- Liberation

Screams of fear rang throughout the room.

The screams climbed in intensity as the tendrils continued their flight towards the workbenches.

They hit their targets with intensity, shattering the equipment and benches all around the room. As they connected the surrounding people flinched and tried to hide from the attacks.

An eerie silence fell over the room as the sounds of destruction dissapated.

"Is anyone hurt?" Tess asked, releasing the spell that granted her the armour and revealing a human figure beneath the shadows.

"..."

"What?"

"Did anyone get caught in it. Is anyone hurt?" Tess repeated.

Murmurs erupted around the room, confirming that everyone was unharmed.

"Uhm, excuse me, why are you helping us?" one of the people asked in a shy tone.

"Why?" Tess asked. She thought about her answer before replying. She could just put it down to the job, but that wouldn't be entirely truthful. Plus, these people looked like they needed some of their faith in humanity to be restored.

"Because it's the right thing to do. Plus, I want to be the type of person who does things like this."

After ensuring the safety of everyone, she ordered them to leave, a command they mostly complied with without hesitation.

Through the stampede of bodies that rushed towards the narrow staircase that led to freedom, Tess saw a young girl stood motionless, looking directly at her.

No, not at her. Behind her, as she found upon approaching her.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Tess asked her softly, crouching down beside her.

"They... they took Daniel," she replied, raising an arm and pointing to a door behind Tess.

"Who's that?"

"He was one of the people here. They hurt him, and took him away. Please, help him."

"I'll see what I can do," Tess said with a smile. "Wait here."

She walked briskly to the door and opened it gently, not wanting the girl to see even a glimpse of the scene she expected to see inside.

The room was old.

The wall was composed of exposed bricks that lingered with all of the grime and dirt they had acquired since construction. In the centre of the room hung two chains from the ceiling. Attached to these chains by the arms hung the man who she had seen get beaten earlier.

Tess quickly approached him and checked on his condition, despite already knowing his fate.

His exposed torso bore multiple bruises, scars and fresh lashes. Surrounding him there was a ring of his blood on the floor, splattered indiscriminately as a result of the torture.

His hands more closely resembled the branches on a tree than actual hands, his fingers snapped, crushed and clipped into different sizes and directions.

His teeth, forcefully removed, were scattered around the room, having been discarded carelessly by his torturer.

"Fuck," Tess muttered, before turning and leaving the room, once more taking care to open the door so that the child couldn't see.

"Sorry, he must have left," she told the child with a smile.

"Oh, okay," the child responded in a sombre tone. The expression she wore on her face indicated that she already knew the fate of the man.

Tess walked past the girl and headed to the door. She turned around as she arrived at the top of the stairs and saw that the girl hadn't moved an inch.

"You okay?" she called down to the girl.

The girl shook her head. "I have nowhere to go."

Upon hearing this Tess headed back down the stairs. Once near the girl, she offered her a hand.

"Come on, you can come with me," she said with a smile.

"Okay," the girl said as she took her hand. She spoke with a tone that suggested she was disinterested with the option.

"So, what's your name?" Tess asked her as she led her up the stairs.

"Roxanne. But most people called me Roxy. At least, the others on the floor did."

"I'm Theresa. But most people call me Tess. How old are you, Roxy?"

"I'm not sure. Four, maybe five. I'm sorry, I don't know."

"Hey, it's alright to not know. No need to apologise."

"Is it?"

"Sure."

"You won't punish me for it?"

"Of course not."

"Okay. Sorry."

Tess tightened her grip on the girl as she opened the door and led her outside. Feeling her shake, she crouched down and looked at her.

"You okay?" Tess asked her in a concerned tone.

The girl paused for a moment, before nodding. "Sorry. They used to grab us like that when we had done something wrong."

Tess answered with silence. After a long pause, she said "okay. I'll hold your hand, and you can just squeeze mine if you feel scared or something. Is that better?"

The girl nodded and once again took Tess's hand.

"So you said you're about four or five? I've got a brother who's around your age," Tess began as she led the girl West through the streets, towards the inn that she had rented in the city.