LOCATION:

TEST VILLAGE

Unknown POV

Everything is so muffled, for a moment I think I'm dead. Maybe I am, there's no pain where I am. Well, there's this uncomfortable feeling on my wrists, but that's nothing I can't handle. My eyes flutter open and I look around this strange room. Everything is dusty it seems, and the pinstripe wallpaper is this strange yellow you only see in those old 50's movies. I groan a little at the pain in my bladder and try to sit up, but something is holding my wrists down. I find my wrists tied to the old chipped bedposts and start to panic like I did when I was first kidnapped.

"Sit still and it won't hurt as much," a strange voice says from my left.

I turn my head slowly, biting back a scream. There's a man in a chair beside my bed, at least I think he's a man. His face has no nose, only two slits where a nose would be, and he's wearing some sort of jumpsuit, these shiny goggles around his neck. He's staring at the ground intently and doesn't seem to be any threat to me, but I'm not taking any chances.

"I-I gotta pee," I whisper.

He looks up at me, sighing as he stands. He reaches over and starts to undo my wrists. I can't run, I know that, but it's so damn tempting. I don't know where I am, and if I get out how many of these things there are wherever I am.

"I trust you not to run, Pluto's waiting at the end of the stairs in case you try."

I nod, sitting up and rubbing my wrists. I'm in a pretty purple dress, and I'm cleaner than I was when I passed out. Had someone bathed me? I looked up at the strange looking man that was leading me to the door. God I hoped he hadn't bathed me. I shook a little and followed him out into the hallway, looking down the steps. There was a giant there, probably the one from behind that girl. Where was she? Was she dead, or was she hidden somewhere? It was dark out, so was she asleep?

"Alright, go in. Don't take too long, I really wanna get some sleep."

I nodded, slipping into the bathroom and locking the door. The handle didn't move after that so I guess I wasn't really held hostage. On the counter were a pack of girl razors and a few cans of hairspray and some wax for areas I would love to treat. So the girl lived here, and she wasn't a hostage.

I stared at the shower for a moment with a longing look, but that would have to be later, maybe. I finished my business and checked myself in the mirror. My cheek was swollen, my nose raw and my lips cracked. I looked like hell.

I unlocked the bathroom door and opened it; the flat face man was facing away from me. He looked back when I shut the door and motioned for me to follow, which I did so reluctantly. When we got halfway down the hallway I heard a door slam shut, and people yelling.

"Mama!"

"What?"

"Dizzy been shot, she need help!"

I heard feet shuffling around and slipped around the man, despite his protests and walked over to the balcony. I saw this lanky man with wild gray hair holding a small person in his arms. I saw blood leaking onto the floor and covered my mouth. The large man had walked up to the two and was shakily running his hands just above the small person.

"Di-Dizzy hur'?" the large man stuttered.

The wild haired man nodded angrily and when an obese woman shuffled behind him he ran up the stairs, the woman following. They pushed past the man behind me and slammed the door to a room nearby open. The woman was yelling things and the man finally left the room, being replaced by a small girl in a red hoodie. He stared at the door with his chest heaving before he jerked his head towards me.

"What?" he snapped.

I shrank back into the railing and the flat faced man moved to stand between us. "Calm down, Lizard. She don' know what goin on." He defended me.

Lizard snarled. "I don' give a shit. Why she out a her room?"

The flat faced man sighed. "She had ta use the bathroom."

"Well get 'er ass back ta her room."

The flat faced man nodded and gripped my upper arm, steering me towards the room I had woke up in. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the man lock the door with an old key and sit back in his chair. I watched him fiddle with his fingers for a moment before I spoke up.

"What's that dudes problem?"

He looked up, sighing. "Lizard…well Lizard is always like dat. He just a mean guy, an he real defensive when he actually scared."

"Why would he be scared?"

His face switched from scared to worried, as if this subject was taboo or something. Was he really that scared of that Lizard dude? He looked like he could take Lizard out in seconds.

"That girl…Dizzy…she Lizards mate. He don' wanna lose 'er. He always like Dizzy, said she was pretty. He afraid she gonna die right now. Don' wanna stay on his bad side when it come ta her."

Mate? These people treated lovers and shit like they were dogs. That was fucked up. But I wonder if it had always been like this with them. Hold was this fucker anyway. It scared me to think he could be like hundreds of years old.

"Hey dude," I started, waiting for him to look at me again, which he did with confusion in his black eyes. "How old are you?"

His face went blank in a snap. That was kind of funny, but I don't think right now would be a good time to laugh. After all, he was the only one that seemed to tolerate me at the moment. That woman didn't look too pleased with me, and that giant was scary, plus that Lizard dude just was out for my blood at the moment. This guy seemed like my only life line.

"I'm 29. Names Goggle by the way."

I smiled. "My names Erica. So am I just gonna be trapped in here forever or what?"

Goggle shook his head. "No, just until Papa talks to ya. I gotta tell 'im your awake too. Wait here, I'll get Lizar' to watch ya."

My heart started to race but I stayed quiet, but I nodded. I didn't want to be near that Lizard guy, but it didn't seem like I had a choice. Or did I?

"What about that big dude? Pluto or whatever?" I tried.

He stopped with his hand on the door, looking back at me after a moment. "I guess that woul' be ok."

I smiled. "Thanks Goggle."

He looked back down at the door, unlocking it swiftly while he mumbled to himself. "Pluto, need ya ta watch th' girl."

I heard the giants lumbering footsteps as he climbed the stairs to get to me. He completely towered over Goggle, which was really scary, but somehow I trusted his disfigured face. He stood in the corner, looking shy, while Goggle was out. I twiddled my thumbs like a loser.

"So Pluto, what do you think of me?" I asked the giant.

He kept his eyes down. "Perrty."

I blinked incredulously before I smiled a wide smile. "Thank you Pluto."

He smiled the best he could at me, and everything in me said to get as far away from him as possible but I just couldn't do it. He hadn't done anything to make me distrust him. He helped rescue me, and that meant the world to me. i wanted to trust the people here. I had nowhere to go but home and I was sure I wasn't getting back there any time soon.

The door opened and a man with a long trench coat and scraggly beard walked in, followed by Goggle who was looking down at the ground. I situated myself on the bed so I didn't seem too informal. I wanted to be on these peoples good side. The trench coat man sat in front of me in the chair, his back straight.

"So Erica, it seems you are a part of my family now," he spoke with a deep voice.

My throat clenched and I felt my eyes sting. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"You cannot leave. We cannot risk you telling the authorities about us. You will stay here and live out the rest of your days here. I am sorry, but that is just how it is. Dizzy will be able to help you when she is better to deal with the situation. She is the reason you are still alive, she is the one that saved you from those despicable men."

The lump in my throat bobbed. So it was her, from that night. "I thought her name was Ellen. That's what that guy called her before she killed him."

That's right, she had killed. I wonder if he's the only one she's killed or if she'd killed bunches of people.

"She likes to be called Dizzy, her past name is one she detests. Now Goggle is your companion. He will watch you, make sure you do not run away or harm another member of the family. I am truly sorry for the predicament you are in."

I waved a hand. "I-It's fine. Really, it just sucks that I can't talk to my family anymore, but I guess I'll just get over it. What about Dizzys family?"

They all looked at each other then Papa Jupiter turned back to me. "Dizzy only had her parents and they died in a fire."

"Oh," I looked down. "I'm sorry for her loss."

"Don't be," came from the doorway. I looked up and saw Lizard in the doorway. Blood soaked his front. "Her family was nothin' but her hell. Be happy they dead."

I watched him leave with wide eyes. The way he spoke…with such a strong pull at her name. It made me jealous. I was jealous some beautiful girl had that mutant. I saw that girl, she was truly beautiful. She deserved better than that, but there had to be a reason she's living here freely, and being a mate to him. Maybe she loved him for real, or whatever.

"There's the one thing I wanted to talk to you about. You do not steal another's mate. I forbid it, and it will mean death." Papa Jupiter caught my attention quickly.

I nodded quickly. He didn't have to worry about that. I don't know if I could love one of these people. I wonder who all had mates. It was a rather strange thing and it only drew my nosey brain.

"Good, I will leave Goggle to you and let you be alone. You may take a shower if you wish, but do not use Dizzy's products without her consent. Goggle will be outside the bathroom door in case you get frisky."

Papa Jupiter left then, followed by Pluto, who waved goodbye to me. I smiled and waved, then turned to Goggle who was picking at his worn nails. I chuckled at his awkwardness. I dated a guy named Jimmy once and he always acted like that around me before we got together.

"So Goggle, wanna wash my back?"