Marcus and Crimson continued to talk for hours. She went into detail about the places she and her mother have visited, the people they've met, (and eaten) along with a few other minor details.
Eventually, as Crimson continued telling her stories, Marcus noticed Crimson had continued to grow sleepy, her words began to become drawn out and she began to yawn frequently.
Her head began slowly nodding off to the side, Marcus noticed what was happening and placed a hand on her cheek. He then gently pulled her head back into his chest. "Are you going to sleep?" He asked softly.
Crimson nodded slowly. "I've been up for a few days papa, I'm so hungry and tired." She said softly as she closed her eyes.
Marcus felt a wave of pity wash over him. Although extremely dangerous, crimson was still a young child who hadn't eaten or slept in days. Marcus felt his resolve to protect the girl rise, he knew he was playing a dangerous game, however.
He knew that to Crimson's mother, Medina, he was nothing but a meal for her daughter. If she came home and noticed that he was alive and well while her daughter was hungry and cold, he'd stand no chance against her.
Marcus groaned uncomfortably as he looked down at Crimson, who was nestled against his chest. "Why'd you have to be so adorable?" Marcus whispered softly as he continued to run his fingers through Crimson's hair.
Her breathing was slow, her small body raising and falling rhythmically. With a small, but genuine smile, Marcus slowly lifted up crimson in his arms.
Marcus slowly stood up, his body was sore and aching in several places. It was mostly likely due to laying in the same spot three days, that and whatever else Medina did when she brought him to this place.
Marcus placed Crimson in a makeshift bed made with the worn blankets he saw in the corner of the cabin. He wrapped her up as tightly as he could, then placed one of the candles beside her to keep her warm, but far enough to where she wouldn't catch fire.
With crimson taken care of, Marcus had free reign to do whatever he wanted, not that there were many options. There was nothing in the cabin they were in, and the outside was becoming worse by the minute, more and more snow continued to pile up outside.
Not to mention that even if he did go outside, he didn't know where he was.
The idea to follow Medina's footsteps left in the snow did come to mind, but Marcus quickly realized that was a stupid idea due to the constant snowfall.
"God." Marcus groaned as he looked up to the ceiling of the cabin in frustration, "What did I do to deserve th–"
Marcus was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of light crunching in the snow.
Marcus' heart sank as his mind began racing.
He instinctively began to look around the cabin for a hiding spot but found nothing.
The footsteps from outside began growing louder as they grew closer.
His panic began to rise as his heart began pumping faster.
"Shit." Marcus hissed as he turned his gaze towards the only window in the entire cabin.
In this brief window of opportunity, Marcus was met with two equally terrifying choices.
Option one, stay in the cabin and face Medina, who says he is nothing more than a snack.
Or option two, jump out the window and make a break for it.
Both options were terrible but one was slightly better than the other.
With a deep breath, Marcus took a few steps back from the window and rotated his right shoulder in wide arcs. It was painful due to how sore it had gotten, but Marcus didn't care as he had made his choice.
He was breaking through that window.
When Marcus got far enough from the window, he took a quick breath as he lowered himself into a running position.
Then, with a burst of speed and adrenaline, Marcus ran toward the window of the flattened animal horn with his shoulder pointed forward.
His shoulder collided with the window with great force, causing his entire body to crash through it with ease.
As the window gave way with a satisfying cracking sound, Marcus was met with a blast of cold winter air smacking directly onto his face.
He then crashed into the cold soft snow beneath him with a muffled thud. As Marcus lay in the snow, he noticed that the snow of snow crunching had stopped, he then heard the sound of something heavy being dropped into the snow.
Marcus quickly scrambled to get up to his feet, his heart pounding and his breath visible in the cold frigid air. He glanced behind his shoulder where he noticed the woman from the tavern, now known as Medina, standing shin-deep in the snow next to the corpse of a large man in fine, bloody clothing.
"How are you alive?" Medina asked in confusion and astonishment.
Marcus had barely registered Medina's words, instead his attention was drawn to the dead man beside her. His neck looked to have been mauled, chunks of his flesh grotesquely pulled in strange angles revealing his bones and veins.
Marcus couldn't believe his eyes. He stood there for a moment, shocked and afraid.
"No, no, no." Marcus softly repeated as he took a few steps back in the snow, "This a dream." He told himself, "A really, really bad dream."
Medina tilted her head in confusion, she then turned her attention towards the cabin Marcus had just escaped.
That's when her red eyes widened with an intense emotion, a frown began growing on her face. "She Didn't feed?" She asked in frustration and anger.
Marcus could feel an immediate change in Medina's mood.
She slowly turned her head towards Marcus with a sick and twisted look in her eyes. "You let my daughter starve!" She shouted angrily as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to kill you for that."
Marcus's heart dropped.
He quickly attempted to turn and run, however, the moment he took his eyes off Medina, he could feel a sharp piercing pain shooting through his stomach.
Marcus gasped for air as he struggled to breathe. He slowly looked down to see Medina's hand covered in bright, crimson red blood and plunged directly into his abdomen.
The pain was excruciating, it felt as if there was an eternal flame burning within and spreading throughout his body.
Marcus's face was contorted into something that didn't resemble something describable, it was a mixture of emotions and pains that far surpassed anything he'd ever known.
He continued to gasp for air, each attempt more difficult and agonizing than the last.
"I'm not letting you die yet." Medina hissed angrily as she swiftly removed her hand from Marcus's abdomen and grabbed him by the neck. "Crimson!" She shouted furiously as she tightened her grip around Marcus's neck.
Reaching the cabin Medina threw Marcus on the ground with a hard, bone-crushing thud, snapping his right arm in two places.
Marcus was finally able to scream out in pain, his voice hoarse and gargled with blood.
Crimson slowly rose from her makeshift bed with confusion and exhaustion. "Papa?" She said softly as she slowly opened her eyes.
When Crimson's eyes landed on Marcus they quickly widened in horror. "Papa?" She stammered as she slowly rose from her makeshift bed.
"You call this Cretin father?!" Medina shouted as she approached Marcus once more.
Marcus attempted to crawl away from Medina with every ounce of strength he had, but it was useless. "Please." He begged in a soft whisper, "Please don't–"
Medina kicked Marcus in the shin with so much force, that her foot went clean through it. Marcus's blood went flying, splattering on the walls and floor of the small cabin.
Marcus screamed in agony, tears of blood rolling down his cheeks as he continued to cry out in pain.
"Papa!" Crimson cried out as she rushed to Marcus' side. "Mama please stop!" She cried as she dropped to her knees near Marcus's side. She quickly reached her small hand towards Marcus's cheek, "Mama please stop." She cried softly.
Medina snarled as she approached Crimson. "What did I tell you about playing with your food!?" She shouted as she pulled Crimson away from Marcus, "Answer me!" She shouted as she shook crimson.
Crimson's eyes filled with tears and hopelessness as she stammered out an answer. "You… you said not to mama, but why?" She asked in confusion and sadness, "Why are you hurting him, he's been so kind to me." She cried as she spoke, her tears streaming down her cheeks and pooling on the floor near Marcus.
"Kindness won't fill your stomach!" Medina shouted, "Kindness doesn't help with finding shelter, and kindness doesn't make a difference when you're like us!"
"But Mama…"
"Enough!" Medina shouted as she brought Crimson towards Marcus's chest, "You will feed on this human, or I will now choose." Medina's voice was cold as she placed Crimson down firmly, her hand on the back of Crimson's head so that she couldn't look away.
Marcus looked at Crimson with a desperate and frightened expression. He was in excruciating agony and distress, his body felt as if it was being ripped apart and burned.
"Please." Marcus whispered as he reached out a bloody hand towards Crimson, "I don't want to die."
Crimson looked Marcus in the eyes with fear and uncertainty. "I don't want to." She said softly, her body trembling and eyes welling with tears, "Mama I can't!"
Medina's eyes softened for a moment as she sighed softly. "Crimson." She said softly, "Go to the corner."
Crimson turned to look back at her mother, "Mama please don't–"
Medina cut her off with a wave of her hand. "It was a mistake to give you live prey so soon, so I'll take responsibility for this mistake."
Crimson sobbed heavily as she slowly rose from the floor and away from Marcus. "I'm so sorry papa." She said without looking back, "I'm so sorry."
Medina then turned to look at Marcus with a cold, uncaring expression. She slowly raised her hand into the air like a butcher raising a knife.
"Wait, wait, wait." Marcus stammered as he tried to get away from Medina, but his efforts were futile.
Medina swung her hand down with grace and speed.
Before Marcus could even process his death, he looked over to see Crimson, who was watching with a distraught and pained expression.
Marcus had never noticed it before, but Crimson looked strangely familiar somehow.
However, Marcus didn't have the time to piece together who she looked like, as his head was swiftly removed from his body.
Sending him into a realm of darkness.
Simulation complete.