Author's note: ...and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
This story is rated M for safety, it will also contain an original character to help explain Chell's past as I have seen it.
I hope you enjoy the story.
What's going on out there will make you wish you were back in here. ~GLaDOS
She stared out at the blinding sun, not really even bothering to shield her eyes. It enveloped her in its warmth like an angel wrapping its wings around her. The young woman hadn't realized how hungry, how fragile, and how desperate she had been for this moment until now. She closed her eyes, carefully sitting on the charred Companion Cube, as if it would shatter beneath her. She wished she could find the words to describe her emotions, they were as bright as the sun's red rays stretching across the sky, but her voice wouldn't work. She couldn't push herself to talk. She even opened her mouth, she begged in her mind to make it work, but only a faint hum escaped. The words were screaming in her mind, but they couldn't get out, as if there was a wall keeping them from her vocal chords. As much as she tried to forget about it, her mind traced back to the wicked ones at Aperture Science. They took everything from her, even her voice. They didn't even have the dignity to leave her with that.
That wasn't science…it was a madman's playpen where he could use his toys, us subjects…
An impatient growl from her stomach was enough to get the woman out of her thoughts and back on her feet. She stared out at the looming road. She didn't hear any vehicles, no people, not a thing, except for the wind gently caressing the crops next to her. She remembered the Companion Cube. As much as she hated to admit it, she had become attached to the hunk of metal, and it almost felt wrong to think about leaving it to sit alone on the abandoned road. She tried to lift it, but it was extremely heavy and she couldn't carry it far. Almost to the point of huffing for breath, the woman collapses down against the cube, staring up at the sky. Somewhere up there, Wheatley, a major heap of trash, was floating up in space, probably talking his bolts off in a meager attempt to fill his starry doom with some comfort. Part of her missed his endless blabbering about absolutely nothing, and part of her was glad he was gone, remembering the hellish tests he put her through. Somehow, he managed to make them even worse than…hers. The woman shuddered, wrapping her arms around her body, trying to forget the horrid beast lurking in the metal shell.
A surge of pain struck her stomach, its growls becoming desperate. She knew she had to find something to eat, and fast. She pushed herself against the Companion Cube to make the effort of moving it easier on herself, but it didn't get her very far, for she had only gotten about four feet past the hatch she had stepped out of before she was too tired to go on. A battle was emerging in her mind as she thought of what to do with the Companion Cube. It was her last connection, the only thing she could relate to. She couldn't leave it. She knew she had to though, if she ever wanted to get out of here. She closes her eyes and exhales, undoing the taught ponytail. Her hair glides almost gracefully down her back, gracefully splaying across her shoulders. The sun catches off of it, causing her to almost gleam, a chestnut haired angel. As if doing this gave her a newfound confidence, the woman ran from the cube as fast as she could, trying her hardest to look straight ahead and not dare look back at it, despite her lingering feelings for it. She continued to repeat in her mind that it was "just a hunk of metal, just metal…" She continued to run, ignoring the howling coming from her aching legs. Her body screamed for her to stop, but she knew she couldn't, she had to find at least a small town, somewhere to rest.
It's a nice little town, Chell, I think you'd really love it…
A raging headache slams down upon her, stopping her movements completely. Her hands race up to her head, trying to rub the pain away. A beautiful, hazel eyed woman with dirty blonde hair flashes through her mind for just a second. Her brain struggles to connect the pieces together, her name was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't place it. The woman looked so familiar, but Chell had no clue who it was. Another memory surged by, and she sees herself with this woman in the middle of a cornfield looking just like the one next to her. The woman is hugging her, and the hug warms Chell's heart, as if this woman is a sun's ray herself. Chell hears her voice surrounding her, telling her about the town, about memories, about the new lab across the street they could work at, and it all feels too real. It's too much.
Chell opens her mouth to scream, but nothing will come forth. She wants the voices to quiet, they're screaming, she can't even hear her own thoughts anymore. Her vision is blurred with the past, mixing imagination and reality. Chell collapses to her knees, banging her fists on the cold asphalt. The voices only get louder, and she slams her head off of the ground to try and get them to stop. It definitely works, the pain acts as a new focus, quieting the voices and making the woman fade from her vision. Chell stands, but almost falls over from giving herself a slight concussion. She feels pain radiating from her fists, and sees from the dying rays of the sun that they're bleeding. A cool drop of blood slowly slides down her forehead, and the fragile woman feels tears starting to form, but she won't let herself cry. After assuring herself that she was better, Chell started to run again, following the moon's now white beaming ray on the asphalt, hoping she would find civilization soon enough. She closed her eyes, simply concentrating on the pounds of her feet, as if it would make her aching pains go away.
She doesn't know how much time has passed before she hears murmuring voices. She smiles to herself, relieved that she has finally found human life. She hasn't been around another human since those memories with that woman, which still clogged Chell's mind. Chell doesn't even know how to interact with another human, it's been so long…
"Hey…someone's coming. Maybe we should just pack it up and get out of here…" Some man murmurs. Another man hushes him with a finger resembling a rat's.
"Jeremy…we really need to get out of here, if somebody sees us with the stuff…" the voice whined, almost like a puppy.
"Jeremy, come on, let's just go. We're on the most wanted list at the moment, we can't afford to be seen, remember the plan about hiding an-"
"Would you just shut your god damn trap for one second? Look…it's a woman. You keep your trap shut, and I'll split 'er with ya," Jeremy hissed at his companion with the deadliness of a cobra. His partner simply nodded and kept quiet, biting his lip. Jeremy slowly approaches the woman, and she stops dead in her tracks, fear racing through her mind.
Chell instinctively smiles at the man, happy to see another human being. He cackles like a hyena, and Chell shields her face from his spit. He traces her arm with a finger, and something screams within Chell that this isn't right.
"What's yah name, darlin'? Mine's Jeremy, I'm glad we could meet up," he coos to her. Chell feels something evil radiating off of the man's words and her mind is screaming at her to run, but her body feels too heavy, she can't move. He likes seeing the woman shudder and attempt to slink away, it excites him knowing that he's finally caught a pretty piece of prey. He waits for a spiteful response, almost enraged after she doesn't say a word.
"What's tha matter with you, you too good or somethin' you little tramp? Obviously, you're not that grand and all if you's stuck out here," he hisses at her. She flinches, but still nothing, not even a little hint of discomfort. What a shame, a toy that won't work.
"I'll teach you to mess with me, lady…Devon, get the ropes and the blindfold…we's gonna have ourselves a little fun tonight…" Jeremy fusses with his belt as Devon springs into action, binding Chell's arms together and tying a blindfold tightly around her eyes. Enveloped in the darkness, Chell collapses to her knees, wanting to scream so badly. She feels it edging to get out, but it just won't. She feels a rough hand collide with her face, and she's pushed upon her back. Something wet glides across her face slowly, sliding down her neck and biting with malicious intent, even drawing blood. Chell can't even wince in pain, her whole body has locked up as she feels her pants being pulled away ever so slowly.
"Listen, little Miss Mute…I'm gonna teach you some manners. It's only polite to talk to your captive and understand that he is the master…" Jeremy pulls his old army knife from his pocket, grinning as it gleams in the light. He cuts her leg, smiling at how she flinches away. He can smell her sweat and her fear, and he loves it. He greedily rips her underwear away, forcing himself inside of her. A small gasp is finally able to escape from Chell's clogged throat, and she's burning with pain. He thrusts against her, slamming full weight into her body. She can hear him moaning and cackling, and she wants to die. She wishes she had died during a test, it would be better than enduring this. She can hear somebody else laughing and shouting at the man on top of her to go harder. She feels his sticky liquids flood her, as he finally eases out as slowly as possible; to remind her of what just happened. Jeremy glares at Devon, knowing he doesn't deserve to share his prize, she was Jeremy's and Jeremy's only, but now he's done with her. A slave that won't talk is no good, and will only taste terrible later.
"Too bad the toys can't last forever, Devon…" he sees Devon staring lustfully at the woman, undoing his belt. Jeremy cuts Devon across the arm, and hisses at him. Devon knows this gesture all too well, from the two other deep gashes on his arm.
"Hehe…it's not often we run into a special toy, Jeremy," Devon coos as he nurses his cut. Devon kicks Chell in the gut as hard as he can, only just noticing the Aperture Science logo on her tank top. It means absolutely nothing to him, even though he points it out to Jeremy, turning his back to Chell to laugh with his partner at all the misfits that got sent to Aperture Science. Chell feels weak and so mentally torn and sickened that she's about to vomit, and she's enraged at the men for hurting her. How could they? How could they be so evil?Chell claws the blindfold away from her eyes, quietly getting up from the ground, clenching her fists tightly. She can't control her rage anymore. Suddenly, Devon feels a fist colliding with his face. To Jeremy's utmost shock, the woman had taken the blindfold off and stood up, shaking uncontrollably, and she punched his partner square in the face, enough to knock him to the ground. It excited him once more, and he enjoyed seeing Devon kick her back to the ground, cursing at her and beating upon her. Jeremy pulls Devon the Lion away from the girl, telling him that their job is done and that Devon did well, promising to reward him with an extra 'bite'. Devon stared hungrily at the briefcase, containing the remains of their previous victim. He was saddened that he wouldn't get to try this new girl, but Girl Number Two was so tasty, so sweet, he didn't really mind. Jeremy patted his partner on the back, leaving the girl and cleaning up any traces of he and Devon's playtime. He blew a kiss to Chell, cackling with pure evil, and chased after his partner, who was already almost out of sight. He made a mental note to keep this girl in mind, especially if she started to cause trouble or if she happened to pass by again, she'd certainly make a tasty meal. The thought of her flesh made him tremble with excitement.
Chell curled her body up into a tight ball, shaking with fear, hurt, and anger. No matter how hard she tries, she can't get the tears to stop, and she can't get the pressing pain to leave. The screaming has returned to her mind, demanding why those men did what they had done to her, why that had hurt her, and how badly she wanted answers.
For the first time ever since she could remember, a pained scream breaks through her throat, soaring out of her mouth, radiating within her ears. It felt good to scream, a small comfort. Her own voice even seemed foreign from her, and she started to question if it was even her own. Chell pushes her knees closer to her chest, feeling the hot tears striding down her face.
If only the pain would fade that easily…
Ending note: More chapters will be arriving soon. I appreciate any reviews, constructive or just complimentary.