Screech screech snap, it's only a trap
You mustn't stop, or else she'll drop
Screech screech snap
Zeref stared down at me, his breathing even unlike my ragged gasps. After being almost suffocated in that ball of darkness he created, my lungs were trying to get as much air into them as possible. I know he asked me a question, mostly as a taunt, and I had no intention of answering him. He had already beaten me but he sure as Hell didn't deserve the satisfaction of successfully baiting me.
Instead of answering, I continued to lie on the floor, my subconscious whispering that maybe he'd end it all right here. I didn't want to believe it, didn't want to fully give in. I also refused to admit that a part of me hoped it was true. Hoped that he would let me be done. Hoped that he'd win for good.
A picture of Lucy flashed in my mind. It reminded me of why I tried in the first place. I knew it couldn't be over as long as she was stuck here. If I gave up, I gave her up.
Zeref's figure still loomed over my unmoving body, tilting his head the way dogs do when curious. It was a tick he did a lot, and it usually meant that he was waiting for something. Despite the tension of silence between us, I didn't allow myself to continue playing his game. In all honesty, I doubted I could even try with the condition my body was in.
No words were spoken, the only sound in the room being my heavy breathing. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Zeref extended his hand toward me. Knowing Zeref, I hesitated. I knew that he wanted to continue his little game, so this could have been a trick. On the other hand, if I didn't take his hand, I'd probably be laying on this ground for another several months. I chose the latter and reached for his hand. He, thankfully, pulled me up in a sitting position and, without saying anything, patted me on my back and moved to leave.
The thought that this was my chance occurred to me. His back was turned, his guard was down, and there was no chance an opportunity like this would happen again. As my body started to heat up, preparing for an attack, Zeref raised his hand without looking back. He sensed my intentions without even so much as a glance. He could kill me with a snap of his fingers and, for the first time, I understand just how unmatched I am.
"Game's over today, friend. Maybe next time." He lowered his hand and knocked on a section of the wall. It opened for him to leave and the fire that was coursing through me flickered out.
I was dragged back to my cell where I remained for what I thought was two weeks. The only contact I received was water being slid through a slot on the bottom of the door and sometimes a piece of bread. It had been so long since I was left alone for days on end, the usual routine having torture or torment of some kind on the schedule. The break wasn't unwelcome, but it was unnerving. Being in total silence in a pitch-black room for an extended period caused my mind to spiral.
If they weren't paying attention to me, were they paying more attention to Lucy? Are they preparing something even worse in the days to come? Will they ever take me out again?
That last question haunted me the most. The daunting realization that they could leave me in here to rot hit me more than anything else. Torture I can handle. Seeing Lucy being tortured at least assures me that she's still alive. Fighting Zeref allows me to use my powers. But total exclusion from everything, even artificial light left me utterly helpless. If I was cut off completely from all things but my mind, I'd probably go insane. If I'm insane, who does that help?
I squirmed into a different position on the floor, the cuffs that had returned to my wrists sliding down uncomfortably. It was the first time I had turned my attention to them since they were clasped in place. When I first arrived, they had fit my wrists tightly, allowing barely any access to twist around or change their position. Focusing on my wrists now, so much thinner than they'd ever been in my adult life, makes the reality of my situation crash down even further. My mind, already spiraled down from lack of any stimulation, seemed to drop through my stomach and into my toes.
I thought my spirit was still fighting, but one look at my wrists told me that maybe it should stop trying so hard.
I hadn't cried for myself the entire time I was stuck here. I never thought it was necessary. Never thought it would do any good other than make me more dehydrated. But being stuck for the thousandth time, in the same room with the same lack of light, I wanted to let gravity push me into the ground and just sob. I wanted to choke on my tears so I could remember what it felt like to feel something other than pain or desperation.
I was still staring at my wrists when light flooded into my cell. Two burly guards that I hadn't seen before reached in and lifted me from under my armpits. I didn't fight, didn't even know if I could, and let them drag me down an all too familiar hallway. They opened a metal door I had seen thousands of times already and I prepared myself for the torture that would soon take place. When they opened the door, the room was empty, only a cart of what I assumed to be tools pushed in the back corner. The high ceilings and dim atmosphere were an eerie reminder of the days I spent here. The guards brought me to one of the walls where metal chains were sticking out and attached my cuffs to them. With my cuffs locked in place, the guards left the room, leaving me in dark silence.
I tested the distance I could go with the chains and found that it was quite far, maybe 6 feet or so. I expected to get whipped or slashed with something since Zeref likes to see his victims squirm. My expectations diminished as Zeref walked in the room with Lucy in tow.
She looked even worse than before.
She was impossibly thin, her ribcage and hips jutting out from beneath her skin. Her hair had lost its golden hue, it a much duller yellow that seemed almost brown in this lighting. Her eyes were the worst. One had an eye patch over it, dried blood gathered at the bottom of the covering and on her cheek. The other was lifeless. Her good eye was open and staring at me, but if I couldn't see the movement in her chest, I would have thought she was dead.
Zeref had her neck tied up in a makeshift noose and was walking her in like a dog. The rope was digging into Lucy's skin, red marks fresh on her neck. She wasn't struggling at all and walked, with much difficulty, at the same pace as Zeref. He yanked her to his side and it's a miracle she didn't collapse from the force. He grabbed her by the face and kissed her on the nose. The gentleness of the kiss made me flinch more than Lucy did from actually receiving the kiss. Her only reaction was a rough rumble from her throat. Zeref then looked back at me, his cat-like smile ever so present, and lifted his hand. He snapped his fingers and the room went dark.
It was only a few minutes maybe but it felt like an eternity. There was barely any noise except the faint sound of shuffling from the sidewall. There was another snap and the darkness dissipated.
The shuffle I heard came from an object being brought into the room. Well, two objects. Lucy was now hanging from the ceiling, the rope tied around her wrists instead of her neck. Under her was a contraption that seemed to be making a lot of noise. I couldn't tell what was inside of it, but I assumed it was nothing pleasant. The other object that was brought in was a treadmill. It didn't seem to match the theme of what was about to take place but I could never be certain of what was going on. The treadmill was pushed near me; close enough so that I could stand on it. I stayed where I was, still looking at Lucy, mostly to make sure that she continued to breathe.
Zeref, who had been rummaging through the cart on the back wall, finally turned his attention toward me and began to strut across the room. He reached me and, without saying anything, patted the treadmill three times like it were a dog. I guessed that meant for me to get on it, so I obeyed. There was no use in struggling since I'd end up on this treadmill one way or another. When I stepped onto the treadmill, Zeref pushed a button that said start. The treadmill started moving, as did I so I wouldn't fall. He seemed pleased with my actions and strutted all the way back to Lucy. He pushed another button on a remote he had and Lucy's ropes started moving down. It was a slow pace, but I figured out pretty quickly that she'd eventually be lowered into whatever death trap is under her.
I didn't stop running because I knew Zeref would kill her instantly if I stopped. SO I kept running, and Lucy kept being lowered.
Zeref clasped his hands together and cleared his throat, "You might want to run a tad bit faster Natsu. Unless you want dear Lucy here to be shredded like a piece of paper."
The words didn't make sense but I followed them anyway. I ran faster, the treadmill picking up speed without me having to change it manually, and I heard a creak from where Lucy was. The rope that had been lowering her was now slightly moving up. The faster I went, the more the rope receded into the ceiling.
Meaning whether Lucy survived or not was entirely up to me.
Hey, I'm back. Sorry it's a little shorter. I thought about stopping this story because I haven't had the motivation lately, but I don't think that's fair.
Plus I like this story.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and there will be more. Please follow, fav, review, whatever.
XoxoAsh
