A/N: Call me over-dramatic, but it is a little disheartening to see less than half of the people who read my first chapter read the second with only one person giving me feedback. If you don't like it, that's fine, but please, let me know what I need to fix or if I should just trash the story all together. Thanks. c:

Her mind lost and confused,
Her body overused.

The next time Alyse peeled her salt-crusted eyes open, all she saw was a scorching ball of flame glaring down at her water-logged form relentlessly. Above her, there was a tall, intimidating cliff-face, dotted with lush pines and weeping willows, although it gave little shelter. The only relief from that searing radiance that boiled her blood was the cold, rigid rocks beneath her and the stinging brine lapping at her sides. In front of her was nothing but the never-ending deep blue from which she came. Her body was too stiff and skin too blistered to move from her spot. She remained there, sprawled out on her craggy haven, submitting to the ever-blazing orb. It wasn't until the sun found repose on the horizon that she chose to move.

Alyse's mind pondered how she got here or why and she vaguely recollected her run-in with the figure in red and white. That couldn't have been real, could it? It seemed when the being spoke, she had painted the world in black and white—like she had stopped time's clock from ticking. Was it a dream? Alyse couldn't make up her mind; the woman was so fantastical that considering her anything but a concoction of Alyse's own imagination seemed irrational. She couldn't believe that the specter with glowing eyes and the ability to stop time was real. It had to have been a delusion she made up to give this whole event purpose.

Alyse pulled herself up, her bones popping, stiff muscles screaming in protest after such a long period immobility. The once elegant black dress she donned was now a worn, brittle grey that seemed to have disintegrated over time. She had lost her shoes and jacket in the water, though she couldn't recall when, and the opaque tights she wore were ripped and frayed until they were meaningless pieces of nylon hanging from her raw flesh. For a long while she just stood there, taking in the sound of the night tide slapping against her rocky surface of her refuge. A forlorn sob ripped from her throat and she fell to her knees, wailing in reckless abandon. Her heart felt as it had been pulled from her chest and her torso disjoined from the rest of her. She thought she might cry herself to death, prayed she would just to cease the unyielding despair.

She roused from a restless sleep and looked to the moon, the cool iridescent eye that soared high into the midnight sky. It was okay if no one knew she died, as long as she could remember herself. Without a moment's hesitation, she began to ascend the rock-face behind her.

The climb was treacherous, at times too steep and Alyse would lose her bearings and nearly fall, sometimes hoping she would so she could finally rest. It took hours to even reach the halfway mark, at that time her nails had been torn away from the skin, revealing raw nerves, and her fingers and toes grinded down to nothing more than bloody, dirt-packed nubs. The sun was coming up again, its soft rays casting light on the safest paths she could take. Alyse worked past the point of her reserves, but she continued to scale the bluffs, determined to make it up to dry land, where she could finally collapse in sweet release. Finally, she found her first sight of grass, long blades of emerald dancing in the light, salty breeze coming from the ocean. Nearly there, even though her arms were weak from over-use and her hands well bloodied, Alyse let out an enlivened shriek and pulled herself over the edge, pouring herself out on the grassy bluff. Her legs dangled off the side, her skin torn and sliced, blood trickling down her limbs. She cried once more, delirious with the joy of finally reaching land. Maybe someone would find her, maybe someone would save her. She didn't care, she was done. For now.

Laughter. She's floating. It's a man, the guttural sound of utter joy spilling from his lips. It reminds her of Gray and inside she smiles. She can imagine him, standing there with his head thrown back and his hand pressed against his stomach. She can't open her eyes, she doesn't dare. She doesn't know if this is real or a dream. Whatever it is, it warms her. She is being carried now to some destination unknown, but she has hopes for a warm bed and fresh clothes. She allows the exhaustion to take over once more and falls into a dreamless sleep.

She hears it again, but this time there are many laughs. The acrid scent of piss, sweat and dirt assaults her nostrils and she almost chokes on it. It doesn't soothe her anymore, their voices whisper of something horrid. It's cold now, whatever is under her is cold and unyielding. She can't make out any words; she can only hear the laughs. They drip with an insidious intention and she can't help but be afraid. How foolish could she be? She can't open her eyes, she doesn't dare. She can't let them know she is awake.

"Get up!"

Suddenly, the spray of icy water soaked her to the bone and Alyse couldn't help but let out a surprised yelp. Her eyes darted around frantically, observing and searching for any signs of danger. The floor was cold and there were iron bars all around her. A man clad in a tattered shirt and sweat stained striped pants stood above her, a disgusting grin gracing his mouth full of rotting teeth. Wait, was that...?
"Rise and shine, lovie. There's a nice, warm place by the fire waiting for you," the horrid-looking man began, "That is, 'course, if you're up to a good romp with the men."

Alyse sat up quickly and backed herself against the bars, pulling her knees to her chest as she stared at the man. She wasn't mistaken, there was a sword strapped to his side. "W-where am I? Stay back!" she cried, scrambling to the other side of her cage when he came towards her. In an instant, she was staring down the barrel of an old style flintlock pistol. "Or what?" the man sneered, pulling back the hammer. When Alyse cowered against the bars once more, his smirk returned and he gripped her wrist, yanking her to a standing position and tugging her out of the cage.
" It looks like we got us a ripe one, fellas." He sniggered and the other men followed suit, leering at her like she was a piece of meat.
"Yeah, someone will pay a pretty penny for her!"
"I got a hundred gold for 'er right now!"

Alyse looked around her, a pit of rage boiling in her gut. What, after her climb to freedom she's now going to be held captive by a bunch of men in bandit costumes and rotting teeth who'd probably ravage her at the drop of a hat? Before the man gripping her wrist painfully tight could react, her elbow slammed into his face and she bolted as quickly as she could through the trees. Unfortunately for her, she didn't notice the pointed wooden logs wrapped in barbed-wire surrounding them. She stopped dead in her tracks, looking right to left, trying to find a place to hide. If they got ahold of her, they'd certainly kill her or worse. Then she spotted it, a giant gate made of the same logs and wire stood before her. It was her only chance. Alyse jumped up, using the wire as her ladder while she attempted to scale the huge gate. The wire bit into the pads of her feet, but they were already numb from her long climb up the cliff. And then she heard the shot. Fire bloomed from her shoulder and coursed through her entire body, she let out a cry before losing grip and falling. She rolled around on the ground, as if she was set aflame while she gripped her shoulder hard. Blood was seeping through her fingers and that's when she knew they had shot her. She was screaming now, but she wasn't there. It was as if she floated away and was watching from up above while the men drank and laughed and dragged her back to the middle of the camp, hungry eyes basking in her suffering.

Days went by and Alyse busied herself with thoughts of Gray—thoughts of her old life. There was no saying where she ended up, but she knew she was nowhere near her home. What was home anyway? Her home was with Gray, and now that he is gone, she had nothing. Some nights she would cry and think about all the wrongs she had done, others she would lie in the center of that cold metal cage, wishing death would come and pull her into the ground, where she could suffocate in peace. The men were relentless, but surprisingly, they hadn't touched her much. Of course, one morning she was woken up by a stream of piss coating her face and once a man tried to feel her up, but what seemed to be the leader of the pack gave him a good thrashing. When she thought on it, she realized these were not human beings, they were animals. Their laughs sounded much like wolves howling at the moon and their predatory eyes always watching, sizing her up for the next attack. It never came though. There were those rare moments where the men would take turns feeding her; that was the only time she ever saw a bit of human in them. To them, it was like feeding a starving puppy, their good deed for the week. To her, she saw a glimpse of gentleness in them; it didn't make her mind so much that they treated her like an animal.

If only for a second.