A/N: Without further ado...part three! FF is hella glitchy tonight for whatever reason, you guys have no idea how long it's taken me to update this and NLYG. It's mind blowlingly frustrating. Final part will be uploaded tomorrow!
Prettylitteliarshaleb I figured I'd respond to you hear to let everyone know...this is like a prequel to NLYG so it's going to the same as it was on the show, just re-written to suit my Caleb rather than the TV Caleb we all know and don't really like right now! BUT I am contemplating doing a one shot of Hanna's rescue going differently if there's a demand for it :)
Hanna had been sitting with her back to the wall, head on her knees, arms wrapped around them, trying to stay awake. She didn't want to fall asleep…didn't feel comfortable sleeping in this strange place, unable to see any incoming attacks. The more she'd sat here, the more she'd felt like she was back in the dollhouse, as much as she tried to fight it…it was getting to her. The dark. Being locked in. Trapped. She was cold, she was tired and her stomach felt like it was eating itself. She'd do anything for a sip of water, her throat was parched. She didn't know what time it was…what day it was…how long had she even been there? She was losing track of time…losing focus. She felt something hit her foot…something cold and….wet? Great, now the place is flooding so I can sit in water for God knows how long.
She hurriedly scrambled to her feet, backing away from the water and in to the wall behind her. She tried to peer through the darkness. To see where the water was coming from but she couldn't see a damn thing. She had a feeling someone was there though. "Caleb?... Mona?... Aria?" Silence. "Spencer?... Emily?" More silence. The hope that had briefly built crashed down. It wasn't her friends. If it was they would have answered her, would have comforted her. Not kept quiet and continued to freak her out.
Suddenly a cold blast of water hit her, she couldn't get away from it, no matter which way she moved, how much she curled over the water kept hitting her, arms, legs, stomach, face, she managed to swallow some, enough to wet her throat so she could cry out. "Stop…please stop….please….stop..please" but the water kept coming. She'd been cold before but now she felt like she'd never be warm again. The torrent of water hit her with force, stinging. Eventually it stopped. She couldn't understand what the purpose was. She'd already been cold…did this person want her to freeze to death? Catch hypothermia? Surely there where easier ways. Or maybe the person was trying to clean her up. She touched her face..couldn't feel the blood that had been by the side of her mouth. Maybe she was about to be returned to her friends…maybe…maybe that's what this is about. So she didn't look like she'd been mistreated. She knew it was a long shot. She frantically swiped at her eyes, trying to get rid of the water so she could try and see, it was then that she heard a strange sound, almost like a whine like…like the noise that sounded when the electricity had turned on back at the dollhouse…when they where running towards the fence. But there was nothing electrical in here…unless…unless they'd brought something with them….
She had the impression of darkness shifting in front of her, someone coming towards her, she tried to press herself back in to the wall, heard the electrical sound coming closer, she had no idea what was about to happen but she didn't think it was going to be pleasant.
"No…please….no….no…no please" She started to beg, but was cut off when she felt a sharp pain hit her in the side. It hurt. It hurt a lot. She couldn't even begin to describe the pain and before she'd recovered she felt another shock. Because that's what it was she realised, whoever it was…they where using something on her..something to shock her. She looked down at the thing as it came at her for another shock, fighting through the pain to focus on it..she'd seen something like it before but she couldn't think what it was called. If Spencer where here…she would know. She'd be able to tell her. The shocks kept coming, arms, side, stomach, thighs, back, she couldn't get away, whichever way she moved it was there….pain lancing through her as it connected with her wet skin. She thought she heard….her….she thought….If I finish that thought I'm gonna be sick. She cried out again and again begging the person to stop. Tears falling fast down her fast. "Please…stop…STOP PLEASE. PLEASE. STOP. PLEASE….PLEASE" Hanna cried and screamed but it didn't stop. She wanted Caleb, wanted him so badly to come rushing in to that barn and save her. Take her home. Wrap her in his arms and comfort her. But he wasn't there. He probably had no idea where she was otherwise he'd be here already. She had never wanted Caleb as much as she wanted him then. His comfort. His protection his sense of safety. The pain kept coming. She couldn't move, but she tried, weakly trying to dodge but never being fast enough. She could barely cry out. "Please….please….I didn't kill Charlotte, it wasn't me I swear…it wasn't me…it wasn't….I was at the hotel…it wasn't me…please, you have to believe me….it wasn't me, please stop it wasn't me. I swear…I swear it wasn't me" she repeated over and over, voice getting weaker and weaker and then it stopped. No more pain. She slumped down to the floor, the wall of the barn the only thing keeping her upright. She couldn't move. Could barely even think. She just sat there. She guessed they'd left. But she had no idea. They could be sitting there…watching her suffer.
Everything was fuzzy. She felt like she might pass out and she must have because the next thing she knew she was being prodded awake with that metal, pronged thing. She blearily opened her eyes. She couldn't see the person but she knew they where there. He, she, it spoke. The voice was disguised. Had to be. It questioned her, asking her about Charlotte again and again. "When did you last see her last?" "Where were you when she was killed?" "How did she die?" "What was she wearing when she died?" She answered the questions as best as she could, through the fog in her head. "The hearing" "The Radley" "I don't know…she was pushed or she jumped or…or I don't know" "I don't know. I didn't kill her I swear it wasn't me…I just….I just…..I was trying to get you to leave my friends alone, I just wanted you to leave them alone. I don't know" Hanna cried. There was silence. She wondered if the person was mulling it over…thinking it through. She wondered if they believed her. She sat there in the dark, huddled against the wall. Waiting. Suddenly there was a vicious punch to the wall to the side of her head. The bang echoing around the barn. She jumped. The person growled. "Who killed her?" "I don't know" Another punch, a different part of the wall. She jumped. "Who killed Charlotte?" "I don't know…I swear I don't know" She had no idea where the person was, no idea where they where. No idea where the next punch was coming from. A punch came again, above her head this time. She jumped. She couldn't help it. She had no idea when the next one was coming or where from or if there would be another one. Hanna had no idea how long it continued on for but she knew things had changed when a punch landed with enough force to crack the wall beside her head. "WHO KILLED CHARLOTTE" the voice shouted for the first time, deafeningly loud in the silence of the barn. "I don't know! I swear! I don't know!" Hanna cried. She must have made the person angry because punches start to reign down on the wall. She hunched down and covered her head with her arms but the punches kept hitting the wall. No attempt to hit her.
Suddenly she was grabbed by the shoulders, and shoved face first down on the dusty, dirty ground of the barn. She struggled but it was weak. Her strength had fled her during the shocks, she had no energy. She struggled, and kicked but she couldn't get free the person was too strong. She thought it must be a man…to be that strong. But she couldn't be strong. She started to cry. "Caleb…..Caleb please" she needed him to come and save her. Now…because…because she thought she might be about to die. They've realised I don't know anything…I….I…I made them made…..why did I do that? Why did I make them mad? So angry…..so….so strong…I can't…can't get free…..I'm…I'm going to die. I'm going to die here…alone in this barn….I'm never going to see Caleb again…..never going to see my mom again…..
She felt her tank top being shoved up her back. "I think you're lying. But that's fine. I can make you talk" the voice said menacingly. Hanna start to shake. She heard that strange noise. The electrical one and she knew what was coming. She found some energy left…she struggled, kicking wildly but she couldn't get free and then….then it was pressed to her back and she screamed and screamed. She couldn't think around the pain. She wished he'd kill her. It would be less painful than this…she wanted it to stop, she wanted it to stop so badly…more than she'd wanted anything else in the world. "Who killed Charlotte?" they asked again, and again, and again. She screamed and screamed, tears falling fast down her face. "I don't know…..I swear I don't know…it wasn't me…I don't know who did it. I swear….I swear I don't know. I DON'T KNOW" She screamed. She kept repeating it over and over and over. Whatever it was….it remained pressed to her back. The pain was blinding. Thankfully it wasn't long before she passed out once again.
Caleb and Mona where still following Mary Drake. Night had fallen and the pair where shifting uncomfortably in their seats. They'd been driving around for hours following her, and they still had no idea where she was heading. They where hoping she was leading them to Hanna but the longer they followed her the more likely it became that she wasn't.
"She's been driving around for hours" Caleb said, frustrated. Hours spent doing nothing. Hours closer to the deadline to Hanna…..to Hanna….he couldn't think it.
"She's either taking a tour of the county or…she's completely lost" Mona cut in to his thoughts.
"Or she knows that we're following her and she's just jerking us around" Caleb said. He wouldn't put it past her. Waste their time…waste Hanna's time.
"She's turning left" Mona pointed out.
'She's not leading us to Hanna. She's taking us to Alison's house" Caleb realised, the surroundings coming in to sharp relief as he realised where he was.
"Cut the lights" Mona commanded. Caleb obliged, slowing the car down and bringing it to a halt.
"Wait…she's going to Spencer's" Mona observed. Caleb fumbled around for his phone in the dark of the car. He fired off a quick warning text to Spencer, telling her not to open the door. He'd rather have called, but the ringing phone and the sound of a voice answering it would tip off Mary that someone was home. Spencer wouldn't be able to pretend no-one was in. He waited…but Spencer didn't reply. The longer Mary didn't reappear, the more obvious it became that Spencer had answered the door to her…either getting his text and ignoring it…or not getting his text.
"We should go and see if she's okay" Caleb mused out loud.
"No. Whether she ignored the text or didn't get it….she's probably doing her best to pump Mary for information. If anyone can verbally spar with her…it's Spencer. We need to give her a chance." Mona said assertively. Caleb had a mental battle for a few moments before seeing the wisdom in Mona's words. He sat back down. They waited. Eventually Mary re-emerged. Caleb's phone chimed.
"I'm okay. Tell you about it later" Spencer texted. Caleb sighed and as Mary's van started to pull away, he turned the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life. This time Mary took a less scenic route. Heading straight for The Lost Woods. They waited a little ways down the road for her to park her van and go inside. Then pulled up closer. Mona immediately booting up the necessary programmes they'd need for if she called out or someone called in. Caleb opened his own laptop with another valuable piece of software. A call tracer. They would be ready.
Another hour passed in tense silence, both occupants of the car aware of time ticking down. Moving closer to their deadline. To Hanna's death if they didn't so something...find something. There was no sign of anything happening. They could see a figure moving in front of the window, back and forth. Caleb let out a heavy sigh. Time was wasting. It made him worried...scared...terrified.
"What is she doing?" He had to break the silence.
"It's called pacing" Mona snarked.
"You know, I can actually appreciate your skill set but do you always have to be such a smartass" he snapped.
"Do you always have to be so direct?" Mona responded. Caleb looked away.
"I was giving you a compliment" and he had…at the beginning. But Mona was a smartass…couldn't deny it.
"Calling me names isn't complimentary" Mona said coldly.
"Whatever" Caleb shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to verbally spar with Mona tonight. Didn't have the time or focus for it, actually. He let out another frustrated sigh, massaging his forehead.
"You know..she's in there alone. We could take her" Caleb realised aloud. They probably could as well…Mona may be small but she had been A….he knew she was capable of some psychical stuff.
"And then what? We waterboard her?" Mona sniped. "Look AD said we had twenty four hours. We still have six of those left" Mona reminded him. She'd gotten some of her determination back…some of her hope, since the incident outside the hardware store. Mona suddenly touched her ear piece, pausing before she could carry on her pep talk.
"Wait. Her phone's ringing" Mona turned to her computer, and Caleb immediately started to try to triangulate the call. Fingers flying across the keyboard. He felt hope soar.
"C'mon Mary…keep talking" Mona said in to the tense silence.
"Can you hear the other person?" Caleb asked. Mona immediately shot up a finger in front of his face, shh-ing him.
"Don't shhh me" he sassed at her. He needed to know what was going on….if they where talking about Hanna.
"Signal keeps dropping in and out but it's definitely a man. I think he has an….accent? Maybe Aussie…maybe British." Mona listened some more.
"What is that?" Mona asked, catching sight of his screen.
"I got a lock on the caller's signal" he said triumphantly. He immediately called Spencer to tell her. Someone needed to get to Snookers right away and track this guy down. He and Mona sat in triumphant silence. It wasn't exactly what they'd hoped for but it was a lead. Their first. They settled back in to watch Mary. Caleb had to hope that Spencer would get there in time…..find the guy…..get something. Anything. Because time was running out and he was getting worried. Really worried. He had no idea what was happening to Hanna, but he didn't think it could be anything good. She was counting on them to find her. Save her. Counting on him. He wouldn't let her down a second time.
Hanna jolted awake as she felt cold air wash over her, chilling her already frozen skin, a lullaby drifting on the air around her. She slowly sat up and stared around…confused and looking for….Spencer. She'd thought…she'd thought she'd been with Spencer…but it was just a dream. Of course it was. Spencer wouldn't be here. If she was she would have taken me with her. But I put my head in Spencer's lap and she was stroking my hair and it….it felt so real. And I woke up in the exact same position…but it was a dream…or a hallucination. It had to be because…because Spencer wouldn't leave me in here. She wouldn't. Not after I told her…not after I told her that…that….that I was glad I didn't know because I'd have told. She would have known how bad it must be…would have seen. She wouldn't abandon me…leave me behind. Great. I'm cracking up…lack of food…pain….thirst…it's driving me crazy. But Spencer said….she said….
Hanna turned towards where the cold air was blasting from. "Where there's a way in….there's a way out" she murmured to herself. Spencer was right. There was a way out. Wherever that air was coming from…that was it. She slowly and painfully got to her feet, trying to see in the darkness. She put her arms out and felt around, trying to feel the air. She kept walking forwards, arms out, the air telling her she was going in the right direction. She felt something to her left…that wasn't it. The hand that was still in front of her came up against a grille of some sort…she could feel the air….this is it. She looked back over her shoulder…to make sure she was alone. A useless gesture as she couldn't see anything anyway. She turned back to what was in front of her, trying to feel for an edge she could grip. She was woozy and weak, the wall the only thing keeping her upright. She finally felt screws…or bolts…they where rusty. She gave one an experimental twist, felt it give. It took her a while, she kept glancing over her shoulder as if she'd suddenly, magically be able to see in the dark. She guessed it was a reflex. Her fingers where aching, her knuckles cut and bruised from where her fingers had slipped. But she finally got them lose enough to pull the grate off the wall. She didn't know how she managed it, but she heaved herself up, turned and pulled the grate back in to place. Hoping it would buy her time if the person came back. Hoping they'd waste a few minutes looking for her in the barn. It wouldn't be long but it would be something. She started to crawl as fast as she could. Splinters digging in to her palms and knees. She could feel the air getting closer…getting fresher. Hear the sounds of outside. She finally tumbled free from the vent, landing with a thud on the ground. She climbed to her feet, glancing around. Trees everywhere…forest. She was in the middle of the forest.
"Why is it always a damn forest" she cursed. Not wanting to waste any time she took off sprinting, running towards the tree line, pushing herself on past the pain and the fatigue. She needed to get away….as far away as she could. Lose herself in the woods, try to find a road, there had to be one here somewhere. She didn't know when the person would check on her again…didn't know how much time she had before they started chasing. She tried to keep a lid on her panic, but the thought of going back there….being dragged back there…it made her breath come faster…not a good combination when she was trying to run for her life. She prayed her friends where on their way….that they'd find her. She was out…they just needed to come and get her.
