Dameon

I awoke at the sound of footsteps clattering down the hall towards my cell. Lifting my head, I gazed up at the light illuminating from the window on my door, I could see to dark forms stop in front of my cell. My captors.

p How long had I been in this shallow hell? It seemed months ago when I had been snatched away from my home in the night by a dark eyed man. They tore my limbs, they whipped my bare back, they touched my skin with some sort of black stone that burnt with such a horrible pain I felt the life being sucked out of me. They tortured me, but I didn't know why, if I had, I would have done whatever they wanted without a second doubt. I wasn't a brave boy, boys don't have to be brave in America.

p I begged for mercy and screamed "what do you want of me?" many times, only to receive an amused, cold laughter from these masters.

p After their torture, I was thrown into a cell, elevated by some unknown force that spread my arms and legs out from me. I was stripped of my clothes, and my pride. I hung there, naked, and endured their taunts and questions.

p Now, I hung there, frightened to death that these strange, heartless, masters of pain would whip me, kill me, or worse, touch me with that horrible black stone. I began to cry. "What did I do to deserve this? I am only 13, why do they do this to me?"

p The men were speaking, in soft, silky tongues. I paused from my wallowing in self pity to listen.

p"They've sent for the Jedi," came a soft voice from the shadows. A man, with a scar on his cheek and dark, black hair.

p"That will complicate things. No doubt that they're sending Owen Kenobi and Robin-Jaggar Jinn. That will complicate things." The speaker was a man. A man, not a human. A male, yes, but not a human.

p"They will be no threat, master. The girl is weak, and like the boy, she knows nothing of her powers." The speaker laughed. "The boy will be easy to convert to the dark side. If we merely hold the dark stone to his skin, he begs to join our side. The girl will be exactly the same."

p"Where is the child now?"

p"Still asleep, in her cell."

p"Wake her soon, Xantos, we will begin breaking her as soon as possible. Lord Asreon wants them sent to him shortly."

pI puzzled over this.

p "Do you think it will be that easy to convert them, my lord?"

p"Of course. He is weak. Watch this, Xantos.

"You there, boy!" he called out suddenly. "Are you awake?"

pI made no reply. They thought me weak.

pThey entered my cell. I stared at them, defiantly until one pulled out the black stone. I braced my self.

pReaching forward, he gently brushed my skin with its tip. I screamed in agony. "WHY DOES IT HURT SO BAD?"

pThey laughed. The other man leaned towards my, his face next to mine. "It is your weakness, boy. However, your weakness is our strength. But join us, and you will have no weakness. You would be all powerful; you could rule the universe."

pNow was my chance to prove my bravery. "I will never join you!" I spit on his face.

pFor second I saw a flicker of anger run across his face, but he overcame it and merely smirked.

p"Very well. Xantos?"

pThe other man (Xantos presumably) reached forward and all of the sudden slashed my arm with the stone. Holding my hand still, he slowly carved a circle around my hand. I screamed and screamed and screamed so loud, Xantos had to slap me before it began to decrease. The pain was awful, it was as if my soul was being ripped out, slowly. I looked at my hand. My silver blood (which had mystified my doctors, but was finally proclaimed a slight mutation, nothing significant) was leaking through the cut, which would scar and I would have for the rest of my life.

pAnd before I could take another breath, Xantos was back in, carving into my shoulders the word "Sith," in long, spiky hand writing. I screamed in pain and agony.

pThe other man bellowed at me, "Whom do you serve?"

p"YOU! I serve you!" I cried, and immediately, Xantos drew away. I watched the stone warily.

"You see, Xantos?" the man said, smirking triumphantly, "He can be broken. He's only a boy, after all."

pAnd then they left me, hanging there, to face my shame and agony.