Hallucinations manifested
The rebirth ritual had been both fascinating and moving, but it had also been remarkably tiring. Now, with it over, she wanted nothing so much as to sleep for hours. There was an odd feeling to the air, and she thought she heard screaming, but that was just another reason to sleep. When she woke up the island might have ceased its pranks. Marcus seemed to be feeling the same way, so they walked from the clearing in near-silence, holding hands.
When they reached the point where they would need to go their separate ways, she stood up on her tiptoes a little and kissed him goodbye with a promise to come by his hut later in the day after they'd both had a chance to sleep, then turned away from him and stepped off of the path. Unfortunately, she hadn't gone more than fifty meters before she was roughly grabbed and shoved against a tree.
"Lookie 'ere, boys. It's that 'ammond girl, the one what 'elped the terrorist at the BTN. Mr. Creedy'll reward us good for finding 'er." The Fingerman's breath in her face indicated an entire lack of dental hygiene at any point in his life and she barely repressed a shudder. She would not show any signs of fear. She wasn't the fearful girl they'd attacked so long ago and she would not go quietly. Not now and not ever again.
She fought against them and managed to get a knee up hard into the groin of the one holding her. He let go of her, stumbling backwards, but the other two pinned her quickly while the fourth stood back and grinned sadistically. Their fingers bit hard into her arms every time she moved.
"Kitty does have claws, don't she?" the fourth asked her in a evilly delighted voice. "Per'aps this'll change yer tune?" He produced a black cotton bag and tried to put it over her head, but she struggled too much to make it possible, kicking, fighting and scratching as much as she could considering her sleepiness. She'd have bruises tomorrow, but at least she'd be alive and unbagged.
"Marcus!" she shouted as loud as she could while she struggled. "Marc-"
His name was cut off by the beefy hand that was suddenly clapped over her mouth, which she promptly bit.
"Ow!" the Fingerman exclaimed, taking his hand away and shaking it, then backhanding her. Her head snapped to the side with the force of it and her cheek and lip stung, but she looked defiantly back at the man almost immediately.
"Now that wadn't very nice of you," another of them said in a falsely pleasant voice. "You're gonna need to...apologize...to Willy now, aincha?"
She hoped Marcus had heard her. She very much hoped Marcus had heard her.
When they reached the point where they would need to go their separate ways, she stood up on her tiptoes a little and kissed him goodbye with a promise to come by his hut later in the day after they'd both had a chance to sleep, then turned away from him and stepped off of the path. Unfortunately, she hadn't gone more than fifty meters before she was roughly grabbed and shoved against a tree.
"Lookie 'ere, boys. It's that 'ammond girl, the one what 'elped the terrorist at the BTN. Mr. Creedy'll reward us good for finding 'er." The Fingerman's breath in her face indicated an entire lack of dental hygiene at any point in his life and she barely repressed a shudder. She would not show any signs of fear. She wasn't the fearful girl they'd attacked so long ago and she would not go quietly. Not now and not ever again.
She fought against them and managed to get a knee up hard into the groin of the one holding her. He let go of her, stumbling backwards, but the other two pinned her quickly while the fourth stood back and grinned sadistically. Their fingers bit hard into her arms every time she moved.
"Kitty does have claws, don't she?" the fourth asked her in a evilly delighted voice. "Per'aps this'll change yer tune?" He produced a black cotton bag and tried to put it over her head, but she struggled too much to make it possible, kicking, fighting and scratching as much as she could considering her sleepiness. She'd have bruises tomorrow, but at least she'd be alive and unbagged.
"Marcus!" she shouted as loud as she could while she struggled. "Marc-"
His name was cut off by the beefy hand that was suddenly clapped over her mouth, which she promptly bit.
"Ow!" the Fingerman exclaimed, taking his hand away and shaking it, then backhanding her. Her head snapped to the side with the force of it and her cheek and lip stung, but she looked defiantly back at the man almost immediately.
"Now that wadn't very nice of you," another of them said in a falsely pleasant voice. "You're gonna need to...apologize...to Willy now, aincha?"
She hoped Marcus had heard her. She very much hoped Marcus had heard her.