Shadow Of My Youth

Chapter 3

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NONA'S POV
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I laid against the cold mattress staring at the white wall. Rustling sheets sounded from the other bed and I knew she had laid back down. Rhine. It was an odd name but she looked odd enough for it. I turned over and saw she was staring at me, her owl eyes boring into me. There was blood splattered on her covers and straight jacket and a chill went through me as I turned away. How did she get blood splattered on her covers and on her straight jacket? Did she murder a nurse or doctor? .... I wouldn't blame her. I have had thoughts of doing the same thing. I just knew they would execute me after I would kill one of their own.. But no one wants me here on this planet so why the hèll not?! ...
God I wish I had SOMETHING to do other than sleep; cry, scream, self harm, and now I have someone in my room that possibly is worse than me.

"So.." I said, turning my head to look at Rhine. Her eyes seemed to look into me everytime our eyes met; I looked down at the works of the bed instead.
"H-how long have you been in here?" My voice seemed to shake as I asked that question. There is honestly nothing we can talk about other then what's going on with us or what has happened to us so far in this hèll hole. That's the only thing, that I know of, that we have in common.

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RHINES POV
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I stared at her and she turned around once and gave me a daring glance before turning back around. I sat back up stared. Nona spoke, it seemed distant, and longing. "How long have you been here?"
I opened my mouth but only a strangled sound came out before words could form. I didn't know. It could be years, or one day. "I don't know.." I said my voice falling to a whisper as I tilted my head to stare at the wall across from me. Red flowers bloomed where I stared, dripping blood to the floor and then disappearing when I looked away. "Years.. Possibly." My voice light and hollow. It struck me that didn't even know how old I was.
CLICK
My eyes landed on the door, which whispered open. A man stood there, his white clothes blossoming with red flowers. He walked toward me and reached behind me and grabbed my arms. He dug his fingernails into the straight jacket, stinging my injured arm. He swung me around and pulled me to the concrete floor. I felt no pain as my head banged against the grey floor. Bubbles rose in my throat and small hiccuping laughs escaped my mouth as he pulled me up onto my feet and shoved me out the door. The hallway lights were bright and burned my eyes. He grabbed my arms again and pulled me into a room down the hall. The room was small and had a metal table in the middle with a cloth thrown over it stained with blood. He pushed me to the table and forced me on top of it. He lead me into a room and shoved me on top of it. More people, women, tied my legs to the tabled with leather belts. They forced my head down and put it into a metal cap and strapped it down. I realized what was happening and screamed. They silenced me by shoving a rubber cork in my mouth, it tasted like blood and salt. I gagged and screamed through me teeth and I desperately tired to take the cork out but they tied it down around my head. I moaned as I felt years race down my cheeks, kicking my feet but it was too late. I heard a buzz and my whole body quaked as a searing pain ripped through me, killing my brain. The tears on my face disappeared as my cloudy gaze stayed staring at the shaking ceiling. It lasted for what seemed forever, the pain growing worse until it stopped but my body didn't. They pried the metal cap off and un-strapped my legs. They roughly pulled my twitching body off the table and I felt warm blood drip down my forehead from the metal cap. I couldn't move, old stare at the ceiling as my body convulsed. I heard a door whoosh open and I thudded back onto my bed. I heard a voice as the door closed, "That's for the episode yesterday." It said, muffled and raspy. I laid there, twitching staring at the white ceiling before the darkness consumed me whole...

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NONA'S POV
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I watched Rhine laugh as she was dragged off her bed and out of the room. As soon as she was gone I forgot we were roommates. I was deep within my own thoughts of how I sort of missed feeling the tall grass against my bare skin on my legs. How I sort of missed the warm hot sun beaming down on me in rays. How I sort of missed the icy cold of the winter..
Oh how I used to love the winter,
The dark and cold of a winters night, seeing the ice frost up the windows.
I loved the feel of the frozen cold snow in my bare hands, how I was able to mend and roll it in my grasp and was able to throw it at my target.
My eyes trailed to the very small window in now mine and rhines room; making me wonder what time of year it is.
WHOOSH
My eyes darted to the door as one man carried Rhine into the room and tossed her onto the bed. As she blacked out, the man smiled in my direction and quietly left the room. I stared at Rhine as she twitched violently in her sleep. I stared at her for a new more minutes until the door opening again.
It was the nurse. He was carrying a rope and smiled wickedly at me. I shuttered as he approached me. He violently grabbed my arms and I fought back, but he was larger, stronger. A whimper escaped my throat as tears streamed down my pale face. He grabbed my neck and lifted me off the bed, choking the air out of me. He stood me up, my thin legs shaking. Taking the rope, he tied it around my neck, tight. I sobbed louder and he slapped me, hard. He pulled the rope, and I followed, my head throbbing with the sudden pain. He tied the other end to the barred window on the door. Pulling the rope up higher and higher until I had to stand on my toes, my neck straining to keep me breathing. It grew tighter and tighter until he pulled me off the ground and I thrashed, feet flailing, gulping in air. He slowly lowered me back down and I sobbed, pain exploding where the rope bit into my skin. He tied it so my feet barely touched the ground. I cried, my sobs choked and he slapped me again, hitting the same spot. Breaking the skin. Blood trickled down my cheek from where he hit me. He smiled wickedly and moved to touch my face when the door opened with a swoosh, knocking me off my feet. I gasped and stuttered for air. The edged of my vision turned black as my lungs slowly shriveled. A boy's voice echoed in the room and suddenly I was dropped onto the ground, my body hitting the concrete. Air filled my lungs again as I breathed in deeply. The blood from my cheek leaving a smudge on the floor. I pushed myself up and I saw a boy, teenager, standing there. His pale blonde hair pushed away from his pale face. The boys eyes landed on Rhine, his eyes shining with sadness. He turned toward me, avoiding staring and untied the rope around my neck. He left without a word for me to console myself. The door closed and a sob broke out of my body. I curled into a ball on my bed, hurriedly getting under the covers and wailing. My hands fell to my neck and it immediately stung when my hands touched the cold skin. Warm tears dampened my bed as my sibs filled the room and echoed out the barred window that should have been my death.

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RHINE'S POV
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The metal was sharp as I tested it on myself, creating deep trenches in my wrists. Blood seeping out and running down my hand onto the floor. A gasp escaped my mouth followed with bubbling laughter that erupted from my open mouth. My mother called to me and I smiled. I walked down the hallway, blood trailing after me. She was in her room, folding clothes. I replied sweetly with a yes. She asked me to help her and then saw my blooded arms. She gasped and backed away, seeing the glint of metal in my hand. A scream burst through the room and I realized it was me. Yelling for forgiveness. I didn't understand, what had I done? I advanced toward her and raised the knife above my head, coming down, it collided with her chest with a sickening wet thud. Blood exploded everywhere, spilling onto the wooden floor and running to my bare feet, warm and wet. A ragged yell broke out from my chest as I pulled the knife back and collapsed next to her. She was alive. Her eyes glazed as she heaved in air. I screamed I'm sorry again and again before she stopped moving and laid there, eyes open staring at the ceiling.
I woke up, staring at the white ceiling. My head throbbed violently I slowly sat up. The world tipped and swayed and a buzzing filled the air. My eyes flitted down to my hair, hanging over my shoulders. It was matted with rusty blood. The buzzing stopped and whimpering noises cut through the air, followed by sobs. I turned and saw a figure huddled under the covers, shaking. "Nona?" My voice was like broken glass. She stopped moving and small whimpers shook her bed. I stood up, falling backwards and hitting the wall. Steadying myself I approached her bed and bumped it with my knee. Her dark hair flowed out of the covers and her pale head came out, eyes red and glazed. Her covers were damp from her tears.
"He hurt me." She said as she came completely out and I saw purple bruises around her neck.
"Who?" Anger pumped inside me.
Her blue eyes shined."The nurse he came back after he took you...... and hurt me!" She wailed and lowered her head so her hair curtained her face. I sat in her bed next to her. My mother's face flashing on the wall, red with blood.
"We are getting out." I whispered, barely opening my mouth. Nona glanced up at me, a questioning look on her face, wondering what I just said. I shook my head and smiled. "We are going to get out.... Or I'll kill myself."