Fire's Grace (Being Edited)

Chapter 6

Light is the first thing I see after the sea of black. I don't know if I'm dead or alive. But I do know that I am in pain. A sharp, shooting pain in my shoulder that makes me want to scream. I can't scream. I can't move. It feels like my body's betraying me once again. Then my vision focuses slightly. Much to my dismay and relief, I realize that I am alive!

My vision focuses more. I can now see that I am now in a room. A hospital room to be exact. There are guards now stationed inside my room. The captain is nowhere to be seen. I try to move. I still can't. The walls around me are wooden and the room is dark. The guards must sense I am awake. One comes to me while the other leaves the room.

"You are lucky to be alive. Everyone wanted you dead for how much trouble you put us through. But the captain said you were to live, that you were to valuable."

I want to yell at the guard. I want to go back to how my life was. I want to run. Once again, my body acts like another, refusing my wishes. After a short time of strained silence, the guard that left comes back, except he is not alone. He brought the captain.

"So it's true, you are awake. Leave us alone," The guards standing by the door leave at his command with no argument. "Nothing to say?"

"I have plenty to say to you," I spit at him.

"Well, I guess we will have a nice conversation then. I'm sure my guard told you you are lucky to be alive."

"He did. And I don't feel lucky. It feels more like a curse."

"The only curse is having to stop here!"

"And why is that a curse? You wanted me alive and I'm sure you couldn't do that without help!"

"If you didn't run I could have rid myself of you by now. I'm sure you have questions, so let me say this quick. Run again and you will be killed."

"That would be better than being stuck with you and your so-called guard," This makes the captain angry.

"Ask your questions and I will leave."

"Where is my brother?"

"I don't know where he is. He has kept himself hidden from us. I do know that he is alive and on the run. I'll tell you if anything changes."

"Why tell me if you are just going to drop me off to be sold?"

"Because after you ran, I got to stay with you as your personal guard to keep you from running again. Any other questions?"

"One more. Why didn't you kill me?"

"Because my employer wants you alive. I don't know why so don't ask. Since we are done playing the question game, I am going to go get my guards back in order."

He leaves the room and after a few minutes the person I assume is the doctor comes in with the guards from earlier. I still can't move much and I don't know why. But the little bit I can move makes the pain in my shoulder more severe.

The guards come over to me and roll me onto my stomach. They then pin me down, each holding one of my shoulders down. The spot where I was shot hurts more now than when I woke up. I try not to scream, but a hot, silent tear starts running down my face. The guard notices and moves his hand away from that spot.

The third person comes over and removes the cloth covering my injury. He is not the most gentle when he does this. He puts some sort of rub over the injury and covers it again. I realize the guards held me down so I didn't injure myself more. As soon as the doctor leaves the room, the guards roll me back onto my back. The pain in my shoulder is immense. It takes all I have not to scream.

A third guard comes into the room. The one who removed his hand from my injury whispers into my ear. "I'm sorry for what is about to happen," I don't know what he means until he continues. "The captain ordered us to hold you down after the cloth was changed so you couldn't move. The doctor is going to come back in a minute to give you sleeping drugs again."

After a short time the doctor does come back in. The three guards take their spot around me and hold me down again.

"Let me go! Leave me alone!" I shout at the three guards. They don't and I start thrashing. I scream trying to get them to let go.

"Hold her still!" I hear the doctor shout now.

The guards try harder to hold me down and soon. I am out of will to move, knowing I won't get free from them. The little sting from the shot is all that I choose to feel next. I hold my breath and the next thing I know the familiar black blanket covers me again.