White Stag

Chapter 14~Terror

The disgusting man brings the knife dangerously close to my antlers. He flips it in the air, clearly playing with my emotions. I can't help snarling at his antics. If I could, I would clip his wings right here and now.

He waves his finger at me, saying, "Ah, ah, ah." He positions the knife close to my left antler, and with a sickening grin on his face, and he brings it down with a slash.

I howl and scream with pain.This man introduces me to a whole new kind of pain. A fire, filled with anger and sadness, blazes inside me.Through my tears, I glare up at him and grit my teeth.

"Get the hell off of me!" I scream into the face of the soldier on top of me. This only makes him hold on tighter. The man who cut my left antler shrieks, trying to do an impression of me.

"Looks like the little deer hasn't learned her lesson yet." He triumphantly brings the knife down on my right horn which causes the blaze in my stomach to grow like a snarling monster. Tears threaten to fall over my cheeks, but I refuse to give in.

Knowing that this will continue if I keep on defying him, I lay my head down defeatedly on the ground. The throbbing sensation in my antlers leaves me whimpering.

"That's better. Lift her up, soldier." The soldier on top of me hauls me to my feet. My wobbly knees barely hold up my weight so the soldier has to hold me upright.

"I am the commander of the Leviathans. You will show me respect. Do you understand?" He spreads his large wings to appear intimidating. I shrink back and nod.

He kneels down next to where I was laying a few seconds ago and picks up the two pieces of antler. Waving them in my face, he turns to the group of people who had crowded around the chaos.

"We will win the war now!" he screams. I close my eyes tight. How did I fail everyone so fast? I hang my head in defeat.

The commander looks back at me. "Take her back to her cell," he spats. A sharp knife prods my back and I walk slowly back towards the concrete building.

The child that I had seen earlier is looking at me with tears in his eyes. He reaches a hand out to me. Normally, I would have gone for it, but I shake my head slowly and amble back to the prison cell.

~

I go back into my cell silently. The loud slam of the door closes off all chances of escape. My hope dissapears along with the sound.

I'm so tired. Tired of being sick, tired of being a disappointment ,tired of failing. Hot tears slide down my face and I crumple into a ball. Sobs wrack my body. I never asked for this life. I miss my parents, and I miss Apollo being my best friend. Right now, I would be graduating and celebrating with my family. Apollo and I would be celebrating with a cake.

I'm going to lose this war. I feel like I will never find Eden. What's the point of finding a banished God if I'm not sure he even existed?

My antlers burn and white fluid drips down from them. I sniffle and look up, rubbing my red-ringed eyes. All I want to do is sleep for an eternity. And so, I close my eyes on the frigid concrete floor and wish for an eternal sleep that will end my pain.

~

Cold water sprays me in my face. I wake up sputtering. The water is refreshing, but my body freezes quickly. A guard is glaring at me from the doorway.

"Get up. Someone wants to see you." I silently nod. My hands are shaking in terror. I lift myself off the ground, deeply regretting having slept on the floor. My bones and muscles are sore.

On my cot is a knee-length, white dress. I slip it over my head as my stomach growls. I haven't eaten since yesterday and I'm starving. I pull my hands through my knotted hair to look somewhat presentable.

Tears prick my eyes. If Axel was here, he would kiss me and braid my hair. I shake my head. Axel is not here. Taking a deep breath, I lift my hand up to inspect the cuts on my antlers.

Deep grooves are left as a reminder of what I went through yesterday. My heart fills with fury as I think of the one person I would like to get revenge on: the commander.

The door opens and light shines in. My eyes squint from the lights in the hallway. Screams of the other prisoners fill my ears. I promise myself that I will get them all out. No one deserves this treatment.

The winged soldiers grip me roughly by the arms and lead me down a hallway I hadn't discovered in my attempt to escape. We walk for a long time down the maze-like hallways until we reach a door. They open it and shove me inside.

"Hello, Ar."