Moonlight Tempest (Completed)

A Day In The Life...

Chapter 39

Kari sat on her bed in her dark, damp cell.

She was tired.

She was hungry.

She was in so much pain.

She could barely move without pain shooting up her spine.

Marcus was not gentle with her at all. In fact, he had her feet chained tightly to the bed and he put some metal tubes on her hands. They had the small blue Xerinstone streaks on them, just enough to stop Kari from using her Magic, but not enough to knock her out.

Although she couldn't really blame him for doing that, she did try to kill him. She really did try to, and she probably won't stop trying to.

She shivered.

He violated her. Multiple times.

He destroyed her innocence.

Well, what little innocence Kari had left. She didn't think it was much.

"I'm a murderer. I'm not innocent. I've killed so many people that I've lost count. I should be an expert in murder, yet I couldn't kill him. I'm a failure..."

She often talked aloud. At first, it was to keep her from being depressed, but now she just berated herself.

She never felt so alone.

She should try and believe that Zing would come for her, but she couldn't.

She didn't want him to see her.

How filthy she was now.

How dirty.

Marcus had made her dirty.

But she knew that she'd be okay now. Marcus wouldn't touch her like that again. He had gotten what he'd wanted from her. He promised her.

"What's wrong with me? How can I trust him? How do I know he won't just come in here and kill me while I'm passed out?"

"Because I told you I wouldn't." Marcus came into the cell carrying food on a plate. It was fried rice and chicken. Kari's favorite. "I keep my word, believe it or not." He came to the bed and sat down. Kari turned her face away. "Oh, come on. We do this every few hours. Stop being difficult. Eat." He took a spoon from the plate and filled it with rice. He put it near Kari's mouth. "Kari."

"Fine!" She knew he'd just force her if she kept refusing so she ate. When she was finished, Marcus smiled.

"There! That wasn't so bad!"

"Yes it was. Why won't you let me feed myself?" She lifted her restrained hands.

"Because you'd try to kill me. You'd fail, but you'd still try. I'd rather not hurt you now."

She turned away.

"You are so special. I can't let anything happen to you now." He put his hand on her stomach.

"Don't touch me. You said you wouldn't." She tried to move away.

"Yes, but I need to do something." His hands started to glow black and Kari felt some power flow into her. She felt nauseous.

"What are you doing...?" He took his hand away.

"There. That should speed things along."

"Speed things...?" Kari understood then. "What?! You shouldn't use Dark Magic like that! It isn't natural!"

"Why would I care about what's natural? I bring back the dead don't I? I clearly have no respect for rules." Marcus said. "Anyway, how can I wait all that time? I need what I need now. Or as soon as possible."

"Have you done something like this before?"

"Yes, multiple times."

"It failed before, didn't it?" Marcus nodded. "It's because you use the Dark Magic to 'speed things along'!"

"That is a possibility-"

"Hah! Dark Magic is nothing but trouble!" She interrupted him.

"-except," He continued. "That it worked once before. Beautifully, I might add."

"It did?" He nodded. "So you're basically just gambling then."

"Life is always a gamble."

"Yeah, especially when you are gambling with lives."

"Don't think less of me now."

"Hah!" She laughed humorlessly. "You're kidding!"

"I'm not. I've always wanted you to like me. There was always something about you I couldn't get over."

"That's why you used to ask me out all the time? I thought you were just obsessed."

"Oh, I was. But there was always that feeling I had that you were..."

"Special? Yeah, you mentioned that before." He nodded smiling.

"Now, I know why. Because of this. You were meant for this."

He stared at her intensely.

She felt so uncomfortable with him. He got under her skin in a repulsive way.

"I hope that one day you could love me." She shivered at his sincerity. She held her vomit back. He leaned in close to her and smoothed down her hair. She looked at her hands.

"You want me to be honest?" He said yes. She looked into his black eyes. "I could never love you. Or anyone else for that matter. But especially you. I could never-" He put his hands up, understanding.

"May I ask you why?"

"You really are kidding, right?"

"No."

She frowned. "Because you're evil."

"You didn't love me before you knew I was evil."

"I didn't know you that well! You were just a random guy back then."

"Oh," He laughed. "I should have tried harder to be with you. It would have saved a lot of trouble."

"..."

"Well," He stood up with the empty plate. "I'll leave you to yourself." He went to the door. He waved his hands and a door appeared at the other end of the cell. "Why don't you relax and take a bath?" The restraints on Kari disappeared. "Leave your dirty clothes on the bed and new ones will arrive. I'll be back in a few hours." He left the cell.

Kari rubbed her hands together. They were cold from lack of circulation. She sighed as she went to the new door. It opened to a large bathroom with a stand up shower and a large Jacuzzi-like bathtub. There was a bathrobe and she removed her clothes to put it on. She turned the bath on and put her clothes on the bed. As she walked back to the tub, she saw her reflection for the first time in what seemed like months.

She had dark circle under her eyes from her lack of sleep and she had faded bruises on her upper body. Her hair was cut short. She placed her hand on the back of her neck where she knew a barcode was tattooed. Marcus was just experimenting on her, but he scared her with how he wanted her to love him.

Doesn't he understand? She is his enemy, not anything more. She hated him. More than she hated Ndar. More than she's ever hated anyone.

He wanted her for his nefarious purpose. She put her hand on her stomach. She wondered if he had any other woman in this place in the same situation as her?

God, she hoped not.

She'd never wish this on anyone.