I was at it.

Anger followed that thought- what else could I have done as I was being shaken..?! It had felt as though my limbs were going to rip right out- my spine snap in two!- of course I was going to try and hang on!

Tears gathered at my eyes, of frustration and sorrow both. 

I could only watch the mesmerizingly beautiful blue flower get closer. There was no looking away- this was death.

The petals were of a lighter color closer to the edges of the flower where it's 'teeth' were. It darkened into an almost purple color straight down the middle. It was all so vivid and bright despite how everything else in my vision had darkened and blurred. Everything but that flower seemed to simply... fade.