I felt better. My wounds on my back had begun to heal miraculously quickly in a day since they had been inflicted and I wondered if it was my body regenerating or Silas' blood that was responsible for it.

Just when I had him figured out he did something totally uncharacteristic. Yet, I still hated him. It was too traumatic to think back to his punishment, remembering how I had pleaded with him and the sound of the whip hitting my skin. I swallowed the bubbling emotion it brought to the surface.

I hadn't seen Silas since he had offered me his blood. I was still trying to figure out his motive.

A guy I hadn't seen before had entered with new clothes and instructed me to follow him. He led me to a small bathroom where he instructed me to shower. Despite my loathing for Silas I wondered where he was. I hated that I thought about him at all.

My back had healed quite a bit but the thought of something touching it, even if it was water, sent a shiver of apprehension through me. I turned the shower on and made sure it was only lukewarm before I slowly stepped under the running water.

After a few seconds the initial pain subsided and I bowed my head loving the warmth of the water.

I didn't want to think about what was going to happen. I wanted to stay right in this moment with the warmth of the shower where I wasn't scared, nervous or afraid.

It was five minutes of pure heaven. I showered and got dressed. The guy was waiting outside when I opened the door.

"Silas wants to see you." He walked and I followed behind feeling the emotions I had suppressed up to that point.

I was aware he was leading me to the same room I had refused to kill the Scrav. I knew my refusal hadn't been the end but to be confronted with this so soon after my punishment felt like another cruel act.

The guy opened the door and I wasn't surprised to see the same girl tied to the wall. The only difference this time was her mouth was taped. Silas was beside her with his arms crossed when I entered the room. The door closed behind me.

"You only delayed the inevitable," he said. He straightened dropping his arms to his side and I hated how intimidated I was by his presence. My skin still burned with his cruelty.

Delayed didn't seem to be an apt description of the punishment I had endured. When he stepped closer I moved away keeping my distance to him. I feared him, it was instinctual.

He took in the action but didn't say anything. The female Scav struggled against the restraints.

"You will not survive this world with compassion," he lectured. He looked to the Scav. "There is no room for that. You have to fight to survive. It's either her...or you."

When he set his gaze back on me I felt a shiver of fear and I tried to block out the memory of begging him to kill me.

"I can't..." I swallowed feeling like I was treading dangerously on thin ice.

"You can... and you will." There was no room for failure in his mind but he didn't know me. He didn't know that even if I could actually do what he was suggesting, the weight of the guilt would kill me.

It was a no win situation. Only comparing each outcome left me with the choice that I would rather deal with a physical pain than an emotional one that would never heal.

"You can't make me." I rolled my shoulders back slightly determined even though it renewed the ache of the wounds on my back.

"That's where you're wrong." He pinned me with a look that told me I had overestimated my control.

The confidence in his voice made me nervous and I felt a sense of apprehension of what was going to happen. The Scav struggled with renewed vigor as Silas approached me. He lifted my hand and put a syringe with the adrenaline in it.

"In a real situation the Scav won't be tied up."

I was still trying to figure out what angle he was playing when he exited the room. Even when the door closed I was still trying to figure out what he was doing.

The restraints opened with a click, freeing the Scav. My eyes shot to the girl who was rubbing her wrists. Then I understood how he was going to force me to do what he wanted.

She ripped the tape from her mouth. "Please help me."

The way her fiery eyes followed me as I backed up away from her trying to keep a safe distance between us.

"I'm so thirsty," she murmured when her eyes fixed on me and I knew I was in real danger.

I gripped the weapon I held as she began to slowly move closer like she was trying to corner me. The light in the room changed when the wall to one side side open revealing the room I had stood in before studying the Scav. It was empty except for Silas who stood watching.

My eyes shot to the door but I knew it would be locked.

I remembered Eve's warning. She is dangerous. At the time I hadn't taken it seriously but now I could see the truth to it. It was the intent in the Scav's eyes as she moved closer, slowly so I wouldn't make any sudden moves.

My back was still aching and I wasn't sure how strong the Scav was. I had no training on how to do this. Again Silas had pushed me into an impossible situation and again he had done it with cruel intent.

I didn't think it was possible to hate him more but I was sure in that moment I did.

The Scav suddenly pounced on me and I threw up my hands to ward her off. She was strong as she fought to get close to my neck. She wanted my blood.

For a moment I considered whether to give in and let her to kill me but the fear of pain kept me from giving in. My survival instinct kicked in and I began to fight back.

I managed to hold her off. Her sole intent was sinking her teeth into my neck and draining my blood. Her nails dug into my arms as she tried to get closer. I grimaced as she drew blood. The smell hit her and her attack intensified.

I shoved her with all my strength and she stumbled back. Quickly, I shifted away as she came at me again. This time I held the syringe on my hand intent to use it in the way it had been intended as a weapon.

It was either her or me. There was no negotiating with a hunger crazed Scav.

This time when her body hit mine I was unprepared and hadn't been able to brace against the movement and I fell over into my side. I gasped when the sharp action. The injection bounced out of my hand and rolled away from me as she landed on me.

I was on my back wrestling with her as she tried to pin my hands above my head. Every movement was painful as I pushed my hips up to dislodge her but she wouldn't budge.

My eyes caught Silas'. There was no emotion while he watched me fight.

She pulled her wrist free from my gasp and hit me in the eye. The pain momentarily stunned me before I caught her with a side punch to her face. She gasped and pulled back.

It was my chance. Disorientated from the blow I shoved her off and used the distraction to get to my feet and go for the syringe.

Just as I reached for it a heavy weight knocked me over but I gripped the syringe. The air was knocked from my lungs as I hit the floor but I did not let go of the only thing that could stop her. I pushed her off me.

I rolled away from her and got to my feet. My eye throbbed and I touched my face. I smelt the blood before I saw it on my fingertips, she had drawn blood.

The frenzied hunger in her eyes was scary.

This time there wasn't a slow approach. She was too hungry and desperate to manoeuvre me into a better position for her to disarm me.

She flew at me and my one hand caught her wrist while my other hand stabbed the syringe into her chest. I had no idea if it was in the right place but I pressed the liquid into her before she had a chance to break free.

Her face froze and her breath stilled. There was no pressure in her hold on me and I pulled my wrist free from her. My breathing was rapid and my heart was still racing from the adrenaline.

Her vibrant red eyes held mind as they dimmed. Her take of breath was labored like she was fighting to breathe.

I was in shock. I couldn't move as I watched her crumple to the floor onto her back. I stood unmoving as I listened to her die. It was the most horrific thing I had ever experienced.

It was only when her chest stilled and her eyes stared unseeing up to me did it register that she was dead. I had killed her. I was a murderer.

Oh my God. I swallowed as I started to shake trying to make sense of what had happened.

The door opened and Silas appeared.

My eyes briefly met his before they went back to the syringe still embedded in the Scav's chest.

He had put me in a position where the only outcome to my fight for survival would be the death of the Scav. My knees trembled as I looked down at my scratched arms.

I lifted a hand to my face and winced when I felt the swelling.

"You've completed your task successfully." Silas announced and I felt physically sick.

The red was gone in the girl's eyes reminding me of the girl who had woken up in the same nightmare as me but she hadn't survived.

I couldn't look at him. He was talking like I hadn't just murdered an innocent girl. It wasn't her fault she had been infected and craved my blood.

I stared at the lifeless body unable to cope with what I had done.

**********

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