Missing Piece

Chapter 14

"There is no shame in wanting to live." Charlotte looked up from her scabbing arm, blinking the tears from her eyes to stare at the elder neighbour with three scars running across his face. "Do whatever you can to live. Use being a kid to your advantage; play on the heart strings of others if you must. There's not a lot of people who can off a child who has barely lived life yet just like that. Cry and beg if you must."

Charlotte played with the words in her mind, letting it simmer and roll around. She frowned, "Can I use being a kid as an advantage to save others?"

"ARE YOU STUPID?!" Charlotte flinched at the shout, good arm coming up to press against her ear. She slinked in her seat, dejected. She toyed with the stained fabric in her lap. She heard the old man sigh, and when he spoke again his voice was much softer. "Worry about yourself. And only yourself. That's the only way to stay alive here."

She gripped at the awfully stained ragged barely holding itself together. It was the same one that her neighbour had used to wrap her bleeding arm last time. "...Then why are you telling me all this? Isn't it helping someone else other than yourself?"

He watched the child silently. His lips tug lower at the dried blood splatters still coating her fingers. What perverted cruel bastard puts a child this young through something like this? He thought. "Heh, don't mind it. I'm just a bored old man who's tired of your useless crying and yapping!" He brushed off cheekily. His lips twitched and a barking laughter escaped him at the flame that lit up in her eyes at the taunt. That was good, brats should act like brats.

Crossing her arms, Charlotte puffed her cheeks and glanced away, "Well, sorry for being a useless brat!" She scoffed, yet not truly offended. If anything, she was glad that he was there to talk to her. As annoying as he says she was. He reached between the bars separating them and ruffled her hair with his big hand and she blushed smiling softly.

"You won't be once you start killing more people." Charlotte paled. "That means there'll be less people I have to kill." His laughter echoed between their suddenly awfully empty and cold cells.

"B-But... killing is wrong..." Charlotte muttered quietly, voice trembling. Her body flinched when his laughter ended abruptly, and the child shut her eyes tight. The warm hand suddenly terrifying.

"Did you know? People used to live by killing animals." He started and Charlotte was surprised at how calm his voice was. Slowly, hesitatingly, she turned to meet his gaze, relaxing at the friendly look on his face. "Have you ever eaten meat, my dear?" She nodded and then added after a moment with more vigor that made the male smile, "Uh, before I came here, I did."

He nodded solemnly, "It's the same thing: People killed animals for their meat to survive; you're just killing a different type of animal, not necessarily to eat, but to survive." He reasoned, watching Charlotte ponder on the reason for a moment. She nodded quickly and he smiled.

"I hope I never have to face you in the Ring though."

His smile dropped at the innocence in those words, and it pained him to be the voice of reason. But she needed to face reality and it's better that she faced it sooner than later. "That's wistful thinking. It's bound to happen sooner or later." He hoped later though. That way he'd be able to watch her grow up more. She was just so young, have so much yet to live. "Do you know what you'll have to do then?" He tested her.

She paused, pondering again. She thought back to their earlier conversation and all the training he's been trying to drill into her. "Will it work on you? The advantage of being a kid?"

His lips twitched upwards into a snarl and with a deep guttural laugh, he spoke. "Definitely not. I'll kill you instantly."

Platinum eyes glared at the bars before her, keeping her locked up, and the two guards jumped in fear at her stare. Her anger seething out of her and intimidating the two guards on the other end of their small station. Not that she was aware truly cared. Her attention far too focused on the bars keeping her locked up. The sight felt too familiar. Her being stuck on the wrong side of the bars, cuffed and alone.