His Dark Materials

What a welcome

Clary gasped as she made contact with the rigid, freezing stone floor. She rubbed the side of her arm were she had been hit the hardest and flinched when she tried to touch it.
"Ow," she hissed under her breath.
But before she could continue to lift herself from the ground, she felt a serious pain in her lower belly. She threw her head back and let out a silent scream. Whatever that was inside her was not normal.

She hadn't even realized Jace and Hope had already made their way in. She heard their voices as they shut the entrance from where they had come from. She was now trapped, a prisoner, and was terrified of what they might do to her.
"I can't believe she had already found us," Hope muttered to Jace as the door closed.
Clary wondered what they were on about in their conversation.
"Are you even sure it was her?" Jace asked. "It sounded like demons to me."
Hope made a 'tch' noise before answering, "Jace please, I saw Hope and what she could do."

Clary suddenly butted into the conversation, "so you're telling me that whatever was chasing us, it wasn't demons."
They both turned to face her.
"Correct."
"I've never heard of this Hope." Clary said out loud. "How can I believe you- Sebastian would have obviously told me about her-"
"He wouldn't have." Jace stopped her. "He's a psycho Clary."
Clary stood up and parted her lips to reply to his insulting remark. Yet suddenly, they heard a sound coming from the end of the room. Whatever it was, was blanketed by the empty darkness. Making them practically unseen.
"W-who's there?" A voice croaked.
"It's us!" Hope called merrily.

At once all the shadows emerged from the darkness. It was all her old friends and family. The people who she had forgotten about in her life. Who she no longer cared for.
The first to appear was Isabel, "thank the angel you're both safe. Did you find any fo-"
Her sentence was stopped abruptly and she covered her mouth with her hand. She did not look like the Isabel Clary once knew. Her skin was covered with bruises and dirt and her hair which was always 'perfect' was an absolute tragedy.
"Clary?" She gasped, mouth still covering her hand.

As soon as she said her name all the others appeared and walked towards them, now she could visibly see them. Each and every little feature on every one of their faces, every crease of youth and age. Every imperfection and perfection. She saw them all, her friends and family- all now nothing but a faded memory. They all just took one glance at her, then looked away. Back to Jace and Hope.
"I thought the plan was to look for an escape." Alec turned to Jace, his eyes glaring. "Instead you've brought the one that put us here in the first place."
"It was actually Sebastian." Jace snapped back, defending Clary. "Who put us in here-"
"I see no problem in taking credit myself." Clary said slyly. "And what a welcome."

She took a few steps towards the group of familiar and forgotten faces. Their once lively souls had darkened with sadness and discontent at what Clary had become. She glanced over each one slowly, trying to remember what importance they once had to her, yet, the thought of them being so close to her- seemed so distant.
"Clary," Simon spoke, as her eyes skimmed across him. Her face stayed emotionless.
"Do, do you even remember me?" His dry voice croaked at even the slightest syllable.
Isabelle took hold of Simon's hand and motioned for him to stop speaking.
"It's a hopeless case, Simon." Isabelle said in a hushed tone. "She's already gone."

After analysing each person who stood before her, Clary turned back to Jace and Hope, "why did you bring me here?"
"Well seems like the only way to escape this place is by using you." Hope began. "So taking you seemed like the best option."
"Is that all?" Clary asked, her nose twitching in disgust and question.
"No." Jace said abruptly. "We are going to change you. Back to the way you once were, and then once we save you. You'll save us all."
The room was then filled with a bitter silence. Until it was finally broken by Clary's terrifying psychotic giggles.
"You really think," she giggled, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "You can change me?"

No one replied. But in their hearts, their slowly fading hearts, they knew hope was on the horizon.
But fate had one more triumph card;
a baby.