Venom { Bitten Sequel }

Hope

Glitch's POV

I snickered as the whip fell down on her again. I'd soaked her with ice cold water before, and then began whipping her mercilessly. She was shivering and bleeding. It was fantastic to see.

Kaoru Hitatchiin was not the only reason for her torturing. I just didn't want her to know what truly made me snap;

Her family has been enemies with our own for decades. It all started when my however-many-greats-grandfather supposedly had an affair. Hmph. Her however-many-greats-grandmother was a liar.

This little bitch bleeding before me wasn't any way related to me, fortunately. Oh, the disgust I'd feel if I were related to her. Alaria. What kind of pathetic name is that? The name of some fragile flower, I bet! Well, now, her family can rot when they see their precious flower withering by my hands!

"Enough, Glitch!"

Jace squeezed my shoulder so hard, I yelped. I dropped the whip and turned, scowling at him. "Ta-ta, my tortured bitch!" I laughed as I started out the door. "Hm. Maybe I'll make you my slave?" I heard Jace hiss at that statement, which caused me to laugh. "Oh..." And I walked out the metal door.

****

Alaria's POV

I noticed three things as Glitch left and Jace untied me.

1. I could not stop shaking no matter how hard I tried.
2. I was bleeding and bruised in more places than the average human should be in two weeks.
3. Glitch is an absolute bitch

"God! You need dry clothes now, damnit! I'll have to get Virus to go out and get some." I wanted to scream knowing both the twins were in this, but my teeth wouldn't stop chattering long enough for me to make anything other than a groan.

As Jace wrapped a large, clean, fluffy towel around my shoulders, Haruhi appeared next to me. "Mori. He's on his way now, Lari." Tears sprang into my eyes. Not of fear or sorrow, but of relief. Who knew it would work out this way? Jace noticed my tears, frowned, but didn't say anything.

***
I was sick. Sneezing, coughing, sore throat, sore muscles. No way I wasn't sick.

Although Jace had given me dry clothes and had suggested I rest, I couldn't. I was completely restless. Time seemed to drag on, though the sun was clearly lowering in the sky. Haruhi kept me company.

"How long do you think until they find me... Haruhi?" I paused for a moment to set my jaw in pain as I sat up.

"Well, it may take them a bit to find the place. And then, depending on how far away we are from them, all we have to do is wait."

I sighed. "How were they? When you saw them?"

A giggle bubbled from her lips. "Your freezing, sick, and you have many yet-to-be-tended-to wounds, and you're worried how they were?" She shook her head. "You're just like me." She smiled.

I frowned. "Of course I'm like you! Sisters forever, right?" She nodded. "Right."

****

Mori's POV

"Sir! We found her!"

The news seemed to have brought heaven down to me. "Where! Where the hell is she!" Kyoya looked at the screen and cursed. "Mori, it'll take us a couple of days to get there!" I shook my head. "No matter how long it takes, I'm getting to her and bringing her home!"

****

Alaria's POV

Two. Days.

Haruhi had told me that she'd gotten help from Mori, but what could I expect? He couldn't just automatically believe that Haruhi's ghost just told him where I was.

I hadn't slept for two days. I haven't been getting anything for my illness except more ill. And my torturing has only gotten worse.

Yesterday, she scraped barbed wire down my back and whipped me where she'd scraped me with the wire. Today, she'd lain me down on the ground and kicked my stomach and ribs until I cried. I was pretty sure a couple of my ribs were cracked.

However, I also haven't been getting a regular meal. Nor was it big enough to satisfy me. I was always hungry, and I could feel myself getting skinnier and skinnier and skinnier.

There was something wrong about today. Because now, Glitch has come back to torture me again; something that's never happened since I came here.

Her weapon this time was a whip. Of course, nothing new. But this whip was laced with barbs. Every time she whipped me with it, I screamed.

"You'll die soon enough, you know that right?"

She raised her whip once again, then stopped as a male voice called out. "DROP THE WHIP RIGHT NOW!"

We both looked up in surprise. An entire squad of what looked like SWAT men were flooded into the room, guns pointed at Glitch. Her eye twitched, but she dropped the whip. "ON YOUR KNEES!" The source of the voice wasn't clear, but it didn't matter; they'd just saved me. They had all just saved my life. Glitch got down on her knees. "HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!" And she put her hands behind her head.

Five of the SWAT men surrounded her, put her in handcuffs. She turned to me with an ice-cold glare. "You'll regret this, Alaria Mae. I'll be sure of it."

Her words echoed in my head, but I was too relieved to care what she said.

"ALARIA!"

Someone shouted my name. I turned to the source of the shout as one of the men cut my binds. It was Mori. He picked me up and hugged me. I cried out in pain. "Oh my God, Alaria!" And he set me down to get a good look at the damage.

I immediately felt lightheaded, and the entire world began to fade into dark nothingness. I fought for consciousness to stay, but it didn't.

*+*

Whispers surrounded me, enveloped in darkness. There were so many whispers, I couldn't make out what any of them said.

I turned around and found myself looking down at... Me. In a hospital bed. I gasped. Someone was holding my hand. I looked closer; it was Mori. Kyoya was on the other side of the bed, holding my other hand. A tear escaped my eye, and I watched as one escaped from my eye in reality.

Suddenly, the scene began to tint red until it looked like oozing blood. "You'll die soon enough, you know that right?"

Glitch's grinning face blinked in my vision and I screamed.

*+*

"Alaria wake up! Wake up! You're okay! It us; Mori and Kyoya! Please, Lari! Wake up!"

I struggled against pushing hands. I finally sat up with a terrified scream.

Before I could utter a single word to the two awe-struck boys at my bedside, pain hit me like a bomb. I cried out, doubling over and sobbing. "Nurse! Nurse!" Kyoya called.

A door opened and tender hands gently pushed me down into a laying position. "Here, this is pain medication." She had me swallow two pills with water. The pain continued for minutes longer before the medication took action. I evened out my breathing, annoyed of the beeping of the heart monitor. The nurse waited until everything was normal -- that's what she appeared to be waiting for -- before speaking again.

"Ms. Mae, you've taken quite a beating. Three cracked ribs, multiple infected wounds, and influenza. You're going to be put on antibiotics for your flu and infected wounds, and pain medication will be provided daily for your ribs. You blacked out due to sleep deprivation. Sound good?" The whole time while she said this, a sickening look of worry and pity were in her eyes. I ignored it and just nodded. "Alright. Try to get some rest, dear." Then she left as quietly as she came.

All was quiet for a while. Until Kyoya broke the silence. "I'm going to get coffee. I'll be back." He smiled down on me and patted my clammy hand. "I'm so glad you're back with us, alive and well." I smiled and nodded. "Me too." I whispered. Kyoya smiled again and left.

Mori squeezed my hand gently. "Glitch is in jail. Didn't get to hear how long; too pissed to linger very long." I looked over at him and found that his head was low. "Ya know, Mori?" He looked up, guilt the most obvious expression on his face. "I'd kiss you right now if I didn't have the flu." He grinned and chuckled, then leaned over me and kissed my forehead. "That will have to do for now, won't it?"

I drifted in and out of sleep, always waking up struggling and screaming, always having the same dream. It was impossible to recover like this.

But I'd make it work.

Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Hunni all came to visit. Tamaki cried as he hugged me gingerly. Hikaru and Kaoru both hugged me, just as gingerly. Hunni cheered and hugged me tight, and, even though it hurt, I enjoyed it. "We're so glad you're okay! We missed you so much!" Tamaki cried as he sat beside the bed. I smiled, silent tears streaming down my cheeks. "I missed you guys too. A lot."