The Forsaken (May be R)

When Riley woke, it nearly felt like her eyes weren't opening, but after a few minutes her eyes adjusted, just enough to see that she was in some sort in cage in a room. She checked to see how strong the bars were, and of course they were much too strong for her to bend. She sat up against the bars, and just concentrated on waking herself up and regaining what energy she had lost earlier.

It was so dark in this room, she figured she hadn't been asleep for very long. Then again, however, she couldn't see whether there were windows in this room or not. Waking up without a mug of coffee first was next to impossible, so unless he was kind enough to get her a mug of coffee, she had to do without... and doing so without coffee...well, let's just say she hated everything and everyone around her.

Clause watched her through the darkness. "Hmmm... she wakes..." he teased lightly. Snapping his fingers caused torches on the wall to illuminate the room. Making it fairly bright in the room. "Welcome to Hell, Wolfie..." he said with a little laugh."How does it feel behind those bars?" he asked her.

She jumped when the torches lit up the room. "Hell isn't this fucking bright." The light hurt her eyes, so she shaded them, slowly letting her eyes take more and more light until they were adjusted. She then moved so she was in the middle of the cage, and hugged her knees as she watched him. Riley was not about to admit to him how trapped she felt, so she took a deep breath and said, "How bout we trade places, then you'll know the answer." she knew that wasn't going to happen, but she wasn't going to show any signs of weakness if she could help it.

He laughed lightly. "You know... if I could trade places with you, I would..." he said with a little laugh. "However, we are going to play a little game... those bars will hold you back well enough...however, in three days... those bars will turn to silver..." he said. "And I believe you are close enough to them, it will hurt... a lot..." he taunted. "Also... you don't get any food until you are able to get through them..." he said.

Her heart skipped a beat when he said they'd turn to silver. That was not very nice at all. "These bars are too strong for me, how the hell am I supposed to get out?" she looked at the cage more thoroughly, seeing if there were any weak spots in the cage. Her eyes widened when she looked at Clause again, her nervousness getting the best of her. She didn't enjoy pain very much, but at the moment, it didn't look like she had any sort of way out. Silver was more flexible than what currently caged her, but if she waited until all the bars turned to silver, she'd be so hungry and in so much pain, that she wouldn't have the strength to get out anyway.

((in which part of the moon cycle is this taking place? she's part werewolf, so the moon still affects her.))

"I know... that's the point my dear..." he said. "I doubt you have the strength to escape... even in your shifted form. These bars were forged in the fires of hell..." he said. "But there is a way out... you will find it..." he said. "At least I hope you do, it's no fun if the games are over so soon..." he said. Clause looked to her inspecting the cage. She was getting the right idea... but he wondered if she would figure out the trick behind it.

Edit: ((It is near the full moon, on the second night, the moon will be full.))

"The fires of hell, hmm?" She continued inspecting the cage, but this time, she shook each bar to see if one was loose. "How would a demon, such as yourself, get access to said flames?" she wondered, trying to calm herself down as she continued looking for whatever the way out was. She didn't want to let him have fun, but until she got herself free, she didn't have much of a choice.

"None of your concern Wolfie..." he said with a little laugh. He seen her starting to struggle. "It isn't that hard girl..." he said. "Try using your head instead of simple brute strength..." he said. "You won't get anywhere straining on the bars either..." he said. "I chose you for a reason... you're clever... you'll figure it out..." he said, almost seeming sincere for a moment. He then thought for a moment before snapping back to his nasty self. "If you don't... I don't think you will live through the pain... too weak from not eating..." he said with a little laugh.

"You don't know me that well, then." she stopped moving for a few minutes, staring at him. She only had a snack earlier, so she was already starting to feel hungry. She sat there just staring at him, figuring she had 72 more hours to figure out the escape route. He was allowing much more time than she needed. If she could figure it out while he slept, then she'd be able to get away somehow. "Maybe I'll just sit here the whole time and just let it turn to silver..." she said, not sure if trying to outsmart him was the best idea or not.

How she acted bothered him, Clause tried not to let it show, he didn't know what to say. "You will die... you know that... once the bars turn silver... you will be too weak..." He said. "I'm not going to take you out of this cage t as you are dying from that... your body will stay there, this room will just go forgotten..." he said.

Riley froze. That was something she never expected. "You can't...just... leave me here." she whispered, forcing herself to move again, and examined the top of the cage, feeling gently along it to see if there was some sort of invisible hatch. When she found nothing there, she squeezed her right arm through the bars, and felt around on top. He had to get her in the cage, so there was a way out. She knew that for sure. It was just a matter of finding out what the way out was. She had to find it soon. If not the next day. She was going to find the way out sooner or later. Preferably sooner. "Am I allowed any hints?" she asked, still feeling the top of the cage from different sides.

Clause thought a moment. He knew that it would help her... but... "I... I can give you a hint..." he said. He thought a moment. Trying to think of what he could do. What he could say that wouldn't give away the secret of the cage. "These bars... they are like anything else in your life that has held you back, they are like your limitations, the people who say you are not worth anything, the people who place you as an outsider because of who you are..." he said. "That is your hint..." he said.

((If you need anymore, I can tell you ooc ))

((more please. i sent you a pm, or just tell me here))

Riley had to take a few minutes to figure this out. The only said people that she knew of was her family. However, ever since she and her brother got kicked from the pack, she avoided them. After all, they got told that they would be killed on sight if they ever returned. So, then... the way out was to completely ignore that the bars were there? That couldn't even be possible. Or, the way out was to avoid the bars, and concentrate on something that she liked... freedom... but at the same time, this cage was hell-made. From all the things she's been through, she should know better than to say something was impossible. She hugged her knees again, not touching any of the bars, and thought to herself.

((kk, I sent you a pm back))

Clause laughed lightly, watching her figure it out. "I would also like to note another to you... look around, through the bars... notice something missing? Doors perhaps... even if you do escape... I control what goes in and out of this room... trust me, you will be stuck in here until I say so..." he said. Clause sat comfortably, watching her try to figure it out. "You're a clever girl... I know you can think it through..." he said.

Riley looked around the room more, of course, seeing no doors. She couldn't switch her vision to infrared to see where the exit was, unless the lights were off. There had to be a door of some sort. No wonder it was so dark when she woke up. There wasn't even a window, or any visible cracks in the walls. This room was the perfect death chamber. She looked at one of the bars, and pretended that it wasn't there. She slowly reached forward to see if her hand would go right through it, but it felt just as real as before. "DAMN IT!!!" she slammed her fist against the bar, figuring it would take a lot more effort than that. She'd have to make herself thoroughly believe that they weren't there.

Clause watched her. He seen it... she had the general idea... he smiled lightly. He wanted to congratulate her, encourage her... but he kept his mouth shut for the moment. He watched as she slammed her fist against the bar. "You won't get anywhere doing that..." he said with a little laugh. "And remember to cooperate once you do manage to get out... I don't want to have to put you to sleep every time I need to bring you somewhere..." he said. "Unless you want me to..." he teased.

"Well, it's always fun finding myself in new places every time I wake up." she said sarcastically. Though she had to admit, the way he took energy was quite enjoyable. It was a shame he didn't put that amazing kiss to another good use. Even though she had the ability to regenerate her energy just as quickly as he drained it, it would only make her sleep for that much longer once he finally won. She lay on her side, though uncomfortably, with her back to Clause, and thought about her family. She literally thought of the bars as her family, and thought of how she ignored their existence in this world. As she did so, she shapeshifted into her wolf form, and finally stepped through the bars. However, instead of calming stepping through, she moreso jumped out, then lunged at Clause, thinking it was a good idea at the time.

Clause didn't move as she lunged at him. He began laughing as she landed letting her pin him, leaving him vulnerable. She could rip his thought out if she wanted to, though it would do no good what so ever. He laughed, as if he was actually happy. "You clever clever girl!" he said. "I've seen countless people die in that cage... and you manage to get out so quickly!" he said. "Wolfie... I knew I chose the right person for this." he said. He waited to see what she did, expecting her to try to kill him... it would be in vain, but she could relieve some frustration. Or would she ask questions. He smiled up at her. "I see what you are... part werewolf, part vampyre... I really have not seen anything like it..." he said.

She snarled at him, letting him see her wolf form that was just as large as he was tall. She kept him pinned for a moment, then switched back to her human form so they could talk. "Why the hell did you choose me? Just because I'm so clever and different from others? Why can't you just let me go? Have your fun with somebody else? Maybe I'll be the last victim you'll ever have. You wouldn't want that would you?" Riley questioned, her heart racing. She was a trapped wolf, and trapped wolves were never very co-operative or nice to be around. As soon as the way out was clear, as soon as she knew how to get away from this... demon... she'd go for it, and not stop until she was successful.

Clause stood up, she was big when she shifted... however her question caught him off guard. About her being the last victim that he would ever have. He looked like he wanted to say something for a moment. But he thought better of it. "I chose you for a reason..." he said. "But don't hold much hope of getting out of this place..." he said. Clause held up a hand, The walls of that room seemed to melt away into nothingness. "Welcome to my home, my castle..." he said. It was dark, as if they were standing in a void, when suddenly they appeared in the middle of a large dinning hall. A table was present, fixed with almost any sort of food one could want, from Leg of lamb to cheese burgers to lobster. Anything.

"Enjoy..." he said. "And... this place exists in a dimension of its own... escape is impossible... unless I will it..." he said. "I wish I could give you answers to all your questions... to clear the fog surrounding this place... but for now, they will have to stay what they are... little secrets..." he said with a little smile. He sat down at the table, ready to eat... he was hungry. "I suggest you eat to keep your energy up..." he said.

Riley took in a deep breath, smelling all the good food that filled the table. "It's probably poisoned." she thought aloud, though sitting at the corner of the table that had the coffee pot. She didn't say anything else as she poured herself mug after mug, and ate some blueberry muffins, cheese burgers, and fries. She was glad that he actually offered food so that she wouldn't go hungry, but at the same time, she just wanted to know what he had planned for her. She wanted to know why he chose her. However, she knew she would have to wait to get those answers, and continued eating, making yet another mug of coffee as her dessert.

Clause watched as she drank the coffee, how much of it. He laughed to himself. "Girl likes her coffee..." he said to himself. He didn't blame her. He ate a bit himself, but mostly picked at what was in front of him. Though he did have a piece of pecan pie... something that he particularly enjoyed. The food was clean, no poison, she was past that stage. He looked to her. "You know... the cage was just the first test..." he said. "You have more... three more to be precise." he said. "When you are finished eating, I will show you to your room..." he said. "Afterwords you may do as you wish, except for leave of course..." he said with a small laugh.

She sat back in her chair with the mug of coffee wrapped in her hands, held close to her face so she could smell the coffee. "Three more tests? What are these tests proving, exactly?" she wondered, looking around the room as she waited for his response. This place was gigantic. A castle, indeed. Riley had never been inside a place so large before. She saw them off in the distance during times of travel, but never had she been inside. The designs on the walls, and the paintings, statues... they all must have been worth a damn shiny penny. She finally looked back at Clause, sipping at her coffee.

"Ah... a question that I can answer..." he said with smile. True it was a question that he could answer... but... he couldn't tell her the full truth... not yet... "This is a realm of demons... the beasts of nightmares... the ones who fall prey to us in the earthly realms... they are nothing... just something used to sustain us... their evil acts we cause give us power... however, once every one hundred years... we can bring a being to our realm... to take this sort of test... those who fail and die within the demon's realm will give the demon much more power than they had before... but those who succeed can have one wish granted..." he said. "Almost any wish they desire." he said. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I have chosen you, Wolfie, because... I sensed something in you... most never get past the first test... but you... you will be fun to watch..." he said smiling wickedly.

"So, basically, you're trying to get me into the demon's realm? What if I don't want to be part of the demon's realm? Would I have to wish to be back where I was, or does that come with the deal?" she asked, not quite understanding what he was trying to explain. Every one hundred years, they were able to bring a being into their realm, but for what reason or purpose? A chance at more power? That seemed to be what it was all about. More power. They were no different from rich humans. Except, obviously, humans went about it differently. To ready herself for the other tests, she wanted to get as much information as she could. He seemed pretty open with talking. So, she figured it was worth a try to keep him talking.