Megs POV
The room is dim, not much natural light enters into it. The first thing she noticed when she finally awoke, was the softness. A firm softness enveloped her whole body. It was under her, it was above her, it was like being swaddled like a newborn baby. She also felt warm and secure laying there. She hadn't felt that kind of warmth unless she was directly next to the campfire, and here she couldn't hear the fire crackling so she knew that there was no fire to warm her like this. Her eyes flutter open and she tries to take in her surroundings from where she lays, however, the dimness of the room concealed everything, and her weariness prevented her from sitting up and taking in a better view.
I am alive? My eyes feel heavy and refuse to open. I'm laying on something soft. Warm. Safe. Am I safe? How did I get here? The last thing I remember is the wraith digging his blade into me, and screaming for Trapper to come to get me. Her thoughts wafted in her mind. She felt tired and sluggish. Like she hasn't slept in weeks. She stiffened slightly at the sound of a doorknob being turned somewhere in the room. The shockingly bright light that peered into the room caused her to squeeze her eyes shut and a small whimper escaped her while she waited. It was too bright, she just couldn't bear it.
As quickly as the light appeared it left though to Meg it felt like an eternity. She heard a soft click as the door shut followed by the footsteps of someone in the room with her. There was a small dip in the bed as whoever it was sat gingerly beside her. As a warm soft hand gently caressed the side of her face, her eyes flashed open and she tried to make out who it was with her in the darkness. But she felt the harder she tried to make out the figures outline the weaker she was. The attempt is quickly abandoned and she finally just laid still, welcoming the small comfort the touch provided.
The hand is then replaced with a washcloth and her face is gently wiped. The blankets suddenly feel heavy as the cloth starts to cover the majority of her face as she is being taken care of. I'm suffocating beneath them. I need out. I can't breathe I'm trapped. She thinks panicking to herself, and as Instinct kicks in her arms and legs finally get the memo as She panics and thrashes wildly. She screams in pain as her wounds are agitated, and one of her legs refuse to move and lays there limply no matter how much she urges it to move.
"I can't breathe! Air!" She shouts helplessly as her hands frantically trying to remove the covers from her torso. In her current state even with the frantic attempts to remove the blankets, she couldn't struggle out of them. I need out. I need it out now. The person with her seems to understand and rips the blankets off, freeing her from her imagined imprisonment. "Thank you." She croaks out as She sinks weakly back into the bed. Her energy drained from her struggles, but she relaxed fully into the plush mattress now that the feeling of suffocation has passed. Even after her mild panic, she felt strangely safe, with whoever was with her. Though she was sure there was something she was supposed to remember, she pushed the feeling away not wanting to be troubled by it.
Safe is a strange feeling. I'm not used to it anymore. How can you be safe when every time you try you are pulled for a trial to be hunted. She closes her eyes and whispers a thank you again to the person. If I'm safe I'm going to take advantage of it. I'm going to actually rest. She lets the darkness take her into a dreamless sleep.
"It's time to wake up." A voice calls to her softly. She shakes her head in refusal. I don't want to wake up. I never want to ever again. Just let me sleep, I walk back towards the darkness. Something stops me... that voice. It won't stop asking me to come back.
"You need to wake up. You've rested long enough...Wake up or else I won't heal your wounds." His words cause her to frown slightly as his tone goes slightly stern. She remembers that she was indeed hurt and that she couldn't heal. The thought of finally being healed peaks her interest enough to fight against the call of sleep. She lets out a small groan as her eyes flutter open and adjust to the light.
Before she is a pristine room. She is on a large bed, larger than she thinks she ever actually saw in person. She is laying on a white sheet, several of them it looks like to protect the bed from gaining stains from her injuries. The room has hues of greys. The carpet is grey. The wall a darker grey, and the curtains as a jet black. All in all, it's not awful. But it definitely lacked color like she had in her room back home.
Her attention turns back to the person waiting patiently beside her. Her whole body tenses as her eyes take him in. It's him. The Trapper; aka Evan. He had chosen to keep his mask off this time. It was still a bit Of a shock to her to see him without his mask on. It was as if the mask was a symbol of his work for the entity. Remembering how he spoke to her last, her anger ignited.
"Is this what you meant by taking care of what's yours?" She asks her voice laced with spite. "Letting me stay in this condition and allowing others to cause me to pain worse than I would even wish for anyone, even the likes of you?" He didn't move, but his eyes showed a hint of amusement at her fiery words. He took a moment to look her over, inspecting her wounds before slowly trailing up to her eyes. His eyes hid all his other emotions from her, and if she could she would have stormed out the room, but in her current state, she was stuck where she was.
"If you put a dog on a leash, the first thing it's going to do is pull on it to test its boundaries." He simply states to her, a small smirk forming in the corner of his lips.
"I am not a dog." She growls at him sharply.
"Yet you pull your leash like one." He can't hide the smirk on his face from her now. Her face, however, has a scowl on it. "Did you learn anything?"
"When I say your name you don't hear it." Her words sting him and Finally the smirk of his is gone. His eyes contain anger and something else, she can't tell what it is but she was sure she would figure out this man eventually if she kept him talking.
"I can not interrupt a trial." He finally says after a quiet moment passed between the two. That's all he offers as an excuse for not keeping his word as far as she is concerned. "Now, I'll ask again, did you learn anything?" He sits watching her intently. His amusement completely faded, and an aura of slight irritation radiating off of him. She ponders his question thinking over the events that have recently turned her life upside down. Is he asking specifically about his rules or is there a higher meaning to this...
"I learned," she replies softly, "I learned that when you set a rule..., you will enforce it. Even if I don't understand how your able to..., it's going to happen." She also knows he can't hear her in trials now. Or see her in them, otherwise, he would have heard her calling for him. So trials are free game, trials she will be free from his control or judgment. He can watch her at the campfire. Little by little, she was putting together her boundaries l. I'll just have to figure out if that goes for anywhere outside a trial or just at the campfire. She thinks quietly to herself.
"Good girl." He praises her softly surprising her slightly. Her eyebrows rise ever so slightly, confused if he meant it genuinely or if this was another retort to being compared to a dog. "Well," He clears his throat as he speaks up, "let's get these wounds taken care of." He reaches towards her slowly and she leans back away from his touch as he nears. In her injured state, she couldn't even try to roll out of his reach so his hands slide effortlessly under her. He scoops up her small frame and holds her delicately in his arms. She bites her lower lip letting out soft whimpers of pain as she is jostled slightly as he moves her towards an adjoining room.
It was surprisingly modern inside this bathroom. White tiles everywhere smoothly in a sleek design that would have rivaled most what most designers achieved look should be. A large oversized tub on one side of the room and a decent-sized walk-in shower, the door was frosted with swirls on it. Her eyes studied the swirls for a moment as he gently closes the door with his boot. A simple yet elegant toilet was in there as well, with a large counter with a single sink.
Her mouth contorts in pain as he lowers her into the tub. He grimaced slightly as the blood that is soaking her clothes quickly sets into the tub. He rolls his eyes slightly out of her view and then slips his hands from under her letting her head rest against the edge of the oversized porcelain bath. he sets about removing her jacket, unzipping the material quickly and working her limbs free. He takes the ruined garnet and drops it swiftly into the trash can cause if her to make a face as her treasure track outfit is clearly destined for the trash can. He then turns his attention back to her and moves to take hold of the hem of her shirt. She shrieks softly and grabs for his hands while mouthing the word 'no' to him and shaking her head desperately. There is no way she is just going to let him remove her clothing. His chuckle at her denials causes her cheeks to flush. No one has seen me...Not since before... not now...
"Just the shirt little one." He says reassuringly while holding his hands perfectly still at her waist. "Then the pants. No more no less. I promise. We need to get you cleaned before you heal or you will have nasty scars." This is where She gives in and relaxes back against the tub. As long as he kept his word she wouldn't fight him. She didn't want to be left with physical scars, and he hadn't just fought her over her clothes, he stopped and talked to her. He could have a chance to keep his word even if she felt a little scared that he wouldn't. He tugs her shirt off cutting a little of the fabric as he works to keep from pulling on her wounds and wastes no time just cutting her jeans off as well. While he works she bites the inside of her cheek till She can taste blood as the rough material comes free from the wounds the wraith inflicted.
"Where are the others?" She finally gasps out sucking in ragged breaths after the pain begins to fade. She watches him from the corner of her eye as he throws these clothes away as well. In the back of her mind, she hoped he had something to replace what he discarded.
"Well, I'm sure they are either at your camp or in a trial. Not much else for you guys to do." He states simply as he turns the knobs of the tub, running the water to a temperature that he finds appropriate and then stopping the tub so it can fill. She looks down and wiggles her toes on her right leg, the left side just sits there in moving. She tries to keep from looking scared as she looks over the wound for the first time. Her thigh was jagged and torn, she could see into the deepest part of her leg to the white of bone. She grits her jaw and turned her head to the side to avoid staring at it any longer.
"Have they asked for me?" She whispers just barely loud enough to be heard over the running water.
"I wouldn't know." He answers smoothly enough she finds herself a little fearful of his words. This man either doesn't lie, or lies without caring. I can't tell if he is trying to deceive me... Frankly, that's terrifying. "Eat this." He takes a bag containing something from his pocket and then pushes a small white pill to her lips. "This will hurt otherwise." She takes the pill into her mouth and stares at him waiting to hear if she should swallow or- "chew." He continues quickly and nods as she complies. She groans softly as a warm soft feeling envelops her body and she relaxes. The pain seemed to simply leave her as the water level rose. He let the tub fill until it reached just above her navel, and then picked up a small white cloth dipping it into the already blood tinted water before lathering soap into the fibers. The water feels amazing to her as he washes away caked-on blood and dirt from her body. She can't help but wonder why he waited to give her something for pain, for after he removed her clothes. Did he truly want her in pain or out of it she wasn't sure?
He goes to a small cabinet and takes out a small purple bottle with a simple frosted health cross on it. The seal he punctured with a small knife from the drawer by the sink, she pretends to not take notice as he returns the knife to the drawer. The Trapper leans in and presses the open side of the container to her lips. No words are needed to tell her it's purpose. She eagerly sucks the liquid out of the bottle, not pausing to breathe until she had swallowed the last drop. She coughs slightly as she gasps in a new breath, her sides aching from the lack of oxygen.
She notices him staring at her again and she leans back against the tub closing her eyes willing whatever she just consumed to heal her. It's embarrassing how much he studies me. I haven't had this much attention in a very long time. Is he worrying over me like a mother hen, or like a wolf in sheep's clothing... suddenly tingles envelop her whole being, the places where She is injured are almost painful as the feeling intensifies. It felt like someone was stitching her wounds back together. but no one was. After what felt like hours it finally dulled to a light tingle and stopped.
The sound of water suddenly gushing from the faucet caused her to flinch and open her eyes. She had fallen asleep shortly after the sensation stopped and he had drained the filthy water as she rested. Evan was filling the tub with hot freshwater. She looked down over her body and noted where delicate pink flesh had appeared where she was injured before. She watched him curiously as He added vanilla scented bath salts to the water. It smelled delicious and a tear escaped her eye as she remembered the last time She smelled vanilla this strong. Her mother had baked sugar cookies. It was for her dad on Father's Day.
If my mom and dad were looking for me after I went missing, I'm sure the search would be over by now. There is no physical way here. We searched the woods for endless hours and never found a way out. Or a way in for that matter.
"Bathe as long as you wish." The Trapper says in a low tone. He placed a towel nearby and left only to return with a clean red jogging outfit. He sat it carefully by the towel and avoided eye contact with her completely. She felt slightly relieved I sure if he had seen her tears or not. But she wasn't about to question his sudden gift of actual privacy. "I won't impose." He muttered just soft enough she almost didn't hear him. He then quickly left the room shutting the door behind himself leaving her alone.
She rose quickly out of the tub into the chilly air and locked the door after he left. Now I know I'll be okay for at least a bath. She sighs softly as she sinks back into the tub. She picks up a clean washcloth from beside the tub and runs it along her body with more soap for a second wash. Her fingertips trail the new tender skin along her leg. The sensation feels slightly dull, but as far as she can tell it's not a scar but new growth. She silently prays the pink will fade and leave behind flawless skin. She had enough fears following her mentally she seriously didn't need physical scars to hunt her as well. She let out a soft sigh as she set the washcloth at the side of the tub.
After waiting quite a while Evan grew concerned over her alone in the bathroom. He had heard her lock the door, but she should know the man had a key to every door to his house, including his bathroom. He fished the key out of the drawer and gingerly twisted the lock-free. His hand cautiously wrapped around the knob and he waited a moment listening carefully for any movement on the other side of the door. When he was certain he still couldn't hear anything it turned the knob and peeked into the bathroom feeling slightly on edge as he did so. He only relaxed when his eyes laid on her small form asleep in the tub. With a soft smile, he shut the door and locked it back before returning the key to its proper place.
She had drifted off for a while and when She finally awoke the water was cold. She sat up and shivered in the cool water reaching for the drain she pulled it and stood carefully. Her limbs felt stiff as she exited the tub and hobbled over to the shower. She turned the shower on and stepped under the enormous shower head letting the hot water cascade over her. She stood there for a while letting the hot water bring life back into her limbs and even took the time to stretch what she could properly under the water. She sighed and turned the water off with a small frown. She didn't want to leave the bathroom as she knew he was still waiting on her. She hated confrontations. And she did not want to confront him.
She took a huge fluffy towel and dried her body completely after she stripped out of her bra and panties. She hated the feeling of wet clothing on her skin. She had never liked dressing while even slightly damp and she wasn't about to start now. As she dried she spied a small bottle of lotion on the shelf. If she was going to be stuck here with him, she might as well pamper herself while she can. The smell of the lotion permeated the bathroom. It was a mixture of blackberries, Sandalwood, and Vanilla. Feeling moisturized she sighs contently and looks over the clean clothes set out for her. To her delight, a new set of underwear and bra was daintily tucked inside the folded garments. She couldn't help but grin as she dressed in the new outfit. It fit her perfectly, and she admired her reflection. She had worn the same outfit for months. It was stained with blood and always seemed to have an odor of some sort lingering to it. She had grown accustomed to it. But she didn't have to enjoy it. She wasn't about to waste the opportunity of enjoying new fresh clothes on her freshly pampered skin.
She approaches the bathroom door and unlocks it but doesn't move to open it. She stared hard at the handle willing it to open and take her anywhere but where she was. I could just stay here. But how long before he comes looking for me. I really don't need to go through all that pain again if he becomes angry... she takes a deep breath in and willed herself to turn the knob. It opens easily to the grey wash bedroom she had first awoken in. The first thing she noticed is the bed had been made. This made her feel relieved as she was certain there would be bloody sheets waiting on her return. Proof of that she had been though, that he had rid the room of as if to tell her he wasn't going to rub the event in her face.
The bedroom is surprisingly empty she notices as she looks around more, and the only door in is shut. glancing around and taking her chance She opens the drawer that the pocket knife was in. To her delight, it was still inside a small smile formed as she took the knife and shoved it into her pocket.
She jumps and manages to hold in a small shriek as the bedroom door is opened just after she closed the drawer she had just been digging in. Her heart raced as she was nearly caught mid theft, and she prayed that he didn't notice the slight bulge the knife made to her pocket. Standing before her in the doorway is, of course, the Trapper. He is dressed in black slacks and a crisp white longe sleeved shirt. A shiny belt and silver watch complement his attire. He smirks while watching her struggle to slow her breathing and heart rate. He motions her to follow and walks off without looking back.
He leads her down a long hall and a set of stairs. She is forced to walk quickly to keep up with his fast pace. At the bottom of the stairs are a grand foyer and a huge door with stained glass set in it. That door must be the way out she figures, but he is leading her down another hallway. She takes care to try to remember the path back to the door. The hall opens up to a dinning-room with an oversized table. He points to a seat on the end and leaves through another door. The chair is a dark wood to match the table, with high armrests and a padded seat. She walks cautiously to the table and sits down in the plush seat. Her hands enter her pocket and she gingerly grips the knife in her pocket as self-reassurance that everything will be okay.
he returns with small a trolly with plates across it. He sets one covered tray in front of her and another of what she assumes is his. He then sets the others on the table within easy reach. He sits in his chair angling himself towards her, slouching against the armrest of the seat.
His eyes bore into hers with a question in them but he doesn't speak. He opens his tray to reveal a massive burger and fries with a side of ketchup. She follows his lead and opens her own as well. The same is on her tray. It smells Devine. Her mouth overly waters and She swallows hard, as She resists the urge to eat. Somethings up. A warm bath, clean clothes, and a delicious meal. There has to be an alternative motive.
"Eat." He says with his tone laced with command. Her lips press thin, but She complies taking a small bite of the burger. As the juice drips down her chin all preservations are forgotten and She starts to eat wholeheartedly. He lets out a small grunt of approval and eats his meal as well. When her plate is cleared he removes it and reveals several deserts on the table. She picks a frozen yogurt of some sort and takes her time savoring its sweetness. He picks out a cream pie but he sits watching her instead of eating. His hand clenches the spoon till his knuckles turn white. She looks nervously between his hand and his face as he sits unmoving.
She places her spoon and treat down. She glances again between his hand and his face. She shifts uncontrollably as he meets her gaze. She couldn't hold his eye contact and looked off across the room. Why is he agitated now? Did I do something wrong? She bites her lower lip gently as her discomfort grows. They both sit in silence for a few minutes.
"You can stay here," He states, "or you can return to the campfire. If you return to the campfire you will have to attend trials again. What's your choice?" He states flatly. He sets his spoon down and stiffly folds his hands in his lap.
"Campfire!" She blurts out without hesitation. He doesn't seem shocked by her choice and stands. As he walks closer her eyes grow heavy and darkness consumes her. She couldn't read his face as the world became blurry too quickly, but she thought briefly she could see Evan looking regretful of giving her the choice. He sighed softly as he stood by her sleeping form. He gently caressed her cheek before gently lifting her from her seat.
When She comes to a faint smile crosses her lips as the familiar crackle of the campfire is heard in the distance.
4377 words
