Saving Greer ((Prequel to "Red on my Ledger"))

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Greer

The trials started when she awoke on a hard surface.

She had not quite remembered what had happened the night before. Even as she came to consciousness, she did not open her eyes. Her head was pounding and her side burned with dull fire. She layed for a few moments, struggling to recollect previous events. She felt as though she was paralyzed, unable to move from the pain travelling in waves up and down her spine.

Her stomach burned with an intense fire, though she could not scream for her mouth felt as though it had been sanded with sandpaper.

As she slowly peeled her eyes opened, the reminder of the panic she felt leaped into her stomach, causing her to jolt up into a sitting position. As she moved from her back, however, she felt a sudden, tension-filled tug pull at her wrists, adding to her already-building fire of fear and nausea. She whimpered, adrenaline pumping her once tired, painful veins as she tugged at the wrists that would not follow the orders of her commands. She felt vomit creep up her throat as she struggled against the chains that were uncomfortably tight, tugging her back down into a laying-down prison.

A biting fear bit at the outer walls of her stomach, though she could not cry for her eyes were too dry. The fear had momentarily replaced the intense pain, though it caused her head to pound with fury as she tugged at the material.

She stopped, however, when she heard the footsteps echo into the darkness.

She heard a single sole meet the hard, cement floor, causing an icy fear to wash over

her. She was paralyzed into moving as the footsteps continued, becoming closer and closer towards her. Tears managed to find themselves onto the girl's dry cheeks, though she could do more as a figure came into view, its skeletal figure outlined by the intense darkness.

"You can struggle all you want, child." the voice was quiet, yet it echoed throughout the darkness in a menacing, dark fashion. The voice caused shivers to erupt her spines. "You are too weak to fight against the chains."

The voice seemed familiar to Greer and it took her a few quiet, fearful hesitated moments to realize where she had heard the voice. The sudden recognition caused her body to freeze with ice.

"W-what do you want from me?" Her voice was groggy from pain, fear, and the tears that clogged her pores, streaking her grimy face which was meddled with grime, dust, and depression.

The man gave a small chuckle that echoed darkly throughout the corridor, bouncing off the walls as he walked forward into the darkness. She watched him carefully and cautiously as he placed an object from his hands onto a counter, of which was slightly visible in the darkness. He placed his hands onto the sides of the rectangular case, before snapping it open and opening the case with satisfaction itching from his aura.

"My dear, it's not what I want from you. It's what I want with you," he corrected cautiously as he swung the lid of the case open, revealing a stream of light, which dimly illuminated the darkness in a blue streak of light. It struck Greer aback from the sudden light and she had to avert her gaze from the intense light.

"What do you want with me?" Greer questioned, her eyes returning to the man whose dark eyes were now visible from the light, grinning at her with maliciousness, as he placed his gloved fingers onto the sides of a thin, cylindrical vial, tugging it from its enclosed prison. The illuminated liquid caused shivers to erupt her pained stomach as the man turned it up to his face, his eyes glittering as he looked into the small container, as though this would fix all his problems.

"I only want your body," the man said simply, causing Greer to shiver, another tear streaking her face.

The man's footsteps returned into silence, each step he took forward silent against the dusty floor. He seemed to melt into the darkness around him, though Greer could not realize this until she felt a strong grip on her forearm. Her head snapped to the side, examining the man who had already squeezed every drop from the illuminating vial into a threatening long, clear needle, which was illuminating and glittering from the light. Greer fought weekly, struggling against her capturer, yet it was useless. She was helpless. For the cuffs around her hands pulled her to the table, stopping her from fighting.

She had felt much pain. However, she still cannot, to this day, describe the pain as the needle pierced her skin and the monster pressed the syringe into her veins.