The blood splattered on the wall. Her eyes squeezed shut; staring into an eternal pit of darkness. This isn't real, she reminded herself, none of it is.

"I didn't scare you too much, did I?" Her eyes snapped open. Zinyak. "I think this is perfect. You thought you were happy for once but, alas, it was just an illusion. You don't have any of your friends, you don't have Johnny, and you never had a child.

And I have to say, I do like seeing you miserable. I mean, if you could just see the look on your face." he sighed contently. "Priceless."

"I'm going to gouge your fucking eyes out so you can watch me sever your spine with a goddamn pair of pliers!" Amber shouted.

Zinyak hesitated, taken by surprise because of her sudden anger. "You're bluffing."

"Get me some pliers and we'll see." she said, fists clenched at her sides. Zinyak grabs her by the throat.

"I don't think so. I'm actually going to place you in your new home. If you try to run, I'll destroy your pitiful planet. TTFN." Zinyak said before releasing Amber.

"Not this again." she said as she was falling without a parachute.

When she hit the ground she expected blood splatter or something. All she heard was her knee cracking.

"Hellooooo?"

"Oh great, now I'm hearing Kinzie. I'm going fucking insane."

"Boss, it's really me." Kinzie voice sounded softer, sweeter even.

"Okay, well, where the hell are you? And where the hell am I?"

Letting Kinzie explain something was always awful for Amber. She used to many numbers or really big words that she cant't understand. Like when Kinzie called her ostentatious.

"The fuck does that mean?!" is what she would usually reply with. Or "What did you just call me?" usually sounding very offended. It didn't really matter, because that conversation wasn't going to last long before Amber's vision blurred into a dark abyss.

As she awoke, she heard the familiar sound of Kinzie screaming in her ear and gunshots ringing in the distance.

"What is this place?" Kinzie questioned, not expecting an answer. "My home." it was a soft, barely audible whisper. But Kinzie heard, and could not fathom that this was where she lived.

Out of no where, Amber broke out into a sprint. Kinzie tried to get her attention, but it was to no avail.

"Mom!" Amber shouted, again and again. Maybe I can make it. I won't be too late. Maybe I can save her.

Amber burst through the door, not bothering to shout her mother's name. She knew where she was. Amber knew she was too late but she didn't want to accept it.

Seeing her mother bleeding out on the ground for a second time broke her. Again.

"Mom, it's alright. I'm here. I'm gonna' save you this time." Amber put pressure on her mother's wounds as she stared at her with hope.

"Ste...St...Steven."

"Stop it!"

"I...I..love..you...Amber"

"Don't you dare!" Her voice cracked as her mother's lifeless eyes stared back, but she wouldn't have it. She pushed down harder on the injuries and the blood pressed against her hands felt oddly cold, just like her heart.

"Boss, she's not coming back. I'm sorry."

That only made her push down harder. The more Kinzie begged, the harder Amber pressed down. Until she felt, and heard, the sickening snap of her mother's ribs as they ripped through the skin.

Sorrow washed over her as she let out a cry of agony. It had felt like someone had ripped her heart out of her chest, threw it around, and then shoved it back in. So she basically felt like a Surgeon SimulatorTM patient.

She didn't want this heartache. She coped with it for years and now she's back to where she started. No mother and no Johnny.

She started to sob. Every sob that broke through her chest would rock her body like an earthquake. Her sobbing started to now sound more like screaming.

Amber was angry and in pain. And it was all Zinyak's fault.

She went quiet and her tears dried up.

"This is what he wants."

Kinzie cleared her throat, something to mask the awkwardness she was feeling. "Zinyak wants me to break down. To give up."

"Why just you? There's billions of other people for him to mess with. But he chooses you."

"He knows I'm a worthy competitor maybe?"

Kinzie nodded, even though she couldn't see.

"I wouldn't argue against it."

Standing up, Amber tried to avoid looking at her mother's corpse. "So, how do I get out of here? And skip the fancy wording bullshit."

Kinzie chuckled which made the boss smile. It was nice to know that she wasn't alone. Or at least not fully.

"Away we go." she whispered.