A Window To A Soul

Chapter 31: Cal

I couldn't stop thinking about how Elliott looked at me. It made me shiver. When all of the other Great One's had gathered around our mansion, Elliott was looking at me with a smile. It was like he was mocking me, telling me that I wouldn't be able to save her every time.

"Cal?" My eyes widened and I looked at Della across from the table. We were eating food that was fit for the lower ranks. I didn't really mind because it's what I had grown up with.

Della had already put her fork down. "Do you really think that Elliott is the one that attacked us?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It had to be."

Della seemed to be getting frustrated. "But why? What's the point of it?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. What's the point of anything he does? Elliott doesn't need a reason."

Della stood up and walked away from the table, going to her left, where the hallway led to both of the rooms and the only bathroom. She walked into her room and closed the door. I looked at her food that she had left there.

I looked down at my food. I felt so upset. I don't know what to do at this point. Della could be killed at any moment and I wouldn't live long enough to find out how. I won't even live longer than a day because I will be executed. I wouldn't be able to avenge her, or even save the other Great Ones.

At this point, it was dark out. I grabbed the uneaten food and threw it away, knowing that the low quality food tastes even worse the next day. Even the next hour. I walked to my room which was across from Della's, and I closed the door behind me. I closed the blinds to the window and suddenly started to miss having a balcony. I realized that I had never used it. I wanted to look at the grass and the trees from the balcony, but I was always too afraid of bringing back bad memories. The stuff that put the scars on my back.

8 Years Ago~

I cried as I sat in the empty room. The walls were all plain white. The floor was hard concrete and the door in front of me had no window or holes and was locked shut. It was a small square room and I had been in there for 12 days, getting a small meal every day. I only know how long I've been here because of how many times they open the door.

The door finally opened and I gasped. I was hungry. I felt hope when the woman walked inside. But my eyes widened in fear as I saw her eyes. They were an indigo color that faded to white on the outsides of the iris and closer to the pupil. It was the disciplinary officer. There are only two of them that are currently alive and their rank is right below the scorekeeper.

This woman's name was Naomi Giya. She had a tight bun of light, blonde hair. Her eyes were tilted slightly and her face was full of wrinkles. Her eyebrows were thin and arched. Her lips were big and coated with red lipstick. She was carrying something. I had never seen it before.

She closed the door behind her and held it up. "This is a whip." My eyes widened. We had read about them. That is what is used on bodyguard and soldier trainees that get in big trouble for not following the rules. "You will use this daily on yourself in order to get your food. You will be freed in a month. But if you ever do something like that again, you will be put in here for a year, only eating every 3 days." She lifted an eyebrow. "Do you hear me, brat?"

I nodded and saluted with shaky arms. "Y-Yes, your grace."

Then she dropped the whip and turned around. She walked out and said something before she closed the door. "Use it on your back. Keep doing it until someone tells you to stop." Then she left.

I looked at the camera in the top corner of the room. It was pointed at me. I knew it was on. The speaker was right next to it.

I didn't understand what I did. How was it wrong? All I did was talk to Chloe and Kai about my dream. I always wanted to be a farmer. I wanted to take care of the wildlife and tend to crops. I wanted to spend all of my days watching nature. And I wanted them to be there too. When my teacher heard me, she immediately threw me in this room and I haven't been out since.

I crawled over to the whip and grabbed the handle. We had been taught how to punish ourselves with one. It was one of the first things we learned. My hands were so shaky. I moved it up and above my head. I squeezed my eyes shut as I used all my strength to throw it back and onto my back. It ripped my shirt as I heard a loud crack. My eyes shot open and I felt a scream rip through my throat. It burned. It cut my back. I heard a crackly voice from the speaker. "Again."

I felt my stomach rumble and I winced at the feeling, but now wished that it would be the only thing I felt. But then I did it again. And again. And again. When the door finally opened, I was sitting in a pool of blood. My shirt was forever ruined, but all I could think of now was one thing. It was how hungry I was.