The warm, pungent stream splashing over her face suddenly stopped and Felina felt something or someone new was next to her. She slowly turned her face from side to side, as if looking for someone. She tried to speak and her broken jaw moved awkwardly while the stump of her tongue moved at the back of her gaping mouth. Some coarse, inform noise came out.<br/><br/>She had no way to know who was there but it was better than to be alone. Maybe he would help her, or maybe he would kill her. Both things were better than dying along from thirst.<br/><br/>She felt trembling hands touch her, trembling from rage. They touched her forehead, meaning the man - his odour was male - knew who she was. The fact he was in rage indicated he was an enemy. Maybe it was better. She would die and remain the powerful, untouched Kriss in the memories of those who loved her. She produced a few more gargles as kind of challenge thrown at her unseen opponent.<br/><br/>She could feel the anger growing in her protagonist, she could feel him tremble. Now that she was blind and deaf, she realised her other senses were able to convey information she would never have imagined was present. The man shook her by the shoulders and finally sat on her stomach. She contorted her legs in a mock fight, as if she could still be able to bridge up and eject him from her belly. She felt his sweaty hands over her face, she felt his breath upon her, and then the cold steel of a blade against her cheek. He was going to kill her, that was certain. He was going to cut her throat. Kriss steeled herself for what was about to happen. Soon all her pains would be forgotten.<br/><br/>Suddenly there was line of fire across her forehead. She screamed out loud, her jaw jerked by spasms, bubbles of stinking saliva drooling down. She felt blood running down her face. What was this man doing? Why did he not cut her throat? She tried to kick her knees into his back. Maybe if she could hurt him he would get even angrier at her?<br/><br/>But nothing happened. She felt him tremble, or was it hiccups? And then some salty liquid dropping into her mouth. Was he crying? Was this a friend? Kriss was totally lost. She moaned.<br/><br/>And then the hell seemed to crumble upon her. Hard shocks landing on her yoke, echoing through her whole skeleton. Violence, brutal blows. Her body jerking with the slams. The yoke was made of two former rail crossties. They were made of compact, hard wood. Each slam of the axe only made a shallow dent into it. It would take at least an hour to cut through them.<br/><br/>Suddenly Kriss felt herself lifted by the yoke, strangled. Her legs jerked and her feet found the ground. She managed to stand and keep her balance. During her forced laying, she had recovered some strength. Maybe that was a friend after all? Maybe he was going to lead her to the Battery Fort?