Half

Chapter 23:

Everything was black, harsh pain shooting from my knees up to my neck. I had trouble remembering the previous events that caused me to be in such a state. Nothing about this felt right, and that I wasn't in the safety of my brother's arms. I felt alone, cold, and scared. I knew that no one will come out to find me, and that I had to fight this battle alone, against however many of them there are. 

Suddenly, something that was tied around my head was removed, the harsh light burning my eyes. I looked around me to see I was in some kind of dark room, but with spotlights shown directly on me. I was in a lab of some sort. One that was set up like a science lab, where there were what seemed to be hundreds of people in white lab coats walking around, sampling what ever it was they were producing. 

I was tied up, around my ankles and my arms behind my back. I had a piece of duct tape on top of my mouth. I was wearing all black, black pants and a black tee shirt. I couldn't see much of my own flesh, but I could tell I was attacked, and it most likely was because I am a Serpent, and I was alone- more vulnerable than ever.

Suddenly, a man in a suit walked down the spiral stairs in the corner of the room. Realization struck me that this was the Whyte Wyrm- the Serpent's favorite hang out spot. It wasn't the same as how we left it. The beer bottles and the bar were gone. Furniture, gone. Pole that exotic dancers performed on, gone. DJ booth, gone. Tables and booths were formed into some sort of assembly line format. 

The man walked into the middle of the room, silently stopping the employees in the white coats to stop what they were doing and to watch him. He turned around and stared at me. I came face to face with famed Lodge monster- Hiram Lodge. His ego and horror made him appear like he was 8 feet tall, when in fact he is only 5'8. His signature evil smirk appearing on his slappable face. He started to stride towards where I was seated. I wanted to run away, call for help, but I couldn't. All I could do was look him in the eye and watch him torture me, and ruin the Serpent hangout.

"I see, Malachai, You did what I asked you to. Now, you were sure she was alone?" Hiram asked.

The man, Malachai looked very familiar. Like I had seen him before, but I couldn't place where from. He smirked to himself behind Hiram. Whatever kind of sick joke that this is, I wanted away from it. Or at least, give them a fair fight.

"Yes sir, she was alone. Vulnerable. Her precious Sweet Pea of a brother was not around. Wonder why?" He taunted.

Hiram came face to face with me, his face inches away from mine. I scrunched my eyebrows together and squinted my eyes closed as he ripped the tape off of my mouth harshly.

"I ran away from them. I needed to get away to think."

"Why?"

"Because of Jughead Jones."

"What did he do?"

"He tried to apologize to me, for kissing Betty Cooper while Jug and I were still together."

"So, Jughead hurt you. I wonder if he has his teen Serpent army looking for you." Hiram said.

I closed my eyes, praying that someone would be looking for me. Jughead. Toni. Sweet Pea. Anyone.

"Why'd you do this to the Wyrm?" I asked, not opening my eye as a single tear swam down my face.

"Oh you didn't hear? FP Jones sold it to us. This is now the Jingle Jangle production warehouse."

"No I didn't. So you Ghoulies took away the one true hangout spot of the Serpents?"

"With the help of me." A female voice rang. She walked down the stairs.