~Kiri~
I wake in an slightly uncomfortable position, lying on my side with a hand pressed over my mouth. Fear shudders through me for a moment until a voice says, "Don't scream. I won't hurt you."
I shut my eyes momentarily then take in a shaky breath as the hand leaves my lips. The it grips my arm and pulls me to my knees. When I open my eyes again I meet dark brown ones, the iris' dotted with worry and determination.
"Come with me," the girl says hurriedly, tugging on my arm. She manages to drag the disoriented me to my feet and towards one of the village homes, all of which look unfamiliar to me. Where am I? This can't be my village.
"Wait-" I say, only to have a hand clap over my mouth again, but not by the girl. I freeze as I'm pressed against a hard chest.
"Not so loud," a deep voice behind me commands. The girl lets go of my hand and turns.
"Icarus," she urges, "Not now."
The boy restraining me ignores her, and as he leans closer I feel his breath against my earlobe. "We're trying to help you out, so just shut up and follow us."
Perhaps under different circumstances, maybe I would've done something rebellious to protect my dignity, but instead I nod against his hand and he releases me.
"The hideout, Sif," he says to the dark-eyed girl, who nods and takes my wrist, pulling me away. As she does, I look back at the boy, Icarus, who meets my gaze. As Sif turns a corner and drags me behind her, I tear my eyes away from Icarus' slightly relieved to escape his dark grey iris', speckled with gold, like lightning striking a stormy sea.
"What's going on?" I ask Sif, trying to shake my hand away from her's, but she holds tight. "Where are you taking me."
"Quiet," she says simply, tugging me further and further into the darkness of the unlit village.
"Why do I have to-"
My breath is knocked out of me as she throws the two of us to the right. The back of my skull meets the hard red clay of the walls, and I gasp.
"We have to hide," Sif hisses in my ear, "You have to be quiet. Now."
"Why," I choke. "Who are we hiding fro-"
She puts an arm across my chest, pressing me tighter against the wall and quieting me. Then I hear it.
The soft shuffle of feet.
I look over at Sif, but she doesn't meet my gaze. Her seemingly warm brown eyes stare straight forward, cold against the darkness that surrounds us. The shuffling grows closer, and following it is forced, shallow breath coming out in heaves. Sif's arm tightens against me as it nears the end of the wall we're pressed against.
It stops, and I turn my head towards it as it stares at the road in front of it. For a moment, I expect it to turn and notice us, but its hooded face stays hidden from me as it continues down the path, its dark cloak trailing behind it in the dirt. As it passes a few more houses, seemingly out of hearing range, Sif whispers,
"We're hiding from the Collectors."
No comments:
Post a Comment