Broken Wings - Chapter Seven
Aralyn sat on the cold, metal floor, her hands bound around a pole that chilled her back, keeping her erect. A thick, cotton cloth had been tied around her mouth and she was bound with thick rope at the ankles. They had even gone so far as to encircle her neck with rope, tying it around the pole so she couldn't move her head without strangling herself. It was loose, barely allowing her to breathe, although something told her that this luxury was given only grudgingly.
Not that she could have identified where she was in the thick darkness, anyway. The half moon shone through a hole in the ceiling, showing her that she was in some ruined building, but beyond that, she could see nothing.
She didn't need to see, however to feel the presence of the three men who had taken her.
Her memory of the whole incident was blurred, as if she were viewing it through murky water. It had all happened so fast. They hadn't been far from their destination; Marlene had been chattering innocently about something or another and Denzel had been keeping her from wandering too far. She had been the first to hear the quiet footsteps behind and in front of them.
"Run," Aralyn whispered. "Denzel, get Marlene out of here."
"What is it?" he whispered. "What do you see?"
"Run. Go. If I don't come back, don't come for me."
"I'm not leaving without you!"
But the footsteps were closer. In desperation, Aralyn threw Denzel and Marlene to the side. "Run!" she screamed. Not a second later, the first shot had been fired.
Denzel looked back, terrified to leave her at the mercy of their attackers. "GO!" she screamed one final time, and the children obeyed.
To her infinite relief, the men had not pursued them. It was her they wanted.
The silver haired trio had not spoken to her as of yet, preferring to keep at a distance. Each had shown a particular interest in her, as if she were some rare artifact or some specimen to be studied. They handled her with something close to confused reverence, and it frightened her.
Had he sent them?
The one with the long hair (she thought his name was Yazoo, though she wasn't sure) was in front of her, and if she squinted hard enough, she could barely make out his tall form in the shadows. He had not moved since the other two had tied her up. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze nonetheless. Of the three, he had taken the most interest in her, watching her at all times from a safe distance.
The other two were behind her, speaking in hushed tones. Yazoo seemed a part of the conversation as well, though he was many feet away and didn't speak. Something was said, and the man finally raised his head, his silver hair gleaming in the moonlight. "What are you going to do, Kadaj?" His voice was calm, frighteningly so. Shivers ran up her spine, causing her to sit up straighter and press her back firmly against the pole.
"He said she should have died." The voice was silky, as his brother's had been, and coldly disinterested. "He was going to do it himself, but…well," he chuckled darkly, frightening Aralyn more than the silence ever had, "he just couldn't think of anything slow enough."
Aralyn's eyes widened. Did he…?
"So he asked you to help?" Yazoo asked, turning his haunting gaze back to Aralyn.
"Let's just say I'm performing an act of service."
Aralyn winced and drew in a sharp breath as cold metal brushed her cheek. "Hello, Aralyn," Kadaj said in a playful voice. "How are you?"
Aralyn turned her head away, not caring to lose a little breath if it meant any amount of distance between the two of them. Kadaj laughed at her apparent fear. "Have you been eavesdropping? That's not very nice…"
"Kadaj, I don't think—"
"Yazoo," Kadaj snapped, turning sharply to his brother. "Sephiroth wanted this, did he not? We're just helping him along."
Sephiroth? Aralyn clenched her eyes shut. He wanted this…? She started shaking, feeling tears rise to the surface. She started breathing deeper. She shouldn't cry. It wouldn't matter that he had betrayed her; not when she was dead. I was a fool to think he would care…
She couldn't deny the pain however. No matter how she tried to justify it, the truth was there, the cold and unfeeling evidence all around her. Never had the pendant around her neck felt so heavy.
The one called Loz walked over, smirking in the darkness as he readied the weapon on his arm. "I want to play first."
Kadaj retreated a ways, sweeping his arm toward her. "Be my guest."
A/N: Okay, so I'm a little late. I'll stop giving such precise estimates so I don't disappoint you guys. I will say, however, that the next part is on paper, just not into the computer yet. Special thanks to Anay101, who helped with the parts that I didn't have the heart to do. Next chapter is another flashback.