Owen Harper blinked, his eyelids turning a bright red as sunlight passed through. He could feel a rather sharp vertical object digging into his back, although he didn't feel anything after it. No pan, no ripping of the kind. Blinking, he turned his head to either side, his cheek hanging on his shoulder each time.
Weird.
He tried again. Each time there was no support, his face falling to his shoulder, which seemed to be hunted so far up that the bone prodded his earlobes.
Again, weird. A light breeze tickled his skin, and he could feel gooseflesh break out on the surface. he shivered, feeling the cool of metal burrow into his skin. As his senses began to creep back to him, he was able to feel a rough frayed material on his wrists and ankles tethering him to the pole.
A rope, Owen realized, as he tried puling against it in hopes of the pieces coming undone. His attempts were in vain, as the ropes tightened even further, digging into his skin. A chill ran down his spine as the wind came by again, blowing through the trees, rustling their green canopies. Looking down as best he could (a rope had also been lashed across his throat and chest for good measure), he realized he wasn't wearing a coat.
Or any clothes, for that matter.
Rolling his eyes, he licked his lips. It was just like him, to get into such a situation. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure how he had gotten himself in such a predicament, but he was sure about one thing: it was freezing and someone was going to get their ass kicked once he was free.
Of course, an ass-whooping could only take place if he could remember where his team-mates went, and how he had gotten into such a predicament in the first place.
The crunch of leaves caught his attention, and he snapped his head in the direction of the sound, gritting his teeth as he heard voices. Muttering a curse, he wriggled his head side to side, trying his best to see as much s possible, but with no luck. The rope was cutting into his trachea, an due felt the frayed edges burn against his skin. He froze as the voice seemed to get louder, although it was still faint.
"Be careful not to fall, okay kid?" called a woman's voice.
"Yeah, okay!" was a little boy's response. From the sound of it, he was probably in elementary school, around fifth grade, possibly in his first year of middd school, but that was probably pushing it. Owen pulled against the bond on his wrist- his hands had (thankfully) been tied so they were resting over his crotch, leaving much to be desired.
Of course, he really wasn't in a position to complain, was he?
The voices were closer now, and Owen thought he could see the top of a woman's head over the horizon, blond hair standing out against the green sea of vegetation. Looking around, he felt sweat prick his skin, along with a new set of goosebumps as another brisk wind chilled the air.
"Hey, Emma!" he heard the boy call, "What time is it?"
A pause. "It's like, five thirty, why?"
"Five thirty…?" Owen breathed to himself, licking his lips. He was really hoping this kid didn't find him, all exposed like this. It was just nasty- not something a child should be subjected to at such an hour. Or ever, for that matter.
Owen watched the woman's blond hair bob in and out of his vision- dots of color had invaded the corners of his eyes, and the trees around him were starting to get a bit hazy. Blinking, Owen opened is mouth to take in a good lungful of air, only to have his lungs set aflame, a searing heat coursing through his body.
Shit! he thought, opening and closing his mouth in vain attempts to breathe. To an outsider, he probably looked like a fish out of water, as he tried to lean his head back, give the rope some slack.
It was no use. Soon his peripheral vision was almost black, and a faint image flashed before him.
"Henry, stop!"
So they found me…. Owen couldn't help but chastise himself as his lungs gave out completely, and he lolled his head to the side just as everything was swallowed by darkness.