Author's Note: Sorry for the big delay. Chapters 9 and 10 were written but
I made a last minute decision to change the direction the story was going.
I have the next couple chapters on paper, just have to find time to type
them. Thanks for your patience. Keep reading and reviewing.
Chapter 10
The theater ship landed in Treno, and Zidane hurried off to the check-in station of the docks. He approached the desk and the worker didn't even look up from his book.
"Reason for visit?" he asked with no expression.
"Supplies and bartering," Zidane replied, sliding the paperwork over the counter. The worker stamped it without hesitation, and went to hand the paperwork back when he paused, holding the paper in the air between them.
"Wait a second." the worker said, reading the paper over.
Damnit, Zidane thought. The papers are fine. Just let us through.
"You guys are that traveling theater group, aren't you? Pleasure to meet you guys! I took my daughter to see that bird play last year and she loved it. Great job! Keep it up." He said, leaning over the desk to shake Zidane's hand. Zidane breathed a sigh of relief as he thanked the man, and then exited the docks with the rest of the group.
"You guys didn't smudge the names on the paperwork? What if they figure it out?" Zidane asked.
"Its getting too hard to pull off these days. We just said that there was an extra person along with the five of us, but that they were sick and staying on board," replied Baku.
Zidane followed them in silence and they weaved through the streets of Treno. He hadn't been able to see where the house was located when he had escaped, but the smell was growing increasingly familiar, and memories began flooding back to him. The night Ellie told him that she had begun slipping her father sleeping weed in his tea every night so she could come down to him unnoticed. And a memory came rushing back to him.
As much as she smiled, she had always seemed sad. Like her mind was somewhere else, somewhere she didn't want to be. He had asked her lots of times, and she had always said the same thing.
"I hate my father," she said.
"Me too," he replied. They'd smile at each other then, and then leave it at that. But one night, he pried at her, making her tell him. And finally, she did.
"Three winters ago, I was going to the store one night because there wasn't anything in the house to eat but his liquor," she started, her eyes locking on a spot in space, unmoving as she focused on something that wasn't there.
"I was almost there when this man grabbed my arm and shoved me into an alley. I didn't realize it was a dead end and ran away from him and further away from the street. It was dark and I hit the wall, and I was so scared. Before I could even turn around, he was there." Her eyes glinted in the firelight with tears, but her voice never broke. Zidane sat, unable to move or look away from her.
"He threw me down and ripped my cloak open, and tried to push my skirt up.but I was fighting him and he couldn't so he hit me and I was knocked back. He just ripped my skirt open and was reaching for his pants with one hand and holding me down with the other. I kept trying to get him off of me but he was so heavy.I screamed and he hit me again. It broke my jaw, but I tried to spit in his eyes, something to distract him. He grabbed my neck and pulled my face up and close to his. His eyes were so dark.so evil. I was so scared." Tears ran down her face and she shuddered, the memory bearing down on her.
"He started saying that he hadn't planned on killing me, but now he had changed his mind. That he'd have his way with me no matter what. I kept trying to move and get him off me but he was so strong. But I felt my knife against my leg." She stopped, taking a deep breath, and bit her lip to try to keep herself together.
"And I killed him. I was fourteen and I killed him. And I sat and cried while he died, and saw his blood on the snow." she trailed off and began sobbing and shaking uncontrollably, trying to be quiet. Zidane moved towards her and took her in her arms, and she leaned on his shoulder.
No wonder she's like this, he thought to himself. That broke her.
"Zidane!" Blank hissed from the front of the group. He looked up, remembering where he was. Blank pointed toward a massive house on the corner across the street from where they were standing. "Its show time."
They split up, Baku heading back to the ship to keep an eye on things, and to make it so six wouldn't be coming back at once through the docks. Cinna and Marcus started peeking into windows, looking for signs of anybody. Blank began picking the lock to the house. Zidane hid in a corner drapped in shadow and waited.
Chapter 10
The theater ship landed in Treno, and Zidane hurried off to the check-in station of the docks. He approached the desk and the worker didn't even look up from his book.
"Reason for visit?" he asked with no expression.
"Supplies and bartering," Zidane replied, sliding the paperwork over the counter. The worker stamped it without hesitation, and went to hand the paperwork back when he paused, holding the paper in the air between them.
"Wait a second." the worker said, reading the paper over.
Damnit, Zidane thought. The papers are fine. Just let us through.
"You guys are that traveling theater group, aren't you? Pleasure to meet you guys! I took my daughter to see that bird play last year and she loved it. Great job! Keep it up." He said, leaning over the desk to shake Zidane's hand. Zidane breathed a sigh of relief as he thanked the man, and then exited the docks with the rest of the group.
"You guys didn't smudge the names on the paperwork? What if they figure it out?" Zidane asked.
"Its getting too hard to pull off these days. We just said that there was an extra person along with the five of us, but that they were sick and staying on board," replied Baku.
Zidane followed them in silence and they weaved through the streets of Treno. He hadn't been able to see where the house was located when he had escaped, but the smell was growing increasingly familiar, and memories began flooding back to him. The night Ellie told him that she had begun slipping her father sleeping weed in his tea every night so she could come down to him unnoticed. And a memory came rushing back to him.
As much as she smiled, she had always seemed sad. Like her mind was somewhere else, somewhere she didn't want to be. He had asked her lots of times, and she had always said the same thing.
"I hate my father," she said.
"Me too," he replied. They'd smile at each other then, and then leave it at that. But one night, he pried at her, making her tell him. And finally, she did.
"Three winters ago, I was going to the store one night because there wasn't anything in the house to eat but his liquor," she started, her eyes locking on a spot in space, unmoving as she focused on something that wasn't there.
"I was almost there when this man grabbed my arm and shoved me into an alley. I didn't realize it was a dead end and ran away from him and further away from the street. It was dark and I hit the wall, and I was so scared. Before I could even turn around, he was there." Her eyes glinted in the firelight with tears, but her voice never broke. Zidane sat, unable to move or look away from her.
"He threw me down and ripped my cloak open, and tried to push my skirt up.but I was fighting him and he couldn't so he hit me and I was knocked back. He just ripped my skirt open and was reaching for his pants with one hand and holding me down with the other. I kept trying to get him off of me but he was so heavy.I screamed and he hit me again. It broke my jaw, but I tried to spit in his eyes, something to distract him. He grabbed my neck and pulled my face up and close to his. His eyes were so dark.so evil. I was so scared." Tears ran down her face and she shuddered, the memory bearing down on her.
"He started saying that he hadn't planned on killing me, but now he had changed his mind. That he'd have his way with me no matter what. I kept trying to move and get him off me but he was so strong. But I felt my knife against my leg." She stopped, taking a deep breath, and bit her lip to try to keep herself together.
"And I killed him. I was fourteen and I killed him. And I sat and cried while he died, and saw his blood on the snow." she trailed off and began sobbing and shaking uncontrollably, trying to be quiet. Zidane moved towards her and took her in her arms, and she leaned on his shoulder.
No wonder she's like this, he thought to himself. That broke her.
"Zidane!" Blank hissed from the front of the group. He looked up, remembering where he was. Blank pointed toward a massive house on the corner across the street from where they were standing. "Its show time."
They split up, Baku heading back to the ship to keep an eye on things, and to make it so six wouldn't be coming back at once through the docks. Cinna and Marcus started peeking into windows, looking for signs of anybody. Blank began picking the lock to the house. Zidane hid in a corner drapped in shadow and waited.