Rise and shine sunshine!" My eyes groggily creaked open a voice I now despised awoke me from my painful slumber. My body shook from hunger, my lips were chapped from thirst, my head pounded and i could barely stand without almost passing out. The hunger pangs only got sharper at night, my tears only burned, I prayed for hours to pass the time after 48 hours I gave up. Why had god forsaken me? Why? Its because he isn't real. He isn't real. Otherwise why would he let this happen? Mom always told me "God never punishes good people." Then why? My parents weren't terrible people. Heaven doesn't exist either neither do souls. I have no hope this is my life now. "Hey! Don't ignore me when I'm speaking to you! Ok if you don't want to get up I have no problem watching you starve to death." He snickered. "By the way sunshine my name is Snake." My body ached as I tried to get up my shaking knees gave out as I tried to stand. "You're so pitiful honestly, Guards bring her to the cafeteria." Snake snickered hissing at me before leaving. Two large hooded men appeared both appearing to cover their faces like Snake. They circled me grabbing both my arms they dragged me like a rag doll down the gray empty hallways, multiple rooms shaped like mine appeared in this hallway, turning the left corner they dragged me through double doors. The loud busy sound of plates clattering and people talking filled my ears. Girls some my age sat wide eyed at their tables dressed in matching gray hoodies with a strange pentagram label on the back, some frowned as they saw me dragged, others ignored me and continued on with their conversations. Propping me up the guards left, a plastic stack of gray trays caught my eyes following the example of a girl in front of me I grabbed a tray getting in a long line. The smell of something foul drifted into my nose, I tried not to gag.
"God could the line be any fucking longer!" A girl's voice boomed behind me. I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Hey your new huh? And you already got 72 hour confinement. You must be badass" I slowly turned. A pair of navy blue eyes met mine, a smile creeped on this girl's face, she had beautiful short raven hair that complimented her thin cherry red lips and pale face. She was perfect except for a long gashed scar on her neck it inched its way down her chest. It's rude to stare! Scolding myself, My eyes darted away from the scar. My eyes looked at my empty tray examining a dirty spot on it. "Hey don't be so shy! It's not that bad. Want to know how I got it?" A smirk appeared on her face. I slowly nodded. "A demon did this"
"You're crazy" I coughed.
"See I got you to talk, My name is Rosaline. What's yours?"
"Katherine" I croaked.
"You have a pretty name very royal, anyway you're new but this is a cult if you can't tell by our matching outfits." Rosaline laughed. "Anyway daily we are required to hold daily prayers and seances to Satan and his followers, this cult's ultimate goal is to sacrifice us to them and gain wishes." Her face seemed to grow paler as she spoke. "We aren't anything but demon food. They kidnapped me from the streets one night, I was an orphan at five after my parents passed away from a car accident, no relatives, no family I was on my own for years. Then one day I was digging through the garbage when I heard a hiss. Next thing I knew I awoke here and I've been here ever since." Her lips tightened she gazed into my eyes before chuckling "At least the food's the same, Honestly I think they get it out of the same dumpster"
"Oh I'm sorry" I moved closer towards the front of the lunch line.
"Don't be, I don't need pity, anyway since I told you my life story how about you tell me yours?"
"I rather not" I tried to ignore her but she wouldn't get the message, as I made my way up to the front, the hooded cafeterian poured a heaping spoon of gray slop and tossed me a piece of stale bread. The gray slop's smell was atrocious, the sound of it moving on my plate made me nauseous.
"It"s porridge" Rosaline spoke. "They must have run out of caviar and steak dang it" Rosaline smiled chuckling. When she noticed I wouldn't smile or laugh she frowned. "No sense of humor huh? Follow me kid and you'll go far."
"How can you laugh when we are in such a terrible place?" I followed Rosaline as we made our way to an empty gray table.
"Because I always try to see the bright side in life. There's no use mopping around. One day you will smile."
"I don't think I'll ever smile, not till every last one of them dies" My eyes scanned the room making direct eye contact with Snake who sat in a table with hooded members, even though his hoodie concealed his face I will never forgot those vile eyes which were befitting of his name. Their hoodies appeared red a different color from the gray hoods each girl was wearing. His eyes met mine a scowl appeared on my face as my lips curled up in a primeval snarl. His eyes seemed to turn into slits as he got up slowly making his way across the crowded room to our table.
"Don't do that are you insane!? Snakes one of the craziest members of this clan you best not anger him or challenge him. Hello? Are you listening" Rosaline shook. "Crap he's coming over here." Rosaline placed and tightened her hoodie over her head she stared at the table before closing her eyes and shaking.
"Hey there Rosie." He came over rubbing her shoulders. "Made friends with Sunshine here huh? Aww you're shaking Rosie are you cold or are you afraid? I didn't mean to hurt you like that it was an accident. Accidents happen don't they?" Rosaline started to cry silently. "Don't they?"
Smash
Glop dripped off his hooded face, the force of the tray hitting his concealed face almost knocked him backwards. A growl escaped his lips. The lunch room went deathly silent, utensils stopped moving and conversations ceased to exist.
"I'm tired of you" I growled back. "Why don't you go slither into the hole you came from, alright?" Crap why did I do that? Now I'm in for it. But I couldn't let him hurt Rosaline, even if I don't know this girl I pity her we are both in this terrible situation.
"So Sunshine has got huge balls huh? Well time to make Sunshine here pay." Snake balled up his fists in anger a vein seemed to pop in his balled up fists. His punch nearly shattered my jaw, I fell over stumbling over empty chairs and landing hard on my behind.
"What's wrong sunshine? Can't smile?!Are you afraid? Are you going to cry? Snake hissed picking me up by my dress collar. I glared at him. Staring deep into his slitted purple eyes.
"I won't cry not anymore. Especially not in the face of a coward like you. Who can't even show his face. Or even fight fairly. Do you get a kick out of hitting girls? Hmm? Let me ask are you afraid? Afraid of the demons? Afraid it'll come and devour your awful awful soul? You should be afraid when it comes I hope it rips your shriveled cold black heart out. And then I'll finally smile. I might even laugh." I growled a smug smirk on my bruised bleeding face.
"You little..."
"Enough!" Another booming voice could be heard throughout the lunch room, a tall portly figure appeared approaching our table. He wore a red hooded gown just like the others but the hollowed pentagram crown on his hooded head showed he was of high rank. The other's bowed including the hooded figures at the other table some chanted "Father". Snake growled dropping me as he bowed too. Only I stood back up refusing to bow to this man called "Father".
"Misbehaving children will not be tolerated. This is your final warning disobey and cause a ruckus like this again and you'll be tomorrow's sacrifice. Snake come along with me. Lunch is over and no dinner tonight you can all thank this troublemaker right here. Now get to the seance room anyone late will be beat. Am I clear?"
"Yes Father" Everyone chanted as this man walked away with Snake behind him. Snake growled glaring at me he singled your dead sign before leaving.
"Thanks alot" Some girls hissed as they walked past me, some said nothing and ignored me others shook their heads in acceptance. Rosaline sat on the floor still bowing and silently crying. I held out my hand.
"Get up there's no use crying. Besides this food is terrible not like caviar" I flashed her my fakest smile.
"Your almost there but that isn't a real smile and I thought Sunshine would be able to smile for real this time. Tsk Tsk Tsk I'm going to have to help you out." Rosaline got up chuckling she took my arm. "We have each other, friend"
Friend? Have I ever had a friend before? Never mind at least I have someone to speak to. The cafeteria disappeared as we traveled down the graying hallways. This isn't a good start though. This isn't a good start to survival. It truly isn't.