The Diaries of The Secret Keeper

Part 1: Chapter 5

The room was lit by sickly fluorescent lights, the type found in hospital hallways. It was a small room, old by the sound of the creaking floorboards. It stunk of rotten wood and moth balls, the smell was so pungent it made my eyes water. The room had to be some sort of basement.

The chains rattled as a man approached, stopping within an inch of my face. He was short and muscular with a surgical mask covering the bottom and his face, and a pair of loupes over his dark brown eyes. His right hand was carrying a scalpel while his left held a retractor.

As he spoke, his voice was gritty,

"How long till you break, little one?" He asked as he made a small but deep cut into the top of my torso. He inserted the retractor to widen the wound as he dug his scalpel deeper.

"How far do I have to go to get the Devils Merchant to sing?" He asked mockingly. I felt the blood seeping out of the wound.

"You're not going to make it out alive." I said. "You'll never see them coming." He removed the scalpel but left the retractor there holding open the wound. He turned away, leaving my field of vision. A hissing sound filled the room and I resisted the urge to flinch. He returned holding a branding iron in the shape of a celtic knot triangle, 6.4 centimeters wide and 4.5 centimeters high.

"Last chance, little merchant," He said with a slimy smile on his face, moving closer "Want to sing me song?"

I laughed till I was out of breath "I'm the devil's dealer," I gasped between breaths, "You can't imagine who sent me. They're all coming for you"

His face hardened as he approach, digging the burning metal into my open wound.

I woke up screaming, not sure how to stop. The twin jumped back dropping the stick he was using to poke me awake.

I screamed my voice hoarse. They had to get me out of these chains, they needed to get the metal out of me. Zod came in with his gun ready, looking frantic.

"What the hell is going on?" He demanded, shouting to be heard over my screaming. I couldn't stop, I could still feel the fiery metal burning into my skin, sinking deeper and deeper. I pulled at my cuffed arm desperately.

"I don't know!" The twin shouted, "She woke up screaming." His voice seemed farther away, as I clawed at my chest desperate to get the metal out of me. It burned!

The other twin stepped forward, gun raised.

"SHUT UP!" He shouted at me. Seconds that felt like hours passed, but I couldn't stop screaming. I was burning, it was inside of me, and it was painful. I was trapped, I tried pulling at the metal cuff with one hand. I was going to die in this basement. I was so caught up in frantically clawing at my chest, that I didn't see the twin approaching.

My head snapped to the side at the impact, my jaw snapping shut. I could taste the coppery taste of blood in my mouth, as I bit down on my tongue. I raised a hand to my face feeling where the butt of the twins gun had hit it. I looked around and realized I was no longer in the basement. I stared down at my chest and I only saw blood from the scratches I made soaking through my shirt. Silence filled the tent as I attempted to wrap my head around what happened. It was obviously a nightmare of some sort, but it felt so real.

"What the hell was that?" Zod asked glaring at me, the twins simply stared at me shocked. I felt like an animal in the zoo, humiliation washed over me. I was suddenly aware that I rocking back in and forth with my arms wrapped around my legs. I tried to stop, but the fear coursing through my veins was overwhelming.

"I - I d..d.don't know." I whispered, my voice hoarse from all the screaming. Zod looked around trying decide what to do, one of the twins stepped forward.