Innocent Creatures

Chapter 13 (P.O.V: Ariana)

"Wake wake, rise and shine you bloody little raga-muffins!" The Tall Man voice booms through the room like a forgotten school bell.

"Yes my lovely little monsters! Food is here!" Misty comes into the cage, laughing manically. She is not the way that I am used to her acting. When she danced, she was the most beautiful person, and to be graced with her presence seemed like a lovely affair. The person in-front of me is not her, but an intruder. She places seven small bowls on the floor, full of soup, as per usual. The ugly looking soup makes us all sleepy, and sometimes we wake up with scars on our face and body. I always ask The Tall Man where they come from, and he just slowly taps his head, scarily. I do not know what he means, and I always wonder if they took my brain away from me. Asking Fia, though, she says he could not have taken it, as I can still think.

I can only die if my heart is taken away, and as mummy Shelia always says "God chooses who dies". I am not sure if I still believe in God though, because why would he make me stay in here?

The food is shoved into my face by Misty, but I make a high-pitched noise and push it in her face.

I do not care for your food... I want to dance in the pool with Fia, and sit with Mummy Shelia....

"You really inspire my inner killer!" She says, tapping my nose. As I turn, she slaps me, laughing. My eyes tear up, and I start to cry, but she laughs still. Red rushes over, clutching me as if to protect me. I cry into my brother's arms, and let Misty laugh.

Evil

Evil

Evil

*

My back feels like it's on fire.

A constant, burning fire that rips through the entirety of my small back whilst the feeling of painful gashes makes me whimper . Red stares at me constantly with the same lovely, thin, almond shaped eyes that I have, seeing if I am ok. When I lay, he sits next to me and sings beautiful songs that lull me to sleep, and runs his hand along my hair with tender care. This has happened six times, I know this because Zeek has drawn six little lines on the dirty floor.

Not this time though. I whimper in pain, and Red clambers over a waking Fia to see me.

"Are you ok Ariana?" He asks, smiling sweetly to assure me that all is fine.

"Yes... but my back hurts... " I whisper, coughing a little.

"Oh dear, how badly does it hurt?"

"Quite a lot actually..."

"Let me take a look then, I am sure it's nothing my dear" He lifts the back of my shirt up, and I hear him suck in a large breath.

"What is it?" I ask, worried, tearing up and blinking rapidly.

"Oh my!" Fia says as we catch her attention "Oh my, oh gosh!"

"I know..." Red says, pulling my shirt higher and examining my tiny back. I hear Fia step lightly closer, and she keeps saying the same words with her freckled hands over her mouth.

"Ariana..." Red begins, placing the hand not moving on my shoulder.

"What? What is it?" I'm terribly worried, and crane my head to look at Red.

"Well... Your feathers are growing..."

"Yay! What a relief! I thought something had happened..."

"But they are growing wrongly..."

"Wrongly? How can they grow wrongly?"

"Ariana..."

"Please tell me!"

"There is so much blood..."

"Blood?!"

"Yes, it has seeped through your shirt... and... and some small bones..."

"Bones? What does it look like?"

"There are two tips of what look like wing bones, on your shoulder blades, emerging..."

"So I am getting wings?" I smile excitedly, clapping my hands.

"...but they are turned inwards..."

"So they will just be a little wonky?" I frown now.

"I'm not sure..." he touches my shoulder blades and feels the contours of my bones to find the problem.

"It will all be well..." Fia says, before Red shakes his black-haired head at her.

"Ariana..." He says.

"Yes?"

"Your wings are growing wrongly because... because they are growing upside-down!"

"What! No, that can't be!"

"Honey bear... your Humerus Bones growing for your wings are attached upside-down to your shoulder joints. Also, it has started to grow under the skin slightly"

"How can you tell?"

"I can feel it in your back" Red lets out a small. sad sniff, and hugs me.

"Will I survive?" I say, welling up with tears.

"Of..... of course Ariana" He holds me tight, and Fia comes over to embrace me as well.

I am not certain they are telling the truth.