Stolen Dream

Chapter Two

"So what do you do in the ocean, exactly?" Herbert asked. He was getting desperate for her to answer him, to talk to him. He'd been talking to her, asking questions, for days now and she would barely even look at him, let alone say anything.

It had crossed his mind that she couldn't speak as she made absolutely no sound and didn't even gesture, but she had to be able to communicate. He sighed. She just refused to do so with him and they both knew it.

Rave looked at him and crossed her arms. It was the most she'd given him since he'd imprisoned her and she saw the look of triumph on his face. She stared balefully into his blue eyes and once again bared her teeth at him aggressively.

She wanted nothing to do with him. To steal her from her home, to imprison her in this aquarium, and to constantly watch her and nag her with questions was just more than she could take.

If there was something sharp enough in the tank, she knew she'd be tempted to end her own life, but as long as no one else saw her, as long as things didn't get worse, she was content to bide her time and wait until she had the opportunity to escape.

Somehow, someway, she would escape her watery dungeon.

"Please talk to me. What's your name?" he asked for what seemed like the millionth time. It was becoming almost a daily ritual for them.

Rave sighed and turned pointedly away from him.

Herbert was becoming angry. He'd been patient for so long, trying to win her over slowly, with simple questions and just spending time watching her or sitting nearby for her to get accustomed to his presence.

Nothing was working.

"If you don't start talking to me, I'm going to go back to where I found you and keep searching until I find the other one," he finally threatened. He knew there had been another with her and he would make good on his threat if she didn't smarten up. He would keep searching the entire area, leaving no rock unturned until he found their secret home if he had to.

She turned back, eyes wide. "Please don't," she said.

He blinked, shocked, not only that she finally spoke, but that he understood her. The other shock was how she sounded, her voice lilting and sweet, almost musical. "How do you speak English?" he asked.

She shrugged. "The language of your people is learned by all."

"So you've spoken to other humans?" he demanded.

"No."

He could barely contain his excitement, he was almost jumping with joy for finally getting her to speak to him. Her voice was very pleasing to listen to and he couldn't wait to hear more from her, learn more from her. He wanted to know everything! "Will you answer my previous questions?"

She cocked her head, then shook it adamantly. "I can't."

"At least tell me your name," he wheedled.

"Rave."

"Is there anything I can get you? Anything that would make you more comfortable?" he asked.

Her first thought was to ask for a harp, her favorite instrument and one she'd been playing for years, but she didn't want to share any part of herself with him, so she simply shook her head.

"Okay. I have to go for now, but I'll come back later." Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer, he turned and left Rave to her own devices.

Not that there was much to do.

Rave spent a lot of her free time exercising to keep in shape. She chased fish just to catch and release them. She did laps and figure eights throughout the aquarium and lifted whatever she could get her arms around to keep her strength up.