Eyes of the Predator
Chapter 2
Lina peeked through the small windows in the doors to one of the segregated gym areas in the hospital. She saw Dr. Greywords, still in his straight jacket, hooked to a harness that allow him to walk in a oval track but not get to far. Also there were two guards posted to keep him from running as well. One was perched up in a loft near the roof and the other, Gourry, on the ground near the doors. As Dr. Greywords rounded the track he glanced at the doors and his eyes locked on Lina. Lina ducked behind the door as the eyes came to her. After a moment she looked back up and his eyes were still on her. She didn't hide this time. She returned his looks as he continued to walk but never allowed his eyes to wander from her. She saw that look and she knew he was wondering what it would be like to watch her die. They all gave her that look, that look that a predator gives its prey, but there was something different about his look. Though it had a predator glare under it was a look of odd curiosity. As the staring match continued Lina's view was blocked when Gourry walked in front of the window and looked down at her. She backed away from the door as he walked through and asked, "Lina what do you think you're doing?"
"I was just watching I didn't think it would cause any trouble," Lina explained while backing away from Gourry.
Before Gourry could reply he heard the other guard say, "Keep walking Greywords," and cringed. 'He better be glad that Dr. Greywords will never get out of here,' Gourry thought as he looked at Lina and said, "Well if you're going to watch then you might as well introduce yourself."
"What!? What do you mean introduce myself? Won't that just entice him to attack me even more," Lina asked somewhat panicked.
"No, Dr. Greywords is quite the gentleman as long as you are courteous," Gourry explain as he ushered Lina in the door.
Gourry looked up at the other guard and said, "Take a break I've got it from here."
The other guard shrugged and walked out of the door connected to the loft. After he left Gourry turned to Zelgadis and said, "Sorry for my fellow guard's rudeness Dr. Greywords."
"You don't need to make apologies unless it is for yourself Gourry," Zelgadis answered in a low and soft tenor voice.
He soon turned his gaze towards Lina and walked forward until the harness stopped him. He then smiled and asked, "Who's your friend Gourry? I don't believe we have been introduced."
"This is Lina Inverse she's here because," Gourry was cut off by Zelgadis when he said, "Don't I prefer to see how well I do."
"What do you mean how well you do," Lina asked coming from behind Gourry to look at Zelgadis.
Zelgadis smirked and said, "Well judging from the bags under your eyes I would have to say you don't sleep well because you suffer form insomnia extending from either somniphobia or depressive tendencies that extend form either a childhood trauma or a more recent emotional event," at the end of his evaluation his eyes took on a gleam of joy.
Lina was stunned into silence. She hadn't even hinted at anything and yet he almost fully diagnosed her in a matter of minutes. He had singled out every possibility and with that look in his eyes Lina could tell even if he knew he was insane he still loved testing himself on others. After a moment she could only stutter out, "How...How did you know?"
"Well this is a mental ward so you are here because of a mental problem. And see as how this place doesn't treat just pure insomnia I would have to guess at the problems that cause loss of sleep. The two most usual one's are somniphobia, which is the fear of sleep, and depression or bi-polar problems which can cause fits of not sleeping correctly," Zelgadis answered quickly with that same glee in his eyes.
"Well you are as good as Amelia said you were Dr. Greywords," Lina commented remembering the courtesy that Gourry said to use in his presence.
"Miss Amelia is a bright girl but she has no place in trying to diagnose and treat me," Zelgadis replied with some annoyance in his voice.
"Well I guess I should let you continue your exercises," Lina replied changing the subject, "See you later Dr. Greywords. Bye Gourry," and then walked out the doors.
Lina sat in the cafeteria eating her dinner as she watched Sylphiel prepare the meals for Xellos and Dr. Greywords. She lifted another fork full of pasta into her mouth as she thought, 'Well Doctor Greywords can't complain that Sylphiel doesn't treat him well.' Lina soon finished her meal and gave back the plate to the staff. She then walked out of the cafeteria unaware that she was being followed. She got to the vaults and stopped for a second she looked towards the doors for a moment before she heard something behind her. As she turned she was attacked and tackled to the ground by a disheveled patient. He held a piece of broken glass to her throat and said, "I've got you now you arrogant little cunt. I see you walking around here thinking you're better than all of us but you're not. Now I'll bring you down off of your high horse," as his free hand went to her jeans and began to pull.
As he was about to pull her jeans down there was a loud clang right next to them. The patient stopped and looked up to see two cold sapphire eyes glaring at him. He smiled arrogantly and said, "That door will stop you where you stand so you can't stop me from getting what I want," as he turned to finish stripping Lina of her jeans.
As the man was about to lower Lina panties he heard a soft, yet sinister, tenor whisper through the door vent, "What's the matter? Did mommy touch you to much? Did she fondle you even though you asked her to stop?"
The man stopped and turned towards the youth and shouted, "Shut up! I don't have to listen to you...you snot nosed punk. I do what I want."
"Yes, but it seemed you take out your sexual frustration by raping women. Were you held down and molested by the cheerleading squad in high school? Or, is it you're just so not endowed that you have to rape women to get your rocks off," Zelgadis continued with his mental baiting.
"I'll kill you...you son of a bitch," shouted the man as tears where forming in his eyes from the point Zelgadis was making.
With the man distracted Lina got her jeans back on and stood up. She then set herself and shouted, "Worry about me you asshole!"
Before the man knew what hit him Lina assaulted him with a flurry of hits, kicks, and knees as her darker side came out. She continued to beat the man senseless as Zelgadis watched on with a look of avid glee. Lina stopped and picked up the piece of glass and started to walk towards the man. She stopped above him and didn't move. She was fighting with herself to not repeat the alleyway mugging. As she was having her mental war a voice intruded into her thoughts, "Do it Lina. He deserves it. Let yourself go, let your other side out. Become free; get rid of those walls you have erected and be true to your nature."
She turned and looked to see Zelgadis looking at her with anticipation on all his features. He looked at her with a look of caring. The predatory gaze was gone and he seemed to look at he with a new light. He coaxed her again saying, "You don't have to be afraid of yourself...just be you."
Lina dropped the glass and looked at him and said, "I'm sorry Doctor Greywords but I can't do that," as she ran down the hall towards her room.
She ran into her room and locked the door behind her. She went into the far corner and crumpled into a ball. She rested her chin on her knees as she rocked back and forth as tears began running from her eyes. As she continued she kept chanting lowly, "I'm not a murderer."
The next morning Gourry and Amelia burst into Lina's room to find her in the same position she was the night before. Amelia quickly ran over to Lina and checked her. "She okay just a little shaken up."
As Amelia got up from in front of Lina she heard the young girl mumble, "Not a murderer..."
Amelia backed up a bit and gasped as she thought, 'So it was Lina that did that in the hall. I thought for sure Doctor Greywords was just pulling my leg but I guess he wasn't lying.' She walked out of the room saying to Gourry, "Bring her to me when she wakes up."
Gourry frowned as he looked at the young girl and then said, "Okay...but I'm sure there's good reason why she did it."
"Either way I can't let her off too easy or the rest of the patients will complain...and we don't need that especially if Xellos or Doctor Greywords decide to make trouble out of the no trouble outcome," Amelia replied somewhat coldly as she walked down the hall.
Lina sat in Amelia's office waiting for the administrator to stop typing and say something. She looked around the office and noticed it to be absurdly orderly. All the files were alphabetized, the papers were stacked perfectly, and all her picture frames were perfectly leveled and the same space apart. Lina looked back to Amelia when she didn't hear any typing to see the small administrator staring at her. "Miss Lina where you responsible for the extreme beating received by a patient Madison last night?"
Lina hung her head and said, "Yes, I did...but the guy was trying to rape me."
"We'll need a reliable source to prove that," Amelia said while looking at Lina.
"What! You don't believe my word? Why would I lie about something like this," asked while standing to stare Amelia down.
"That's why...you have a violent streak in you and we don't know if he just said something wrong and you snapped or if he really did try to rape you," Amelia fired back coldly.
Lina sat down and said, "Ask Doctor Greywords...he saw the whole thing."
"You think we'd believe that liar...he'd do anything to get a rise out of people and stir up trouble," Amelia continued to shoot Lina's arguments down.
"Fine then do whatever you want! I'm leaving," Lina shouted and started to stomp out of Amelia's office.
Amelia then yelled, "Get her!"
Before Lina could react she was jumped by two burly guards and forced down to the ground. They soon picked her up and strapped her into a straight jacket and moved her down the hall with Amelia behind them. "What the hell is going on," Lina screamed as she tried to struggle against the guards but wasn't able to get away.
She was soon tossed into a cell and the door was closed and locked behind her. Lina shoulder checked the door while yelling, "I'll get you for this you little conniving bitch...I'll make sure pay if it's the last thing I do."
All she heard was Amelia walking down the hall not paying any attention to her threats. Lina then when to the far corner and crumpled up into a ball as she began to cry. 'Why me,' she thought as the tears continued to flow.
From down the hall a bit the two cold eyes of Dr. Greywords watched Amelia walked down the hall. His predatory gaze followed the young administrator as she disappeared down the hall. He then turned and looked at the cell Lina was being held in and thought, 'Don't worry my dear I promise she will pay for this.'
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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