Flames

Chapter 11 Grains Torture

Both boys were lost in their head as they jogged. To her rear Conall's chiseled face was gloomy and Eleazar's oval but babyish one printed with rejection.

"It would be nice if we knew where we're going." Her brother's disposition was stinky, and Eleazar and her both didn't feed it by agreeing.

The tunnel was much larger and longer than what she had originally guessed.
She slowed to untie the hoodie around her waist, not expecting them to go on standstill.

"Leave it, you can put-it on when we get out."
Reika could not recall Conall ever being so grouchy.
It was freezing and the sweat was like frozen drops against her skin.
"Let her be dude, it's cold."
Eleazar standing an arms length behind Conall, shrugged at the hard stare he received from her sibling.
She slipped it over her head and sensing the tension, ran ahead of them.
They knew each other, and her brother had a dislike for Eleazar, she was sure of it.
Why did Grain always put them in dark places, what was the purpose?
Breaking out of her thoughts, she halted at a slant pressing farther into the tunnel.

"Should we stop? My legs are cramping. Maybe we can chill a shot and keep on in a bit?"
Conall and Reika faced him simultaneously. Nervous from their sudden attention, he dabbed under his chin.

"Can we?" She nudged her brother in his side, donning her first pleasant voice.
A breeze blew up at them through the ramp like construction.
"I know why they put you here, to irk me."
Conall's death stare and the fire in his voice could've burnt a hole in metal.
"Does that mean we can rest a while my bro?" 

Eleazar smirked, ignoring the laser eyes of the taller male.
"Yeah, you know what, yeah I guess that's what I mean."
Her brothers voice steadily rose, his throat corded and face flushed.
She inclined against the wall and watched as they tore each other apart with their eyeballs.
"Can you guys explain to me why you hate each other. Also how do you know him, Conall?"
Eleazar was the first to drop his gaze, positioning himself alongside her on the wall.

"Yea, I don't hate him, but that jerk literally despises me." Eleazar answered instead of her brother. She bopped her head on the wall.
Because Conall was her only family member she had to defend him, even though he was being unreasonable.
"You sure you didn't do something?"
He looked away as her sibling placed himself on her other side.
"What's done is done, I couldn't-ave stopped it anyway."
Eleazar mumbled it under his breath, but the pain laced with it was loud.
Conall scoffed and ranted.

"You had-a choice, you found your place. And you know what, I tried to understand but that got me nowhere cause you're too fricken evil to find any goodness in you."
It was hard enough trying to adapt to her own emotions, she wasn't going to placate others.
Her blood kin slapped his hands on his thighs, twisting his neck to look at her.
"How can you be next to him right now?"
Eleazar and her glanced at each other. Was she missing something? Why did Conall call him evil?

Once again without a thought, words formed.
"I don't know what he did, I don't remember, I won't try to, but this is-a new leaf, and if you ever want to find a way to be free, Let go."
She was 70% sure the freedom was not about escaping the Graves.

"Excuse me? What?"
She exaggerated a sigh at Conall's sneering inquiry.
"We're all a bit hard hearted, but I know you guys can feel stuff just like I can."
Eleazar quipped up the second she finished.
"Exactly. Same."
She had succeeded in redirecting the topic, for now.
"It's weird though."
Reika nodded heartily. If anything, emotions were indecisive sometimes.
The still fired up teen punched the wall inches near her arm.
"Be quiet will ya!"
She flinched, shooting him a dirty look.
There was utter silence for what seemed like minutes until it came to the point of being downright uncomfortable, that was when Eleazar gracefully stepped around her and got in Conall's face.
"Did you hit her?" He was deathly calm.

Her brother's face went florid with animosity, he had a height leverage over Eleazar by a few inches. "Seriously? Do you really think I'd sink to that level, you're the one with stinkin issues man!"

She wanted to laugh at the interval of hush that followed. The younger boy narrowed his eyes, his face almost twisted in a snarl. "My bad, but if you ever."
He poked a short finger to Conall's chest.
"Ever, lay your hands on Reika, I will have her switched."
Her brother suddenly became obedient, but his body language revealed he was seething.

"Shows what you think of me Eleazar. Can we go now, are you two done being lazy?"
She refrained giving him a sassy glare. What had Eleazar meant by switched?
Both guys loped down the slant as far apart from each other as possible.

Halfway through her spider senses signaled trouble.

She became stone still. The boys proceeded to amble on, but not for long.
There was rustling of clothes and suddenly people swarmed on the boys like bees. "Run!"
Eleazar's words broke off, someone had covered his mouth.
This had happened before, but the last time Conall had been her. Memories washed over her, very dark ones.

A club pounded her in the stomach and she dropped to her knees.
"Things will go smoothly if each of you cooperates, keep that in mind children. Now listen closely, we all have a choice. Bring them closer please, I want to see them."
The man was dressed in a white hazmat suit, faded blue eyes penetrating the goggles.
With the breath knocked out of her, she lay kicking her legs on the cement as a couple people in hazmat yanked her towards the monster.
"Conall do you recall this? You should." The man's tone was nauseating.

Her body heat rose, stomach blazing. Chest and lungs constricted for air.

People in medical suits stood meticulously detached from the leader.
Reika's vision blurred, and a high pitched scream stuffed her ears, her own.

She slipped in and out of sentience. 

"What do you want! You've already destroyed mine and his brotherhood, now you want ta make my sister hate me to!"
Eleazar's shouts bounced along the tunnels, full of rage, voice quaking.
The devil man maneuvered himself to where she lay, a metal tool swinging casually in his right hand.
"You grew up in the Freestyles, you children already despised each other."
He was close to her so that she could hear him.

"How many times did you get injected Conall? About four? Now it wouldn't be fair if I didn't extend the same treatment to all now would it."
Her brothers belted out objections, but it was too late, the black spear like club whacking her stomach.

Subdued by four people, Conall roared insults and threats at the devil man, while Eleazar begged.
She made a choice to never, ever hate her siblings. No matter what this monster made them do.

The club thumped into her chest, this time she couldn't breathe to scream.

Everyone became silhouettes, liquid in her eyes.
"Make your choice boy!" His evil scratchy voice drifted away.
Reika couldn't stay conscious long enough to hear.

She got pummeled again, and again. Something sharp pierced and broke through the skin on her left side. Oh God please...HELP...help.
Even if others make the wrong choice, we can always make the right one.
With that last flowing thought, her mind slipped into oblivion.