House of Scales

Prologue: I can't let you go

The only thing she felt in the darkness of her universe was the heart-breaking burning of her guts, bowed down to indomitable hunger. She could hardly hold her frail body up, for it lacked the strength to escape from her purgatory. In that metal prison, she could only let her already long fingernails scratch the indestructible surface. That way, at least, the squeaking sound would get over her weak heartbeat.

"Mom..." she whispered half-dreamy. She was still in a daze from the effect of the last drink she had been given. "Mom? Where are you?"

As her tiny head swayed from side to side due to exhaustion, her body had become weaker than usual, and now her arms looked more emaciated than they used to. She had nothing to enjoy herself with, no cuddly toy to hug, no friendly toy to devote herself to; her condition was the only thing that allowed her to keep her sanity in a small corner of her mind.

"How much more...?" she cried, lying on the cold metal floor. "Isn't this enough?"

It was then that the metal strips clinging to her body, like cold tongue, tinkled strangely; that seemed to be the object of all her attention. She struggled back up, but with the power of curiosity renewing her strength as if it was magic. Determined to investigate the event, she gave another tug to see how those steel serpents would react, and to her surprise, they moved more than necessary again. The heavy chains moved differently at their wrists. Would that be the way out?

"Now!" she shouted with all her might.

She tugged and could see the part that held her wrists getting loose and sticking out slightly.

"It's possible!" she groaned triumphantly as she embraced her body in tears, protecting the stability of her spirit. "I can get out of here."

She thought that with sufficient skill, she could get out of that prison. She pulled hard, lacerating her skin in the process until the metal rings passed from her wrist and into her hand.

"I can't" she whimpered "but I can't stay here and starve."

She looked away and tried to get out again. The first thing she heard was the cracking of her finger as it broke, her hand unravelling for a few moments and pain invading her tiny body like a stream. There was silence as she drowned out a scream and, after a moment, all the pain burned inside her. She stretched out on the floor, rolling slightly to relieve the terrible stinging she now felt in her hand, which responded less and less and began to stand still, inert.

"C'mon, keep it up," she said to herself, gritting her teeth.

Her arm had almost completely fallen asleep, so it was harder for her to give the final pull and get her hand out. She rubbed her injured hand as she prepared to bite her arm with more force than she had already tried with the handcuffs and now pull her left leg, which was also chained to the floor.

"Just a little more," she said wheezing from the effort.

With more skill than strength, she managed to make the metal plates leave her flesh, but not before leaving a trail of blood that began to drop to the floor. The smell of iron began to pervade the entire room, and soon she could feel the invading smell of fresh blood, making her dizzy and causing her stomach to burn and churn. She didn't vomit, for the subsequent hissing and whistling that began to sound throughout the place indicated that it was time to flee. She was afraid to make any noise that would alert the other prisoners.

"Shut up!" she whispered, and to her surprise, the noise ceased for a moment.

She got up and ran to where her memory told her the door was. She limped slightly on her injured ankle, but her hunger for freedom gave her the strength she had lost.