SHORT STORY - Lena and the Band of Assassins - Part 04

Lena woke up with a headache. A dreadful, painful ache. She barely opened her eyes before her entire body started to hurt. Pain like she had never thought possible surged through her body. What was going on? She couldn’t think - couldn’t move. Her entire world at the moment was pain.

Why was she hurting so bad? Where was her mama? What was –

Mama…

Suddenly, the memories came rushing back. Lena flung her eyes wide open, even her eyelids hurting. She was lying on cold stone that bit into her skin. She could barely see. Vision unfocussed and foggy. It was dark. At first she thought impossibly dark, but soon enough she started to see shapes. Bags? Boxes? Lena just lay there, unable to move and barely able to think. Her eyes slowly adjusting to the blackened room.

Where was her mama? She was on the floor in the hallway, but why? Was Lena experiencing what her mama experienced? That didn’t make any sense…

That man with the red hair… He hit me…

But that couldn’t be. What man would want to hurt another human being? She couldn’t possibly be hurting this bad from someone… beating her? True, in her entire life she had barely felt pain before, but this was too much. Something that should’ve been impossible to tolerate. How was she still alive? Was she still alive? Was this hell? This cold and unthinkable place had to be hell.

Tears started to roll down Lena’s unfeeling cheeks. She was still unable to think properly. One of the side effects of the drug she took yesterday. I took too much. Lena reminded herself. But we were supposed to lose ourselves. That man, the one with the scar. We were supposed to have fun… What happened?

The pain couldn’t possibly be a byproduct of the drug. But at the moment, she couldn’t comprehend any other reason for her predicament, for her suffering.

Light. Sudden and blinding. Lena rolled on her back, trying to avoid the source of the illumination. The move made her yelp from pain. She was not in hell however. She was most assuredly still alive – and inside one of her kitchen’s storage rooms.

“Time for your bath, whore.”

Ice cold water was splashed on her. The sudden shock of the chilling water made her body jerk. Each motion causing her pain.

“Oh, you are finally awake.” She heard heavy footsteps, getting closer. “We were wondering when you would finally decide to stop lounging in here.” A sandaled foot pushed her on her side. She suffered through the rough treatment as she looked up. And saw her white haired champion. “Hello, princess.”

“Y-you…” Lena barely whispered. Her teeth started to chatter from her now soaked clothing. She was only wearing her flimsy undergarments.

She couldn’t see the man’s face as he turned and exited the room. He left the door open, allowing Lena a slight glimpse into the horror that was her kitchen. The counter that she saw was bloodied. So much so, that a small pool of blood appeared under it, droplets falling diligently from the counter’s edge. She saw another shape at the edge of her vision. Whatever it was, it didn’t move.

Soon, her captor returned. Lena could see that he was carrying a wooden cup in one hand. He crouched on his haunches, placing the cup on the ground between him and Lena.

“Today, you need answer only one question.” He said. “Answer it truthfully and you receive a cup of water. Understand?”

“What – “ Lena tried speaking, but coughed. She was still coughing when the man continued.

“Good. Now what did you give me yesterday? What was inside that vile?”

Gave him? Did he mean the liquid they drank? Her thoughts were still so foggy; she could barely string two together. “Fer -, f -, ferment - “

“Speak up now. We don’t want to join our dead whore mother now, do we?”
Lena couldn’t comprehend those words. Dead? Her mama can’t be dead. She was still so young, so vibrant. So full of love. No. This wicked man was just taunting her. Water, she needed water.

“Fermented Extract – “ She whispered.

“Hmmm?” The man lifted the cup, swirling the water inside.

“Of -, of Green Mountain Mush -, Mushrooms.” Lena whimpered, barely able to get the words out.

“Fermented Extract of Green Mountain Mushrooms.” The man said. “Good girl. Take your reward, we will speak again soon.”

He got up and left her there, cup of water on the ground in front of her. He closed the door to the hellish kitchen, returning her world to darkness. Water, she had to drink some water.

Every muscle in her body screamed at her not to move, but she had to… get that cup. She brought it to her mouth, hand shaking, and leaned over to drink. It smelled funny, but she guzzled the water down. She drank… the…

Lena started to throw up something fierce. The cup was not filled with water. It was filled with paint. She retched everything in her stomach, even though she felt like there was nothing left, she continued to heave.

She lay there, in a puddle of paint and bile of her own making. Her entire body trembling. These men… They… they… they… they… they…

Lena started to scream – but wretched again. A feeling she had felt only a couple of times in her life started to take hold of her – no – grab her. She wasn’t sure what it truly was, for she had only heard others talk about it. And the few time she had experienced it, was fleeting. But she felt it now, by all that was beautiful in the world she felt it soaring through her, pulsating inside her destroyed body.

Hate.

She grappled for that feeling, not wanting to ever let it go. This new feeling, it engulfed her, giving her life, giving her purpose. The rage only built, and built – and built.

And the stone walls of the kitchen’s storage room echoed with her screams.