The Scarlet Knife

Welcome back

They were absolutely everywhere.

Walking the halls, checking up on victims. They would gaze into my cell and smile, when they saw my mask their smiles either grow or disappear. They were mocking me. I could practically hear their thoughts. We've got you now.

I woke up maybe four hours ago. The children in the cells next to me looked curious and confused. I shouldn't be here, I'm too old. I know anyone my age still in the facility is just a strong soul barely clinging to life. That they too had been young when they were taken and brought here. That everyday their mind has grown stronger while their body grew weaker. I would know better than anyone. And here I am at seventeen years young, seemingly unharmed in this prison.

I was freezing, the floor was made of stainless steel, and my leather jacket had been taken while I was unconscious. I had chill pricks on my arms and legs, and my skin was turning transparent, I could actually see my veins. My body ached, my head pounded, and my hair was an absolute mess. Seriously, I cringed at my reflection in the glass. I looked dead.

I wished I was.

I played with my mask for a while. Pulling gently at the ribbons, feeling the soft cool material. I even put it on for a moment, finding comfort in the familiar feel of protection. Even if it no longer protected me. I could always pretend. In fact pretending was the key to survival here.

You have to pretend not to care. They hurt you? Whatever... They torment you? No big deal... They treated you like a lab rat? You never even noticed. Just pretend all of that's true, and you can survive. Mentally at least.

I was lost in thought, staring at my I now unrecognizable reflection, when a shadow covered me. I looked up to see a Coatman standing before me. He had blood stains on his crisp white jacket, and his smile screamed intimidation. But he didn't scare me.

He was an older man with a cold, cold heart. Grabbing my upper arm he lifted me up, his nails dug into my skin. I didn't flinch. He dragged me out of my cell and into another room. This one was completely white with two chairs in the center. He dropped me in one of them then sat in the other.

"So..." His voice was smooth and curious. Almost friendly. "I just want to talk to you. Is that alright?" I gave a stiff nod for him to continue. "Aura it's been a very long time. Nearly ten years I believe. I bet you never thought you'd be back here. Tell me darling, when you first woke up and saw where you were, were you scared?" His smile was a bit too proud for my liking.

"No. I have never feared the facility. I will never fear the facility." My voice was harsh and sharp. I won't show weakness. That's how they win. And they can't win.

"Why did you kill those people then? If you aren't scared of us, why kill us?"

"Because you deserve to die." I said it simply and quickly. "You kill others without a second thought. Children. You murder children. They could have lives, families of their own. But you take them anyway. You. Deserve. To. Die."

"Oh but my dear, you're no different." He chuckled. "You kill my employees without a second thought. They could have lives too, some already have families, but you kill them anyways." Is he really...? He... No!

"How dare you! I am nothing like you, nothing! Yes I have taken lives but I have saved more than I could possibly count. I help others unlike you! You disgust me!" I jumped out of my seat too angry to stay still. "You kill kids! Little innocent kids! I kill monsters, who have no remorse for their actions! They are all far from innocent. They don't deserve a second chance, they don't deserve to live. Those kids have done nothing wrong, they deserve a chance, a life, they deserve nothing you do to them!" I felt tears in my eyes but I refused to let them slide. "Don't talk to me like you know me! You know nothing about me! You know..." He cut me off.

"I know everything. I know you were three when we first took you. That your mom cried, I know when you arrived you cried day and night. I know you befriended a young girl named Grace. I know she died from a failed experiment. That you mourned her loss as if she was family. I know you escaped at age seven. That you vowed to escape when Grace died. I know everything!" His words shook me. He did know everything. If not then close to. I didn't speak. I couldn't speak. I could only stare.

"You my little scarlet angel are trapped. And this time," he stood up and whispered into my ear. I could feel his breath, hot on my neck. "We're not letting you go."

A familiar question entered my mind, and I couldn't help whispering...
"Why me...?"

Why?