A Sting

Planet Tarrif

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From a small village on the tidally locked planet to the freezing cold of the other side. It smelt of ash around the fire. Snow slowly fell heavily on the ground. She couldn't focus.

Her skin was purple, arms tucked in, eyes closed, body shaking. Licking her lips, she could feel her saliva freeze almost instantly. Sitting around her were 19 others. Each one wearing little to no clothing. 10 boys, 10 girls. Each one seated separate from the opposite gender on either side of the long strip of hot coal.

Friza Haman, the protagonist of this story, opens her eyes. Her arms wrapped around her body as she looked at the coal.

Sitting in front of her was her eldest brother. He too couldn't stand the cold. She could see his life fading from his skin. His skin becoming pale yet filled with the purple color of Death.

A man stands at the end. At the end of the strip of burning coal, he raises his arms.

His skin perfectly fine, eyes closed, a deep smile forming on his face as he takes in the freezing weather of this place.

"Relax my children." He places his arms to his side. Eyes slowly opening, revealing a yellow reptilian pupil.

"The key to surviving is relaxing. Relax the mind, set the heart at peace." He places his hands together as if he were praying.

Friza looks down. Her hair dropping to her side as she grits her teeth in pain. Her fingers felt numb. At this point she couldn't feel her arms or her legs.

The man's name is Kaijin. Headmaster of these 20 students. The next generation of what this planet called, Soul Eaters. His eyes shift to the left of him. Friza instantly looked down. Her heart beating ever so slowly as she covered her bare skin with the best of her ability. She couldn't help but shake and shiver. She wasn't the only one going through this.

To the left of her and the right of her, other females were going through the same thing. Covering their bodies and using the little hair they did have on their heads to keep warm in spots they've chosen. But that didn't help.

"Haman. Stand." Kaijin speaks. His voice echoing through the harsh wind that blew the freezing snow around.

Friza swallows, feeling none of her body parts as she slowly lifted herself with what felt like needles. Her feet were so cold, putting pure pressure on them felt as if she were stepping on blades.

The more she stood, the colder it seemed to get. But the one thing that stuck in her mind was the face Kaijin kept his reptilian eyes on her the whole time. All nineteen others watch, trying to stay awake to the best of their abilities. Friza's eyes fall forward as she sees her brother growing what looked like icicles on his beard. The sweat from his face had frozen over, making it look as if he had pulled his face from a pile of ice cold snow.

Friza steps forward, hiding the pain of the cold as she makes her way to Kaijin who didn't mind watching as she comes towards him topless and with only underwear on.

"Welcome. My daughter." He holds his hand out. Applying pressure to her skin, she could feel the stinging of his long, black fingernails pressing on her. He wraps his entire hand around her arm, pulling her into him.

"Relax." He takes a deep breath.

Friza lets her arms drop to her side. Her breast taking in all the cold the three moons in the sky helped push around.

"Your training has been a success. One of my brightest…" he takes a deep breath. Placing his nose on Friza's neck before speaking again.

"Students." He holds his hand out. Friza's eyes lay on what lied ahead. The long strip of hot coal. The burning smell felt so good to her. All she could think about was getting some heat.

Friza takes a step forward. Looking down, she could see a line made by broken sticks that was used a starting line.

"What is the S.E way?" Kaijin proclaims.

The sound of trembling voices raise into the air. Their voices shaking and crack as they struggle to speak through the frost bite messing with their minds.

"No tears! No fear! No mercy!" All nineteen boys and girls yell out.

"Begin." Kaijin looks at Friza from behind.

Friza steps onto the coal. The bottom of her feet began burning instantly, like stepping on fire.

The pain was so crucial. She fought back her tears, struggling to lift the other leg. But she had to. Upon placing her left foot on the coal, a tear fights its way from her right eye.

Friza instantly shuts both her eyes. Her mouth slightly ajar, taking deep breaths as she begins slowly taking baby steps.

Kaijin looks down on her. Walking to the side, he bends over grabbing what looked like a long stick from the side. His eyes laid flat on her as she makes it towards the middle of the 20 foot strip of hot coal.

Friza began thinking the worst. Her mind now on what Kaijin had in his hand. Her heart dropped when she saw what it was. A whip. Sweat began taking over as she begins to walk faster. She now began to freeze in a cold sweat. Her fingers sweating and fists balled. Kaijin unravels it. Taking one good look at Friza's topless body, he takes a swing.

The sound of her skin getting cut struck fear in everyone's mind for they knew it would be their turn.

Friza's grinds her teeth in pain. Tears flood down her face, freezing instantly upon leaving her eyes. Her mouth open as she could feel the blood sliding through the cuts on her back. The droplets felt as if ants crawled down in a formation of racing.

*Another whip to the back*

Friza fights to hold in her scream. The blades on the whip piercing her skin before sliding their way out.

*Another whip*

Friza couldn't hold it in anymore. She takes a deep breath, jolting out a blood curdling scream.

"NO TEARS!"Kaijin whips her back again. But Friza didn't care. She continued to scream through the whipping.

"NO FEAR!" Kaijin takes another whip, putting all his force into each one he gave her.

"STOOOP!" Friza screams. Her back had at least 30 whip marks on them now. Each one freezing up like scabs on a cut. The blood froze to her skin with newly fresh ones dripping over the frozen.

"NO MERCY!" Kaijin takes one last whip to her back. The cut wrapped from her right shoulder to her left hip.

She steps into the cold, stinging on the burn marks on the bottom of her feet before she falls into the snow, holding herself in agony. The others humble themselves. Each boy and girl crying in the name of fear.

Friza lies on the ground, trying to calm the pain of both her feet and back as she rolls around int he snow, screaming.

"Don't be weak! STAND!" Kaijin demanded.

He makes his way to her. Holding the whip that dripped of Friza's blood. Each step shook the whip, causing the droplets of blood to fall and stain the snow underneath his black, dirty feet.

Friza ignored him, focused on the pain that marked her skin.

"I said… STAND!" Kaijin takes a slash at her face.

From her left eyebrow to the bottom of her right jawline was now a scar deeply cut with a tone of blood flowing from it.

The whip was so painful Friza couldn't feel it anymore. She had no more tears left to cry. Each scream was silent. With frustration, Kaijin leans down, grabbing Friza by the arm before pulling her straight into the air.