Chapter Three

Incomplete, but I like what I've got so far :)

 “I know,” she breathed back as Dr. Atra took a step towards us. “What’re we going to do?”
 

My breaths came in swift, furious gasps, and blinding fury overrode any fear I had. “Damn it!” I ranted. “This isn’t fair! What did we ever do to deserve this? What?!”
 

“The world isn’t fair, Mellie,” Dr. Atra purred, inching forward with lithe steps. He knew we wouldn’t escape. The only window, the one he’d directed us towards…there was probably a mob of the corrupted waiting below with open arms.
 

“And they called us paranoid!” I shrieked, laughing wildly at the irony of it.
 

“Mel, shut up,” Laurel requested. Her voice scarcely shook as she transitioned into her coolly collected state, the place she always retreated when she was truly frightened.
 

Dr. Atra laughed, a horrible sound like scraping ice, and caught her wrist. Suddenly my sister was lying prone on the floor, and my brain scrambled to keep up, piecing together the images. Seconds after it happened, I realized that he had used his leg to sweep her feet out from under her and had a gun pointed at her head.
 

“Laurel!” I screamed, and leaped at his arm. In hindsight, that could have been a very stupid move, but the gun didn’t fire off as I hung onto the monster’s arm. “Don’t touch her!”
 

Two nurses sidled in then, with doughy smiles and a syringe full of a sinister-looking blue liquid. Dr. Atra shook me off, and the larger nurse- who possessed far greater strength than her flabby poundage would suggest- slammed me against the wall. My arms were pinned behind me by the sheer force of her weight, and she stood on my feet to trap them as well.
 

I wriggled fruitlessly under her and even spat on her mealy face, but nothing deterred the dogged creature.
 

“I think it’s high time you’re put to sleep permanently, don’t you, dear?” The other nurse chatted conversationally as she readied the needle. “It’s a mercy killing, really. Trust me.” She leaned forward confidingly, adding, “This really isn’t something you want to witness. It’s our world now, you see, so you should be thanking us!” She smiled and gave an encouraging nod.
 

I spat at her, too, and snarled, “If this world had any mercy, you’d lack a mouth.”
 

“I beg to differ on that. Nighty-night.” The nurse reached out to inject the needle into my neck. The sharp lancet inched towards my exposed skin with every second that ticked past.
 

Suddenly her weight felt heavier on me and both nurses were falling forward. Fainting? I wondered vaguely as I squirmed sideways and the syringed jabbed the wall harmlessly. “What-?”
 

“They’re dead.” The unfamiliar voice came from behind her, a warm, reassuring bass. I felt the weight lift off me as a man pulled her away and let her fall to the floor.
 

Now that the nurse’s body was no longer impeding my vision, I saw that Dr. Atra, too, lay limp on the floor. Not thinking, I ran to his side and dropped down. “No!” I cried out, shaking his shoulder. “Laurel, help me!” My sister, for once, didn’t help me, but stared blankly at me instead.
 

A sharp ache flared beneath my ribcage. “He can’t be dead!” He believed me, I added silently. I turned on the young man and woman who stood behind him. “You killed him!” I wailed in horror. Even then, I knew I was a ludicrous thing to say. Dr. Atra was corrupted. He had tried to kill me. But before that, he was my friend. My ally.
 

“Wait,” the young man said, coming up behind me and grabbing my shoulders. Probably to make sure I wouldn’t punch him. 

 Good call, I thought, slamming my elbow into his abdomen. I don’t know why I did it- clearly he wasn’t a threat to me, as he’d just stabbed my attackers, but some nonsensical part of me hated him for doing that, not just because of my friendship with Dr. Atra. I hated being subdued. I hated being rescued like a helpless damsel in distress. It made me feel weak, an emotion I’ve always worked hard not to experience. 
 

It turned out that it didn’t matter, anyway. The man didn’t even react, didn’t even gasp as my elbow connected with his stomach, though I came away bruised. It was like elbowing a rock. This stranger lived a hard life, one that forced him to be incredibly fit.
 

“Let. Me. Go,” I ordered through gritted teeth. He didn’t release me, but he let me wrench free of his arms. I whirled to face him. “Who are you?” I demanded.
 

“It’s nice to meet you, too. And you’re welcome,” the girl next to him hissed. “Saving your life was nothing.” 
 

“Miriam.” The man put a pacifying hand on her shoulder and nodded to me. “I’m James, and this is my sister, Miriam. I apologize on her behalf.”
 

Laurel still looked shaken, but she grinned. “And I apologize on my sister’s. I’m Laurel, and this is Melanie.”
 

I felt a little disgruntled at my sister’s patronizing tone but ignored it and examined the newcomers. Our saviors, I grudgingly admitted.
 

The girl was fairly nondescript, with an oval face, even tan, and layered brown hair that curved inwards as it reached past her neck. I probably would have considered her pretty except for the scowl that was affixed to her face. 
 

The man, though, caught my attention and held it. I couldn’t pull my eyes off his face. A rich, even tan darkened his symmetrical face. Prominent cheekbones graced his profile and accentuated the intense dark eyes that were bright with alertness. His lips were in a broad grin, full for a man. A strong jaw underlined this handsome face, and his hair was so dark it’s nearly black. I had to tilt up my head to see him, which came as a surprise since I was taller than average. And most notably, he wasn’t brawny but rather streamlined power, with long, defined muscles. They weren’t thick muscles that were built in a gym, but true ones earned through labor. I wondered how hard he must work, to have developed such a physique.
 

“I know who you are,” James answered my sister grimly. “And I’m afraid you’re both in grave danger. Come with us. We’ll help you.”
 

This sounded suspiciously like the lies that the corrupted Dr. Atra had fed us mere moments before. “Forgive me if I don’t take your word for granted,” I shot back with narrowed eyes. “Unless you can prove you’re here to save us, not corrupt us, I’m following you no where.”
 

“For the Being’s sake, Melanie, can’t you see sense for once?” Miriam exclaimed.
 

James shook his head. “No. I’m glad she’s wary of us. She’d be stupid not to be. But we can’t explain now, Melanie. But what I can do to prove anything to you is that I know you better than anyone, even Laurel. I know things that you’ve never written down, and have never said aloud to anyone but yourself. No human or…corrupted one, as you call them, could know that.”
 

I was afraid to hear him, yet I yearned to find out what he meant. “I have no secrets,” I rasped in a voice that was laughably faint, betraying my words indefinitely.
 

He smiled sadly and shook his head. “I know your darkest one, Melanie. As they’d say in ancient times, you’re tormented by Apollo’s sight. Cassandra’s curse.”
 

I wondered then if he was killing two birds with one stone. He knew that, mere weeks ago, I had been studiously pouring over an overview of Greek mythology. That I understood his meaning entirely, though Laurel probably didn’t. He knew I still had dreams of the future- a fact I’d never told anyone, not even my sister. Just as he said.
 

“All right,” I said abruptly, raising my chin in a gesture of false bravado. “What’s your infallible plan?” My voice was laced with sarcasm. I wanted to quash the curious look Laurel was giving me.
 

Miriam rolled her eyes. “How about the front door?”
 

“Isn’t there a crowd of…Oh. Oh.” The thought slowly dawned on me. “Dr. Atra was lying. When he was corrupted.”
 

“He wasn’t himself anymore,” Miriam corrected, exasperated. “A demon destroyed him. The demon lied to you.” 
 

I stared at her blankly.
 

In return, she gave me a flat look that informed me explicitly of my ignorance. “I’ll explain later.”
 

I fought back the desire to mimic her , reminding myself that I was seventeen, not seven.
 

Miriam turned back towards the door, but not before I saw her eyes flash. The image replayed in my mind seconds after she looked away. A scintillating luster, hard and sharp. Obsidian.
 

“Wait,” I demanded, throwing my arm out to stop her. Both Miriam and James turned with questioning looks.
 

“Laurel, it’s lying to us,” I snarled. “It’s a demon, too.”
 

Miriam snorted, then sighed, “Must we go through this charade every time?”
 

James grabbed my wrist. “Relax. It’s not what you think.”
 

“Oh, really?” I spat. “How so? You’re a demon-gone-angel, is that right? No. You’re liars, both of you.” I jerked my arm out of his grasp and dodged Miriam’s outstretched arm. 
 

Fear pulled at me and clenched my heart with a calloused fist as I fumbled to yank open the doorknob. The hallway stretched in front of me, dark and dim. Maybe it was night- it was so hard to keep track in the asylum, where everyday passed as dully as the last. Considering the overwhelming danger that strangled me now, I almost long for the monotony. Almost.
 

The walls became a sickly green blur as I ran past. Strangely, I reveled in the freedom to run as fast and as far as I wished. I was forced to remind myself that this wasn’t liberty running- this was trying to put as much space between myself and death as possible. 
 

I listened for the gentle thud of footfalls behind me, but failed to hear them. Miriam and James weren’t following me, but that meant my sister wasn’t, either. Where was Laurel?