Solana
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Guess who decided to stay up all night because she had, what four cups of coffee plus soda today? If you guessed WW, you are correct! No prize though. Sorry, I haven’t got any $$$ xD Here is Solana’s post for your reading pleasure! <3
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I should have known it was coming. The plan, though sound, was obviously going to fail. But it took too long for us all to realize it, to abandon our hopes and face the truth.
It was dark, the only light provided by the fire and the stars above. Kuroshiro was standing guard as his job entailed, keeping a watchful eye on the rest of us.
We had finished preparing for the part hours ago under Violett’s careful orders, and all that was left was the rest of the club.
They would never come, but that truth would remain elusive until it was too late.
By this point, Amor had finished complaining about her clothes, seeing as she now had access to them, and had now become just as distraught as the rest of us. She shared her sorrow with Nai who had abandoned my side days ago.
I supposed I’d become too much of a downer for her preference. It didn’t matter much to me anymore.
Like me, Nodin sat on the edge of the fire’s circle of warmth, choosing to embrace solitude and silence rather than social interaction.
Sure, he had a reason to, what with his... toxic breath fumes, but we both didn’t want to interact with others.
Ace... Please be okay...
It seemed as though we had discovered the truth about our feelings just in time to be wrenched apart.
Let me take your place. I’d do anything. I... The more I thought about it, the more I had to struggle to hold back my tears.
“Solana?” A kind voice interrupted my sorrow, drawing my eyes to meet the faded blue ones of the spirit. “Are you fari—” Seeming to realize the obvious answer to that question, he cut himself off. “Would you like to talk about it?”
I shrugged. The spirit and I had never gotten close. To be quite honest, he was one of the many who frightened me.
“You are concerned about the Fennec hybrid, no? Ace?” Biting my lip, I nodded. You know people too well. Perhaps I’m just easy to read. “I am here if you wish to...” Pausing, he struggled to find the right word, “vent.”
Closing my eyes, I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself. “I can’t lose anyone else. I can’t.”
That caught his attention. “If you don’t mind my asking, who else have you lost?”
“My brother,” I whispered, wiping away a tear that gathered on my eyelashes.
“I see,” he mused, settling down on the grass beside me. “That still affects you greatly, doesn’t it?”
“Every day.”
“You will overcome this eventually, ninfu. Your brother may be gone, but, where a door closes in life, another opens.”
Reopening my eyes, I stared at the fire. “That was Ace.”
“Then he will return.” He seemed so confident. He can’t see the future, can he? “You must hold tight to hope, do you understand?” Nodding, I turned to face him.
“Yes.” As he stood to leave, I stopped him. “Ah, Kuroshiro?”
“Hmm?”
I offered a grim smile. “Thank you.”
After returning the expression and bowing his head, he set off, making his rounds.
Inside of my heart, there was a stronger optimistic feeling, one I chose to trust. I wish I would have gotten to know you before now, Mr. Ghost. You... are kind. I misjudged you.
A few hours passed, all of us partaking in mindless activities to keep us distracted, and, by the time five AM rolled around, we had all grown anxious.
“Shouldn’t they be back by now?” Hands on hips, Bellinda huffed, shaking her head in frustration.
“The crepes are getting cold!” Vi wailed, the food obviously not her main concern. That boy... Locke... Oh, Violett...
“I suppose Griffin has failed us once more,” Mr. Ghost groaned, shoulders slumped.
“We must remain calm. Perhaps they stopped to shop?” Amor suggested, shrugging her delicate shoulders.
Silence reigned for the next ten minutes, no one wanting to accept the truth. We couldn’t accept it. We couldn’t admit defeat.
That was our hamartia.
We’d been so caught up in our distractions and party-prepping that no one even heard the low rumble of an engine; the soft thud of a vehicle door shutting; the quiet crunch of dead leaves.
They picked us off one by one. Gloved hands clamped over our mouths and dragged us away, tossing us like dolls into the cabin of a cramped van. Deja vu.
Even as we began to panic, to try and hatch an escape plan, the gas smothered our lungs, leaking in from the vents in the roof.
They had been prepared this time, for, within a few seconds, we were all out cold.
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“Move it!” Harsh, unappealing. Their voice hurt my ears, but they didn’t seem to care as she pushed me along. I didn’t know where the others were; after we awoke in the same room for a brief time, we’d been separated, assigned rooms like a hospital.
I only wished we’d been stupid enough to break our legs. This trip would be far worse than any check-up or emergency room visit.
“Didn’t you hear me, you little bean pole? Move! We haven’t got all day!” I hated her. She was aggressive and violent. How can anyone be so evil?
My legs were Jello, my mouth clamped shut. Icy metal bound my wrists and ankles, making it almost impossible to move. But I continued onward, letting the tears flow freely. Any punishment that would be dealt to me for disobeying orders would be worse than this pain, of that I was certain.
“Get in the room, pixie. The doctor will be right in to see you,” she said with a false smile and a laugh, shoving me through the open door and into the darkness.
Shivering, I stood still, rooted in place. I dreaded the future, what was to come. What would they do to me? What had they done to Ace already?
Ace... If only I could see you... So close... You’re somewhere...
A groan sounded from somewhere beyond where I remained frozen.
“W-who’s there?” an ever-so familiar voice whispered, the sound raspy and dry. Thank God.
“Ace? I-it’s me.”
“Solana?! What are you doing here?!” At first, he’d sounded relieved, but that relief quickly morphed into horror.
“They caught us. It was bound to happen. They were tracking us, right?”
“Yeah, but...” He hiccuped, the sound similar to that of one holding back a sob.
What did they do to you? I mustered up the courage to shamble toward the sound of his voice, feeling my way through the darkness.
“S-Solana? D-don’t come near me,” he begged, his voice donning a terror-filled tone. I froze, not five feet from where he was.
“What?”
“Please, God, please.” His sobs were open now, no longer hidden or masked. At that moment, my heart broke, and, ignoring his desperate cries, I moved closer, finding a metal table and kneeling to the ground next to it, his breathing originating from atop it.
“Shhh, it’s alright,” I murmured in an attempt to soothe him. Though I failed, I continued. “Ace, it’ll be alright.”
“You don’t understand!” he cried, trembling so much the table shook. Tenderly, I laid a hand over his.. He was cold, colder than he or even I had ever been. “Don’t touch me!”
The instant I jerked my hand away, shocked at his demand, a static sound filled the air, accompanied by little more than an agonized whimper. They’re shocking him. Oh God, how awful. How inhumane.
Behind me, the door slammed open, showering us in an aura of light. Ace’s twitching body, marred by cuts and covered in a fine layer of dirt, was all I could focus on. No...
“Ah, I see your little friend decided to join us. About time.” I turned around to locate the source of the smoky voice just in time to watch the shapely woman press a button, the static disappearing immediately. “My dear Solana. What a pleasure it is to meet you. I’m sure Ace will... love your company, isn’t that right?”
Facing Ace once more, I caught the frantic shaking of his head as his eyes scanned across my exposed wings.
The woman chuckled. “Yes, this will be delightful. I can’t wait.” Careful in her heels, she stepped over to me, yanking me to my feet by my chains. “Don’t think you get to run rampant. What kind of place would we be running if that was true, an animal shelter? Pretty close, actually.”
Showing no gentleness, she tugged me over to the opposite side of the room, securing me onto a similar table. After flicking the lights on and retrieving a clipboard, she stood before us both.
“Ah, yes. We have plans for you, too. Surprising, seeing how weak you are. No matter. That’ll be fixed soon enough. Be a dear, Ace, and make Solana feel at home.”
Laughing, she strode out the door, pulling it closed behind her.
“Ace... What’s going on? Why... Why are you afraid of me??” I demanded, voice wavering.
He couldn’t answer coherently, the few words he did say intermittent and threaded with sobs.. “I’m sorry. Sorry. So sorry. I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry.”
I wish I could help you, Ace. I wanted to help you before. Now we’re both stuck here... and I’m just as useless as always. Forgive me. I... I love you, even if you fear me. I love you no matter what.
Allowing another tear to slip past my radar, I turned away, shutting my eyes to block out the pain and forcing myself into a dreamless sleep where I could escape this nightmare, even if it was just for a short while.
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Holy heavens, this is NOT my best work by a long shot. Sorry guys. I mean really brain? ‘Sleep’ is not spelled ‘sleap’ and ‘sorry’ is not spelled ‘shorry.’
Either way... uh... last post for the night/morning/whatever (330 AM WOOHOO)
Yeah, I’m done. Sigh. xD Hope it wasn’t TOO terrible for you guys. I’ll try harder next time. <3
