I stand in the entry room .
I read the ticket .
Somewhere , i hear the sound of angels· choir .
---
The rust-patinaed door slides open on well-oiled hinges .
There is a woman in the center of the room . Her arms are chained to the ceiling . She looks like me , we both come from the same genetic stock . She was made softer . I was made harder . Alas .
I·ve been duing tickets for a long time .
---
The beast that comes out of the entry chamber is twice my size . His carapace looks like it were chiseled into him . Beneath the bony ridges and strange protrusions i can tell that we come from the same genetic stock . So many of us grew from so few prefabs .
The beast comes over to me in stomping thuds that shake the implements on the table next to me . It looks- He looks at me like i·m nothing . My wrists hurt , the metal shackles cutting into my wrists . I try my best to not cry .
Remember your training .
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With my tail , i bat the table full of implements out of the way .. She flinches and shrieks ..
Turning my body towards her , i lift up her face by her chin , forcing her to look at me . Her eyes dart across my bony features , taking them in , measuring them , examining them . I take her chin between two fingers and lock our gazes . Her mind probes for what isn·t there .
Her body stills , slackens slightly , her panicking edge dissipates .
I let go of her chin and raise my hand as if to strike her . She flinches , winces , expects the blow . I take her chin between my two fingers and lock our gazes . Yod he ve he . Her body slackens again , she whimpers .
I blink .
I wait .
---
There·s no sense fighting . I can·t go anywhere
Huldra is watching . HcoSaNa in the highest . I close my eyes . He pries them open with his other hand . His eyes are empty .
He raises his hand again . I don·t need to be told twice .
I see stars and the pain comes after , first deep in my bones and then across my skin . There·s a blank streak across the inside of my mind , for a second it feels like i·m drifting . Then i·m back in hell .
Klaxons bellow distantly from one of the floors below .
The chains won·t let me sleep .
The next blow hits me in the gut . The breath rushes out of me , my muscles cramp , and for a second i·m suffocating , panicking .
Remember your training .
He stamps on my foot . I yelp . Air rushes in , i can breathe . I hear gunfire . Breathe .
If he hears it too , it doesn·t phase him .
He hits me across the same cheek .
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Gut punch . Cheek elbow . Right cross . I bring up my thigh and twist my ankle , bringing my foot up , over , and down on her thigh . Her knee buckles and the chains go taut , she shrieks . Around pivot . Around pivot . With my tail , i lift up the hem of her dress , and let it drop to the ground . Spine rake . She twists , her legs kicking . I slash across her breasts . They bleed .
Back step .
She screams , sobs , weeps , as she struggles to stay balanced on her feet . Wet humidity steams as it touches me . It·s hot down here .
She has a lot left to go .
They still let her wear clothes . I rake one clawed finger up her feathered thigh , pulling up the hem of her threadbare cotton dress as i do . She smells nice . I notice that i can smell , this round .
I lift up her dress , look at her body . Without blemish . Typical .
Huldra reaches from Hell to the Stars .
There is a forge in the corner of the room . From it i retrieve a hot iron .
DressStrap Lift . DressStrap burn .
She winces , anticipates me burning off the other strap . I let it slide off . I study her eyes , keeping us entrained .
The tip of the iron singes her . She jolts , overcompensates . I wait for her to regain her balance , she does a pretty good job of not darting her eyes back and forth from my face to the glowing cinder . The iron provokes a visceral response . She jumps . I wait . She jumps . I wait .
I watch her eyes to know how to sculpt . The slightest touch causes her to spike , i see her suppress a wince . Facing her so that she can maintain visual on the ember , i let the aura of it heat her skin . Our eyes watch the same glowing ember .
Dip .
Singe .
Wince .
Lift .
Slower now .
Dip .
Singe .
Wince .
Lift .
There·s tears in her eyes .
---
He hits me across the face with the hot iron . The bone , already bruised , starts to buckle . First there·s a glow , it·s a glow that gets hotter and hotter until i can·t stand it . It makes me want to get away from my face , to turn myself inside out , to wrench myself away from my own senses .
The beast approaches me and takes my chin in his hand . He won·t let me wrench away , forces me to stay present with the burning so close to my own eyes .
"P u s h i n t o i t ." His voice is like gravel grinding into itself .
Somewhere , i can hear angels· choir .
I force myself to my senses . I burn hotter than the sear . He cups my cheek in his hand .
"A n d i c a n e v e n " his voice grinds out ,
"c o n f e r i m m u n i t y
t o p a i n ."
His words bewilder me . He doesn·t give me time to contemplate before the iron is hot in my side , the left , the left , i jump , my body , jumps , and i try not to twist my ankles as the chain keeps my hands tied to the ceiling .
"P u s h i n t o i t ." He orders me again , and the pain gives me no quarter . I force myself into my own side , pushing my consciousness into my own tissue . The wrenching tears my half-scabbed breasts , blood pours again down my front . I cry . It just comes up out of my throat and then i·m sobbing . He won·t let me go .
He rests the dimming tip on my clavicle , rolling it across the bone , leaving a wide line that turns pink and then angry red . It burns .
I push to the front .
It burns . I push into it .
My side burns . I push into it .
My face burns . I push into it .
He stabs me in the front , bluntly , as one would extinguish an iron in a bed of charcoals .
My front burns .
I push into it .
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