born to die | thomas

ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ

The first thing she heard when she awoke was the sound of rusty metal gears grinding against each other. The irritating screeching sound seemed to be coming from every direction. She groaned, eyes squinting in annoyance from the sounds. The metallic taste in her mouth was strong, along with the wave of dizziness that passed her every minute. Cranking her neck side to side, she surveyed her surroundings, though finding it hard due to the lack of light the room received. Looking at the metallic-like walls, breathing heavily she believed as if the darkness around her had finally consumed her.

Waking again with a surging breath, she believed the noises had gotten louder, causing her to groan again, shaking her head while surveying her surroundings once more. Her hands gripped onto the metal-link fence that lined the cage she was trapped in. Starting to familiarise herself with her surroundings, she took notice of the snorting pig that sat in a mud-covered crate parallel to her, the small crates littered around the cage and also the vast number of seeds, to fruits, to produce sitting in the other larger crates. She gripped the fence, the metal providing a soft coolness to her hands, contrasting with the hot tunnel she was in.

Attempting to stand, her legs wobbled underneath her, threatening to give out and send her tumbling back down onto the harsh surface beneath her boots. As she saw the box rapidly increase its speed towards the closed ceiling, she felt dread, and fear build in her throat threatening to escape if she were to get any closer. She groaned in agony, after being thrown into the rough wooden crates when the contraption started to build up speed once again. She rolled around, hand supporting her now sore back, as she attempted to stand again.

Memories flashed pass her face, her mind trying to grasp onto them, to no avail. Her hand reached out, almost as if she could reach them, fingers closing around them, but they were always out of her reach.

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It felt like days, hours even when the box eventually reached the top, the concrete doors lurching open along with the chain-link ones that were keeping her contained. She slowly crept up from the floor, staring at the lush green grass that peaked over the edge as her prey.

She pulled herself over the edge, standing up slowly. She took in her surroundings from the colossal forest, filled with large green trees, blocking her view from the walls behind it. Across from the forest resided a fenced area. She turned back quickly, moving towards the loud noise. A gust of wind blew past her face, then was interrupted by the groaning of the concrete doors. Her eyes widened when she had come to a sudden realisation.

She was trapped, and alone almost as if she was born to die.