A Hidden Past
Chapter 6
Shalimar's feral DNA kept her conscious, though she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She had always wished for everything to black out so she wouldn't have to remember it in such clear detail, reliving it night after night, encounters with Rick had always stood out in her dreams, the way he'd call her a freak. But tonight she was glad she was different because as soon as he passed out Shalimar was able to removed the dead weight of his body on top of hers and escape once again.
She ran and ran. It felt like all she'd been doing all her life was running, she couldn't bear to do any more, Shalimar just wanted it all to go away, she hated this world, she hated her life, what on earth did she have to live for.
As her own thoughts began to overwhelm her, Shalimar slowed her run as tears came pouring down her face, she put her hands on her knees as she gasped for air through her sobs. She wasn't just crying for feeling lost and alone, she was crying for everything that had happened to her since the day she was born. Not once since her father had started beating her had she cried but now the floodgates were open and Shalimar didn't feel like it would ever stop.
The sky turn dark, and the temperature dropped about 2 degrees, the air smelt like moisture, it was going to rain. The weather would match her mood, either that or cause her to get hypothermia and die. It was strange but some part deep down inside of her hoped for the latter. She would have stayed out in the rain all night but Shalimar didn't like the rain, she didn't know why but she'd just never been too fond of water.
She looked for shelter and soon found it in an abandoned old motel. She walked into the dark and gloom and was oddly comforted by its depressing nature. She meandered her way through corridors to find a room she could settle into. Once it was found she sat in a corner and waited for death.
Death seemed to be a long way off, but day-by-day she felt her strength ebb away. She slept most of the time or picked away at scabs and fingernails. The days seemed to all blur into one another until the nasty encounter with the man in the alley felt like a lifetime ago.
A new sound awaken Shalimar's senses it wasn't the humming of the old generator, or the scuttling of mice, this was different, this was human. Footsteps. Now more alert than she had been in days she positioned herself on top of the old bed frame in the corner ready to pounce.
The footsteps would stop every so often, most likely checking rooms looking for her. But Shalimar wasn't going to let them take her, not again, she would kill them if she had to before she let that happen again. The footsteps were now accompanied by a voice calling her name. The voice sounded familiar but no she wouldn't let that distract her she had to stay focused or she'd never do it she was too weak.
The door opened, the man peered into the room, he saw nothing but darkness and a pair of yellow eyes glaring at him.
"Shalimar? I'm here to help you, I don't know if you remember me but my name's…"
His sentence was cut off as the young girl hurled herself at him. The man was caught off guard by her strength and fell back, the girl on top of him scratching and tearing at his clothes, fighting tooth and nail. He was taken aback by not only her strength but her desperation and fear. Not wanting to hurt her he gently started to try and pull her off him.
"No Shalimar you don't understand I'm not here to hurt you I just….aahhh!"
Shalimar's fingers had broken deep into his skin just underneath his left collarbone. That was it he grabbed both her wrists and sat himself up so they were eye to eye.
"Now just stop for a moment will you."
The savage beast inside her seemed to calm, the yellow left her eyes and for the first time she looked at him. Her lips moved but no sound was made, she may have calmed but the fear was still present in her eyes and burning bright.
"It's alright Shalimar I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Your safe." He let go of her wrists and embraced her.
As he did this Shalimar breathed in his scent, it was familiar, she knew this man.
"Dr. Adam?"
"Yes Shalimar it's me I'm going to take care of you it's all right now, you can rest."
He gently leaned down and picked her up, cradled in his arms liked a baby and walked towards the exit.
Shalimar stared at him with glassy eyes as he carried her. This was the only man she'd ever meet that hadn't wanted to hurt her. She felt reassured but still wary; she had learnt never to trust anyone, because they could just be playing you.
Without realising where they had been going Shalimar soon found herself in new surroundings, in some kind of plane. Adam sat her in a stool, she winced slightly at the pain of a new position but was more concerned as Adam started to move away. She let out the tiniest of whimpers, but he heard it and turned. He gave her a reassuring smile and reached behind him for a blanket. He placed it around her shoulders and gave them a slight squeeze.
"Don't worry Shalimar, I'm not going to leave you, but I do need to go to the control panel over there so we can get home."
Shalimar nodded. Adam put the Helix on auto pilot and went back to Shalimar, he picked her up and placed her on his lap. He lifted his hand to his mouth and said;
"I've got her we're coming home."
"Where are we going Dr. Adam?" Shalimar asked
"Sanctuary"
TBC