Entangled

Chapter 10

Mr. Arach's car reminded Liatta of the Batmobile.

It was a black so complete it trapped the sunlight. Peering into the part that would normally be the driver's side window she could vaguely see the shape of an empty seat in the murky glass.

She imagined when it was in motion, every detail of the vehicle would be lost in the impossibly deep black. Creating the illusion for anyone watching, that a piece of darkness itself had rushed past them.

It felt like a fitting choice of car for him.

Reaching towards the inky metal, Mr. Arach pulled a handle that Liatta hadn't even been able to see and opened the door. Rather than opening to the side like a normal car, the door lifted over the vehicle fanning out like outstretched wings.

He entered the car and sat down, pulling out a laptop from a drawer in the car and Liatta stood awkwardly outside, unsure of whether or not she was supposed to follow him in.

"Get in."

His voice was tinged with exasperation. Not waiting to be told twice, Liatta entered the car.

The interior was upholstered with stark white leather that contrasted with the black carpets. Its curved seats faced opposite each other and stretched from window to window. Liatta took the seat opposite from Mr. Arach, by the window on the other side.

It was only when they began moving, that Liatta realized that if Mr. Arach was sitting in front of her that meant he wasn't driving. And the driver's seat had been empty...

Liatta glanced at Mr. Arach, who was now busy typing, and considered asking him about it.

She quickly decided against it. Curiosity wasn't a good enough reason to poke sleeping dragons and she reasoned if it wasn't safe then Mr. Arach wouldn't be inside with her, probably.

When the car started moving, though, all her worries were forgotten.

When she rode the bus to the Arach mansion, Liatta's mind had been such a blur that she hadn't been able to focus on anything. Now that she had gotten somewhat used to being outside her room, she could take in all the new sights.

Liatta pressed herself close to the glass, watching the scenery rush by.

Every time her eyes landed on something, it disappeared before she could truly take it in. She was overloaded with novelty and it was exhilarating.

In her excitement, she even forgot that Mr. Arach was in the car with her. Until she caught his reflection in the window. He had looked up from his laptop and was watching her look outside.

He didn't seem angry, if anything his expression was slightly curious, but any attention from him was enough that Liatta instantly sat back in her seat for the rest of the trip.

They stopped in front of a building of mostly glass accented with some modern brickwork in neutral tones. Long flowering grass was planted around the building and its small parking lot.

The overall impression it gave off was that of a business of some kind. But, oddly, as far as Liatta could tell, there were no signs to indicate what kind of business it was.

Mr. Arach exited the car and walked in long strides through the entrance clearly expecting Liatta to follow. Which she did apprehensively.

Liatta didn't know what she was expecting inside the building: a torture dungeon, a surprise party or just a straightforward pile of bodies. But whatever it was, it wasn't what she found.

Inside was a waiting room with muted green walls and comfy looking leather seats.

The focal point of the room was the rightmost wall which had been converted to an indoor waterfall surrounded by lush tropical plants, complete with a small stream that flowed through the entire room.