I want to apologize to anyone who is reading this series for taking so long to post the next chapters. Lots of upheaval in my life lately, but hopefully I can finish the story more quickly now. As always, criticisms and suggestions are welcome. And I would like to give a big thanks to Pika for all her help.
Chapter 4: Acquaintances
Hitomi twisted her arms behind her with a stubborn determination, knowing the attempt was futile but not willing to waste the time her abductor was absent. The activity helped keep her terror in check.
Besides, she reminded herself, it wasn't as if this was her first time being abducted. And at least this captor appeared to be human. And did not climb the ceiling.
Since awakening hours ago, she had been alone; the man had disappeared soon after his incoherent speech. The light though the dirty window had strengthened over time but was now waning, so Hitomi assumed that the day was nearly over. By now her parents would have alerted the authorities and a search would be in progress, she thought, the idea hollow but comforting.
She had spent the hours of the day trying to identify anything in her prison that may be useful, but other than a pile of rags and dripping pipes overhead, nothing presented itself. No random sharp edges that she could saw her wrists against to escape like in the movies. She had tried screaming earlier in the morning after managing to spit out the foul rag used as a gag. For hours she had called out until her throat was raw, but to no avail. No one came to investigate her cries.
Hitomi slumped against the wall, shivering in defeat. Tears threatened, but she refused to give them voice, frantically distracting herself with the thought that Van would come, and he would find her.
Suddenly a scraping noise caught her attention and she peered into the growing darkness, a stab of fear triggering adrenaline to rush through her veins. She frantically resumed her struggles against her bonds as a figure came into view. She froze as the man dropped a large bag on the floor and eyed her. He brushed his hair out his face and grinned ferally at her.
"Enjoying your lodgings?" he asked her softly, creeping closer to her. Hitomi tried to edge away from him, but her legs were numb from being in the same position for countless hours. He peered closely at her, closing in until he was inches from her face. "You can understand me," he said flatly. Hitomi gave a small nod. He smiled, satisfied. "Then I am not crazy," he said. "They made me doubt myself."
He stood and walked a few paces from her, seemingly lost in thought. Whirling around, he reached out and buried his hand in Hitomi's hair, tilting her head back and forcing her to stare into his eyes before releasing her. She jerked her head back from his hand and banged it against the wall. Bright lights flashed before her eyes.
He stepped back and the dwindling light reflected off his face. He cocked his head, letting the light play over his features and smirked. Hitomi's eyes traced the scar over his thin cheek and returned to his half mad eyes. She grew cold as recognition flared within her.
"Veris." she whispered softly in horror.
"Veris" he said, mimicking her whimper. "I am impressed that you remembered me. Did you forget about me? Think I would conveniently disappear? No. You left me there, in that field after I fell." His face twisted and he spat out bitterly "You left me there to die. But I wasn't so fortunate. I woke strapped to a bed, surrounded by people that I couldn't understand. And needles - stick me with one to make me sleep; another to make me wake up. Ask me questions that I can't understand, and then," he gave a hysterical laugh, "then lock me in a room!"
He began to pace. "In a room with people who drooled and screamed and talked to themselves! But I was smart. I may not speak the language but I know maps. And I learned a few words in my time there. They showed the maps to me, pointing. 'You were found here, you are now here. Where are you from?'"
He laughed, a frightening sound that ripped though the air. "I even learned to read. Enough to interpret the maps they so generously provided. Enough to return here and wait for you."
He leapt at her and Hitomi threw herself backward, unable to avoid him as he grabbed her hair again. "You may have forgotten about me, but for endless days I had nothing to do but think about you. And you are going to send me home even if it is the last thing you do!" he hissed.
Hitomi bit back a yelp and glared at him. "You're mad!" she snapped. "Why would I help to send you back so you could only hurt more people? You'll never survive here. And the guards in this world will catch you."
Veris looked amused by her retort. "If they could catch me so easily, why haven't they already done so? I have been free for weeks, hunting you. No one here looks at me. The people in this world are so wrapped up in those big buildings and metal machines that they are afraid each other."
Hitomi refused to let his words frighten her and glared up at him resolutely. He smirked again and backed away from her, releasing his grip on her hair.
"And this time there will be no pathetic king to rescue you. I am not going to be so stupid as to repeat Viole's mistakes: I will kill you as soon as I get what I want and not gloat like a fool, waiting for my destruction."
Hitomi suppressed the shiver that crawled over her at his words. She slumped back against the wall and let the stony glare fade from her face as Veris turned and strode away from her. She closed her eyes, weary from the effort of remaining defiant. Tears burned at the back of her lids and this time she let them silently slip down her cheeks. Shifting her weight into a more comfortable position on the cold floor, she huddled for warmth. The stress of the day settled on her and Hitomi surrendered to the blackness that crept over her consciousness.
When Hitomi awoke again the room was completely dark save for a small fire at the other end of the room. Veris was crouching over the flame with something in his hands. She watched him for a moment and studied the object he held. As he raised it to his face, she saw a tail in the soft light of the fire. Crunching reached her ears and she realized with horror that Veris was eating a rat.
She looked away quickly, fighting the bile that rose in the back of her throat. Averting her gaze, she saw the bag that he had brought in earlier. Some of the contents had pilled out. Squinting her eyes, she was able to make out some magazines and plastic containers, as well as some other odds and ends. She tried to puzzle out why he had collected them.
Movement around the fire made her eyes jerk back. Veris had risen and was creeping towards the bag.
"Admiring my treasures?" he purred. "I won't go back empty handed. I will be rich when I sell these strange things." He moved over to the bag. "Aren't they amazing?" he said, lifting one of the plastic containers. "It's clear like glass, but it bends and doesn't break."
"It's plastic," said Hitomi hesitantly. He examined the container. "Plastic," he repeated, sounding out the unfamiliar word. He picked up one of the magazines. "And what is this?" he asked, as if she were his teacher. "How do they get the images so clear?"
"It's a magazine. They use a machine to take the pictures of the people inside. It is called a camera."
Veris repeated the words softly to himself. Magazine. Plastic. Camera.
Hitomi took heart at his apparent lucidity. "Where are we?" she asked carefully, flinching as he swung towards her.
He smiled. "It doesn't matter, now does it? We won't be here long enough for someone to find us. One more day of collecting these things and I will be rich enough that I won't have to work for others any more."
She shivered at his cold tone. Trying another tactic, she asked "Why won't you let me go if I send you back?"
He shook his head as if disappointed with her. "Now that is just a silly question. Do you think I am going to let you go just so you and your lover can seek revenge?"
Hitomi shook her head. "I wouldn't ..."
Veris interrupted. "Don't bother." He turned back to his prizes and reverently looked at the pictures in the magazine.
"In two days I will be home, a rich man, and you will be dead."
Chapter 4: Acquaintances
Hitomi twisted her arms behind her with a stubborn determination, knowing the attempt was futile but not willing to waste the time her abductor was absent. The activity helped keep her terror in check.
Besides, she reminded herself, it wasn't as if this was her first time being abducted. And at least this captor appeared to be human. And did not climb the ceiling.
Since awakening hours ago, she had been alone; the man had disappeared soon after his incoherent speech. The light though the dirty window had strengthened over time but was now waning, so Hitomi assumed that the day was nearly over. By now her parents would have alerted the authorities and a search would be in progress, she thought, the idea hollow but comforting.
She had spent the hours of the day trying to identify anything in her prison that may be useful, but other than a pile of rags and dripping pipes overhead, nothing presented itself. No random sharp edges that she could saw her wrists against to escape like in the movies. She had tried screaming earlier in the morning after managing to spit out the foul rag used as a gag. For hours she had called out until her throat was raw, but to no avail. No one came to investigate her cries.
Hitomi slumped against the wall, shivering in defeat. Tears threatened, but she refused to give them voice, frantically distracting herself with the thought that Van would come, and he would find her.
Suddenly a scraping noise caught her attention and she peered into the growing darkness, a stab of fear triggering adrenaline to rush through her veins. She frantically resumed her struggles against her bonds as a figure came into view. She froze as the man dropped a large bag on the floor and eyed her. He brushed his hair out his face and grinned ferally at her.
"Enjoying your lodgings?" he asked her softly, creeping closer to her. Hitomi tried to edge away from him, but her legs were numb from being in the same position for countless hours. He peered closely at her, closing in until he was inches from her face. "You can understand me," he said flatly. Hitomi gave a small nod. He smiled, satisfied. "Then I am not crazy," he said. "They made me doubt myself."
He stood and walked a few paces from her, seemingly lost in thought. Whirling around, he reached out and buried his hand in Hitomi's hair, tilting her head back and forcing her to stare into his eyes before releasing her. She jerked her head back from his hand and banged it against the wall. Bright lights flashed before her eyes.
He stepped back and the dwindling light reflected off his face. He cocked his head, letting the light play over his features and smirked. Hitomi's eyes traced the scar over his thin cheek and returned to his half mad eyes. She grew cold as recognition flared within her.
"Veris." she whispered softly in horror.
"Veris" he said, mimicking her whimper. "I am impressed that you remembered me. Did you forget about me? Think I would conveniently disappear? No. You left me there, in that field after I fell." His face twisted and he spat out bitterly "You left me there to die. But I wasn't so fortunate. I woke strapped to a bed, surrounded by people that I couldn't understand. And needles - stick me with one to make me sleep; another to make me wake up. Ask me questions that I can't understand, and then," he gave a hysterical laugh, "then lock me in a room!"
He began to pace. "In a room with people who drooled and screamed and talked to themselves! But I was smart. I may not speak the language but I know maps. And I learned a few words in my time there. They showed the maps to me, pointing. 'You were found here, you are now here. Where are you from?'"
He laughed, a frightening sound that ripped though the air. "I even learned to read. Enough to interpret the maps they so generously provided. Enough to return here and wait for you."
He leapt at her and Hitomi threw herself backward, unable to avoid him as he grabbed her hair again. "You may have forgotten about me, but for endless days I had nothing to do but think about you. And you are going to send me home even if it is the last thing you do!" he hissed.
Hitomi bit back a yelp and glared at him. "You're mad!" she snapped. "Why would I help to send you back so you could only hurt more people? You'll never survive here. And the guards in this world will catch you."
Veris looked amused by her retort. "If they could catch me so easily, why haven't they already done so? I have been free for weeks, hunting you. No one here looks at me. The people in this world are so wrapped up in those big buildings and metal machines that they are afraid each other."
Hitomi refused to let his words frighten her and glared up at him resolutely. He smirked again and backed away from her, releasing his grip on her hair.
"And this time there will be no pathetic king to rescue you. I am not going to be so stupid as to repeat Viole's mistakes: I will kill you as soon as I get what I want and not gloat like a fool, waiting for my destruction."
Hitomi suppressed the shiver that crawled over her at his words. She slumped back against the wall and let the stony glare fade from her face as Veris turned and strode away from her. She closed her eyes, weary from the effort of remaining defiant. Tears burned at the back of her lids and this time she let them silently slip down her cheeks. Shifting her weight into a more comfortable position on the cold floor, she huddled for warmth. The stress of the day settled on her and Hitomi surrendered to the blackness that crept over her consciousness.
When Hitomi awoke again the room was completely dark save for a small fire at the other end of the room. Veris was crouching over the flame with something in his hands. She watched him for a moment and studied the object he held. As he raised it to his face, she saw a tail in the soft light of the fire. Crunching reached her ears and she realized with horror that Veris was eating a rat.
She looked away quickly, fighting the bile that rose in the back of her throat. Averting her gaze, she saw the bag that he had brought in earlier. Some of the contents had pilled out. Squinting her eyes, she was able to make out some magazines and plastic containers, as well as some other odds and ends. She tried to puzzle out why he had collected them.
Movement around the fire made her eyes jerk back. Veris had risen and was creeping towards the bag.
"Admiring my treasures?" he purred. "I won't go back empty handed. I will be rich when I sell these strange things." He moved over to the bag. "Aren't they amazing?" he said, lifting one of the plastic containers. "It's clear like glass, but it bends and doesn't break."
"It's plastic," said Hitomi hesitantly. He examined the container. "Plastic," he repeated, sounding out the unfamiliar word. He picked up one of the magazines. "And what is this?" he asked, as if she were his teacher. "How do they get the images so clear?"
"It's a magazine. They use a machine to take the pictures of the people inside. It is called a camera."
Veris repeated the words softly to himself. Magazine. Plastic. Camera.
Hitomi took heart at his apparent lucidity. "Where are we?" she asked carefully, flinching as he swung towards her.
He smiled. "It doesn't matter, now does it? We won't be here long enough for someone to find us. One more day of collecting these things and I will be rich enough that I won't have to work for others any more."
She shivered at his cold tone. Trying another tactic, she asked "Why won't you let me go if I send you back?"
He shook his head as if disappointed with her. "Now that is just a silly question. Do you think I am going to let you go just so you and your lover can seek revenge?"
Hitomi shook her head. "I wouldn't ..."
Veris interrupted. "Don't bother." He turned back to his prizes and reverently looked at the pictures in the magazine.
"In two days I will be home, a rich man, and you will be dead."