I'll give a quick recap of what just happened.The kids got transported again, and now there in some kind of building, strapped down and have been whipped. Ava and Moonie had a conversation, and he told her she's good and evil, basically. So now she's all like WHOA.
This chapter doesn't have anything really happen, it's just really them eating. But, it's not fast paced, and there is lots of questions risen that Ava is trying to answer.
Ten:
Don’t fear me, fear my soul.
~Unknown
Ava sat there, tears filling her eyes. What the heck did he mean by me not believing? I believed every single stinking lie he told me. Every single stupid thing. Why didn’t I notice anything sooner? Why didn’t Kevin, or Greg or Titana?
But you did suspect something, a voice said in her head. Nina’s of course. How many times did you say, ‘this man is to evil to be good?’ How many times Ava?
Could I really have a drop of blood from both? Ava thought; her brow furrowed in concentration. Good and bad, truth and lies at the same time? Could I? It seemed unbelievable. Someone was stirring, She looked to see who it was, and saw it was Kevin. “Kevin?” She whispered.
“Ashes?”
“Mmhmm, Kevs are you okay?”
“My back is stinging. Why is that?”
“You were… whipped. I think we all were. “
“All of us?”
“Yep, you know me, you and Greg…”
“Who is Greg?”
“Our friend. Greg. Tatiana’s boyfriend.”
“I don’t recognize any of those people. Are you sure I know them?”
“Yes! Greg is one of your closest friends…. Do you remember me?”
She prayed that his answer would be yes, not no.
“Yeah you’re Ava. My girlfriend."
“Thank God. Thank the dear Lord in heaven above. Thank God.”
She stopped herself from saying thank God again, and watched him as he tried to move. “Why can’t I move?” he asked, his eyes darting around.
“You’re held by bands to a massage chair like thing.”
“Oh. Okay.”
His brow was furrowed, as though he was confused about something. "I'm trying to remember..." he said, after he was silent for a while.
"Don't. Just take deep breaths and try to calm down."
His face was red from the stress of being pressured, something that always happened when he was worried. They lay there, uncomfortable, the bands slowly getting tighter. At first, Ava thought it was just her mind, imagining things. But, as time progressed, it began to feel tighter and tighter. She gasped, fear rising in her throat, and tried to breathe. Don't think about it. She thought, trying to calm her palpitations with deep breaths. At one point, she cried out, as the metal pinched her arm.
"Are you okay?" a voice mumbled from her other side.
"Greg?"
"Yes, Ava?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. Why wouldn't I be? Youch!" He looked around, and out of the corner of his eye, spotted the strikes on his back, red with burns. "What happened? Where are we?"
Ava, trying to ignore the pinching from the bands, turned her head towards Greg. "They found us. Brought us here... I'm not sure..." These sentences were so simple. So fragmented; she closed her eyes and prayed she didn't go crazy.
The bands, which had been squeezing her arms so hard, were suddenly releasing. A spring behind her back, gently launched her into the air, and she landed on the cold marble floor.
Greg rolled across, and sat up, wincing. "Ouch."
Ava, looking at him closely saw his hands shaking. "One of you damaged mentally, one physically,"
The phrase she had forgotten about, until this moment rang in her ears. She had supposed, Greg wracked with pain for Titi, would have been the one damaged mentally. However, Kevin was the one who couldn't remember Tatiana or Greg.
Standing up, Ava looked around. White walls, grey marble floors. In the corner was a metal table, with three chairs around it. Sitting on it was three sets of meals, on metal trays. The massage chairs, whose bands had disappeared, looked like hospital beds. That's all there was in this room. Except for a window that overlooked a glowing sunset. And a medallion on the wall.
Greg was still sitting on the floor examining his hands. Kevin's springboard hadn't even activated, though he was released. His face was shoved to the side, and his eyes were trained on the food, that was steaming invitingly.
Ava looked around and walked too it. Moonie had taught them how to tell if the food had been poisoned, but he probably knew ways to hide the poison. She picked up the roll, unappetizing in color, but good and wholesome inside. Nothing she could see, but still, what if?
They could all be dead in a matter of seconds if it was poisoned.
She thought about what Moonie had once told them, in their lessons. "I know poisons that could kill you in less than a second. I know others that take hours of unendurable pain."
Ava shivered, and then walked away. "Greg," she said, deciding on the spot he would most likely be able to answer her question. "Do you think this could be poisoned?"
She would keep hers and Moonie's conversation to herself. Keep the fact that Moonie was a bad guy to herself. She couldn't tell them. They'd probably faint from shock, and that's the last thing she needed.
Greg took the roll, and examined it carefully, not asking any questions. "No."
Ava, raising her eyebrows whispered, "Why?"
"Because he doesn't smell like anything except bread. Most poisons smell of something. I've never heard of an odorless poison."
A light bulb flicked on in Ava's head. "Of course! I forgot Moonie gave you more training then the rest of us on poisons."
Greg nodded. "Yeah. We can eat this."
Ava grabbed the roll and replaced it on the tray. "Come and eat everyone."
Kevin walked over, and wrapped his arms around her. She winced, and he drew back. "I forgot about your whip marks." He said, his eyes darting around.
"It's okay." Ava stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.
They sat down, not talking, but looking around as they ate the food. A roll each, plus some watery soup and a piece of dry roast beef. Ava swallowed hard, and took a sip of the clear water, looking around.
There wasn't much to see. The most interesting thing in the room was the large black medallion, on the white stone walls, a Large letter P that had what looked like leaves encircling and growing out of it. Having eaten all she could of her dinner, Ava walked over to the wall. Examining it, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, she was so sure that it was something important...
She walked slowly around the room, but nothing like the large P was in the room. Nothing different, same uniform walls.
She stopped in the middle of the room, and felt Greg's and Kevin's eyes on her back. "I'm going to sleep," she said, not being able to stand the quiet. She pressed her face into the padding on a massage chair, and tried to keep the emotions that were flickering across her face, from spilling out...
