City of the damned...

"Aaaaarghhhhhh!"

Screams can be heard throughout the town. Torment riddles the land. The only person who's not in pain or suffering is Hazel, who sits upon a human chair made of her parents, both as a way of punishment and a way to keep them close to her.

Her parents, to Hazel's surprise, didn't completely turn. Their bodies remain somewhat intact. However, beneath the skin, roots run like nerves that control their every move. But that's all. No mind control, just a strong exoskeleton that moves them.

Bored and lonely, Hazel looks to her mother and father, temporarily releasing her hold on the two's roots as she stands.

"Urg!" Her parents groan as they collapse to the floor. They had been holding their daughter for days now. Even with the extra strength of the roots inside them, their muscles ached.

However, they felt no hate towards their child. Over the week of her new rule, Hazel had made sure of her parents' safety, despite how they had treated her in the past. She found it hard to hate her mother and father as well, with the knowledge she had gained during her captivity. They were her family and they were just trying to protect her, even if they hurt her.

"I'm sorry." Hazel muttered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry." She repeats the words over and over as the tears stream down her cheeks. She kneels down to her parents and gives them a hug, hoping they'll forgive her for how she'd treated them.

"I didn't want any of this to happen. I just wanted to fit in. I just wanted a home and some friends to call my own. That was all." Hazel whispers to her parents beside her.

"But it's too late now" she cries, "Who could ever love a monster? Who would willingly help someone as hideous as me?"

Hearing this, they lean in and give their daughter a hug of their own free will. "We do." They say. "We do." And the three fall asleep, together.

********************************************************** End of Chapter Eight ************

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