Time to get this story rolling!
Don't worry. We'll see Vaas soon here. ;D
Now I'm going to go drown myself in school work.
Yeah. I think that's it.
Oh, and if you haven't seen the Great Gatsby, DO IT. It's just a fantastic movie. FANTASTIC. I think I may go see it again...
Anyhoooo.
Read, review, follow, fav, and ENJOY!
Chapter 3: Goodbye
Strange noises filled my ears as I slowly opened my eyes. The back of my head pounded like a drum, pain waving across my skull with each beat, slow and steady. Thrum, Thrum, Thrum.
I shifted my head and felt cold hard dirt scrape against the side of my head, the smell of grass, soil, and blood filling my nostrils. The air was cold on my face as my heavy eyelids finally opened up. It was dark out, but I could start to make out the strange sounds. Animals called to one another in the distance, while the choir of bugs surrounded me, followed by yells, shouts, and screams.
I tried to sit up, but my body felt achy and sore, and I couldn't move. My hands were tightly bound behind my back by rough rope that dug painfully into my skin. As panic started to make its way into my body I thought about my last moment, running after John.
Where is John? Where the hell am I?
I struggled against my bonds as I lay there, until I heard a shuffling near me. I looked up to see two eyes glow in the dark, staring straight at me.
I swore and jerked back, my hands slamming against something hard and slick.
"No no!" the voice hushed, "You have to be quiet!"
I squinted in the dark, a human figure sat up next to me. "Who are you?"
The voice sounded familiar, but my head still felt slow and foggy.
"Cyra! It's me!" the high pitched voice hissed in the dark. Phoebe.
"Oh God, Phoebe!" I breathed out, blinking my eyes, "Where are we?"
Phoebe's voice filled with fear as she spoke, I could feel her anxiety washing off of her, "I-I'm not sure! This hideous man grabbed me and I screamed." Her voice grew into a desperate, fearful whisper. "T-then Owen came and they hit him, and jumped on Sarah. After that, they dragged us away."
Phoebe started to make chocking noises, attempting to stifle her cries. I furrowed my brow in the darkness.
"Phoebe, who is they?"
Her voice sounded hysterical now, "I don't know Cyra! I don't know why they locked us up; I don't know where Owen, Sarah, or John are. I don't know!"
Something started to form in my stomach as I pushed my head onto the ground and forced myself into a sitting position. The world swiveled around me as the back of my head started to throb again. I slammed one eye shut, keeping the other on Phoebe's dark outline.
"Calm down Phoebe, we'll get out of here, ok?" I said quietly and slowly, my eyes darting around the darkness. It looked like we were in some kind of meager cage, behind dark buildings and lots of shrubbery. Part of me was glad I wasn't sure what exactly was going on, it was keeping me calm. Ignorance was bliss right now, even though I could feel it in my bones, we were in trouble.
Suddenly, voices started to grow louder around us, as a light started to bob between the dark buildings to the right of us. Phoebe's cries became louder, obviously having trouble keeping herself calm.
I tried to scoot closer to her and shush her, "It's ok Phoebe! We're gunna get out and get help!"
I could see Phoebe's head shake in the darkness, "No, Cyra. Not this time. Not this time."
The sound of Phoebe's voice sent a wave of panic and sadness inside me. I had never heard her so petrified before.
I turned my head as a torch entered my vision, three men shouting and laughing at one another as they approached us. The glowing light from the torch sent bouncing shadows everywhere, but I could finally confirm what was around us. Shanty buildings shot up to the right, and went as far as I could see into the darkness. Jungle shrub sprung up randomly around the beaten dirt, a cliff face behind us, casting the darkness which encompasses us.
The breeze picked up as the men's feet shuffled against the dirt and stopped in front of our cage. I lifted my head up to look at the man in the middle square in the eye. He had a bandana around his head, a scruffy beard around his dark skin and a gut. The two men next two him had red bandanas covering their faces, their bloodshot eyes darting between me and Phoebe.
"Well well. Look who finally decided to get up." The man in the middle sneered.
Ignoring the alarm in the back of my mind, I stared defiantly at him, never breaking contact with his muddy eyes. "Looks like the bitch has brain damage too." he sneered, gesturing at the cage door.
The man to his right unlocked the cage and swung the door open.
"Hey Rafael, who gets the blonde chick?" My eyes immediately flashed the man who opened the door.
I let an angry sneer slide across my face, how dare he imply that to Phoebe!
Rafael gave a disgusting laugh, "Not you, you fucking pig. No one gets this one. Hoyt wants her alive, she's valuable."
His leer left Phoebe to look at me, my eyes stopping his. "But this one, we can do whatever the fuck we want." Rafael 's smile sent shivers down my spine, his teeth looked rotten and disgusting.
The man to Rafael's right bent down and yanked Phoebe up, who started to kick and scream.
"Let go of me!" she cried out, her sobs muffling her words.
I gritted my teeth together, "Let her go dammit!"
The two men easily took Phoebe by her arms, and dragged her away; her screams disappeared behind the buildings, "Cyra!"
I felt disgust and rage storm inside me, "PHOEBE!" I screamed, my eyes darting back to the lone man standing before me "Where the fuck are you taking her?" I snarled.
The man just laughed at me, "None of your fucking business."
He suddenly bent down and grabbed me by the hair, yanking me close to his face. His breath smelt disgusting, and the strong, putrid sweet scent of weed rolled off of him. I crinkled my nose in disgust.
"But you and me, we're going to have fun."
Horror filled into the pit of my stomach, my skin felt like bugs were crawling all over it. There was no way in hell I'd let this bastard touch me.
"Fuck you!" I spat directly in his eye.
He flinched is head back, but his sneer stayed where it was, "I like them feisty." He crooned.
Bile filed in my mouth as his free hand suddenly touched my bare knee, his hands felt sweaty and rough.
Before he could even move his hand I let out a wild scream and slammed my head into his.
I clean crack resounded and Rafael screamed and let go of me as he stumbled back. Blood dropped down his nose, his eyes wild and confused.
"You bitch!" He swore.
He yanked out the automatic rifle slung across his back and smacked the butt of the gun hard into the side of my forehead.
I cried out as my head slammed into the dirt ground, blood pouring down my face. Despite the throbbing pain I spat at him, "Fuck off!"
His face contorted in even more anger, but before he could do anything else to me, a man ran up behind Rafael.
"Rafael! You have to come quick! The men are going nuts! The bitch fought back and now they're going at her like dogs." the man panted.
Rafael swore loudly, slamming the cage shut, and gave me a sick smile, "I'll finish you later."
The man disappeared behind the buildings, the man who warned him close behind.
Soon I was left in complete darkness, alone and bleeding.
I wanted to scream until I couldn't scream anymore. My skin itched and anxiety and terror ripped at my gut. Oh God, was that man talking about Phoebe or Sarah?
My breaths came out hard and fast, the terror spreading through my veins. That disgusting animal would have…I let out a frustrated and scarred cry. I had come so close to being violated, maybe tortured. And that bastard was coming back eventually.
Desperation clawed at my insides, and I tried to steady my breathing as I started to violently tug at my restraints. Hot pain seared into my hands and wrists as I struggled against the rough rope. I sat there relentlessly fighting the bonds, until I felt blood trickling down my hand, the skin rubbed raw.
I squinted my eyes shut, my head throbbing worse than before. This was all too much. How the hell did I go from a happy vacation to this?
It felt like eternity until I felt it, the ropes loosed around my hands. A sharp spark of hope shot into my chest as I painfully yanked my hands free, thanking the poor knot tying.
My free hand immediately shot to my forehead, and I hissed in pain. The skin was broken, and I still bled. You have to ignore it Cyra. Just get out.
I agreed with the voice in my mind and stumbled to my feet, my hand grasping the bamboo bars for support as my head spun painfully.
Once the dizzy spell past I desperately fought against the cell door, finally shouldering it as hard as I could. In their panic, they failed to close it properly, and the cell door flew open with ease.
Hope bubbled in my chest, mixing with an overpowering sense of urgency.
I immediately plunged into the plant life behind the buildings, staying low and getting away as fast as I could from my cage.
As I ran, the men's shouts and jeers filled the air, along with some bad music. I prayed they wouldn't notice I was gone until it was too late. I finally came across a poor fence that connected the cliff face and the building opposite to my side. I climbed onto a small wooden crate and peered over the fence.
The sight immediately sent me back into terror. "Owen, John." I whispered.
There was a small dirt clearing between the vegetation, and in the middle were a bunch of wooden posts. Owen and John both lay motionless, their wrists bound to the same pole. Lifeless bodies were piled around them, one still tied to one of the posts. Most of the bodies were just men.
My eyes burned as I scrambled over the fence, stumbling onto the ground, and in my desperation, tripping over a dead body. My throat trapped a scream as my eyes met the open and lifeless ones of the poor victim I fell over.
An acid taste touched my mouth as I got up and threw myself down between Owen and John. I reached out for Owen first, but my hands immediately flinched away. Blood completely soaked his sandy brown hair; his skin was visibly pale, even in the darkness. "Owen?" I whispered, horror trapping my thoughts.
"He's dead, Cyra."
John's weak voice broke my terror, and I immediately turned away from Owen, tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
"Oh God, Owen." I whispered
I turned to John, our hands found each others immediately in the darkness. His hand was cold, and my other hand found his face.
His eyes were droopy, dark circles encompassing them. "We have to get you out of here John." I whispered desperately.
John's only free hand brushed a hair out of my face as he spoke, "I can't Cyra."
I choked on my words, "Are you kidding me? Let's go!"
"Cyra," John's words were firm but soft, "I can't walk." His eyes drifted down, my eyes following his. Both of his upper thighs had been shot, blood stained his whole leg. My hand covered my mouth as I took a horrified gasp, suddenly aware I was crouching not in mud, but John's blood.
"Oh God John. No no no." My voice shook, my eyes desperately found his. "No John. You can't." A sob cut off my voice and my hand clasped harder over my mouth.
His eyes softened, his hand cupping the side of my face, "It's ok Cyra. It doesn't hurt. But you, you need to go."
Heat burned in my chest, I knew what was going to happen. No, this can't happen! It can't!
"I'm not leaving without you!" I hissed between a sob.
John's hand gently brushed my cheek, bringing our faces against one another. His lips were soft and warm against mine, and I wasn't sure whose lips were shaking, his or mine.
"I never even got to see you naked." John's smile touched my cheek, and a laugh cut through my sob.
"Dammit John!"
His voice shook, but panic touched it as shouts erupted from a distance, "Cyra. You need to get out of here, f-" his breath suddenly gave out and he gasped, "-find Sarah and Phoebe. You have to take care of them."
Tears fell down my face, feeling like fire as they collided with John's skin. I wrapped my hands around his neck, drawing his face closer.
"I can't. I can't fucking do this." I choked. John has always been my rock, always the one to steady me. How could I survive this without him?
His breath grew heavier, heating up the intimate space between our faces, "You have to, Cyra. You have to take care of Sarah," he took a slow breath, "And Phoebe."
"Oh God John, no, please!" I begged.
"I love you, Cyra." he said softly, the warmth slowly leaving his face.
"I love you too." I whispered back.
His eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, they seemed to burn as bright as the sun. Emotions I couldn't fathom sank in his eyes, love, pain, fear. Sobs wracked my body as the fire in his eyes started to fade away.
"No, no, John, please." My voice barely gave out.
"I'll see you soon, ok, Cyra?" His eyes were still on me, his hand felt like ice on my face.
"Ok. I'll see you soon, John."
With that, the light left his eyes, and his hand fell from my face.
Everything shattered as his hand hit the ground. My body burned. My eyes, my hands, my chest. Everything hurt.
The yells grew louder behind me, and I knew I had to go.
Hot tears poured down my face as I gave John one last kiss, and gently closed his eyes. My hands violently shook as I gently took the two necklaces off which he wore, then the bracelets that circled his wrist.
Finally I stood up, gently kissing the top of his head, "I'm so sorry John." I whispered, turning to kiss Owen's head as well, regardless of the blood. I staggered away; my chest felt like it had been violently ripped in two.
As I took the first few steps away from my beloved friend's bodies, I realized that would be the hardest thing I had done in my whole life.
Goodbye, John. Goodbye, Owen.
Soon my feet pounded against the grass and shrubbery, tears blurred my vision. I had to run; I had to find Sarah and Phoebe, for John, for Owen. The men's angry shouts grew louder and urgency pulled at me like strings on a marionette doll.
I ran like a deer behind the shanty buildings until light jutted out from one of the alleys between the buildings. I slowed down to peer around the corner, my eyes widening. A bunch of men with guns had Sarah, Phoebe, and a bunch of other woman circled, yanking them onto a truck.
"Hey, what about these two?" One man called, pointing to Phoebe and Sarah.
My eyes looked at Sarah, her hair was wild and disheveled, her eyes dark and cast to the ground. Phoebe stood next to her closely, her eyes darting around frantically.
"Put them in the other truck!" Another man's voice shouted, "They are worth something!"
Two men grabbed Phoebe and Sarah, Sarah violently shaking away from the man. The soldier slapped her hard in the face, and dragged her out of my line of vision. I yanked my head back into the darkness as I heard the trucks rumble, and drive off along the dirt road.
A weight fell in my stomach, I couldn't get them now. My eyes burned even more, I had already failed John. I had to get out of here.
I darted past the alley and met an even higher fence than the one before. My eyes desperately searched for a way over, until I saw a small crook between the fence and the descending cliff face. The shouts now were on me, the camp was alive and looking for me.
I dove for the opening and violently pulled my way through, tumbling down a grassy slope. I looked back to see lights and smoke stacks that rose from behind the fence. A dirt road lay a couple feet away from me, the gates that entered into the place of horrors closed. More shouts and gunfire sprang into the air, and I stumbled forward into the darkness. I ran away from the dirt road that curved up and to the right, and dove into the thick jungle brush.
Tears flowed freely down my face again; fear, adrenaline, pain, and horrible anger and sadness driving each step forward, until I collapsed, and could run no more.