My eyes hung heavily on my face, I could feel the craters digging into my skull, and well I guess they would just look like tired black lines, but they felt like craters under my eyes. I could also feel a great pressure on my wrists, ankles and stomach. My blurred vision slowly became clearer, a blur was sitting on my stomach. I shook my head and she giggled, the blur that is.

"Here." She held out a cup to me. "Drink, your vision will come back, I promise." She sounded like my mother. She held the cup to my mouth, horrid, sticky liquid gushed into my open mouth and onto the sheets behind me. She was right though, my sight did come back. I could see the same chains holding me in place, although this time I was tied to a bed frame, with a little black haired girl sitting on my waist.

"Can you see me yet?"

"Arlia?" She'd grown so much since I left. "Arlia is that you?" She smiled cuddling into my chest.

"It's been a long time Yuffie. Where have you been?"

"I tried, to find us a home. To find a dad to take care of us, but Akio is always on my tail." I'd failed her. "I really did try Arlia."

She smiled at me. "I'm just glad you awoke." Her Wutainese had become much better in the 3 months I'd left her.

"Why are you speaking Wutainese? We are not in Wutai."

"Akio, would beat me if I didn't, he says it's the only untarnished language left."

"He's hit you?" She nodded. "Unchain me."

Her smile shrunk, "I do not know how."

"Show me what's in this room, pull out the draws." She did, nothing quite seemed strong enough to break a chain.

"I can get the key?"

"No, not if you have to see him to get it."

"No, I haven't seen him since you left, his maid looks after me and tells him of my progress, he hates seeing me, and I'm good at staying hidden."

"Promise me not to get caught."

"I promise." She scurried off into the closet and through a small opening in the wall. God that girl was smart. She'd been gone for ages now and I had begun to miss the scent she carried, strawberries and sugar. She was so much like my mum.

A little knock echoed throughout the room.
"Is it safe?" It was Arlia, her little head poked back through the closest. Content that she was safe she emerged on all fours through the hole holding a shiny little key.

"I gots it." She spoke in broken English. "I fix you out."
I would have corrected her horrible English if the circumstances were any different. I could always sit with her and reteach her to speak later.

"Yuffie, how work this?" She looked at the key in a strange manner, it seemed alien to her. The handle corroded under her hands "I be break." She sobbed, "I no fail."

"Arlia stop it." I scolded in Wutainese. "Put the key into the hand ones first okay? Be quick."

Tears cascaded down her porcelain face onto the key, which was making it disintegrate quicker. Shakily she placed the key into the key hole turning it slowly, waiting for the climatic 'click' it purred as the first chain was untied.

"Great job Angel face, now this hand." I pointed to the other lock as I unwound the chains from my first wrist. Again the click released. "Good job. Alright pass it..." I could hear the familiar sound of feet slapping on the wooden floorboards. "Arlia, go. Go back through that hole." Her whole body shook.
"I can't leave you. You need me."
"Yes and what I need you to do is leave. NOW!" It was an aggressive whisper filled with panic. I could not and would not let her be hurt for me.
"Leave." Her tears left puddles on the floor, tripping her over a few times as she scrambled for the closet.

"Did you miss me?" Akio chuckled his obnoxious chuckle. The one that told you something bad was coming.

"Not one bit." I responded. "You're pathetic why would I miss you? I think I'd miss the flies more."

That earned a loud slap to land on my right cheek. Another pounding hit my head as the world went black for a moment. A mesh bag had been placed over my head and tightened around my neck.

"I hope you get as much enjoyment out of this as I do." His voice made me sick to my gut. I had an idea of what he would do while this bag was in place. But could he really do it in front of his daughter?

Three chapters at once :), I'm not sure when the next one will come.
My Gran is Terminally ill and University is trying to murder me...
Which is why they weren't so thoroughly edited.
Until next time which hopefully won't be to far away :)

C.