Corrupted (EXCERPT)

2, II

Slowly, Raven's eyes opened. Sunlight blared through the windows, sending rays into the room.

Her skin no longer burned, nothing burned...

She sat up then, eyes darting around the unfamiliar space.

Where was she...?

And who took her here...?

And when did she fall asleep?

After a moment of looking around, her eyes landed on a shelf, noting that it had tons of bottles filled with different colored liquids.

They looked almost like potions in those weird witch movies...

She pulled the covers off herself, and dangled her feet off the twin bed, trying to ignore the overwhelming frost from the air.

Wondering if she could stand, she lightly placed her feet on the floor, putting full weight on them and stood.

After taking a couple careful steps, she padded over to the shelf, picking a bottle off it, and realized it had no label...

Odd...

Raising it to eye level, Raven tilted it so she could see what it did.

The liquid was thick but not so thick that it stuck together. She estimated about five seconds before the liquid reached the other side.

She lowered the bottle and looked at the other ones.

They were all different translucent colors... blue, purple, pink...

Still... none of them had labels...

She looked back at the bottle in her hands.

What was this?

"Is someone snooping?" a man said.

Raven jumped from his deep voice and almost dropped the glass.

When she turned around, she saw Malachi leaning against the doorway to this bedroom.

She didn't even hear him open the door.

Also... did he kidnap her?

She gazed at the bottle again, deciding to ask first, "What's this?" She held the glass out to him.

Malachi looked at her then at the liquid with his dark eyes, standing back up and walking over to her.

She backed away a couple steps, knowing that if he got close enough it would've ended up badly...

He lightly took the bottle from her hands even though they were a couple feet apart, and studied it.

Then he placed it back on the shelf and looked back down at her. "It's a painkiller."

"Is it like ibuprofen?" she asked.

"Kind of." He chuckled.

She shook her head at his amusement, her hair sending spirals down her face.

Realizing that he was staring at her, she asked, "Why is it in potion bottle?"

"Because I decided to put it in one."

She wouldn't have been surprised if he did black magic in his spare time.

"Can I look at your wounds?" he asked then.

She glanced down at her arms, finding gauze taped to them. She didn't even realize they were there.

When he stepped closer, she took a step back.

He noticed her staring at him cautiously, and he smiled slightly. "I won't hurt you, Ray. I saved you, remember?"

She blinked. "You acted as if you were going to kill me."

"I was trying to tell you not to freak out, but you kept on screaming."

"Really?" she said sarcastically. "Because fearing that I was going to be murdered wasn't rational."

"I told you in the house that I wasn't going to hurt you, Raven. You're the dangerous one. Pulling a knife on me. So am I the psychopath or are you?"

She dropped her head, clenching her fists. "You're incredibly irritating."

He smiled. "I know."

"It was self-defense," she stated.

"I didn't threaten you, you know," he stated. "So why are you so afraid of me?"

"Because you give me bad vibes."

"Care to explain?"

"Yes," she said, looking to him now with a glare, "you scream insanity."

"Everyone's insane in their own way, you know," he said, shrugging.

"Right," she said sarcastically. "When did you take me?"

"A couple hours ago," he answered.

She looked around the room for a clock. "What time is it?"

"It's almost ten," he responded. "Can I look at your wounds or not?"

"I want to go home."

"Then why did you run away?" he questioned.

"Because."

"Because why?"

She shook her head. "I don't have to give you answers, Mal."

"I'm just curious." He shrugged, then looked back to her. "Are you not going to show me your wounds?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Leave me alone, Malachi."

"Alright." And he started to the door. When he made it, he looked over to her. "Try to escape, there'll be consequences."

Her body grew cold when he closed the door behind him, his footsteps disappearing down the hall.