When I woke up again, my head was really starting to hurt and I was starting
to fear a lot for my sanity. How many more times could I handle all this
happening? Plus the fact tht there had been something connecting me and
Roger and I was scared he loved me.
How on earth could he love me? For a start he was years older than me, and
there was no way I'd ever go for him. And, he'd been threatening me for
months now, trying to kill me. If this was his way for showing affection, I
was getting out of here - sharpish.
Then I realized I actually had to get up to get out of where ever I was.
And then I realized my eyes were closed. Biting my lip, to prevent myself
from groaning, I forced my eyes to open and saw only darkness. A
never-ending wave of darkness. I couldn't see a thing, only endless black.
And I panicked.
Something was awakening inside me, a primal fear of something my mind couldn
't understand. I could somehow trace it, back to when I had been four, when
a bulling cousin had locked me into a closet and had refused to let me out,
or to put the lights on. I had been terrified, being alone in the dark, and
had been scared of being alone in the dark ever since.
I started to shake, and rock back and forth, my eyes wide. Sobs began to
well up inside me, and I started to cry. I could feel the wetness on my
eyes and on my cheeks, but I couldn't see it. And that terrified me.
"Please," I whispered to the pitch blackness. "Please stop, just get some
light, anything. Just don't make me stay here, all alone."
I felt the tears come down even harder, and wished this would all stop, all
stop, all stop... stop... stop... stop... stop... I closed my eyes -
- and lightness flooded around me. I could feel it on top of my eyelids and
my eyes snapped open. I stared around in wonder, to see what had been
endless darkness was now endless light, stretching beyond. Relief flooded
me.
I was so astonished at the amazing transformation, that I didn't realize
someone was trying to get my attention until I felt a sharp pain in my
shoulder. "Ow!" I screamed, jumping up and whirling around to face whoever
had just dug fingernails into my shoulder. And stopped.
It was Roger.
He was standing there, rubbing his fingers, obviously as angry about having
to hurt his fingers, as I was about my shoulder. "Finally," he growled. "I
was starting to think I'd have to kick you or set fire to you or something."
I glared at him.
"Where are we?!" I demanded. For the moment, it appeared he wouldn't be
trying to kill me or anything. And there was till the disturbing revelation
that I didn't think he wanted to either. Oh well, first things first. Get
out of here and then think about what had just happened.
"I don't know!" he replied angrily, looking just as annoyed as I felt. "And
about what had happened earlier..." he began.
I cut him off. "Let's deal with that later all right? Can we get out of
here first?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I suppose so." He looked around. "How actually?"
"I don't know!!" I replied furiously, glaring at him. Right now we were
equals, both stuck in a place we didn't know. But we weren't friendly, that
was for sure. Like I was going to be civil to him anyway... at least he
wasn't trying to kill me or anything. But for how long?
He glared right back, and I made a noise of frustration. "Can't you ever
just -" I began, but cut off, as I saw a shape appear behind Roger. I wasn'
t aware that my face had paled dramatically, or that my eyes had widened, as
my mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
Roger stared at me. "What's wrong?" I just pointed silently.
He stared at me quizzically, and turned to face who was behind him. His own
eyes widened. "Chitral what are you doing he-"
He had no chance to finish. Chitral lifted the club he had in his right
hand/paw and brought it down on Roger's head. He had no time to react, and
I gasped as the sickeningly dull sound echoed and re-echoed in the vast
space. With sickening slowness, Roger moaned and feel slowly to the ground.
I screamed. He was completely still. He couldn't be dead, he couldn't be.
How was I going to get out of here without him? I conveniently forgot that
Roger hadn't had an idea where we were either, and hadn't been much help.
All I knew was that I couldn't trust Chitral.
Slowly, I looked up at him. My supposed father. And I felt fear.
Only
fear.


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