(Synn)<br/><br/><i>Pathetic meat-sack</i>rang into her ears like a piercing knife. That was her treasured brother. He was a person, not some snack for whatever wandered these halls. She began to part her lips to speak, but fell silent hastily noting his fury just boiling beneath the surface. Self-preservation had kicked in and her heartbeat held a few beats as she searched his abysmal eyes for any indication of compassion, yet she found none. And in that moment an upsurge of terror had snatched her like a rabid dog would attack its master.<br/><br/><br/>When he had grabbed her wrist and harshly twisted it behind her, spiraling her around until she pressed up against his chest, she swallowed hard. She squeezed her eyes shut as she quivered in his arms. Within the confines of her mind all she could do was pray to an unattainable god as she felt his cool breath against her shoulder blade. She slowly twisted her hands within his grasp to no avail as she tried to regain some sense of circulation. He had held onto her with a vice grip and she knew she was no match for him.<br/><br/><br/>Each word from his lips like venom entering her very soul. It stung. She wanted to continue to scream at him, to beat on his chest, but she knew it was of no use and her outrage would just fall on deaf ears. Perhaps he would decide to place her back up on that stage to be ripped to shreds for such disobedience.<i>She should have never left the room</i>she thought as she continued to quake in fear of what he might do next.<br/><br/><br/>When he had spun her around once more to meet his piercing stare, tears had flooded her eyes now bloodshot with frustration and fright as she opened them. She gently pulled against his grip as her fingertips slowly turned white from the pressure.<br/><br/><br/>Justine noted that he had been distracted by something behind her and turned her head to see what it was. Perhaps it was her brother but to her disappointment, it was Ms. Elsworth. She smiled at the woman softly before returning her attention to Judas only to be drug down the hallway roughly.<br/><br/>She listened to every word he said as she was pulled through the shadows of the mansion. “But that was my brother!” she cried out. He had thrown her to the floor and she managed to brace herself as she hit the floor, catching herself by the palms of her hands. She flipped around quickly and stumbled to her feet once more, not moving another inch from where he had flung her. She watched his intolerance wash over him and then just a wave of enervation. She tilted her head to the side as she observed his body language. He certainly could have killed her and made an example of her; saved face so to speak. But here she was still with a heartbeat.<br/><br/><br/>All that she could muster from the final words he spoke was a simple heartfelt thank you. She didn’t know what else to say. She knew she had somehow placed him in an awkward situation that would have been unnecessary should she have stayed in her room, yet she felt justified knowing that she had found her brother and perhaps saved him from a horrible fate. She wasn’t sure if he had survived seeing all of that blood, but she had hope. Justine always had faith even in the bleakest of times; she was a beacon of optimism when there was none to be found. That was her weakness as much as it was her strength.<br/><br/><br/>She took a few steps towards Judas apologetically. She raised her right hand for but a moment as she looked into his weary eyes, “I am sorry” she said, not quiet grasping the seriousness of the situation at hand since she did not understand the inner workings of this realm or what she had just done to his position within it.