She wanted to scream, she wanted to hit- but she couldn’t. And the darkness was closing in…
End of part 4
*
“Is she awake?”
Joseph nodded and stood up from his chair in the centre of the sparsely furnished room. “It would seem so.”
“The pills still working though? She hasn’t moved has she?”
Joseph shook his head. “Nothing except the eyes. Its quite eerie- they follow your every step.” His voice was quiet- barely louder than a whisper- but then Filo had never heard Joseph's voice reach above a murmur.
“Well, I’ll take over now anyway. Have you given her anything to drink?”
“Not yet.”
“I’d better do that then.” Filo walked over to a side table in the corner of the room and began pouring water into a glass. He glanced over his shoulder to see Joseph hesitating in the doorway. “You can go.”
“Thanks.” Joseph gave a half smile before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
Filo stepped slower than usual as he made his way over to where the girl was propped up in a large dark green armchair. Her gaze never left his face.
“Hello there.”
She looked like a rag doll; her arms hung lifelessly at her sides, palms facing upwards and her head tilted forwards slightly so that she had to look up through her eyelashes to see him. The image was almost comical.
“Comfy?”
Once he reached her, he knelt down on the stone flooring to look her full in the face. He searched her expression curiously.
She’s definitely still drugged.
He grinned and drew the glass up to her lips, his other hand pulling her head back so he could tip the water into her mouth.
“This seem at all familiar to you? I don’t suppose you remember me- after all, it was dark.”
The silent stare was his only reply, but he continued.
“I told you I’d see you soon, only three days. I’ve got to say, I did kind of hope you’d be the right girl.” Some droplets of liquid ran down over her chin; he brushed them off with a flick of his slender hand. “This is all for a greater cause you know, you should feel privileged.”
There was silence for a few moments as he allowed the water to slowly creep into her mouth. “I’m sure you feel a bit terrified right now. It’s a shame you can’t express it; I find fear quite thrilling.“ He pulled the glass away and set it down beside him. Filo sighed. “I’m no good at quiet. I’ll be a lot happier when this wears off,” he made a vague gesture to her limp body, “and you’ll be able to react properly.”
He absent mindedly swept a few brown strands from her eyes and tucked them behind her ears. Her Pupils followed the action as her body remained frozen. Not even a flinch.
“Do you want to know what all this is about? I suppose you do." Filo rocked back onto his heels and stood up in one swift movement. He circled round so he stood behind the girls chair and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone.” He laughed softly. “Of course that would be impossible anyway.”
Filo paused, tapping a steady beat on the stone with his foot. When he spoke again his voice had a feverish quality to it. “Oh, you’ll be great. You’ll lead everyone to power. You see, you will know something, something very important, that will allow all of us to rise into the limelight. It’s a shame really that you won’t be around to see it happen. Well, you will be around in a sense, but not consciously.” He chuckled, “I bet you don’t understand a word I’m saying.”
Three sharp knocks echoed around the room shortly followed by the click of the door opening, Filo looked up, “Zahra, come to inspect the prisoner?”
Zahra’s tall, thin figure glided towards him; her deep violet dress swishing against the floor. She smiled in return; a wide, chilling smile that held no warmth. “She’s awake then.”
“Yes, not a twitch though. When’s the ceremony planned for?”
“Tomorrow night. Preparations are being made.” She bent over and raised the girls chin with two white fingers. Her large dark eyes scrutinized the girls hazel ones. “We’ll have you all ready by then.” Zahra murmured, her voice almost purring in content.
Filo coughed, “How long is it before she can move?”
Zahra straightened up and turned to face him. “Only two hours or so- and I don’t want you harming her. She’s to be left unmarked; we don’t want to displease our new arrival when she gets here by offering her a body beaten and scarred.” Her laugh sounded soft yet unpleasant. “You wouldn’t want to be around for her reaction.”
Filo frowned, disgruntled. “I wasn’t going to leave signs, I can be careful.”
“I don’t want to take the chance, not just for your sake, but for mine. I’m not willing to allow your clumsiness to drag me down too." Zahra’s eyes flashed and Filo looked aside in submission.
Zahra gave a last fleeting glance at the listless girl slumped in the arm chair, “I’ll come back when your able,” then turned and swept from the room, leaving only a light breeze in her wake.
*
I’m a prisoner. I’m a captive within my own body.
Holly couldn’t run- she couldn’t even scream. She could do nothing but lie, paralysed, in a strange room with people who were unlikely to have the best intentions.
There’s no escape and I can’t even cry.
It was like watching through a mirror, helpless to all that was happening on the other side. She could see the faces of corpses that lent down to her, that touched her and spoke in her ear. It was a nightmare she could not wake from.
Holly could see she was in a bare room, a chair and a table were the only other features except for her own seat. Hard slabs of granite paved the floor and walls, there were no windows from her line of sight, only one lamp ensconced in the wall.
A cell, a cell where people are left to rot.
When she’d woken up she’d recognised the ghastly face of her stalker instantly. Her heart had stopped and her stomach flipped- yet her body remained unmoved. Her eyes had stayed focused on his hunched figure opposite her, her eyes boring into his face.
When he had noticed her he’d seemed uncomfortable, fidgety. He’d paced the room and cleared his throat, shooting her guarded looks every few seconds. It was almost as if he were scared of her.
Holly had encouraged his discomfort, tracing his movements with unblinking eyes. She’d felt a small victory inwardly that her kidnapper could feel fear because of her, even if it was only slight.
The other one had called him ‘Jospeh‘.
For some reason that had shocked her, how could such an ordinary name belong to him?
She knew instantly that the second boy was the one from that first awful night. He’d written the note, fed her water and then returned to drug and kidnap her. It was so peculiar to see his appearance- there was something about his voice, the gruff uncaring tone against his youthful features. Each word he spoke seemed wrong when coming from from his cherub lips and every evil expression was out of place upon his beautifully smooth skin.
He had given her answers. Answers that she could not make sense of- that were nonsense to her ears. She locked them away in her mind, memorisizing every word in hope they would be useful later on. She would lead them to power? She knew something? It was all vague and rambling.
And that woman…
If Holly could have shuddered she would. It was as if someone had painted her features onto a skull.
Evil.
It was not just her appearance but the way she moved: so… unnaturally smooth, and her sickly sweet voice. Her expressions seemed so sinister; she was like a fairytale witch made real. Zahra- that’s what the boy had called her- even the name sounded wicked.
And she’d be back for her- ‘when she was able’. The very thought filled Holly with dread.
Now the boyish one sat watching her. He had drawn a chair up close to hers; resting his chin in his hands with his elbows propped up on his knees. She felt increasingly uneasy but was incapable of pulling away- she could practically feel his breath on her cheek.
All there was left to do was wait; wait for her body to be under her own control; wait for Zahra to return and wait for the ceremony tomorrow night that she would be ’all ready for’.
*
Thanks for reading! I'm sorry there isn't much action, I'll try to include more in the next one
