An odd title, don't you think?
Why am I doing this today, and not on Watchmen Wednesday? Well, because we are going on vacation for a week, I must post the next chapter now instead of posting it on Wednesday, like I normally do. And so I am posting the beginning of Chapter Five (because I am not finished with the whole chapter yet) now, and so you can wait and read it on Wednesday, or just read it now, if you prefer. So here it goes!
(note: you do not have to read all the German words, I put what it says if translated right after them because I wanted to show how she couldn't understand a word they're saying, but I'm letting you in on it :)
"Ow! Lemme go!" Six year old Ava sobbed out at her
kidnapper, the tall dark form forcing her forward down the cold eerie hall.
"Please!" The tears had been running like rivers down her little plump
cheeks ever since he had dragged her away from her cousin's protective
arms the day before. "M-Mason?! Mason, help me!"
"
Er kann Sie nicht hören (He can not hear you)." He captor muttered down to her.
"Please... I need my cousin." Her eyes turned desperate and she started to scream, "Mason, help me! Please!!"
The guards trotting behind them muttered maliciously among themselves: "Dumme Kind... (Stupid kid)"
"Wünschte, sie würde ihren Mund zu halten (Wish she would keep her mouth shut)."
"Warum haben wir nicht schlug ihr und halten sie still? (Why did not we hurt her and keep her quiet?)"
"Wenn der Chef gerade tun würde, was getan werden muss, dann würden wir nicht verschieben sie überall- (If the boss would just do what needs to be done, then we would not be dragging her everywhere-)"
The tall man suddenly spun around in rage and got up in the
guard's face, his own changed from a pasty white to blood red. "Du Schwein Kopf! Glaubst du, ich genießen, dies zu tun? Nein, aber ich verabscheue es. Sie ist sondern ein Mädchen, ein Kind, und es ist nicht ihre Schuld. Du sagst nicht mehr, oder ich werde Dich erschießen. Keine Erwähnung von dem, was ich gesagt habe. Hast du mich verstanden? (You pig head! Do you think I enjoy doing this? No,
but I detest it. She is but a girl, a child, and it is not her fault.
You say no more, or I shall have you shot. No mention of what I have
said. Do you understand me?)"
Whatever he had said made
all of them take a step back in fear. He simply stood for a moment
before snapping back into the situation and shakily nodding, "Ja, Sir. (Yes, sir)"
"Gute. (Good)" He
seem satisfied by what was said and returned to prodding her onward. "Forward." He commanded her in plain English, in which
he was fluent enough for her to understand.
Now afraid to say anything, she cried
quietly to herself and obeyed, whispering what she thought Mason would
tell her. "I'm going to be okay. He'll come get me. He'll save me. I'll
be okay..."
After a few more
silent minutes of walking, they went down other barely lite branches and had to show
some ID to get though. Then he stopped her in front of a cell door
marked with the words Der Verräter
(The Traitor) carved in red. He motioned for the standby guards to open
it. She shuddered at the loud noise it cause from the amount of strain,
and no wonder, the door was about three inches thick!
"Inside." He ordered.
Peering through, she could see nothing but utter darkness. "In there?"
She gulped. "I-I can't! It's so... so dark. And scary! I'm afraid of the
dark!" She pleaded with him.
"You will have to get use to it from now on. There are worse cells."
She stared at him like he was insane. Worse? What could be worse?
"Look Mädchens,"
he sighed and spoke more softly to her. "He will not hurt you. You will be
given two meals a day, and a bed to sleep in. You will be issued back
into the cell at eight PM, and you will go out at six AM. Those are good
hours. That is
all I can do for you now. Everything will work if you cooperate.
Alright?"
Tears continued to
slip down, but she nodded once she saw the guards move closer
menacingly. "O-okay. But... are there creepy-crawlies in there too?"
He just pushed her forward without a word, into the darkness. He looked about and shouted into the blackness,"Onkel! Ich bringe Ihnen jemand. (Uncle! I have brought you someone.)"
There was a rustling sound, like metal chains grinding against the floor. She jumped behind him. "Wha... what was that?"
"Do not be afraid. He will not hurt you." A red light pinged on his wrist-com. "I must go."
"N-no! You can't leave me!" She clung to his leg in fear.
He gently pried her fingers off and made for the door. "Entschuldigungen Mädchen, (Apologies girl,)" was all he said before the door shut and there was complete darkness.
Hearing a groan, Ava huddled against the wall, terrified to even move. What was she to do? "Um, h-hello?" She squeaked.
Silence. And then a quiet hoarse voice answered menacingly, but with a touch of curiosity, "Hallo? (Hello?)"
She didn't answer, but just sat there, shaking, listening. "Hallo?" The
voice repeated, but it had lost the menace and was now full of that
curiosity. "Sven, bist du das? (Sven, is that you?)"
"Sven? No, I'm Ava."
She spoke clearly, not nearly as frightened now that the voice had
changed tones. "Ava Rose Ross." After that, there was a long silence.
She wondered if it had left. "Um, are you there?"
"Did you... did you say Ross? Ava Ross?" The voice questioned in fluent English with concern.
"Yeah..." She answered
curiously. She knew Mason had said never to talk to strangers, but
she had already started a conversation with one.
The voice cracked, from emotion or lack of hydration, she couldn't tell. "Do you know..." the voice trailed off.
"Do I know...?"
"Do you know Mason? Mason Kruger?"
If it was light, he could have seen Ava's face light up with a smile. "Yes I do! Do you know him?"
A small light-bulb was suddenly flipped on, and
she could make out a serious, but surprised pail face with dark hair
lining it. She could see his sharp ice blue eyes welling up with tears,
and a smile on a face that looked like it hadn't seen the light of day,
or any hope, for years.
"Yes, yes I do. He's my son."
And there you have it! I will post the rest of the chapter (which focuses more on Mason and what the serum does to him) next Watchmen Wednesday. And also, I don't think I'll be able to respond to comments until we come back, so hang tight!
Sincerely,
Darrion
