A/N: Hey guys! I have risen from the dead. You really have no idea how much that is true. Sorry it's been at least a month since I updated, but I just barely survived my accelerated course in Physics (bleh). And I'm about to start school in a week and a half. Hopefully, I'll be able to post chapters on the weekend if my AP courses don't kill me with homework. (I'm an overachiever.) Anyway, I hope you guys will stick with this story as I am still very excited about it. :)
WARNING: this chapter contains rape.
Chapter 3: Pain
He woke to the harsh clang of metal. Sleep still pulling at his body, he struggled to sit up. Blinked up at the new arrivals.
Two meaty guards, glaring at him as they stood to attention. A lanky doctor in a lab coat, smiling down on him with arms open wide.
"Good morning, Erik," he greeted, eyes twinkling behind his spectacles.
He glared up at him, pressing himself against the rough wall.
The doctor sighed, "Now then, Erik. You can come out by yourself or you can be dragged out."
He stared angrily at a spot on the floor, unmoving.
"Your choice," he added. His voice much more threatening than before.
The gaze was heavy on his shoulders, pushing and pulling at once. He wanted to escape the doctor. He didn't want to go near him. Still, he wanted to obey his wishes. Before he found another person to punish for his failures.
This is hell, he decided, and he is the Devil.
Pointedly avoiding his gaze, he stood and walked through the open cage.
"Good boy, Erik," he encouraged, "Come with me."
He braced himself for the death grip on his arms, but the guards made no move toward him. He blinked in confusion and stumbled to follow the doctor. After a few minutes of walking, he glanced back, curious. The pair simply ignored him, continuing their methodical pace behind him. When he turned back, he met the doctor's sharp gaze.
"No need to be so apprehensive," the man assured him, "I've told them to be gentler with you."
Why?, he wondered. These men where barely human. He was a Jew and they were Nazis. They had no reason to treat him differently from any of the men, women and children kept in the camp. Except... that he could bend metal at will.
He felt a small flicker of hope as they passed the old, iron-wrought windows he had seen yesterday. He clenched his fists, concentrating on the shining metal.
He imagined it ripping open, clearing a path for him to climb through. He wished the metal would swim through the air and tighten around the doctor's neck. He wanted to see his face turn blue, choking and spasming. He should not admire his gift. He should fear it, so much more than any other person in this building. He had to pay.
Suddenly, he felt his knees collide with the hard concrete floor. He turned, realizing the guards had shoved him forward. A moment later he realized he had stopped walking just seconds before.
"Erik," the doctor scolded.
He braced himself for the reprimanding punch, knowing he deserved it for being so obvious of his escape plans. They now knew he wanted to use the windows. It was over. They'd probably move him to a different cell. Underground, with no vestige of light.
But no one had hit him yet. He slowly looked up, examining his captor.
He was wearing that smile again. The smile that was so happy about hurting him. It made his blood run cold. He froze in place.
"There will be plenty of time for that later," he said casually, "Under the proper conditions."
The boy nodded, although he disagreed. He would not do anything for the murderer. But this still seemed to satisfy the doctor and he continued on his path.
The guards pulled him to his feet, wrenching his shoulders. He gasped in pain. They shoved him forward again.
He spared one last glance to the window before complying.
– – –
The grip on her arm tightened as the taller guard led her through the building. She realized that they were being kept in the soldiers' barracks for easy access. She bit her lip as he yanked her injured shoulder again, blinking back tears. By the time he had stopped pulling her, she had drawn blood.
He opened the door in front of them, shoving her inside. He locked it securely behind him. It clicked loudly in the small room. The finality of it frightened her.
She felt his burning gaze on her, raking his eyes down her body. He licked his lips.
She suddenly felt dizzy, bile creeping up her throat. She didn't want this. She didn't deserve this. She should be in control of her own body.
He moved closer to her, gripping her arms. She didn't move or struggle against him, frozen. The rapid pulsing of her heart rang in her ears. The lust of the man drowning her.
She hadn't realized how desperate she was for breath until he crushed his lips on hers. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen almost immediately. She wanted to push him away, punch him, anything to get the air back in her lungs. But she was frozen. His emotions pouring into her.
He pulled his lips from hers. She gasped, greedily sucking air into her lungs. He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling sadistically. Tears began to blur her vision, but she blinked them away. If she cried in front of him, she'd be signaling defeat. She wasn't going to let that happen. She had to be strong. For Nira. She wouldn't allow her to be hurt this way. He could do anything he wanted to her body, but her soul would remain intact.
He pushed her down onto his bed, a small cot that groaned with every movement. No doubt this entire floor would hear. Somehow that terrified her more than what she was facing. She didn't want anyone to know how he had shamed her.
Rough fingers yanked her skirt from her body. She heard it hit the floor a few seconds later.
His lips suffocated her again. This time, she focused on his emotions, trying to discover his reasoning behind this.
Tears pricked at her eyes again as he bit at her neck, marking her. She found nothing but the overwhelming lust. He just wanted pleasure. He didn't care that she was ten years younger than him. He didn't care that she was a virgin. He only cared about his own needs. It didn't matter anyway. She was just an animal in his eyes.
Her head started to pound. He was too close and getting closer. She was still suffocating even after he pulled his lips away.
Fingers found her waist, pulling away the last barrier she had. Her eyes snapped shut. His pleasure had spiked now that she was bare to him.
She gasped, desperately trying to suck in air. Her heart thumped violently in her chest, sending a shooting pain through her skull with each beat.
She heard him discard his clothing, the cot shaking with his movements. She turned her head to the door, staring intently. As if she would be transported away if she looked long enough.
Suddenly, he was the closest anyone had ever been. Fire shot through her veins. His pleasure rose and built upon itself, tearing through her. Her throat clogged. Her body went numb. Her vision blurred with tears. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it would rupture. Her headache worsened, her skull burning, frying her brain.
She wanted to scream, shout, punch, kick, yell. Anything to make the fire stop. But it kept burning, growing, melting her organs. She succumbed to tears, choking out dry, raspy sobs. Her only form of communication.
The fire overrode her, taking her deeper into the inferno. She was drowning, his emotions engulfed her in the burning sea.
The door swam in her vision, sparkling just above the surface. Escape. Safety. Shore. But she couldn't swim up, the current was too strong. She was pulled down, sinking deeper and deeper and deeper. Endlessly.
Trapped. Burning alive, drowning, his moans echoing in the abyss.
– – –
He sat stock still on the examining table. His heart was racing. He found it hard to swallow. His mouth dry. His eyes began to water when he saw the doctor prepare a syringe.
The room had been cleaned overnight. He was shocked to see everything in perfect order even after his sabotage yesterday. This doctor seemed intent on using this room. And that only made him want to ruin it again.
"Roll up your sleeve," the doctor said pleasantly, as if this were a typical doctor's appointment.
He hesitated, staring at the syringe.
"It's alright, Erik," he assured, "I just want to take a blood sample."
He swallowed and obeyed, staring at a spot on the floor. A damp cotton swap rubbed a small patch of his arm, sterilizing the area. He flinched as the needle penetrated his skin, shifting uncomfortably as the doctor slowly drew out blood.
When he was finished, he placed a small bandage on the area and squeezed the boy's shoulder reassuringly. At least, it was supposed to be reassuring. It only made him even more unsettled.
He dared to look up when his captor turned away, depositing the blood sample in a little fridge on the wall. Then, he turned back with a bright smile on his face.
"Next, we test your blood pressure," he said, grabbing the appropriate equipment.
He sat very still through out the battery of tests he ran on him, trying to find the source of his ability. So many times he wanted to punch the doctor in the face and run, but the guards were still on high alert. He would so much as flinch and they would reach for their guns.
Finally, his body sore from the constant poking and prodding, the doctor announced that the tests were done.
Relief flooded through his body as he carefully climbed off the table. He would be returned to his cell. He would be left alone until the next day. He had time to continue planning his escape. He never dreamed he would ever be happy about being imprisoned. Still, that was better than this cold examination room and the infinite array of tests.
Once he had reached the doorway, a hand clapped down on his shoulder. He jumped and looked up. Spectacles shined down at him.
"Now it's time for the real tests, Erik."