A Beautiful Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty

A cool liquid hit his lips, wet them and took away the heat that hurt them. He opened his mouth, silently begging for more. More of that cold trickle. It came, not just to his lips this time, but his mouth; his tongue tasted it. Felt it. Water. This was his first time ever experiencing the feel and taste of water. It wasn’t as thick as blood and it was strangely refreshing. He craved more. And more was given.

                Whoever was giving him this, he owed them much. He tried to form the words of thanks while at the same time still drinking. The liquid fell down his parched throat and he was so busy swallowing it and savouring every drop of it that he couldn’t form the words.

“Don’t try to speak, not yet.”

                The voice was familiar but his thoughts and mind were sluggish. Not keeping up - he couldn’t understand. He needed to. He needed to regain his senses.

“Easy there, easy.” Hands pressed down on his shoulders and held him lying on something soft but he knew he needed to get up. He needed to get to Lily. He couldn’t lie in comfort any longer. He had to go. He had yet to even open his eyes.

                A wet cloth was wiped across his brow and he breathed in relief at the coldness he felt; it eased the sting of his skin. He hurt all over. His breath was harder to take in and breath out but he managed. He had to.

“Recover. You are no use to anyone in the state you’ve got yourself in.” He tried to speak again but no words came out. “Relax.” That voice was saying to him, “It is past midday, not yet evening. You have time yet, to recover and be gone. Take more water, rest a little longer.”

                The water was poured into his mouth and he drank eagerly and then he felt himself floating again. Slipping away. He tried to stop it but he was too weak to hold on. He fell back into the world of unconsciousness…

Her first night of torture and she was already losing it. She had slept the day away only to wake to the kidnapper at the door and her new family dead all around her. Still in her hell she wondered what she had done to deserve such horrible experiences. Why when she had grown to love someone where they taken away from her. Perttu was gone, Adon was gone. She had long ago made the mistake of thinking of Berneice back at home and alone without Adon. Berneice had ended up laying lying at her feet, eyes open and staring. Lily had tried to not think of anyone else, not wanting to see them dead but she had pictured all the warriors that came to greet her, and they too ended up dead. Her mind was feeling heavy and very tired. She was missing something, she knew it, but she was too afraid to think of it. Too afraid to look into her mind and see the missing piece just in case it was another person. She didn’t want to see another person dead.

                He was still taking perverse pleasure in seeing her crying and screaming out loud every time he latched onto another person in her mind and twisted that vision. He loved to see her looking around at herself and sobbing at each and every one of the people she thought of. Illusion like this was far too easy for him. He didn’t even need to see the person; he could simply feel thoughts in his victims mind and he twisted these thoughts, no sight of the ‘dead’ needed. Sometimes he did wonder what it was that sent his victims into insanity. Sometimes he could guess. Lily was easy to guess, it was people she loved. Others clung to their minds and logic for a very long time. They cursed him and hated him. They fought him mentally and physically and when they finally sank into instability he also was shocked and surprised. He didn’t always care either but other times it was merely curiosity.