Sacrifice

As she walked, more of the cavern was revealed, more emptiness. In one corner was a cage, bare and glistening black. As she neared it, the light from the candle revealed a creature, half bending. A monkey, screeching loudly. run within the cage. She walked past. The monkey continues screeching. Sharp, unnerving cries. A step, and another, away from the cage. More screeching. Something snaps. She turns sharply around, running toward the cage. Screaming into the monkey. Screaming, and screaming. Pounding on the cage, the monkey whimpers, its paw caught in the bar. Suddenly there was a snap. The monkey screams in agony and she gaze down to see the monkey paw fall and break, the fur coming apart from the skin, the bone. 

Horrified, she looks up, back in to the eyes of the monkey, now whimpering, slinking back to a distant corner. Her eyes darts about. Hastily, she drops to her knees, trying desperately scrape together the pieces with her hands. The tendons, the bones, fur matted with blood. Hurry, hurry! Scrap, scrap. Little pieces of bone coming together and then falling apart. Fingers, knuckles... 

From behind, a man enters. He sees her, on the floor. He goes toward her. "Darling..." He sees the pieces of the paw. Gasping, he too drops to his knees. 

"By God...." 

She continues to scrap together the shards, pleading. "Please. Please help me. I...I can't put it back together." 

Gently, he turned her toward him, "Darling... What have you done?" 

She could only stare back. In the distance, a door slams. They both look up, the monkey has quieted, only small whimpers emerging from it. Frightened, she turns back to stare at the man. A cunning look comes into her gaze. 

"Ian, you can..." At her words, he turns to look at her, slowly shaking his head. 

"No. You can't ask that of me." 

"If you love me..." She was gazing at him earnestly, her wide eyes glimmering. "Please..." 

"No... No! I can't." He draws back. Shaken by her demand. A voice calls out from the black distance. 

Terrified, she cries out "Please..." She was begging, tugging urgently at his hands. Her own gooey with blood. "If you love me..." 

"No! You have no right to ask that of me." He tries to thrust her away. His own hands now smeared red and brown. Footsteps can be heard, echoing through out the cavern. 

"You must!" Urgent, desperate now. 

"No!" He thrust her away with force. Door opens. The monkey's whimpers louden. 

"Ahhh..." The figure of the doctor can now be seen, the monkey's screeching can again be heard. 

"Please..." She whispers softly, her gaze holding his. 

Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes.