Experiment X

22 | Nightmares Again

Author's Note: Warning, this is the most graphically, and emotionally disturbing chapter so far. So if you have a weak stomach you might just want to skim some parts. Also, I've just edited/added parts here and there for better reading. Thanks! Wordspeak.

22 | Nightmares again

The full moon hangs heavy in the clouded night sky glowing over the quiet, skeleton of a city, glinting silvery in the mysterious light. Strange, old world legends circle its being, casting some ominous feeling into the very shadowed streets, sporadically lit by the glimmering of neon signs and blinking streetlights. Time passes, and the moon is eventually overspread, a thickening dark taking the abandoned city bring on a cooler chill, and it’s this chill that stirs Lelani awake from her restless slumber atop of a towering building.

She releases a quiet sigh, blinking, and looks beside of her where the hulking frame of her partner lies motionlessly: Zaden. His great size, and steady breathing gives her some security, but it’s this Tournament that gives her the most unrest, sickens her beyond belief. Lelani attempts to look for the glittering presence of stars in the sprawling dark sky above them both, but the clouds have blotted out their comfort, their shining hope. The darkness is starling. She raises a hand of hers, and can barely see it. This isn’t good. Maybe I should try to fall back asleep, she thinks to herself.

Clenching her eyes shut, and attempting to think of calm thoughts doesn’t help either. It’s useless, she thinks to herself. Her eyes flitter back open. All of the emotions, thoughts, everything that surrounds the reality that she must kill to survive weighs down on her so much so she can barely breathe, her heart pounding unremittingly. Squinting, she rolls over slightly to gaze at Zaden, frowning a bit.

Abruptly, there is screaming—screaming that is gut-wrenching and horrifying. Lelani sucks in air, realizing it’s from a girl, being so high-pitched, and worse it’s coming from directly below them. Whoever it is crying out for help, over and over:

“Please someone! Help! Don’t let him kill me! PLEASE!”

Lelani nudges Zaden, whispering to him: “There’s someone down there…Calling for help…”

Zaden’s muscular body shifts, and he faces her, his dark eyes gleaming. “What? Sorry…I had drifted off to sleep…

He stretches sitting up, rubbing his arms. Lelani does the same, and explains, “There’s someone—”

“Yeah,” he answers nodding, a look of concern in his eyes. “I hear her now.”

The girl’s voice is an awful shrill now, echoing in the dreary distance. “What are we to do?”

Zaden thinks for a moment silently, his brow burying, before answering her. “I’ll go down there and check it out. You stay here, where it’s safe.”

“No, I want to go,” she insists, nodding.

Zaden sighs heavily. “Alright, but stay close…”

“Okay.”

“PLEASE! SOMEONE! HELP!” the girl screams out again.

“We’re coming!” Lelani shouts out to her in the inky darkness. Each of them stands to their feet, and walk to the edge of the building, where they can see the outline of girl lit by the winking, surrounding streetlights sprawled in the middle of the street wriggling; there’s another darkly figure too, looming over her.

Lelani looks to Zaden, frowning. “We need to hurry.”

He nods. “It’s a long way down…You’re going to have hang on tight.”