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Chapter One: Alone in the Dark

A/N: I'm back! *evil laugh* So this is the winner sTory with a whole one and a held votes! Thank you to those who voted. So, this story is got in to be very dark, literally and figuratively, and sadMoat at likely it will be graphic. Here's the warnings: thoughts of suicide; attempted suicide; graphic and non-graphic torture. If you're not scared yet, you should be. If to any point you think the rating should go up, let me know. I'll keep it at 'T' for now. Anyway, please enjoy and let me know what you think!

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Gate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King Jr.

I only know the darkness. It fills the area around me, pulling me in. I sit in the corner with my knees pulled up to my chest. My neck and back bowed so that my forehead could rest on my knees. I shake as I breathe, maybe from cold. Maybe it's fear. Mostly likely it's both. I try not to move too much. I don't want to draw attention to myself.

I sit in my corner, knowing that my peaceful silence could end at any minute. My ragged breath is cold on my skin; finding its way through the rips in my jeans. My raggedy, dirty, blood-covered jeans. Maybe I had a shirt once, but you can't tell anymore. Maybe there are a couple rags from it near-by. I picture the color in my mind. The soft red that had comforted me these long days.

Those days are long gone now. All I see is darkness. It closes around me to no end. My breath catches when I hear the laughing. The evil laughter of the only other creatures my mind can remember. I can picture them in their evil beings. So cruel with their touch.

"Look at the brave red ranger," the voice taunts. "Shaking and sniveling in the corner like a small child."

I don't reply, I know I can't. The marks on my skin remind me not to speak. It wouldn't be worth it. Nothing is worth the pain anymore. I scratch distantly at the peeling skin around my eyes. I pray that the monsters will go away. I want them to leave. But my simple wishing isn't enough to make them leave.

"Come here, samurai. If you can even call yourself that anymore."

Samurai? I think in confusion. Me? The monster is right. How can I, the frightened thing in the corner, be a samurai? I am not even brave enough to speak. I am no warrior. I am a despicable being. Surrounded by monsters and pain. Pain I brought on myself.

"I said, come here!"

I stand shakily in my legs, pressing my hands into the walls on ether side of me. I walk forward slowly, scared to let go of the hard stone. I know if I do, when I do, I will be on my own, walking across a never ending patch of nothing. Never the less, I push myself gently away from my corner and approach the monster.

I take it one step at a time. I can sense more monsters around me. I feel their presence. One of them pushes me, making me stumble. I keep my balance, but only just. Another one pushes me a different way, knocking me on the ground. I grunt when I hit the ground. I get back up and feel panic rising. I no longer know which way to go. I can hear the monsters laughing around me.

The laugh at my confusion and fear. I was ordered to come. I know what will happen if I disobey. I start to shake. In my haste I trip and fall again. They laugh again. Maybe they are amused enough at my fear. Maybe I can avoid the pain I know is coming. I want to get up again, but I don't. Instead, I reach a hand forward and crawl on my hands and knees.

It's safer that way. I do not have to worry about falling. Like an animal I crawl around, hoping to find my end place. I am lost now though. I cannot see in the dark, so I stumble around. I slip again, sending pain through my arm as I caught myself. I whimper pathetically when one of the monsters grabbed my hair. It dragged me none too gently from where I was.

I cowered and covered my head when it let go. The kick to my ribs hurt as much as I thought it would. I curl into a ball, so they kick me in the back. There really is no place safe. They kick me again and again, making me grunt and whimper in pain. I shake my head again and again. I did not mean to fall! I wasn't to scream. Stop! Please! Don't hurt me! I didn't mean to get lost! I couldn't help it!

"You were very bad, red ranger," the monster says in my ear. I whimper my apologies. He slaps me across the face. "You know you were." I nod, and am slapped again. "You are a pathetic excuse of a samurai. Once a brave warrior, now you cower at the feet of a nighlock." I whimper, making him slap me and force me back to the ground.

I panic again when one of the monsters grabs my arm. It throws me against the wall. Pain courses through my head and body. I let myself fall to the ground. I do not want to stand up and find myself on the ground again. The monster, would have none of that though. It dragged me too my feet, forcing me to stand. I stand in place, too scared to move in the dark. I am hit from behind, sending me sprawling forward.

Another monster punches me in the chest, knocking the breath out of me. I gasp trying to breath as it punched me again. This time the blow is to my stomach, making me double over. It then slams its cold, monster hand into my face. My head snaps back as I fall. My muscles spasm in pain. Another monster grabs me again, twisting my arm behind my back. I sit on my knees, whimpering at the pain in my shoulder.

The monster pulls harder, making me whimper louder. I screamed when the monster twisted my wrist as well. I dropped my head in pain and defeat. The monster let go and pushed me onto the ground. I lay there, hoping they'd leave me alone. I was horribly disappointed because next, I am being dragged by my ankle across the room. I hold my breath as something hits me across the back. It was fire spread across my back.

I flinch, but it came again. Again and again, I feel the fire and pain spread across my back. I hear the crack and more pain. Wounds on my back reopen. I shake my head pleadingly, but it doesn't matter. I lay in silence, paralyzed by my fear. I was afraid of the monsters. And for reasons I couldn't even understand I was ashamed of that. I feared the monsters and their games.

Their beatings; drownings; and floggings. I fear the pain when I did something they didn't like. I feel like a broken toy. A plaything made only to amuse them. I felt disgusted at myself for the thoughts, and I don't even know why. It felt like all that existed was my pain. My pain and darkness. I let them hurt me. I did what they said to avoid pain, but I knew I couldn't always. They would just beat me anyways.

I am relived when it finally stopped. I hear the monster kneel down next to me. I wrap my arms around my head. Please go away. The monster held my face up, despite the fact I couldn't see him through the darkness. I feel my fear double up. I want him to stop. The monster laughs at me.

"Do you want me to stop?" I nodded, unable to help myself. "Then say please." His grip became tighter, squeezing my jaw. "If you want me to stop, then you must beg."

"P-please," I croaked. "Stop. P-please. I'm b-begging you. P-please."

"Such a disappointment. What would the other samurai say to you? Hm? Their fearless leader begging for mercy. And from a nighlock no less."

He let go and moved away. I let out a sigh of relief. More monsters grab my arms and drag me back. I am relieved to feel the comforting presence of my corner. I go back to my original position with my arms wrapped around my knees, my head bowed down under the weight of torture. I felt the blood running down my back now. I was grateful for the lack of clothes on my torso. No cloth to stick to the words or aggregate the gashes.

I can't help it that I cry. I'm scared, and alone. No one would come and save me. No one would want to. Who would ever want, or try, to rescue a broken toy? I am nothing. I am at the mercy of monsters trapped in darkness. Who would bother to help me? I cry silently and in pain. I sit in my corner of loneliness and protection. I am alone, and darkness was all I know.