The Fox and The Forest (EDITING)

Swing time(2.7)

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Itch.

           Itch.

                    Itch.

Where am I?

Itch.
           Itch.
                     Itch.

Who turned out the lights?

Itch.
         Itch.
                  Itch.

Oh no. No. No. This itching. I can't be. I can't be turning again.

Kate scratched at her neck. She felt that her eyes were open. But she could still only see the black cat monotony, that stretched out it's limbs around her. 

Body shaking, she waited for a feral growl to arise from her own chest.

.

.

.

Time passed. The growl did not come. 

I'm not turning.

Not this time. 

And then she realised- it was the space around her that had made her itch- not her transformation. Its fibers irritated her nose, forcing her to spit out a sneeze.

"Shut it," the itchy space spat back.

"What?"

"I said, shut it. Means no noise. Comprendo?"

"Why should I?" Kate spoke through the stuffy air.

"Because it's swing time, baby." 

What does that even mean... thought Kate. But before she could ponder any longer the world spun into view- in all its sun parched yellows and dried out blues. She squinted; the brightness of day stinging her eyes. She had no idea where she was. It was just a dry wasteland.

Then there was her neck- all bruised and battered. She rubbed it in an attempt to encourage blood to the area.

Wait a minute... Kate had caught her hand on something in the process. The thing was tightly taught and composed of twisted fibers.

Alarmed, she looked down and from the very bottom of her vision she saw the fibred snake. Which had no end to it, circling all the way round her neck. 

"Swing time," she said, in horror. She yanked and pulled at it but the rope only drew in tighter.

This isn't happening. This isn't happening, she hummed to herself.

"I wouldn't do that, lass."

Kate located the person who spoke to her- a Guard. They were standing a few steps away, swinging the canvas bag brown bag that had once been over Kate's head. Back and forth. Back and forth, it swung.

"You bruise good. That's a cracker on your neck. Was expecting you to look like that though. Especially when your body slammed against the floor."

Their words stirred Kate's own recollection. She had been in the Purifier Compound and then... and then? There were burn holes in her memories after that.  

"You'll regret this," she growled, masking her fear. "All of your lot! You'll regret this!" But it dawned on Kate that the game of hide and seek she had been playing was over. The government had found her.