Waking the Courage 2

The first wave of pain came to a stop giving Saki a moment to breathe. She leaned against her bindings panting heavily trying to recover herself knowing that it would not be the end.

'What was that? What is he doing to me?'

Saki could feel the sweat over her body soaking into her clothes. It had only been a few seconds, but it was the most excruciating pain she had ever felt before.

'I feel it returning…'

Saki grounded her teeth together making them whine under the pressure and drip blood. The next wave was like dozens of needles all stabbing into her from different sides probing deeper into her brain and twisting uncaring through each corner ripping up everything as it passed. She tried to hold back her voice, but the pain was overcoming her threshold to withstand.

On the monitor were displayed grainy images to the man that poorly lit his eyes that hid behind the vines. Each of the images did not last for long but showed a young Yuki playing as well as Saki's mother. There were pictures of a classroom filled with elementary students. An annoyed twist in the vines rolled across his face as he began to manipulate the panel. The images began to gray and blurred suddenly rapidly changing.

Striking pain racked through her head pushing deeper fighting against Saki's weakening resolve. The surge that struck her broke the last efforts she had to hold back in silence her suffering bringing tears and screams.

'I can't…take this…my head is…being pulled apart…'

Saki tried to pull at the chair to get free from the invasion, but it was too strong for her. It was too much for her to endure anymore. It had to stop or she would die.

The images on the screen slowed down once more becoming clearer showing an older Yuki and classroom from her high school. A pleased roll in the vines poured out as the monitor flipped through images into the depths of Saki's mind reaching closer to the present. It was becoming clear that the subject was weakening making it easier to scan, but not much time remained. The monitor went through pictures quickly. Then everything came to a stop suddenly sitting on an image that had Yuki and Ayumi walking in a school hall together.

All of the pain came to an abrupt end for Saki as she was able to drop back in the chair slumped over with the straps being the only thing keeping her from falling over.

'Is it over? I can't feel…anything…'

Saki tried to pull herself together, but nothing was moving for her. She could not even feel the sweat that was thinly coating her entire skin. Every nerve ending on her body was raw and ringing. It was as though static was flowing through her.

'I-I…Hitomi…'

The man stood up from his chair letting the monitor and everything with it retract and disappear into the ground. He stepped over to the chair that held Saki beginning to undo the straps on her. His vines were surrounding her waiting until she was free to be taken away. When the last strap on her Saki's leg was being loosened Saki's eyes came into focus and summoned her body back together. Her leg ripped through the strap, already nearly freed, striking the man in the chest knocking him back. Saki stood up on the chair using it for height, since it was an anchor to the ground by bolts, launching herself with her knee up connecting it with the man's chest up to his chin. He fell back over his chair to the ground with the vines laying still.

'He's still awake… got to hurry…'

Saki came to a landing on the floor rolling into the wall not having planned after throwing everything she had left into her leg. It had been enough to momentarily stun the man, but she knew from Yuki and his fight that the power remains until they are dead or unconscious.

'Anything? This light is too bright…'

Saki pulled herself up while she scanned the room trying to get a better view, but still only seeing the bleached walls. She ran her hands over the walls feeling out for anything that she could find until she discovered glass. Saki ran over picking up the metal chair that the man had been using and threw it at the glass shattering it.

The hole breathed fresh cool air into the humid room and gave her an exit. Saki climbed up without a second thought getting halfway through the window before her leg was grabbed by a vine from the man starting to act.

'No! I got to get out!'

Saki struggled against the plant that was tightly wrapped around her ankle pulling at her. Her waist that was on the window seal pressed against the broken glass tearing into her school uniform. Saki braced her arms against the outside wall putting all of her weight against the leg feeling it start to stretch slightly like it would pop out on her. She bit through the pain knowing it was paling in comparison to what she had already been through. The struggle gained Saki more ground getting her body almost out of the window. On the ground, out of the corner of her eye, a shard of glass that she broke was in reach of her.

She lowered her arm down fighting against the strain on her to reach the glass. Her fingers rolled over the edge bringing it a little closer to her grasp. A bit more stretching was all Saki needed as her fingers quickly picked up the shard. Saki bent up to the window getting the glass against the vine that was holding on to her and cut through it using it like a knife quickly dropping her to the grass.

Out of the window, countless vines suddenly appeared grasping out for her. Saki rolled across the grass getting up to her feet and running away from the warehouse as fast as her legs could take her.