à la folie (To Insanity)

Chapter 6- Jackson

 I feel bare after they strip us of our weapons. They take Ravens limp body to a waiting truck on the nearby road. I am forced to walk to the truck and they shove me inside, causing me to fall. Angie and Dan are pushed inside moments later. My mind is racing. How did this happen? We were careful about where we stopped, no fire or other noticeable signs were left behind as we walked. The door slams shut behind us and the truck lurches forward, pulling me back to the present situation. Raven groans and rolls onto her side, a pained look on her sleeping face. In the dim lighting, I notice her face is coated with blood on one side. She must have hit her head when I pushed her. Thankfully she hasn't woken up yet, she would panic if she did. I move closer to Raven as she curls into a ball, wanting to help but not knowing how.

    The truck continues for about an hour before it stops suddenly, throwing us forward. The doors open to reveal Evan, my brother, standing with a gun pointed at the truck. We file out one by one and I reach out to wake Raven. She slowly pushes herself up, her eyes unfocused and her legs unsteady. I offer my arm to help steady her for the few moments we stand here, waiting to for someone to do something. 

    Evans men take us each to separate rooms, along the same hall. Everything looks simple, a cold metal table in the centre and pristine white cabinets lining the clean white walls. The linoleum floors are also white, no traces of dirt showing. They toss me into one of these rooms and slam the heavy metal door, the lock turning with a dull thud. I sit on the hard floor, leaning on the wall directly opposite of the door. I'm not sure how long I sit here in silence, but there is suddenly a faint noise that I can hear from the air vents. Mine are closed right now, but they are opened a few moments later, when I hear the noise again. My heart twists as I identify what the sound is through the now open vents, Raven. 

    She's screaming. I can't get to her. The room shrinks and now I'm at the door, pounding on unyielding metal with my fists. It won't open. I'm panicking now, trying to escape this room and find Raven. I have to help her, she's still injured. There is nothing I can do to help her right now. I rock back on my heels, trying to think of a way out of this. I'm not sure what ‘this’ is but it can't end well if we can't get out. My thoughts are broken by another agonized scream, this one different somehow. The pitch and intensity has changed, whatever they’re doing to Raven is getting worse. She won't give them the information they need, she can't. She doesn't know what they’re asking her, she's new to this and she can't possibly know how to get back to base. I cover my ears with my hands, trying to block out the sound that I'm so helpless to stop. Her screams of agony slice through any barriers I have to block them out. There's nothing more I can do but wait. Every scream breaks me a little more and it only serves to fuel my rage. When they come for me, I'll be ready for anything. Whatever they do to me later can't be as bad as what they are doing to me now, what they’re doing to Raven.

    Long after they leave, I can still hear her screams in my mind. It's driving me crazy. It's almost a relief when my door is opened revealing Evan, of course he would come to interrogate me. My relief is short lived, however, when I see what he's holding. In his hand is Raven’s necklace, spotted with dark red blood. He drops it on the floor in front of me and walks out, letting the door swing shut behind him. Streaks of crimson are left on the previously white floor when I pick up the necklace, hands shaking. As I sit here staring at the silver piece in my hands, I begin to realize why it looked so familiar when I first saw it. The memories come unwilled to the surface, I don't want to relive any of this but were else am I to go other than inside of myself? I think I've seen this necklace before, a long time before this started. No more noise can be heard and I fall into an uneasy sleep after the lights turn off with a mechanical click.

    The door swings open, light pouring in through the doorway. I blink a few times until I can see again, a tall person is silhouetted against the fluorescent light. No one else is coming, just whoever is standing in front of me now. For a moment neither of us moves, then I push myself up and backwards until I hit the table. I wince as my head snaps back and slams into the cold hard metal. The shadowed figure moves closer, laughing at my obvious discomfort as he does so. I feel strangely calm until he speaks, words not directed at me but at someone unseen in the hall.

    “Bring her in now.”

    I don't want to see what comes next, but my eyes won't close. Two people walk into the room, supporting a third between them. They drop Raven on the ground at Evan’s feet and I see just how badly they've hurt her. Her head is bleeding again and the left half of her face is covered with deep purple bruises. I can see more blood spotting her ripped clothes. The worst is the fearful look in her eyes, they've almost broken her. There is a glimmer of resistance still there, just below the surface. She seems relieved to see me though and so am I, to see that she's not dead. I want to reach out and save her, to protect her somehow, but I know that she'll be hurt more if I do.

    “Where is the Rebel base Jackson?”

    Evans voice is cold and emotionless as he demands answers. I won't tell him of course, they can't hurt me enough to give up the location. Evan hasn't changed since we were kids, he still finds a fierce pleasure in causing pain. This I can see as his gaze turns to Raven, he knows I'll protect her. There is no sympathy in his eyes as he pulls her up, hands tight around her throat. She is struggling now, the wild look I'm used to has returned to her eyes,fear glimmering just below the surface. Raven is clawing at his hands but he doesn't relieve the pressure. I need to do something fast, she's weakening already. Raven’s eyes begin to glaze over and I finally snap into action, lunging towards Evan in an attempt to help Raven. He laughs, clearly relishing the pain he's causing. I'm not thinking beyond saving Raven from my brother. 

    Someone's boot connects with my side sending me crashing painfully to the floor. The hardness of the impact steals my breath and I can't move for a few seconds. Then I look up and see Raven, almost gone, a pleading look in her eyes. For a moment our eyes are locked, sparking something inside of me. I push myself up and again rush towards Evan. I am brought down by one of the guards again. This time Evan slams Raven into the wall, his right hand still locked around her throat. Ravens eyes widen as Evan grabs a dagger from his hip; the amusement in his eyes gone, now replaced with pure pleasure. He drops Raven as her eyes shut and she falls to the ground, gasping as she tries to catch her breath. 

   “I want you both awake for this, otherwise it defeats the purpose.”

    He laughs again, a cold sound that puts fear in one's heart. I am pinned to the opposite wall at Evans command, coarse ropes cutting deep into my wrists. They won't loosen no matter how hard I pull, rendering me useless. I can't help Raven by telling Evan what he needs. He can't kill her, she's too important. There is nothing for me to do but wait for Evan to tire of this game he's playing. However long it takes, I just hope Raven can hold out for that long. Evan kneels down, his face inches from hers, and sinks the blade into her side. She screams, worse than she had before. Raven clutches her side, blood streaming through her fingers. The deep scarlet stains her pale fingers as she tries to stop the blood. Evans hands are coated in blood as he smiles and pulls his blade free. Raven screams again,her face wet with tears and sweat. I'm about to give up the location Evan needs but when I see Raven’s eyes focus I know Evan didn't hit anything major.