That Poor Girl

***TW: Mentions of Self Harm***

Alexander stared at his reflection as he struggled to tie the tie around his neck.

His hazel eyes stared into his own his reflection showed the image of him hanging from the rail of the small closet that was behind him. With that very tie wrapped around his neck as a noose instead of the professional symbol it was supposed to be.

His breath hitched as he saw his elder sister behind him, knife in hand.

'Did she really do this to me?'

'Oh poor baby brother…' Alexander's breath caught in his throat as his hand slipped and the tie ended up cutting off his air supply.

'Are you so much like father that you seek to end your wretched life?' His elder brother sneered as he watched Alexander try and fail to loosen the tie.

'Are you so entitled…'

Alexander weakly crawled to the door of his room, that has been locked since he woke in this bed.

'That your sins bear no consequence?'

"H-hel…" The mad scientist tried to gasp any air he could find as he felt his legs sag behind him. "Hel…" he tried again, hoping someone would hear or see him… he didn't want to die..

'I'm sure Myriah didn't want her fate either…' the elder brother sneered from his left side. 'Alexandria also didn't want her fate… yet you ruthlessly delivered, did you not…'

Alexander's eyes widened as black spots danced in his vision.

'Alexandria…'

His arms gave out and his chin crashed into the tiled floor beneath him. Alexander felt a seering pain shoot from his jaw to his head and his world was black.

***

2023

"Very good, number 130613."

Green eyes remained downcast as the man in white circled her small form. "How would you rate your headache today?"

"I feel stabbing here." She pointed to the center of her forehead, "Here," She pointed to her left temple, "Here" She pointed to where her head connected to her neck.

"What would you rate the stabbing, today?" "A 7." The man in white nodded and he proceeded to scribble on his pad. "I feel burning." The girl mumbled, she pointed to the top center of her head, "Here." The man's eyes widened, "Burning?" "Fire." The girl confirmed, "It spreads."

The man slowly sat on his stool as he watched the girl twitch. "When did this start?" "In the night." her voice was monotone, never changing. The man in white could remember when she would cry and wail and she would fight. Such a tiny thing. She would scream in the night, and she was always mumbling to herself.

Weekly EST seamed to put an end to that. He watched her eyes flick to his right, then to his left and then to her shoes where they stayed. Her lips twitched and she bobbed her head, in what seamed to be a twitch.

"Last night?" He asked, the green eyed girl nodded, "Will I be tested?" The girl asked, the man nodded and he stood. "You will be monitored today." The girl nodded, "Yes sir."

***

(Present...)

Myriah and Jasmine glared at one another from across the living room. Atoli stood between the two with a stern expression on her face. Axel kept his eyes on Myriah who made it a clear point to avoid his gaze.

Edymond who had recovered from the compulsion Myriah placed him under sat opposite of Axel watching Jasmine.

"Now." Atoli murmured, "We are going to sit and talk this out like the grown adults you all like to pretend to be."

Myriah frowned and Jasmines lips curled.

"You think we're adults, girl?" The witch snapped. "That's rich. We're not adults." Axel narrowed his eyes, "Up until we were brought here, I went from cage to cage." Jasmine murmured, "I was an experiment. Barely considered human."

Myriah narrowed her eyes when Jasmine pointed at her, "And her? She went from lie to lie. She was also an experiment. Hardly considered human."

Atoli brought a hand to her mouth and she closed her eyes.

"You want us to talk it out?" Jasmine glared at Myriah, "She doesn't want to talk it out. That capability left her when she destroyed her prison." Myriah glared right back a jasmine. "And you? Blindly, ruthlessly following orders. You lost that capability when you blindly went from one master to the next." The lavender eyed girl snapped.

Axel palmed his forehead and came between the two girls when they lunged at one another. He faced Myriah and her darkening eyes.

"What do you see in her that makes you so angry?" He asked, "Do you see yourself?"

Myriahs struggles halted. She found Axels solemn gaze and her lavender eyes filled with tears.

She fell into his form with a sob. Jasmine scoffed as her own eyes filled with tears. She was about to leave the room when Edymond greeted her.

"That question is meant for you as well witch." He murmured.

Jasmine watched Axel guide Myriah from the room and she sighed, "Myriah and I are the same age… in mortal years, you know…" she murmured. "When I saw her in the facility for the first time, she healed me on the spot." She brought up her right wrist where a burn resided. "When she saw me at her fathers side. She did not see this."

Edymonds hand gently caressed the scar. "What is it?" "It's one of Alexander's weapons." Jasmine murmured. "I was the first attempt at a hybrid solder." Though the terms were foreign to him, his physical contact with the green eyed girl allowed

Him to see the visions of what she spoke.

"He put a bracelet on me. That would inject nitrate that would electrocute me from the inside out whenever I disobeyed."

"The metal caused the scarring.." the elf murmured. At jasmines nod his upper lip curled. "And yet they call us monsters…"

"Angalo saw this and he compelled Alexander to allow him to use me in his endeavors. While I still have to report… Angalo removed the device from me, and compelled Alexander to think it's still there. Atolis computer skills allow him to believe that he's still tracking me."

Edymond nodded as he eyed the girls scarred wrist. "I am sorry … for the tragedies you have been forced to endure."

"I just wish Myriah would understand… I'm as much a prisoner as she is."

Edymond sighed and tilted his head. 'She does have a point: the goddess is convinced she is not to be trusted…'

"I believe the vampire is right. You see yourselves in one another and it vexes you."

Jasmine frowned, "I don't think it's that…" she whispered, "I…" she sighed as Myriah walked back into the room.

"I …"

***

Ice like fingers wrapped around tiny arms.

The air once hot and difficult to catch a breath in was now cold and suffocating...

and then within the same breath, she could feel the air leaving her lungs by force.

A ten year old green eyed girl woke up with a loud yelp. She hurried to cover her mouth. The tiny girl stared at the face that was staring right at her. The face had to have been pretty and full at one time.. She closed her green eyes and prayed that none of the chunks got onto her bed. If her sheets got stained surely the beatings would be severe.

She prayed that no one heard her.

'Go away...' the girl silently wished, 'you are not real... you...'

"Oh but I am real, little one." Green eyes widened considerably from being squeezed shut.

"I am as real as you are." A decaying hand reached toward the trembling girl who clasped her hands over her open mouth, in hopes of stifling the scream that ripped from her throat when the bony hand wrapped around her tiny arm and held fast.

'You're not here. You're not here...' the girl tried to recite the mantra she learned when she was smaller...

"I come at your will miss."

The whispery voice continued to speak. The green eyed girl shook her head frantically.

'No! This isn't real. You aren't real.'

***

Jasmine woke to find pensive lavender eyes boring into hers.

She tilted her head and watched Myriah imitate her movements.

"Did you "unintentionally" render me unconscious again?" Myriah shook her head, unable to speak. "Did you…" the question halted when Myriah placed a tender hand on Jasmines head.

"What-"

She watched Myriah slowly stand on shaky legs and stagger to Axel who caught her in his embrace. "What…"

Axel gathered Myriah into his arms and eyed Jasmine with a solemn expression. That expression told her everything. Myriah got a glimpse into her mind. She saw….

Jasmine felt rocks weigh on her chest as she fell back onto her back and Edymond appeared at her side where Myriah sat.

'Did you see too….' Edymond placed a gentle hand on her head and whispered in his language… in what was supposed to be their language… but she didn't understand a word of what he whispered.

Her eyes fell on Myriah who was still crumpled in Axels arms. She barely registered Edymond leaning towards her as Myriah fell unconscious. She felt herself burn red as she felt Edymonds head rest against hers. The only one who had done this prior was Axel himself…

Jasmine felt the world around her dissolve, the last thought to cross her mind was: 'That poor girl…'