Chapter 2 - Horror
Missti's eyes flipped open. What was that? She'd heard something, and it had woken her. It wasn't unusual to hear noises at night in Redfield, but the curfew generally ensured a certain amount of silence in the wee hours. She had always been a light sleeper, but she rarely woke to trivial noises. She lay there a few moments, eyes open, her paranoia keeping her on edge far longer than most would have been. After a minute or so, she succumbed to her drowsiness and closed her eyes again, letting the warmth of the blankets and the comfortable darkness of the room embrace her once more.
A crash from the living room brought her back to life, and panic quickly set in. That was the sound of splintered wood. Thieves? she wondered, barely having time for the question to enter her mind. In the small tight knit town of Redfield thievery was extremely uncommon, and the heavy hand of the Protectorate made it even less likely. She had no time to time to ponder the situation further, and knew she had to act quickly. She rolled from her bed, intending to grab the sword she kept in her armoire and meet the intruder head on. Just as she reached the armoire and grabbed the blade from inside, she heard the heavy sound of many boots storming into the house, the wood floors not masking the thumps at all. What the fuck?
Soldiers she immediately recognized as Protectorate footmen swarmed the room. She didn't even have time to count them before they were upon her. She slashed at one with her sword, and might have drawn blood, but three others began assaulting her with stun batons. She lost control of her body and went down in a heap. One of the soldiers grabbed her by her hair while others grabbed her arms and legs and dragged her out the door and into the living room. Seconds later her mother and father were dragged into the room as well and tossed unceremoniously to the floor next to her. She looked frantically at her mother and saw the terror in her eyes. Her mother started crying, not able to keep it in check, and her father looked bewildered and confused.
"Mom?" she stammered, sobbing. "What's happening?"
"It will be ok," her mom said. "Whatever this is about we-" A swift kick by a boot caught her mother in the chin, rocking her back sharply and sending her crashing to the floor, dazed.
"Silence!" one of the soldiers shouted at them. "Anyone says anything without being asked a direct question and you'll leave in a body bag, and thats if we're feeling generous."
"MOM!" Missti shouted, her sobs taking over. Her mother lay on the floor, unmoving. Her father tried to move to her but one of the soldiers grabbed him by the hair and shook his head at him. Another soldier back handed Missti, his gloved fist like a rock against her temple. She didn't give him the satisfaction of any sound of pain, instead looking him in the eyes, her hatred burning.
A second later a black glove smashed into the same soldier's, and he went down to his knees. "I said she was not to be touched!" a commanding voice said angrily. "Does anyone here follow orders? Next one that touches her loses their hand!"
The owner of the voice strode into view as the guards parted to allow him into the center of the room. He was a tall man, with a presence Missti immediately felt. His hair was reddish brown and pulled back in a loose braid. His face might have been handsome to some, but to Missti it oozed arrogance. He was decked out in gleaming gold armor that made it clear was he was not just another Protectorate footman. He looked briefly around the chamber, snorting in disdain, and then turned to look at his captives. "What a sorry lot we have here," he said, mockingly, and turned to Missti. "Well, except maybe for you." He lifted Missti's chin with his gloved hand, moving her head left and right as he examined her closely, smiling openly. She jerked her head back from his grasp, and spat in his face.
"Missti, don't!" her father shouted, before a soldier's fist back handed him again. Her father swayed, but to his credit he didn't tumble. The man before her just laughed. She recognized him now. He was one of the most famous men in the Federated States. Elevate General Claude Granger himself stood before her. It was at this moment that the true horror of what was happening dawned on her.
"Your fire will serve you well, where you're headed next." Granger said. "You'll want to learn to control it though, or you'll spend your days bruised and battered, or worse. Stand her up." Two soldiers obeyed his command, putting their hands under armpits and lifting her swiftly. He looked her up and down, lingering on her breasts for more than a moment, and whistled. "Yes, you are something." He said, as he walked behind her. "Something indeed. I can see now why you were sought out." Missti turned to face him, realizing now that she was wearing a loose t-shirt and pajama shorts that revealed way more than she wanted these men, or any men, to see. The soliders grabbed her arms, preventing her from turning, as the General continued his slow walk around her.
Her father spoke up again. "Why are you here?" He said, anger in his voice. "We've done nothing worthy of your attention, and definitely nothing that deserves this treatment. I thought your job was to protect the Federation's citizens, not assault them!" One of the soldier's made as if to strike her father again, but the General held up a hand, signaling the soldier to refrain.
"We seek and hunt malcontents, and incarcerate them. We've found some, unfortunately. Well, unfortunate for you, quite fortunate for me." He smiled again, just slightly. "Where is the fourth?" He asked the room, his tone changing slightly. "There should be another, their son. Bring him to me."
The soldiers looked at each other, uncertain. One of the soldiers, likely a higher rank than the others, looked at the general, confusion on his face. "But you said-" Granger's gloved fist smashed into the man's nose.
"Bring him to me!" The general roared at the men that were holding her up. Looking angrily at the guard he had just punched, he motioned to two other guards. "Get this imbecile out of my sight." Two more of the soldiers came over, and dragged the man by his arms from the house. A few seconds later there was a commotion from the hallway, and her brother was brought into the room, his hands bound behind his back, with her two former guards escorting him. He looked confused, and the color drained from his face when he saw the state of his family, and the Elevate General.
"What is going on here-" He started to ask, before one of the soldiers kicked the back of his knees, dropping him to a kneeling position. Her brother Jason was no weakling, and it seemed odd to Missti that he had been captured and neither of the guards had so much as a scratch on them. He would have heard something, as she had, and woken up. Missti feared for him, but she stayed quiet for now. She was in no position to do anything but cause more harm to herself or her family.
The Elevate General just smiled at him. "I thought you should at least witness their punishment." He turned his attention to the guards. "Do as you wish with the old bag, just make sure they all get to watch. Bring the girl to me, put dad in the in the prisoner transport, and release the boy, but not until you are finished. Keep the girl contained, but limit yourself to stun batons with her. I do not want her tarnished in any way." He gave them all one last look, pausing briefly to smirk at her brother, and then strode from the house.
What the hell is going on? She though frantically. Why were they letting her brother go?
Then the horror started. The soldiers descended upon her mother, who began to scream, and the events that followed would be forever etched in to Missti's memory.