She never knew it was possible to feel so weak, to feel so empty within. Yet, despite that very emptiness, every hour of every day was suffered in unfathomable pain. Even now, after months of enduring, the pain never stopped. Not the physical nor mental abuse invited upon her sickly pale flesh; cut into through wires of tin which held her in the air, suspended like some trophy.

A prize for her tormentor, a towering human who could only be described as some hellish devil, as what sort of creature of man would be capable of such evil? Through blue eyes that shined down even in the light of day, she could see the sadistic grin upon her captor.

It was incredible her vision worked at all; a former blessing now seen as a nightmare. So many things…there were so many lives lost that she now wished to forget. Once more, she struggled to break free of the metal binds that held her tight, uncaring of how badly they dug into her skin.

“My my my, look at you. Seven months later and still you’re struggling. Credit is where credit is due I suppose, you’ve lasted a lot longer than most~”

The smile upon her tormentor stretched to almost supernatural lengths. She was enjoying the torment she’d invited upon this little speck. For the better part of a year, she’d been a great source of entertainment. Always latching onto the faintest form of hope, even if it was ultimately in vain.

“Then again, you had good reason to last so long. After all I put you through you’d at least want SOME semblance of revenge, right?”

The struggles ceased when exhaustion finally settled in. Though the raging inferno that had kept them alive for so long had been reduced to nothing more than a pitiable ember, there was still some amusement the tormentor could edge out here.

She watched in sick fascination as blood began to pool below the victim, each droplet of essential fluid yet another sign of just how hard their victim would fight for their life. They hated her more than any one human should and for good reason. They ruined her life, for little more than the most minor of spites.

This little speck, this little Beta, spoke poorly of the tormentor’s beloveds. A simple spite that, to those who were subject of the insult, was hardly worth acknowledging. But for the unfortunate soul who knew not how to hold her tongue, it was a death sentence that up until now had been extended for far too long. Kindness in the eyes of her tormentor.

A living hell for the victim herself.

More blood fell, now in lesser quantities than before. They were running dry once more and now it wouldn’t be long before they ran empty again. The tormentor had measures to ensure they survived even should they bleed themselves dry, but now the excitement of keeping them around had run thin.

Whether their victim knew it or not, this was their last day on earth.

The struggles continued for almost an hour before finally slowing down. It could hardly be compared to the energy they displayed in their early days of being shrunk to little more than an inch in height. Despite their insectine height, they displayed the same ferocity as any who had too much spirit when normal-sized. Even after all the time that passed, their spirit remained unbroken.

There was something commendable in that, though whatever meaning there was to be found in such hearty resistance it was lost upon the devil of a woman.

“You finally done?”

No response came. There were only the whimpers of a poor defenseless pest. They needed only to take a single look into their captor’s blue eyes to know that she would not live to see another day. Deep down, maybe this was what they wanted. And end to the pain, the torment. Perhaps…perhaps in the next life, she’d learn to keep her mouth shut.

The poor victim resigned herself to her fate, and the devil woman laughed in the face of such acceptance. It was contained, at first, before erupting into a maddening cackle.

“Oh, now isn’t that brave? We’ll see how long you stay that way though.”

With ease befitting of one so massive, the devilish woman tore their victim free of their bindings. For seven whole months, they had their flesh bound in steel. Now that they were free they could only grimace as just the sensation of air upon their open wounds brought about searing, blinding pain.

In their other hand, the woman held pink tablets, all about as large as the victim. Just a glance towards them was all she needed to be forced into a frenzy. Panic flooded her body as fear forced repressed memories back onto the surface. Forget bravery, a death other than this would have been desired.

Let her be crushed, ripped apart, and even burned alive. Anything but this.

But this fear-fueled writhing was what the tormentor wanted now more than anything. From one who would dare insult those she loved, those she killed for, there was nothing better than to see them squirm.

She tossed the pill into her mouth, a sigh of pure ecstasy following shortly after as, already, the sensation of the tablet dissolving could be felt. Fast acting and effective, just as she was promised. It wasn’t until it was entirely gone did the demonic tormentor toss their victim into their mouth without so much as a single care.

 Immediately, new pain shot through the minuscule woman’s body. A horrible affliction that humbled all she had felt in the months prior. As she kicked maddeningly against the pink leviathan that was her devil’s tongue she could feel herself coming undone.

She struggled to prop herself up, only managing to do so for all of five seconds before their arm gave out and fell from her body, the limb now nothing more than a dissolving mass of still-shaped muscle and bone.  Soon though, it would be nothing more than a pile of mangled flesh, perfect for ease of swallowing.

Her legs soon followed after, before little more than unrecognizable masses of what once allowed the woman to walk atop the world, free of the hell she was forced to endure. All that remained was her chest and head, and even that would soon fall like the rest.

She prayed, silently, to any god or demon that would hear her. She begged and pleaded for reprieve for her torment. Were she even able to cry anymore she’d have done just that. Soon she was left to darkness as her eyes fell victim to the concoction around her. She could still feel the burning spittle that clung to her pale body, whatever cruel god watching over her allowing her a few minutes more of life.

A chuckle shook the flesh cavern before the pink leviathan beneath the woman began to rise, slowly guiding her towards the back of the throat. The true gate towards hell.

As some form of coincidental mercy, the woman’s brain turned off her pain receptors. An act on unconscious kindness that in the end did nothing to change her fate.

With a single, barely audible…

GLUCK!

It was as though they never existed at all.