The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Five - Anamnesis

Kim Taehyung

My entire body aches. There are shooting pains down my back and through the joints of my currently hidden wings. I groan and attempt to roll over but then hiss in pain as my wrist catches on something. I look down, eyes foggy but slowly adjusting to my surroundings. There is a rope around my wrist and as I look to my other limbs I confirm there are ropes on all four, tethering me to... A bed? Who the hell would do that? The Clanless are sadists but this would be a new low, even for them. And what the fridge would they want with me? A door to my right opens and immediately I find myself scrambling, pulling at my bonds and whimpering every time my wrist tugs on the rope.

A faerie runs to my side, a girl, and shushes me. I blink, confused, and stop moving around. I do, however, continue to flinch back from her as her hand reaches for my chin.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I'm actually trying to heal you, see?" She smiles and points to my leg. I see the bandages around my shin and frown.

"What happened to me?.." I mumble, meek and frightened. I mentally kick myself. Sound strong.

"You don't remember?" She frowns too but as I shake my head, her face changes to that of concern and sympathy. "Sorry, but I don't know either. I found you in a wooden box, floating just offshore. I brought you back here and I've been treating you for a couple of days. You had a fever but I think it's pretty much gone down now. Your split lip is practically gone. Everything else is a little more serious but we're getting there." She smiles encouragingly.

I gulp. What? "If you're trying to heal me, why am I tied up?" I ask cautiously.

"Oh.. Sorry... My family is a little paranoid and I have a bodyguard and she was just worried because we don't actually know anything about you.." She looks away and chuckles awkwardly.

"I don't know anything about you either, can I tie you up?" I raise my eyebrows sarcastically and she chuckles. The sound comforts me a little.

"Say please and I might consider it." She winks.

If she is a psychopath or a member of the Clanless, or both, she's certainly not a normal one.

"You're probably hungry, right?" As if on cue, my stomach rumbles and I blush slightly, nodding. "I'll get you some soup." She ruffles my hair and then leaves the room again. There are some muffled voices and then a few raised ones.

"Yah! Who the fuck are you and what are you doing here?." Another faerie girl clasps her hand around my throat and my hand automatically tries to fly to her grip, but it gets caught by the ropes again and I whimper.

"Euclea, let go. Now." The first girl growls from the doorway, holding a steaming bowl.

"We don't know anything about him, though! He should at least tell us why he's here." The new girl glares back.

"Well, you see that great ass cut on his forehead? He likely has concussion from a wound like that. And presumably retrograde amnesia. He probably genuinely can't remember.

"I have what??" I panic, trying to sit up and then cursing loudly at the sear of pain that goes through my back.

"No no no! You stay where you are, sweetheart." She sits on the bed and gently pushes on my chest until I'm lying back into the cushy mattress.

"What's wrong with my back?.." My teeth are clenched. I don't know exactly, but I have a horrible hunch.

"I.. Your wing, it... Kind of..." She looks down.

Even the new faerie looks away in sympathy. "It's completely shattered. You'll most likely never fly again."

Tears swell into my eyes and I shake my head. This can't be happening. This isn't happening. A faerie can't stop flying. It's the only thing that's ever managed to calm me. The feeling of wind stroking every inch of skin and hair, holding it out of your face for you as you dive.

"We don't know! I did my best and we need to give it time. Then we can attempt some physic therapy to get back to normal. Okay?" The girl smiles at me and places the bowl of soup on a tray resting on my legs. "Now eat. Can you manage on your own or do you want some help?"

"I can't do much with no arms or legs and being told off for trying to sit up..." I purse my lips and the girl chuckles slightly.

"Fair point.." She reaches for my wrist but the second girl chimes in quickly.

"Nova, don't. We still know nothing about him." She glares.

"Lea, he's harmless! Look at him, he couldn't hurt me if he tried to." The first girl rolls her eyes.

I blink blankly at the two of them. "Why would I want to?..."

"Because of my parents.." She chuckles.

"Oh?" I frown again.

"You.. You don't know who I am?"

"Should I?.." I chuckle slightly but it quickly turns into a grunt as I feel a tidal wave of pain overcome my chest. "Ow!"

"Sorry. You have a few broken ribs, I should have told you that." She smiles sympathetically.

"So a shattered wing and broken ribs? Did I fall? And what happened to my leg?" I look back down at the bandage.

"Probably a knife..? You also have bruising on your neck, presumably somebody's hands. Then there's also your face. You were very uh.. You were hit. A lot. And then there's the sprained wrist and dislocated shoulder." She looks away almost guiltily.

"What the fridge?.." I blink, looking down at my legs.

"Fridge?..." The first girl frowns and cocks her head.

"Yeah, my little sister hates swearing so we use other words..." I smile awkwardly and fidget slightly. "Sorry, but I don't have a clue who you are. Can you please get me out of these?"

"She's No-"

"Nova. Just Nova." The first smiles having interrupted the second.

"Okay.. I'm Taehyung." I smile and go to stick my hand out but it catches on the ropes again and I grunt in pain, causing my smile to turn into a grimace.

"Okay, that's it. I'm untying him."

"Nova!" The other girl glares.

"We can leave one on him, right? Look at how badly hurt he is! Wouldn't one bond suffice? We can leave his good hand tied up, but honestly, this is ridiculous." Nova raises her eyebrows at the other girl who sighs and nods, still glowering at me.

Nova smiles and gets out a knife. I gulp and shuffle back slightly.

"It's okay.. I'm not going to hurt you." She smiles and ruffles my hair again before carefully cutting through the rope around my sprained wrist and then doing the same to the ones on my feet.

"I'm still not happy with this, Nova. But I need to get back to work. Orin wants to have a meeting for some godforsaken reason. Lock the windows and doors and don't bring any more strays home before I get back. You've already got these two." The faerie glares and storms out of the room.

I frown. "Strays?.."

"I have a bunny... And you..." She shrugs and looks away awkwardly.

"You have me?..."

"For the time being.. You know, for safe keeping and stuff..." She shrugs and starts fussing over the rope that now lies on the floor.