The Labs of Darkness

''"Please-gasp- please! No!" Savannah yelled, tears streaming down her face. "D-don't do this! Why do you have to-sob- d-do this?" Too late. The massive paw of a solid black snow leopard with dark red fire pattern and matching eyes rose up, razor-sharp claw dramatically flicking out. He growled fiercely in warning, but she continued crying out desperately.''

'' "SHUT UP, SAVANNAH!" he roared, backhanding her across the room. Two more solid black snow leopards, each with phantom-purple swirls and matching eyes, pinned her, holding her back so she didn't barrel across the room. She watched, eyes wide, vision blurred with tears as the leopard sank his claws into her baby sister's stomach. The wolf's eyes weren't even open yet... How could they do this?! "Sahara! No!" But the yellowish-tan wolf pup was already dead, blood gushing from her stomach, staining her delicate fur, pooling around her. ''

''"SAHARA!" ''

Savanna woke up, terrified, sobbing as the memory replayed in her head. Tears streaked down the yellowish-tan wolf's face as she desperately tried to calm down. The red-and-black snow leopard from the dream was real, and as she looked at the clock in her cell, she realized he would be there to beat her in just a few minutes! She shuddered at the thought. He appeared in exactly the time she had assumed.

"Worthless!" He snarled at her. She knew today would be the day she had to prove she did, in fact, have worth, in order to survive. His claws flew out. She slumped to the ground, knowing he would beat her less if it appeared she wouldn't dare even  think of fighting back. His claws tore through the fur on her shoulders. She dared not cry out, or he might take it the wrong way and beat harder. After several minutes of harsh clawing, biting, and punching, the leopard, named Chief, stopped, snarling at her to rise to her feet. She struggled upwards.

Chief growled, "Today is the day you show your ranks. Are you to be set free, more worthy than we thought? Are you to be kept alive, yet here, treated a little bit better? Or, lastly, are you to be killed, like a worthless piece of garbage? We shall find out! Attempt to kill Marita!"

A ginger fox was dragged into the room. "If she is killed, you will be set free. If she is almost defeated, you will remain here, but be treated more kindly. If you lose badly..." He bared his teeth, flexing a claw and drawing in over his neck, then pointing at her. "Marita will be set free if she easily defeats you," muttered Chief. "Begin!" The fox sprang at Savannah, clawing at her throat.

"Have to get home, have to see my dad again, have to get out of here!" cried Marita, furiously swiping. Marita dodged a bite, leaping behind Savannah. Savannah whipped around, grabbing the fox by the throat, only to get kicked in the gut and tackled. Marita bit at her windpipe, winning the battle. Savannah shuddered. And to think she would escape! Chief pressed hi paw on a panel, opening a secret door. "Out you go, Marita!" cried Chief. Marita squealed in happiness, calling, "Here I come, Dad!" The door slammed shut behind the gleeful fox.

Chief turned to Savannah. He lunged onto her, growling, "Worthless" in her ear. He ripped her throat out through the back of her neck, slamming her to the floor to watch her die. Savannah looked up, eyes dulling, as she spotted Sahara's paw reaching out to grab hers. She stretched her paw out, grabbing her sister's paw, tears streaming down her smiling face. And then she died, killed in the Labs of Darkness.