Mommy liked to take me and Masa-chan places. Usually it was fun! We went shopping together all the time. But today, she told me she wanted to take me, only me, somewhere different. We got into the car, and she drove me deep into the forest. It was kind of scary... but I trust mommy! She would protect me! She told me that I need to put on a blindfold. She carried me for awhile, until she put me down and took off the blindfold. We were in a room. It was dark and cold... There was a table in the middle of the room. It had leather straps on it. Tall people with black cloaks stood around me. I looked up to mommy and I was going to ask her what was happening, but before I could say anything the tall people grabbed me and took my clothes off of me. I was scared... I started to cry. They yelled at me. I had to take a few pills. They were bright purple and red.
They pushed me down onto the table in the middle of the room, and secured the leather straps. They were really loose... like they've been used before. I started crying again. I asked the tall people what they were going to do. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw mommy roll a cart up to the table. It looked like what they have at the doctors office. It had a few more pills on it, a rusty kitchen knife, a hammer, and some dirty bandages. One of the tall people, I later learned his name was Apollyon, grabbed the hammer and smashed the toes on my left foot with it. I screamed... it hurt so much. I couldn't think about anything else. Another tall person, who I found out was a girl named Bast, covered my mouth. I remember her patting my head and whispering, "Soon you will be thankful for us."
Apollyon took the hammer, and smashed my other foot. I tried screaming again but Bast was still covering my mouth. I couldn't cry. I couldn't do anything. I tried pulling out of the leather restraints, but mommy and the others held me down. Apollyon put down the now bloody hammer, and picked up the rusty knife. Everything was in slow motion... all I could do was think "No! No! Please don't—" until he grabbed my leg, placed the dull knife against my little toe, and pushed forward. I watched in horror and excruciating pain as I watched three of my toes fall onto the dirty cement floor. Blood gushed out, and ran all over Apollyon's hand. He quickly let go, and grabbed my other foot. A boy who was is only a few years older than me with blond hair came forward with bandages and quickly stopped the bleeding. His name is Utusho. We quickly became friends and we'd play games together before meetings. Apollyon cut off the big toe on the right foot. While Utusho wrapped my right foot with bandages, a girl who was about my age came forward. She had an eyepatch covering her left eye. She picked up the fallen toes and put them on the cart next to the table.
At this point, I was in so much pain I couldn't even try to scream. I was exhausted. My eyelids felt heavy... Maybe it was the pain. Or maybe it was the bright pills they gave me earlier. I couldn't keep my eyes much longer... I let them close...
White hot pain. That's all I felt. I quickly opened my eyes and saw a yellow-orange pole being pushed into my side. This time I screamed. I screamed as loud as I possibly could. Apollyon seemed mad. He was staring down at me. Then he looked at mommy. He yelled, "You told us she was a good girl. Not some fucking child who screamed at any little bit of pain! Sooner or later we'll be found out if this little shit said anything!" I could see anything else, but I heard a loud thud. I think he hurt mommy.
Apollyon stomped back over to me. He grabbed my mouth and forced it open. He grabbed the toes he cut off and shoved them down my throat. Awhile ago mommy made me get a surgery that meant I couldn't throw up. It was so I could take my medicine, she told me. Mommy said the pills made me prettier. They made me skinnier, even though I was already small.
Mommy came over to me, kissed my forehead, and made me take a few more bright colored pills. She said everything would be over soon. Next I heard Bast ask Apollyon, "So, what's her new name?"
"Her new name is Basileus."
Basileus... from my Latin lessons, I think that means king. Mommy hugged me and told me that I should fall asleep. Everything would be okay... I trusted mommy. I let my eyes close and I drifted off into a deep sleep.
