BF Dec Week 1 & Origfic Bingo - Endangered short
Title: The Price You Pay
Prompt (Bridget's Flame): Lie to Me
Prompt (OrigFic Bingo): Slavery
Word Count: 550
Verse: Endangered
Warnings: None
Characters: Osías
Summary: A delivery on a rainy night.
Rain splattered freely upon the windshield as they roared around another bend in the deserted mountain road. "Ten more minutes," said Osías Vargas as the wipers sloshed another sheet of water from the glass. He glanced at his rear-view mirror only a moment - long enough to see something pale move in the darkness behind the cage-door that stood in place of the back seats. The girl was hunkered upon herself, tucked into the furthest corner of the van; scared.
Osías pulled his attention back to the road before he got them killed. This area wasn't at all paved, and he kept wondering if the van was going to sink into the gathering mud. At least, he reminded himself, it was better than the slickness of a freshly paved road. On a night like this, it would have been suicide to try and make it up to the old citadel.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
He risked another glance and was mutely surprised to find the girl against the cage. Fingers as pale as a ghost's were curled into the grating, holding her against it even as the van shuddered over pot holes. She'd moved without a sound; at least, no sound that he could hear over the howling of the storm.
Tearing his eyes away from the huge, ice-blues reflecting in his mirror, Osías dodged what surely looked like a sink hole, and then the road eased away from the cliff edge, back into the forest beyond. That, at least, was a relief.
"Almost there, now," he told her in a light tone and flashed a smile at the mirror. "Don't look so scared, precious, no one is going to hurt you."
That assurance fell flat, even to his ears. One look in the rear-view told him she thought so, too. "Look," he tried again, "I promise it really isn't all that bad. There are others there, like you, and lots of meadows to roam through. Unpolluted water, plenty to eat... it's paradise."
"If that's true, why didn't you say so in the first place?"
Osías's jaw snapped shut. Aware, very aware, of the girl still watching him, he turned the last corner and saw the gates of the refurbished citadel looming ahead of them. The van rolled to a stop in front of the massive gates and waited. Turning in his seat, Osías faced the girl.
Her entire being was white, from hair to skin to lips... everything save her eyes. She sat, shivering, behind him and glared her defiance. His eyes drifted down to the thin nightgown that clothed her, and he wished he'd thought to bring her a blanket. "I know it's hard to believe," he said slowly, "but you'll be safe here. I promise. A lot safer than that slum."
"But I won't be free," she replied and let her fingers slip from the bars.
Unable to answer that, Osías turned back to the wheel as the great gates opened before them. They shut themselves behind them, when he'd drove the van through, nary a guard in sight. He shivered a little, still unused to the sight of it, and drove on in silence to the Unicorn paddock. Whether or not she ever thanked him for this, it was for the best.
Originally posted at The Mouse Hole.
Prompt (Bridget's Flame): Lie to Me
Prompt (OrigFic Bingo): Slavery
Word Count: 550
Verse: Endangered
Warnings: None
Characters: Osías
Summary: A delivery on a rainy night.
Rain splattered freely upon the windshield as they roared around another bend in the deserted mountain road. "Ten more minutes," said Osías Vargas as the wipers sloshed another sheet of water from the glass. He glanced at his rear-view mirror only a moment - long enough to see something pale move in the darkness behind the cage-door that stood in place of the back seats. The girl was hunkered upon herself, tucked into the furthest corner of the van; scared.
Osías pulled his attention back to the road before he got them killed. This area wasn't at all paved, and he kept wondering if the van was going to sink into the gathering mud. At least, he reminded himself, it was better than the slickness of a freshly paved road. On a night like this, it would have been suicide to try and make it up to the old citadel.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
He risked another glance and was mutely surprised to find the girl against the cage. Fingers as pale as a ghost's were curled into the grating, holding her against it even as the van shuddered over pot holes. She'd moved without a sound; at least, no sound that he could hear over the howling of the storm.
Tearing his eyes away from the huge, ice-blues reflecting in his mirror, Osías dodged what surely looked like a sink hole, and then the road eased away from the cliff edge, back into the forest beyond. That, at least, was a relief.
"Almost there, now," he told her in a light tone and flashed a smile at the mirror. "Don't look so scared, precious, no one is going to hurt you."
That assurance fell flat, even to his ears. One look in the rear-view told him she thought so, too. "Look," he tried again, "I promise it really isn't all that bad. There are others there, like you, and lots of meadows to roam through. Unpolluted water, plenty to eat... it's paradise."
"If that's true, why didn't you say so in the first place?"
Osías's jaw snapped shut. Aware, very aware, of the girl still watching him, he turned the last corner and saw the gates of the refurbished citadel looming ahead of them. The van rolled to a stop in front of the massive gates and waited. Turning in his seat, Osías faced the girl.
Her entire being was white, from hair to skin to lips... everything save her eyes. She sat, shivering, behind him and glared her defiance. His eyes drifted down to the thin nightgown that clothed her, and he wished he'd thought to bring her a blanket. "I know it's hard to believe," he said slowly, "but you'll be safe here. I promise. A lot safer than that slum."
"But I won't be free," she replied and let her fingers slip from the bars.
Unable to answer that, Osías turned back to the wheel as the great gates opened before them. They shut themselves behind them, when he'd drove the van through, nary a guard in sight. He shivered a little, still unused to the sight of it, and drove on in silence to the Unicorn paddock. Whether or not she ever thanked him for this, it was for the best.
Originally posted at The Mouse Hole.