"Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires." Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
Growing up, Adelina and Tessa had gotten into a few fights, but one was worse than any of the others. Tessa had gotten upset for not getting her way and told Adelina her parents only loved her out of sympathy. Tessa also told Adelina none of the kids at school liked her. Adelina had been so hurt by Tessa's words but what truly hurt was when Tessa told her that she hated her. She had run out into the forest by their house without a second thought. She threw herself up and crawled up into a tree. That tree had been her escape, it had been a place of peace. She hid herself up in the tree until the sky had began to swirl colors of vivid blue and pink.
As she sat in that tree, she thought maybe what Tessa had said was true. Nobody really talked to her at school or in town. She had always felt like an outcast. She cried and cried until her Dad had come and stood at the bottom of the tree.
"We love you. Your sister loves you. She just said that to hurt you but she didn't mean it. You are very special Adelina and you need to know that. Others are always scared of what is different or special. Please come down." He had yelled up at her.
She had climbed down the tree and had let her dad cradled her for a long time, while she cried.
Adelina had never understood what he meant by calling her special but that night had always meant something to her. Even though her sister had hurt her, it also make her realize that her Dad would always be there for her. She knew she would never have reason to doubt her parents love again.
And here she was, high up in a tree again. Her eyes faced upwards and she stared into the starry blanket that was above her. She was thinking of that moment when she was young up in that tree. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she blinked them away.
In the forest, Asmund and Falentine listened for any noise or abnormal sounds..
"We will find you. I can promise you that. The longer you make us wait, the angrier I'll get. I don't do nice things when I get angry," Falentine yelled. His patience was starting to wear thin and he could feel angry boiling up inside of him.
His voice sounded heartless and was void of emotions. He would find her. He would always find her. One way or another.
Adelina didn't move from the tree. She would never give them the satisfactions of finding her.
Below her, she saw the men push off a tree and began to walk through the forest and into the dark. When she was sure they were gone, she began to swing herself down and descend. As she threw her leg over one of the lower limbs, her grip faltered. Her arm grasped at the limbs and they ripped at her flesh as she fell. With a silent yelp, she pulled herself up off the muddy ground. Her hand and arm dripped blood onto the dirt below her.
She began to limp through the forest. She prowled the best she could be injured. She had not wanted the men to find her, and would find them herself. As she walked through the dark, she second guessed herself.
Was she doing the right thing?
She knew she needed to save her family, but was the right way to do it? She lifted her chin in defiance and realized this had to be the way, the only way.
Right?
Asmund could hear the sound of her soft breath moving through the forest. The smell of blood came sifting through the air and he lifted his noise up to the sky.
"I know you are there." He boomed, breaking the silence.
Adelina stepped out from behind the tree. Asmund was taken back by how beautiful the moonlight made her look. She looked angelic as the moon made her white hair shimmer. Her hair was a wild mess of curls that flew behind her as the wind blew. Her eyes reflected a silver-blue shimmer as well.
"I could have stayed out here, you know? You would have never found me."
"I wouldn't be so sure of yourself. We have our ways of finding you, Adelina. I talked Falentine of using more extreme measures as I didn't want to scare you. Yet"
The way he says yet made her sick. The threatening tone he used made her body quiver and shake in fear.
"I am only doing this for my family and Daniel."
Asmund's eyes flashed a dangerous shade of black and his anger rose up from the pit of his stomach as he heard her say Daniel's name.
"I demand to see them and soon."
"Making demands already are we? I don't think you are in a position to be demaidng things." Falentines voice makes Adelina visibly jump. This makes Falentine chuckle and smirk. He wanted her to fear him.
He would be feared.
A third male appeared out of the blanket of darkness that surrounded them.
Adelina looked around at them and noticed the black filtering into each one of their eyes. They all had cruel and menacing smirks on their face as they stared at her.
"Please.... Please.. I beg you. I need to know they are okay." Adelina said but lost balance and fell against a tree. She winced in pain when she tried to use her cut hand to lift herself.
"You're bleeding. Let me look at that." Falentine said and grabbed her arm violently.
Her blood smelled sweet like cinnamon and honey. He had a hard time resisting the sweet essence pulling him in. As he pulled her arm to his mouth, he knew he had to put some distance between them or he would lose control. He threw her arm down and took a few steps backwards.
"Was that necessary to grab my arm like that and then you just dropped it? What is your problem?" Adelina stared at him and saw how icy cold his blue eyes were. For a brief moment she thought she saw remorse flash in those eyes, but she couldn't be sure. .
"We need to get her back and get this stitched up." Falentine pulled at his shirt and ripped off a piece of the fabric.
"Put this on it for now and keep the pressure on it." He handed Adelina the cloth and she began to wrap the fabric around her arm.
Falentine turned on his heels and walked into the darkness of the forest without another word.
"You'll have to excuse him. By the way my name is Asmund. My brother, with the blonde hair, is Falentine and that there is Taavi. I'm sure you don't care about names, but since we are going to be spending so much time together I thought you should know." Asmund smirked at Adelina. He turned in the same direction Falentine had walked and started moving in that direction.
"I do hope you will follow and not make us go chasing you again" He said without looking back and disappeared into the woods and Taavi followed without even glancing in her direction.
Adelina paused a moment.
"A lot of time together...." her thoughts drifted off onto that.
Chill began to spread through her spine. She moved her arms and swayed them, in hopes to shake the feeling but it was useless.
She sat there for a moment longer and stared into the stars.
"Please protect my family." She prayed into the night sky.
The darkness surrounded her but the moonlight helped her guide her way through the forest.
She worried that she will loose her way but she just moves in the same direction she saw Falentine and Asmund walking. She moved slower than she should have. Her mind was racing with thoughts and she couldn't focus. She had still been dizzy from her fall earlier, but didn't let that stop her.
Lost in her thoughts, she wrapped her arm around her body but winced when she hit her arm again. The bandage was turning red and she realized she was still bleeding.
She stopped again, feeling woozy. Holding onto a tree Adelina took a few deep breaths.
"Give me strength please." Adelina whispered into the night.
Finally, she makes her way back to the clearning. As soon as she sees the three men, she stands up straight. She doesn't want them to think she is weak.
She is NOT weak.
Asmund holds the door open for Adelina as she made her through the small field.
"No blindfold or bindings this time?"Adelina asked with some anger in her voice.
"Well I don't think you'll run again and as for the blindfold, I don't think you could find your way back home at this point. We got quite a few miles in before you decided to wake up."Asmund said in a condescending tone.
Adelina had the urge to slap him. She wanted to slap him. What good would that do her, though?
She got into the car and Asmund followed behind her. Taavi and Falentine got into the front seat and Falentine turns the car on and began to drive down the gravel road.
"Let me see your arm and hand real quick."Asmund asked.
Adelina took the cloth off. The wound on her arm is still bleeding and makes her woozy as she noticed it dripping down her arm. Asmund reaches behind them and pulled a larger piece of cloth out of a bag.
He wrapped it around her arm, tightly. Adelina winced in pain as he made sure it was extra tight.
"That should hold until we get you some stitches."
"Yeah, thanks."
Adelina turned to the window and starred towards the night sky through the window. The scenery as they drive doesn't change. She noticed trees and more trees but not much of anything else. The darkness and quietness of the car eventually lulls her to sleep.
Asmund watched her sleep. Adelina began to cry in her sleep and Asmund realized she was having a nightmare. He started to reach out his hand towards her but thinks better of it.
Adelina jerked herself awake and is immediately blinded when the sunlight hits her eyes. Her bright blue eyes began to water from the sun.
She gasped realizing she had slept through most of the ride.
She looked around and noticed Asmund sitting in the back seat still. He was holding some sort of device in his hand that she didn't recognize.
When he notices her looking he laughs and holds the device up where she can see what the device was.
"I suppose you have no idea what this is do you?"
Adelina doesn't answer and turns herself back to the window.
"Well, before the war these were used to communicate. They are called cell phones. Our scientist have turned them into something even more amazing than what they were before. Now they don't even require those ugly towers your people put up and ruined the land."
Adelina keeps looking outside but her mouth does gape open. She had heart of cell phones, in school, but had never seen one.
Asmund laughs at her innocence. He didn't even realize how sheltered she had been. Adelina turned back around and glares at Asmund.
"Go ahead laugh at me all you want."
She turns back towards the window ignoring the laughter coming from the front seat as well now. Adelina looked around and realized that the trees were breaking up and building were coming into view. The more they drove the more buildings appeared until all she could see for miles and miles was buildings.
She realeased a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She hadn't seen these type of houses before. A lot of them looked to be made out of cement and some were miles high into the sky.
Where was she?
As they keep driving further into these building she noticed a mountain. A large building with large walls was placed on top of the mountain.
Adelina gapes in silence as Falentine turns towards the twisting road that leads up to the large building.
"Wait, are we going up there?"
The mountain was high and thick with trees. She felt any dreams of escaping quickly leaving.
Yes, that is our house. That is where you will be staying, with us of course."
"My family..."
"Are they there too?"
"Everyone from your village is currently being held there until we can figure out what to do with them." Falentine said from the drivers seat.
"Until you can figure out what to do with them...?" Adelina said hoping she heard him wrong. She had to have heard him wrong!
"Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough Adelina." Taavi said breaking his silence. She looked into the rear view mirror and sees a smile pass across Falentines face. An evil and cruel smile.
Adlina grabbed her wound on her hand and pressed it with her palm. The pain made her eyes water but it helped her keep a hold on reality. She needed to try to keep a clear head right now.
Adelina doesn't press or ask any more questions. She knows she doesn't want to hear what any of them have to say. They are evil, that much she knows.
"We are here." Taavi said turning around in his seat and looking towards Asmund and Adelina,
"Let me call Frederick and the other guards to help us. We need to be extra careful, as we know she likes to run." Taavi said to Asmund and Falentine, but he gives Adelina a glance too. While he doesn't smirk at her, she still noticed the warning in his eyes as he looked at her.
A few seconds later the car is surrounded by guards . Falentine and Taavi got out immediately. Asmund stays back in the car with Adelina.
"Just don't do anything stupid okay? Nobody is going to hurt you here."
"Do you really think I am that stupid to believe you."
Adelina wouldn't trust any of their reassuring words.
The door opened and Adelina is grabbed out of her seat, roughly. She yelps as the pain began to seer into her arm. When she looked up she realized it was Falentine who gabbed her roughly. The pain becomes severe and she feels tears in her eyes.
Adelina yanked her arm away and grits her teeth this time to stop from yelling out in pain. She looked at Falentine and she considers punching him straight in his perfect face.
Now is not the time to fight. She needs to see her family. She needs to find a way to escape. She HAS to keep calm.
She noticed that there are other guards here. None of which she knew. She looked around her pleading with her eyes but only got smirks. One of the guards even began to laugh.
HE HAS THE NERVE TO LAUGH! She thought in a rage.
She pushed down her anger, relaizing it won't do her any good in this situation.
Falentine grabbed her arm again and she lets him hold on this time. She looked down while Falentine led her through the front. Adelina takes a moment and looked up. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees the large walls looming in front of her.
"No escaping this place, as you can see." Falentine whispered in her ear.
"You belong to us now"
An awful chill creeps into her body and down her spine.
She doesn't belong to anyone. She isn't someones property.
She looked forward and watched as Falentine dragged her towards some large metal doors that attached to the large cement walls. As they got closer a few of the men bow and the doors began to open before them. Adelina noticed that some of the men they pass by aren't men at all. Some have black souless eyes and some even have claws instead of fingers. Adelina jerked out of Falentines grasp from fear and began to back away from the men.
"What you don't like our guards, do you?" Falentine said and laughed as he grabbed her arm and began to drag her through the doors.
"They won't hurt you unless one of us orders them too. They are quite loyal to use, you see."
She doesn't respond. She keeps her gaze forward. Falentine leads her down a long hall and suddenly they turn into a small corridor. She noticed there are three doors at the end of the hall.
Falentine lets go of her arm and uses some sort of device that is attached to the wall. The door slowly opens in front of them. Falentine gently pushed her into the room.
This was the first time he had been the slight bit gentle with her.
"This is your temporary room until we can get your more permanent one done. You will have guards posted at the entrance as well as by the windows"
He moved through the room and shows Adelina a large door behind a white long curtain.
"You are allowed to go outside, but there will be guards always on the perimeter and you will always be watched. The wall is also monitored but I doubt you would be able to climb it."
He moves over to another door.
"This is your bathroom. You have a shower and a tub. Also, you have a closet over here and we will get your clothes for you."
"Why...why all this? I don't belong here, you know?"
"That will all be explained in due time." Asmund stepped in and said.
"For now, I am going to send for the nurse to stitch your arm up. I am sure you are also hungry and tired. So now is time for you to get some rest. We will let you be."
"No no no NO. I was promised that I could see my family...and Daniel! Please, I came peacefully, please." Adelina felt pathetic begging but she didn't know what else to do.
Asmund feels the angry rise up. He knew he had to leave this room quickly before he lost his temper. How dare she make demands to see Daniel.
Falentine was equally as livid upon the demands Adelina had made. look at Asmund and notice he looks angry.
"We will discuss that later." Asmund said and the two of them walk out of the room without another word. Adelina began to run towards the door but it closed behind them and she is trapped inside.
She screamed and pounds on the door.
"NO YOU HAVE TO LET ME SEE THEM." Adelina pounds and pounds until her knuckles are rare and dripping blood. She screamed until her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
She had come here to protect them. She had failed miserably.
She had became a prisoner just like them. How could she put herself into this situation.
She sunk into the corner by the door and looked down at her bleeding knuckles, arms and hand.
"I'm going to die in here." She said to herself.
Thoughts of her family began to creep into her head. Would she ever see them again? Would she ever see Daniel?
She had to make them let her see them. She couldn't fail them again.
But despair enters her thoughts and she remembered what Falentine had said to her.
You belong to us....
Those words kept echoing in her mind.