Leaving the Horse

Chapter 21

I hesitated. Her mouth thinned into a straight line. I quickly decided giving her an answer wouldn't hurt. "Elliot."

"Last?"

"What?"

Hannah began to write on a clipboard but looked up sharply at my answer. "What is your last name, Elliot?" Her voice almost sounded threatening.

"I am called Elliot," I answered, gazing back at her, "nothing else."

A long, high tension pause, then, "very well, Elliot. Now, where are you from?"

I hesitated again. Did the United States accept unwelcome visitors? "Around."

"Where?" She barked angrily, "Surely you know where you live?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know anything about the US. I couldn't give her anything.

"Fine," she grumbled. "What's her name?" Hannah indicated toward Jay with her pencil.

Questions of my own burst into my head. "What did you do to her? Where are we?"

"I don't answer your questions yet. First you have to answer mine," she said simply.

"Well what do you want?" I raised my voice angrily. I was tired of Hannah's games.

Hannah spoke low and slowly, "I want to know where you two are from. We saw what she did to the people at the hospital on the cameras. How did she do this 'magic'?"

I recoiled. That was the last thing I wanted to answer. "Wha- What are you talking about?" I stumbled.

"I think you know what we are talking about," she answered, narrowing her eyes. "I am a researcher on these types of things. I can't let you go until I get answers."

I gazed at her with resentment. I disliked her with every part of my being. I approached the bars that split me from her. "I am done with your meaningless questions. She has no such magic that you speak of. What you saw must have been a mere illusion."

After a stair off, Hannah glanced down at her clipboard writing something down before muttering, "Looks like we will have to test her and maybe even hurt her to get answers."

As fast as lightning, I reached my arms through the bars, grasping her coat in my hands as I pulled her violently against the bars hard. "You will do no such thing!" I growled.

Suddenly the clear doors opened along with the bar doors to where I was kept and I felt several people grab me as I struggled to hold on to Hannah.

"Coward! You don't touch her!"

I felt a fist make contact with my stomach, forcing me to release her as I grasped my gut in pain. Trying to struggle out of the men's grip and make my way for the door, I felt a punch make contact with my face. Drooping in pain and confusion, the men threw me down to curl up in pain as they left the barred cage, slamming both doors behind them.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I forced myself not to cry. I had to get Jauda and me out of here before they harmed her.

Hadn't they ever heard of a human with magic?

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I gazed ahead of Jonah at the boat with its busy workers loading up large crates at the dock. Distant boats sailed into the distance, making me appreciate the hard work the sailors put into boarding and sailing off shipped goods around the world.

Why would Jauda leave? I felt my heart swell up at the thought of her. I had no idea what made me care so much for her. Maybe the fact that she seemed so distant at first. I remembered seeing the loneliness in her violet eyes. Or were they blue like she said they were? Not only did she seem lonely but she seemed distrustful. There were so many mysteries about her. I just wanted to be there for her when she was ready to share them.