“Uhm, Zach? We were supposed to meet them here, right? I’ve got a good memory, but I could be wrong...”

Three hours had passed, in total, and both of us were very worried. Slumber and Breeze hadn’t come back yet, but we hadn’t wanted to leave, in case they showed up. However, that event was seeming vanishingly unlikely as time went on.

“I know this is the place as well, but where could they be? Is this town that big or something?”

They might have gone down to that one dark area, or in a different direction from where we are standing right now. Maybe we should split up and cover more ground? But what if we find more diverging paths? Ugh! We would all be lost.

“Okay, how about we follow in the direction they went? Maybe they are walking back or just lost. At least we’ll be lost together.”

“Alright Zach. Let’s just find them though. They said they were heading towards the markets, and I think they went this way...”

Rose pointed towards the other street, which I vaguely remembered Breeze trotting down. Nodding, I got up, and the three of us set out towards this market.

“Maybe they’re stuck in the market and bargaining? Is it even possible to get held up like that over bartering?”

“Uhm, I guess so... but they don’t have any money, or anything of much value. I- I thought they were just trying to give me some time with you...”

Rose seemed disconsolate at the thought of their kindness to her being the cause of some mischief to them. Rose pressed against my side for comfort, and I returned the warm gesture. I found my wing wrapping gently around her, like a hug.

“They may have been, but I’m still worried for those two. Three hours is a long time to be stuck in the markets, let alone in a foreign town. I am extremely worried for their safety, especially after seeing the darker corner of the town. And if they are really just giving the three of us time to ourselves, they are extremely generous.”

There wasn’t much else I could say. My worry for Breeze and Slumber was growing with every minute that passed. Less and less Changeling drones wandered by as we continued towards the markets, most of them carrying heavy loads or pulling two-wheeled carts.

More common at this point were the spider-ponies. Thick, long coats of metallic-looking fur covered their gleaming exoskeletons, and dozens of pairs of eyes seemed to follow my every movement. While built in a similar style as the other area’s architecture, many of the stone walls were covered in spiderwebs, and those webs were filled with crates, boxes, sleeping spider-ponies, and many other things I couldn’t identify.

There was nearly thirty spider-ponies and a more than a dozen representatives of half that many other pony races scattered about, either tending to their little shops and stands, or buying from those same shops and stands.

I should have been able to see Breeze from where I was anywhere in the relatively small area, her wings were quite visible, but I couldn’t see her. My panic jumped up a notch as I surveyed my surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Stepping into the open-air bazaar, I looked about for any sign of them, even if it was just hearing mention of them. I had no real choice, keeping in constant contact with Rose and Goo along the way to avoid being separated.

I nearly jumped as a soft voice spoke almost directly into my ear.

“Greetings, traveller.”

The voice, whispery and quiet, held a hint of menace that made me want to either run away or take a punch at it, and I turned to observe its source as I tried to decide which.

It was another spider-pony, this one a bit smaller than the others, and without the fuzzy coat. Instead, dull gray and brick-red stripes across its chitin made it difficult to see against the similarly colored stone.

The spider-pony stood in an alleyway, draped in a shawl. It was missing two of its six eyes, on the left side, with a thin stripe of pale scar tissue connecting them.

“I see you watch the crowds, traveller, perhaps you seek a fresh one to keep? Orglo has many fine, fresh ones to keep.”

“Fresh ones huh? If I get the general idea of what you’re saying, no. I do not need another companion for my party since we are already full as it is. Sorry about that, little spider foal.”

“Heh, traveller think Orglo hatchling? No, Orglo many old. You see small, think young. But the arachnoponies have many kinds and kin. But you say you full of... friends? Orglo have very pretty fresh one, very pretty wings. The traveller seems like a wings sort of pony. Very cheap. Orglo will give discount on first purchase, show Orglo isn’t... ‘foal’ to traveller.”

“Okay...? Well, since you’re offering, I might have to take a look at this ‘fresh’ one you speak of. But there is no promise that I will buy this pretty one.”

Is this slave trading or something similar? It certainly does sound like it coming from what I now presume is Orglo.

“Orglo very sure of sales. Everypony buys from Orglo, I have very good eyes for want.”

The smaller spider pony turned and began to move swiftly into the alley, skittering over small heaps of refuse and around abandoned crates. I followed cautiously, Goo heaping herself onto my shoulders to keep away from the muck strewn about.

The spider reached out a foreleg, the arm-like limb grasping a doorknob and twisting to open it. Stepping inside, ‘Orglo’ gestured to follow. I peeked into the dark expanse beyond as Orglo clapped twice, and dim globes attached to the ceiling lit up, barely illuminating the floor.

It also allowed me to see the ranks of iron cages arrayed across each wall.

“So, traveller, Orglo have many fine fresh ones available. Some not-fresh, but still live. You like wings, I guess, so I show you wing ones first.”

The arachnopony scuttled forward on his six legs, holding his two forelimbs up like a preying mantis. The claws on the ends acted like stiff fingers as he opened a door to one side further into the building. Trotting along, I saw pathetic, scared-looking forms huddled inside the cages, each trying desperately not to meet my gaze.

To say I was shocked would have been a colossal understatement. I was appalled at what I saw. But ‘pretty wings’ sounded an awful lot like Breeze, and I could only hope this spider hadn’t caught my butterfly.

Following Orglo became a trial of misery, until we came to a series of cells. Inside the first was a russet-colored mare with thick layers of blood dried into her coat. It looked like she’d been beaten repeatedly, but even as we looked in, she opened a bruised eyelid and growled at us menacingly.

“These cells for high-grade. And for unbroken. And for fragile. Those are best fun to break yourself, so I not break them for you.”

Stifling the need to vomit, I continued on, looking into each cell in disgust. The next cell was empty, but the one after that had a pegasus mare with a mangled wing, and her back right leg was twisted weird. She still glared at us as we passed, but seemed too weak to try attacking.

The next cell, however, had a stallion, and he slammed against the bars with enough force to echo throughout the building. He was frothing at the mouth, black and white stripes adorning his coat as he rammed himself into the bars and door repeatedly.

I turned away and couldn’t look. Orglo stopped at the cell after the next.

“Yes, this one is very fresh, caught this week. Very rare... you like?”

The word ‘like’ sounded greasy, as if the words themselves had been coated in slime. I looked into the cell, and, to my horror, Breeze lay unconscious on the floor within.

“O- oh my, she is fresh. I do like that one very much, and the others look so...good.”

I felt so sick for letting those words slide out of my mouth. This place is a horror show! Is this really how screwed up the world is? To let ponies be captured for the purpose of food and torture!?

“Ha! Orglo knew he have sale. Fourteen gold, and this one is yours. Very cheap, but she fragile, break easy. Almost broke a wing getting her here, would have made her worthless, nothing but lunch for Orglo.”

The spider pony laughed viciously, and I caught the sight of a thin strand of drool leaking from his mouth, evidently in hunger. He turned his four good eyes back to me.

“So, does pony have money now? Or does pony need to sell wingless mare for the winged one? Orglo does trade-in, after all.”

The way the little spider-pony spoke was like he was talking about cars, or possessions, not people, things. It made me want to retch, but I clung to my cautious expression.

“Rose, how much gold do we have? I really want to have this mare. She looks so weak a-and tasty for my cravings.”

Rose, having seen who was inside the cell, just nodded shakily and looked into her saddlebags.

“Oh, I should mention, she had some things, which Orglo might also sell to you, if you like them.”

“Hm, show me these things, please?”

“Of course, valued customer, just follow me. My... office is a little ways further.”

One of the prisoners from before shouted out a warning as he said this.

“D- don’t do it! that’s how he gets you!”

The spider pony snarled and called for the guards to shut the slave up. I heard banging, shouts, and someone screaming in pain.

“Orglo is deeply sorry, the not-fresh try to ruin Orglo’s business. If I captured every potential buyer, how would I make money? It makes no sense.”

“Yeah, that is true. Would drive away all potential recommendations to such a fine establishment such as this. Certainly does have a lot of variety.”

Celestia knows how much I wanted to smush this little spider thing, but all those Spider-Man movies have at least taught me some respect for how strong they are when big.

“May I ask in advance, but how much are these items of that pony?”

“Some are good, many copper, but some are not, few copper. A couple of items... several silver. In all? Orglo would have to count again.”

“Ah, I see. What of the others in those cages? I might have to come back soon when the fresh one is used up.”

“Ah, a repeat customer? Very nice. They are much cheaper, arrived broken. Sold by their herds for money to live by. Some born slaves. They often very vigorous. All are used, cheaper. Now come, business ahead!”

“Ooh, now that I think about it, do you happen to have any Spectral Ponies in stock? I think they would make fantastic guard-beasts if chained correctly.”

Orglo guffawed.

“Pony is astute, Orglo does have some. They difficult to hold, but easy to feed. Very cheap, but you responsible after payment.”

I followed the spider as he began to walk down the last hallway to his office, Rose close behind. Sometime during this, Goo had wrapped herself around me, forming shapes like translucent plates of armor.

“Ah, I see. Well, would you kindly show me the wares you have of them after I view these items?”

“Indeed, this can happen. You seem well-to-do, traveller, Orglo could see by your clothes.”

The spider entered the office, the door hanging open. Inside was a mess of cobwebs, both ordinary and massive. Pieces of junk, some shrivelled husks that I refused to look at, and some cabinets were mired into the webbing.

“So, you want the pretty-wing, and perhaps some of Orglo’s new merchandise, then? Orglo can arrange. Have new stock here, in crate... wait, where did crate go? Ah, there is crate.”

Orglo tugged a battered wooden crate free of some webs, and upended it onto his desk. The ancient wood of the desk thunked gently as all of Breeze’s possessions, including her saddlebags, toppled out.

I heard a slight ‘thud’ as the door to his office closed.

“Hey, shiny-pony, why close Orglo’s door? Orglo want door open while negotiating!”

I had barely enough time to duck as Rose, gleaming like a piece of polished marble, shot over my head and impacted the spider-pony with a sickening crunch. The spider-pony squealed in pain or fury, I couldn’t tell, but I could guess that his guards would arrive soon.

To accompany that thought, I also realized that keeping the door closed would be extremely beneficial to keeping them out, but it was only flimsy wood.

My eyes darted across the web-shrouded room trying to locate anything I could move to block the only entrance. The webbing, in some places almost as thick as my hoof, would likely serve well, if I could keep from getting stuck and if I could actually move it. Spider-silk was stronger than steel cables, right?

Yanking and tugging at the dirty-gray cables of webbing, hoping that those wouldn’t be sticky, like dusty tape, and began to pull them towards the door. The webs resisted, but began to stretch, even as I heard the strangulated screams of the spider pony behind me rise an octave or so with the sound of hooves thudding into flesh.

A grotesque crackling noise, like thick foam being bent too far, made me look back in time to see Rose pulling off one of his legs. Turning hastily back to the barricading process, I decided to leave Rose to her bartering efforts in peace.

What else could block this piece of wood from opening? I fretted for a moment before realizing the screams had stopped, followed only by whimpering. I turned back to look, fearing for Rose for a moment.

Only a moment, however, as I saw that Orglo was pinned to the desk with a gleaming Rose Quartz holding him down. He had locked his jaws onto her limb, only to break every tooth and fang he had.

“Alright, friend, you’re going to give me your keys, tell your guards to piss off, and I’m going to go get my herdmates back. Understood?!”

Rose’s scream of fury made my own ears go flat in terror. I’d never heard Rose even raise her voice, let alone yell, and that last words was nearly loud enough to be painful. From my position by the door, I could see her eyes shining with an internal light that was nearly volcanic.

“U- uh, yes what Rose there is saying. You will free my herd and get out of this place. And don’t get into this business again, you hear me!?”

Nothing compared to what Rose demanded, but I hope he still got my request in mind, especially the latter one.

The spider-pony, utterly cowed and bleeding a thick green-blue ichor onto the floor, just nodded his head. Rose released him with a shove, causing him to topple off the desk. I moved out of the way as he simply plowed through the attempted barricade, shouting for everyone to ‘flee! before she gets you, flee!’ at the top of his lungs. Rose simply picked up the keyring listlessly, speaking around it as she headed towards the cages.

“C- can you search his office? Th- there might be money and stuff here.”

She sniffled slightly and walked out.

“Sure. Maybe this sick spider thing has something valuable to loot.”

The desk was my best option to see if there was anything. Finding nothing but a stack of copper, silver and gold coins, not many of each, and an assortment of knick-knacks. Some pretty baubles, some toys, etc. Something at the bottom caught my eye. Two somethings, actually. The first was a book, dark blue leather and bound well, but very old. The second, which made me blush furiously, was what could only be a dildo.

Carefully grabbing just the book, I swept waves of dust off of it, which had settled onto everything in the drawer, indicating their utter lack of use. I kinda felt bad for whoever had been caught with one of those to be made into a slave.

The book, though, seemed pretty normal. Some gold sigils that looked like this world’s writing were embossed on the front, but most of the gold had flaked away. There was a heavy, metal padlock on it to keep it shut, however, so I just stuffed it into my saddle-backpack and grabbed Breeze and Slumber’s stuff. I also grabbed the money, figuring I might as well take what I can get.

Looking around, I saw the cabinet mired in the webs. Intrigued, I pried it open, the wood splintering and breaking in the process. The whole building must’ve been old and taken from the previous owners, I realized, and I pulled the old wood apart.

Inside was a whole lot of dust, a small figurine or sculpture of a leaping mare, probably worth something, and... a key! It probably went to the book I’d found. And if it didn’t then I could always try breaking the lock off later, anyways. I took it all.

With everything packed up into my saddlebag and Breeze’s, I strolled out of the room a little more happy with something that is valuable. Not only that, but there is a book that will haunt my curiosity until I can read or get one of the others to read it.

I nosed the door open once more, or what had remained of it after both Orglo and Rose had smashed their ways through it. I could feel the gluey strands of the webbing sticking to my mane in places, but not strongly enough to worry about. Brushing the strands away, I saw Rose unlocking a cell. Many other stood open already, and I could hear whimpering from inside them.

“We are setting them all free, right? I know they look in bad shape, but anything but being locked here.”

Rose just turned back to me and nodded. She still looked a little... off, I suppose. But, she was looking better. I peeked into one of the first cells, and saw that the pony who’d occupied it was still in there, shivering and hiding behind the pitiful, moldy bed. I could hear hushed sniffles, like someone hiding their crying.

“Hey, don’t be so afraid. We’re getting you out of here and free. Can you please come out from behind that bed?”

“P- please don’t hurt me.”

I could barely hear that she spoke, let alone what she said.

I know fear can do this to ponies, but a voice being that soft?

“Please don’t hurt me!”

The words weren’t much louder, but I could still make out her request this time. She raised her head just a little, a tangerine iris almost luminescent in the gloomy lighting. Just from the way the head of the pony moved, I could tell she was absolutely terrified of me, ducking her head back down.

“J- just leave me alone....”

“I promise not to hurt you ma’am. I want to see you out of here.”

I started moving towards the bed as I spoke, careful to be slow; with how afraid she seemed, I didn’t want to spook her.

“Just let me d- die...”

“W- what? W- why would you want that? There’s much to do. You’re no longer trapped here in this cage.”

“Please... Don’t hurt me... Just let me die...”

This constant mantra was wearing on both my patience and my nerves. As much as I wanted to help her, her pessimistic attitude wasn’t helping. In fact, it was severely creeping me out.

“I’m not going to hurt you at all. Please, just come out of hiding and leave this place.”

She looked up again at me with that one bright, copper-orange eye, still bright. I could hear her gulp in fear as she realized how close I’d gotten.

“Y- you bought me?”

Her eye just stared at me as she awaited a response. I thought for a moment, hoping that I could come up with the right answer.

“Uh, yes I did buy you from Orgle. I just decided to do ‘pick a random mare purchase’ option he had.”

That was an option he offered, right? I hope she didn’t know how those policies worked.

“Y- you don’t want me? Th- then you’ll kill me, right?”

Her voice had lost its strength again, but she sounded distressingly hopeful with her second question.

“I do actually want you for my herd. As for the second part, time will only answer that. I may or may not want to d- devour you for my hunger.”

“y- yes master...”

The pony immediately stood up, and trotted over to me, her face downcast and her ears drooping limply. Or, at least, her left ear was, as she didn’t have a right one. I inhaled sharply as I saw the extent of the injuries on her. The first mare I’d seen it he cells was covered in dried blood, yes, but this mare... she was covered in scars. The criss-crossed her back in thousands of lines, hundreds of little scars like bite marks or similar ran across her legs and sides. Her cutie-mark, or where it should’ve been, was nothing but a twisted, puckered scar, like a slow knife wound or a nasty chemical burn.

I tried not to gag as I continued surveying her, and I saw why she had only looked at me with one eye.

The other socket was empty, shredded, and coated in some sort of glistening fluid that didn’t look healthy at all. Her mane, now that I surveyed her face, was visibly cut very short, and I could see rope-burns on her neck. a ragged scar, like from a knife, trailed smoothly down one of her cheeks, forming a silvery shape like a spider-fang. From what I could guess, that had been Orglo’s mark.

As she stood there, motionless, I saw that her tail looked-half plucked, and also cut short. A starburst-pattern of scars spread away from the base of her tail, the implications of which were sickening. Smiling weakly, I prepared to pat her gently on the shoulder, stopping when she flinched at my raised hoof.

“It’s just a pat on the shoulder. Oh, what was your name?”

I was utterly speechless at the sight of how badly conditioned she was. The scars and burns along her just made me at a loss of words. I felt so bad for her on the inside, everything was telling me to hug her tightly, but I knew something like that would surely make her recess into that state again.

“I am sorry, master. I have whatever name you wish me to have, master.”

And that made my heart sink again. No name, either?

“Well... Uhm, I do not have one right now. Is there anything you like to do?”

“I live to please my master.”

Add to that. She didn’t have any hobbies either. All my sentiment was going to this mare.

“I see. Well, in that case, I will refer to you as...”

What’s a good name for a mare such as this? One that does not have interest or a name already.

“Origin.”

“Yes master. I will respond to that, master.”

She continued to speak in a monotone, refusing to meet my gaze.

“Could you please look into my eyes, Origin? I would like to see how they are along with the rest of your face.”

She looked up to look me in the eye, and I saw that she had cuts at the side of her mouth, making her lips seem abnormally large. Elastic-looking sutures kept the ‘wounds’ together, but the sides of her face had the look of someone whose jaw had been dislocated many, many times. In addition to her damaged eye socket, and the fang on her cheek, her face didn’t have much else in the way of damage to it. However, under her mane, I saw something that absolutely broke my heart to see.

It was the stump of a horn, broken near the base and crudely filed down.

I could feel tears forming at the sight of it! My hooves were quivering just to sprint up to her and hold Origin with so much comfort. A unicorn that had no horn. Do they even grow back here? Oh goodness, I needed to stop thinking like this unless I wanted to break the fortitude of being a ‘fearless master’.

“Okay, thank you Origin. We shall now depart from here and find the rest of my herd. I believe they will w- welcome you in.”

My head and body turned around quickly and I had to shut back the oncoming droplets.

“Yes master.”

Why did this happen to me? I would fix all of this soon enough. This whole world was screwed up beyond belief with these slaves. But, I am going to make it right somehow after seeing all this travesty! My hooves picked up painfully to take a few steps out of the cell. I just needed to leave this place and find somewhere private to break down at.

After exiting the cell, I started down the hall again. I looked into the next open cell, though it was empty of any ponies. The next one was, too. The one after that had the one thing that hit me harder than Origin had. In it was a small colt. He looked to be barely into his teens, at best, and appeared to have been a bat-pony, or nightwing. I say ‘had been’ because one of his wings was ruined, and the other missing.

He just lay on the bed, side barely moving, staring at the wall.

“Hey, l- little colt? Could you please get up?”

No tears, not right now. I needed to free these ponies and find the rest of the group. The colt didn’t move. For a moment, I thought about going in to get him, but thought again. A stray thought came by; maybe Origin could be told to get him. No, I’d get him myself.

“Origin? I want you to stay here and keep on the lookout for a Spectral Pony, or a Flutterkin. Got it? I’m just going to check in on this colt to make sure he’s alright to move.”

“Yes master, as you command.”

Origin didn’t move from her spot, not even sitting down as she looked blankly down the hall towards the other cells.

I stepped towards the colt facing the wall. The wing looked to have been healed at some point, but while broken. The ‘healed’ wing had set with the many long, finger-like bones in strange, unnatural angles. Other than the bandaged stump of his other wing, he looked unharmed from what I could see.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

The top-most ear of the colt simply flicked once in response.

“Okay, so you can hear me I guess. Could you please sit up on the bed?”

The colt didn’t respond, except for another ear-flip.

“Uh... okay, so I guess that’s a no.”

Maybe I should poke him. Not a bad idea to try I guess. A light poke at his shoulder brought no reaction, however, not even an ear-flip this time.

“Oookay... Uhm, so do you have a name then?”

Still nothing. Maybe I should just pick him up and carry him, then, I thought.

“Well, you’re coming along with me then.”

Being careful to not harm the little thing, my teeth grabbed him by the back of the neck, hoping it was similar to a cat’s scruff. As soon as my teeth began to close, however, the colt sprang into action, twisting and smashing a small hoof painfully into my nose.

It hurt a lot, but not as much as his next more, where he slammed both hooves into opposite sides of my head. I reeled back and got a kick in the throat for it. Almost finding myself blinded by the wild swipes and kicks of the tiny colt. He made a low hissing noise as he stood on the bed, arching his back like a cat.

I massaged my pained throat, and just watched as he began to pant and lay down, looking exhausted. His dusky grey coat shone with sweat as he collapsed sideways onto the bed again. I could see his ribs showing and he tried to hiss again, this time much more weakly.

His soft, red-brown eyes were half-closed as he regarded me cautiously.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I was just trying to get you out of this cell and this whole place. But, I’m glad I made you awake somehow. Uhm, what is your name, young one?”

I sincerely hoped he could first of all, hear, and second of all didn’t take offense to being called that. That little colt sure can damage a pony.

The colt just continued to lay there and glare at me. He made a gesture with one hoof towards his neck. Looking closer (cautiously, he’d caught me off-guard once already) I saw a single, thick scar across his neck. The thick, pearly scar tissue shone against his dust-gray fur. As I watched, his eyes closed, and his breathing slowed to a more normal rate.

So that’s why he couldn’t speak. This makes things a little bit more difficult, but at least he could understand me.

“Origin. I could use some assistance in here.”

“Yes master. What do you need, master.”

“I need you to get this colt onto my back so I can get him out of this place.”

“Yes master.”

She stepped into the cell with a shiver, then gently picked the colt up and laid him across my back. I’d figure out why someone would do this to a child later, but I needed to get these ponies out of here for now.

Stepping back into the corridor with the sleeping colt on my back and Origin following me, I prepared for the worst with whatever else would be in the next cell... nothing, this time. I almost heaved a sigh of relief.

The next one was similarly abandoned, but the next one after that held a corpse. I could tell they were dead, as nothing survives a bite like the one that poor mare had. The fact that her head was still attached, however barely, was practically a miracle in and of itself.

Shaking my head sadly, I continued to the next couple of cells, each of which were empty. The one after that had held Breeze, but the cell was empty. Reigning in on my panic, I attributed her absence to her being with Rose. The next cell, though, had remained locked, with the dangerous, rabid-looking stallion still in it. On closer inspection, though, I saw that the door was merely closed... and that the stallion was happily gnawing on the body of a dead spider-pony; presumably a guard.

Moving quickly to the next cell, I found the badly mangled mare I’d seen on the way in. She was sitting near the door to the cell, trying to keep her back straight. She was still favoring the one leg, and she still had the broken wing, but she was upright.

As I looked, she raised one hoof in a shaky gesture, tapping her chest and straightening up. She coughed once, and spoke, her voice harsh and grating as she squinted with her black eye.

“Gree- *cough* greetings, comrade. I th- *cough* thank you for your rescue.”

She coughed a few more times, trying to maintain her composure, before doubling up as the coughs wracked her with pain.

“M- my apologies... I am unfit for combat, and unable to maintain proper at- *cough* attention. I- I am Private Skyward.”

She coughed again, this time into her hoof.

“Uh, I’m Zach. You may relax, Private Skyward. No need to sit up straight in that condition. Are you fit to leave this place?”

“F- fit to leave on your command, sir. I- I’ll try not worsen my condition.”

Well, one step forward had been made; she completed a full sentence without coughing.

“Alright then, Private Skyward. Follow me and we will meet up with the rest of the...group. Oh, and this is, uh, Origin, another rescuee.”

And with that, the matter was settled. After ordering Origin to assist the private, we made fair time limping out. Most of the ponies in the main warehouse area had already fled, and the rest were in the process of helping the others too injured to escape on their own. Many gave nods of thanks to me as I passed, and I was so very thankful I didn’t have to help any more of them.

I wasn’t sure if I could take another scene like the previous few times and not cry.

Author's Note

Hey, yeah, do you guys think this rates the 'Dark' tag?

I'm trying for Horror more than Dark or Grimdark, but I'm not sure if this stuff is a step too far or not.