The Silence That Surrounds: Screams of the Damned

Narrator’s POV:

Louis ended up going to get a wet towel to wipe up Sophia’s cut. Zayn, Liam and Niall stayed close by, but eventually left per Harry’s command. Only then did he slump down beside the faint girl and begin to talk to her.

“You had a chance and you fucking pissed it away, Stone. You had your escape, you had your utopia – you HAD a life to go back to and what the fuck did you do?! You made a piss poor decision to stay with the lowest scum of this earth. What I want to know is, why?” Harry demanded to the girl, her head slumped against the wall, arms in her lap and legs out with even breathing.

It was quiet for a moment before Sophia answered, knowing Harry knew she was awake.

“Because freedom is only freedom when you are truly free without attachments. You are the chains around me, the lock that keeps me prisoner and my key all rolled into one. Only you can remove them and that doesn’t involve endangering others along the way.” Sophia spoke up from beside him, keeping her eyes closed out of fear.

“It’s not about us, it was about your safety! It was about your freedom. I risked everything for you, Sophia, I risked it all and you just – “He trailed off in frustration. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter now. You’re going to fucking die, I don’t know why I bothered with you in the first place.” Harry got up, but she snatched his wrist with her good hand, tightening her hold.

“You did it, because you had the right intentions. You risked what you were warned against doing and gave me everything I could have ever wanted, Harry. You and Louis gave me the chance to run,” She swallowed thickly, pulling him to sit down again. “But a bird who finally gains their freedom will want the gilded cage. They will want it, because that’s what they’re used to – it’s what they know now.”

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, taking the wet cloth Louis had thrown at him before storming off earlier and wiping the slowing droplets of blood from her neck. Damien had gotten her good.

“You’re comparing yourself to a bird? Louis will be happy.” Harry retorted sarcastically, her hold tightening on his wrist as she frowned.

“I’m used to you. I’m used to the cabin, the rules and reform. I’m used to the chains that hold me prisoner and feed me an illusion that I’m free. As long as I have the captors that fed me that safety, then I won’t want to leave. You can beat me, kill me – stab me; It’s freedom either way. Because for a moment, I can feel something. For just one second, I can feel that pain and let it bathe me in some sort of reality that I have long lost. Pain, Harry, makes all the difference between life and death. It is no different than Heaven or Hell, no difference than breathing or unbreathing. Because in the end, it wasn’t your choice. In the end, it isn’t mine either. Damien, it is his game and he will win.” Sophia blinked her eyes open, the sight of his hard and emotionless eyes made her heart almost hurt.

“So you are giving up? After everything, you’re not willing to try? Just so I’m understanding here, Sophia.” Harry jerked his hand away and stood up, his back facing her, shoulders tense.

“No, Harry. I’m not. You are.” She responded softly, also slowly making her way up from the ground, reaching to touch his shoulder.

“Touch me and you will be very fucking sorry, Stone. You don’t even fucking know how much I’ve sacrificed. No fucking clue! I could have fucking been killed with half this shit I pulled and you don’t even get it!” Harry whirled around, pushing her against the wall and went nose to nose with her in challenge.

Sophia didn’t allow the sudden violent act scare her, she knew he would not hurt her.

For a moment, the silence surrounded them, each of their breaths heavy.

“But I do, Harry. I get it more then you will ever understand.” Sophia met his eyes, wanting to lean forward and meet his lips with hers, dying for some sort of comfort, even if it was only a temporary lie.

“Do you? Do you really understand?” Harry gave a roll of his eyes, trapping her against the wall a little harder.

“I get that you would send me away before I could prove myself. I understand that you gave up on me before we even started. I understand you think I’m weak, but – am I? Am I weak, Harry? Is mourning for a loss weak? Is being human weak? Is showing someone that you love them weak? I am human and so are you and as much as it kills you not to see the fine points of the star shaped cookie, you never had any belief in me, because if you had; you would see how much stronger I have become because of my time in the cabin. You walked away and took the easy road, not me. I didn’t because I couldn’t. YOU took the easy way out and threw me away from danger. So who is really the weak one, Harry? Look in the mirror and then fucking tell me!” Sophia exclaimed, her voice rising in strength, her eyes hardening like an ice crystal as she found her inner strength and pushed Harry away from her onto the ground.

“My word! Are you two trying to wake the bloody dead?!” Louis asked, his mouth opening in shock when he came into view to see Harry on the ground and Sophia over him, her foot back in a way to suggest little Harry was about to get it.

He rushed forward and picked her up, turning her around to give Harry a chance to get up.

Harry wasted no time and forced her back against the wall, his own eyes in pure rage.

“You will regret that, Stone. You will fucking regret it.” Harry promised darkly.

“I already do. So BLEED me dry of emotion, beat me, hit me, slap me – stab me, shoot me. I DON’T CARE!” Sophia felt her breath leave her as rough lips met hers in a hungry kiss of passion – which confused the hell out of Louis who looked on with an expression that suggested he was waiting for the punchline of the joke that sparked the yelling match to begin with.

Well, he didn’t have to wait long as Sophia’s knee came up and jammed Harry right in the no-no spot, making him back off and drop to the ground.

To make matters worse, he grabbed Sophia’s leg and tripped her to the ground, pushing his knee onto her stomach to subdue her while he caught his breath.

“You two are busy kicking the shit out of each other, I’ll come back later with some icepacks – little Harry is probably going to need a bag of frozen peas,” Louis waved and decided to let the two of them get the anger out of their system. He knew an eruption was going to happen and Harry needed to assert his dominance, but it also looked like Sophia wasn’t going to go down without a fight. He smiled at that, knowing Harry produced a spark in her that ignited in determination. “That’s my lass.” He cheered on softly, hearing the two of them grunt in pain. He decided to leave them to it. It needed to be done.

Harry balled his hand into a fist, throwing it straight toward her cheek.

She blocked it with her good arm and struggled underneath him, eyes lighting with fire.

“Is that the best you got?” Harry gritted, easily able to keep her pinned down.

Harry’s head went sideways when she used her cast to slap him in the side of the head, giving her an advantage point to back away, though she felt the hit in her broken fingers for the effort.

“I don’t know; I’d have been better if someone would have bothered to teach me. Maybe then I’d have a chance ay, mate?” Sophia taunted, scrambling up into a standing position, both facing one another.

“You were too broken to learn!” Harry yelled, making Zayn and Niall come running to the hallway, hearing them loud and clear at the other side of the building. Damien too wondered what was happening, but not enough to follow the boys.

“I did bloody well on the knives, didn’t I?! You didn’t believe in me because I showed emotion. I SHOWED I cared. But not you, Harry. Your way of caring is different. Your way is different because you’re nothing but a BOY. A little boy that doesn’t give a fuck to what causes the reaction, just a solution to pacify it. You fell in love with ME! You loved ME! But guess what? It’s too late. You want to know why?! It’s too late because you already failed me! YOU, Harry Styles, have failed, because I’m already dead. I was dead the minute you made that deal with the devil himself! If you loved me, if you truly knew what it meant to love someone, you would have let him kill me, because then I would have died for something. Now, I’m going to die in a pointless battle because a month is not enough time,” Sophia stood breathing hard, her legs giving out on her again. “There’s never going to be enough time, because the game is rigged. Now do you understand? It’s Damien’s game and you hold my chains. Let me go, Harry. Just…please let me go.”

Sophia’s voice dropped, her breathing uneven and her head spinning, but she was determined to prove Harry wrong. So she started by forcing herself back up against the wall.

“I can’t let you go.” Harry told her emotionlessly, his eyes as deep as the darkest green of a forest.

“Because you still believe in me?” Sophia asked sardonically.

“No, because I won’t be made a fool of again. I meant what I said before. You let your emotions rule you and that is what will get you killed in battle. I will bleed them from you one way or another, you choose how,” Harry turned around to meet a similar stare of his own, only the cold ice grew even colder in her eyes, steely and impenetrable.

“The people you fight are not your friends. They are the enemy and they will kill you if given the chance. So decide if you want out, because I have the solution right here. No more happy thoughts, no more hope of an ever after.” Harry pulled his gun from the back pocket of his jeans and cocked it off safety, pointing it to the ground.

Sophia jumped and Zayn flew back when the gun went off, the echo of it sending Damien and Dr. Sadistic to the running, as well as Louis and Liam to come to a frantic stop in the hallway, waiting with baited breath.

“Maybe that’s your solution, Styles, but it isn’t mine. Fuck you!” Sophia yelled, his gun raising level to her head.

“Perhaps your death was meant to be all along. Maybe this was all meant to be.” Harry nodded, almost in agreement.

“Then do it.” Sophia challenged, unmoving and unblinking.

Damien folded his arms across his chest, watching with calm interest, a smirk growing on his face.

Harry lifted the gun a little more, shooting it off.

Sophia didn’t blink when the bullet mounted itself into the wall a mere quarter inch from her skull. In fact, it would have been an exact measurement with her height, that’s how close the bullet came to hitting her and through that notion, numbness took over and she looked back unimpressed and disappointed.

“All that talk and you missed.” She taunted, taking a step forward, a smile growing on her own face.

“I didn’t, actually. I wanted to see your reaction.” Harry responded dryly, pocketing his gun.

“Disappointed?” Sophia asked with a snarl, the other boy’s heads going back and forth between the argument.

“Nope. Impressed, actually. Well done Ms. Stone. You finally got to say what was on your mind without censorship. Now, it’s my turn to say what’s on mine,” Harry smiled, throwing her back against the wall with his arm and bringing his fist back in the air.

“All protagonists have a dark side and all antagonists have a bright side. Where exactly do you think we both stand at the moment?”

Damien cocked his brow and Louis folded his arms across his chest.

“Where we’ve always stood; in the middle,” Sophia answered, her eyes watching his fist.

Harry brought down his fist onto her jaw with a satisfying thwack.

“No. The question you should ask yourself, Ms. Stone, is; are you the antagonist or are you the protagonist? Because from the way I see things, you’ve hurt more people then I have these past few months. Don’t believe me? Ask your DEAD Goddamn brother and father. To think that your family could have once loved you, when you yourself were only ever so heartless. Guess it doesn’t fall far from the tree. So welcome to the team, Ms. Stone, you’re now a fucking monster like the rest of us.” Harry growled and shoved her once against the wall, storming off down the hall.

Damien clapped slowly, chuckling at the display.

“Well handled, Ms. Stone. You didn’t actually cry out when he threw a punch. Perhaps there is hope for you yet. Not enough to save you, but enough that I can see you lasting a minute or two before Steele beats your ass and rapes you to death. Excuse me, there’s a new doll we need to see to. Liam? Clean up the twat, ice her pretty little jaw so it doesn’t swell and then join us back in the surgical room if you will.” Damien ordered carelessly with the flick of wrist before turning and leaving with the Doctor.

He went to walk forward, but Zayn, Louis and Niall beat him there.

Each boy fell to the ground, one grabbing her face to inspect it, the other bringing her into a hug and the third pushing the hair from her face to check out the other damage done.

“He got you good.” Niall frowned, inspecting her face.

Sophia let her hand drape around Zayn’s neck as he was the one to hug her. Louis was moving her hair.

As much as she relished in the idea of comfort from the boys, she knew that Harry would bleed whatever humanity they learned in the following few months out of them as well. He was hurt, he was angry and he was trapped, just like her. She knew what to say to spark his rage, to spark a fight in his own heart because she needed him to be just as focused. She needed to fight and so did he. So phase one of pissing Harry off was complete – now she needed to push the boys back, because their care meant her weakness. She would keep getting dragged back to the very thing that kept her afraid. Now it was time to cut the attachments.

With a halfhearted attempt, she shoved back from Zayn and brushed their hands away, her blue eyes a sliver of regret.

“I can’t keep being coddled. I need to cut ties and you all have to let me go. Maybe that’s what Louis was saying before, about attachments. They make you weak, they make you seek somewhere to run when you get scared; somewhere safe and warm. I don’t need that right now. I need to detach and refocus. I have no more safe places to go. I have only the dead memories that used to be and even those hold little comfort to me now.” Sophia sighed, making her way from the ground, barely standing.

“You do have us, flower. If you need us.” Louis tried to smile, but it fell short, knowing what Sophia was saying was true. He had told her that he would never shed a tear over her death, but now? Was he so sure?

“I need to be alone.” Sophia brushed off his comfort and leaned heavily on the wall to be able to walk down the hall without falling over.

“I know someone you could talk to, she’s a great listener.” Zayn perked up, smiling softly and taking Sophia’s wrist, leading her down the tiled floor to a private sector where a lone figure hung, her head falling down almost lifelessly.

Sophia’s mouth dropped open at the skinnier than life doll. She had no doubt been beautiful when she was a full human.

The other boys hadn’t followed, the two were alone with Perrie – Zayn’s old girlfriend.

“Perrie? Hey, beautiful, please wake up. It’s me.” Zayn called softly, shaking what was considered her shoulder and watching as the dull eyes of the living dead doll lifted and looked down silently at the two.

Sophia didn’t smile to ease the awkward situation. It seemed almost forced and unpleasant.

“Zayn? I’m not comfortable talking to a girl that can’t talk back. I don’t think I can do it.” Sophia admitted, her stare meeting Perrie’s.

Zayn only smiled, his hand lifting up to push the blonde’s long hair from her face.

“That’s the thing, luv. We’re afraid of the unknown. We’re afraid of things we don’t understand. We don’t understand them because fear is what holds us back. Perrie is no less human as you or I. She still has feelings and a soul. Her heart is bigger than most of ours, you know?” Zayn questioned, his hand guiding Sophia’s to Perrie’s cheek. “See? She is human.”

Sophia used her thumb to rub over the dry skin of the girl, understanding what Zayn was saying.

“I understand, Zayn,” Sophia acknowledged, removing her hand and dropping her gaze to the ground. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Loss? Perrie’s right here, Sophia. Alive.” Zayn gestured up.

Sophia shook her head, collapsing to the ground against the wall, the sadness of the situation breaking her wall wide open. Zayn didn’t get it. Zayn didn’t understand that a doll’s life is no life for anyone to live.

Zayn sat down quietly, putting his hand to her shoulder in comfort.

“Talk to me then. What’s wrong? Maybe I can help.” Zayn smiled, though he frowned when he saw her getting teary eyed again.

“I don’t think anyone can help this situation, Zayn. Look at her, don’t you see she is suffering? Don’t you see it when you look into the other doll’s eyes? How they’ll never walk, never be able to eat solid foods, never be able to return the love they receive? Never talk – if my life was damned to this life, I’d want my suffering to be over. No matter how much my heart loved someone, I couldn’t stay like that.” Sophia rubbed her eyes and tried to shut off what she was feeling.

“Perrie and I are old flames. I can’t do it, I can’t just kill her and she doesn’t want that either. She loves me as much as I do her. I’m going to take care of her because I love her. She was my first.” Zayn looked down, his voice breaking off into silence, the walls much more deafening with the quiet.

“First girlfriend?” Sophia prodded, his hold on her shoulder loosening.

“First girlfriend, first love. We slept together, something Harry is never to know about and we fell together. She hated the situation at first, but I had to convince her to leave when her parents paid. I didn’t know we had been betrayed. Harry killed him, as you know – but it was too late for Perrie. I didn’t know until Harry told himself out,” Zayn looked ashamed, his eyes meeting Perrie. “She’s my first love, my first everything and you never give up on the ones you love, even if all hope seems lost.”

Sophia nodded, not really offering any words of comfort because even herself knew that words were meaningless in this sort of situation. They would offer no comfort to either party, but the young bloke did make something clear between the lines to Sophia and she would not deny herself the sentiment of it and stored it in her heart for later.

“Thank you, Zayn. I think I understand now. Perrie? It was lovely to meet you, luv. Zayn, I need to find my own sanctuary. I just need to think and be alone for a tick.” Sophia murmured, standing up and walking slowly in the direction she had come, hoping the corner she had occupied was empty and clear of the boys. All she wanted was silence. It was the only thing now that could ease her.

Zayn remained by Perrie. His gentle hands roaming over her face in a comfort that Sophia would never feel. She envied the doll to a certain extent, seeing that she had a love that was willing to love her no matter what she looked like or how bad off she was. Sophia envied her, because she herself would never have the courtesy and it hurt, she had to admit that it did – but she chose to stay. She chose her path and her regret was only that her weakness of emotion held her back and drug everyone else around her down with the ship she was sailing – Harry included.

She did not want to say the things she said to him, in fact, she wanted to deepen his kiss and never let him go, but she couldn’t. So she made him angry, she hurt him and in return, he hurt her. Physically, mentally, it blurred together the lines of reality and made them indistinguishable at that point.

“Oh, Sophia. You have a way of mucking it all up, don’t you?” She asked herself, nodding to agree with her question, sighing with relief when the boys were not in the same spot as before.

So she sat down in her original spot and closed her eyes, wanting to rest her thoughts for a bit.

She relaxed her sore muscles and began to imagine the lake and the dock, the picnic basket and the blanket underneath it by the tree – her brother waving and smiling. Everything she could think of to get back to her safe haven. The spot that was a source of her fear, was suddenly not so bad anymore.

“Imagine a bright light touching your body – come on, Sophia. You can do this.” She encouraged, her eyes shooting open when someone in front of her cleared his throat.

Looking up, she saw it was the youngest boy of Damien’s gang, he had a plate of fruit in his hands.

“Can I sit with you? I promise not to bother you or anything. I just need to get away from everyone for a little bit.” He pleaded, sitting slowly beside Sophia cautiously.

Sophia couldn’t help but smile at the youngest boy and the innocence he seemed to still possess.

“Yeah, no harm done, lad.” Sophia murmured, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

The air between them was silent – except for the occasional crunch of the fruit he bit into and the hum of approval that left his mouth.

Sophia’s lip curled up in amusement as she tried to ignore him, but she opened her eyes to stare at the boy, his teeth going in mid-bite on a grape, offering out the plate to Sophia.

“Wan?” He asked with his mouthful.

“No, luv. That’s yours. You look like you barely eat as is.” Sophia closed her eyes, listening to him swallow.

“I don’t. Harry came back with a fruit platter for everyone and gave me a plate, told me to come back for more if I wanted.” He told Sophia, making the girl fully smile.

“That was very nice of him, luv. Harry’s a good bloke – at least he can be. Just don’t tell him I said that though.” Sophia yawned, using her good hand to lay down on the floor.

“You want me to leave so you can sleep?” Jonathan offered.

“No, it’s okay. You eat and I’ll sleep. I think that’s better than being alone, don’t you?” Sophia asked, keeping focus on relaxing her body.

“Yes, miss.” He agreed, picking at a banana and pineapple, stuffing both in his mouth.

Sophia nodded with another nod.

“Good lad.” She murmured, her exhaustion taking over and she gladly handed the wheel over to it to steer for a while.

*

Time passed, a few hours at most before she was roughly shaken awake, the hand familiar in touch and she shot up in alarm, putting her hands up to her face in a defensive position.

Harry just stared down at her unimpressed, lips thinned into a line of impatience.

“Get up, Ms. Stone. It’s time for you and the others to be heading back to the cabin. Louis, Zayn and I have a job. We’re about to have company for a while. You will go back with Liam and Niall.” Harry gave his order, turning to leave.

“Company? You mean hostages?” Sophia bit back, making Harry stop walking and catch his hands into fists.

“All the same. Order is still the current issue as you have not done what I’ve told you to do, which is stand up. Also, you will have the room ready before they arrive or it is you who will end up at the end of a rope. Go find Zayn, I have little time to piss around.” Harry ordered flatly and walked away.

“Prat,” Sophia muttered, standing up and stretching. She looked around, seeing that Jonathan was already gone. “I’d run too if I saw Harry the bore coming.”

She knew she was treading on dangerous territory; she knew that she needed to take a step back. She KNEW Harry’s fuse was shorter than normal, but she also didn’t care. She had a month. Harry got her into this mess, he would get her out and running was not an option. No, if her father taught her anything, it was, never run from an opportunity. This was her opportunity to be someone – to be something to someone. This was her chance to prove her father wrong and even if the son of a bitch was dead, he could still see from the depths of hell he came from.

Her goal was never to endanger the other members. Harry had gone about it the wrong way without thinking. He was only lengthening her chains to walk a longer distance, but she was still chained down to this situation all the same. He had the key to her lock, all he had to do was teach her.

She rubbed her eyes, the cold white titles shining against the even whiter walls. It was endless and surprising.

Surprising because the outside looked unkempt and abandoned, but inside, a maze of halls with bodies of kids and teens to line what would otherwise be a plain building.

With a sigh, she walked towards the hallway where Perrie was to find Zayn as that is most certain place to find him.

As she turned the corner though, Zayn wasn’t there and she found herself stopping short of Perrie and looking around with a hand on her hip.

“Hey luv, I know you can’t answer me in words, but you wouldn’t happen to know what direction Zayn went, would you? Harry’s going to have my arse on a sick if I don’t find him.”

Perrie turned her head slightly to the right of the hallway, indicating he had gone down that way.

“Thanks.” Sophia smiled and went to walk in that direction when she heard footsteps coming in the opposite direction, halting in her steps by the girl, thinking they were Zayn’s. Needless to say when Damien popped into view, she threw herself out of his way and towards the wall opposite of Perrie.

He stopped and observed the girl, a smirk on his face at her hast to get out of his way.

“Darling, I already got what I wanted. I got a show, no sense in getting you too used to pain on your first day here,” Damien chuckled, his head swinging to Perrie, her eyes closed and head bowed in a way to suggest that she was playing dead. “I see you have met my favorite doll. She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”

“You do this to children? I’d ask what the fuck was wrong with you, but I already see the product of your offspring.” Sophia said, her voice coming out a mere croak. Damien was much more dangerous than Harry. She knew there were limits she had to stop at with the likes of Damien.

Damien purred in satisfaction, his fingers reaching over and massaging down the woman’s waist, his eyes almost thoughtful. Thoughtful Damien was not good for anyone.

“Harry has never bothered to see the profit made in dolls, but I have. We aren’t the only facility. There are thousands around the world and thousands more underground. People are profit. You, Ms. Stone, should already be aware of this. Only you do it in a more controlled setting. You invest the money of others and enslave them to a business contract to get them to believe that they will make back and more what was invested. I do it more uncontrolled. I see people and I take. I see people and they are nothing but an instrument to use and when they no longer work, they are disposable. To me, money will always come first.” Damien explained, his voice loud against the walls.

“You loved before, you made Harry, so, obviously there was once a man inside that meat suit your demonic body now adorns.” Sophia pointed out bitterly, disgusted at him for touching Zayn’s girlfriend – or any woman in general.

Damien seemed thoughtful, eyes still addressed to Perrie.

“True,” He finally agreed, turning to Sophia with a smirk that could curd milk. “I loved Anne at one point. She made me money and she pleasured me when the urge struck. I treated her relatively well – “Damien began, but Sophia only stared in shock.

“How? You only beat her once a week?” She asked rhetorically, making Damien pause and keep the uneasy stare at her.

He finally shrugged.

“I didn’t beat her at all. Actually, when I found out she left I was quite miffed and a little pissed, yes, considering she left no forwarding address and I never knew why. It took me thirteen years, but I finally tracked her down.”

Sophia nodded, looking at the small wave of fear Perrie was exhibiting.

“Harry said you killed her. Tell me how that’s love? Kidnapping a thirteen-year-old boy, taking him into this hell and killing his mother in front of him?” Sophia questioned, clearing her throat to keep the waver in her voice in check. She was scared, she admitted she was scared of Damien because he was unpredictable. A little thing set him off and she did not want to be on the receiving end of it again.

“You sure are a nosy one, aren’t you little lass?” Damien sneered, his hands going from Perrie’s waist and turning his full attention to Sophia, which she didn’t exactly want, but it was better than watching him harass Perrie. She had enough problems without him.

“I guess I want to understand the demon I will be serving a little better to avoid future quarrels with said demon, so, is there a reason or was it all for fun?” Sophia’s hands shook, her fast reaction was to put them behind her back and she had no idea why her mouth wasn’t shutting up. Perhaps that fight with Harry knocked some sense from her or he did when he banged her head against the wall more than a few times.

“Little girl, I can smell the fear from here. Don’t pretend to be bold. You cannot possible think I am that unobserving,” Damien challenged, taking a few steps so he was about three feet from her and leaning on the same wall she was with his elbow resting on the wall to support his head. “Darling, I took Harry because he was rightfully mine. He was a product of myself – as you have come to see and he is a product of his mother – which he lets slip more than he should.”

Sophia nodded, keeping quiet as she half suspected Damien to continue. He didn’t disappoint.

“Anyhow, doll; despite what you may think you know, Harry never actually saw the murder of his mother. Because I never murdered her.” He chuckled again, deeper this time. “No, there’s a dirty little secret I’m dying to tell someone and I know just who.” He moved a step to the side, inching closer to Sophia, she remained frozen to her spot with a gulp.

Damien lowered his voice in a mock whisper, knowing his voice would carry either way in the desolate halls.

“Harry believes his mother is dead, but she actually traded Harry to me in exchange for the life of her older daughter, Gemma. She had Gemma to another man, though it surprises me how much alike they look. Regardless, Harry was traded, not taken and in exchange, I let her leave this life to raise her daughter in peace. Until recently that is. Harry is about to get a little surprise and if you breathe a word of it, you won’t get a chance to live a month.” Damien smiled, his hand shooting out to grab Sophia’s throat, pressing hard against her windpipe.

“You understand, don’t you darling? If you don’t agree, I’ll just crush your throat and burn your body downstairs in the crematory.”

Sophia nodded, her eyes shutting so she didn’t have to see the eyes of the man that will almost certain haunt her dreams.

“Good. You know, once you’re dead, I think I may just go on and preserve your body and keep it for a while to ogle at. I’m sure I can find space in my cabin to hang you up and fuck you senseless,” Damien cocked his head and let go of her throat.

She opened her eyes and gasped out, unaware her breath had hitched in her throat.

“Maybe I’ll even give you to Harry after I’m done, he can give you the proper sendoff in the acid bath.” He taunted further.

“You’re so sure I’m dying.” Sophia murmured.

“You will. My fighters never lose. Steele is my best fighter and he has never lost any fight to date. In fact, Steele is from the Cage.” Damien waved dismissively as if it were no big deal.

“I see, and you find no reason to bet on the opposing horse?” Sophia questioned, her good arm folding across her chest.

Damien seemed amused.

“What are you getting at Ms. Stone? Are you saying I should bet on you? A kitten VS my dragon? I’m intrigued. Either way, you are very delusional or very stupid. I’m not sure which.” Damien laughed goodheartedly.

“What if I’m neither? What if I win? What will you do?” Sophia asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“IF you win, baby, and that’s a never going to happen in a million years if, but IF you beat the odds and win, then, your slate gets wiped clean, I don’t touch you and perhaps – if you’re lucky, I might return you a favor of the same. We have a code here in the depths of hell. Harry traded in his release for you to live, that agreement got wiped when you were arrested. Now, it’s come down to living or dying. If you live, then you are free to initiate your release or pass it on to someone else, which brings you into my gang for the rest of your living days.” Damien smiled.

“So either way I will die, whether by release or by someone’s hand, the path still leads the same direction.” Sophia nodded in understanding. Now aware of why it was a hopeless feat in this gang. Because there was no release but death.

“Depends how you look at it, kitten. There are many ways to die and fewer even still to live. Your death in this world is tied to honor. Honor is everything here, because it’s all we got.” Damien shrugged.

“Because you have everything else, right?” Sophia questioned on, feeling more disgusted by the second.

“We’re murderers, thieves, black market traders – goods and people are no objection. However, honor is something very few of us possess. It’s rare here in the undergrounds and much sought for in our world. It is something that can’t just be given. That is why death is such a big deal. Because it’s not the fact that you die, it’s how,” Damien’s hand traveled up, his fingers snaking to her shoulder and falling behind her, tickling the back of her neck. “To die in a fight is dishonorable. That is why I am looking the most forward to it.”

“And the rules? Are there any rules in this fight?” Sophia turned her head to the monster and stepped back, his slimy touch falling off her neck.

Damien’s smile turned wicked.

“Yes. Just one.” Damien leant over, their noses nearly touching.

“Which is?” Sophia pressed her lips into a thin line.

“Survive.” Damien answered, pushing passed her and making to walk away, but paused again, his interest back on Perrie.

It was quiet for a moment, the realization hitting both women at the same time that something was about to happen. Because his loud whistle rang shrill throughout the building before either could blink, echoing along the floors and reverting back to them in a wave.

“Ms. Stone? I propose you this question and this question only; do you believe in honor?” He turned with a smile, walking back to her and trapping her against the wall.

“I believe in working to earn – “She started, his hand coming up quick, slamming it without mercy on her already bruised cheek.

“No. I want a simple answer. Do YOU believe in honor? Yes, or no, I will break your jaw if you answer with anything else.” Damien gritted his teeth, his eyes scanning hers, their faces pushed together so their foreheads almost touched.

“Yes.” Sophia answered, making him back away a little.

“Good. You get to prove it.” Damien nodded, seeing Zayn and Louis were the first ones to come into the hallway, stopping when they saw Sophia trapped against the wall, a knife being thrusted into her hand.

“Gladly.” Sophia gritted her teeth, making a move to lift it in the air to stab Damien, but Damien was quicker and slammed his leg to the back of her knees, knocking her to the floor.

“IN HERE, NOW!” Damien roared, grabbing Sophia by her hair and trapping the hand with the knife to the wall.

Louis and Zayn walked in with the rest of them, Harry included.

“What the fuck is going on?” Harry asked, taking a step forward.

“Your little bitch tried to stab me. Bloody little desert viper.” Damien gritted his teeth, having not expected the girl to try and stab him.

“well, it is you.” Harry shrugged, figuring the girl was defending herself. He was not about to take his father’s side on the matter as he knew exactly what the man was capable of.

Damien growled, slamming Sophia’s head against the wall to knock some of the fight from her.

Harry cocked his brow.

“You know; I’m going to wager that she will have a concussion with how many times her head was slammed into the walls today.” Harry chuckled.

“Quit being a smartarse. Come over here and hold her or I will see you put through this instead.” Damien growled.

Harry walked over and hauled Sophia from the floor, forcing her hands behind her back.

Sophia still had the knife, which didn’t go unnoticed by Louis or Zayn.

“Mate?” Zayn started, Louis interrupted.

“I hope you – “Louis didn’t get far before Harry threw Sophia full force to the opposite wall, yelling out in exclamation. “Weren’t too keen on having children in the future.” He finished with a flinch, seeing the knife stabbed into Harry’s jeans.

“Oh my God.” Harry breathed out, pulling the knife out from his jeans and seeing the blade had just missed his dick by a mere hairline.

In anger he twisted the knife back and let it fling, the blade missing Sophia’s cheek by a hairline as it embedded itself into the wall beside her.

This time, Sophia didn’t flinch.

“Pick her up.” Damien ordered and Harry nodded, forcing her back up to her feet and holding her wrists – something he didn’t do before and held them behind her.

“Fuck you, curly.” Sophia seethed, her vision doubling in front of her. She shook her head to clear it, the breath of Harry’s lips forcing themselves to her ear.

“I don’t know what snapped in that head of yours, but get it out of your arse before you get us all in trouble.” Harry hissed, eyes dark in contrast to the raging sea.

“Survival.” Sophia snarled back and brought her head forward to head butt him.

Thankfully he predicted her move and pulled her back tighter to his chest, holding her wrists with one hand and crossing his arm over her chest with the other.

“Survival don’t mean shit if you don’t use your head.” Harry responded calmly.

“I was using my head.” Sophia glowered.

Harry rolled his eyes.

“Wrong use of the term, darling.” He responded easily, his eyes now on Damien that was watching the display.

He cleared his throat like a professor that was trying to bring order back into the classroom.

“Steele? Would you respectfully restrain Mr. Malik? I would hate for him to miss this and even more so to interfere.” Damien spoke calmly, walking to where the knife was embedded and picking it out of the wall.

Zayn went forward, his feet halted by Steele’s large arms, forcing his hands back in hostage position, a gleaming smirk on his face.

“What’s going on?” Louis demanded, walking a step forward.

Another man was on Louis, restraining him from making it any further to them.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” Zayn yelled, his breath hitching in his throat.

“Steele? You have another hand, yes? Gag him with it will you?” Damien ignored Zayn and proceeded to pace back and forth in front of Sophia.

“Ms. Stone? It has reached my attention that you do understand what honor is and what I have explained, yes?” He questioned, the scowl prominent on her face.

She didn’t answer him and he stopped, the back of his hand slapping against the side of the cheek that was not yet bruised.

She whimpered but did not scream out. She would not give him that satisfaction.

“ANSWER ME!” Damien demanded.

“Yes, I know what fucking honor is, you twat!” Sophia cried out, her pain coming out in anger.

Another slap, his words ringing in her ears to the back of her head.

“Good.” He nodded, shoving the knife in her face, the point of it a half inch from her pupil.

Niall and Liam stayed where Jonathan and Shaun were, the other boys watching the drama breaking out in front of them, not completely understanding.

“Bring Zayn forward, I want him to remember this and I want him to remember this in detail.” Damien ordered, taking the knife from Sophia’s eye and pulling her from Harry’s hold, shoving his hand to her windpipe and trapping her against the wall, but not enough to choke her.

“Harry? Step back to the others and shoot anyone that interferes. This lesson is for Zayn and Sophia only.” He said with a blood freezing smile.

Harry knew the lesson, he himself had experienced it at a young age and now, the two others would get a crash course.

“I hope there really is a hell, because I want the pleasure of delivering you myself!” Sophia growled, her eyes a fearful but steely blue. Quite beautiful to look into if Damien himself admitted, but dangerous all the same. He was breaking down her walls and trapping her with nowhere to go.

“I’m sure there is a hell for you somewhere, kitten. However, you are already in the underbelly of it, because here, I am God. In addition, I am the warden, judge, jury and executioner. You breathe, I know about it. You die – I know about it. Which brings me to the point of why we are all gathered in this hallway,” He paused, his eyes eyeing over Zayn with a smirk. “Well, mainly why we are here. To be truthful and I know this is wrong, but I really couldn’t help but overhear a little conversation between the rebel and the minx here earlier. Harry, did you know that Zayn had sex with Perrie while she was still your hostage?”

Sophia’s eyes widened slightly.

Zayn’s remained emotionless.

“I did not, father.” Harry gritted his teeth, looking to Zayn, his eyes almost black.

Louis noticed the danger and man, was he glad Harry didn’t have superpowers. If he did, there would be one hell of a cleanup.

“Well, Zayn here told Sophia to keep it a little secret and since we’re sharing secrets, I told her one of mine own. Feels good to tell someone your diabolical schemes and know that they can never tell.” Damien chuckled.

Harry folded his arms across his chest.

“Why are we here?” Harry asked tonelessly, already bored of the theatrics.

Damien rolled his eyes.

“You want me to get straight to the point, Harry? Fine,” He turned back to Sophia. “Ms. Stone, it has come to my attention that you have killed your father, one of Elliott’s men and of course Christian, but tell me, have you ever murdered an innocent soul before?”

Zayn let out an exclamation through Steele’s hand in choked panic, struggling against him.

“Christian.” Sophia answered, making Damien laugh.

“No, Christian’s soul was already damned when he entered this gang, just as yours is. No, I’m talking an innocent. A hostage, someone that was never a damned, someone pure and unaware fully of these sorts of situations.” Damien pressed, using his other hand to gesture.

“No.” Sophia answered truthfully.

“Until now. Zayn broke the rules and Harry there, because he is the leader, is going to make a decision of who gets punished and you will carry it out and you will do it without hesitation. Failure to do so will result in torture that you have only seen in your worst nightmares. The same goes if you try stabbing me again.” Damien warned, letting her go.

Sophia stood there and glanced up at Perrie.

For the first time, she noticed how lifeless and sad her eyes looked. Something Sophia herself must have looked and she imagined she didn’t go through nearly as much shit as the doll on the wall.

“Zayn mentioned that she was his first everything. His first kiss, his first love – something that normally carries a death penalty to it, but he has worth and I can overlook that. However, the lesson still needs to be made clear. Harry? Your choice. Zayn or Perrie?” Damien gestured, Louis’s eyes going from one person to another.

“And they say I’m fucked up.” Louis muttered, his mouth seized by the man behind him and a command to be quiet.

“Perrie.” Sophia spoke up, her eyes meeting across to Harry’s.

Zayn let out another protest, Steele’s hand closing tighter over his jaw and muffling anymore sounds.

“Not your decision.” Damien growled, but she ignored him and looked to Harry.

“Maybe not, Master. Damien, but, would you truly chose to punish a man with worth in a group that is already so thinned out? Or a helpless doll? She’s suffering, has been for years and all of you are in question of whether or not who gets punished because of some fucked up rules!? Gee, I hope I never fall in love, it might get me stabbed in the bloody heart!” Sophia exploded, her anger tipping over.

The halls went dead silent for a moment, the uneven breath of Sophia echoing around.

“To know what true love and compassion is, you must make a sacrifice and I’m not letting you rig the game anymore, Master. Styles. I’m not letting you turn this gang on one another, because true compassion doesn’t come from the good will of others, it comes from the heart and I still have that in me. No matter how fucking hard you try, I will NEVER have that bled out.” She finished, her breathing hard and her teeth gritted.

“I’m impressed Ms. Stone, but you’re not in control he- “Damien started, only to have the knife wretched from his hand in a force of strength that Sophia herself did not know she possessed.

“I am, because it’s not your decision either. It is mine and I made my choice.” Sophia finished, thrusting the knife back and letting it go, the blade striking its target.

Zayn struggled, the tears running freely down his face and the sobs loud against his sealed mouth.

Steele made a face and pushed him to the floor, looking up at the once beautiful girl on the wall, her soul finally free, the blade running straight into her heart.

“When I was held captive, I practiced what Harry and Louis had taught me. I practiced every day, even if it was with a spoon or whatever I could get my hands on. I practiced right up until they kept me chained up like an animal. You wanted MY inner monster unleashed?” Her eyes roaming over Damien and Harry. “Well gentlemen, here it fucking is.”

Instead of becoming enraged like she thought Damien would be, he clapped – abet a bit sardonically, but he clapped, chuckling as he did so and throwing his arm over Sophia with a sort of glee.

Louis was released and he in turn ran to Zayn, his hand on his back, uncaring of who was watching. Liam and Niall coming to kneel beside him as well.

Sophia looked over at the once tough rebel as he sat on the floor, mourning for his love, his innocence and the moments he could never get back. Perrie was gone and it was hitting him like a fifty-ton freight train.

“Ms. Stone?” Damien brought her back, his hand rubbing slowly up his spine in mock comfort and his raspy voice almost a purr.

“Like I told you before, I always rig the game to my benefit and you fell right into it,” Damien teased mockingly, feigning a pout. “See, I knew you would never let Harry make a decision. I also knew your conscience would never let you continue to watch another person’s suffering. You can’t and that’s why compassion has no place here in hell, because it doesn’t save someone. It gets them killed and I still got what I want on top of it. Good luck at the cabin and with your training, babe, because you’re going to need it. See you in a month” Damien cackled, this time turning and walking away.

Damien’s men retreated as well. All but Jonathan, who watched on.

Sophia frowned in confusion, daring to turn to Harry, but even he was standing above Zayn and watching over the men on the ground. He may not have been verbal, but his intentions were clear.

So instead, she walked over to Perrie, her eyes open in permanent fear.

With a gentle movement of her hand, Sophia took the palm of her good hand and brushed them over her eyelids, closing them.

“GET AWAY FROM HER! YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH!” Zayn screamed, getting up off the ground to lunge, BUT THAT EVIDENTLY HAD BEEN WHAT Harry had been waiting for, because he grabbed Zayn and forced him against the wall with brutality.

“She is gone! She can’t be hurt anymore and if you were half the fucking man you present yourself to be, you would have ended her the first time you saw her!” Harry growled, making Louis shoot up and grab Harry’s shoulder.

“Like you, Styles? Because you’re so fucking great!? You saw her hundreds of times and you did nothing! What’s that say about you, huh? Yeah I bloody thought so, asshole!” Zayn attacked, this time Louis switching sides to keep him from attacking Harry.

“Liam? Sedative, please.” Harry gritted his teeth, making Liam nod and run towards the operating room to grab one.

“Yeah sedate me! Sedate me because you made the mistake and not me!” Zayn howled, his forehead nearly touching Harry’s as he strained.

“I didn’t kill her because I couldn’t. I didn’t kill her because it wasn’t my responsibility. I knew you would find her eventually and I knew you had to make that choice and you couldn’t.” Harry responded calmly to his team member’s rage.

“BECAUSE I LOVE HER!” Zayn’s voice boomed.

“Because you loved her.” Harry corrected, turning to spare a glance at Sophia, shaking his head at her in disapproval, continuing back to look at Zayn.

Niall came cautiously to Zayn’s other side, rubbing his shoulder softly in hopes of easing some agony, knowing how he felt. That was now something that all three of the previous hostages had in common – they had each loved and they had each lost.

Zayn gradually quit struggling as loud agonizing sobs replaced his anger, his feet giving from him and the adrenaline dying in a pain that was beyond indescribable. A pain that ripped his heart to pieces and left those parts in a bloody mess on the floor to be stepped over again and again. That is how Zayn felt.

Liam came back five minutes later, syringe in hand.

“He needs to calm down and I do not trust him near Sophia right now. Put him out.” Harry ordered, forcing Zayn’s arm out.

Zayn didn’t even fight him on it. Anything was better than feeling the agony going on in his chest.

Hell, death was better than the pain he was experiencing as far as he was concerned.

Liam uncapped the syringe and gently injected it into the black ravened boy, watching his eyes flutter for a few moments before finally going limp and falling shut altogether.

Louis and Harry released him, standing up.

“Niall? Liam? Get Zayn in the back of the van, he’s going home with you two. Ms. Stone? You will go with Louis and I on our mission to collect the hostages.” He told her, a firmness in his voice that left her strangely numb as all she did was nod.

“Yes, sir,” Sophia murmured, her attention going back to Perrie one last time, her hand going to the dead girl’s cheek. “Forgive me.” She whispered to her, pulling the knife from her heart and walked in the direction Harry and the others had gone, Zayn being carried as Harry had requested.

Notes