The Animal Inside

Descent

i awaken, once again, same floor, same walls.

my fingers find cracks in the cool stone, I trace them.

but something is definitely different.

I'm no longer in solitude.

realising this, i slink along the ground, finding the wall.

its at this point a match is struck, a burst of flame lights up the cell.

low and behold, it the old man.

i hate this damned old bastard.

"hey kid, how ya holding up?" he asks, covering the match with his hand and holding it to the end of the cigar.

as he drags, the end gets brighter, with every inhale his face is momentarily illuminated by dancing shadows.

i look into his eyes i speak, they appear cold, almost dead with lack of empathy.

"never better", i growl through heavily gritted teeth, "what the f**k did you do to me?!"

his face tightens, almost the ghost of a smile can be seen.

"well, i think its more important that you know where you are, and why, dont you?"

heavy drag, smoke billows out of his nose like a ancient dragon, he looks so at home here, underground, in the shadows.

"actually, yes, i would like to know that"

"ok, well first off, you're a prisoner here."

"what kind of sick twisted..." i spit out

drag... exhale, a thick cloud hovers above his head.

"this is no joking matter runt," he says harshly.

"you are to fight to the death every month, until you either die or have defeated every other competitor in your division."

i must've looked the way i felt.

terrified.

"the other beings you will face are much the same as you," he continues. 

"some came here of their own volition but most were captured by the other hunters and I over the ages"

"what other being do you speak of? how are they like me?" i ask.

"they are not of this world," he says calmly. 

"what other world is there?", i couldnt stop myself from asking.

"there is another realm beyond our own, one of fire and torment. one where all manner of unspeakable evil resides, and now a bit of it resides in you my young friend", he answers.

"for what reason is all this done?" i plead, exasperated.

"in the name of no less then the dark prince himself. they say on occasion, he even comes to admire the carnage, on looking from a secluded shadow. Getting delight from the blood spilt in his name."  he says with a grin, obviously this man enjoys his work.

a shudder runs down my back, i try to shake it off.

"so how do I get out?" I insist

"you win. all you gotta do is kill everyone they put against you and eventually you'll be retired" 

when he said the word 'retired' it had a ominous ring that caused my stomach to unsettle.

"the line of fighters had been kept pure and refined by a hundred generations of only letting the champions infect others"