Lisa moped about her barred cave room. She hurt from head to toe, she assumed a result of the extra effort she had exerted in listening to the music. At times the pain was so intense she almost cried. And she seldom cried.
She lay on the bed listening to the sound of the water drips. What was Magneto going to do with her? Why had they left her alone all afternoon? Where was everybody? Where was Adam? She had a sudden desire to sock him square in the jaw.
She slowly sat up, ignoring the pain as much as she could. She placed her feet on the floor and gradually put pressure on them. She stood, and a wave of dizziness swept over her. God it hurts! She steadied herself and tottered across the room to the bars. She yanked. She pushed. She pulled and punched. But there was no moving the metal rods. She was trapped. Caged like an animal. An animal…
She sat down on the floor and yawned. If only there were a window. At least then she would have something to look at. Right now all she could do was glare at the dark moist rock walls. She rubbed her hips. No pockets… no Red Man. She still had on her pajamas.
She heard noise in the distance. She was unsure, but it sounded like talking. Yes, it was a voice, a man's voice. She concentrated on the sound.
"You're her only hope," he said. "I didn't know who else to call."
A pause.
"I had to. He would have killed us…"
"But you can save her…"
Silence.
"Okay, thank you."
A sharp click shattered Lisa's concentration. Adam. Yes, she was sure it was Adam's voice. But to whom was he talking? Almost silent rapid footsteps echoed in her ears, and she slowly stood to her feet. She held tightly to the bars to avoid falling backward.
Adam stopped in front of her. Once again his face was void of emotion, but his posture, his stance suggested urgency.
He leaned forward and whispered. "I know you hate me, and I don't blame you one bit. But I wanted to let you know I'm getting you some help."
"Why don't you help me?" she asked rather loudly. "Get me out of here!"
He placed his finger on her lips. "Shhhhh. We can't let them hear us. I can't help you. Magneto will kill me… and you too. But help is on the way."
"Who? When?" He words were softer this time.
"I can't say. I've gotta go. Just be ready when they get here…" He darted his eyes from side to side and shuffled back down the hall as quickly as he had come.
Lisa sank back to the floor. Her stomach rumbled. She had not eaten anything since Adam's steak dinner. Damn him!
But he was getting her help. She was so confused.
She had no family to speak of, but then suddenly learned that her father was still alive. She had hated him for years for abandoning her and her mom, but he really didn't abandon them after all. She found out that, in addition to her father, she had more family, a cousin, a man she really liked… in the beginning. This news would have been wonderful under more "normal" circumstances. But then there was the "abnormal" news. Her mother wasn't really her mother. Her real mother died a long time ago. Her aunt wasn't really her aunt. And worst of all, she had killed three people she loved. She had killed the rat. She had killed the young man named Lance.
She covered her face with her hands. She couldn't take it. She wanted to scream