Oblivion

Chapter 2 part 2

      Three days later and the guy was still asleep and I was becoming more and more irritated and anxious. I had heard about people getting hurt really bad and would fall into a deep sleep before never waking up again. They would still be breathing but they would appear to be sleeping until they whither and die.

      I glanced wearily at the man laying on the bed sleeping. I had patched up his wounds and I had hooked him up to an older IV my dad had had a few years ago. It was dripping supplements into his body. Dad was in his room sleeping off a bout of sickness he had this morning and I was folding clothes. I twisted my hair up into a high ponytail to take away some of the heat on the back of my neck. I nearly dropped the whole bundle of clothes I was carrying when I heard the guy groan and roll over on his back and I sighed with relief. Good, I don't have to bother with a forever sleeping man. I thought as I moved back to my chores. Something on the back of his neck caught my eye. Placing the clothes on the table and I walked over to him cautiously; on his neck was a black ink tattoo of two triangles in the shape of an hourglass with a cross going through it. I've seen tattoos before on people in Everlost, but not like this one; the tattoo on this man was smooth unlike most people's in Everlost, who had rough and dull tattoos. What was really weird was the fact that the tattoo was on the back of his neck. I ran my fingers over the tattoo, it felt like it was apart of his skin.

       I was about to move away when in a moment the man's arm reached around and took hold of my wrist tightly. I held my breath, I was frozen in fear, my legs we in hibernation mode. Slowly but surely he moved until he rolled onto his back before speaking in a language I did not recognize. In an instant I tore my hand away and reached for the closets object which so happened to be an old candle holder that had been misplaced on the floor. I held the candle defensively out in front of me as the man stood up onto the make-shift bed; watching my every move.

      "Don't move or I swear to God I will bash your head in!" I screamed, my heart beating hard against my rib cage. I was waiting for him to attack but he just watched me calmly, his face showed nothing.

He spoke calmly, "Your hair is red like fire."

       I was confused, out of all the things he could have said and done and he commented on my hair.

      "Wha-what?" I stuttered.

He calmly spoke again, "Your hair, it's red. It's weird." I felt even more confused and a little irritated, obviously he had a reason he was beat to a pulp and I wanted to know why now.

      "Yeah I know thanks. Now tell me your name or I'll still bash you head in!" I felt serious with my threat and I would try to beat his head in if he so much as tried to attack me.

His face still didn't express any emotion when he replied, "Orion."

I didn't think it would be that easy. I thought, my eyes shifting from Orion to my dad's room, he hadn't stormed into the room yet so that meant he was still asleep. I hadn't noticed that Orion that he had spoken until he snapped his fingers to get my attention.

      "What?" I said stupidly, looking back at him.

      "Your name? It's customary to tell your name after you threaten to "bash my head in," don't you think?" Orion said smartly like he was talking to a child.

       "I don't owe you anything, seeing how I nursed you back to health, I think you owe me!" I said bravely, standing off the ground.

Orion was calm, "Alright. What do you want?"

     "The truth, why were you laying on the streets, beaten and bloodied? People don't just beat people up in Everlost just to steal a shirt and a pair of pants, so what's the real reason you were beat to hell?"

     "I was trying to get water and food but no one would sell to me and when I didn't leave two guys took me out back and beat me up and then I woke up here." he explained casually like it wasn't a big deal.

I couldn't help but laugh at him; now I understood why he was beat up. Orion looked confused- the first ever reaction I got from him- and he was about to ask what I was laughing about, but I was quick to explain.

       "I can understand why. Sure we get the occasional wanderer asking to buy food and water but none like you."

The first expression on Orion's face was confusion and the smile on my face never left.

       "Your appearance tells people a lot. Your face is clean-shaven when most men would have scruffy beards, your voice is serious and smooth which puts people on edge, we don't know if you're a slaver and your hands," I showed him my callused hands. "they're smooth and soft, like you haven't worked a day in your life. So people aren't very friendly with new people."

      "What's a slaver?" he asked.

I laughed before I realized that he was completely serious, "You're kidding right? You're not, okay. Well that's weird, but alright. A slaver is someone who kidnaps people and sells them to other people to work against their will."

     "And that's a bad thing, I'm guessing?"

     "Yes, it's very bad."

Orion opened his mouth to say something else but he was cut off by the sound of my dad vomiting in his room. I jumped to my feet and pushed my way into his room. It smelt like vomit and pee; my dad had rolled onto the floor and was puking beside his bed.

       "Come on dad you need to get to the bathroom." I hooked his arm over my shoulder and I hauled him to the bathroom. I was apprehensive taking my dad through the living room where I had left Orion, I didn't want him knowing that my dad was sickly and he could easily overpower us. But I had no choice my dad was shaking and he looked green; I pulled him through the living room and into the bathroom. I'll have to be ready if he tried anything.

           *End of part 2*