Chapter 28

—Do not do it, please. —Sobbed the reddish-furred creature prostrate in front of Elena. —Don't make us suffer like this.

Despite his pleas, that little girl did not get to the point of feeling guilt for what she was about to do, there was not even a trace of compassion for the being with abundant fur that her eyes were scrutinizing. She just looked at him from head to toe and when she finished looking disdainfully, she turned back on her toe and moved as fast as she could to the lever.

The monster cleared his throat. —If you do, Elena, you will be the same or worse than her. Is what you want?

The young pupil stopped any movement willing to make and she stood petrified in her place. Just that one sentence was enough to make her mind a total mess.

Be just like her? She knew exactly who that monster was referring to and no, becoming someone similar to her worst demon was not within her plans. She decided to turn around again, but this time it was final. She faced with noticeable anger in her gaze at being in front of him, as she returned the key into one of her pockets.

—What do you mean by that? —She wanted to know after hearing the hairy creature have compared her to a being as repulsive as she was the reflection of Elena.

—You are better than her. —Said the monster, ignoring the question. —Now, get away from the lever.

Elena knew precisely the plan that he was putting in place, yet she allowed her annoyance to take control of her actions and she responded with remarkable thunder.

—And why should I do that? —She asked with obvious irony. —So that later you can get me out of the way as you did before? Ha! —Teasing she smiled. —On my corpse.

Elena crouched down to the level of her feet and quickly took the piece of metal lying on the ground, which she had been aware of since she began to argue with her murderer. However, it was only a weak eight-year-old girl, so before she hit the creature with that object and then escaped from the room to never open it again in her life, the monster was ahead of her, stopping any movement the girl was about to make.

—Trust me for once, Will you?

Elena was stirring like a worm in his arms, wanting to be free and escape, but she did not obtain any of that.

—Elena, you have to help us. —He begged. —I know you can. Stop the hell she created. —He sighed. —I'm tired of seeing my people suffer for the injustices she committed. My wounds have turned to scars, so don't cut them again. —He paused. —I'm also very sorry for you. I know that you have not decided to be here by your will and much less outside your home, nobody really does. But if we support each other, then you can go back to the people you have left out there. Put your trust in me for a moment, please.

Hearing those sweet words... She couldn't explain what they did to her, but she was able to feel the pain of the one who was next to her. Even when it came to the culprit for her 'death', even when everything around her was infected with the presence of her reflection, even when she was lost in a place where she had never been and away from her mother. Even with all that, a small thread of hope embedded itself in her chest, close to her heart, draining tiny drops of happiness, because those words were what she needed to hear from her sudden arrival.

Lost in thoughts of her, unaware of the reality —or fantasy— that was happening, she stood with crystallized eyes, staring at a dead spot in the dark walls.

She didn't react at all when the monster gently took one of her hands and placed it on her hairy forehead. She, too, did not notice when that part of his body began to shine brightly, dimming the ceiling lights.

«It's so soft», Elena thought, as the setting around her at first was replaced by another, showing the same room, but with a renewed aura.

The dark walls were no longer colored in low tones but showed light tints, as well as the lights, those that illuminated more than the previous ones, and she could see exactly what was happening in that place.

—You are all inept! —Someone yelled in the distance. It was her reflection. —How long have we been working on this?

Zas. It sounded like a buzzing in the air, but there were no insects there.

—One year! —And another buzzing was picked up by Elena's ears. —A fucking year without getting anything! —Pum. From one moment to another, a monster was lying on the floor, it had bruises and a little blood running down his face. Elena wanted to reach out to help him, but the voice caught her attention. —Do you know what that means? —The other creatures that stood with little energy shook at the question, but that was not of great importance to her reflection. —Oh, you do know: today is a night of torture.

The reflection went with quick and determined steps towards the lever that Elena was about to pull, the difference was that her reflection turned the key and lowered the lever with blinding speed, but with a spark of anger in his eyes.

—You never understood how necessary it is for me to get out of here, that's why you deserve to suffer. You deserve to feel the pain that Angeline felt that night, you assholes.

The ceiling opened and long black strips hung down to rest on the wrists of the monsters present. Similar to chains, they were rendered completely immobile, while the reflection of Elena wired closer from the other corner.

—Tonight I'm not going to be nice to you. —She said when she found herself near the creatures.

Electrical discharges erupted from the ends of the cables, dangerous that even Elena, being no more than a spectator, felt fear of them, but that her reflection plunged them mercilessly into the skins of the monsters. Chills ran through her small body as she watched the horrible scene in silence.

The screams coming from the throats of those poor creatures and the laughter of her reflection invaded her ears uncontrollably. Bloodshot from the weak, furry bodies, soaking the ground. She tried to move her legs and get closer, but she was surprised to learn that she couldn't move from her place. She couldn't help them.

—Stop! —Elena cried out. —Don't do it! Stay away from them! Stop! No!

—No! —Begged an eight-year-old girl, coming to her senses, coming out of the trance state in which she had been at least an hour ago.

—Elena... Elena, wake up. —Said the reddish-furred monster. —Are you okay?

Got damn. Her head ached like hell itself, but she managed to respond. —Yes, I... —She sighed. —I had no idea what you had to endure all this time.

The monster did not doubt it anymore and held her in his arms, without hurting her. A slight smile formed on his face, which Elena couldn't see. There was only one thing he agreed with the reflection: Elena was the correct one chosen.

—Don't worry at all. She left and she will never come back here, believe me.

Silence reigned between the two of them until the creature decided to speak. —I need you to promise me something. —He said, catching the infant's attention. —Never hurt us, please. We have suffered enough with her. We don't want any more pain. We don't want any more tears.

Elena smiled too, but in that instant, she remembered why she had been searching the black void all day.

—I promise, but I also need some help.

—What is it?

—Escaping from here.

They looked at each other for a while, establishing silence as a way of expressing themselves, like a secret that the walls of the room kept.

The monster had no choice but to agree with Elena's proposal. That was what he had to do if he wanted his family to suffer no more.

—Done deal, Elena.