A/N: As I continue to edit and revise my stories I will, when possible, replace the old, sloppy chapters with the new and freshly edited ones as soon as they are to my standards. You will see this note, along with possible variations of it, above all the chapters I have edited. Once all chapters are completely edited I will remove all author notes pertaining to the revision of the story.
Trigger Warning: force-feeding and intense situations. Much less descriptive than the last chapter. But still contains intense emotional distress. Reader discretion is still advised.
Whispers traveled up the corridor and into Nox's cell. She stood up and walked over to the door. She curiously peeked out of the slim window. There was nobody insight.
"That's strange," she muttered to herself.
She strained her ears to try and make out what the whispers were saying. Yet, she was unable to. Something strange was going on. She looked out of the window again. The hallway was brighter than she remembered. It was almost like somebody had turned on a light.
Suddenly the door slid open. Nox stumbled backwards. She gulped and cringed, waiting for a swarm of guards to come out of nowhere and seize her.
No one came.
She stuck her head out of the door cautiously and looked around. Nobody was out there. It was just an empty hallway.
"Anybody out there?" she asked.
No answer.
She stepped through the threshold and winced, expecting a guard to come and shove her back into the cell. Again, nobody came.
"Something isn't right here…" she mumbled.
The whispers became louder, beckoning for her to come and find them. She closed her eyes and let her ears do the sensing. After a moment she was able to determine what direction the voices where coming from. She took off down the hallway while keeping an eye out for any guards she might run into.
Minutes passed by as Nox carefully made her way down the hallways. She knew she was getting closer to the source of the whispers because they were much louder than before. Yet, she still couldn't decipher what they were saying or who was saying them. She came to an abrupt halt when she noticed something different with the corridor up ahead. The end of the hallway was dimmer and much darker than where she stood now. The lights flickered forebodingly up ahead. At the very end of the corridor there was an open door. The room was bright, and the voices seemed to be coming from there.
"This… This is really weird…" she muttered to herself. She stared down at the floor where light turned to dark. She knew she had to cross the intangible line to get to the whispers but was she was hesitant to do so. For some reason she found herself filled with an unprecedented feeling of dread. It felt that if she crossed over and into the darkened part of the hallway that she would never be able to comeback.
Suddenly hear ears were pierced with a shrill scream. She covered them and grimaced. Her heart was pounding wildly. It caught her completely off guard. She hadn't expected that to happen.
"Wait…" she said to herself over the screaming. "I… I know that scream." She stumbled backwards. This couldn't be happening. "That- That's my scream… That's me!" She trembled as she gaped at the opened door.
Then there was another scream. It different from the other. It sounded like-
"No…" Nox breathed. "Maya! I swear if Lokar's hurt you… I'll kill him!"
She got to her feet and charged forward. She ignored the sensation of dread that surged through her body the second her foot passed over the invisible line. She ran as fast as she could. Her bare feet pounded painfully against the cold, hard floor.
When she reached the room, she skidded to a halt. The screaming had stopped and was replaced with soft whispering. She stared perplexedly at the menacing metal chair that was in the middle of the room. It was the feeding-chair. She continued to gape at the chair for a moment, and then turned around. She ran for the door only to have it slide shut on her.
"Let me out of here!" she demanded, pounding her fists against the metal door. She jolted when the screaming began again. This time the screams and whispers were intertwined with each other. She plugged her ears to try and block out the noise. It was unbearable. Unfortunately the screams only became louder and more panicky. She suddenly felt weak. She leaned against the door with her hands over her ears. It was like she had become unable to support her own body. Then she slowly crumpled to the floor. Tears started streaming out of her eyes.
"Stop it," she begged softly. "Please…"
The screaming remained the same. It never lowered. It never stopped. In fact, it sounded even more desperate. It was like the chair itself was releasing the screams of terror. It sounded like it wanted freedom. It sounded like… Like it needed somebody to listen to it.
Nox opened her eyes, not bothering to wipe away the tears, and stared at the chair in the middle of the room. She let her hands fall to her sides, figuring it was pointless since the screaming was louder than ever. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
"You need to stop this," she heard a voice say over the screams. It was feminine and close.
Nox opened her eyes to see a woman standing in front of her.
The woman had her arms crossed and stared down at Nox through dark sunglasses. She wore a black and red leather jacket and had two energy pistols in their holsters on her belt, along with a knife, and an energy sword clipped to her right hip.
"I know you!" Nox frowned, pointing at the mysterious woman. "You… You're the woman who was in my dream the other day." She eyed the woman carefully. "Who are you?"
The woman returned the frown, and then sighed, "My name is Dreamer. That was a memory. Not a dream. And, just for the record, I'm only two years older than you."
"So…" Nox stared up at Dreamer. "That actually happened?"
"Yes, that actually happened."
"That would explain why I didn't die that day…" she muttered.
Dreamer nodded.
"Am I asleep?" Nox questioned. She looked around the room. They were the only two inside. The screaming was still just as strong and as loud as ever. "Am I in a dream right now?" Her heart was pounding like a drum. This seemed so unreal.
Again, Dreamer nodded.
"Why am I here, in this room?" she demanded. "Did you bring me here?"
"I did not," Dreamer explained. "You brought yourself here. This," she waved her hand, gesturing to the entire room, "is only a projection of your subconscious. I merely found a way inside your mind."
"I guess that explains the name 'Dreamer' then," Nox uttered under her breath. "How'd you get inside my head, anyway?"
"Look, Kid," she sighed, an annoyed expression on her face. "I don't have time for all these questions. I need to speak to you."
"What are you talking about?" Nox sniffled, glaring up at Dreamer. It suddenly occurred to her that Dreamer worked for Lokar. "Why should I trust you? You work for Lokar."
"While that is true, I do not support his decision to force-feed you," she said sternly.
Nox wiped away her tears and shook her head, "If you don't support it, then why are you here, talking to me, instead of talking to Lokar about that?"
"I have spoken to him all ready," she said curtly. "Anyway, I'm more concerned about you. You can't keep this up for much longer. I can sense that. Your dream supports this fact as well. My apologies for snooping. I can also sense your desire for freedom and your determination to escape."
"You're going to help me escape?" Nox frowned. "I'm pretty sure Lokar would rather have you encouraging me not to escape."
"I cannot directly help you. I am bound by my loyalty. That means, should you escape from your cell," Dreamer waved her hand and the room flickered from Nox's cell, and then back to the room with the feeding-chair, "and Lokar orders me to detain you, I will. Should you escape and cross my path, I will detain you."
For some reason it felt like Dreamer was trying to crush Nox's desires for freedom. "So you're only here to discourage my desire to escape," she speculated.
"Perhaps I'm not going about this in the right way," Dreamer sighed. "I know that you know a hunger strike isn't going to help you achieve freedom. So end it."
Nox frowned and studied Dreamer. "What are you talking about?"
"You won't be able to conserve your strength and escape if you waste your energy struggling every time those guards come and drag you off," Dreamer replied harshly. "Your body can't handle the physical beatings you endure. It cannot. You know that. Need I mention the fact that your mental health can't handle this for much longer either?"
"So," Nox began skeptically, "you're telling me that I should give up?" She didn't like the sound of that. She didn't like the idea of giving into Lokar's power.
"No. What I'm telling you to do is to take your mental and physical health into consideration," Dreamer explained.
"He won't, you know," Nox dropped her gaze. "He won't stop force-feeding me. He'll just say I've," she cleared her throat and mimicked Lokar's voice, "'lost the privilege.'" She looked down and away and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Plus," she mumbled, "I think he enjoys it too much to stop."
"His enjoyment when force-feeding you is what concerns me," Dreamer sighed. She observed Nox, who was tightly clutching her knees to her chest. The sight stirred feelings of empathy inside Dreamer. Dreamer didn't see Nox as a dismal teenager. To her, Nox looked like nothing more than a lost, terrified little girl who desperately needed help.
"Regardless," Dreamer went on, hiding her feelings, "I urge you to think about what I have said."
"Am I going to remember any of this when I wake up?" Nox asked softly.
Dreamer answered solemnly, "No, you will most likely not."
"What exactly does this do?" she questioned. "Why are you telling me this in a dream and not in the real world?"
Dreamer sighed, "Look, if I did this another way you wouldn't listen. Anyway, this way was easier for the both of us. It is easy to influence someone into thinking something if the thoughts are already there. My goal was only to dig up those thoughts so you can mull them over."
"So…" she said slowly. "What you're doing is like what Leonardo DiCaprio did in the movie Inception?"
A soft chuckle came from Dreamer's throat. "Not exactly," she smiled. "I don't need to use a machine to get into someone's dreams. I can silently watch what is going on in someone's mind without causing much of a disturbance or even be noticed. I can only minimally influence someone's dreams while silently observing."
"Then how come I can notice you?" Nox frowned.
"Two things must happen for someone to see me," Dreamer replied. "Firstly, I must want someone to see me. Secondly, the subconscious mind must recognize my presence and allow me to be seen."
"So it is like Inception except my subconscious isn't trying to kill you?" Nox observed.
"Correct. The only time a person's subconscious tries to remove me is if I force my presence or if it no longer accepts my presence."
"Hmm," Nox muttered. "Do you have full access to my subconscious?"
"No, I only have limited access. I can only see and manipulate what your subconscious allows me to," she answered.
"Oh, I guess that's good," she replied. She just noticed that the screaming and whispering had stopped. It seem like it had stopped for a while. Why hadn't she noticed before?
Dreamer glanced around and stated, "I must go. Should you remember any of this, remember these words I'm speaking right now. Do not speak of this to anyone. Act as if you do not know me." Suddenly Dreamer's body began to evaporate.
"Wait! Don't go!" Nox called, getting to her feet. "How am I supposed to convince him to stop?"
It was too late, Dreamer was gone. She left Nox alone and trapped inside a room with the, now lifelessly silent, feeding-chair.
"I don't want to be alone…" she sniffled. "I don't want to be alone again…" She leaned against the metal door and looked up at the ceiling…
Nox woke up with a jolt. She panted heavily and glanced frantically around her cell. The dim light that seeped through the small window barely illuminated the cell. It was practically pitch-black.
"It was just a dream. Calm down," Nox told herself. "It's over now. I'm safe."
Despite her rational reasoning, her heart still raced wildly and the feeling of dread she experienced within the dream lingered. The screams still echoed inside her head. The woman's words echoed along with the screams.
Her eyes were heavy. She tried her best to keep her eyes open and not fall back asleep. Yet, she knew that her body wouldn't allow her to stay up much longer. She was terrified that if she went back to sleep she would have another nightmare. Her exhaustion left her unable to keep her eyes open any longer. She eventually drifted unwillingly back into a restless sleep.
It was the seventh- no wait- maybe it was the eighth time they had strapped her in that chair. Every force-feeding session ended the same way. Nox was left in tears while being hauled off to her cell. Although, she put up much less of a struggle this time. She was far too exhausted to fight for as long.
"You know that this is inevitable," she heard Lokar sneer into her ear. "Yet, you still struggle. I don't understand. This was your decision. This is what you wanted, isn't it?"
Tears were streaming out of her eyes. She couldn't take this. She felt the snake slithering down her throat. It hurt. The pain was excruciating. It felt similar to the time when the tube kept slipping out. It took Lokar three times, each one more painful than the last, to get the tube down her throat. She hoped that it wouldn't slip out again.
"Hold her still," Lokar ordered. "I don't want the tube slipping out again."
The guards held her down firmly. In equal parts desperation and fear, Nox fought back even harder. She shook violently while wheezing and growling like a wounded animal. She felt her breathless cries shudder through her body.
She nearly vomited when she felt it reached her stomach. However, she knew better. Last time she threw up while being force-fed, Lokar didn't bother to stop. He just kept going until he had finished the job. When he was done and had pulled the tube out, she was drenched in her own vomit. It was sticky and gross. It smelled awful. She didn't want a repeat.
By the time the food had been emptied into her stomach and Lokar had pulled out the tube, Nox's face was wet with her own tears. A trail of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. She was left gasping for breath. She coughed violently. Her lungs burned like a wildfire form the strain of sobbing while the tube was going in.
She hung her head and sobbed convulsively. Her mind was racing. She couldn't think straight. The only reoccurring thought she had was, I can't… I can't… I can't… This is too much…
After she had cried long enough to alleviate some of her frustration and anger, she couldn't believe what she was about to do. This had been too much for her to handle. This needed to stop.
"Please… L-Lokar. N-no more…" she sniffled.
"What was that?" He raised an eyebrow. He walked over to Nox and grabbed her chin, inciting a small whimper of fear out of her, and lifted her head up, forcing her to meet his gaze. He felt her body trembling under his touch, filling him with a sense of control and self-pride. He stared into her eyes to assert his dominance. He watched Nox's eyes dart away from his. "Look at me in the eyes," he said sternly.
Nox reluctantly obeyed. Last time she hadn't looked at him when he told her to, there were repercussions she'd rather not think about now.
"Good," he said curtly. "Now, what did you say? 'No more'? 'No more' what?" He knew what she was talking about. He just wanted to hear it from her. He wanted her to beg.
"Please… Stop. I'll eat. J-just no more force-feeding," she begged.
"So now you want my hospitality?" Lokar gave a throaty chuckled, releasing her chin. "I offered you a chance to avoid this fate. You turned down that offer. You've lost your chance."
"Please!" she pleaded, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "I can't take this anymore. I'll eat when I'm told. I promise."
"Hmmm…" Lokar brought a hand to his face, mimicking someone thinking. "I could honor and comply with your acquiescence," he began, "or, I could continue to force-feed you."
She looked up at Lokar in horror. Her heart sunk. He was going to deny her request. She knew this was most likely going to happen. Yet, living in this realization was all too nerve shattering.
He fought hard to suppress the grin he desperately wanted to make. The look of terror in her eyes was sickeningly pleasing to him.
"I will think on it," he finally decided. "Take her back to her cell in an hour."
"Yes, Sir!" the guards said.
She watched Lokar walk out of the room. She hung her head and tried to bite back the tears. It felt like a small defeat on her part. She could've kept fighting. She could've kept resisting. But in the end, she broke. She gave into Lokar's power. Her sense of defeat only tasted bitterer when she thought about what Maya would say. It didn't matter to her that she was doing this only to conserve her strength to help her break out. She still caved.