Ellie was in a world of aggravated grunts and groans as she struggled in yet another poor escape attempt. There were several abrasions on her hand and her fingers were numb with coldness by the time she had given up.
"Fuck!" she almost roared as she collapsed to the cell's freezing floor.
She grabbed her long bangs and almost dragged her nails down the skin of her face.
Joel. He was still out there. Still in that house. Still laying on his back helpless with a terrible wound in his chest. And hopefully, still alive.
A twinge of fear and worry sliced through her chest, conjuring a hiccup.
"No." She whispered to herself, stopping the sob from forming. She wouldn't be breaking. Not now.
"Forgive me." She whispered to Joel, wishing he could hear it. "Please be safe."
Night was already dominating the sky, and the temperature was dropping to even harsher conditions. With nothing to help retain a proper amount of heat, Ellie's cell was close to matching the outside climate. The girl eventually pulled her legs and feet in close and wrapped her arms around herself, succumbing to the first set of cold chills. Her heart dropped when she was able to see her own breath.
"You look a little cold." David said almost too slyly.
"I AM cold!" Ellie snapped.
"Well..your attitude is still pretty warm." The man jested.
He saw the girl's face flush with color again, most likely due to her sheer anger, but she (surprisingly) didn't sink her verbal fangs into him.
"You wanna get warm?" David asked her after approaching the cell.
"I'll be f-fine by myself." Ellie struggled. She was now reduced to chattering. She refused to look at the man.
"No." David said. "You won't be."
Nothing more was said from the girl.
"This back room is thin, my dear. There's an enormous pile of ice and snow on the other side of that wall you're leaning against. You don't have enough coverage to keep you warm. What you're feeling right now? This is only the start. By the time midnight rolls around..consider that section you're in an ice box." He told her with a small laugh at the end.
"Are you enjoying this f-fucking torture?" Ellie finally met his stare.
David shook his head. "No.. If I wanted to torture you, I'd throw water in there and make the freezing process speed up."
Ellie's pulse doubled at the fear of him going through with this idea.
"I certainly don't want you to freeze." He said. "Do you?"
"What the hell do you w-want from m-me?" The girl demanded.
"For starters.." David knelt down to her level. "Just your name. Simple as that."
Ellie thought she felt warmth trickling in her limbs again when hearing the man's repeated request from earlier.
"What's so hard about that?" He persisted.
"What's gonna h-happen if I t-tell you?" She asked.
"Well, it's going to secure your survival in here for one thing." David answered.
"Monster." Ellie nipped.
She WASN'T anyone's pet!
"Stop being like that." David finally felt a small stroke of annoyance with her stubbornness. "Stop trying to make me out as the bad guy. I'm the one that wants you to live. Everyone else wants me to leave you in here until you're dead from hypothermia."
"They probably h-have a better plan than y-you do." The girl said.
"Enough lying to me and yourself." David stood up. "I know damn well that you want to survive. And you'd never let yourself die in an icy prison if you had a say. We BOTH know this. Let go of your pride already."
There was short silence. It was sensed in the air that the girl was contemplating on his bargain. Because he was only correct..
"I brought you this.." David started again. He walked out of sight and came back with a thick blanket. Ellie could only imagine its warmth..
The tactic was clever.
"I'm more than delighted to give this to you. If you only let me." He offered.
Another silence. Then the girl closed her eyes and began scooting herself towards the cell door. She stood up on her knees and hung her head low in a profound shame.
"Ellie. M-My name's Ellie." She had surrendered.
David felt a spark of the same excitement from before, but he was able to control it this time.
"Thank you, Ellie." He calmly rejoiced.
Ellie gritted her chattering teeth when hearing her name from him. She lightly jumped when hearing him unlock the cell door.
"Now then.." David put on a repelling smile. "Let's get you somewhere warm."
Ellie ignored his offer of helping her to her feet. Her stomach tightened when she heard the man's breathing change. It sounded like he was moaning very faintly.
"Where to?" She asked. There was the urge to bolt out of the room and away from this small town now that the chance was there, but at the moment, it was only wishful thinking. The poor freezing conditions made Ellie a slug for the time being.
But it was only temporary. In little given time, she'd have her energy back, along with her fight. Wherever David took her, she wouldn't be there for long.
But what if it was another cell? Then she'd be back where she was all over again. But it was better than freezing to death. Giving into David at least assured that she'd be given a second possibility of making it back to Joel. Whenever that'd be..
"A cozier place." David answered. His tone was strangely deepened.
"Does it have metal bars too?" Ellie asked. David practically snickered.
"No..it doesn't." He responded. "Quite the opposite, actually."
David lead the girl through various parts of the worn down building. As the shivering Ellie took in the once vibrant decorations, there was an involuntary feeling of admiration inside of her that enjoyed how beautiful the place seemed to be. It became evident that the building was an enormous lodge.
"So you've never had a menstrual cycle before?" David suddenly questioned.
Why did he keep asking that? Ellie thought.
"What is that?" She responded. Her fingers were no longer on the edge of frostbite, but they tingled in pain as the blood properly returned to their spots.
David said nothing for a number of seconds before speaking again. "I guess something you'll find out in the future. Hopefully soon."
Ellie peered at him in the corner of her vision. "So you're not gonna tell me now?"
David almost answered immediately before halting himself. His shady eyes widened ever so slightly when thinking on it. The thought of teaching a curious Ellie this important piece of biology amused him. Sort of like a..guilty pleasure.
"Have you ever grown up around other girls or women?" He used his own question.
"Several." The girl replied.
David furrowed his brows. "That's strange then."
"How?" Ellie almost seemed desperate.
"You think they'd-" David stopped himself again. "Never mind."
Ellie bared her teeth in exasperation when hearing this answer from him again about the subject that piqued her interest so much. But she wouldn't be falling on her knees for more information any time soon.
Ellie turned her head slightly and gazed at the windows and what was on the other side of them. Several dark silhouettes of men stood there as if on guard. She saw one of them move their head in her direction and she quickly tore her vision away.
A large living room was passed. Then a hallway filled with mounted deer and elk heads. The largest trophied head belonged to a moose. It's faux gleamy eyes were close to making Ellie shutter.
Finally, the furthest door in the hallway was opened, revealing a furbished room. The bed was huge with fur blankets and there was a small drawer on both sides. Hanging on the wall above was a stretched painting of the mountains. The sight almost swept Ellie off her feet. Until she remembered that she was imprisoned by possible cannibals.
The girl was oblivious to David having his hand on her until she felt it slip into the blanket and slide down her waist.
All of a sudden, a chunk of her strength was back. Ellie used her elbow to ram the man in his ribs hard, causing him to grunt firmly in pain, but he neither fell nor moved away from her.
"Don't fucking touch me!" She screamed and turned back around to run out.
Unfortunately, David was blocking her path, and his face was twisted with outright fury.