Breaking Free

Disclaimer : Glee isn't mine.

2001 - Hurt.

"Being hurt by someone you trusted leaves a hole in your heart, which love is the only thing that can fill it."

Powerless I walked behind her through the halls, taking my surroundings in sight. Moisture-covered windows were in the walls giving me a chance to glimpse at the many employees, as their hands were grabbing at their versatile materials which they used for fluid-filled tubes. Large glasses sat on their noses while they had their fully focus on the display they had going on behind those glasses, yet I could see their pupils rotating with my moving body.

My footsteps echoed through the corridors, Stefanie's hands slid to my shoulders and held it tightly, her nails digging into my skin. Slowly I felt her push me forward, a gesture that meant for me to walk faster.

I stared in the darkness, seeing a shiny metal door appear the more we walked closer, showing me that this was the limit. The steel gleamed and so did the spikes. Usually I would be full of fear and biting my nails of, one by one, things were different this time. It's been different for a very long time, once you suffer the same pain so often, there comes a time that it doesn't hurt anymore, or it hurts less. It only feels like a needle that's been pressed in a delicate point, the pain that nestled in the heart is then long forgotten. The more it happens the less it hurts.

We reached the door and Stephanie did the rest, she walked to the steel covered door and tapped a code in the multiple numbers. She then laid her eyes in front of a red scanner, that checked if she thoroughly worked here, when a small beep rang, the door slid open. Stefanie then pushed forward and motioned for me to follow her. As usual, I walked into the pitch-black room, the cold air filled my lungs and my sight wandered the dark. I walked to the center of the room, knowing that Stefanie was long gone. It was always like that, she brought me to my goal and left me when the hard parts came.

In the past I would scream her name, hoping for her to guide me through this or at least hold my hand.

The lights switch on and my eyes met a big, large mirror that was gaping in front of me. I could only see myself inside of it, but I knew for a fact that they were at the back and could see my every movement, I bet they could even hear my breathing. A familiar voice filled the empty room and my breathing was no long the center of the sounds. I directed my eyes to the two speakers in the corners. They were dangling in the roof.

''350,'' that's how some of them call me, just because of the number carved on my body, while my name was definitely, Rachel, ''as usual, you know what the goal is.'' I nodded without hesitation. The goal was simple, to win or lose. It's like a life and death situation in here, if I give up I die. If I succeed they will put me back in the chamber and let me rest, the next day it happens all over again.

''Good.'' he said, as the door opened. ''Steven intends to put the strap on your pols, you know what happens, when you give up.'' Again I nodded as I stretched my hand out for Steven.

The strap contained an electronic mega-ism that responded to a button, if I did not react or according to them, give up, they would push the button that they contained. This button will send a shock to the strap which would ensure that I get shocked. I've witness that more than once. According to them it would make me stronger, it will teach me how to hold my ground in a fight, so if I get attacked or am lying under tremendous pressure I can still keep fighting, I would be use to it.

It could be a smart idea, if it wasn't so deadly.

The black strap was tied around my wrist, as the dot turned green, Steven walked away but not before he send a sickening grin my way. I could only shake my head and try to pay little attention as possible towards him. He tightly shut the door behind him, as his footsteps died somewhere along the way.

''Are you ready, 350'', I nodded again, numb to speak against him. His voice was the only thing I knew from him. I have never seen his face or heard his name. He was like the referee in this spectacle they call, training. He was a bad referee to be precisely, everything my opponent did, he approved, even if it was wrong.

The lights shut down, and again my eyes were left roaming in the dark, looking for any sort of light or an idea for what to expect now. To my surprise, the floor in front of me opened and I was left to shrink back. I took little steps backwards, while the gaping hole enlarged. A ray of light ran out of it and a mechanical monster followed it's lead. His stale arms blinking in the ray of light, the small pieces on his mechanical body, looked like polished silver. The gaping hole was slowly closing, when the mechanical monster was completely in all its glory standing before me. The lifeless object demonstrated little movement, until the voice spoke again.

''Think you can handle it?'' He asked, and I heard a piece of hate in his voice. I could only answer; yes, still gaping at the machine, but my ears wide open for his words.

''That's what I thought,'' and again his unnecessary hatred, yet I did everything they wanted. Just when the sound of the microphone died, deafening noise was made by the machine. My hands slid towards my ears, grabbing them, I closed my eyes and tried to reduce the pain. What didn't exactly work. The noise withers away and my eyes slid open, just in time to meet the bright green eyes of the machine.

His mechanical body moved with a speed that I have never seen before, especially for a machine that is about 400 pounds. His long arms were focused on me and for a moment there, I thought he wanted to hold me, so I ducked away, just as fast. But his hands didn't want to grab me contrary, his hands turned into shotguns that were releasing bullets at me. One by one they flew towards me, while I tried to dodge them. The next one flew towards my belly, I bended my back, backwards, so that the bullet just flew inches away from my face. He than aimed at my face, I tipped my head to the left to avoid it. The rest that came right at me, were illuminated with the same movements.

But that was not all, apparently the machine had more insight. His eyes that were seconds ago still green, shriveled. Two empty holes appeared in the once poison-green eyes. The two holes gave a glow.

I was panting and tried to control my breathing. I bounced a look at the big mirror, where they were watching me. How I would love to know what they were thinking of me, right now, If I read their minds this question would be answered, but if I did, I would risk my life, knowing that my full attention should be here.

Unfortunately I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't notice the long red stripes leaving the machines eyes and coming my way.

Lasers.

Great..

A stream of pain took over my body, my back connect with the blank wall that lay behind me, my head that connected the wall just as hard. I let out a cry of pain, trying to stand up. Just when I was almost right on my feet, a jolt went through my arm, a well-known shock. The painful shudder ran over my bones and the hair on my arms stood up. My heart felt light, as my legs succumbed. I fell on my knees while the shocks kept coming.

I bounced a look at the strap of the electronic mega-ism around my wrist and saw that it gave light.

It was activated.

I looked at the mirror, where the manipulative bastards were, I could already see them grinning with pleasure, while pressing the button several times, just to make sure that I was feeling pain.

The shocks kept coming and there seemed no end to it, a tear trickled down my sweaty cheek and I knew that more tears would follow, no matter how hard I tried to stop them.

The machine was walking towards me and just a second there, I saw black, everything was blurry. The pain kept coming, and my heartbeat slowed, feeling my blood run to my head. As I heard gentle pulls of what sounded like a rifle.

Would they really end me, now?

I closed my eyes and let the pain pass me,

The pain of losing a mother, the pain of being imprisonment, not knowing who you are, of traitors, of being smashed against walls, the pain of shocks. I swallowed it all at once.

The feeling that always brought me up, was running in my veins. I felt my heart beating faster, from slower to harder, so hard I thought it would jump out of my chest. My hands clenched into fists and my body felt hot, I literally felt fire running in me. ''Weak,'' I heard softly in the distance.

That one word was enough to smear my anger, it was enough to open my eyes fiercely, and to let the flames I saved in me, to release. The flames left my body, reaching for it's prey and attacking it. Damaging it like knives damaging the skin. My eyes only saw the fire, the rest was vague, but the surprised sound I heard was enough for me to know, that I am definitely not weak.

I heard something collapse, momentarily I saw something through the fire, the machine falling apart, completely melted, its parts scattered around the room.

I held my breath and closed my eyes. I tried to quietly breath and control my powers. My fists weakened and so did my body, exhausted I let the last bit of energy surround me, the flames circling me.

My body dropped down on the cold ground, feeling my head hit the steel, hard, the sounds of doors ringing in my ears as my eye-lids suddenly felt a whole lot of heavier.

''She surprises us every day..''

That was the last thing I heard, before losing realization.

x-o-x