Sorry the chapters are short :/
Monster I Become- Chapter 3
“Jace, what are you doing here?” The terror and confusion on his face makes me nervous of his answer. “You’re as white as a ghost, what happened?”
He takes a slow, deep breath before speaking. “Could you step outside for a moment, Jade?” he asks politely and I tilt my head. When did he develop manners? He is soaking wet and I feel like I should invite him in to warm up but instead, I slip out into the rain.
“What’s going on, Jace?”
He shakes his head, glancing around fearfully then his eyes widen. “Be careful!” he screams at some mass behind me and before I could respond, strong arms wrap around me and drag me backwards. I fight, kick and yell but my cries are useless as the person’s shirt muffles the sound.
I attempt reaching out for Jace but he is gone as well. Panic rises in me but I push it away as best as I can and try to calm down. No, not now. They can’t know. Whoever they are. I struggle fiercely against my capturer and their grip loosens but only for a moment before they toss me onto something metal.
Immediately, I run my shoulder into the doors that lock me in but pain erupts and I throw away the idea. “Let me out!” I scream and pound my fists against the doors. “This is illegal! Let me go!” I claw at it, tears forming in my eyes. My hands shake as I leave a trail of blood every time I drag my nails down the barrier.
Finally, I give up and curl into a ball, leaning my back into a corner and wait. That’s all I can do. What happened to Jace? Why had he seemed like he knew what was going to happen? Question fly through my mind but it refused to settle on the most important. There are just too many to choose one. I sigh and let my fear turn into sobs.
An hour passes by before my rolling cage stops. The doors creaks open slowly, bright light streaming in. I use my arm to shade my eyes. “Hey, don’t be afraid,” a female voice says soothingly and she reaches in a hand. “I’m sorry it happened like this but you have to trust me. We’ll explain everything once we get inside.”
“Where are we?” I croak, wiping the tears off my cheeks.
“Middle of nowhere,” she answers with a shrug. Sunlight shines around her causing her body to be shadowed. “I am really sorry I can’t give you any more details. Please, just trust me. Jace is waiting inside the cabin and he is extremely worried.”
Hesitantly, I lean forward and take her hand. Her skin is smooth and soft and she helps me out of the back of the van. This has to have something to do with it. There really isn’t any other explanation but why is Jace here with me? Yet another unanswerable question.
I turn back to my imprisonment and realize I was being kept in the back of a black van. Not suspicious at all for kidnapping, right? It’s parked in a dense forest with no city sounds at all. The only noise to be heard is the birds chirping, the wind in the tall and wise trees and a bubbling creek in the distance. I follow the girl up a dirt trail, making our way up toward a wooden cabin.
“Why am I here?”
She doesn’t answer but walks up the steps and opens the door. It groans but doesn’t object. We step in and I am welcomed by the sweet scent of the forest. I breathe it in and smile, even if it is the most inappropriate reaction. She leads me into the living room which is filled with warmth coming from a wood stove. Two boys plus Jace sit on older looking sofas, all three of them drinking some hot drink. Jace seems comfortable but at a close look, he is tense and scared.
“Jade!” he exclaims and sets down his drink. I run over to him and slip in beside him, slithering my arms around his. Jace acts instinctively and pulls me close. Seeing me has made him protective and that side of him begins to show. “Who are you and what the hell do you want with us?”
The lady sits on the second couch across from us with the two boys. One of them has blonde hair and the other red and both of them share the same patterned freckles over the bridge of the nose but that’s where their similarities end. The blonde has brown eyes and is short, his feet barely reaching the floor. The redhead has a stern look and he stretches out with a strong presence.
“My name is Nora,” she says, leaning back. She points to the blonde then to the redhead. “That’s Karl and Martin, my helpers or otherwise known as my brothers. We’re a pretty close community here.”
“There are only three of you,” Jace says. “That’s not much of a community.”
Nora chuckles. “There are only three of us you can see. Now, you probably know why you’re here Jade.”
Jace turns to me, eyes wide. “Why would you know?”
Martin taps his foot nervously, unable to meet either of our eyes. He plays with something in his pocket with a fighting look in his eyes. I don’t answer Jace but look down. I hear Nora sigh and whisper something to one of the boys and before I know it, there is screaming. However it isn’t of fear but a battle cry. I am knocked to the floor as Martin’s body hits mine and he pins me down. I scream and kick at him, terrified by the sudden attack. No one comes to my aid.
“Let me go! Stop it! Don’t hurt her! What the hell!” he yells angrily, almost desperately.
Martin is strong and my struggle is useless against him but I continue to fight. He slashes at me with a knife but for the advantage he has, he doesn’t get me. He almost seems to be holding back. Fear and panic swarms me and I scream, feeling the sensations climb and settle in my chest. I can feel it coming on. The torturous creature that looms inside me begins to reveal itself.
The blade catches me across the cheek and blood begins to ooze down and stain my shirt. Extreme pain bursts in the soft flesh of my face and I freak out. No. It had been so long since an accident.
My eyes roll back in my head and my breath stops coming in at a regular pace. I can feel adrenaline enter my body, only fueling the starting fire more. My muscles contract and my heartbeat picks up to well over a natural pulse or even one people should be able to function at without having a heart attack. As my eyes come back, I catch my reflection in the mirror; they are not only bloodshot but the actual colour of blood.
The weight over me suddenly becomes light and I push him off with ease. The world spins and I stumble, clawing forward at the people in front of me. Jace yells at me but I don’t understand them. They are gibberish to my ears. I see the world differently; their faces warped and almost seem to melt. I had forgotten the demon-like expression beneath everyone’s smile.
I growl deeply and their eyes widen by the unnatural sound. My tongue traces my lips. It has been too long since I’ve let myself go like this.
