CH.13
They continued their run all along that immense overseen house. Finally they found a new room which had to be the exact one as they'd found on the lower stair, and which had to give to the garden, and so had to have another balcony. "Let's go" she muttered him. They'd been there for a while, partially hidden by a furniture waiting for the best moment to go. She took his hand and pulled him as she had done till now. But he suddenly resist to her pull, his eyes always closed instead he pushed her against the wall nearby him in the dark. And before she could say anything, his hand reached and covered her mouth. They stayed still like this, and incredibly a man passed very near by ,without noticing them. She looked at him with a query look. How he'd heard him? "Let's go, now" he whispered. They reached the door. She slowly turned the door handle and opened it enough to poke her head trough the gap and checked for sign of danger. She paused then pulled him to step inside. It was dark inside. "You can open your eyes" she advertised him. He opened them and looked around. They went to the window, and with a sigh of relief saw that someone had left it barely opened. Riddick opened it more and precautionary went outside for better look.. He leaned outside the balcony to study the situation. Then he kneeled down and remained there, thoughtfully. She followed him and looked forward the balcony. Than she kneeled down too. Better stay hidden. "That's why they left it opened". She said in a sad tone, she was thinking at loud voice. This stair was very high, under their balcony there was a tree, the same they'd used before to reach the other lower balcony which was right under their one. He didn't say anything, probably trying to wonder to a possible solution, she thought. Then surprisingly he said: "Game over". "What?" she seemed not to understand. "We can't do anything more without my goggles" he explained. "Don't even start with this. We have a serious problem to solve now". She said firmly. "It's easy: there's no solution". He said very quietly. "There's always a solution. An escaping way and you should know it very well" she looked determined at him. He smiled ironically. "I should, but nothing comes up to my mind now. So looks like we are blocked here. Or at least me. The game is over." He was almost serene, as he'd already took his decision. "Now look. You can lean yourself over the balcony and slowly slipping down till you'll feel the branch under you feet, find your balance, than slowly leave the balcony and hold yourself to the branch, than slowly go down. Once you've done it, you know the way to go home". He ended easily. She'd listened very patiently his explanation. "Looks easy" Stephanie replied calmly, looking back at him, as she'd found naturally what he was saying. "Yeah. You should be able to do it" he gave a fast glance outside, because of the light of the garden and stayed there thoughtful still calculating everything for her. "Kay. We can do it" she finally said waiting for his reaction. He immediately lifted his head up and looked back at her. The expression on his face an half way between the surprise and the ironical one. "Really? Mmh". He bend his head on one side facing her and crossed his arms on his chest. Preparing to listen what she had to tell him and looking at her like if she was a very funny insect. "I'm serious, Riddick" she said firmly. "I'm listening" he said very calmly "So, how would you take me down?" "I'll go first. Than you'll come. I'll take your feet and drive you safety down" she said convinced. "Because I'll still have my eyes closed". He continued quietly almost agreeing with her plan. "Yes" she paused a while, breathing. She knew it'd been difficult, would he had trust her until that? "Please, go on. I'm interested. So how will we do, when we'll have to jump for the other tree?" he asked her simply. "We'll do it! Listen! We have to try!" she said excitedly "I'll drive you. We can do this!" "Why shall I follow you? Why I trust you" he asked her. He'd lifted up and looking at her which was still down. He was so imposing like this: She decided to lift herself up too, to not make her intimidate. "Because I'll never leave you here!" she said determined. "Why?" he repeated sharply. He looked at her tough. starting to walk toward her menacingly. "Because."she said hesitantly and as a reaction, plus he approached, plus she made a step back. Till her shoulders were against the wall. Why you look at me in this way? What are you thinking? Why do you scare me so much? She asked mentally to herself, hating herself for being so weak. He was near to her. He braced his hands up to the wall on either side near of her head as to block her. "Guess what I think?" he continued. She didn't answer, just gazing him. He caressed her hair, as watching, studying her, but there was no tenderness in his gesture. "Guess what, Ephie?" said him more menacingly. She slowly shook her head. "I think you want me to be caught, uh?" he said softly. She shivered , but didn't take her eyes out of him. "Don't you?" a cold anger in his voice, his eyes tough like steel. His fingers held her tightly her hair now forcing her head pinning against the wall. "Then again.you'll be free" he smiled bitterly. She'd never thought to this. Even if she'd had to. "Listen." She said trying to look quiet, while inside she was shacking. "I'll drive you out of this shit. Now." Something scratched outside. They both looked toward the door. Silence. "Heck! Why you can't stand at the idea that someone might want to help you, Riddick?" She whispered firmly at him. He didn't answer, just stared at her. "Trust me" she continued. He looked at her thinking. He'd left her hair but was still bending over her. "We can do this. Trust me" she repeated again to convince him. Another small scratch outside. She took advantage of this to slide out from his hang. And walked toward the window. He looked at her. "Let's go" she softly said, gesturing with her head for the window. He looked once more at the door, then to her thoughtful. Come with me, she begged him mentally. He nodded and decided to follow her.
She slid down out of the balcony, slowly paying attention on what she felt under her feet, and still hanging to the balcony. Riddick just stayed there taking care of her hold his eyes, half closed. There was too much light outside down, on the garden floor. Stephanie got more problem because she was small than Riddick, so when she was really starting to think that she wouldn't had been able to join the branch with her feet, she barely felt something. "I'm near" she muttered to Riddick. But she had to leave her hold on the balcony. She left it and waved dangerously on the branch; Be cool, you can do it, she repeated to herself, she immediately kneeled and grabbed the branch. She breathed. Ok, here I am, she thought. She stood up trying to find her balance in a safety position ready to take him. "C'mon it's your turn now" she said to him. He waited for a while, like if he was still deciding what to do. She was afraid he could change his mind. How would has she done than, to join the balcony? But fortunately, he climbed over the balcony and slowly started to slid down, as she'd done before. She slowly grabbed his feet and drove him to make him join the branch. Then she held his legs, his hips, and when she was sure he had to feel the branch under his feet :"Leave it. Leave the balcony, hold to me". He obeyed and left it hanging heavily and tightly to her, who drove him near to the trunk. It was strange, he was bigger than her and she was holding him. He was completely in her hands. "Ok, here we are" she said panting hard, she'd been very worried about him. She lifted her eyes and looked around. Then she found the other tree they'd jumped before. "Ok, I saw our way back home. It's not far." She thought a while for the best solution, then continued "I'll jump first then I'll tell you to come". She explained him where he'd had to jump, making him touch the tree, letting him touch and feel under his hands how was the tree on which they were and telling him how far had to be the other tree in front of them. Then she took all her courage and prepared herself for the big jump. She breathed. Situation was reversed now: first he'd been there ready to take her on the other tree, now she'd had to do all alone a very good jump, because no one was on the other side ready to grab her, and instead she'd had to help him. She swallowed a little afraid. Has it been a good idea to use the same way as we did before? She thought to herself for a while, than she chased away those thoughts, weren't useful now. "I have to do it, I have to do it" she whispered to herself avoiding to think at the first time, where she'd risked to fall down. He was kneeled on the branch, his shiv in his hand, brushing it on his cheek absently, he smiled a little hearing her words. Then she sprang up and jumped. She reached successfully the other tree. She was safe. "I did it!" she said excited. She was proud of herself. Now it came the most difficult part: help Riddick doing the same. She whistled back to Riddick. He swiftly turned his head from where the sound it came. "C'mon, spring up" she said to him with a low voice, but enough he could hear her. "I'm here" she added. He tried to open his eyes unsuccessfully because of the light. He breathed, trying to remind for everything he'd seen before, then he sprang up and jumped. But as he didn't know where he had to arrive, he crashed against the branch and slid quickly down. "Nooo!" she almost shouted and immediately ran toward him to hold him with her two hands. It was awful. He was completely hanging in space, eyes half closed, almost completely held by Stephanie's hands. He was so heavy she couldn't held him for long time. "C'mon Riddick!" she whispered "You can do better than that!" she muttered through her teeth, unable to grab his other hand. "C'mon! Help me! I can't hold you for the rest of my life! Give me your other hand!" she insisted. He hardly did as she said and she heavily put his hand on the branch where she was leaned forward holding his forearm now. "Really, I can't hold you no more!" She breathed hard, feeling the muscles of her arms shacking because of the effort. She wasn't going to resist for no more longer time. "Don't leave me, Ephie! You can do it! Don't leave me, not now,.. hon!" he muttered She stared at him for a while, touched by his words. "C'mon , give me your leg. I'll help you! She said with an almost new last effort. And finally thanks to this, she helped him, to join her on the tree. He fell against her and both of them leaned against the trunk. They stayed for a moment like this, in each others arms, both panting hard, not believing on what had happened. He opened his eyes just a little to her, but didn't say a word. It was his silent way to thank to her. "I told you, I wouldn't had left you here" she softly told him. But these words, made something change inside him, and his mood changed. He was almost angry now. "C'mon let's go. It's going to be soon a new day!" He said toughly. She looked at him surprised by his sudden change. She felt it like a slap in her face, this was so different from what he'd told her before. She shook her head, don't have illusions with him, she told to herself mentally, you're only a means for his purposes. She chased these thoughts away, they were not useful now.
They easily joined the wall and from that, slid down, then looked around, it was quiet, she took his hand and walked fast to the car on the other side of the street.
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They continued their run all along that immense overseen house. Finally they found a new room which had to be the exact one as they'd found on the lower stair, and which had to give to the garden, and so had to have another balcony. "Let's go" she muttered him. They'd been there for a while, partially hidden by a furniture waiting for the best moment to go. She took his hand and pulled him as she had done till now. But he suddenly resist to her pull, his eyes always closed instead he pushed her against the wall nearby him in the dark. And before she could say anything, his hand reached and covered her mouth. They stayed still like this, and incredibly a man passed very near by ,without noticing them. She looked at him with a query look. How he'd heard him? "Let's go, now" he whispered. They reached the door. She slowly turned the door handle and opened it enough to poke her head trough the gap and checked for sign of danger. She paused then pulled him to step inside. It was dark inside. "You can open your eyes" she advertised him. He opened them and looked around. They went to the window, and with a sigh of relief saw that someone had left it barely opened. Riddick opened it more and precautionary went outside for better look.. He leaned outside the balcony to study the situation. Then he kneeled down and remained there, thoughtfully. She followed him and looked forward the balcony. Than she kneeled down too. Better stay hidden. "That's why they left it opened". She said in a sad tone, she was thinking at loud voice. This stair was very high, under their balcony there was a tree, the same they'd used before to reach the other lower balcony which was right under their one. He didn't say anything, probably trying to wonder to a possible solution, she thought. Then surprisingly he said: "Game over". "What?" she seemed not to understand. "We can't do anything more without my goggles" he explained. "Don't even start with this. We have a serious problem to solve now". She said firmly. "It's easy: there's no solution". He said very quietly. "There's always a solution. An escaping way and you should know it very well" she looked determined at him. He smiled ironically. "I should, but nothing comes up to my mind now. So looks like we are blocked here. Or at least me. The game is over." He was almost serene, as he'd already took his decision. "Now look. You can lean yourself over the balcony and slowly slipping down till you'll feel the branch under you feet, find your balance, than slowly leave the balcony and hold yourself to the branch, than slowly go down. Once you've done it, you know the way to go home". He ended easily. She'd listened very patiently his explanation. "Looks easy" Stephanie replied calmly, looking back at him, as she'd found naturally what he was saying. "Yeah. You should be able to do it" he gave a fast glance outside, because of the light of the garden and stayed there thoughtful still calculating everything for her. "Kay. We can do it" she finally said waiting for his reaction. He immediately lifted his head up and looked back at her. The expression on his face an half way between the surprise and the ironical one. "Really? Mmh". He bend his head on one side facing her and crossed his arms on his chest. Preparing to listen what she had to tell him and looking at her like if she was a very funny insect. "I'm serious, Riddick" she said firmly. "I'm listening" he said very calmly "So, how would you take me down?" "I'll go first. Than you'll come. I'll take your feet and drive you safety down" she said convinced. "Because I'll still have my eyes closed". He continued quietly almost agreeing with her plan. "Yes" she paused a while, breathing. She knew it'd been difficult, would he had trust her until that? "Please, go on. I'm interested. So how will we do, when we'll have to jump for the other tree?" he asked her simply. "We'll do it! Listen! We have to try!" she said excitedly "I'll drive you. We can do this!" "Why shall I follow you? Why I trust you" he asked her. He'd lifted up and looking at her which was still down. He was so imposing like this: She decided to lift herself up too, to not make her intimidate. "Because I'll never leave you here!" she said determined. "Why?" he repeated sharply. He looked at her tough. starting to walk toward her menacingly. "Because."she said hesitantly and as a reaction, plus he approached, plus she made a step back. Till her shoulders were against the wall. Why you look at me in this way? What are you thinking? Why do you scare me so much? She asked mentally to herself, hating herself for being so weak. He was near to her. He braced his hands up to the wall on either side near of her head as to block her. "Guess what I think?" he continued. She didn't answer, just gazing him. He caressed her hair, as watching, studying her, but there was no tenderness in his gesture. "Guess what, Ephie?" said him more menacingly. She slowly shook her head. "I think you want me to be caught, uh?" he said softly. She shivered , but didn't take her eyes out of him. "Don't you?" a cold anger in his voice, his eyes tough like steel. His fingers held her tightly her hair now forcing her head pinning against the wall. "Then again.you'll be free" he smiled bitterly. She'd never thought to this. Even if she'd had to. "Listen." She said trying to look quiet, while inside she was shacking. "I'll drive you out of this shit. Now." Something scratched outside. They both looked toward the door. Silence. "Heck! Why you can't stand at the idea that someone might want to help you, Riddick?" She whispered firmly at him. He didn't answer, just stared at her. "Trust me" she continued. He looked at her thinking. He'd left her hair but was still bending over her. "We can do this. Trust me" she repeated again to convince him. Another small scratch outside. She took advantage of this to slide out from his hang. And walked toward the window. He looked at her. "Let's go" she softly said, gesturing with her head for the window. He looked once more at the door, then to her thoughtful. Come with me, she begged him mentally. He nodded and decided to follow her.
She slid down out of the balcony, slowly paying attention on what she felt under her feet, and still hanging to the balcony. Riddick just stayed there taking care of her hold his eyes, half closed. There was too much light outside down, on the garden floor. Stephanie got more problem because she was small than Riddick, so when she was really starting to think that she wouldn't had been able to join the branch with her feet, she barely felt something. "I'm near" she muttered to Riddick. But she had to leave her hold on the balcony. She left it and waved dangerously on the branch; Be cool, you can do it, she repeated to herself, she immediately kneeled and grabbed the branch. She breathed. Ok, here I am, she thought. She stood up trying to find her balance in a safety position ready to take him. "C'mon it's your turn now" she said to him. He waited for a while, like if he was still deciding what to do. She was afraid he could change his mind. How would has she done than, to join the balcony? But fortunately, he climbed over the balcony and slowly started to slid down, as she'd done before. She slowly grabbed his feet and drove him to make him join the branch. Then she held his legs, his hips, and when she was sure he had to feel the branch under his feet :"Leave it. Leave the balcony, hold to me". He obeyed and left it hanging heavily and tightly to her, who drove him near to the trunk. It was strange, he was bigger than her and she was holding him. He was completely in her hands. "Ok, here we are" she said panting hard, she'd been very worried about him. She lifted her eyes and looked around. Then she found the other tree they'd jumped before. "Ok, I saw our way back home. It's not far." She thought a while for the best solution, then continued "I'll jump first then I'll tell you to come". She explained him where he'd had to jump, making him touch the tree, letting him touch and feel under his hands how was the tree on which they were and telling him how far had to be the other tree in front of them. Then she took all her courage and prepared herself for the big jump. She breathed. Situation was reversed now: first he'd been there ready to take her on the other tree, now she'd had to do all alone a very good jump, because no one was on the other side ready to grab her, and instead she'd had to help him. She swallowed a little afraid. Has it been a good idea to use the same way as we did before? She thought to herself for a while, than she chased away those thoughts, weren't useful now. "I have to do it, I have to do it" she whispered to herself avoiding to think at the first time, where she'd risked to fall down. He was kneeled on the branch, his shiv in his hand, brushing it on his cheek absently, he smiled a little hearing her words. Then she sprang up and jumped. She reached successfully the other tree. She was safe. "I did it!" she said excited. She was proud of herself. Now it came the most difficult part: help Riddick doing the same. She whistled back to Riddick. He swiftly turned his head from where the sound it came. "C'mon, spring up" she said to him with a low voice, but enough he could hear her. "I'm here" she added. He tried to open his eyes unsuccessfully because of the light. He breathed, trying to remind for everything he'd seen before, then he sprang up and jumped. But as he didn't know where he had to arrive, he crashed against the branch and slid quickly down. "Nooo!" she almost shouted and immediately ran toward him to hold him with her two hands. It was awful. He was completely hanging in space, eyes half closed, almost completely held by Stephanie's hands. He was so heavy she couldn't held him for long time. "C'mon Riddick!" she whispered "You can do better than that!" she muttered through her teeth, unable to grab his other hand. "C'mon! Help me! I can't hold you for the rest of my life! Give me your other hand!" she insisted. He hardly did as she said and she heavily put his hand on the branch where she was leaned forward holding his forearm now. "Really, I can't hold you no more!" She breathed hard, feeling the muscles of her arms shacking because of the effort. She wasn't going to resist for no more longer time. "Don't leave me, Ephie! You can do it! Don't leave me, not now,.. hon!" he muttered She stared at him for a while, touched by his words. "C'mon , give me your leg. I'll help you! She said with an almost new last effort. And finally thanks to this, she helped him, to join her on the tree. He fell against her and both of them leaned against the trunk. They stayed for a moment like this, in each others arms, both panting hard, not believing on what had happened. He opened his eyes just a little to her, but didn't say a word. It was his silent way to thank to her. "I told you, I wouldn't had left you here" she softly told him. But these words, made something change inside him, and his mood changed. He was almost angry now. "C'mon let's go. It's going to be soon a new day!" He said toughly. She looked at him surprised by his sudden change. She felt it like a slap in her face, this was so different from what he'd told her before. She shook her head, don't have illusions with him, she told to herself mentally, you're only a means for his purposes. She chased these thoughts away, they were not useful now.
They easily joined the wall and from that, slid down, then looked around, it was quiet, she took his hand and walked fast to the car on the other side of the street.
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