Eliora

A vision

Blood.

On the walls, the floor, the windows, the door, and that small, filthy slab that excused as a bed. I could smell it, more than I'd have liked to. The stench raw fresh and unforgiving in my nose.

I blinked. My vision slowly coming into focus, and I became aware of the body shaking against me. I was shaking too, I noticed. It was cold.

A loud bang echoed from the outside, and a toe curling scream was heard next. The arms around me tightened, and the boy buried his head in the crook of my neck.

I felt my lips move, but I couldn't make what I said. I tightened my hold on his body and hugged him closer to me, he sniffled, bringing his head up, and turning to face me.

Blank.

Like a sheet of paper. He had no face, but I could make the tears rolling down his not-there cheeks, and the flush of his un-detailed  face. "I'm sorry." He Wispered.

I furrowed my brows. "Whatever are you sorry for?" I asked softly.

"It is all my fault." His voice wavered and he sniffed again. "We shouldn't have left the others. I pressured you into leaving for Thule."

I shook my head."No, it's all my fault. I knew the risk. I should've tried to convince you. I'm responsible for you, I should've been more assertive." I wispered back, and his arms tightened around me again.

He laid his head on my shoulder. "But that is it, Theo, you aren't responsible for me or my actions. Not anymore."  He sighed. "I'm so sorry, brother."

I Grunted. "Nothing is going to happen to us." I tightened my arms around him as another scream echoed through the walls. "They'll find us. I know it."

The boy shook his head, sobbing against my shoulder, and I fought the urge to sob too. I was just as terrified, but I was the brave one, I had to be there for him. I had to stay strong for him.

I laid my head on top of  his, and somehow tightened my hold on him further, bringing us impossibly closer. It took a while, but he eventually stopped sobbing and his hiccups eventually reduced to small sniffles.

The small room was lit by a sliver of light let in from a small window on the other side of the room from where we were huddled in the corner. That was the only opening in the room aside from the bolted door. I sighed. There was no way to get out of the room without going out through the door. The window was too small and wouldn't fit us, and the ceiling was too high. There weren't any furniture in the room, there was nothing of use beside a rotting limb by the door.

A cold wind blew in through the window, and I shuddered. The white tunic I was wearing wasn't enough to cover me, and I couldn't move my wings if I tried, so I couldn't cover us, the boy's wings were slumped behind him, looking heavy and wet, I had no doubt he couldn't move them either. I slumped against the cold wall, the boy going with me.

A few minutes or maybe hours later, there was a loud bang, a terrified plead, and a muffled shout. A shrill scream followed and then everything was quiet.

A moment later, and we heard footsteps, echoing along the cold walls of the room. The person's footsteps were heavy and booted. They were walking slow on purpose.

The footsteps stopped, right outside our door, and the boy shivered against me, burring his head deeper in my neck. "I'm sorry." He whispered again, and I tightened my hold over him, trying to control my own racing emotions,  but it was hard when I was a victim too. When I didn't know wether I was going to live through this or not. The boy began to whisper, I could barely make out what he was saying, but it sounded like a prayer.