*ELIYA KENLEY *
Age: 20
Sex: Feminine
***
H-
Hu-
Huf!
Even breathing felt impossible. Each labored breath came filtered through a thick cloth jammed down my throat, blocking my airways. More than once did I almost choke, straining the muscles in my jaw and causing hot tears to drip from my eyes.
Why? Why was this happening to me?
What had I done to deserve this?
To make it worse, my vision was blanketed by a black veil. 'He' had made sure I could still see, but not well enough to save myself.
Was this my punishment for helping Haylen? Was my sin helping out a stranger?
If so then I'd never help another stranger again!
[Please, someone!]
It was unclear how long I had been here for. Minutes, hours, days? All I remembered was waking up bound and unable to speak, a tall silhouette gazing down at me. 'He' had spoken only once, yet I still shivered thinking about it.
'You will be the bait.' He had said in a tone that made the room's temperature drop a few degrees, a tone dripping with cruelty.
I didn't want to think about the implications of that phrase, I wanted to leave. But 'he' had left not a stone unturned.
My arms and legs were bound to a large pillar, rendering me immobile. I had been gagged so as not to be able to call for help, and my vision was heavily obscured.
Escape was nothing but a distant dream, a dream that faded upon hearing footsteps in the distance. I knew they were 'his', he walked deliberately slow. An addition to the nightmare I was already living. 'He' wanted each moment of dread to stretch as long as it could, 'he' wanted to push me to the brink of fear before sending me just a bit further beyond that.
I tried to scream, to squirm out of my restraints and run away, a futile effort. 'He' eventually reached the room I was in, slowly turning the doorknob, letting the eerie creak of the door live for a second too long.
Each step towards me felt deafening, like a clap of thunder in my ear. My entire body trembled violently as more tears fell from my eyes.
Not a word left 'his' lips, instead, a cold sensation pressed against my stomach. I recognized it, the feel of metal against my skin. A serrated blade was being aimed at my gut.
[Please no!] I tried to protest, but the gag prevented me. My voice came out in the form of muffled cries.
A thin line of warm liquid dripped down from where the knife was, my own blood. That alone almost sent me into a panic attack but 'his' steady, unwavering breaths made me squirm away even more.
Just as 'he' was about to embed the knife deeper in, something caught 'his' attention.
It took me a second to hear it, I had to strain my ears to hear the sound in the distance.
Tok!
Something, as small as a pebble, was striking the one window several meters above my head.
Tok!
Tok!
Tok!
The sound was repetitive, almost rhythmic. There seemed to be a pattern to each sound.
Tok!
I felt the knife distance from me as through the veil I saw 'his' head turn upwards. I couldn't see it, but I was sure there was a scowl on 'his' face. Moving as fast as the wind, he darted out of the room.
His target was clear: the source of the sound.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
Tok!
Tok! Tok!
[Wait, I recognize that pattern! 1 - 3, 3 - 1, 1 - 2, that's our code! ]
Had I not been bound, I'd have jumped in excitement. That was a code Kira and I had developed when a guy I wasn't interested in insisted on pursuing me. I wasn't the best at saying no.
At V's, almost everyone knew Morse code. So it was either this or learn a new language, something Kira wasn't exactly enthusiastic about.
The pattern then switched to Morse code once the person above was sure they had caught my attention.
I-AM-NOT-K…
K? Kira? Were they trying to tell me they weren't Kira?
I tried to reply, tapping my finger against the pillar, but they were too far to hear. I could only wait for their next message.
It came almost immediately after the first one, slightly more erratic.
P-BOX…HAVE-RUN…SAVE-U-SOON…
Who was P-Box, and how had they found me? I didn't have time to think as I heard a pair of fast and aggressive footsteps rush in their direction. P-Box began running. Not before tapping one final message.
I-BE-BACK…
It wasn't exactly what I had expected, but it was hope. The pain in my jaw felt a little more bearable, and the uncomfortable burn of rope against my bare skin stung a little less.
I couldn't remain passive. There had to be something I could do. P-Box had gotten 'him' away from me, I had a chance.