A stirring in darkness.

Hungry.

Tired and hungry.

Cold, tired and hungry. Angry too. Hot rivers of rage bubbling underneath its skin like magma seeking the slightest weakness, an opportunity to explode. Searing away the last vestiges of sanity and leaving the creature aware of one purpose, one thought: find the boy.

The pain was immeasurable, unbearable. The knowledge of it overpowering all else, stretching as far back as memory would allow. They would come out of the darkness again today, with their shocksticks and needles. Again it would try to speak and again it would be subdued.

Interrogated. Tortured. Punished.

Afterwards, the needles brought pleasure of a sort, but the raging agony was never really gone. Always dragged back in chains to this cold cell. Eternal darkness thick with the stench of fear and burnt flesh.

The creature did not know when it had last seen the light of day. Artificial lights, yes, but not the full glory of the sun, the refreshing breeze on its skin, wide open spaces. Perhaps it shouldn't have hurt so many people when it was younger. They liked to keep it locked away now, brought out for special occasions. It missed the clean smells and bright lights. Serenity, happiness. Kind eyes and a caring touch. A memory of closeness that lingered on even through the infernal pain. It had been able to speak then, before the madness began. Before they took the light away and sent it into the dark.

It longed to know the truth about itself - what it was. Half remembered words - if that was what they were - echoed behind the pain, beneath the rage. A sweet voice apologising. Weeping. Running away while it screamed. In any case, it was clearly not one of those fleshlings out there. It could not imagine any species being so unspeakably cruel to itself.

It tugged at the remnants of dirty rags that hung limply off bulging muscles, threw its head back and roared.

The sound of running feet.

A sudden shaft of light.

The voice.

'Oh bloody hell. He's awake again! Somebody fetch Jez NOW!'

Light extinguished. Darkness returning.

Soon.

The creature must have thrown itself into the door a thousand times, but today was the first day it had felt something give.