I woke with a start and sweat was dripping down my forehead as I sat up, I tried to move only to have something keep me restrained on the ground. I looked over there in the almost pitch black to see iron chains keeping me from moving. I was confused at first, confused as to why they would chain me to the floor. I tore my eyes away from the chains after pondering and looked in front of me only to see an imposing figure looming over at the front of where i was locked up. I was about to smile until i heard the voice of a familiar man.

"Well, Well, Well... the little dog is awake. Finally ready to serve your masters slave?" The dominant voice sneered.

My eyes shot open as my mouth hung wide. I-I thought I was free from this place, why am I back here in this hell! Where are Selene, Theta and Solarei. I started hyperventilating at the thought of having to endure hell again only to receive one night of respite.

"Aww how cute... the dog is panting, do you want food Mutt?" The voice cackled.

If anyone were to see me in the light, I would visibly shake at this person's burning words. I looked for anything to escape with but to no fruition since a second later he spoke again.

"Well, I'll take of those restraints so you can come and serve your masters you old dog..."

As he removed the restraints I followed him making no attempts to escape, the scars flaring up from the last time I tried to escape. As I followed after the man who called me, I could see the frightened faces of the new looking at me... I had lasted years in that place... sixteen years of fighting to stay alive. Once I returned for the night we all would try to communicate unless a guard was stationed inside our 'pen'. After following the man down the same corridor I walked through everyday of this hell a new guard stopped him and said he would escort me. The other guard reluctantly agreed as he walked off. I finally took in my surroundings. The wall was made of an old grey stone like you would see old castles made out of. However the walls were chipped, and even some stones had splotches of blood plastered all over them. I looked down towards the carpet... red, blood red. On the day I first arrived this carpet was a different color, now it was stained with the blood of dead people.

I looked at the man... his face was relatively normal except for a mark on his cheek which symbolized his allegiance to the slave ring and a scar down his left eye which was whited out, I presumed he was blind in his left eye. He had a black goatee and white hair. His eyes were dark red from the contact lenses all the guards were required to wear.

As I rounded the corner following behind the guard I came into the once throne room now a room used for beating, raping and killing slaves. Once the guard entered the room I saw him smile which was uncharacteristic of the guards, they never smiled. I chalked it up to the fact that it was my seventeen year anniversary in this place.

On the throne was the leader of this whole operation that spanned many countries. His name was Johnathon Santiago along with his wife Samantha Santiago, a deceitful woman who enjoyed giving people hope and then crushing it in front of their eyes... I have had a few run-ins with her. None of them were pleasant. As I approached the throne Santiago stood up and looked towards me with a smile.

"Ahh if it isn't the slave that lasted the longest... Ray wasn't it?" Santiago spoke firmly.

Not wanting to be beaten by the various guards I nodded and bowed my head the the 'king'.

"Why don't you speak Ray i'm sure we would like to hear what you have to say... OH wait I forgot. I was the one who cut your chords and took away your speech. One of the most important human tools, well good thing you don't have them you dog!" Santiago bellowed causing many in the room to laugh at his joke, except the guard that escorted me here.

I grimaced while my head was still bowed so no-one could see me.

"Well, since it is your seventeenth anniversary in my world I thought you could use a few days off from work to keep up your productivity. And as a gift from me to you for being here so long a comfortable mattress will be fitted in your cell." Santiago spoke softly.

This confused everyone in the room, even his wife because usually on big year anniversaries like mine i would be beaten to a bloody pulp by the guards until I could barely walk but he didn't. Even I was confused. But instead of questioning it I smiled and bowed my head as I was escorted back to the cells. I finally got a glimpse of a clock, it read half seven in the morning since work didn't start until half eight I would have an hour until the others would work. As me and the guard walked I looked behind us and say a mattress being carried by two guards.

All four of us reached the pen and to my cell which was the largest by a small margin. The others looked in confusion as they saw me enter and looked even more confused when the mattress arrived and was placed in my cell. All the guards left and the one that escorted me stood watch outside. I was in my cell when one of the others spoke to me.

"H-Hey how'd ya get that mattress bud?" He spoke while stuttering.

I pointed to my throat since I couldn't speak but he figure out why I was doing that. So he asked again.

"Hey bud why aren't you speaking?" He asked again.

Thankfully one of the other people answered for him, she was called Zoey and she had been here for around three and a half years which was actually quite rare since most people's bodies couldn't keep up with the stress and just gave out.

"Hey guy, get off his back. He has been here longer than any of us Aidan over there has been here for over five years which is the second longest according to him." Zoey explained.

"Pfft that guy hasn't been here for longer than six years at most." the man said.

I stood up to my bars and showed off my back while Zoey and Aidan both showed off their's. On our backs were lines carved into our skin Zoey had three and Aidan had five.

"Hey uh I can't see that guy's back." said the man.

I turned to a better light to show off now seventeen lines drew into my back with the seventeenth dripping blood. I was currently on the third row with six per row. Also on my back were a battleground of scars littering it but avoiding the count of years.

The other's eyes widened in horror at the fresh wound from on my back. The man sputtered and gasped at how long I had been here.

"How old were you when you were taken?" Zoey asked.

I visibly grimaced and held up my fingers in a code showing twelve. After I put up my fingers a few grimaced, some cried and the others looked down in despair.

"T-Twelve? You were twelve! What happened to your family?" Aidan asked.

I drew a line across my throat to shoe that they were dead.

"They're dead? Everyone of them?" the man asked.

I nodded which made everyone go quiet. After silence, I laid down on the new mattress and fell asleep awaiting what nightmares would manifest in my dreams.

I shot up to see an empty space around me, nothing not even my cell or anyone. I just walked alone to pass the time. The sky was a dark grey with grey clouds covering the sky. I kept walking until I heard something.

"Hey Ray." The voice spoke.

I whipped around to see what the voice was to see Theta. My eyes widened and my mouth was open wide. So it wasn't just a crazy dream that I had to try and cope with the crushing weight of my life. I ran over to Theta and grabbed him in a hug. As Theta returned the hug he spoke again.

"Solarei and Selene are trying to find a way to bring you from your world to theirs. They have been watching you throughout the day and are determined to get you out."

I looked him in the face and smiled. -Can I see them?

"Uh... no sorry they're using all their energy to find a way to bring you here away from this hell. But don't worry for all that time I'll be here with you. To keep you sane." Theta smiled

I smiled back and sat down gesturing for Theta to sit down next to me. -Do you want to watch a movie?

"Sure why not? It'll kill time right?" Theta said

-How about Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets?

"Sure when you watched it over seventeen years ago i remember you enjoyed it a lot so lets take a trip down memory lane.

When I woke up I saw my cell again and sighed, I looked out and saw everyone was still out working and I saw a few guards inside the pen playing Blackjack. I stood up and knocked my knuckles on the bars of my cell. The guards looked over at me.

"What do ya want slave?" One of them asked.

I pointed to the cards asking if I could be dealt in.

"Uh... well considering you got a couple days off we'll let ya play but we won't go easy on ya." the man said with a gruff voice.

As they moved towards me cell they started dealing the cards and got to playing.

"What... y-ya must have cheated!"

"B-But how are you so good?"

"Wha... how you've almost won everything!"

"Well that's it boys were out of things to gamble." one of them said pointing at the pile of cash on my side of the table.

I smiled sheepishly as they all looked at me with annoyed faces. I grabbed the stack of money and split it into four piles and dealt back three of the piles to the three guards as I kept one of them.

"Hey... for a slave yer not so bad." One of them said.

"Yeah, thanks this here is a grand this is a months pay right here so... thanks. We'll play again sometime." Another spoke.

"How are you that good at blackjack?" A third said still shocked.

"Come on Mark we gotta get going rounds are shifting." One said.

The three walked out and mere moments later the rest of the slaves arrived back in the pen after a hard day at work.

"Hey Ray enjoy ya day?" Zoey asked.

I nodded and walked over to the door with a smile.

"Did something good happen while we we're gone?" Aidan asked.

I just shrugged and sat down as I listened in on the slaves conversations, listening to them as i slowly fell asleep...

*BOOM* I shot up to find the pen on fire and the doors blasted open. Dead bodies of the slaves littered the floor with bullet holes in their heads. I looked around hoping not to find Aidan and Zoey there and luckily they weren't. As I stood up and shook off the initial ringing of the blast I stepped outside the pen room to find dead guards everywhere. Their bodies littering the floor with various gunshot wounds. One or two were torn in half by explosives, either malfunctioning or otherwise.

I continued down the hallway to the sounds coming from the familiar corridor. I walked past the body of another guard his body charred by the flames. As I walked past I saw a PDW on the floor along with a few magazines for it as well as an M1911. I picked up the weapons, ammo and knife from the dead corpse as I slowly proceeded to walk slowly down they hallway. I had never used a gun before so It could mean life or death If i couldn't get used to it.

I reached the once throne room and saw bodies everywhere. Some died from bullets others from explosions but there was blood everywhere. I looked up to the throne and saw Samantha's lifeless corpse laying there dead. I took out my 1911 and practiced by firing at her head, relieving some stress on the way to the noise.

"H-Help... M-Me..." A voice spoke weakly.

I turned around to find a SWAT officer bleeding out on the floor. I rushed over to help him.

"H-Hey were you one of those slaves?" He asked.

I nodded and put a finger up to my lips telling him to keep quiet. I saw some bandages discarded to the side of him and picked them up. I carefully took off his uniform and saw three bullet wounds. All had minor bleeding which meant luckily none had hit a vein. I wrapped the bandages all around his stomach to stop the slow bleeding which helped keep up his energy a small bit. In the distance I saw a small med-pack which could help. I ran over to grab the bag and ran back. Rummaging inside I found a morphine shot which would help. I injected him with it and got him on his feet and made for the entrance which was back the way I came.

As I got him on his feet I started walking to the entrance and listened to the Swat radio for ongoing reports, with the PDW strap around me and the 1911 in my left hand I continued to walk to the front. I heard about the last patches resistance being in the old catacombs of the castle. I then heard a report of a person walking out the front which I presumed was me. I continued to walk while keeping the officer awake.

"H-Hey by the way my name is Sam..." Sam spoke.

I nodded and pointed to my throat and shook my head showing him i was mute.

"Oh your mute h-huh i'm s-sorr- AHH - sorry." Sam whispered as he grunted in pain.

I continued to walk keeping an eye on my surroundings so no guards got the drop on me as i continued to make my way out of the castle.

*Kshht* "Unable to put down resistance requesting backup in the catacombs, over." *Kshht*

I finally reached the exit and at that point the Swat waiting outside told me to freeze. I kept walking to get Sam to a medical point.

"I SAID FREEZE!", "DON'T MOVE!" "W-Wait stand down he's got an injured with him... MEDIC!" The police shouted.

I continued to walk until a Swat with a red cross appeared to take him.

"I'll take it from here, you did a mighty fine job on those bandages son..." The medical officer told me.

I nodded and turned around running back into the castle despite the warnings from the Swat. I ran to the catacombs to give the Swat support. Along the way I picked up a bulletproof vest to protect me from shots to the chest. As I made it to the catacombs I saw the Swat were already down there shooting. I made my way down as I grabbed the PDW I acquired.

"Hey Civie, What in tarnation are you doing down here!" One of them shouted.

I pointed towards the resistance and help up my weapon.

"Your not aloud to fight get outside now!"

I shook my head and moved up to the barricade only to hear shouts behind me. I saw a guard look at me and ducked just in time before he took my head off with a bullet spray. I was breathing heavily as i looked to my right to find a grenade. I pulled the pin and threw it at the guards.

"OH SHI- *BOOM*"

1

I climbed over the barricade briefly looking at the mangled corpse full of shrapnel and got behind a bundle of boxes as I took aim. One person was trying to flee back as I shot him in the back killing him instantly.

2

I looked at his lifeless corpse hit the ground, but I shook out of my shocked state quickly enough to avoid getting my head blown off. I took aim again and caught another unaware while firing at a pinned group of swat the bullets ripped through him killing him before he hit the ground.

3

The other guards took note of me and pinned me down. I took a quick peek only to receive a hail of bullets. As soon as the Swat started firing again they forgot me and focused on them long enough for me to grab my 1911 and fire all eight bullets into a person killing him.

4

Before they could respond I quickly moved up to a stone wall causing them retreat further into the catacombs. I stopped and finally breathed normally as I reloaded my PDW and 1911. I had two magazines for my PDW left and one for my 1911. A Swat officer moved over to me.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

I nodded as I watched the rest of the Swat move up.

"Your a good shot and a good fighter just don't get your head blown off."

I nodded again and moved up with the rest of the Swat. As they rounded the corner LMG fire cut down three officers unable to get to cover in time. I stared at their lifeless corpses and had a small silence for them. I looked at their belts and one of them had a flash-bang. I quickly grabbed it and turned to the other officers and showed them. They understood and I pulled the pin and threw it down the hallway blinding the guards. I ran down the hall and cut down two of them with my PDW while the Swat got the other four shutting down the LMG fire.

5 and 6

We were coming up on the last room in the catacombs and there were at least 15 guards in that room all armed with rifles, smgs and pistols ready to kill us. I looked at the officers and pointed to a grenade and a flash-bang and did the give them gesture. They un-clipped them and passed them to me. I pulled the pin on the flash-bang and counted to two before throwing then I grabbed the grenade pulled the pin and threw it after.

"Oh god why m- *BOOM*"

7

We all moved up while they were flashed and we managed to take out eight of them before they returned fire I got another one with a clean head shot from my 1911.

8

I grabbed my PDW and sprayed as I heard two pained cries and two bodies hitting the floor.

9 and 10

After seeing the rest of their comrades die they surrendered we asked them where Santiago was and said he ran further into the panic room.

We all piled outside the panic room and knocked.

"I heard the shootin' stop did you win?" Santiago asked.

"YEAH! Boss WE GOT EM!" One of the Swat guys shouted excitedly.

"Good work I'm coming out."

The door to the panic room opened and Santiago stepped out, he saw my face and my smile. I waved and put a bullet into his skull.

11

Author's Note

I hope you guys like this one, I had a blast writing it!