The Necklace

         He had almost reached the junction of his darkened corridor with a more brightly lit corridor when she strode past him.  Frozen, he could only watch her walk by.  She was different, and without really understanding why, he felt as if she didn’t belong here, in this compound of death.  He was entranced by her stunning looks and her necklace.  The fashion was for women to wear their necklaces as tight and as high on their necks as possible leaving a long chain hanging down the nape of the neck which could be used to tighten or loosen the piece of jewelry.  But this woman was strangely wearing hers right where the neck meets the shoulders, and it had no chain for adjusting.  The necklace itself was a marvelous contraption, intricately crafted with precious gems dangling from the bottom, as if to cover her exposed skin between the low neck of her shirt and the base of her neck.  “Almost like a collar!” He thought suddenly.

         Just as he realized this and was about to approach her, to inquire about her necklace, her expression changed.  No longer a beautiful and blank mask of indifference, her face clouded over, growing grim and determined.  With a strange malice she took a step forward and…

         Stopped dead, one foot held in the air.

         His brows furrowed in confusion and, as he watched, a flash of light erupted from the necklace’s clasp.  The light danced around the edges of the necklace and the effect would have been dazzling if it hadn’t been for the look on the woman’s face.  She leapt back and grimaced as if she’d been shocked by one of those electric fences he’d learned about in history class.  Her face changed in an instant from determined, to agonized, to furious.

         She pulled her foot back and the light disappeared.  Stomping her foot almost childishly, she reached up to yank the necklace off but as soon as she touched the clasp the light appeared again.  She snatched her hands away, waited a moment, and then tried again.  This time when the light appeared she bit her lip and kept trying to unlatch the necklace.  Before long, smoke began to rise from the clasp and with a sharp intake of breath she pulled her hands away.  A drop of blood pooled on her lower lip and he caught a glimpse of angry red burn marks on her fingertips as she brought them up for inspection.

         Holding her palms up to her face she gasped.  Obviously, the burns looked even worse up close.  He was about to take a step forward, to help her and try to figure out what was going on, when another man came striding confidently down the corridor.  The man’s smile was somewhat more a self-satisfied smirk, and it vaguely reminded Troy of a painting he’d once seen of the Reaper’s smile just before it stole some innocent’s soul.

         “I told you, you wouldn’t be able to bear to leave me, my Pet,” the man oozed, all false smiles and promises.

         “My. Name. Is. Erin!” She said barely restraining her fury and emphasizing every word as if she’d said this a million times before.

         “Whatever you say, Pet.” The man said disregarding her words, “Come along now, you’re not done with your work and you have yet to give me an answer to my proposal.”  Her hands clenched into fists that turned her knuckles completely white.

         “I would rather kill myself than go back there with you, Riley!  I refuse to go.”

         “Really, my Pet?” Riley asked, deliberately using ‘Pet.’ Erin grimaced and ground her teeth, she was beginning to visibly shake from all her pent up anger.

         “Really,” Erin affirmed, unable to force any other words through the rage that threatened to choke her.  Riley began to smile more wickedly than before, if such a thing was even possible.  Before he had a chance to voice his retort, his gaze caught Troy’s presence.

         “Who are you?” Riley demanded roughly and Troy stepped back further into the shadows to avoid the Riley’s anger that was now directed squarely at him.

         “Carter, sir, Troy Carter,” he finally managed.  Riley thought for a moment then continued.

         “You’re new here, aren’t you Carter?”

         “Yes, sir.”

         “Then you should learn two things.  Never stare, and never, ever question me!”

         “Y—yes... Sir,” Troy stuttered.  Without warning, Riley lunged toward Troy.

         “Now, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!” Riley bellowed.  Troy jumped back, turned on his heel, and fled the corridor.