Chapter 2: Alecia

Alecia still hung in place by her shackles. She has only slept a few hours before waking up to screams going on outside the dark cell she was kept. Such screams she has grown accustomed to during the five years she's been here.

The door opened to her cell, a bright light, forcing her to shut her eyes. Slow steps were heard moving ever closer to her.

The sigh of a man's voice were heard before having her arms freed from her shackles, causing her to drop to the floor, weak and helpless. The man lifted Alecia to her feet and held her by the arm as he dragged her out of tbe cell.

Slowly adjusting her eyes to her surroundings, Alecia saw Eva walking backwards, staring straight at her with a slight smile. She can't be real.

Eva turned around and continued walking ahead of them.

"Nice time to stretch your legs," she said.

Alecia scoffed.

"Leave me alone."

"You don't get to make demands here, girl." The guard snapped, tightening his grip on her arm as he continued to escort her to what she dreaded most.

Eva turned to face her as she walked backwards once more.

"If I had my way," she said, glaring at him face to face.

"I'd end him here and now."

"B-but you can't. Not like this."

The guard stopped, and moved his face ever closer to hers, his fowl breathe went up her nostrills, before she turned her head away.

"Still have a mouth on you, don't you. I know just the thing to shut you up.

Eva glared at the guard before fading away into a black after image.

"We will get free," Eva's voice could be heard in her head.

"It's just a matter of time."

Alecia remained silent as the guard continued escorting her down the hall of cells, all with crying voices.

"If you can somehow get that thing off your neck," Eva's voice echoed through her mind.

"Then maybe we can use our abilities to get us out of here."

"It's not the collar. It's something else." Alecia muttered under her breathe.

The guard chuckled.

"You really are going nuts aren't you."

The guard went into a room, prisoners of different aliwn species are held up agaibst the wall with pipes in their mouths. He took off the collar. Not this again, this pipe, it's the only reason she's still alive. She has lost count how many times she's forced to get fed from a device as horrible as this.

"No! Please I don't want to!"

"You need to, just like everyone else!" He shouted.

He shackled her against the wall, before the pipe shoved its way down her throat. Her scream turned into a choke as it went further down her throat. Just like the other life forms next to her.

Her eyes begun to tear up as the hideous liquid slowly flowed into her stomach. She should be use to this.

Why...

A pillar of smoke formed into Eva before her.

"For the record Alecia, I don't enjoy seeing you suffer like this." She said, tilting her head slightly while watching.

Eva averted her eyes.

"I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Hearing her voice, it was a slight comfort knowing that there's someone there for her, real or not.

She looked at Eva with teary eyes, and saw her hand touch her face. All she could do was close her eyes and waited until it was over.

"At least Aven is going through the same thing you are," Eva said, a slight smile formed on her face, a smile of compassion.

"That's if he's still alive. Hang on, Alecia. Hang on."

She stroked her face, but Alecia felt no sensation on her skin. After awhile, like many times before, she fell asleep as blackness clothed her once more.

--

Alecia opened her eyes to the familiar bleakness. The same cold cell she has always known, the same shackles around her arms, the same collar.

"You are awake." Eva's voice echoed in her mimd once again.

"Please... Stop talking to me."

"This place, before we came here. I never knew it going to be this bad."

"What do you know?" Alecia replied.

"You're not the one suffering."

"I'm not doing well either here, you know. I am growing weaker the longer we're kept here. It's become difficult for me just to talk to you.

"Then save your strength. Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone. Please." Her voice trailed off into a whimper.

"Have it your way. I'm just trying to help."