Chapter Three
Summary: Thade tries to escape and succeeds.
Thade stared helplessly at the buttons that had nearly been destroyed when he had used the gun. He searched all of them, hoping some would have labels. He ran his hands along the surface of the panel, and pulled back when something sharp jabbed his hand.
He glanced down and saw a jagged scratch down his hand. He looked at the panel and saw a sharp piece of metal was the object.
Thade picked it up and studied it. As he studied, he came up with an idea, one that would make Ari understand. He pressed the metal into his hand and began to carve into his flesh.
Thade almost blinded the pain, spotted a button that read "Door Open". His heart pounding with anticipation, he pressed down on the button. Sure enough, the door opened and he was free.
Joy filled him, and he wept tears of happiness. It would be a long journey back to the city, but at least he could get to Ari. Holding his wounded hand, he ran as fast as he could from the ruins and towards the lights in the distance,his home.
Stopping, only when he needed to, Thade hiked through deserts, mountains and forests. He wondered if they already knew of his escape, since they came once a week to give him a food supply.
He didn't care if they knew, he was way ahead of them, even if they had horses.
Thade winced when his hand began to pain. It had become infected from climbing up rocks and trees. It now looked angry and bloody. He forced himself to look away, and continued on. To stay alive, he thought Ari, of how she would react when she saw him. Would she be happy or angry? He knew his cruel and ruthless reputation might affect everything that happened. He would just have to wait.
Darkness had fallen, and once again he could see the lights of the city. This time though, they were much closer. He could make it to the city tonight.
Ari slept soundly in bed, hours later. She was exhausted, after an endless day of work. The cool breeze and smell of the blossoms had helped her fall asleep more quickly.
She knew who would be visiting in her dreams tonight. She just hoped they wouldn't cause her too much grief.
Thade stood outside Ari's house, listening. It sounded like everyone was asleep. He grabbed a branch, planning to climb up to her bedroom. He had down it before, many times. Once in the middle of the night, a night like this one. He had waken Ari and taken her horseback riding until sunrise. They had watched the sun come up over the hills, red, orange and pink hues streaking the purple sky.
His hand hurt badly, and he knew there was no way he could get up there. He would just have to sneak through the house.
The front hallway, kitchen, and dining room were silent. Thade made his way to Ari's bedroom. To his relief, she was asleep.
He needed some time to think about what to say to her. It had to be perfect.
He sat down on her bed, and gazed at her face. She was so beautiful, he couldn't help but reach out and stroke her face. She stirred, but didn't wake, and Thade moved to a chair beside her bed and watched her sleep for the next few hours before daylight.
Ari awoke when the sun gleamed in her eyes. She opened them, stretched and yawned. Thade was of course, in her dreams that night, this time begging her to forgive him. She had woken up before she had given her answer.
Sitting up, Ari looked around the room. She screamed when she saw him sitting across from her, gazing at her intently.
"I must still be dreaming," Ari cried, shaking her head. When she stopped, Thade was still sitting there.
"Dreaming about me?" he asked, coming closer to her. She backed up.
"Thade, get out of my house!" she shrieked. He sat down beside her, and tried to pull her close.
"Ari, please! Just listen to what I have to say," he begged, looking into her eyes, the way she said he had when they were together.
When Thade moved his hand, Ari caught sight of an awful, angry mark on his hand. She held it up for her to see, and when she saw it, her cold demeanor melted. It was the mark that he had given her. The mark of the human. But his looked much more painful.
"Why did you do this?" she asked, softly. She ran her fingers over the wound, but he pulled away and winced with pain.
"To show you how sorry I am," Thade answered. Ari wasn't sure if she trusted him. Was he just using her, or did he truly mean what he said. She continued to stare at the mark on his hand.
"How did you get out?" she asked, alarmed. If he had harmed anyone, she would send him back to where he came from.
"I found the right button to open the door," Thade replied. He didn't feel like explaining anything, he just wanted to hold her and never let go.
"Why did you come here?" she demanded. She knew it was a stupid question. Obviously Thade had wanted to get out! He wanted to be powerful and rule again. He just needed Ari to help him get back on his feet, and he would do it any way he could.
But his answer caught her off guard. "I needed to see you," he replied, earnestly. Thade took her hand and gently stroked her fingers with his good hand. He lifted her hand to his mouth, and covered it with gentle kisses.
Ari pulled away and stood up. She moved to the other side of the room. Thade followed her, desperate for her to listen.
"Ari," he whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Please, just listen to me."
Ari nodded, trying not to think about how close he was to her. "Alright," she decided.
"I'm so sorry," Thade began. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. Please, Ari, please forgive me. I can't live without you, and I can't bear being apart from you. I need you more than I need breath."
Ari considered what he was saying, but the next sentence was one that brought tears to her eyes.
"I-I love you."
Summary: Thade tries to escape and succeeds.
Thade stared helplessly at the buttons that had nearly been destroyed when he had used the gun. He searched all of them, hoping some would have labels. He ran his hands along the surface of the panel, and pulled back when something sharp jabbed his hand.
He glanced down and saw a jagged scratch down his hand. He looked at the panel and saw a sharp piece of metal was the object.
Thade picked it up and studied it. As he studied, he came up with an idea, one that would make Ari understand. He pressed the metal into his hand and began to carve into his flesh.
Thade almost blinded the pain, spotted a button that read "Door Open". His heart pounding with anticipation, he pressed down on the button. Sure enough, the door opened and he was free.
Joy filled him, and he wept tears of happiness. It would be a long journey back to the city, but at least he could get to Ari. Holding his wounded hand, he ran as fast as he could from the ruins and towards the lights in the distance,his home.
Stopping, only when he needed to, Thade hiked through deserts, mountains and forests. He wondered if they already knew of his escape, since they came once a week to give him a food supply.
He didn't care if they knew, he was way ahead of them, even if they had horses.
Thade winced when his hand began to pain. It had become infected from climbing up rocks and trees. It now looked angry and bloody. He forced himself to look away, and continued on. To stay alive, he thought Ari, of how she would react when she saw him. Would she be happy or angry? He knew his cruel and ruthless reputation might affect everything that happened. He would just have to wait.
Darkness had fallen, and once again he could see the lights of the city. This time though, they were much closer. He could make it to the city tonight.
Ari slept soundly in bed, hours later. She was exhausted, after an endless day of work. The cool breeze and smell of the blossoms had helped her fall asleep more quickly.
She knew who would be visiting in her dreams tonight. She just hoped they wouldn't cause her too much grief.
Thade stood outside Ari's house, listening. It sounded like everyone was asleep. He grabbed a branch, planning to climb up to her bedroom. He had down it before, many times. Once in the middle of the night, a night like this one. He had waken Ari and taken her horseback riding until sunrise. They had watched the sun come up over the hills, red, orange and pink hues streaking the purple sky.
His hand hurt badly, and he knew there was no way he could get up there. He would just have to sneak through the house.
The front hallway, kitchen, and dining room were silent. Thade made his way to Ari's bedroom. To his relief, she was asleep.
He needed some time to think about what to say to her. It had to be perfect.
He sat down on her bed, and gazed at her face. She was so beautiful, he couldn't help but reach out and stroke her face. She stirred, but didn't wake, and Thade moved to a chair beside her bed and watched her sleep for the next few hours before daylight.
Ari awoke when the sun gleamed in her eyes. She opened them, stretched and yawned. Thade was of course, in her dreams that night, this time begging her to forgive him. She had woken up before she had given her answer.
Sitting up, Ari looked around the room. She screamed when she saw him sitting across from her, gazing at her intently.
"I must still be dreaming," Ari cried, shaking her head. When she stopped, Thade was still sitting there.
"Dreaming about me?" he asked, coming closer to her. She backed up.
"Thade, get out of my house!" she shrieked. He sat down beside her, and tried to pull her close.
"Ari, please! Just listen to what I have to say," he begged, looking into her eyes, the way she said he had when they were together.
When Thade moved his hand, Ari caught sight of an awful, angry mark on his hand. She held it up for her to see, and when she saw it, her cold demeanor melted. It was the mark that he had given her. The mark of the human. But his looked much more painful.
"Why did you do this?" she asked, softly. She ran her fingers over the wound, but he pulled away and winced with pain.
"To show you how sorry I am," Thade answered. Ari wasn't sure if she trusted him. Was he just using her, or did he truly mean what he said. She continued to stare at the mark on his hand.
"How did you get out?" she asked, alarmed. If he had harmed anyone, she would send him back to where he came from.
"I found the right button to open the door," Thade replied. He didn't feel like explaining anything, he just wanted to hold her and never let go.
"Why did you come here?" she demanded. She knew it was a stupid question. Obviously Thade had wanted to get out! He wanted to be powerful and rule again. He just needed Ari to help him get back on his feet, and he would do it any way he could.
But his answer caught her off guard. "I needed to see you," he replied, earnestly. Thade took her hand and gently stroked her fingers with his good hand. He lifted her hand to his mouth, and covered it with gentle kisses.
Ari pulled away and stood up. She moved to the other side of the room. Thade followed her, desperate for her to listen.
"Ari," he whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Please, just listen to me."
Ari nodded, trying not to think about how close he was to her. "Alright," she decided.
"I'm so sorry," Thade began. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. Please, Ari, please forgive me. I can't live without you, and I can't bear being apart from you. I need you more than I need breath."
Ari considered what he was saying, but the next sentence was one that brought tears to her eyes.
"I-I love you."
