MoNsTeR

~Dex~

Dex screamed in agony as his back throbbed from the impact. He was helpless to move, stuck laying on top of his beyond abused wing. No matter how loud he screamed the pain still persisted until he began to get light headed. Stop panicking. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Breathe. He managed to steady himself to a point, but with everything taking place at once he could only relax himself so much.

Once he had managed to semi steady himself Dex laid on the floor helplessly for a few hours -He'd lost track of exactly how many- before he was able to move any of his body again. The feeling began to come back first at his neck and worked its way down.

Once he was able to move Dex's first move was to the door of the empty room. The door was bolted and locked (as expected) and he was not able to open the rectangular slot from the inside.

The room was almost pitch black. With the only light being what little could slip through the cracks in the door slot.

After a moment of contemplating his situation he walked back to the far end of the room away from the door and sat down, resting his back against the wall.

Being in full control of his movements once more Dex stretched out his good wing and wrapped it around himself like a shield.

His one good wing was some what warm and the only thing of comfort he had at the moment. He curled up into a ball underneath it to build up heat. The room was freezing. All Dex had on for clothing was a T-shirt with holes torn into the back for his wings to come out of, a baggy tattered and filthy pair of jeans and some old sneakers he'd salvaged from a landfill.

Dex let out a sigh as he hung his head between his knees and closed his eyes.

He opened them to a high school. He was standing in a large group of people watching a fight. He looked down at his hands and saw he was wearing fingerless gloves, a white T-shirt, black leather vest, and his tattered jeans with plain black and white converse.

"You dirty bastard!" His attention was brought back to the conflict at hand. Two boys were fist fighting I front of him. He recognized them. Axel, Dex's best friend, and Jake, a Jock that thought he owned the school.

Jake had knocked Axel down and begun kicking him. Axel looked to Dex with a pleading expression as he let out a pained grunt. Jake looked up at Dex as well. Dex looked around and realized all eyes were now on him.

He stepped back, Axels expression dropped as he did so. He could see the feeling of betrayal cross his friends face as Dex backed away. Suddenly someone grabbed Dex's shoulder and violently spun him around.

Before Dex had time to react a fist came in contact with his face, there was a sharp pain for a split second then Dex's eyes flung open as he shot awake.

He looked around the room momentarily in a daze. Slowly he began to take in and remember where he was. Calm down. It was just a dream. Just a dream this time.

As Dex tried to steady himself and regain his calm exterior the slot in the door squealed open.

"You still kickin in there wingman?" Sharon? What is she doing here?  There were faint sounds of protest in the background as Sharon unlocked and opened the door. In her hands she held a suitcase of some kind and a bucket of water.

"Ok good I didn't just carry all this crap down here for nothing." Sharon said as she stepped in the room and set the suitcase and bucket down. She turned around and called to Tom to close the door behind her.

"You sure about this Shar? He could be dangerous. In fact if he was found alone he probably is" Tom protested.

"Tom it will be fine. If he does try anything I've got this" Sharon gestured towards something in her pocket. "Just close the door."

Tom nodded and backed away, closing the door behind him. Sharon turned to face Dex.

"What are you doing" Dex questioned as he tried to think of some way he could possibly get out when she left. That door is gonna open for her. There's gotta be some way I can get through.

"Thought I'd do something about that nasty mess of feathers on your back if that's alright with you"

Sharon moved closer and sat on the floor near Dex. She opened the suit case and pulled out a bottle of something clear, rubber gloves and a small piece of cloth.

She put the cloth in the bucket of water and asked Dex to move forward and let her sit behind him.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" He said as he leaned forward.

"I dunno. Something to do I guess." Sharon said as she began cleaning the ash and dust from the injury area around his wing.

When she was done cleaning Sharon put her hand on Dex's shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Ok buddy, this is gonna hurt a lot. I have to snap your wing back into place or it will heal funny and you'll never be able to use it again. Alright?" Dex nodded and braced himself

"One....two...." There was a sickening crack as Sharon snapped Dex's wing back into proper position. Another echoing scream escaped Dex's lungs as he pain surged through his body.

Sharon winced as if feeling a sliver of Dex's pain herself and pulled out what looked like some kind of gauze from the oversized first aid kit and began dressing the wound.

When she was finished she grabbed her cloth and retch towards Dex's good wing. Dex moved it away defensively. After a moment of silent contemplating Sharon leaned forward and retch towards his wing again, more cautiously this time. Dex didn't move.

Sharon gently washed away the ash and grime coating Dex's wings. With every stroke of her cloth feathers of snow began to show through.

She was almost finished with his other wing when out of nowhere came an abrupt clanging sound from the wall beside them. Sharon stood up and hurriedly grabbed the bucket and medical supplies and approached the door. She looked over her shoulder at Dex with pleading eyes and hoped he wouldn't try to escape. She knocked on the door with the "password" Tom gave her before hand and he opened it.

Dex didn't move a muscle as she left and the door closed and was locked behind her.