Tempt In The Trees

Nine

I woke up to a quiet humming sound in my ears. With a sharp pain, I forced my eyes to open. I was tied to a vertical table with knots around my wrists, stomach, neck, ankles, and knees. 'They really don't want me to move, do they?' I thought as I attempted to move my arms out of their bonds.

I moved my head to the left and saw Chloe and Zach in the same position as me. I swallowed hard and turned my head to the right. There lay Adam tied to a table in the position a table should go. "Em?" Adam asked, weakly.

I practically cried with joy. "Oh my goodness. Adam, baby it's okay. I'm here. I'm okay. Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" I choked out, staring at him with tears budding in my eyes.

"Not yet... The Sjef is coming when everyone wakes up and I don't want you to be there, Em. Why can't they just take me and let the rest of you go." Adam whined. From the sound of his voice, I could tell he was crying.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let any of you come along... Where's Vincent?" I asked as I heard the yawns of a girl and a boy waking up. "Chloe? Zach?"

"Emily? Emily I'm scared. Where are we? Why are we tied up?" Chloe said, her voice hinting at a soon to come breakdown. "Emily, you can't carry the world. You can't save everyone on your own. You only have two hands. I would rather be here with my friends... with you guys, than anywhere else in the world. If we die, we die. At least we tried, right? I'm so scared, though. I'm afraid to die. I wanna see my mom."

"Chloe, sweetie, you're gonna be okay. I'll make sure that they let you go. You're too young to die. Chloe, you're like another sister. You remind me of Jasmine. They killed her. They had no mercy. I couldn't stop them. For God's sakes, I will do anything for them to let you go." I said, clenching my hands into fists.

I heard a slow clap from a doorway in the all white room. There stood a man with electric blue eyes, a scruffy beard, and blonde hair. Behind him was a tiny woman with a cart of some sorts. On the cart was a device that seemed to go on a head, like a helmet.

"What an inspirational speech, Emily Stroben. I'm impressed with your ability to believe in the impossible. You remind me of your father. He was a very," he paused, "special man. Unfortunately, that's why-"

"You killed him..." I murmured under my breath in realization. The woman scoffed and raised her hand, slapping me. I winced with a slight yelp at the harsh contact.

"Do not interrupt you stupid girl!" The women said in an unnaturally booming and deep voice. The man raised a hand, signaling for the woman to stop and she took a step backwards.

"Yes. Then, we framed your mother for the crime so we could kill her, as well. Oh. If you haven't recognized me, I'm Sjef." He said, sneering with a sinister smirk.

"We know." Chloe said, harshly. The woman raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sjef, who nodded and the woman left the room for a brief moment. Soon, she returned with a familiar dark haired boy with blue eyes.

"Vincent..." I muttered and he simply smiled harshly, staring creepily into my eyes. I shook my head as warm tears trailed down my face. a"Why do you want my family dead?" I questioned.

"Back in 2064 when the End had begun, your ancestors decided that life with a clean and fair government who punished fairly would be best to live in during a harsh and disastrous time. My ancestors believed that we should section off people into communities that lived in poverty or power. During the Election, the voters chose my ancestors to forever rule our planet. A decade later, the Stoben's started an uprising against everything. They found my family's judgement... unsettling, to say the least. After we captured them, we attempted to kill off the bloodline. However, your father had escaped. He married your mother, with whom was devastatingly in love with the fellow. Then, you and your rat-like sister were born. You're the last of your blood. With blood comes loss. With uprising, comes failure. Your friends are considered accomplices, so, I have to get rid of all of you. My son, Vincent, will do the honors!" He said, leaving the room with his awful assistant trailing behind him.

Vincent smirked and walked over to the cart the woman brought in earlier. He took the head piece in his hands and placed it on Zach's head. "This will only hurt a lot, no hard feelings. By the way, Emily, I don't actually love you. Who would love such a stubborn and dedicated girl? I prefer my women quiet and obedient with an appreciation for authority and a love for our powerful and glorious government."

Zach struggled against his bonds, screaming and crying. "No no no no... please don't... Please..." Zach cried out as Chloe screamed. Just as Vincent was about to flip a switch, Zach turned to face Chloe. "Chloe, I love you. We'll meet again and I'll love you then. Chloe I-" He was cut off by a surge of electricity coursing through his body. Every inch of his mass began to violently shake as he screamed out of pure pain.

"No! Zach! Please, no! Stop it! Stop!" Chloe cried out as she turned away from her dying boyfriend. I swallowed hard and cried. Vincent flipped the switch off as he was sure Zach was gone. He was now one with the sky, clouds, energy of the world.

"Stop it! Let them go, Vincent! Kill me instead! They're innocent!" I cried out, shaking my head as the head piece was placed on Chloe's head. "No! Stop!" I yelled out as my face was soaked with my tears. Vincent tilted his head, smirked, and flipped the switch.

Chloe screamed out as her whole body tensed as she violently shook with the contact of electricity. I turned away, unable to watch. It was as if I was being forced to watch my sister die again. It was too much. Just as I heard the buzzing of electricity stop, I continued to violently sob.

"Why? Why would you kill such innocent people? They didn't deserve any of this. Why?" I cried out, shaking my head as I stared at Vincent.

"I do it because it's fun." Vincent said, smirking. He then walked over to Adam, slowly placing the device onto his head.

"No stop! Let him go! Please stop it!" I yelled out. Then, I shut my eyes and all I heard was a buzzing. A buzzing that killed. A buzzing that took the life of the person I fell in love with over the course of three days. The buzzing stopped.

I opened my eyes and saw Vincent standing in front of me. No, what I saw was a monster. A man who killed for fun. A man who tricked everyone into thinking he was good and kind and sweet and pure. He lied.

I felt a warm metal against my temples and my eyes closed at the contact. "I'm going to enjoy this." I heard Vincent say. The next thing I knew was a shock wave of pain. A pain so intense that I couldn't feel anything else. I couldn't feel hurt or happiness or love, only pain. Then, a slow and sad darkness surrounded me and everything was silent.

(1,295 words)