Seeing red

She cowered, her ears flat and her face hid as he bellows at her. The tears come silently, the beast towering over her, casting a shadow as deep as the gaping void. Suddenly she gasps as she is released and she pulls herself, scrambling small into a corner, hiding.

Her breath shuddering against the walls she closes her eyes as he pulls back, reframes his statement, and gives her back a personhood with his softer words of realization.

She desperately tried to pull in her breathing but it shuddered and hitched and hiccuped in her ribs. She slumped against the wall, her shoulder aching and burning where his claws had dug in and the pressure clamped on.

She faced the empty wall, clutching her shoulder. She finally heaved a steadying breath, her cheeks wet, her jaw clenched.

"I thought it was a game. I thought I was moving the pieces right along with you." She revealed to the wall, "It wasn't going to be forever! I just wanted to have some..." She shook her head. Some modicum of choosing for herself.

Then her head twitched suddenly as she realized something, she spun to look at him, her own accusations in her eyes,
"You hide things from me! All the time!" She hissed at him.