The waves crashed onto the shore flowing all around her small body. It was so cold and painfully bright. Her eyelids fluttered open as the sun beamed high above her, she could smell the salty wisp of ocean air, she could see the birds flying high overhead, feel the push and pull of the ocean. It was wonderful. "I'm alive…!" she rasped. After enduring a week and a half of torture she had made a daring escape from General Zhao. Breaking out of her cell she'd found her way to the deck, and with her hands still bound, she leaped off, embracing the wild freezing waves. It was over, all the abuse. Mentally and physically. Almost. Her body was so badly hurt and she had made it worse after the desperate dash for freedom. Her left foot had been burned so bad she could almost feel the flesh slowly rotting and falling away. Her left knee had been shattered when one of the guards, on a dare, had smashed it with a hammer over and over again. Mind working furiously she analyzed the injuries and her current situation. Ribs, several of them were probably broken, her head was matted with dry blood, right wrist broken, she could feel the salty ocean water burning the huge gash that ran from her right arm all the way down to her lower thigh, bruises everywhere, burns, too many to count. There was too much damage she couldn't even stand and she certainly couldn't do anything with her hands still tied behind her back.
Katara's mind hurt just trying to think about it. Attempting to bend the water she used her fingers still bound behind her back, but to her horror it didn't move on her command she was about to try again when she remembered the black thick tea on the ship that they forced her to drink, there most have had some toxin in it that prevented her from bending. She hoped she hadn't lost it permanently. Suddenly she felt very scared and very alone. Leaping off the ship had been purely suicidal, and it was merely an incredible stroke of luck that she survived. Right? Thinking about it for a moment she soon found herself wondering if drowning would have been a better fate.I need to get out of this freezing water.'' /emShe thought. Her entire body screamed, as she squirmed to move towards the beach. Gritting her teeth in pain as she fought the push and pull of the ocean and finally wrenched herself onto the sandy beach. Breathing heavily, she continued to fight towards a sharp jutting edge of a huge thorn tree and as she finally reached it, tried to sit up to cut her bonds, but to no avail, trying to flop onto her back as pain splintered all round her ribcage. She felt terrible but she couldn't cry she had no tears left to cry, and she couldn't risk dehydrating herself more. So instead, she screamed with every movement giving vent to the pain, her voice was barley audible over the violent crash of the waves against rocks. Nothing, she was stuck and had only managed to make herself more tired. Being cold, malnourished, bruised, broken and exhausted, Katara's eyelids began to slowly flutter shut giving way to the darkness. Just then, something running through the bushes and she froze eyes shooting open, as she twisted her head and franticly looked into the brush looking for the source of the movement. Then she saw him, a Firenation soldier crashed out fumbling with his buckle, he cursed as removed it only to forget the drawstring on his pants. Keeping silent Katara slowly inched her way from the solider as she heard him let out a sigh of relief. Squirming as fast and as quietly as she could, began making her way towards a huge bolder. Just a few more inches and she would have made it "Maybe…!"She silently prayed. No, she unfortunately, wasn't fast enough, as he soon finished buckling back up when he turned and saw her. They stared at each other for a while Katara dead horrified inside. "Dear God's!" The man exclaimed. "You're that water girl that travels with the Avatar!" He said vigorously jabbing his finger at her as if to emphasize who he was talking about. "Crap" Katara thought. "Avatar…? Who's Avatar?" She tried. "Hahahah! What a stroke of luck!" He bent down towards her and none too gently, grabbed her collar. Her head spun as he brought her close to his face. "Yes, definitely her…" He muttered. His breath stank of vomit and booze. He must have been drinking. He was talking about her like she was an object! "I really... don't know... what you're... talking about…" she said trying not to breath in the awful stench, as she twisted her face in a gross expression all while her mind pounded like crazy against her skull. Katara felt like she could just pass out right then and there."Already bound and ready for me too! I'll definitely get that promotion!" He said excitedly, ignoring her. There was nothing she could do. He pulled out his strikers and hit both sides of her head, knocking her unconscious at once.