The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 32: Hell

Verde rocked in her chair, screaming through the gag as Hazel dunked her bloodied fingers into a bag of salt. Cinder was cheering him on, recording the entire scene on her scroll.

But Russell couldn't do it anymore. When he stared at his own two hands, his own two scarlet hands, he felt the guilt crawling up his spine, digging it's claws deep into his skin. He couldn't even bear to look at Verde anymore.

Cinder had pulled out Verde's left eye, leaving nothing more than an empty socket. It was set down on a silver tray not far away from him, accompanied by her finger and toe nails, and even a few teeth. Her fingers, mangled and broken, bent at all the wrong angles. Swollen and purple. Her face, layered in bruises, lacerations crossing her skin. He tried to cover his ears, but it wasn't enough to stop the sounds of Verde's voice from reaching him. Screaming for help. Screaming for her adoptive father, her friends. Screaming for Vao.

He wanted to do something to help, anything. But he couldn't. He never realized it until that day, just how much of a coward he really was. Sitting there, watching as Cinder and Hazel literally tore Verde to pieces.

How many hours had it been? Or had it been days? Russell didn't even know anymore. Cinder reached over and tugged the gag away from Verde's mouth, snarling viciously. Like a bloodthirsty predator. "Last chance, Forest. Where did Y/N go? Our sources tell us he's left that Club."

But just like all the other times she was asked, she shook her head desperately, tears spilling from her only eye. "I-I don't know! I don't know!"

It was painfully obvious she was telling the truth. Russell could see it, and he knew Cinder and Hazel could too. But he also knew they didn't care. They were enjoying it. He watched in silent disgust, horror, holding back the urge to puke as Cinder tossed salt into her eye socket. Verde's shrill shriek was muffled when the gag was wrapped back around her mouth, violently squirming in her chair as she tried to get the grains out of the wound. But Cinder pushed her head back against the chair, tugging one her black hair hard.

"You ugly little liar. Perhaps I should teach you some manners," she snickered. Verde squirmed, a whimper escaping her lips.

"W-wait, I'm n-not- s-stop, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She begged, her voice growing more and more desperate with each passing syllable. Cinder picked up a little device from the table, connecting it to Verde's thumb. Russell nearly passed out when he recognized it.

A thumbscrew. Despite no longer having fingernails, the would easily rip into the flesh of the nailbed. Russell covered his ears as Cinder twisted the screw down, laughing when Verde screamed.

They were monsters. Real life monsters.

Russell understood it now. Just how cruel humans could be. Just how monstrous, repulsive, and vile they were. Grimm were monstrous because that was their nature - but humans, they had a choice. And these ones chose to be monsters.

He had enough.

Shakily he stood to his feet, covering his mouth to stop the puke from spewing from his lips. Cinder looked at him curiously. "... Where are you going?"

"... T-to... The b-bathr-room..." Russell lied. Cinder stared at him for a moment before nodding her head.

"... Whatever."

Russell stumbled up the stairs, desperate to leave that awful place. His hands slipped off the doorknob like grease as he tried to pry open the door, slamming his shoulder into it. And finally, he managed to get it open. He made a mad sprint for the bathroom, locking himself inside and curling into a ball against the sink. He could barely move from that spot, his stomach churning.