Chained (The Siren Series #2) (2 page)

Just thinking about food made me hungry,
but there’s no way I’m eating
that
slop. The food that spilt onto the walls had already
started to form a hard crust around it. Finally admitting defeat
for now, I tried to find a comfortable position. I then
waited.

More screams and curdle cry’s of pain filled
my ears. Were they torturing people down here? I hope I’m not next
on their list, I had no information to give them. The screams got
louder and more terrifying, I just wanted them to stop. As I tried
to think clearly, my thoughts would disappear from my grasp or I
would forget simple words to hold a sentence together. Soon the
numb wave was back and I could feel myself slipping away back into
the darkness where it scared me the most.

Pain dragged me back into the harsh
reality. My wrists were now covered in specks of dried blood. The
metal shackles were cutting into my flesh. I looked carefully at
the cuffs around my wrists, the pain was growing and I needed to
get them off. I looked them over but there was no key hole or a way
to undo them. I tried to pull them off or to loosen, but they
brought me more pain. I wanted to scream with frustration, but I
couldn’t. I needed to get out of this place before I go mad. I was
so busy with my wrists that I didn’t notice that there was someone
looking down at me. I peered up and two leaches stood over me with
their sick twisted smile.

I tried to back away from them but there was
nowhere to go. The leaches easily unlocked my chains and forced me
onto my feet. For the first time I could feel a tiny bit of relief.
I looked down at my wrists; there were deep slashes across them. I
tore my eyes away from them only to be ushered out of my cell.

“
Where are you taking me?” I asked with
my frail voice.

They didn’t answer; they just pushed me
forward and out of the cell. The room beyond my cell looked
familiar. The same stains stuck to the floor, along with pools of
blood dotted around the many cells entrances. Each room was
numbered, I looked back at my so-called room, and I was number six.
As I walked past the many doors I could hear screams and whimpering
coming from the rusted out-doors. I held onto myself as the leaches
behind me snarled and prodded me. My body was weak, but I didn’t
want to fall in front of these creatures, they would only enjoy
seeing me suffer.

We came to a set of stairs that led up and
out of the dungeons. Carefully, I took each step at a time. I tried
to catch my breath when I finally reached the top.

“
Where are you taking me?” I asked
again.

They just snarled and pushed me forward.

We walked down a darkened stone floor
corridor and along the walls were scratches and specks of blood.
The three of us walked through a badly battered door and one of the
leaches pulled me to a stop. I stood there waiting in a dimly lit
area covered with dirty stone walls. I stood there shivering from
the bitter cold. I was still dressed in my jeans and top but they
were in shreds. The leaches stood beside me as if they were waiting
for something. Around me gas lamps burst into flame and colour
filled my vision.

At one of the side doors, out came a tall and
well built man, and accompany him was Dr. Moss. They strode over
towards a throne-like chair that was the focus of the entire room.
The well built man took his seat while smiling gleefully at me. The
doctor stood at his side with his head down at the floor.

“
It’s finally nice to see you awake,
Siren” The man’s voice carried throughout the stone filled
walls.

“
Dr. Moss.” I tried to get his
attention but the doctor didn’t answer. He remained with his head
bowed to the floor.

The well built man looked at the doctor and
laughed. “He cannot help you, you are mine now.”

“
I’m no ones.” I said
weakly.

The man roared laughing in his chair. He sat
forward in his seat as if he and I were the only ones in the room.
“You are mine until I am done with you, little Siren!” He almost
spat the words out.

The gas lamps lit up all his features on his
scared covered face. He had long black hair that stuck to his
sweaty face and deep pink scars under both eyes. His nose was
straight but curved at the tip. He might have been good looking
once, but time was no friend to him.

Around me the leaches closed in. They all
bowed their heads and I was stuck in the middle along with the
other two standing beside me. I was slowly getting scared by the
second, was this it? Would I die here?

“
What do you want?” I asked
him.

“
Well I want your power, that’s all.” He
said “you can
join
us if you
wish?”

“
I will never help you. Just kill me
now and get it over with!” I tried to shout.

“
No, no, my dear, you are far too
valuable to kill. Maybe a few more days in the cell will change
your mind?”

“
No, please!” I cried out. I didn’t
want to go back down there. I had to get out of here. I closed my
eyes and tried to find any ounce of energy I had left. I opened my
mouth and tried to scream with all the energy I had. My throat
closed up and my head began to swim. I suddenly lost my balance and
fell to the floor. My mind began to spin and all the colours began
to merge into one. Around me laughter and snarls filled the
room.

“
That stuff we’ve been injecting into you.
It’s to stop your abilities; you are powerless against us all.”
Again he erupted into laughter “and it’s all thanks to the
wonderful doc’ here. He’s quite the genius when it comes to
chemicals.”

His words ran straight through me like shards
of glass. I was powerless and alone. I clenched my hands into
fists.

I looked up to Dr. Moss with anger and he
still had his head down, he wouldn’t meet my gaze.

“
Someone get her up, it’s a bit
depressing.” said the man sitting in the throne-like
chair.

The leaches beside me grabbed onto my arms
and pulled me up onto my feet. I pulled back and thrust my fist
across one of the leach’s face and hit it hard. Pain shot though my
hand and I clenched it against my chest. There was silence, no one
spoke. The bruised leach looked towards his master for his approval
and he replied with a nod. The creature brought the back of his
hand against my face and sharp pain cut against my skin. I stood my
ground. Blood trickled down my cheek, he had nicked my
skin.

Then the leaches sniffed the air around
them. They could smell the scent of my blood; they closed in
around
me like a pack of hungry
hyenas. They outstretched their claws, ready to strike. I slowly
backed away from them. A stinging pain quickly traveled up my arm,
as one of the leaches beside me had slashed at my skin. I winced
out in pain as it licked the tiny amounts of blood from its talon
claws. It smiled as it tasted my life-force, and then he wanted
more.

Faster they approached, they each wanted a
taste.

“
No, not again. Please, no. Stay
away”
I screamed
inside.

“
Enough!” a voice shouted. The leaches
stood still and dispersed leaving me clutching at my fresh
wound.

“
Take the siren back to her cell, and give
her
something
for
the pain.” He told the doctor.

Dr. Moss weaved around the leaches and
slowly picked me up off the floor. Touching his hand felt weird. I
expected for him to turn into the animal I’ve come to expect from
others, but my powers were truly gone and for once in my life I
really needed them.

The doctor ushered me down the stairs and
back into the pits of the dungeons. I tried to fight against his
grip but it was too strong.

“
Don’t struggle.” He gruffly
said.

“
So you’re with them now are you?” I
asked.

He remained quiet on the subject.

“
Answer me!” I yelled and a sharp pain
made its way to my throat.

“
I don’t have to tell you anything,
just shut up and do as your told.” He replied.

As we moved towards my cell, panic began to
slowly creep in. I didn’t want to be shackled up again. I tried to
pull away from him once I saw the chains swinging from the
wall.

“
Please don’t do this!” I tried to
say.

“
Do you think I want to do this?!” he
replied quickly.

“
Then don’t, you have a
choice.”

“
No, I don’t.” he said.

The doctor replaced the cuffs back on
without saying anymore. Fresh pain traveled throughout my wrists
and I wanted to cry, but not in front of
him.
The blue eyed doctor pulled out his black
concoction and slowly brought the needle towards my neck. The fear
inside me seized up all of my muscles and I just wanted to scream.
It then burrowed into my neck and I could feel the liquid flowing
throughout my body. Fear and pain was replaced by a soft darkness,
and I gladly let it take over.

I awoke to the sounds of ringing in my ears.
Slowly it tried to drill its way into my brain. I gritted my teeth
and tried to deal with the pounding pain. The tingling sensation
was back and this time it was making my arms and legs feel heaver
then they actually were. Sitting on the ground was another metal
tray of the same goop that decorated the wall. Deep down I wanted
to devour it in one sitting, but it didn’t look or smell edible. I
ignored it, I can still hold out a little more. But those words
were a lie. I would surely die down here. More ringing shot though
my head and I had to fight the urge to scream.

Tears flowed down my face, how many had I
shed while being here? I couldn’t even wipe them away, I was a
total mess. Shuffling footsteps stopped my train of thought. I
didn’t care anymore what they stuck into me or their failed
attempts of trying to intimidate me. The rusted-out door came alive
with a sharp moan and I welcomed the fresh air. It was the blue
eyed doctor again. He held a glass in his right hand and offered it
to me. He placed it softy to my lips and I drank the cool
refreshing liquid, trying carefully not to choke. The dryness
inside my throat was washed away. I finished the glass and I just
stared at him, how could someone so caring, be so cruel. What had I
done to him? Did he know from the start what I was? My mind was too
broken to finish any thoughts.

“
I wish I could help you Ellie, I do”
he said softly.

I just hung my head. I didn’t want to
listen to him anymore. Unless the words are
I’ll free you
. I just didn’t want to know.

“
I’m sorry Ellie but..” his words were
cut short.

The ground above us shook with force and
chips of stone broke away from their foundation. The doctor looked
around, his face startled. He rushed off locking the door behind
him with a metallic clunk.

“
What’s going on?” I asked.

I closed my eyes, more shakes came from above
and this time there were loud shouts coming from outside of the
cell. I stood there listening to the loud yells and explosions from
afar. A bright light pierced its way through the peep hole. It was
warm and inviting. It felt familiar. Slowly, I tried to get to my
feet. The light was getting brighter and warming up my entire body.
My cell door started to contort and peel away from its once strong
hinges. It was thrown to the side like a crumpled piece of paper.
The light engulfed my entire room leaving no shadows to dwell. I
tried to shield my eyes from the radiance and prepared myself for
the worst.

“
Ellie?” the seductive voice
called.

That voice. I lowered my hands and in the
doorway was Rhea. My heart soared, I was saved. I walked forward
only to be restricted by the wrist cutting chains. She stood in the
doorway bathed in a glowing white light. She was truly a goddess
and she was here to save me.

“
Rhea?” I cried.

“
What have they done to you Ellie?” she
said.

Rhea walked into the room and with a wave of
her wrist the metal shackles fell to the floor. I breathed a sigh
of relief. I was free. Rhea placed her healing hands on me. Her
ebbing light found its way into my body, and I could feel my skin
knitting itself back together. Slowly, my strength came back, and
the tingling sensation gone.

“
Ellie?” said a voice. I looked over
Rhea’s shoulder and standing there with a gentle smile across her
lips was Sophia. She walked into the bright cell and smiled a
bright smile. I was so happy to see them that tears were
obstructing my view.

“
Let’s go, we need to get back up top.”
Rhea ordered.

“
Why can’t we just leave now?” I
asked.

“
This stone is enchanted and prevents
me from teleporting.”

Rhea walked back through the door and left me
and Sophia safely behind her. I was ready to say goodbye to this
pit and I hoped I’d never see it again.

Sophia helped me up the stairs, only now
noticing that Rhea was leaving a trail of ash behind her. She must
have killed a lot of leaches to get here and that made me smile. We
reached the top of the stairs, but I had to stop for breath. I
inhaled deeply but the air stung my lungs. I coughed and
spluttered, while trying to find new breaths of air. I still hadn’t
gotten my full strength back.