forum “You don’t know what they did to me. To us.” (a continuation of an abruptly deleted thread)

Started September 23, 2020 by @Tired-but-passionate

tune

He raised an eyebrow. “Wait, can you-“ he hissed as the creature hovered over him, it’s mane hanging over his torso. It inspected his chest, then gingerly raised a paw over it. Malachi’s muscles tensed, much to his dismay and pain. Thankfully, it brought it down without touching him. He relaxed, trying to breathe without his chest aching.
The creature shuffled down and bent down to his foot. It’s nose curled up, like it smelled something unpleasant.
Then it rose, looking at the girl with a worried light in its eyes. No bullet wounds. Electrocution. Foot has a slight burn. We should not have moved him.

Kali cursed inwardly glancing between the two and seeing the look of pain on malachis face as he was being inspected.
"well we did. So what do we do?" She turned to the beast. She wasn't frequent in first aid so she had no idea what the first thing to do was.

(Yep! I’ll just reply for Alister while we figure this out)

Evan grinned and sat restless in his seat about going out on search tomorrow. He would finally be free of this wheelchair and that bed and he would be able to do things on his own.
He couldn't wait.
He noticed noel volunteer Alister and turned to look her before hearing her reasoning. I guess it does make sense.
When they were walking back he didn't comment just letting them talk about it between siblings wondering why Alister wanted to talk with just noel but didn't pry.

When they got upstairs, Alister wheeled Evan into his room while Noel stood by the door.
Feeling slightly numb, he said, “Get in bed and stay there, please. Tomorrow will come. And hey, maybe we’ll find that girl along with this… Malachi person. You seemed to be interested in her.”

"Hm?" he turned to Alister,
"Oh um right okay." he hadn't noticed alister noticed he was interested in her.
He wheeled over to the bed and got in it, laying down for once.
he decided to take a nap.

Alister moved the wheelchair against the wall, then paused, turning back to Evan. He seemed tired and distracted, and Alister wanted to leave to let him rest. But suddenly he was struck by the curve of Evan’s jaw and how it bended into the creases of his neck. His curling eyelashes and the soft dip of his lips seemed to crave his attention.
Then he remembered himself. His face reddening, he quickly turned to the door.
Noel’s eyes followed her brother. “You hesitated,” she muttered.
“Please, not another word.” He said quickly. “Until we get to our room, that is.”
He left. Noel rolled her eyes. “See ya, Evan,” she said before following him out.

Evan slept almost soundily cept for the faact he coldnt sleep for at least the first hour.
he noticed Alister's hestiation and just pretended he was asleep when really he was red face he woke a couple hours later, sitting up just a bit.

Kali poked malachi on the cheek. "So why did you risk your neck to make me have freedom?"

(This is gonna be a long convo, but I’ll continue when I can)
Alister sat on the edge of the bed, swinging his legs with his hands in his lap. Noel stood in front, one pair of arms crossed over her chest and the other set on her hips.
“Let me guess,” she drawled. “You wanna know about these.”
She spread her arms out, wiggling her fingers. Her brother watched, his eyes fixed on the two pairs of appendages.
“Well, yes… and other stuff.”
“Can you tell me what other stuff?”
He thought for a moment. “Other than your arms… how you became second in command, and why you still want me here.”
Her arms sagged. “You’re my brother. Of course I want you here.”
“But… why? You seem to be doing so well without me.”
Her jaw clenched. “Stop that. You’re not…” she paused, her silvery eyes searching him. Then she sighed. “I’m in some sort of danger everyday, Ali. Let me just tell you what happened.”
She sat down next to him, staring at the dark-skinned pair resting on her knees. Alister’s mind spun for a moment, unused to being called Ali after so long.
“Three years ago… it’s blurry now. I remember the aliens taking me away, and I was put in a cell for a little while. Then I remember being taken to a big white room with a bunch of alien technology. They stuck a needle in me, then put me on a bed or something, and I don’t remember anything else. Then I woke up in my cell again, like nothing changed. It was like that for a while. Sometimes they’d forget to feed me. I remember feeling like my stomach was so hollow that I was surprised there wasn’t a hole in it.” She chuckled, the sound almost as hollow as her stomach as she described.
A cold heaviness had settled in Alister’s chest. It must’ve showed on his face, because she took his hand. “I’m fine, Ali. I’m right here.”
He blinked. Taking a breath, he murmured, “Right, right. Okay.”
Her smile was warm, but sad. Then it dropped as she stared at nothing, her mind far in the past. “I think they were just taking samples of my cells or something, but I don’t think that would require them to make me go unconscious. Maybe an extra precaution or something.” She shrugged. “Or maybe they did more to me than I thought.
“Anyway, the I remember the day they moved me surprisingly well. It was some months later. Either they successfully broke me, or I was already broken, because I couldn’t find the strength to fight back; they were just holding my hands behind my back, that’s it. They took me to the back of the building, I think, where there were bigger cells with more stuff in it than a bed and a toilet. I… I had a neighbor.”
Her eyes turned glassy and her voice broke. “She had the same abilities as I did. I knew that wasn’t a coincidence, but I didn’t want to think about what… what that meant.”
Alister’s throat tightened, his mind putting two and two together. He managed, “You don’t mean…”
Her dark-skinned hands tensed, the blood veins visible. Her lip trembled, afraid to let the words out. “She was only ten,” was all she could say, her eyes squeezing shut.
He pulled her close, her face burying in his chest.
For a few minutes, he was quiet as she began sobbing. When it calmed, he murmured, “You don’t have to talk anymore if you don’t want to.”
She looked up, leaving a wet spot on his shirt. “But I have to. I haven’t told anyone, not even Evan or Malachi. I thought only you should know, since… well…”
“I see.” He was briefly distracted; who was this Malachi person? But he thought it wasn’t the right time to ask.
Noel took a few deep breaths. “I remember talking to her for long periods of time in our cells. Then I think they made us fight, for some reason…” she blinked. “Oh, it was probably to see who was stronger. I don’t remember much, but I know I won, since… well… I have her arms now.”
He stared at her in horror. Then his face pinched up with emotion. “I’m… Oh Noel, I’m so sorry. I wish I-“
“Stop. It’s like I said. No time to dwell in the past.”
He swallowed. She suddenly seemed far away, like she wasn’t really there. They were silent again.
Then he inhaled. “What was her name?”
Her expression darkened. “Willow. That’s all she told me.”

Kali poked malachi on the cheek. "So why did you risk your neck to make me have freedom?"

(Yeah ok-)

He gave an annoyed glance at her before sitting up, only feeling slightly painful. He wasn’t used to being poked like that. He gave a small groan as he settled.
Why did he he save her? He barely knew her, and on top of that, she kidnapped him in the first place. He thought for a moment.
“You seemed… hurt, and lost, and broken,” he muttered. “I know what it feels like to feel obligated to do something with a gun to your head. When you started breaking down in front of me, I knew that’s what was happening. I thought that maybe…” he bit his lip, feeling foolish. “Maybe I could take you in, as a part of the rebellion.”
He turned to her, tilting his head slightly. “You don’t have to, of course. I know I can’t really convince you to do that.”
He ran his hands through his hair, the way the braids flowed between his fingers feeling almost therapeutic. He swept them to the side.

She flinched when he brought her breakdown in front of him, she rubbed her arm almost holding herself self consciously. could she join?…all she has ever known is the lab…she didn't know what happened before that… She sighed.
Might as well
"I didn't exactly have a gun to my head…." She sighed, "I don't remember anything, from my past. Nothing, nothing at all. All I remember is working for the lab, they never had to press a gun to my head when they already knew I wouldn't leave. They provided me with food and a place to rest, I didn't think it was horrible doing what I was." She out a hand to her neck, suddenly feeling overly insecure and guilty, she wanted to curl in on herself and disapear.
She did all of it of her own will. None of it was forced.
Which made it even worse.

He raised an eyebrow. ”Je vois. So when did you suddenly acquire a moral compass?”
The creature laid down a few feet away, watching the humans intently. It’s dark mane spilled around it, over its front legs and around the cave floor. Its eyes were dark pools of curiousity.