Beg for my life

“Please, I don’t want to die!”

I wanted to say something clever, something that would allow my last act in life to be one of cunning and intellect. Instead, all that came out of my mouth was a pathetic whimper and the words I don’t want to die.

I dropped to my knees and couldn’t help but cry. “What did it matter any more”, I thought, “I’ve already telegraphed my fear to the world. So what if they see me crying? What will it prove that everyone doesn’t already know!”

My prison became blurry as tears clouded my eyes. Or maybe this was the poison gas Ssakcik had promised.

Everything is fading and being replaced by pure, white light. I’m no longer in that prison and I’m no longer kneeling on the floor either. I can feel motion and something warm and comforting surrounding me. I have never felt this safe or content before.

“Hush little Raven, things are not as bad as they seem.”

The voice sounded like Ssakcik’s, only it wasn’t as harsh as it usually was. It was still commanding, but with the tone of a loving father rather then a deranged fiend. Or at least this is how the loving fathers on television always sounded. I couldn’t know for sure how a loving father would sound as mine was literally and metaphorically a deranged fiend.

“No more crying, just relax.”

OH MY GOD! I think he’s cradling me in his arms… like I was a child! I want to hate this, I truly do, but I feel so warm and safe in his arms. I know I’ll loath myself even more, but I can’t resist the need to cuddle.

“See, don’t you feel better now?”

I closed my eyes and nodded. I felt ashamed but at the same time he was right; I did feel better.

I was no longer warm. Now I was hot. Hot and wet!

“You just relax now and I’ll come check on you in a little while.”

My eyes sprung open but Ssakcik was already gone. I don’t know where he could have went though seeing how there was nothing but white light in all directions, except for the tub of water I was sitting in.

I was apparently sitting in an old fashion claw foot style bath tub though it was two or three times bigger then any I had ever seen.

Wait, was it? After inspecting myself I was relieved that it was in fact the bathtub which was oversized. With all the strangeness that had just happened I was afraid for a second that Ssakcik had changed my body back to when I was a little girl. Thankfully though that was not the case.

I noticed a small table within reach of the bath. On it was a small vile of shampoo, a bar of soap, and an ancient book.