Chapter nineteen

"Mommy, what's this?"

Serena raised her eyes from the book she was reading and her eyes went wide when she saw Celeste holding the sketch she made of a facehugger.

The mere sketch of the wretched thing sent a shiver of disgust down her spine and Serena pulled herself up from her chair with a sigh.

"You went snooping around mommy's office again, Celeste?"

She scolded her daughter, hands on her hips as she approached the little girl. It was obvious that she just woke up. Her dark hair was a mess, and a trail of drool was forming a white crust on the side of her mouth.

Serena sighed again.

"No I was not" Celeste pouted, stomping even. She pointed at the picture again, her blue eyes shining curiously.

Serena shook her head.

Celeste was a curious little thing, just like how Serena was when she was Serena will not allow ever to let her daughter get mixed up in something as wretched and dangerous as the black Serpents.

Or Reed.

Serena reached out to take the sketch out of Celeste's hands but she bounced back. "Tell me mommy!" she whined. "What is this thing?"

Serena pinched her nose bridge. She was not an angry person. She was calm and acrually think before doing something.

But it was changing as of lately.

Working with Reed and his dreading experiments was finally getting into Serena's head.

She stomped forward and ripped the paper out of her daughter's hands. "Stay out of my office Celeste" she told her, crumpling the paper in her hands.

But she should have known that it was Celeste she was dealing with.

The little devil stomped on her feet and snatched the paper back. "Mommy! I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"You're only five, for God's sake Celeste!" Now Serena was yelling too. "Why don't you go and play with your dolls or watch tv or something!"

Celeste screeched and Serena reared back in disbelief. She must be hallucinating. Celeste just-

Her daughter screeched again and with wide eyes Serena watched as she shredded her clothes. Black rubbery texture covered her legs, upto her hips and her handa and feet elongated, tipped with dangerous obsidian claws.

Serena woke up with a scream, sweating and panting. She squinted her eyes in the pitch darkness, shivering in the extreme cold.

Where was she?

She tried to sit up, but something was restraining her arms and legs. Dread filled her stomach when she felt the cold texture of chains around her wrists and ankles, tying her down on the bed.

Memories flood back into her head.

Celeste.

Serena whimpered, realizing what Reed had done.

He never killed Celeste.

Does that mean...Jared too..?

Serena shook her head in the darkness, thinking how she ended here.

What happened to Cetanu? And Scar?

Was Lex alright?

Serena thrashed.

"Cetanu!" she screamed, praying that he was somwhere near. That he was coming to save her but some part of Serena knew it was impossible.

Twice.

Reed kidnapped her twice and there was no doubt he would be double prepared this time for whatever he was planning.

"Cetanu!" she screamed again, sobbing at the end. Helplessness washed over her like a bucket of ice. She couldn't believe that she was this out of luck at each and every turn of her life.

Why couldn't he just leave her alone for once?

Vaguely, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her. It was not thunderous like Cetanu's but light yet deliberate.

And the smell of expensive perfume told her just who the person was.

"What the fuck do you want, Tracy?"

Serena grit her teeth, squinting her eyes hard to at least decipher where the she-demon was standing, but the dardarkness was so thick, it was impossible.

A light chuckle came from her left.

"I guess your little reunion with little Celeste didn't go as planned, hm?"

"How could you do that to my daughter!"

Serena screamed, thrashing against her restraints. The chains bit into her bony wrists and ankles, erupting in pain but Serena clenched her jaws, unwilling to show weakness.

"Oh it was not me" Tracy's voice drifted away and just when Serena thought the wretched woman was leaving her alone, a switch was flipped on, and the room filled with piercing white light.

Serena winced at the sudden intrusion in her eyes and when she opened them, her mouth went dry.

Rows and rows of glass tanks filled with fluid that strangely reminded her of amniotic fluid surrounded her. Children, women and men who had undergone the dangerous experiments Reed was doing floats in each and every tank.

They were all in fetal position, some twitching while some dead still.

"Impressive, aren't they all?"

Tracy giggled, tracing a finger on one of the tank. The naked woman inside the tank, moved her head to the side, eyes closed as if sensing Tracy's finger.

"Dad would have been so proud of Reed" Tracy sighed before turning back to Serena with a splitting smile. "I wish we could have done the same thing to Jared too, you know" she giggled again, but the look in her eyes felt colder than the entire room.

"But you know what Serena" Tracy sat down on the bed by her legs. "Jared was better dead for what he did to me"

"W-what are you talking about?"

Serena spluttered, staring wide eyed at the woman. What in the world was she talking about?

Tracy laughed. "Oh Serena, you're so naive" she touched her feet. "So innocent and so soft"

She scooted closer so taht she could touch her face. "Jared was a sucker for innocent doe like girls" she took a piece of Serena's blonde hair in between her hands. "No wonder he rejected me for you"

The last part sent a wave of emotions through Serena's body. Jared knew Tracy before.

Is that why he was reluctant to let Serena work for Reed?

Is that why Tracy hated her so much?

Before she could think about anything else, a sharp pain on her neck jolted her body. Tracy pulled away, playing with an empty syringe.

Serena's heart hammered, she thrashed again,screaming and cursing at the woman. Whatever Tracy injected her with, Serena knew it was working fast when she felt her limbs become heavy.

Her eyes drooped.

"Nighty night, Serena" she heard, before slipping into darkness.

Luar-ke The Hunter's Moon

Double update! Please tell me what you guys think about this chapter.