CHINK. CLANK.

  I was awoken by the sound of metal and felt a dropping feeling in every fiber of my being.

  "G- *Cough!"

  I instinctually gulped, but I choked on my spot and gagged. I looked around my surroundings, but my vision swam and I hastily shut my eyes again to avoid throwing up.

  My nose was stuck closed by something, but as I tried to grab it off of my face I felt the skin of my arm slightly tear as chains that were holding my upside down dug into my flesh.

  "Ow! God..."

  I quickly complained about the pain as I tried to wiggle my way out of the cuff off of my hands.

  CLANK. Jingle~

  I was quitely trying to move my small hands out of the chains that were folding my upside down on the ceiling but I couldn't see what was accually holding my hands so I was having trouble escaping like usual.

  "Please...!"

  With a quiet POP-ing noise I had successfully gotten one of my hands out, so I let it hand there for a second to try to realise my other hand as well.

  I pulled hard,

  CLANK.

  I have it another shot.

  CLANK.

  I put all of the strength in my little body to use and gave it one last shot.

  "Grrrh!"

  POP!

  SKRGHT! CLANK.

  With a loud pop and some blood pouring from the open scrape on my arm, I had made it out of the chains I still couldn't see.

  I let both of my arms hang as I breathed for a second to finnaly think about where I was now that I had slightly calmed.

  I am starting to feel a little light headed...

  I hadend realise that I had already just been hanging for 15 minutes despite my bleeding wound and I was just sitting there like I still wasn't in a dangerous new place.

  "Where the Taurterus am-"

  SLIT.

  I heard somebody speak from behind me but before I could say anything the voice cut off and I hear the sound of something tearing at flesh.

  "Now let's keep it down. We wouldn't want to wake the others, now would we~?"

  An gravely optimistic voice practically giggled as he spoke as soft as he could, Sothing about this guy set me off and made it feel like lead was drilling through my stomach, and tearing through my flesh.

  I was took scared to move... But something about what just happened intrigued me enough to muster up the stupid bravery to turn my eyes to see what had happened.

  Jiggle~

  The chains that were holding me rattled at the slightest movement of my body, and I lost my cool about the situation and took in a sharp breath due to my mounting fear.

  ...

  The large bone thin form of somthing that didn't seem human lowly turned to my direction after doing something to the person behind me.

  BUM-BUM

  I froze completely, but my hard was beating loud enough to hear.

  BUM-BUM

  BUM-BUM

  He edged ever so slightly towards me and, a knew I had to do something before he did the same thing he just did to me.

  "Grrgg"

  SHANK!

  POP.

  I got one of my legs out of the restraints, but my foot was hurt in the process.

  "Hah... Come on!"

  I hyped my self up to help with the pain, and my other leg was freed with a the very same scaping and popping noise.

  Slam.

  I weakly flopped to the ground as I was relised from what had contained me.

  Creeeaek.

  I could hear the cold metallic floor bending as this large creature came closer towards me.

  As before I couldn't clearly see it because I was stuck to the ceiling in this mostly dark room, now I could see that it had a large leather bag made of what seemed to be meat donning it head, obscureing my view of it.

  The blood in my vains cooled and I froze like a block of ice.

  Something happened instinctually.

  Without even controlling my body, I had already started snakeing a long the floor towards the side of the room in desperation, just hoping that this person hadn't seen me due to the object covering its head.

  "Where are you trouble maker~?"

  "Hehe... HAHAHA!!!"

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Hearing his voice I felt like crawling into the smallest form I could and cowering, but my body has better ideas.

  As quickly and quietly as I could I tried to move as if I was apart of the shadows that lurked the corners of the room and kept my distance from this large grey creature.

  "I know your in here."

  For the first time he has used a serious tone and I felt frozen to my bones, my body wouldn't even move on instinct and I felt as if caught in the claws of a predator.

  "I-Inhale, O--oout hale..."

  I attempted to silently recite the words that Appa taught me to use if I was ever being overwhelmed by my emotions, but my breathing quiverd I shook on the ground as the cold of the metal floor burned into my wounds.

  "...Huhzzafa....Grglgl?"

  I felt light headed and nauseated but I knew I had to get out of here before anything else, so I swallowed my throw up and continued attempted to lurk within the shadows despite not being able to move.

  [Stealth] Lv. 4 → [Stealth] Lv. 5

  I felt my self walking quieter and with much less need to focus as I felt the level refine and improve my technique of sneaking within the darkest areas I could.

  I slitered on my stomach as I avoid bumping my open wounds against anything that might get it infected.

  Hiss...

  I attempted to act as much as a viper as I could in desperation and I slowly hissed and whimpered to help deal with the searing pain beating down on me as I slowly made my way anywhere other than here.

  "I can smell your blood~!"

  "Don't even Think you can get away."

  I was frozen again, I wanted to just stop.

  I wanted to stop everything, I wanted all of this to end... But in the end I rationalized and relized that stoping wouldn't just fix this.

  I had to do something-- I couldn't just run away from this, at least not this time.

  "-Ugg!"

  I stood up painfully with my injured ankles, and I got my hands into the familiar stance that I had every other time that I had gotten ready to scrap with someone.

  I ain't running from this.

  [Bravery] Lv. 0 → [Bravery] Lv. 1

  Reduces the effect of Fear

  I didn't give it time to react as I ran towards it as fast as my injured feet could take me.

  WHAM!

  I elbowed it square in the back of its knee as I attempted to make it lost balance and fall to the ground.

  KRUNCH.

  A sickening snap occured as it's from folded in on its self like marionette that just wiggled its strings from its conductor.

  I had jumped back in surprise, but the figure stopped moving after I hit it to the ground with my simple move.

  That was... Easy?

  I kept watching it for 5 more seconds before I remembered that my wounds were still bleeding all over the place, so I started making haste towards anywhere that had some amount of light.

  I finnaly took time to see the room I was in and took in everything around me.

  With the small amount of light that was let into the room through a light leading to a hallway, I could see others that were hanging just like I was, in the dirty bloody and grimy chains that restricted them upside down.

  Ugg! That would explain the smell at least...

  I could see piles of blood and other bodily fluids that I didn't even want to think about as I slowly stepped through them with my bare feet towards the only exit in the room.

  As I stepped through the multicolored liquid while trying to keep my mind off the stench, I looked at the news skill that I had developed.

  Hmm... I think this just means it's easier to not be scared, but I guess the system is known to be cryptic in its messages sometimes.

  finally reaching the light I am finally free from the stench of the blood and sweat and tears as all of it washes off of me as I pass through the stone door way towards the bright white light.

  I turn towards where the light is coming from in the hallway and see a ladder that leads upwards towards somewhere.

  I creeped through the slightly brighter room, using stealth really just because I felt safer while doing so and made my way towards the cool bronze ladder leading up.

  Hopefully there aren't anymore sur-

  BZZT.

  I was launched against the wall in agony as my fingertips felt like they were popping and my vision went entirely white.

  I-I can't see!

  I panicked due to the sudden loss of my favorite sense and was beaten by the wall after being slammed against it with a near inaudible noise.

  Or was it audible?... Did I also loose my hearing!?

  I could hear the quiet groaning of somthing behind the wall, clearly in pain.

  ...Now I kinda wish I couldn't.

  As I sat against that wall I was thrown at, I could see the white slowly fading as I could see again after 3 minutes of passive waiting.

  After recovering my eyesight, I calmed enough to look around and understand what was happening.

  Ok, so I had been in the snow with Balif, then I was sent to Mr. Killinghan's or whatever school, then I was hanging upside down in a horrible smelling room with kids that had also gotten sent there.

  My assessment?

  I am at this so called 'School', and I wanna get out!

  After realizing where I was and what I wanted to do, I started trying to figure out some way to get through this little hatch in the ground that had the electrical ladder.

  Perhaps I could not use the ladder somehow?

  Looking up the hole, I could see that it was at least 4 mes tall, so it might be difficult to just jump my way up there.

  ...Well that's not gonna work... Maybe I can just find a different way up?

  I took a look around for any other passage ways with light in them, but no such thing was there.

  All I could see were 2 large doors that were shut close, and the before mentioned ladder up.

  Walking over to the large door to the East, I gave it a little push.

  Creek.

  The door slightly moved, so I gave it a better push the second time.

  Creak.

  The door had moved enough for me to wiggle through the small opening that I had made and get a peak of the room.

  Sand.

  Lots of it.

  Not anything I hadn't handled yet!

  Finally stepping all the way through the door, I was surprised the door didn't shut be-

  SLAM!

  "..."

  Any ways.

  I look around the room to see that it is much larger on the inside then it looks on the outside just like your moth-

  SHWIP!

  All of the sand in the room starts spinning around in a circular pattern, clearly in some attempt to hurt me, but no much is happening thanks to my sand resistantace doing its thing.

  I walked up to this little sand tornado and simply walked through it with my eyes closed and felt around till I bumped against something with my hip.

  It had a grippy texture, and unlike the ladder it didn't shock me when I touched it, so I grabbed and pulled.

  CHINK.

  This thing made a loud noise and I saw as this little sand twister disappeared back into pure sand.

  ...Alright then.

  I walked out of the now wide open door and looked back at the ladder before I did anything else.

  I would go give it a try, but I'm not trying to lose my eye sight again.

  Finishing my thoughts, I walked towards the wall directly north of the ladder.

  Applying the proper amount of pressure the first time, I open the door and take a peek inside.

  I could see small piles of burning stuff and I could smell something similar to a singing bird that was cooking similar to how Appa did it, but I chose to ignore it because of the massive amount of heat that felt like it was actively drying out my already dry skin.

  Hellish Tartarus that's hot!

  I step out of the door way to catch a quick break before I enter and get cooked by the room.

  How the hell do you deal with heat like that? I mean I've seen hot, but not that hot!

  I looked around, making sure there wasn't any water or something I could pour onto myself to cool down in a hurry.

  ... Nope still no water.

  What other cold liquids are there?

  ...

  I mean there is the pit of bodily liquids? That was at least a little cool...

  But that's also nasty... But I don't think I have another choice to get outta here!

  I walk my way over to the room with hanging people again, and quickly cover my self in the cold and disgusting liquids while keeping my eyes and mouth closed tight.

  DUNK.

  I instantly jump out and walk back to the room before I have to redo what I just did.

  Crrk.

  I open the door and walk through looking frantically for the lever.

  SMACK!

  Click.

  I ram into a switch and it clicks as I run outta there before the liquid can stick to my skin.

  The smell is horrible!

  I only slightly gag as I give ladder one last try.

  Tap.

  ...No zap?

  I rocket up the ladder and look at the outside world.

  I am amazed at the lights of the second Teir once more as I am seeing the lights in full action out here.

  Strangely enough there is no snow, but rather large fields of fertile grass that matt the land like the pastures of a wealthy farmer.

  I take a deep breath in and accidentally get a little sip of nearly dried blood on my face and I gag once more.

  "g- Cough"

  I hear simthin behind me speak.

  " Did you just say cough?"

  What the Tar-