Anger
* * *
"I don't understand," she whispered.
The thing had returned in the dim light, and it was watching her. Behind it were several more, their red eyes like points. She was still sitting up, the pain of her bonds still harsh. A long strand of her hair had fallen over her face, cutting her vision, and she was unable to pull it away.
"Balance," the thing said. "You have burned us, and we suffer."
She fought to make sense of the words. "Balance? Please, if I did something to hurt you, I'm sorry. But I don't understand."
It looked at her, and the others looked also.
"How can you not understand?" it asked finally. "You burned us with a weapon. You came to us and you burned us. If we die, then you must die. This is balance"
Penny regarded the thing, the others. She wasn't sure what to look for, what a burn on the thing would look like. But it didn't seem injured; when it had held her head to drink it had seemed strong. She peered through the gloom at the others; there too there was no sign of injury.
"You don't look burned to me," she said softly.
The thing hissed. It jumped forward, suddenly, landing on her chest. She felt claws from its hands and feet dig into her, felt the fabric of her top tear as the claws cut through it, and she cried out as she felt its breath against her face, the three red eyes close now.
"You burn us and deny our pain?"
She felt the first edge of panic and cried out again, the sound of her scream echoing through the cavern as she thrashed, fighting to get the thing off of herself.
"No! Please, stop! No!"
The claws cut deep into her and she felt the new pain as they did.
* * *
"I don't understand," she whispered.
The thing had returned in the dim light, and it was watching her. Behind it were several more, their red eyes like points. She was still sitting up, the pain of her bonds still harsh. A long strand of her hair had fallen over her face, cutting her vision, and she was unable to pull it away.
"Balance," the thing said. "You have burned us, and we suffer."
She fought to make sense of the words. "Balance? Please, if I did something to hurt you, I'm sorry. But I don't understand."
It looked at her, and the others looked also.
"How can you not understand?" it asked finally. "You burned us with a weapon. You came to us and you burned us. If we die, then you must die. This is balance"
Penny regarded the thing, the others. She wasn't sure what to look for, what a burn on the thing would look like. But it didn't seem injured; when it had held her head to drink it had seemed strong. She peered through the gloom at the others; there too there was no sign of injury.
"You don't look burned to me," she said softly.
The thing hissed. It jumped forward, suddenly, landing on her chest. She felt claws from its hands and feet dig into her, felt the fabric of her top tear as the claws cut through it, and she cried out as she felt its breath against her face, the three red eyes close now.
"You burn us and deny our pain?"
She felt the first edge of panic and cried out again, the sound of her scream echoing through the cavern as she thrashed, fighting to get the thing off of herself.
"No! Please, stop! No!"
The claws cut deep into her and she felt the new pain as they did.