I'm sorry for the long absence folks! Its been a long week and we both had little spare time. Hope you like what we did here. Its gonna unwrap itself soon. See you on the next chapter!
LK
A cascade of images. Emily. Emily...David... Emily...David... herself... a house... sunshine...a beach...Emily...David... David...laughing, smiling...Emily...her baby...holding her precious care close ... so very close... then... suddenly ... violently ... noooooo... noooooo... ahhhhh...noooo...
"Noooooooohhh...!"
Sabrina awoke in the ever silent and ever-present gloom and damp of her cell. She heard herself arouse with a cry...such a cry of anguish that... she really did not even recognise her own voice.
Tiffany, slightly drowsing, suddenly bolted to Sabrina's side, all her own terrible nightmares and scenarios vanishing as abruptly as the pop off an unscrewed pop bottle.
"Sabrina!" Tiffany came up close to Sabrina and attempted at once to throw a protective arm around Sabrina's shoulders, as she came awake, shaking, shivering.
"NO!" Sabrina immediately shook Tiffany off and shuffled herself backwards, towards a protective wall, as she allowed the memories to seep down into her full conciousness.
"NO!" Sabrina repeated. "NO!"
"Sabrina...!" Tiffany implored her cell mate. She had every empathy for this poor woman who had lost so much and suffered... immensely... for what?! Tiffany had yet no idea! But she knew...oh God she knew... She had to try and help... protect even... one of their own!
Sabrina's senses fired off all at once and so she moved physically forward, her arms reaching out for...for ...something she could not yet grasp. Bit Tiffany interrupted, and caught hold of Sabrina, as she attempted to scramble forward.
"Hey ...Sabrina... hey! Slow down huh?!" Tiffany attempted to interject. Yet Sabrina was undeterred.
Tiff felt herself pushed away as Sabrina scrambled unsteadily to her feet once more, a renewed vigour screaming out from her, even in her silence, a renewed violent anger erupting even through her own centred self control. The self control that she always completely relied upon. The self control that she recently, and soul-destroyingly found...
But as she moved forward in such reflex action, even her anger could not overcome the terrible weakness that now held her entire body prisoner, and she sunk once more to her knees, feeling the bitter tang of darkness bite at her senses once more. Sabrina then rolled and sagged to the floor in a heap once again, as Tiffany moved to catch her fall.
"Oh my God!" Tiffany moaned, as she caught hold of Sabrina and gently lowered her to the cold unrelenting stone floor.
"Oh my God!" She repeated, her heart wrenching at Sabrina's plight. She tried to arrange Sabrina as comfortably as possible, but found that really...there was no possible position other than flat on her back. So Tiff rolled Bri as gently as she could, onto her back. And as she did this, the cell door suddenly clanged open and Tiff gasped in total surprise. She was so wound up in Sabrina, she never anticipated anyone coming back to their cell...
The light from the hallway shone halfway into the musty cell and Tiffany squinted, shielding her eyes. Was it Kelly? No... the build looked heavier...taller... she moved closer to Sabrina, afraid that... the poor woman was yet once more about to undergo yet more ... treatment.
"I want you!"
The guard came cautiously into the cell, baton extended. Tiff stood still...felt every nerve tense...every muscle stiffen... she was ... unbound...she could...make a break... right here...right now...she ...could take out this guard if she so pleased. But the shock of the situation overwhelmed her...she...she could NOT! Damn it...she could not leave without Sabrina...goddamit Tiff...Make a decision...Tiffany fought for fight or flight as the guard drew nearer. Every fibre in Tiffany's body yelled "Get the hell away!"
Yet...she glanced back at her...colleague on the floor and knew...with a gut sinking feeling... that fighting her way out now would be tantamount to Sabrina's murder...
The silhouette of the guard became less obscure and more... in complete dimension as she approached, and Tiffany's eyes grew accustomed to the new light.
"Okay Sweetheart! I can see... someone forgot to ... make you secure! Alright...I can make this as easy... "
Tiffany heard the sugar coated threat in the womans' voice as she approached further.
"Or as ... painful ...as you want..."
The guard then sniggered in contempt towards her apparently defenceless prisoner.
"The choice is yours ...honey...!"
The guard continued to advance and Tiffany saw the threat all to well. Not just the baton...but what looked like a stun gun of sorts. And Tiffany was in no doubt as to how much ...pain...this guard would mete out, given half the chance...
Tiff stepped away from Sabrina and held her hands up in direct submission.
"Hey... I - I - I don't want no trouble!" She stammered. Hoping the guard would believe her.
The guard stopped a foot or so short of Tiffany.
"Oh really sweetheart? Oh well never mind huh! Put your hands on your head and turn around!"
Tiffany immediately did as she was ordered. Then as she turned, she felt her arms being roughly pulled down behind her and her wrists violently cuffed behind her back. She stifled a yelp, as she was dragged backwards from her cell. The last thing she glimpsed was the prone form of Sabrina... unconscious and dead to the plight of her cell mate.
The next thing Tiffany knew... a cover of some description had been thrown over her head. Now she was blind, and totally unable to discern where she was being taken. She felt herself dragged along corridor space...but in her utter confusion, she could not work out where...or in what direction!
She then hit some stairs... or rather, was dragged up them. And as her guard pushed her onwards past these, she sensed some slight change in temperature... or was she imagining things...?
But then finally, her guard dragged Tiffany to a halt, making her wrists chafe once more with the rough pull on the cuffs. She winced. but did not cry out.
"Okay sweetheart...this is where you get to... have some fun!"
The woman's voice leered, close to her head. Tiffany blinked rapidly under cover of her stifling head gear. It was too hot...too clammy... if they didn't take the thing off soon... jeez... she might go crazy!
She heard a door being opened, then felt herself thrust viciously forward. She also sensed, through the head cover, brighter lights. Tiffany tried to think. Was she outside? No..she didn't think so...not even a tiny breath of outside air seemed to permeate the hood. No...something else... she breathed in a little, trying to ...taste the air. It tasted...sterile.
She then was thrust forward into the room and she stumbled and would have fallen flat on her face if another pair of arms hadn't roughly caught her and pulled her forward still.
"Okay we got her...you can go now!" A male voice said. Tiffany felt herself being pushed into a chair, and some kind of straps were applied over her arms and shins.
"What are you doing?!" She tried to shout through the hood. She was breathing hard now, there was very little air and the excursion up from her cell had not been a dawdle.
"Hey ... I ... I can't breathe...!" She gasped. But then her head was roughly pushed back and she felt yet another strap go across her forehead. She was pinned. She couldn't move! A panic began to build...
"Please...!" Tiffany gasped again, feeling her chest tighten.
"What do you think?" The male voice she heard spoke to another.
"Well she's not here to be suffocated. Take it off - just cover her eyes." Another - perhaps older male voice replied. The hood was then pulled off and Tiffany blinked, sucking in lungfuls of air, trying to bring some order back to her panicked thoughts. Yet she was given no chance to look around her, as something was wrapped around her eyes and tied at the back somewhere, obscuring her vision. But she realised with some stomach shrinking foreboding, that this was the least of her problems. What the hell were they going to do? She clenched her teeth together in an attempt to get her fear under control, and calmed her breathing. She could hear the clink of something near her... sounds of something... being prepared? Her whole body tensed, as she tried to imagine what was about to happen next.
Tiffany felt her stomach churn. Oh God, just what the hell were they going to give her? She strained against the straps, even though she knew it was useless. They held her fast. As if she was in an iron clamp. She felt her right wrist being prodded and she stiffened, waiting for the needles she knew was coming. And it was stabbed in mercilessly. She groaned through clenched teeth.
"..You...you're crazy...if you think..you can...get..." Tiffany muttered, as she sensed the liquid intrusion within herself. She shuddered.
Tiffany then felt herself go suddenly warm and clammy. A fizzing sensation shot down her spine and she shuddered again. Oh God, please...what... what did they give me? Then her heart gegan to race. Oh please... she didn't wish to die right now.. but ...they said..she wasn't going to be killed, right? Oh, but then ...wait...he said...she wasn't there to be...suffocated... huh? Did that mean they still wanted her to die?
Oh...God...she felt sick. her heart was racing far too fast... and ... the voices... what were they saying? Weren't there only 2 people in the room? Now she heard more. A lot more. What ...? She tried to shake her head but was unable to.
"Who's there?" She slurred. "What do you want... I ... I ...can't hear all of you..." She groaned.
"Okay, let her see." The older one instructed.
"But... she can't see what's in here..." The younger man said.
"Don't worry... she won't be able to remember a thing... even if she survives..."
Tiffany's eyes tried to adjust to the glaring brightness of the room as she blinked rapidly, trying to get her bearings. She felt giddy. Her vision was taking a long time to clear. Finally, after some long moments, things swam into a soft focus. This wasn't right, she decided. She sniffed. She could smell... something strange. She wondered if she could smell her own fear...she giggled, despite herself. Ha ha Tiffany, she scolded herself, you're scared! Ha ha, you're damned scared! She looked further around the room. The voices were fading, but still muttering from somewhere. Where was everyone...?
"Hello...?" She asked, into the silence.
Something flew past her, shrieking in rage. She squealed in fright.
"Ohmygodohmygodwhat...what the Hell...?" She panted, her eyes wide, her pupils wide also. Sweat now seeped from her hairline and trickled into her eyes and down the side of her nose. It itched. She wanted to wipe her face, but was unable. It tickled!
Her face itched badly... like some ants were crawling down ...
There was a piercing scream from the chair. Tiffany bucked and writhed against the straps, totally unaware that she was causing damage to herself.
"GET THEM OFFAME! Ahhhhhhh! Please getthemoffameeee!" She screamed and writhed, as more and more ants seemed to run from her hair and down her cheeks, her nose, her chin...
"Okay... good enough... let's have her back in the cells..." The older man walked to the door and beckoned the guard back. He saw that the guard had a colleague with him. Good. They would need two.
Kelly sunk lower to the floor. She felt like she would be evaporated in seconds. It felt cold and damp. What the hell didn't feel cold and damp in there? She sighed.
She still couldn't see her surroundings. A small walk around had informed her that the room was small. TOO small. She felt an involuntary chill crawl up her spine and a drop of cold sweat dripped down her forehead. She found a corner with touch and then nestled there like she always did, like she always had done in her life. She avoided looking around. There wasn't much to see anyway. She was never afraid of the dark. What scared her was the small cage she was now locked in. And the supply of air she possibly had, which became less and less with every breath she took. Subconsciously she stopped breathing. She had to push herself to start breathing again. She allowed shivering to take over. Maybe now she would be warmed. Kind of. She looked up and down trying to penetrate the darkness with her eyes but it was of no use. How many times had she been in places like that? How long ago?
Long enough... and many enough, she thought with a hint of sarcasm to herself.
As anxiety started to built in her chest, drowning her, she realised there was no escape. She was locked up in a closet again. Again.
And obviously no one could come and get her out. She was at Helen's mercy. And she knew that this word did not exist in her vocabulary.
Of course. This woman knew exactly how to break someone. She broke Sabrina. Possibly Kris too. As the thought that there was no escape sunk in, Kelly felt the air in her lungs somehow heavier. She pulled her feet close to her chest and laid her head there. Her chest felt heavy. She put a hand on her heart and sensed her beat then almost immediately she started to hyperventilate. No good! She got up. God she was so nauseous and even though the place was dark she could feel everything spin around. One more step and she again landed back on the floor. She couldn't breath, no air at all. No breath no air... and suddenly a small flash of light raced through her eyes. In an instant adrenaline rushed in and she was up on her feet trying to find an opening. At this point Kelly had been split into two different persons. One knew there was no way out, and one was trying the impossible to find one. She found where she came in and rushed there, her shoulder landing hard on the door frame. Her own force reversed and she almost fell again.
Kelly's voice echoed in her head. ''What are you doing?''
Ignoring it she fell on the door again and again and again until the pain and agony and tiredness was so overwhelming she just allowed herself to slip on the floor.
No way out. Absolutely no way out.
She laid there for some time, she didnt know how long. The only thing she heard was the beat of her own heart - slow now. Pat pat. Pat pat.
Pat pat?
That was no heartbeat. She got up slowly, too tired to try again and turned her ear to the door. She couldn't hear the sound anymore - just felt the vibration. Someone was knocking?
Or you went crazy and you're imagining things, she scolded herself. Kelly pulled herself closer. Now, that she was on the same level as the hidden door she realised there was a small dot of light coming from somewhere. A small crack.
With enthusiasm she noticed a small crack, large enough to just take a small look outside. Oh my God...
She drew closer and put her right eye as close as she could get.
First surprise was the sudden flash of light of the outside world that almost blinded her. Second... second was the brown eye that met hers. And there was only one person it could belong to.
''Sabrina?'' she whispered, half of her knowing that this was impossible...
Both of her palms touched the cold all in order to see better.
The eye pulled away and was replaced by the firm surroundings of Helen's office. And right in the middle a little girl.
''Emily!'' she gasped. ''Oh my God, Emily!'''
Emily returned her glance, surprised and turned her head on the side.
''Emily... Emily can you hear me?'' Kelly said louder.
Emily nodded looking around. Maybe Helen was close.
''Emily, can... can you give me a pen honey?''
Emily sat on the floor looking at her. Kelly's heart sunk. ''Come on Emily, a pen? Please?''
At the same time she started patting her guards uniform, discovering a small scrap of paper. An escape plan was forming in her mind already.
Emily looked at her questioningly.
''In the desk... a pen... please hurry Emily! Give me a pen! Quick!... Emily... Emily can you hear me?'' Kelly said louder.
It was probably the urge in Kelly's voice that made the little girl get up and race to the desk, only to return a little later with a pencil. Close enough, thought Kelly. This would do the work
Emily pressed the tip of the pencil on the small crack. It didnt fit. But the sharp edge broke and landed on Kelly's knees. She blindly found it and secured it in her palm.
Her fingers trembled as she tried to find the paper she had. She looked at Emily. ''Thank you... thank you... so much...''
She scribbled a few words, wondering if anyone could read it. She formed the paper into a tiny tube and stopped. Now what? Could Emily understand her instructions? Well she was Sabrina's daughter... she thought with a smile. She had to.
And probably she didnt understand that her thoughts formed into words and now she had Emily's full attention.
''Mummy?''
Kelly's eyes grew wide. Could she recognise Sabrina's name? She heard footsteps approach. Oh my God she meant Helen... it was Helen. She had to hurry.
''Emily... Emily look at me... look at me... do you know Jason? Jason?''
He was a guard... he probably came here lots of times... Emily had to have seen him...oh God please... ''Do you Emily? Do you?"
''Uh huh...''
Kelly pressed the small tube on the crack and it fell on the floor on the other side. ''Take this and give it to him. Only him. Jason, understand? Jason. Don't tell mummy... it's a surprise for her, ok?'
And what a surprise , thought Kelly. She watched the little girl take the paper and hide it into her clothing. She stayed there.
''No Emily, go, go find Jason, hurry up! It's for mummy!'' Oh my god Helen shouldn't find her here... go go...
She watched in relief as Emily turned her back and dissappeared. Almost at the same time Helen took her seat behind the desk. Kelly collapsed on the floor on the other side. She could only wait now.
Searching... she is always searching...every time she passes a doorway. Or every time there is the sound of a small child. A car passing by full of family...could she be...? Then... a fading... to a burning of ashes... a graveside... no...no please oh no no no...
"Nuh...n-nooo oh nooo...!" Sabrina whimpered in the cold and dark, her senses once again aligning themselves with the rank, cold atmosphere that was her cell. And as she came to, as the dream... was it just a dream? shrunk back to a far away place, realities began to bludgeon their way into her consciousness. The familiar clang of the cell door suddenly reverberated through her brain and down through the rest of her body, causing her to shiver. Sabrina attempted to open her eyes in the darkness... knowing already ... what inescapable bland dark shadows awaited her sight.
But even as she opened her eyes, she sensed company...
"Tiff...?" Sabrina croaked out.
...Silence...
Then the rustle of movement. A shift in air pressure. Breathing. Someone was close by. She hoped to God it was Tiffany.
"Hey... Tiffany? That you?" Sabrina felt even more uncomfortable at the silence. All her her emotions were now surfacing and mixing with the fear that she had held back... dammed up for... oh so long now. Then, since Kelly and Tiffany had suddenly appeared here from...nowhere...it seemed like she... might finally, finally after so long of hoping against hope, have a chance of getting out of this... demonised place. Getting out... the thought suddenly struck her as odd. For a moment, she forgot about Tiffany's silence and her mind crept back into the emptyness that she had become accustomed to. Getting out... to ...what? Just what the hell ... was she ever supposed to go back to...?! But just as unwelcome ideas began to gather and form themselves in reply, like storm clouds on the horizon of her perceptions, they were interrupted and scattered like crows, when Tiffany finally answered.
"Me?" The voice sounded hollow... disconnected somehow.
"Yeah...you huh? Tiff?" Sabrina felt a little ... chill at the nape of her neck. She stayed where she was, wondering what was now bothering her cell mate.
Tiffany felt totally disorientated. She had no idea where she was. She felt rough stone under her fingers as she moved along the wall, wanting nothing more than to sink to the ground and ... huh? Did someone just say her name? She giggled. Tiff? Yes... that was her name... who just said that? She thought she had been left alone finally. The voices had subsided and stopped. Tiffany stood still then slowly turned and faced in towards the room.
Sabrina turned towards the giggle, now fully alert.
"Uh Tiff...are you okay? You sound kinda ... strange... what's up?" Sabrina decided to keep some distance from Tiff for now. She really wasn't ready for any aggravation right now.
"Up...? Up? Up where?" Tiffany slurred. She tilted her head up to stare at the ceiling but saw nothing of interest.
"Up ... up... up..." Tiffany muttered to herself. Sabrina's eyes grew wide in the dark. What the hell was wrong with her?!
"Up up up upupupupupup..." Tiffany continued to stare at the ceiling seeing nothing and repeating herself.
"Tiffany...hey Tiff! What the hells wrong?!" Sabrina cut across the repetitions.
"Oh!" Tiffany stopped midway. Oh... she wondered dreamily to herself... Hell... hell... hell is wrong... yes it is... and...
Before another thought could form, a demonic figure rose up from nowhere, it's skin boiling and melting, eyes sinking and sliding, yet glowing terrifyingly red in the darkness.
Tiffany shrieked in absolute terror and fell back against the wall, clutching at her face, unable to take her eyes away from the apparition before her. She screamed again and Sabrina heard the incredible fear rushing out from that awful noise. She scrambled up through her own pain and over towards a still screaming Tiffany and grabbed her by the shoulders. Tiffany shrieked even louder, threatening to burst Sabrina's ear drums.
"Tiff! Tiffany STOP it's me it's Sabrina stop hey listen stop and listen to my voice! Tiffany!" Sabrina tried to communicate and make Tiff stop screaming. Then she had an idea. She clamped her hand over Tiff's mouth, then with her other hand she grabbed a handful of Tiff's loose hair, forcing her head away from the wall and forcing the struggling woman to the floor. It wasn't difficult Sabrina realised...Tiffany was really unsteady on her feet and went down easily. Which was a good job because Sabrina felt the agony of her injuries about to consume her once more.
Once Tiff was down, Sabrina forced her arms up over her head and kept them there, while keeping her hand over a now almost silent Tiff who was struggling for air.
"Now I'm gonna take my hand away... yo gotta stop screaming, okay?!" Sabrina said, puffing with the exertion, her whole body clamouring for rest. So much for no aggro, she thought, unamused. She could clearly see the whites of Tiffs eyes, and really didn't like the huge fear she sensed there.
"Okay, Tiff?" Sabrina repeated. Tiffany seemed to nod. Sabrina slowly removed her hand. Tiffany gasped for air then became still, breathing raggedly.
Tiffany looked up with so much dread at the figure hovering over her, that she didn't dare speak. She couldn't speak. Her tongue felt frozen in her mouth. Frozen? Cold...yes she was cold. She ... was ... like ice...She began to shiver. Cold... now...so cold... her eyelids began to droop. Ice ... she felt ice forming on her eyelashes... the breath in her body seared her insides as it puffed in her chest, seeming to freeze her lungs solid.
"Tiff? Tiffany? Oh my God...Tiffany!" Sabrina watched in dread as she saw Tiffany's eyes slowly close.
She patted Tiffany's cheek to try and keep her awake.
"No Tiff! No! Don't sleep! Oh my God! What... what have they given you? God, what have they done to you?!" Sabrina leaned closer to Tiffany's face, trying to detect her breathing. Sabrina brought an arm down and placed her palm on her chest and felt... a shallow rise and fall. Oh sweet Jesus... poor kid! What the hell had they given her? Sabrina had a fair idea but wasn't entirely sure. She needed to try and ground Tiffany in some kind of reality...but how the hell...?
It was almost like listening to ... a dog growl... Tiffany decided. The sound... the echo... of force... which then reverberated through her mind like tiny shards of repetitions slicing through the fog and hammering home to embed themselves into her consciousness. Yet... it felt... almost...safe...as long as she kept her eyes shut. The freezing sensation was fading... and now ...she could feel almost...almost ... normal...except...except for... some pressure from above...what ...was it? Did she dare to open her eyes? Did she dare to glimpse the stark reality of death coming for her...again? Noooo... nooo... she could not ever look upon such a ... sight again... she knew... it would send her spiralling ...somewhere into oblivion... but...well...maybe that wasn't such a bad idea... yet... something nagged at some deeper level of her mind...
"Tiffany... Tiffany! Come on! Talk to me! I know you're in there!"
Sabrina continued to swat at Tiff's face. She had to bring her round. She had to wake Tiff up. Whatever the cost. Sabrina decided to go one step further, in necessity. She drew her arm back and aimed to deliver a slap to Tiffany's face...
Yet just as she did so, Tiffany surprised her still, by darting out her free arm and grasped hold of Sabrina's hand, mid-strike.