A Home Called Cage

Flesh

 The night passed after Sam was taken upstairs. The three that remained in the cage awoke from the scatter of trail mix hitting the ground. 

Elijah had his hand in his pocket feeling the dagger that he had forged the night before. It was sharp enough to pierce skin, but not skinny enough to fit in the key slot of the door. Bags flared from under his eyes, fighting to stay awake.

Phil was doing push ups and sit ups most of the morning. 

Kyle stared at Phil as he did his exercises, amazed by his endurance. After Phil was done, he rested his sweaty body against the cement floor. The cold ground felt good on his skin. He noticed Kyle observing.

"You wanna talk about something?" Phil put both hands behind his head and kept his body flat on the ground. Kyle started frowning.

"Sam's mad about the water... he said if I messed up then I couldn't have the hamster," Kyle fluttered his voice while sitting on his legs.

Phil raised one eyebrow above his grey eye, "It's just a hamster Kyle." 

Kyle started whimpering, "It's not just a hamster, it's MY hamster." Kyle looked at the bucket that he tipped over earlier and glared at it.

Phil rolled his eyes and thought of a new topic of interest. Kyle grasped Sam's dead hand tight and bit his lip a little, Phil gave a odd stare at him.

"Why do you... keep that, it's nasty and probably rotting by now," Phil said with the back of his head against the floor. 

Kyle looked up at Phil and back at the hand, "It's the only thing I can remember him by." Kyle stroked the hand with his fingers delicately. Phil gave a disgusting gaze and looked at the ceiling.

A long pause of silence was interrupted by Kyle, "so... why is your eye like that Phil." 

Phil looked over at Kyle still laying on the ground, "It's a glass eye." Phil answered shortly.

Kyle opened his mouth a little and stood up to see the eye, still holding the hand. "Glass? like a window?" Kyle leaned in to get a look at it but Phil leaned away from him.

"Yeah... like... glass," Phil felt weird and tried turning from Kyle's view. Kyle stood to get a glance at the silver eye. "Okay here's a question, why do you act dumb?" 

Kyle sat back down looking confused at the question scratching his head. "Well, Sam tells me that I was in a car accident with my parents and I hit my head." Kyle responded and looked at Phil for a response.

Phil leaned his body back to facing the ceiling, "I want Kendra back." He put his hands to his eyes and let out a deep breath. 

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Sam and Kendra woke up cuddling next to one another. Sam had his arms around her waist and she was snuggled into his body. Kendra got up and kissed him on his still lips, "wake up Sam." She slapped his chest playfully and he put his hand against the ground and pulled himself up.

"Hey, I'm awake," Sam squinted but remembered it was too dark to see. A long silenced pause came between the two. "Bill is probably awake... wonder what plans he has for us."

Kendra flicked her matted hair behind her ear, "maybe he'll forget about cutting my hand off today..." Kendra started to feel queasy, thinking of the pain she would go through.

"It'll be quick... It hurts a lot but it only felt sore for a day," Sam said itching his nub. The light beneath the metal door illuminated some of the room. 

Kendra started shaking as the light glowed on both of them, "oh my god he's awake..." She inched closer to Sam and put her hands around him. 

Sam heard the footsteps come toward the door, and soon enough it flew open. The large figure stood in front of the door frame. Sam squinted his eyes as the light penetrated his pupils. Kendra started sobbing into Sam's shirt, wishing she was just dreaming. 

Bill's voice came out gently, "Good morning you too! Seem to be getting along just fine." Sam bit his lip facing Bill. Bill had a pot of coffee in his hands and the same blue overalls on over his shirt. He almost looked sane with his getup. 

"Well I think it's time to do this, what do you say Kendra?" Kendra cried even more into Sam's chest as he brushed her hair with his hand. "Don't make this harder than it has to be," Bill put his hand on his holster.

"She'll cooperate," Sam said attempting to stand up with Kendra but she wouldn't budge. "Kendra, please, this is the only way." 

Kendra held Sam's arm and cried, she wobbled her legs into a standing position. Sam held the back of her waist and escorted her to the door.

 Bill set his coffee on a nearby counter and slapped his hands together. He grabbed both the teens and led them out to the other room, familiar to Sam. The door slammed from the room they were previously in, the camera sat in the corner of the dark room where Kendra and Sam had slept.

The new room was lit in red, and a work bench laid in the middle of it. Sam's mind raced as he remembered the axe swinging down on him. His eyes avoided the bench. 

The bloody axe leaned against the corner. Bill led the two closer to the bench as the door closed behind them. Kendra held her tears back trying to accept the torture she was about to endure. 

Bill scurried to the corner and picked up the axe, his eye patch still gleamed blood but his other eye faced Kendra. He grasped her arm as she cried trying to break free. He shoved her in front of the flesh infested work bench. 

Sam turned his head toward the wall, shutting his eyes. Bill flattened Kendra's arm onto the bench and strapped it down with leather straps. He licked his lips as Kendra sobbed her face into the wood of the bench. Bill grabbed the axe and choked up on it for a grip. He breathed heavily and practiced his swing.

Sam shook as he stood in front of the bench looking away. Bill stopped practicing and looked at Sam, he gave a smirk.

"I want you to chop her hand off," Bill said with the axe in his hand. Kendra let out a loud cry and Bill immediately hushed her by slamming her head into the bench.

Sam turned his body to face Bill, his stomach twisted into a knot and he stopped breathing. "I can't... I would miss." Sam felt the tingle in his spine as Bill's face curved into a grim smile.

"It takes one hand to swing Sam, either you do it now or I kill her with the axe," Bill said petting Kendra's brown locks as she sobbed. Sam's eyes squinted and he bit his lip hard. He felt the liquid touch his gums and tasted the salty, metallic blood. He walked to Bill and snatched the axe out of his hand as Bill backed up.

"You try anything silly Sam, and I'll put a dart in your neck and she'll be dead when you wake up." Bill pulled his the tranq gun from his waist.

Sam felt the rough wood on his one hand, his bicep flexed out from his shirt as he lifted the axe. He noticed that Bill had strapped Kendra's right hand not her left like he did with Sam. He gripped the axe tight and swung. The camera lens focused on Sam and Kendra.