[ COMPLETED ]
German Translations Provided By @vanessanats
BOOK 1 of the ORPHIC series
ZEITGEIST
/ˈtsītˌɡīst,ˈzītˌɡīst/
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
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"Being protected is not given to the undeserving."
Kreischberg, Austria October, 1943
SOMETIME DURING THE NIGHT Lucy realized she was warm, warmer than she'd felt in weeks. She didn't know why, perhaps the bed was heated. In the morning she realized she'd slept without nightmares. She stifled a yawn as she sleepily snuggled into the source of warmth coming from besides her without a second thought. She was tired and the blanket was warm. When the blanket started to move on its own accord, however, Lucy realized the thing she was latching onto was not a thing but a person.
And not just any person.
Her whole body went rigid, hands frozen against his arm. His dark eyes were watching her with amusement and an unsurprised look, as if he knew she preferred the right side of the bed so she could roll over and face the left. She lowered her gaze with a nervous moment of realization. He did know- she'd slept like that in her cell and there was no privacy. Lucy moved her hands and turned on her side to face the other direction. Dr. Schaffer let out a chuckle, as if the whole ordeal wasn't embarrassing or just inherently wrong.
Lucy had the urge to throw up.
He stood from the bed and she grasped the blanket tightly as he entered the bathroom. She lay terrified as she heard the shower faucet turn on. She stayed there for a long time, until she deemed it was safe.
She climbed off the bed, letting go of the blanket as she stepped towards the door, hovering her hand on the knob. She stopped, remembering his threat from the other day.
She tried to think this out logically.
If she were to leave now, and make her escape, then she'd have to free the rest of the prisoners, as well as James. But she had no keys to the cells and- she looked down at her wrists- she couldn't use her abilities either.
She heard the bathroom door open and immediately moved towards the corner of the room.
"Hast du versucht zu gehen?"
Were you trying to leave?
He questioned offhandedly, as if he hadn't witnessed her rush towards the corner.
His shirt grew victim to water droplets as he ruffled his hair with a towel. His lips were tilted upwards in a smile and Lucy gazed at him with wide saucer-like eyes.
That look in his eyes only darkened and she decided to lower her gaze. She tucked her knees to her chest but he didn't say anything and that was- that was worse. She inhaled deeply, heart beating furiously in her chest. She felt like she was suffocating, like she was drowning just as she had the other day.
