Resurrection | FFVII

~ Chapter XXV ~ The Haunted

Holiday's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing her cold, eerie cell before her. She looked to her side to find she was alone. Rory had been ripped from her arms as he had been over and over again. She'd seen this before. Too many times. It was the moment she would see her brother and best friend be reduced to his most vulnerable state as Shinra's associates tortured him, despite his constant begging for mercy. Slowly and reluctantly, she lifted her head. Rory lay motionless on the metal table, sedated. He'd been that way since the night before. Throughout the days where Rory remained strapped to the table, the Turk's main focus was on her. The days before she'd been shot. The "doctors" had starved her, beat her, and violated her in an attempt at breaking her spirit. It didn't work, for she remained firm. She refused to let them break her.

Her cell door opened, revealing a doctor and the president. She looked up at him helplessly, unable to move her sick-ridden body. "How long has she been like this?" The doctor asked.

"Since she arrived. It's gotten worse since we did the procedure on the boy." Rufus replied, bending down next to the doctor.

"Hmm..." the doctor reached down, lifting her gown.

"Get away!" She slapped him across the face. "Don't touch me!"

"Bitch," Rufus shouted. He lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her neck with a firm grasp. "Hold still!"

Holly's face hardened. "Fuck you." Her spit flew from her mouth and made a loud splat as it planted itself on Rufus's cheek.

He stood sharply and slapped her across the face, splitting the corner of her lip. "You'll regret that, little one. Your big brother isn't here to protect you now." He raised his hand to dismiss the doctor, who respectfully obliged. Grabbing her by her hair, he yanked her into her arms, cracking her wrists as the chains attached to her grew taut. She yelped, realizing the air had returned to her lungs as Rufus removed one hand from her neck. With her hands behind her back, she struggled against his grip, unable to tell where she was. Just as she began to shout, he reached his free hand toward her mouth and forced it wide open. She gagged at his touch, attempting to whip her head to the side to break free. He forced her against the wall, knocking the back of her head against the metal frame. She screamed in protest as she continued craning her neck back and forth. In seconds, his fingers were down her throat. Loud, gurgling noises emanated from the base of her throat as he shoved his index and middle finger against her uvula.

He released her, smirking as she coughed up what little was in her stomach. Her stomach acids felt like fire in her throat. She coughed again, tears and snot streaming down her face as clear fluid dripped from her chin. Before she could cry any more, Rufus grabbed her roughly once more and pulled her from the wall so hard, her hands slipped straight through the metal cuffs, ripping the skin on her wrists. He dragged her to a filled horizontal pod while she screamed in protest. He lifted her up with ease, throwing her inside the neon liquid. She surfaced, taking in a shaky breath. Rufus responded with a sharp punch to the face, throwing her head back into the liquid. He held her underneath by her neck while she kicked at him. In moments, her lungs ached and burned, begging for air. She couldn't hold on much longer. The liquid around her burned her skin, yet it sent chills down her entire body. She pounded at his arms to no avail, feeling his grip on her neck tighten. This was it. Her worst fear was to drown, for she never thought she would. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. Her heart rate was beginning to slow, her vision turning to stars. She closed her eyes, praying for someone to save her.

Someone please... Help me...

Holly shrieked, sitting upright in the bed, sweat dripping down her forehead. She covered her eyes, beginning to cry hysterically. Immediately, her door flung open, causing her to scream and cower away from her attacker. She felt him grab her wrists in an attempt at controlling her. "No!" She cried. "Get off me!" She screamed again.