<div style="text-align: justify;">Melinda shook her head in agreement with Thomas' words. Nobody would, indeed, remember her. She had no family, no friends, nobody but herself in life. So, if she died now - and Melinda didn't have any illusions that she would not - nobody would miss her. She would have hoped it would be fast. But fast or slow, the end of the path would be the same. Oblivion. And she would not scream. If there was one last decision Melinda could make for herself in that hopeless situation, that was it.<br/><br/>Keeping her eyes closed, Melinda waited for the inevitable. Any minute now. As the edge of the blade touched her skin, Melinda moaned in agony, a few tears falling from her closed eyes. It hurt terribly, but Melinda was determined not to give Thomas the joy of making her scream. Or maybe she was just too weak to do anything louder than her pathetic moans. <br/><br/>"No...", Melinda murmured faintly when Thomas asked if she never lied. It was some dumb instinct that kept pushing Melinda to defy Thomas. It was probably that same instinct that kept her alive for longer than she should have been, even if just barely.<br/><br/>The agonizing pain Melinda was feeling made her reactions slowly, and it took her a while to react to the smell and the heat. The girl moved, even though her whole body protested, and laid on her side, coughing and nearly choking from the hot cloud of... sulfur? She was still coughing when her eyes seemed to catch a glimpse of some creature. It seemed human, or humanoid, at least it stood on two legs. Melinda couldn't make much more of the creature's appearance in her weakened state.<br/><br/>Before losing conscience, she just murmured a few words. "Please, don't hurt me..."</div>