Reborn by Jeff Gunzel Page B

night.”
    It took all Morita’s willpower not to scream. No, don’t give him the satisfaction . She could still hear him laughing when she left the room, doing her best to walk upright until she was safely down the hall. I’ll kill that bastard . Once confident she was alone, the proud woman doubled over, resting her hands on her knees. After letting out a deep breath, she righted herself and limped onward. I’ll gouge out his eyes . Down a shiny silver hallway she went, her once graceful movements now replaced by the hobbling of an old woman. I’ll gut him while he sleeps .
    She eyed one of the many clear spheres as she passed by. The small ball of blue light bounced around slowly, drifting with not a care in the world. Morita did a double take, now staring as if seeing it for the first time. With a sharp backhand, she shattered the globe as shards of glass scattered across the hall. The little ball of light bounced once off the wall, then floated softly to the floor. A moment passed, then it began to float back up again.
    She snatched it out of the air and squeezed, her fingers trembling with effort, but when she opened them, it simply started floating again. Furious, she snatched it once more, squeezing with all her might until her shaking hands began to turn numb. Finally giving up, she threw it against the wall as hard as she could. It bounced lightly, then continued to float on down the hall. She had long known the creature were made of spirit energy and she wouldn’t be able to hurt it that way, but she didn’t care. Morita just needed to unleash her aggression somehow. I wish he were dead .
    A dirt-smudged face briefly peeked around the corner to see what the commotion was, but after seeing Morita, the girl quickly pulled back. “That’s alright, dear, don’t be afraid. Please, come over here,” Morita said. Her suddenly calm voice sounded like a blissful song of peace. The young girl peeked back around cautiously, unsure of what to do, now wishing she had never looked in the first place. She dragged her feet with every step, slow and meek with her head down low, not daring to meet Morita’s eyes. “I’m so clumsy, I’m afraid,” said Morita. “Would you be a dear and clean this up?” She spread her hand out across the shards of glass.
    The filthy girl got down on all fours. She cupped her trembling hand, then began moving shards of glass into nice, neat piles. Her trembling only increased when she spared a glace toward Morita’s impatiently tapping foot. “That’s a good girl,” said Morita softly. “You’ll do just fine.” With a twist and a crack , the poor girl was now facing her own back, eyes still wide open with the efficient kill.
    Morita snatched a handful of black hair and began to drag the carcass down the hall. The dead girl slid along her backside as her twisted head kept looking straight down. If that prisoner needs to be fed, then she will receive a special treat . Through the hall and down a flight of stone steps she marched, adrenaline now overriding her soreness. At the bottom of the steps was a wide stone chamber, lit with caged black iron torches barely able to hold their sickly, dull flames. Tiny bits of liquid fire dripped from them, sizzling when they touched the stone floor. Rusty, barred prisons lined each side of the room, but nearly all were empty. All but one, that is...
    A sickly looking gray dog skittered past her leg as she dragged her sack of meat over to the set of bars. She peeked inside with a smile. A gaunt woman with long white hair hung limply, chained to the wall by her wrists. “Are you still alive?” cackled Morita.
    The old woman slowly raised her head, peeking through a curtain of thin, greasy hair. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I still draw breath,” she said in a raspy voice before turning her head and spitting on the soot-covered stone floor. Although just beyond her middle years, the neglected woman looked to be much older. “Has the day