Day4: Shlind awoke alone, the heat Pyramid provided gone leaving her slightly cold. She sat up with a yawn stretching her cramped body; she had plastered herself so close to the wall her body had locked up during the night. She peered at the door through sleep heavy eyes; she doubted it was unlocked but it never hurt to try. She hissed through her teeth as the cold blood on the floor coated her bare feet before walking over to her goal. Holding her breath she gave a sharp yank and yelped in surprise as she fell on her butt creating a small splash. God she needed a shower! Carefully she opened the door and looked out it, the hall way leading to the stairs seemed darker than usual and more foreboding than before. Ok she could do this! She had to be able to defend herself, there was no telling when Pyramid would become bored of her and decide to get rid of her or worse.

She moved with ease as she climbed the stairs swiftly and made her way down the hospital hallway, she had crossed a group of nurses but had managed to tip-toed her way past them thankfully. Worried she'd get lost she stopped in front of the hospital map and unpinned it from the wall; slowly she made her way to the entrance having glanced between her surroundings and the map constantly. Folding it she tucked it in the hidden pocket of her once pale green jacket as she walked along Carroll St through the thick fog. She felt so secluded and being alone had her frightened in ways she wasn't used to. Did she actually miss that beast? She looked up to see a stoutly old man running towards her dressed in a business suit.

"Hey!" Shlinda shouted trying to grab his attention, only to watch as he blatantly ran past her. That couldn't be a good sign she thought as she turned to see two ghouls like girls heading her way screaming demonically. She took off after the man hurrying to catch up and get away from the two shirkers. She watched him turn the corner and run straight into a brick house, she rushed trying her best to outpace the two monsters. She cried out almost at the door as he waved for her to hurry, pushing she leapt into the doorway with the man shutting it just in the nick of time. He locked it right before they both heard two loud body slams into the door followed by soul shattering cries. They both lay in heaps on the floor gasping desperately for air, their faces red and lungs burning.

"Jacob Hilagics…CEO of Bright Industries…" The man gasped as they both still remained unmoving. Shlinda swallowed heavily, bright industries the famous company wrapped up in the bombing conspiracies in New York. She knew all about them, she had been involved with the one who wrote the article that had exposed them all.

"Shlinda Carbine…photographer." She said breathlessly in response, gradually pushing herself to her feet. The house they were in was definitely empty, it was all so connected and wide open that you could peer into the bathroom and both bedrooms from the living room as well as the kitchen. Shlinda walked around the bar separating the living room form the kitchen and began scavenging the drawers. Jacob stood and went to watch her uncertainly as she made various clanking and banging sounds.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he watched her examine a butcher knife.

"Looking for weapons."

"Those things can be killed?" He questioned with wide eyes.

"Maybe, what are you doing here anyways?" She inquired suspiciously as she turned to go examine one of the bedrooms for a possible gun of some sort. Jacob ran a hand through his thin graying hair as he spoke.

"I was to have a private meeting with an investor but this man…he showed up out of nowhere and killed him, my partner took off and I've been hiding from that guy for two days now." Shlinda stopped her search immediately and froze, was he referring to Pyramid? She shook her head dismissing the thought and pulled down a shotgun from the top of the closet. She hoped the man knew how to aim. Quickly she turned and tossed it to the old guy who had to struggle to catch it along with a box of 32 shells. He looked down at the gun in his hand, what was he supposed to do with this? He swallowed tightly as he shoved the shells in his coat pocket and made sure the gun was loaded before gripping it.

"Hey! What are you doing!" He called out as she slowly opened the front door his heart racing, she shushed him as she scoped out the area. There was nothing, almost as if those monsters had never been there.

"We're getting out of here." She let the door swing open wide and squinted her eyes, the street as far as she could see was clear. Feeling empowered by having a fellow human with her she nodded her head and took off at a run, Jacob running close behind her. They ran continuously down Rendell St. passing grey children and more nurses on the way, some tried to chase them but they gave up once they were far enough from them.

"Turn right up ahead! There should be a way out of town!" Jacob yelled. Shlinda shifted right onto Munson St. as he had suggested. They ran for a few more feet but stopped dead in their tracks. She stared in confusion as the sudden drop off into nothing that the street made. Jacob walked over to the edge slowly staring at it in hopelessness.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE!?" He yelled as he continued to stare into the darkness. A sharp scraping sound made Shlinda's heart stop her and Jacob both shared a look as they recognized the metallic sound, so Pyramid was after him. She reached forward and grabbed his arm dragging him with her behind the building nearest them. She held a finger to her lips at his heavy breathing to silence him as the scraping stopped. She could literally visualize him tilting his helmet to and fro in a searching manner while jerking his body violently. Soon the scraping sound started again, they waited till the sound faded into the distance before breathing again. They shared a mutual laugh right before Jacob was yanked up by his shirt.

"No!" Shlinda cried as she shot to her feet Pyramid head seemed to glare at her giving off rage in waves. He had immediately noticed her absence and had gone looking for her only to find her partnered and trying to protect a man he was to punish. If it wasn't for Alessa's orders he'd strike her down where she was. Shlinda watched wide eyed as Pyramid Head shambled his way to where his blade lay on the ground by the edge. He turned suspending Jacob over the bottomless chasm stretched out below. Shlinda gasped before dropping her knife and slamming herself into Pyramid Head making him drop Jacob next to them on the ground. Jacob tried to scurry to his feet but Pyramid latched onto his ankle, bracing Shlinda against him with his free arm he flung Jacob over them and into the chasm.

"NO!" Shlinda screamed as Jacobs cry of agony echoed into the distance before finally falling silent. Pyramid in a fury pushed her off him roughly and stood uneasily before shambling over to his weapon, the girl watching him with tear filled eyes.

"How could you! You're a monster!" She screamed in defiance. Faster than she thought he could move his hand came around her neck and suspended her above him. She chocked for air as she realized she was in the same position Jacob had been. He watched her struggle as she gasped for precious air; her throat trying to intake air against his palm. He could drop her so easily and this little annoyance would be gone, yes Alessa would be pissed but she'd get over it after punishing him for about three days, she always did. Just as he went to slacken his grip he noticed something in him didn't want to kill her…he wanted to punish and hurt her…discipline her. He flung her to the asphalt hearing her moan as she gulped air greedily. Yanking his sword up violently he dragged it over next to her before grabbing a fist full of her hair, and began to drag her alongside it till they both arrived to his room.

He threw her face first into the blood soaked floor dazing her; Shlinda glanced up through blurry eyes as he sealed the door again with his sword blocking her only means of escape. He had been foolish to think she'd be smart enough to wait here for him, there were dangers outside not to mention he had fed her and stuff. No she needed to know who was in charge. She flimsily pushed herself into a sitting position only to be picked up and tossed onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. Before she could question what was happening Pyramid head grabbed a fist full of her clothing and ripped it off her in one quick yank. She knew immediately where this was going. She scrambled, trying to get off the bed just to be pinned down by Pyramid Head in another fast motion. Shlinda fought and kicked becoming still only when he gripped her neck tightly, she gasped as he reached up to one of the many hooks and pulled down a cufflink, fastening it to left arm quickly and repeating the move to her other one. He released her neck and Shlinda automatically began to kick and scream as the cuffs on her arms suspended her slightly off the bed. Ignoring her he reached two more cufflinks and bound her ankles forcing her to levitate and expose herself to him.

He growled at how pale her body was, it's coloring deeply contrasted to her tanned face. Slowly his tongue slid out and Shlinda had to strife a scream as it reached out towards her. Pain hit her as it slowly rubbed and prodded her neither region, the sensation of electrical jolts making her cry out as his torturous saliva continued to shock her to the point of stabbing. His tongue slowly penetrated her making her twist and wreath in agony, he growled, so she wasn't a virgin what a pity. His tongue jolted out of her rapidly sending a trail of fire burning within her. Tears ran freely, she was being molested by a heartless dead thing and the pain was almost unbearable.

"Please, no more!" She begged with a hurt stutter nearly above a whisper. Pyramid continued to ignore her and reached up for another chain this time pulling down a small fishing hook, she went to scream again this time to the heaven as he jabbed it into her hip forcibly. He repeated the process over and over with each jerky, rushed stab coming to stop at just below her breasts. She wined and cried, she never should have left, it had been wrong of her to do so she thought as she shivered at the feeling of her blood rushing down her sides from the puncture wounds.

"I'm sorry..." She have chocked through her pain, her wounds refusing to go numb. No she wasn't sorry but she would be, this would teach her not to go wondering and defy him in front of his prey. One last time he reached this time grabbing a handle, he drew it as slowly as he could letting the noise scare her with untold promises of hell. He yanked it quickly the rest of the way, the friction of metal on metal heating it to red hot. Her eyes widened at the hot poker in his hands, she couldn't struggle as she wanted to with the hooks stabbed into her, she'd rip her skin off. She stared directly at him unblinkingly as he slammed it down on her right wrist. She screeched as the smell of her burning flesh seared her nose and a feeling best described as her nerves being ripped out overcame her whole arm. Moving the poker away he went for her feet shoving it between each toe, her body jolting against her will as it spasmed from shock. Finally he brought it to the valley of her chest and slowly dragged it downwards to her bikini line before dragging it back up to form a curve; she counted each minute of horror as he dragged the thing across her knowing he was leaving his mark on her. Pyramid Head pulled back and replaced the poker glancing at his handy work, a misshapen 'P' carved into her flesh.

To seal her punishment he drew back his apron exposing his hardened self, Shlinda with her head hung limply knew what was coming.

"Don't…" She begged weakly on the verge of passing out from all she had endured. He remained still giving her time to lift her head and see his manhood, she wanted to scream. It was barbed and razored, grotesquely covered in dried blood and other unknown fluids not to mention its inhuman girth. He shoved it in. Her cries were piercing and her eyes rolled back in her head as he cut and sliced with each deep bone crushing thrust. Thankfully her world went black.

"Shlinda…." She opened her eyes to see the little girl again, this time they were in a completely white space, the pain she had been tolerating vanished.

"Am I dead?"

"No, I decided you had suffered enough and closed off your mind from your body."

"I want to go home." She whispered as the girl gently placed her hand on her face in a sort of comfort. Shlinda leaned into it subconsciously seeking some sort of haven from the nightmare she now lived.

"You can't yet. You're so close." Shlinda looked at her incredulously as she shot to her feet.

"Close!? He's raping and torturing me!" she shouted in anger and hurt.

"He punishes you, because you worried him." He could have easily killed you Shlinda but he didn't. The warmth you've showed him just by eating with him is saving him."

"So what, am I to be his little pet till he feels better about himself!?" Alessa remained silent as Shlinda yelled at the top of her lungs before falling to her knees. At this point she'd do anything to get home, even play along if she had to.

"Fine." She croaked feeling the girls hand on her shoulder.