Purple Alexandrite eyes, staring unblinking; peering into his soul. Love, kindness, or pity? "Julius, my name is" then a gunshot ripped through the silence with a thick splatter of blood. He sat bolt upright with a shriek. Beads of sweat running down his face and neck. He was served up on a metal bed which was glowing, ash covering him from what used to be blankets. The room was smoky, he looked around to see a dark unfamiliar room, empty save for his small metal rack bed, a bare metal sink, and metal toilet. The room was tiny, and he was in a strange white jumpsuit with two bullseye patches sewn one over the heart and one over the diaphragm. There came a laugh from the dark. A deep hefty laugh. Menacing and ominous, the sort of laugh that is followed by an axe murderer in movies.

"Morning sunshine, having sweet dreams? I bet you are, you depraved psychos' always do." A large man stepped out from the shadows, scarred face and hands, military high and tight hair that was more skin tone than anything else. The man stood at least eighty inches tall, with a thick square frame build of solid muscle.

"My names' Woe, I'm your sector specter and if you wanna survive... you'd better learn how things work around here really quick. Or, I'll teach ya what real misery is!" there was a loud buzz and the clanging of metal then he began walking slowly out of the tiny room. Julius leapt up and began to quickly fallow but fell to his knees as a pain he had never quite experienced before burned through his whole body. The crack of a whip echoed, and he looked up to see Woe rapping a nasty studded bull whip around his forearm while smiling like a fairy princes. Julius felt something hot running down his legs and looked to see both thighs were cut above the knee and crimson was running dark and heavy through the once white and ash stained fabric. There was another buzz and the door slammed shut with a deafening crash that thundered in Julius' ears for hours. Burning hot the blood that fallowed was golden, mixing and steaming with the streaming crimson. The wounds were slow to mend but did so, Julius had never seen his blood turn golden before. Was it because of the magical whip?

Three days passed in silence, darkness, fear, sorrow. Pain that subsided and wounds that healed rather quickly gave way to the dull ache in his chest, days of it. The hallow feeling he feared most of all. No one to talk to, no one around that would understand what had really happened. Here, everyone just assumed he was a psycho, so maybe it was better that there was no one around. Yet the loneliness ate away at him. Not knowing what was going on he could not seriously be imprisoned for what had happened with his mother could he? Alone he broke on the fourth day starving and scared that he had truly been forgotten. Sure, he had water from the sink. But he would die here if he didn't get food soon. Over and over again he called out for anyone. But there was no answer. It was then something caught his eye. Silvery and hidden in a corner just out of reach from his bared cell.

Reaching again and again he rubbed his chest and arms raw trying to get at it. He took off his jumpsuit and tied it in knots attempting to use it to lasso the small box. On the brink of tears and nearly crazy with grief and starvation he began wildly clawing and punching the walls and bars breaking nails and knuckles, tearing fingertip pads and bleeding everywhere. He had wanted to die but not like this, not this slow wasting away. His injuries were agony, screaming in pain he continued to punch and kick and claw with little effect. No fourteen-year-old should have to go through this, first his mom, then the bridge and those eyes. Now this misery?

"The sun sets for me and rises for everyone else." Julius moaned as he glared at his shaking bloody hands, his stomach turned at the sight of the blood and he ran to the toilet dry heaving the whole way. Picturing his hands that night, his mother's blood painting them almost black. Anger, rage, like a wild animal he snarled, "Why would you save me just to make me die slower? Why would you put me in the dark all alone only to let me waste away forgotten and condemned? Kill me! But not like this!" Julius screamed and then went silent as if his voice had left him too. He was exhausted and when he realized he was beginning to regenerate again he groaned feeling the immense heat overtaking him again burning hotter and hotter.

He curled up in a ball and cried, tears turning to steam right in front of his eyes. He was doomed to starve to death! Then he gasped and sat up in a flurry of movement. Remembering the bean pole burning his hand on the metal railing of his gurney he ran to the door and grabbed hold of the bars of his cell and thought long and hard trying to pull every ounce of strength he had to his hands and the bars. Maybe he could melt the bars? He had not touched the railing of the gurney, what could he do if he really tried. He remembered that feeling of burning heat waves coming off him like a supernova in the river and the clouds of steam billowing out from all around him.

"Come on! Come on! Burn, burn, burn!!!" he screamed and when he opened his eyes, nothing his heart sank. He meandered slowly back to his bunk, excepting his fate. He was doomed to starve to death and that was that. As he laid down he thought of that girl, wishing he would have heard her name. Wishing she had taken him with her. He dreamed about where they would have gone, what they would have done, the fugitive and the beauty on the run together. If only he could remember more than just her eyes. Unbenounced to him, the more he thought about her, how grateful he was to her for looking at him the way she did, for the kindness she showed him when the world had cast him away, the hotter the room became. He wondered if maybe there could have been a romance there in the making, but he laughed that off how could anyone like him? How could anyone love him when his own mother hated him. The more his thoughts fixated on those eyes the more his metal bed began to glow. Then he was snapped out of his daydream by the stone floor below his bed. The impact stunned him and sent all the air from his lungs. Once he could regain composure he looked around in bewilderment, completely stupefied by what just happened.

The metal support struts that bolted the bed to the wall were all that remained of his bunk and the stone wall was glowing and so was the floor around him. In fact, he was glowing and with every breath he took the flames within were stoked and grew brighter. He closed his eyes and saw those eyes again. Weather it was his imagination or not he saw the love in those eyes, the feelings of being important to someone, even a stranger, especially a stranger gave him the strangest feeling. A reason to live perhaps?

"I want to find her; I want to look into those eyes again! I want to matter to someone someday. I'm going to leave this place!" he stood up now with determination. Walking towards those unyielding black bars he reached out a hand and put it, with increasing pressure, through the lock on the door until it glowed white hot and began dripping. Then he slid the door open with a pop and stepped across the threshold. With a smile he closed his eyes and thought of how he felt before he jumped off the bridge. After a few moments he open his golden-brown eyes and looked at his own hands again, normal, cool. He looked to the box with triumph and as he lifted his foot to walk, he collapsed to the ground. Vision fading, he heard a gruff laugh and the clomping of heavy boots on the cold stone. The ring of metal off stone and a click of a box being opened. A wrapper being opened and then Woe sat next to him, so he could see Woe eating the contents of the box. Then, black...

Golden eyes open to a dark room again, he was strapped tightly to a soft spongy bed. I.V.s running into both arms. It was hell, faintly the smell of sterile cleaner and harsh chemical agents lingered in the sheets he laid helplessly in. A vague and distant memory of what had happened lingered, but it was more of a bad dream than anything else. As his eyes analyzed the bright flickering florescent lights and the cold white sheets and walls it all came rushing back in a way that could only be described as déjà vu. He looked around remembering the hopeless dungeon he had been trapped in. Even though the walls and sheets all glowed white the room had a dark ominous aura about it. Foreboding, it felt like the calm before the storm, perhaps it would have been more pleasant had his arms been able to move.

"I really, really have to stop passing out! Things just keep getting worse!" he muttered to himself as he tested his strength against the strength of his bonds. But they were absolutely not budging.

The bright room was almost homey and comfortable, a hospitable hospital room except for the forced occupancy part that is. But as the hours drug on it became apparent that there was a leaking water faucet somewhere in the room behind him. Drip, drip, drip was all that could be heard then, from no apparent hole in the sealing a drop of cold water hit him square in between his eyes. It was a shock and sent a shiver through him. Then another one came, then another. Hot water drop, cold water drop, warm, then it changed again. Mesmerized by the annoying and infuriating water leak he didn't hear someone enter and it wasn't until they spoke that Julius knew and shrieked with surprise.

"Hello young master, how are you enjoying your stay? Is your bedding comfortable enough for you?"

"What are you talking about? You have me strapped to this thing and I need to go to the restroom!"

"Oh deer, how unfortunate. I am not authorized to let you up from the bed. I mainly am here to check on your bedding and I.V. settings."

"No, I need to get up please! And this leak in the ceiling is going to drive me insane!"

"Young master, there is no leak in the ceiling, and if you need to get up you'll have to ask the doctor only he has the authority."

"Well bring the doctor in here please! And what do you mean there is no leak look! My pillow is soaked and so is my face!" she smiled gently and felt his pillow. "Your pillow is quite dry except for the sweat ring under your head, you must be running a fever." She removed a large case from here bag and began clicking things together just out of Julius' site. When she came back into view she had a large drill and a clear plastic face shield. The hissing of the drill firing up made him forget all about the dripping water. Blood splattered everywhere and the pain of the drill pressing deep into his shin and grinding out a hole in both leg bones made Julius pass out after a brief stint of screaming bloody murder.

Julius awoke screaming to the sound of buzzing, frantically he looked around seeing only the nurse in the same sterile white uniform, no blood anywhere in site. Just a blender on a small roll away table where the nurse was making some fresh fruit smoothies with lots of ice. The crunching ice almost sounded like crunching bone as it echoed in the hallow prison of a room.

"Well good morning," she smiled with such a warm and tender set of red lips. The red only reminded him of the spraying blood. "you have a fever and passed out, you suffer from the fever dreams and night terrors. Drink this it will cool you down, and make you feel better." She walked slowly to his side and sat the bed up, so he could drink through a straw that she held to his lips. He choked when he saw the drill and mask clean as a whistle sitting on a nearby bench, screaming she dropped the plastic cup as she jumped back.

"What in heavens has gotten into you young master?" Exasperated she looked truly puzzled.

"You... that drill... hurt me!" He was in such a panic he could barely formulate words tears weld up in his eyes and he for a moment recalled the agony. She laughed in an almost insensitive way and strolled over to the drill.

"Oh you're so silly, this is just for mixing plaster for casts." Holding the thing in her hands she almost seemed to strain under the weight of the thing as if it were much too heavy for her to use.

"now, I'll be right back let me clean up the mess and we can get you cleaned up after."As she walked away, the sound of dripping water started up again. Drip, drip, drip, it continued on for what seemed like hours until finally the door opened once more. The nurse came in with two janitors and they cleaned the mess while she prepped him for a sponge bath. He squirmed and fought refusing to let a strange lady see him naked, it was just too embarrassing. But she won and once he was sufficiently stripped he heard chains rattle. Looking over the janitors' mop heads were not normal, they were made from barbed chains. And as she smiled at him one of the janitors wound up and struck him with the horrid cat'o nine cutting deep into his bare skin. They hit him over and over while she gave him an ice-cold sponge bath with fresh lemon juice squeezed from the fruit next to the blender. When Julius awoke he was in new clothing clean and warm with a damp cloth on his forehead. Crying he tried to break free but was stuck. A deep warm voice soothed him almost cooing to him.

"Easy kiddo, easy, we don't want you having another panic attack on us." A tall handsome man stepped into view pushing the bright overhead light out from Julius' eyes.

"my name is Doctor Leeroy Davidson." Julius still in a panic pleaded

"Please sir, don't hurt me, I don't know what I've done wrong but please no more!"

"My god boy, I would never hurt you! I'm a doctor my job is helping sick people get better!" he ran his hand gently through Julius' black hair.

"you are very sick indeed kiddo, I'm going to do my best to get you well again okay?" Julius just whimpered.

"Now drink this it will help you to get a good night's sleep, you'll have good dreams I promise." Julius had no choice with the small cup pressed to his lips he obliged and felt light as a feather as the strange liquid flooded his veins.

Colors seemed brighter and sounds more vibrant. The sheets and cloths he wore felt so soft and smooth and even the doctor's breath seamed so sweet and pleasant. Feeling like he was flying he closed his eyes and when next he opened them the nurse stood by him in a sheer silk nighty. He was strapped to an extravagant king size bed by crimson silk bindings. Rose petals scattered about the chamber reminded him of blood splatter against the pure white of everything else. She crawled in bed with him kissing his neck as she moved about. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and the most naked. He closed his eyes telling himself that it was a dream until he felt her hands exploring places he had only every dreamed of, this had to be a dream. She slowly took a candy out from her silver lace panties and placed it in her mouth sucking on her finger just for a moment, then nudged him with her lips urging him to take the candy. Which he did and ate quickly so he could get to her. She teased him for a long while rubbing against his body and kissing his neck. She kissed him everywhere he had dreamed before whispering in his ear,

"obey the doctor he is good and wise. If you obey all will be well and things will be happy for you." Then things got fuzzy and he was walking through strange hallways looking in through windows to see horrible brutal tortures being performed on people he did not know.

"You see, bad behavior and disobedience will earn you correctional work. Obey all we say." He could not see faces but he knew people were standing around him. He could not speak, only watch in horror as boys and men alike were being brutalized. Women were raped and harvested.

"the Doctor is good, he will make you well."

"Your magic is evil, we will teach you to control it and use it for only good." Said a strangely familiar voice, gruff and deep. The sector specter? Weeks passed, or perhaps only hours? As Julius continued in this foggy daze, pain and pleasure, pain and pleasure! Trapped in Iron Maidens until he was forgiven, placed in deep holes filled with sharp things while completely naked. There was always a ladder in the hole but it was electrified until the command to climb up was given. This conditioning went on and on for what seemed like a life time and yet, in this haze there was no telling what time had passed. Just immense brutal pain, and immeasurable dark pleasure.

.......

Tall sweet, silvery, silk grass waved in the gentle breeze. Piercing Alexandrite eyes stared lazily up at the clouds. Half-awake and half entranced by the glittering grass dancing with the listless clouds. The sing song humming of a perfect voice came from somewhere in the field beside her. The source of her pain and pleasure. Alexia looked to her aching hands which were slightly charred from the days channeling practice. She loved and hated the strange pulse she felt every time she dug deep into a ley line. Like a second heart beat in her she got such a rush off the boundless sums of energy at her finger tips however, it burned after just a few moments and then the next few hours were agony!

Upon her thirteenth birthday her mother had been more intense and unyielding in her practicing. Forcing her to channel harder for longer periods of time. She was already channeling five times that of other older children. It hurt and was exhausting but her mother was only getting more emphatic saying that she had until the summer of her fifteenth year to be ready and she was far behind. Tempers in the heat and pain had begun to flair more frequently and her dad was extra sweet to make up for it all. But what was she training for? What did she need to be ready for? That is what her mom always failed to mention, and her dad was always so tight lipped about the whole ordeal that it would send her to her room crying almost every day in frustration. Though she assumed it was important, Alexia's mom would always say,

"Our people have high expectations for mages and our people have a responsibility to uphold in regard to nature. We must have vast pools of magic, so we can take care of all that depends on us. And soon you will have to make the biggest decision of your life, so you need to be ready."

"Ready for what?" but the answer was always jumbled between oh look shiny, or smell this, or taste this. The latter of which she never minded; her mother was the best pastry chef known to man! At least Alexia thought so anyway...

"please answer the question, I need to know!"

"Sweetie, you will find out when the time is right, and the cookies will be done soon let's get back home okay?" she sprung up with an agility and vibrancy that seemed strange for anyone as if she were always on a sugar high that never ended, ever!

"Mom! Why won't you tell me? And why do you always tell me I'm such a special shining star but never let me wear any of my pretty cloths?" Her mother just hummed as if thinking nervously for a moment...

"Your father and I decided that you are just too pretty to unveil to the world yet. Much to special! Your father wants you to be a plain girl for a while that way you can see who a friend is truly and who is going to hurt you."

"Mom, what am I getting ready for?" looking from her plain simple brown dress to her mother's vibrant colored silks was always, well, unfair.

"why do I have to dress so plain, am I not pretty enough for silks?"