Dog Fights

Chapter 33; What I Am

He killed her.

It took about fifteen minutes, but he killed her.

I knew the girl's name sounded familiar, but not from where. Iris. She was the one that served Ezra and I a few times at 24/7. I know they were friends, but after the raid at S1 and the mass of them had been captured, they must have forgotten their ties to one another.

Blood stains his hands, dripping from his shaking fingers as the audience screams in triumph. His face is streaked with claw marks and crimson splatters, which decorate his dirty shirt as well. His left arm has a deep gash just above his elbow, and his throat is bruised and scratched from where Iris kept trying to hit him. I understand now why he was always so uncomfortable with anyone getting near or touching his throat.

Apparently tranquilizers don't work on vampires, which I assume is from the lack of blood flow, so they have to lure Ezra back into the cage with promises of a meal and threats to my safety. I think that's how Orgon's even getting him to fight to begin with. That or Ezra gave in to the thought of being back in the rings for the rest of his life.

The next three fights aren't between people I know. Two vampires, then two werewolves, and another cross species. I don't watch these, but just listen to the announcer in case he says Ezra's name. I want to know who he's fighting in his second round. I just pray it's not another of his friends.

"Oh good, you're still here. I was worried you'd get up and leave."

I look up with tired eyes, muscles jolting as Orgon grabs me under the arm and yanks me to my feet. My hips crack as the bones finally straighten after a few hours of stillness, the numbness in my legs threatening to make me stumble as he starts pulling me towards where he disappeared to earlier. Adrenaline starts rushing through my chest.

"Where are we going?" I ask, staggering over my own words. The man just turns his head, grinning down at me and making my posture shrink. If that's not the mechanical expression I've seen in every super villain movie, I don't know what is. He has a plan, and I'm a big part of it. He told me that, but I guess I never expected the time to come.

"We're just going to get ready for Ezra's next round, alright?" he says, pulling me in front of the first row of spectators. The bleachers are a lot more packed than I originally thought, and it seems to get even hotter as we pass through and the people follow my anxious expression. Some taunt me, some holler at Orgon, and others flash shiny fangs to mock when Ezra had pulled me close and tried to figure out who I was. I turn away and avoid looking at any of them.

"It's not quite your time yet," Orgon says, leading me into a dark hallway guarded by three huge men. They step out of the way as Orgon waves and steps through with confidence. I receive skeptical looks as I slip through beside him. "But I won't have another chance to go all the way back up to the seating to get you. You'll have to wait down here until it's your time to go out."

"Are you taking me out there?" I ask, skidding my heels on the dirty concrete floor before he yanks me to keep up to his pace. "Out in the arena? Am I going out there?"

"Well," Orgon says, pulling me close to his figure as we pass a few occupied cages. I can see a set of metal doors, and hear what I assume to be the arena on the other side. My stomach twists. "Yes, but you won't be in any danger. You just have to wait until it's your time. You'll be perfectly fine."

"What am I doing?" I demand, the terror flooding my system starting to get the best of me. "Why do I have to go out there?"