Closing Time

64.

They were dead. They were all dead.

I didn't need to open my eyes. I couldn't feel any auras anymore. It felt lonely all around. And quiet.

A soft growl beside my ear broke the silence that had fell. I grimaced as the smell of rancid meat was forced through my nostrils. Turning my head away, I tried not to gag. "My god, Lou. Get this hellhound a mint."

Cloud's growl and Lou's laugher merged together as he spoke. "He says you stink too, but atleast your blood smells good."

I opened my eyes, meeting one red eye sideways. "Kindly get away from me, Cloud."

He growled again, a warning this time before pulling away. I felt his cold aura take a circle around me, stopping behind my back. I felt him move. There was the cold sensation of razor sharp teeth pressing against my wrist. I felt myself stiffen until the ropes started snapping one by one.

A hiss escaped me as air hit my open wounds, burning them as I pulled my hands around to the front. My shoulders screamed in relief as I stiffly pulled my arms back around to the front, relaxing their tense posture. I groaned, rolling them and hearing the bones pop and crack.

"Thanks... Cloud." I mumbled, looking over my hands. No blood but...

"Don't worry." Lou spoke up. "It won't scar. I don't think it cut deep enough."

"It didn't..." I couldn't peel my eyes away from the red welts and the small cuts with just the slightest sign of blood welling through. "I've never been tied up like this."

"You're missing out then." Lou snickered, his response almost immediate. "It's an interesting experience."

"Demon, give it up." Mike sighed. "You know what she means."

"I can't help it." I turned to look at Lou, who flashed me a charming smile. "Be a dear and get us out of here, will you?"

I nodded, looking away from my hands and reaching down to untie my feet. My frozen fingers moved slowly, but the ropes peeled themselves off my feet a few minutes later. The rope burns were a lot more noticeable on one foot than the other due to the swelling. It was an angry pink against my skin, everything looking slightly gray due to the faint light streaming in.

Lifting the foot, I placed it across my lap. It twinged at the movement. Ignoring the pain, I twisted it a bit to check the damage. This may be hard to walk with.

A scraping sound dragged my attention up towards the only moving figure in the dark. Gray was alive. Just barely. His aura was a shadow of itself, hanging in with a thread.

"What a surprise." Mike's voice was almost taunting, eyes on the figure drawing itself across the floor. "Demon, your hellhound is defective."

Cloud growled behind me, making his way towards Mike. "Leave him alone." I spoke up, resting my foot on the ground again. "He's gone." Not now. But soon enough.

"No. He's going..." I put some weight on my foot as Lou spoke up. "... somewhere. Maybe you should stop him, Cloud."

I snickered as I heard the name. "So, it stuck, huh?"

"Unfortunately."

My foot twinged as I put some more weight on it. My other foot was starting to regain feeling as well. "Here goes nothing." I mumbled to myself, pushing myself off the chair slowly.

My foot gasped in pain, almost twisting sideways till I placed my entire weight on one foot. "This is bad."

"You can do it." Mike sounded hopeful. "We're not in any hurry, but it would be preferable to... speed up."