The Forgotten Woman

By: The Shane Gang and Petra Sophia

Prologue: The Lost

Nicole bitterly stared up at the white ceiling of her room. Listlessly, she watched the shadows play across the ceiling, her Infernus slug Phoenix giving off a tiny flame.

Phoenix was one of the very few unaltered slugs allowed in Eden Cavern, and that was only because Nicole had made such a deep bond with the slug as is when she was just a wee child. She tilted her head and saw the little slug, with her orange flame patterned body and gentle smile (as much as a slug could smile), and it cheered her- if only a bit. Phoenix chirped at her softly, hopping in the odd little dance that made her laugh aloud. Smiling, she stroked the slug's small stomach, making the candlelight flicker and sputter a bit as they giggled in unison. She sighed, gently snuffing the candlelight.

"Phoenix, I need to sleep. You know I can't sleep with a sluglight on."

Phoenix chittered in reply, waiting. Nicole opened the drawer in her nightstand- where she had made a home for her slugs. Each one had padded spots and little things were strewn across the drawer: remnants of slug food, scraps of fabric that the slugs tended to collect, and the multi-colored little beds Nicole had spent a few days making. Two other slugs slept in the drawer- one white with two black antenna and the other a modified Aquabeek named Bubbles. The white one was extremely special to Nicole- being her first rare slug after Phoenix.

"Angel! C'mere," Nicole called, coaxing her favorite slug.

Angel cracked open a shiny black eye and chirped irritatedly at her owner. Nicole guessed that the gist of what Angel was grousing about was the fact that she had been woken up at THIS time of night. Nicole giggled faintly.

"Sorry sorry Angel. I'll leave you alone now, okay? Phoenix, get in there."

The little slugs obeyed, and Nicole rolled back over onto her back. Staring up at the ceiling, the slug-slinger came back into her mind. His proud, stubborn bearing and seemingly unbreakable spirit; his stubborn resistance to the demoralizing capture; his handsome visage, with that silver hair and unknown eyes... Nicole blushed scarlet. A quiet squeak escaped her lips as she realized she felt a fervent desire to see him again. A desire to know his name and know his past.

Well, the decision had been made. She stood up, and moved to her closet. Tugging out her favorite sneaking outfit, she slid on the black tights, black skinny jeans, and a long sleeved black shirt. She decided to forgo the cap, in favor of pulling her long black hair back into a ponytail. Grinning gleefully, she crept out the window of her room noiselessly.

Nicole had practiced this manuver countless times when she wanted to practice slug-slinging when her mother's opinion was all good little girls should be in bed. I never liked listening to her, Nicole thought ruefully, grinning as she padded through the absolute night of the cavern.

At night, the modified Flaringo slugs that lit the cavern slept, plunging Eden into a brief night of only three or so hours. The slugs had become adapted to very little sleep for the purpose of leaving light in the cavern as much as possible.

Even so, Nicole could see from the many pinpricks of light scattered around the cavern (those being slugs who lit the dark hours for those who never, or almost never, slept). Nicole darted through the compound her family lived in, speeding towards the cages with her heart pounding. She NEEDED to see that fearsome, powerful-feeling man again. He might be her only hope of getting out of here one day.

XXOOXXOO

Some time later, she reached the cages. Stealthily avoiding the man on guard- who snored like thunder- she crept toward the cage she had seen the silver-haired man unloaded into. He was there, and still awake. Still just as handsome as ever.

Suddenly self-conscious, she dodged behind a spar of rock before he could see her. Pressing a hand to her chest, she wondered again what she was doing here. Was it wrong to feel attracted to a trapped man? To a man her family had wronged so deeply? Fisting her hands and taking a deep breath, she steeled herself like she never had before.

This was right. In her heart of hearts, she knew this man was the one just like she knew that Angel was one very special slug. That was fact, and this was fact.

She stepped from behind the rock. In seconds, those green eyes were locked on to her. They widened in silent surprise, and he advanced on the cage bars as she advanced closer to him. His eyes stared, and she stared back with a feeling of wonderment only equaled by his own.

"My name is... Is Nicole. Nicole Shane."

His voice was husky as he replied, "My name is Eli. Eli Kramer."

"Do... Do you feel like it's destiny we meet?"

Her voice was soft and shy, and she almost cursed for it. It was not a good idea to sound innocent when she was essentially trying to seduce a man. Seduce. The word sent a shiver up her spine, as if she were doing something dangerous and sexy.

"I don't believe in fate."

Her heart plummeted.

"But I do believe you're the most beautiful woman I've ever had the pleasure of seeing."

She couldn't help the joyful smile that spread across her face when he said that. When Eli said that.

"I... I want to know more about you. To talk to you."

"Well then luv, you've come to the right man."

They talked long into the night. Hours and hours, all Nicole could feel was bliss that this handsome man was taking an interest in her, her life and her happiness. It didn't occur once to her that she could be being used. Because, like all first lovers, she wanted to believe the best of her crush.

Sequel to The Forgotten... What do you guys think? I published it separately because SlugTerra needs more fics in numbers.

This is the prologue to a project I'm considering for SlugTerra- a book chronicling the Shane Gang's Adventures when and after they find my OC- which is what this is all leading up to. Can you see where Eli Shane got his name? More on my Eli's past with the Shanes next installment!

Love, hugs and cookies to all who review

-June