The Unthinkable

Anna's POV

Why do I feel nothing? I feel nothing human. I feel like the soft spring breeze. You know it's there. You feel it on your skin, tickling your eyes and nose. Brushing your hair in your view. Blowing your top against your torso. It leaves a slight shiver in your bones and that is when you realise its presence. I am waiting for my shiver. But it isn't coming.

Somehow I know for sure I am not dead. Not because I know how death feels but because if I was dead I would just know. I would feel the drop in my heart as it finishes its last beat. I would just know. I remember mum talking about dying to us. Not that it was ironic or weird. I found it fascinating. She said that as long as our head was untouched we would be able to think through our final memories before we die. Like a final goodbye on this life before we take up another.

I don't feel memories rush forward in my head and even if I try and find the memories they slip away as a buzz rushes through my brain. The buzz forces me back into nothingness like it's blocking me from my escape. I have found my exit.

I try and grip onto memories of me and Xand playing at the docks. When we made those paper aeroplanes out of the paper dad brought home from the store. I remember throwing them high in the air and Xand going to catch them. The fun didn't last long when the paper sunk into the water and floated away. We were only 6.

The buzzes get louder as I dig deeper into my past and that's when I feel the warmth on my skin once again. I feel the rough stones on the bare floor. I feel the dried blood on my sweaty forehead. But the best part is I feel the small thumping of a drum. Thum thum. Thum thum. Thum thum. I am alive.

'You're alive?' A quiet voice says from above me as if reading my exact thoughts. I don't have the energy to move my head or raise my droopy eyelids as I realise how much energy has been drained from me.

However, the person moves. They bend down to my height and I see a young girl with ginger pigtails and soft green eyes. She looks afraid and sends me sympathy. She brushes the matted hair from my face and I scream in pain. That's what the buzzing was. Pain.

'I'm sorry!' She says flinching backwards.

'W-what...nn ame?' I try and speak to her but I can't quite get all the words out.

'Elena' She whispers 'And you are Anna?'

I nod weakly.

'L-look' She stutters and hushes her voice to a whisper.' I am here to help you'

I must look so silly and weak. I am stuck laying across the floor on my stomach and in a puddle of blood. I feel hardly any skin on my bones and I know I have bruises on my knees from my extreme shaking against the hard floor.

'H-how?' I whisper back almost sobbing from my sore throat that is slowly closing up like a dry sponge.

'I am going to get you out of here. But you need to gain some more strength. Tanya wants you to be healed so you can be beaten more but I am going to help you leave before the beating starts.'

My eyes start to drop slightly and I can tell she realises as she rests a gentle hand on my hair and strokes it.

'W-why?' I mumble but she doesn't answer. She just hums softly and presses a warm metal spoon to my lips. The warm fluid travels down my throat, stinging the sore skin slightly. I welcome it happily anyhow as I feel my stomach sighing in thankfulness.

'Rest now. I will be back in an hour or two and by then the medicine should have hit in. I will give you one more dosage when I return and then you follow me.'

She lowers my head and walks slowly away. I sit up already feeling more strength in my muscles and I cry out to her.

'But why?' I ask.

She turns around with a smile. 'Because I was taken from someone I love' and with that, he closes the gate and skips away her pigtails dancing on her back.

I look over to the metal bowl on the floor filled with a red soup and next to it is a soft piece of white bread. I quickly consume the soup and bread feeling much better already. These scientists really did know their stuff when it comes to medicine. I scrap up the final few mouthfuls when a white piece of paper catches my eye.

Under the metal bowl, it sits hidden. I pick it up curiously and smile at the sweet message from my new friend.

I hope the soup is okay. I made sure you had some bread though Tanya said it was being too generous. Be ready for my return.

E

And I did. I took my time getting used to the meal I had been given, but mostly I got used to the drugs that were pumping strength back inside of me. I started from square one, getting on one knee, which took me a couple of bruises and slips. Then square two, standing, which surprisingly didn't take as long but it did give me the realisation of the infected wound in my side. The scab ripped open when I stood up and I battled with myself to hold back a scream. The last thing I needed was for Tanya to come in here. Hot tears flooded down my cheeks as I press my trembling fingers to the sensitive wound. The final square, walking, was definitely the worst as I expected. I hunch my back over to give my hand better pressure on the wound whilst I treck my way across. Since having the drugs my headaches have passed so I took the advantage and concentrated on a brick in the wall. The rough edges that were slightly curved from erosion. Step, step. The small cracks making their way through the cold material, trying to reach its vulnerable core. Step, step. The out of place red stains that are dried up brown and dripping down the walls helplessly. Step, step, Slam!

I grab the bricks on the wall to steady myself as I grin in triumph. I made it.

'Wow' I jump up turning to the door 'Those drugs really do work' Elena says as she unlocks the jail door. 'Eat this and then we can leave. I think one more pill and you will be as fit as a fiddle!'

I break a smile dropping my head in exhaustion however, I quickly remove my hand from the wall when I feel the sticky red blood on my fingertips. Gross!

Elena passes me the food and the pill whilst holding my arm to keep me standing.

'Thank you El'

She hesitates for a second but gives me a small smile before whispering 'Eat up'

I throw the pill back, gobble down my bread and soon I find myself running through the forest following the faint silhouette of Elena as we rush away. She is my savior and I don't know how I can repay her.