2
The Ways of Torture and Interrogation
It was already night. Katara hasn't eaten anything all day. She knew that Red Eye would come to torture her anytime; whenever the others are asleep. She remembered what happened vividly this morning. The cut on her back was dried up with blood. Katara did her best not to make it infected.
Red Eye wasn't old, actually. He was only 17, which made it even more disturbing. The way he looks at her, the way he thinks. It bothered Katara and toyed with her mind.
She felt very famished. Her lips were dry. She was hungry, she was thirsty, and she was weak. The longer she was in the cave, the more frightening it got. Katara couldn't take it. The anticipation for Red Eye was too petrifying, but she must stay here. If Katara escapes, then she will be killed. If she stays, who knows what will happen. Aang, Sokka, and Toph aren't showing up.
She chuckled slightly as she contemplated on the fact that in less than 24 hours ago, she was in the tranquility of the gang. Now she was in this position. But, this was no laughing matter. Any minute now, she might be raped, tortured, or harassed, or possibly all of the above. Katara sat there all alone in the corner of the cave. Her upper arm had a bruise on it. Earlier, one of the resistance members injected her with more of the chi-blocking substance.
Multiple footsteps were coming from the entrance of the cave. There was chattering and laughing. In an instant, the footsteps started to sound again and got louder. It was Red Eye, with three other men. He ordered the one man to stand guard at the entrance. Whatever the three are about to do is probably going to be unauthorized.
Red Eye's shadow towered over the defenseless Katara. She didn't look up.
"Hello again," Red Eye declared. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
Katara didn't answer. Her eye brows pointed down.
"This is your last chance," Red Eye exclaimed. "We will hurt you if you do not comply."
No answer. Katara shaked. She will never put Aang and her brother in harm. Not again. Her hands made fists.
"Oh, don't get mad." Red Eye violently pulled Katara up from the ground, making her stand. Standing behind her, he grabbed both her arms and had a tight squeeze on them. "What shall we do today, boys?"
"I say we fuck her," one man teased as Katara tried to shake out of the grip. Red Eye gave him a dark look. "I was only kidding, Red Eye!"
"Torture!" the other whispered.
"Torture is just what I was thinking..." Red Eye responded. The others smirked in confirmation. "Yeah, you won't last long, Katara." Red Eye tugged on her clothes. It wasn't in a sexual matter, but more in a frightening way.
"Please, don't..." Katara begged. She closed her eyes in misery.
"Too late," Red Eye replied. "You had about four chances. You didn't take any of 'em." He looked all over her. "Men, why don't you leave me and the water tribe shit alone? You'll get your turns." The two reluctantly left, leaving Red Eye and Katara alone in the cave.
In one swift move, Red Eye pulled on Katara's kimono.
"Please, don't do thi-" Red Eye covered her mouth.
"If you say one word, I'll beat the shit out of you so hard that your friends will feel it," he harshly whispered into Katara's ear, making her silently whimper. She couldn't rebel; her hands were tied together and if she even made the slightest move, the rock wall behind her would cut her again.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard behind him. Red Eye quickly shoved Katara into the rough ground and turned around. It was the original two.
"Jing ordered us to interrogate her, Red Eye," one of the two said. Katara was in relief. Being tortured was better than being raped, if that was what he was about to do. "He wants to see you first."
"Dammit," Red Eye scratched his head. "Fine."
The three walked off, leaving the water tribe citizen cold and alone. She staightened out her kimono and tried to relax. This Red Eye is way more dangerous than she thought.
-
This has happened to Katara before. But last time it was a couple of violent Earth Kingdom citizens that wanted 'payback' on the Avatar. Petrified by what the Earth Kingdom told her that what they were going to do if she refused to hand out information, she gave Aang's location to them.
That was when he was badly hurt. Bruises wrapped around his whole body. It was a horrific sight that Katara never wants to see again. Even thinking about it made her want to burst into tears. The things that Aang can withstand are phenomenal, but nerve-racking...
And that's why she won't put him or her friends through that again. She doesn't want to see Aang hurt like that. Katara would sacrifice her life for him. Whatever it takes... And the entire reason wasn't because he was the Avatar... She was more than sure that Aang, Sokka, and Toph are searching for her.
Katara hated herself for putting herself into this scenario. She constantly tried to convince herself that it wasn't her fault. She was outnumbered, and her waterbending disability was a major disadvantage. But what bothered her the most was that she was getting Aang into more trouble, even though she is refusing to give information to the resistance.
Rain started to fall outside. Crawling to the angle where she could see the cave entrance, she started scraping her arms. Finally getting there, she stopped in exhaustion.
Suddenly, she felt as if as she was staring at the most beautiful sight in the world. The rainwater glistened as it slid off the soapy corridors of the cave entrance, falling gracefully to the bottom, making a peaceful sound as it was scattered about the floor by the cooling breeze. This sight had made her calm and optimistic. She will get out of here alive. It has been four days since her waterbending cramp began; she can wait another four days without dying. And after she escapes the grasps of the resistance, she'll then go after Red Eye and attack him mercilessly. This was an odd thing to think about during this nature show...
There were other things that could go against the will to survive. All of the chi-blocker injections that Red Eye is giving Katara is slowly sickening her. And anytime the more merciful soldiers have their back turned, there are a handful of others just waiting to torture her. This sprung the idea of the two factions of the fire nation, which are good and bad, in simple terms. "Through the eyes of the 'enemy', we are evil." Katara read that quote in a wise man's book. To the fire nation, she was the enemy. To her, the enemy was the fire nation. It was all very confusing.
Katara realized she was out of the train of thought. It was the work of the chi-blocker. Not only does it effect you physically, but mentally, too.
Silhouetted figures entered the cave from the entrance. Katara quickly went to the back of the cave as Red Eye and the two men returned to the water tribe citizen.
"You know, Jing is practically saving you," Red Eye said, implying that Jing, the leader, ordered him not to physically harm Katara. "But, don't get to comfortable with me, Katara." The two men watched as Red Eye circled Katara.
"If it is information you want, then I'm not giving you any," Katara declared.
"Oh, I figured you would say that." Red Eye began a slow pacing. He scoffed. "You water tribe folk. Always trying to keep your dignity... to be honest, I was the same. I tried to maintain my independence and dignity. But then, I realized, what's worth the effort?" He looked back at Katara. "Losing dignity is better than keeping it. When you have it, it is easier to identify the emotional weak spots of someone."
"Is that why you torture me?" Katara slightly exclaimed. "You want to take away my solemnity?"
"No." He stopped walking. "I'm forcing you to hold on to whatever is left of your solemnity. That just makes it easier to break you."
After a pause of rethinking, Katara squinted. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I believe I already answered that." Red Eye walked towards Katara. His face almost collided with hers. "Interrogation won't help me, will it?"
Katara shaked inside herself in fear, but suddenly felt a little in ease. "No."
"I thought so," Red Eye replied. "If you won't tell me, then someone else must take the job."
He walked away from her as the other two men followed him, exiting the cave. Katara discovered that this was the first time that Red Eye showed some charity.