Cards of Our Fate

The Haunt (Warning: Gore)

I was awoken by forceful hands pushing me out of bed.

"Ow!" I cried out, rubbing my shoulder, the first thing to hit the floor. I sat up to see a guard on the other side of my bed.

"Get up, human." The guard said, before pointing a hand cannon at me, "Get up or suffer." He said, lighting a match, so he could fire his gun at any moment.

"Whoa, boy, I'm getting up." I said, lifting my hands and standing up. He motioned for me to move with his gun. Although he had already scuffed out his match on the side of the cannon, he looked pretty menacing. 

"Hands behind your head," He ordered, and I obeyed. The guard poked the cannon into my back, "Don't try anything slick in front of the royal court."

"Wouldn't dare to- Hey!" I said, originally mumbling under my breath, but that earned me a cannon butt to the shoulder.

"Another word, human, I dare you." He said, then lit another match. I bit my lip, as the guard proceeded to poke the cannon in my back. I took it a gesture to move, and did so, but the earned me another strike to the shoulder.

"Why'd you do that- Ow!" I yelled out, falling while I held the back of my head. The guard pulled me up, dragging me out of the room. I looked down at the match that was still lit. 

"Aren't you going to put out that flame? It's kind of danger-" I said, but a ripping pain caused me to fall short of my statement.

I looked down at my arm, and saw how damaged it was.

That guard...

That guard shot me.

I opened my mouth to scream out, but there wasn't any sound.

I watched blood drip from my wound, the insides of my arm were out in such a horrific way as better off untold.

The guard stood still, emotionless, almost inhuman, there wasn't even a look of disgust. Just perfect blankness. 

"Move, human, you can't feel that much." He said, pushing me forward. I just fell, my eyes glued to my arm. My mouth formed silent words. I ripped at my throat with my free hand to try to pull the words out.

I bolted forward. Sweat fell down every inch of me, I was breathing like I had never breathed before.

I panicked, looking down at my arm. 

It was one piece.

I sat, staring at it. A wave of numbness washed over me. I swallowed a few times, tears at the brinks of my eyes. I was focusing on breathing when I heard a soft chuckle from the end of my bed.

I looked up, just to see Imani laughing herself half to death. My face became pale, I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again. My breaths were shaky, as Imani kept laughing.

"How...why...what..." I rang my fingers threw my hair, breathing slower, trying to calm myself.

"Oh, humans are so fun!" Imani proclaimed, falling onto my bed from her hovering spot, "Your reactions are so...hmm, what's the word?...Ah! Emotional! Emotional is what I was looking for." She said, giggling a little at herself. I stared in shock as my jaw dropped.

"How? How could you?" I asked, holding my arm by the wrist, "Why would you do something like that?" I whispered out, staring at the pattern of my quilt.

"Please, why do you think I'm even around you?" Imani said, standing, "I've only got one reason for being here, don't confuse me for a friend." She said, walking to the mirror, "Anyway, I've actually got other humans to see."

"Do you mean haunt, you nasty ass?" I said, speaking through ground teeth.

"See, haunt. Tomato, Tamata. All in a choice of words, really." She said, "Until I see you again, or, as you would say, haunt you again." She said, smirking an evil smile, "I'll be on my way." She said, before stepping into the mirror. I just glared at her, even though I was half surprised by the fact she could just walk through mirrors, "Off to haunt Leif." My eyes widened at the name. 

"Hey! Wait!" I said, falling out of the bed, trying to reach her. But by time I reached the vanity, she was gone.

I fell back, leaning against the bed. I let my head rest as I closed my eyes, but the moment I did, flash images of the horrific scene popped in my head. 

I opened my eyes again, holding my breath for a moment, before letting it out. I put a hand to my face, sobbing silent sobs into it, but for some reason, no tears came. 

Standing, I looked around the room. Other than the dream, nothing had changed. I sighed as I sat back down on the edge of my bed. I bit thumbnail as I waiting for someone to come and get me. At last there was a knock at the door.

"Time to go," Eddie said, after I opened the door. I looked out the door to see a group of guards with him. I scowled at him as I stepped out the door, "We'll make it seem as if you were punished in solitary from disruptive behavior during a meeting with the king. If any further 'punishment' comes from the other prisoners, we won't step in. You'll need to step up for yourself, seeing as you are working for the king in an area were most of the people are non-loyal. You'll have a month to find the spy. If your task is incomplete by your time limit, you will be executed."  He said, before shoving me into the pit of guards, "Take her down."

In a second I was dragged down to the dungeon, where I was to spend a month, until I was to kill, or be killed.