cursed the evil men standing around her and felt crushed and broken by their evil deeds. “Will you let my friend go if I’m the one that you want,” Grace said in desperation. Tulimak relaxed the pressure on her shoulder and said, “Sure. We can do that. Once we extract some more bile from her, she is free to go. I’m a man of my word.” Tulimak smiled down at her, an elongated canine jutting out over his bottom lip. You’re the real monster Grace thought as she looked up into his face, the broken creatures that brought us here were misguided by a desire for home. You are nothing but a cruel warped beast who obviously gets joy out of hurting others she thought as she looked into the dark pools of his eyes. Grace was never a violent person but her mind was filled with images of killing Tulimak the first chance she got. She could feel his power and menace this close to him, it felt like being in a zoo and only a sheet separated you from a tiger or other large predator. You knew if given a chance the animal would rip you apart. Only now there was no safety barrier between them and every cell in Graces body protested at his closeness to her. Grace had been in trouble before, a guy in a bar had started to get too hands on with her and she had to push him away, he was then dragged outside and taken care of by two huge bouncers. She had been afraid in that situation, being close to Tulimak was completely different. She felt paralysed with fear and at the same time she wanted to destroy Tulimak, a very human desire to kill something we didn’t understand but could feel in our gut. Grace closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue and focused on the first time she saw Tom at the cafe. How cocky he was walking straight up to her and introducing himself. I will see you again she thought to herself as she heard the Doctor walk up beside her. A cool drop of liquid fell on Graces tongue and she instinctively withdrew it and swallowed. She opened her eyes and the three men had taken a step back and they watched her with eager expressions. The drop on her tongue tingled and Grace could taste a faint flavour of vanilla. She swallowed again and her throat felt dry and scratchy. Grace threw her head back and started to gasp for air as her throat seemed to snap shut to a pinhole. She tried to breath and all she could manage were high pitched whistling gasps. She looked around wildly and the men stood and observed her. She began to convulse in the chair her body wracked by painful jolts. She strained against her cuffs as she thrashed about and her hand broke free from the loosened strap. Her hand flew to her neck as she scratched painfully at her skin leaving long bloody trails. Help me she tried to scream and nothing but a breathless screech came from between her purple lips. Pain flooded ever nerve in her body each surge reaching untold heights than the one before. Tears streamed from her eyes and she looked at the ceiling as her body was fried with pain. I am going to die she thought as everything around her began to fade. The bones in her body felt like they were on fire and then melting into molten metal and burning her from the inside out. I can’t take it anymore, I want to die she thought as the pain increased to hellish levels. My body is going to tear itself apart was Graces last thought. Her whole body went rigid, her free arm shooting out stiffly in front of her. Her left eardrum burst and blood ran down her neck. She stayed frozen rigid like a grotesque wax work for a couple of seconds and then all power left her body. She slumped in the chair, her head hanging to the side with her eyes open and unseeing. No breath escaped her lips, no blood pumped in her veins.
7 Nathaniel A n owl hooted in the distance and Nathaniel's eyes snapped open. He lay still and listened to the forest around him. Everything was silent. He stroked his wife's arm and she began to stir against him. They lay concealed in a thicket of low bushes,