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"A gift?"

The time that had passed seemed to be mere seconds, but she knew it had been a while.

She had been staring, walking almost ghostlike, through the shrine. Truly she was less of a shade than usual, her feet guiding her. It felt weird having feet really, wasn't floating normal? That thought in mind is what brought her here, staring up at a goddess adorned in wire and in yellow. Her own beating heart seemed to thump and glow briefly, a bit of a kinship somewhere.

her goddess had given her a gift, only within it was empty. She felt her curiousity blossom at the lack of it, wondering if the air was the gift. Was it the gift of breathing she was offering? Was it even required?

Oh... a test. A heart? Yes she must go gather a heart. Scissors were involved, was this to be messy?

Once again time seemed to flow free, time she wished she had more of. She looked at the doors, her feet automatically drifting to the door.

Still she walked, time continued to pass,
until a noise stopped her at long last.
THUMP went the noise,
giving her a fright!
Her muffled scream escaping into the fogged midnight.
Still she continued and saw,
something opening its jaws wide, a hand inside its squared maw.
Reaching out to grasp there came a tug,
Before it fell back inside with a shrug.

Thump thump thump.

The noise was loud and clear,
her quest item was near.
The heart her goddess wished for was here.

But where?
She looked around, not very aware.
It would not move, she could not continue.
Something was keeping the heart safe, covered in Sinew.

Pressing a hand against the flatted flesh,
she knew what could help her, the memory fresh.
Fingers slipped between two metal rings,
the object ready, just needing the swing.
A scream sounded, she could not abandon her quest,
she needed the heart more than he, her goddess knew best.
The metal object sinking in,
Is this always how it has been?

A snip of the blades,
a gush of heat,
a scent of metallic,
the feel of raw meat.

Objects decided to stand in her way,
a flick of her wrist sent such objects away.
Warmth blossomed and stained her red,
The beating heart still within was left unsaid.

Thump Thump Thump.

It teased her,
hid from her,
Laughing at her while it stayed and stirred.

With a growl she shoved the blades aside,
Hand reaching, feeling, never breaking stride.

The figure someone she knew,
Someone she felt no sorro for doing this to.
Memories blossomed as she snipped and burrowed,
making sure she was thorough.
Doctor was his name,
she remembered nothing besides that her memory lame.
He had hurt her, abused her,
Her parents not the more aware,
sometimes she wondered if any of them even cared.

This man a shadow from her past,
could put pained memories to sleep at long last.
All that was required was a pull and a tug,
Only the heart was still within too snug.

The screams grew louder as she joined the choir,
her need the most dire.
He needed to go, he needed to die.

That thought in mind,
A suction noise,
a pop,
the heart was hers,
the man falling back with a flop.

In the bag it went,
a lot of energy spent.
Still she stood staring at the man,
Hoping with all her might she had killed him, knowing that was always her plan.

A last second decision, the blade sunk into his flesh.

The man needed to die, and her instincts answered the call.

She felt no remorse as he vanished, only glanced as she thought she saw someone watching her...

She continued to run, the thing following almost lazily behind her... and she saw why. A giant door with a passcode loomed in front of her, bolted shut. A low whimper signaled, she wasn't ready for this.

Thats when she saw it, the paper. Scooping it up... she found weird numbers on it?

35/40

A piece of paper, a password.... the figure taking a step closer this time, faster. She needed out. She ran out the door.

25/40

There were rows of houses, no where else to run. Behind her the creature was gaining on her.

This was where she remembered.... the dagger, she had the dagger.

She was no ones prey, not here... not ever. Something solidified within as she turned, rushing at the monster instead of it rushing her. Fingers clenched, she drove the dagger home... the whispering stopped.

The tea had just barely touched her lips, just a faint sip. Like a old movie reel being put in place, and her eyelids as the screen, she closed them and sank into the memory.

She opened her eyes and saw nothing but black. A panic started to rise in her gut, but she knew she could use more than her sight to tell where she was.

Her body was small, childish. She was not more than eight years old. She was coming to, awakening as if from a deep peaceful slumber. Only she knew better, she remembered where she was.

She knew the feeling of waking after the drugged sleep, the pressure of the ropes that now tied her small arms together behind herself. It was a familiar burn, an ache that always was bandaged after each session was complete. Her ankles this time matched her arms, only tied to the chair instead. She guessed her latest escape attempt had not left the good doctor feeling great.

The chill in the air gave another clue. She could never figure out why, but they kept this particular room colder than the others. Maybe they assumed she was part snake, that the cold from the room would cause her body to shut down and sleep for as long as the temperature dipped just enough. She knew this was the white room, the room with white walls and a milky white floor. The only spot of color was the back wall, and the cream door. She knew that wall as a double sided window.

A new ache formed in her shoulder, the memory coming back as she remembered the needle, which was followed by a small blade. Shifting her arm she could feel a bandage there. Just a sample of flesh.

They always took samples in some form or another.

Her parents thought this place was good for her, thought that her 'seeing' things was abnormal. The good doctor promised them she was safe, well cared for. He was careful to make sure that after their summer sessions were over, she went back home unscarred. On the outside, at least. She wondered if her parents would care even if they knew.

Younger Ceres should have known better than to move. Movement always signified being awake, being aware. They liked her drugged a lot of the time, it meant not remembering what they were doing to her. Unless for whatever they planned required it.

She heard the door open, and felt a all too familiar rush of fear explode from her, it showed in the form of a scream. She tried to move away, scooting the chair. She did not need her visibility to know.

it was too close to the time to go home, or they would have marked her somehow. A bruise to the face was something common... instead she felt another p***k on her arm. Her blindfold had shifted enough in the movement to allow her a glimpse into those familiar green eyes. Eyes that would forever haunt her.

The world spun for a brief moment before it all turned black once more.