The Tainted: A Story of Those Under Evil's Curse

CHAPTER 8: Lyra Heartstrings: Bleeding for Freedom

I was in bandages when I woke up, I don't know how long I've been out but I know I went from the frying pan into the microwave; I'm bandaged up almost everywhere and the few places that weren't were scared sadly; I must have made my little show a bit to convincing.

I had made myself a distraction so that Neon Lights could try to escape so that he could try and escape and hopefully then find some help for me and that has left me laying in this bed in pain praying that he can somehow pull it off... now all I can really do is heal to the best of my ability.

"What did you do to yourself Lyra Heartstrings?" -I tensed at that question- "you look as if you had been attacked but the wounds are only deep enough they look bad, well except for the missing teeth..."

Nervously I looked around trying not to sigh at all the pain that is around me, I motioned for Nurse Redheart to come closer "I... made a scene so that a friend of mine could have a chance to escape," -I looked around nervous- "but that was before seeing all of the ponies in here" she backed away and took her turn to look around at all of the sick or injured prisoners.

I felt my vision go black as my mind started to replay the events that had lead to me coming to this situation and realization.

The pony Neon Lights killed.

The blood that had hypnotized me.

The unicorn that I turned Earth Pony.

The blood that I took during our kiss.

I shivered at the memory and started to salivate "Lyra?" I shook my head a sense of horror playing through my mind "are you doing okay?" I only nodded; nothing I could tell her about "I don't think that you or any pony would be able to get us out" I looked around and winced seeing a pony in a full body cast "to many of us can't walk."

"What happened? why are so many injured?" she wasn't able to meet my eyes and wouldn't even acknowledge that I had asked her a question. I was about to shout for an answer but then I saw the stallion that had drawn her attention; he had a dingy blue coat and ash gray hair and worst of all he was heading right towards us.

"Well hello nurse, who's your new patient?" their's something about this stallion that bothers me but I can't put my hoof on why.

"All I know is that she is hurt badly" -that's vague...- "I haven't even learned her name yet" -but she knows who I am...- "and I can't let you start talking with her when I haven't even seen her mental state, it's highly likely that she has post traumatic stress disorder, and don't even get me started on those guards that brought her in laughing as if it were all a joke." She looked ready to explode as he came forward "all I could get out of those imbeciles was that she was cowering behind a dead guard" this pony just shoved her aside coming closer towards me causing me to pull the blankets over my head.

"What's your name little filly?" I felt my body stiffen like a board "it's not going to be a name that ends with green is it?" I couldn't force a word out as if he had frozen me to the spot "does the cat have your tongue?" I shivered this time and pulled the blanket tighter over my head "are you scared?" I closed my eyes praying that he would stop talking sometime soon; it felt as if his voice was slowly freezing my body.

"For Celestia's sake! you're scaring the poor girl!" I heard some kind of commotion, followed by a slight scream of pain "fine!" I heard the sound of hooves pounding on the ground.

"That's a lot better now, now that I don't have that nurse chomping at the bit, what, is, your, name?" the way he had said it made my body tense even further feeling as if I were a rubber band ready to snap.

"L...Lyra H...Heartstrings..." suddenly I heard a hiss.

"Hey Redheart I believe I've actually heard of this on!" I tried to hide further into the bed "she's that harp player from Ponyville, you know the one that whatshisname was obsessed with!" it made me cringe at how loud he yelled but that wasn't the part that got on my nerves the most, it was the way he had seemed friendly.

"Very good Mist, can I take care of my patient now?" there was another laugh and then something whispered that I couldn't catch sadly "are you okay darling?" I lowered the blanket and took a deep breath before sighing "ya... he has that effect on ponies... you're safe to relax now" she looked aside at a cart but I couldn't tell what was on it "um if you're alright with it I'd like to start stiching up a few of these cuts" I nodded and she put a wet towel on my forehead which felt amazing; granted a little lightheaded but still amazing "sleep well Lyra Heartstrings" suddenly everything went black.

I was out like a light.