Fionraella

The Two Sides

Geoffrey continues to twist until The Boss holds his hand up to tell him to stop.

The Boss suddenly pulls out a wooden board from the trolley and hands it to Geoffrey. "And... Throw it down on this."

The guard shakes his head. "That's cold, mate. I don't know if you've noticed this, but your friends aren't the ones in trouble right now. Your sister is." He stares at the screen. "There ain't anything I wouldn't do for my family."

@Hawksnest565

Ptelea whimpers at Geoffrey stops twisting. She rubs her face on her shoulder, sniffling painfully. She struggles to pull her wrist free from its binds. She looks at the wooden board and sobs softly.

"The old man will probably do a lot worse to my friends than he is doing to my sister..." Ambrose whispers, trying to reassure himself. He sighs sadly. "I have two families now. Blood only goes so far." His stomahc churned at saying that, but there was very little he could do to prevent himself from blurting out whatever the boss wanted to know about the forest.

The Two Sides

Geoffrey grabs Ptelea's wrist and twists it until the skin is red and raw.

The Boss meanwhile takes out his list and begins pulling all manner of things out from the trolley - sharp pins, a lead pipe, salt water, pliers... The pile fills up in the full view of Ambrose.

"Geez kid, you gonna let him do that to a little girl?" Ambrose's guard says disapprovingly.

@Hawksnest565

Ptelea begins sobbing painfully. She pulls her wrist, crying. "Please stop!" She cries, sniffling painfully.

Ambrose begins trembling. "I..." He looks at the guard, then back at his sister. "I can't...I can't give up my friends." He says stubbornly, his voice faltering as he watches his sister's pain. "I.." He bites his lip and shakes his head. "I'm not going to let that man find and hurt my friends...even if that means my sister has to suffer..."

The Two Sides

"I just be a guard, but even I can tell that you being able to comfort her would be beside the point." The guard scoffs and watches the screen with disinterest.

Geoffrey still says nothing.

"Geoffrey here is all muscle and no, well, anything else." The Boss chuckles and heartily slaps him on the shoulder. "Ah, I kid Geffy. I wonder what you'll shift into, hm?" He bends down to be at eye level with Ptelea. "You see, there's somethings my old hands can't do." He holds up his shaking fingers to her eyes. "I think I'll be fine with those tool, but there's something special about starting a treatment with bare skin to bare skin." He taps her wrist. "Geoffrey, twist it, if you please."

@Hawksnest565

Ambrose shivers a bit as he gives the guard a glare before looking back at the monitor. He bites his lip. "Even being able to talk to her would be enough..." He growls. "He's going to have this brute hurt her?! That's not very fair." He scowls.

Ptelea whimpers and pulls at her restraints fearfully. "Don't hurt me!" She cries out, trembling as she looks at the camera. "Rosey, please help!"

The Two Sides

The guard shrugs, "Sorry mate, it's one way only. They can't hear you." He stands indifferently behind the chair.

"Don't I?" The Boss asks, smiling uncomfortably at her. "That's strange. I swear I just watched it happen exactly as I said! Trust me my dear, big brother Ambrose knew exactly what he was getting into. Now..." He gestures to the assistant who had come in with him. It was a slight man who nonetheless looked quite strong. "I'd like to introduce you to my grand-nephew Geoffrey. Say hi Geoffrey!"

Geoffrey says nothing.

@Hawksnest565

Ambrose's eyes well with tears. "I can't even comfort my baby sister? You truly are monsters..." He whispers, rubbing his eyes a bit, before turning his attention back to his sister.

Ptelea squirms. "Don't talk bout Rosey that way..." She says as strongly as she can manage. But this dark room just made her feel so small... She looks at the assistant and whimpers. "H...hello." She greets the man, before looking at the camera. "Rosey, I miss you.." She sniffles at the camera.

The Two Sides

Ambrose's guard doesn't reply but is grateful for his decreased struggles. He manages to take Ambrose to the viewing room. It was practically identical to the Dark Room with a single chair, grey walls and dim lightning. The only difference was that there was a small monitor. Ptelea was visible on the screen, as were her tear streaked cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry my dear." The Boss takes out a handkerchief and wipes the tears away from one of her cheeks, "Truly, I wanted a better outcome than this. If only your big brother had given me another choice." The Boss pulls back and admires the selection of tools he has on offer. "My, my, did you see the way he chose that group of nobodies over you? I feel for you my child, I really do." He waved at the camera. "How are you doing Ambrose? Do you feel safe and sound whilst your sister suffers?"

@Hawksnest565

Ambrose pales as he sees his sister on the monitor. His hands tremble as he sits slowly on the chair. He scowls. "Can they hear me?" He asks, looking up at the guard, before growling. "Don't touch her!" He snaps at the monitor, glaring angrily at the old man.

Ptelea looks at the camera for a moment. She sniffles. "Ambrose..." She whispers, before looking down and whimpering. "You don't know anything bout my brother."

The Two Sides

Ambrose's guard sighs at the effort it's taking to drag him. "C'mon kid, give it up. You're gonna miss everything if you don't get to the viewing room in time. Don't you want to be there to root for your little sis or something?"

Ptelea was left alone for a few minutes before The Boss entered the room. His usual sleek cloak and small glasses had been replaced by a plastic white lab coat and thick safety goggles. "Ptelea!" He crows happily, "so glad you could make it." He ushers an assistant into the room who pushes a cart of miscellaneous tools including knives, saws and a bat. "How are you feeling today?"

@Hawksnest565

"Root her on?" Ambrose snaps angrily. "Are you an idiot too?" He stops fighting as much and scoffs. "You're an ass." He grumbles, shaking slightly.

Ptelea watches the Boss come into the room. She whimpers, seeing the cart with tools. "I'm..." she looks down at the ground and begins crying. "Please don't hurt me!" She sobs, squeezing her eyes shut.

The Two Sides

"Heart don't pay mate." Ambrose's guard grumbles and carries him away.

Ptelea's guard found the whole process much easier, like picking up a limp doll and carrying it away. He took her to a square grey room, which true to its name was quite dark, furnished only by an uncomfortable metal chair, a video camera and a weak light globe. The guard chains Ptelea's ankles and wrists to the chair before clearing his throat. "Your treatment will begin shortly."

@Hawksnest565

Ambrose watches his sister disappear from his sight. His lip trembles and he whimpers painfully. "She's only 9...bastards!" He snaps. "All of you are cold-hearted murderers! He's going to kill her!" He tries to kick the guard.

Ptelea doesn't say anything. She looks at the ground, then at her chained hands, then back at the ground. She whimpers softly. "I miss Rosey.." She whispers, squeezing her eyes shut. "If I close my eyes like this, we're not here. We're somewhere nice...He took me somewhere nice..."

The Two Sides

@Hawksnest565

The Boss plainly had finished listening to the both of them, because he spoke with utter disregard for Ambrose's words. "We'll try this again in a bit, yes? I'm going to have a cup of peppermint tea. Oh, or maybe I'll have some lemon sherbets!" He laughs as he walks away.

The guards begin to take the siblings in two opposite directions.

@Hawksnest565

Ambrose glares spitefully at the old man. "Please! Just let me hug her!" He begs of the guard pulling him away from his sister. "Someone here must have a fucking heart!" He snaps, struggling. "Ptelea!" He cries, watching his sister being dragged away.

Ptelea had given up. She lets herself be taken away. Tears streamed down her face. She felt betrayed and unwanted.

The Two Sides

"Oh, little Ptelly," The Boss tugs gently on one strand of her hair, "Big brother Ambrose is right, you know? I'm not going to kill you straight away." He pets her head condescendingly. "What I'm going to do is so much worse. So every time you're beaten or feel pain within the few hours of your life, I want you to remember your brother standing here and denying your right to freedom." With that, he raises his hand to address the guards. "Take the girl away to the Dark Room! Take the boy to the viewing room!"

@Hawksnest565

Ptelea begins crying again. "Please! Ambrose!" She sobs, shaking as she tries to get away. She looks up at the old man and whimpers fearfully.

Ambrose pales at the Boss' statements. "Sir, don't do this!" He pulls towards his sister, shaking. "Ptel, it's okay! I promise you, it'll be okay!" He bites his lip. "I'm not denying her anything! You are!"

The Two Sides

<Snipped quote by Fionraella>

At Ambrose's insolence, The Boss pushes the edge of his cane up against Ambrose's chin so that the boy is looking right at him. "So much fire, my son! Don't hesitate to show it to me!" His eyes sparkle for a moment. "After all the beatings you took... Ah, I expected as much, you know? Young people have so much strength these days." He drops the cane and steps backwards, heading back towards Ptelea. "Or is it that teenagers have so much strength today? Little Ptelea is only nine after all." He flips around when he reaches her and taps the cane lightly on her head. "It only takes the right words, Ambrose." He squeezes Ptelea's shoulder. "Why don't you tell your little sister that you won't give them to me?" His voice is dark again. "Of course, I won't be going easy on her if you don't do as I say. You think it hurts me to torture you because you share Harvey's face? I have no delusions. My son is dead. Would you like your Ptelly to follow?"

@Hawksnest565

Ambrose flinches at the cane and averts his eyes, unable to meet the old man's gaze. "I'm not your son.." He whispers softly. He then watches the Boss walk back towards Ptelea. He strains against the man holding him. "Don't you fucking touch her." He snarls, looking at his sister's frightened gaze. He whimpers slightly.

Ptelea whines at the threats and she squirms at him squeezing her shoulder. She looks at Ambrose and sniffles. "Ambrose, please!" She cries. "please don't let him kill me!" She sobs, trembling violently. Tears roll down her cheeks. Ambrose is the only person who could ever help me! Why isn't he helping me now...

Ambrose pales and struggles as hard as he can. "My friends are my family just as much as Ptelea is! You can't ask me to betray one's life for the life of the other!" He bites his lip as he looks at his sister. "It's okay.." He says with as much strength as he can muster. "He's bluffing Ptel. He's not going to kill you, I promise." He manages a small smile at his sister. "Hey, don't you worry, I'm not going to let that man hurt you. I'm right here."