Cold

Chapter Four

No. We must not kill her. She is too valuable. We kill her when she is done. Keep her alive. But do what you must to get her to help us. We will not lose this one.

***

Everything hurts. She cut my head. She cut my body; arms, legs, everywhere. Occasionally she would come in and her guards would clean me up, bring me to a room so I can sleep and regain my strength. That's where I am now. A white room with only a bed. In a few hours, they'll come and get me. I have to endure the pain. But I can't do it anymore. I can't keep this up. I must find Justin and get out of here. This place is Hell on Earth. I heard some guards talking about the mountain. No one actually knows why it's here, or where it came from. My guess is, it's related to her.

As if on cue, she came in and said, "Come on. Time for answers."

"No" I said, trying to stand. Everything hurts so much. "This time, I get answers."

"Well we need answers -"

"Why?!? What are acheiving out of this besides my screams and cries?!? What are you trying to do?!?" The look on her face was priceless. Somewhere between flabbergasted and annoyed.

"The mountain wants you. For some unknown reason, it chose you as it's little pet. So we need to get information about you. See what you've seen, hear what you've heard. Know what you know. We need to know what makes you so special" she explained.

"I'm not special" I said. I looked down. My bare feet were covered in scars. My hands were bruised. My arms might as well have been chopped off. This makes no sense to me. This is it. I have to find Justin. He'd know what to do.

"Where's Justin?" I asked, slowly looking up.

"He doesn't matter" she said. "What matters is -"

"Where. Is. Justin?" I asked again. With each word, I got more angrier and angrier.

"You have no right to take that tone of voice with me" she said. I ran and punched her in the face.

"I will ask you one last time, and you will answer or I will kill you. Where is Justin?!?" I asked with anger in my eyes. The way I was feeling is unexplainable. I feel so weak, yet so powerful at the same time. I feel so angry, yet so excited. I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my body. My desire for Justin is consuming me. It's weird yet totally normal. My heart is pounding, my head is throbbing. I need Justin in ways I can't explain. I can't do this without him. I must find Justin.

"You can't kill me. I am immortal. That's how I have survived for hundreds of years. The mountain gives me life. And as long as I have something she wants, she will keep me alive until I deliver it to her. So back off, because you aren't getting your friend unless I am dead" she exclaimed. I jumped on her. I held her throat in my hands, squeezing the air out of her lungs.

Summer you don't want to do this.

I can feel a wave of despair and lonliness coming over me. I feel like if I kill her, something terrible will happen.

Summer. Please. I beg you. Don't do this.

That voice. That stupid voice. Is it my conscience? No. Something more powerful. Something bigger than life itself. I let go.

"Where is -"

***

Darkness. Cold. Fear. Hatred. I got knocked out. I am in a cold room. A very dark room. This reminds me of one of my favourite books. The main character started off in a cold, dark room with no memory of how she got there. Just like me. I remember everything, just not how I am in here. How she let me keep living. In my city, we would kill those that hurt our leader. I guess she really does need me alive. Or I am dead. Death is unknown. I could be on my way to hell, or heaven. I could be caught in the middle. I could me hanging upside down in a room with sharks swimming under me. I don't care. All I care about is finding Justin. I have to find him. I have to get out of here.

I tried to stand. A liquid started oozing out of my leg. I touched it. My leg stung. What did she do to me this time?!? I took a bit of my shirt off and wrapped it around the gash, stopping the bleeding. I tried standing again. I can barely see anything. I feel the void of emptiness surrounding me. Consuming me.

"Hello?" a voice called out. I don't recognise this voice. It sounds young, like a child. Maybe the same age as Lucas.

"Is someone there?" I shouted back. I tried walking to where the sound came from, but fell over. My leg is stinging. I cried out in pain.

"Are you hurt?" called the voice. "I heard someone fall in here. If you shout again, I may be able to follow the sound of your voice."

"I'm over here" I shouted. There is little hope in side of me. I am hoping I can get out of here. I am hoping my friend is still alive. I am hoping all this is just a dream and my brother is really at home with my dad.

"Shout again" said the voice. A little girl. Maybe early teens. She is close.

"Here" I shouted. I see a shadow walking towards me, carrying a torch. She put the torch up to my face. I can make out her outline. She is African. Curly hair. Wearing old torn clothes.

"Where does it hurt?" she said as she put the torch down. I pointed to my leg. "We need to get you to my village. They can help."

"Village?" Was all I could say before I passed out.

***

I woke up in a bed surrounded by people. Same race as the girl I saw. They were all staring at me like they've never seen a white girl before.

"MOVE" shouted someone in the back. The crowd parted, revealing an elderly man with a white beard. He wore a necklace with different coloured beads on it.

"My granddaughter tells me you came from the sky" he said.

"I don't exactly know" I said, just barely forming the words.

"Your leg will be healed in a day. Grab those crutches and meet me outside" said the man. He walked out and everyone followed. These people seem friendly. Maybe we could be friends. I sat up and looked around. Paintings on the walls looked like something a cave man would draw. The walls were covered in hay or straw of some sort. Not very sturdy, but flexible. No windows. Just a singular door opposite of where I was sitting on the bed. I grabbed the crutches that lay on the floor and stood up. I walked to the door. What if these people kill me?!? What if I never get out of here?!? Paranoia filled my thoughts. I walked outside. What I saw was beautiful. A city lined the walls of a cave. People were dancing, laughing, having a good time. The old man and the girl that found me were talking with some others around a large bonfire. There were markets, houses, hunters, blacksmiths, even a farm. There was a river flowing throughout the cave. Music filled my ears. It made me relax. It made me feel a sense of friendship I had never felt before. These people are truely inspiring. These people are so advanced, so amazingly smart that I want to stay here. It's amazing. I don't know how, or why, but this place feels like home. My home. Their home. Our home.

***

Fool. She doesn't know of the danger she's in. I saved her life, and she betrays me. I gave her life, and she let her second body go into the hands of the nice village living in my cave. She doesn't deserve to have Summer. She doesn't deserve to live. When I tell Lucas and the others, I will make sure she is dead. She will be no more. I'll make sure of it.