It pulsated. It was dark, it was cold, but it pulsated. Lilah silently tried to shake it off, but it persisted, pounding against the confines of her head. Had she hit it at some point? She couldn't recall. Memories were still filtering back slowly, and the grogginess of forced slumber clung to her like old cobwebs.
Grimacing against the pain, amber eyes slowly blinked open. There was a fuzziness to her vision, but a few blinks cleared that away. The room was dim, and her hazy eyes scanned it with a delayed panic that was setting in quickly. Where was she? What was going on? Lilah struggled, attempting to move- but rapidly realized she was tied down.
Rope bit into soft, unworked flesh, pinning her to a rather sturdy wooden chair.
Lilah tilted her head back, starting to hyperventilate. She could remember now; being tackled into her room, struggling with someone, Mocha leaping up and attempting to bite- SHIT was Mocha okay? Her chest heaved in a sob, and tears started to fall.
What did they want? Lilah had nothing to offer. No special talents, no particular bits of information, no expensive ties to anyone… bar the Autobots themselves. Oh God. Did they want to make an example out of her to them, or something like that? Use her like a threat and slaughter her on camera? The thought had Lilah's stomach rolling in fear.
The wooden confines of the dim room seemed to press in on her, heightening her fear, giving a sense of Claustrophobia. Lilah felt ready to vomit. She was terrified. Deathly so. Was Mocha okay? Would she be okay? What about poor Bluestreak? Though, he would probably be fine without her. He more then likely had a lot of friends in the army. Blue was just so loveable and kind- it was a miracle he chose to spend any time at all with Lilah.
Still, it was comforting to imagine he would miss her; in a morbid way.
Twisting her hands around and yanking her body upwards, Lilah fought her bonds. She didn't want to die here; didn't want to leave so much undone.
Didn't want to leave Bluestreak.
When had he become such a staple in her life? Lilah couldn't imagine ever being without him. Couldn't imagine leaving his side. The thought of leaving him, especially like this- it made her heart and chest ache in a way that definitely wasn't healthy. Oh God, did he even know what had happened to her? Would anyone tell him? Or would she just be labeled as MIA? Her breathing picked up, coming out hard and fast.
Lilah's chair must have been bolted to the floor, and the ropes thick; because nothing gave, regardless to her rough and panicked struggling. She could feel blood starting to slowly trickle down from the welts forming on her soft, previously unblemished skin. She slumped, feeling violent sobs yanking themselves from her agonized chest. Could anyone even hear her? The silence had never been so deafening. It seemed to ring in her head, adding to the already persistent headache there.
Was this how it all ended?
She jerked back and abruptly stopped crying as the door to her dark room opened, allowing light to spill in, outlining two silhouettes. Shrinking down further in the chair, trying to curl away from them, Lilah swallowed thickly. She was lightheaded now, adding another element to the cocktail of emotions and sensations swirling inside of her. Maybe if she held still, and tried not to make any noise, they would leave her alone.
Maybe they would even let her go? Something dark inside Lilah wanted to snort and snicker at that thought. As if. She had seen too many movies, read too many books, and heard too many horror stories while part of NEST, to believe something like that.
A hand clasped tightly onto Lilah's right shoulder, making her jump.
Eyes flying wide open, head jerking back, she took in the sight of a very serious looking man. He was pale, gaunt, had a head of thick black hair, and looked generally unpleasant. His uniform was well pressed, and didn't look like any she was familiar with.
Certainly not NEST though, so that ruled out any 'drill' or 'training' exercise, right? Lilah's heart sunk further, making her tremble. She could see the other man just behind the first- he was shorter, but other than that, she couldn't make out any distinct details.
The light shining behind him brightly, combined with the taller one in front, obscuring most of her vision, made it impossible. Lilah wondered if she was going to die.
"This is not the one known as 'Maggie'." There was dissatisfaction on the uniformed man's face. The other must have said something in response, because anger flickered briefly overtop the discontent, before it all settled into a flat line. Monotone.
"I told you to bring me the one close to Red Alert. Instead, you bring me a grunt." Another response Lilah couldn't make out due to the shadows, "You idiot. She is worth nothing. She knows nothing. We cannot trade her for the other; they will not negotiate with us- and now they know were here." The man released her, sneering, "You have failed me."
He turned partially away from her, and it was all Lilah could do to continue staring at his face, trying to catch every word.
"Do with her? What do we do with her? I'll leave that up to you." He scoffed, "What? Ask her anyway? Hah. I'll humor you." shrugging, he turned back and knelt down, staring up at Lilah's trembling face intently.
"Name?" The question was blunt, clearly expecting her full cooperation. Lilah shook harder. She fought with her bonds again, desperately trying to get her hands around so she could sign. She didn't trust trying her voice- it would likely get her killed. But how was she to tell him that she was deaf? That she couldn't answer his questions, tied up as she was?
The man stopped, seeming to listening to his companion, "Ah, I see. Apologies, miss." he smirked at Lilah, and though she couldn't hear his tone, she could read his sarcasm as clearly as if it were written down for her.
"Watch my lips very closely. I want you to understand this clearly." He spoke slowly, and- Lilah imagined- softly. Her eyes widened further, and she trembled so hard it was a wonder she hadn't fallen apart.
"I'm going to release you from your bonds. If you move, if you try to get away- you will die."
Lilah swore her heart stalled for a moment, and tears began to slowly trickle from her eyes again as terror set in. He was serious. Very serious. She could feel it. This man wouldn't hesitate to drop her like a fly, and think absolutely nothing of it. It was all Lilah could do not to pass out, or become hysterical. Either would probably result in death anyway.
She had to keep her head on her shoulders; at least then she would have a chance at survival. Lilah just had to do her best to make her way through this. She could do this. She could make it home. She just had to cooperate with them- right?
She held absolutely still as the man pulled out a large military knife, and cut the ropes from around her abused wrists. Only after he slowly pulled away and leaned back on his heels- though he stayed kneeling and kept the weapon in hand- did Lilah bring her hands around into her lap carefully. She kept her movements slow and deliberate, making certain he knew she wasn't going to run, or attempting to.
Being stabbed seemed… unpleasant, to say the least.
"Now, let's try this again, shall we?" Lilah withheld a scowl; this man's fake pleasantries were slowly grating on her already frazzled nerves.
'Lilah Katherine Abernathy.' She kept her answer as exact as possible. Her interrogator's eyebrows rose as he watched her quick signing. Lilah wondered for a moment if he could even understand her, before he nodded slowly, throwing her concerns out the window.
"Well Miss Abernathy… Know anything about the briefcase?"
'A briefcase?'
"No, not 'a' briefcase… the briefcase." The gleam in the man's eyes was… disturbing.
'I'm sorry, I don't know what your talking about.' Her heart stuttered in her chest. She had nothing to offer them. Nothing to barter with for her life. Lilah wanted to cry; she doubted she would live to see Bluestreak again.
"That's too bad. Maybe I can jog your memory." He stood slowly, and the deaf woman trembled violently, like a leaf in the wind. Was he going to hurt her? Torture her? Break her?
"You see, about three and a half years ago, a soldier from NEST took something important from us. It was stored in a briefcase alongside some information pertaining to our operation. We shot them down, but rumor has it, they survived. And took the case with them." He leaned in, pinning her against the chair, his hands bracing against his thighs as he hung forward, about an inch away from her.
"Rumor has it, you computer lackies know where its being kept." His sharp smile was anything but friendly, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? Please answer honestly. We wouldn't want anything either of us would… regret to happen."
'I'm sorry, I really don't know anything.' Lilah was shaking so badly she could hardly sign her answer. Why her? Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve such treatment? Lilah had always done her best to be a good person, so why was the universe treating her in such a way?
The uniformed man sighed, and pushed up to his feet, "I told you she didn't know anything. She's useless to me. Do with her what you will." turning; he promptly left, as though this was all a huge waste of time to him.
Which, Lilah imagined, it probably was.
But even as she watched him leave, her heart sinking, she realized that she had absolutely nothing. Nothing to offer to save her own life. Lilah was going to die. And there wasn't anything she could do about it.
"Come with me, sweet cheeks." Kevin. The computer analyst had never been particularly violent; but this man made her want to punch his dumb face in. Still, Lilah didn't struggle as he grabbed her upper arm, yanked her from the chair, and began leading her out of the room.
He was bigger, stronger, and faster then her; and knew the layout of their environment a lot better then she did.
It was over. Lilah understood that much.
Still, she couldn't bear the thought of dying now, when she had gained so much. Before Bluestreak and Maggie, she hadn't really had anything. No one. Just a nobody working a quiet job, under the radar. Yet, since taking the job offered to her at NEST…
There was the fear of dying, of course. But now there was more. Lilah wasn't just afraid of death; she was afraid of the pain it would cause others. The terror twins probably wouldn't care at all, but…
Actually, would anyone really miss her at all?
No, someone would have to. Maggie and Blue, at least, if no one else. She struggled with the heavy feeling as she was led down the hall forcefully.
She was going to die. She really was. Without ever telling Bluestreak- telling him what? Her heart twisted in her chest. Lilah was stumped, still. But not for much longer.
When they came upon a door, and Kevin stopped to open it- revealing a dark room that no doubt hid her death within- the answer came to her. Frightening, enveloping, and empowering all at once. Something she had strived to uncover, and hadn't known until now.
Lilah was going to die, without ever telling Bluestreak that she loved him.
No. Fuck that. She felt her expression harden as an uncommon feeling of determined anger washed over her. Lilah wouldn't allow this to end this way. Not so soon. Not when she had just figured this out. She needed to get back; needed to tell him. It burned inside of her, insistent. A need that wouldn't be ignored.
Kevin began to reach for her again. Lilah reacted. Swinging hard, she caught him off guard as she struck him across the face, using the element of surprise to her advantage. She had been cowering, cowed, and cooperative up until this point and he had no reason to suspect she would react otherwise.
He cried out, hitting the floor, "You bitch!"
Whipping around, Lilah took off as fast as she could, her feet hitting hard against the floor. She had to get away- she couldn't stop. If she did, she was done for.
Lilah huffed, she was going to die anyway, right? Might as well make it good, and give them a run for their money.
(AN: Oh boy, I've been busy. Mom had an ER heart attack scare- she's okay now- and I'm allergic to almost all mammal meats. No cow, pig, goat, or otherwise for me ever again. Fish and bird are okay though.
But hey! Good news! My novel is a singular chapter away from being finished, I've got my driver's permit again, AND I've started posting shit on YouTube! :D So if you like my writing, and original works, and you like being scared- check me out! I'm Bomani Neteru, and I'm currently working on a series called 'Tales From The Silent'. I hope to eventually get to where I can read Fanfiction aloud and such c: that sounds like fun.
On another note; poor Lilah. She's never had to be brave before. Not really. :c Run baby run! Don't look back! Leave me a review with your thoughts, da? :D And consider checking out my scary original works~ ^^)