Enchanting {Frightening} A l l u r i n g [IaLoE plot]
Feb 25, 2015 19:45:02 GMT -5
Post by Kire on Feb 25, 2015 19:45:02 GMT -5
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E Z I O L A S K A R I S
✚ ✙ ✛ ✚ ✙ ✛ ✚ ✙ ✛ ✚ ✙ ✛Says, ThinksThere were eleven of us now. From the moment I had been kidnapped until now, I had continually been surprised and scared by the way our number had increased nearly every day. First it had been me, just me. I had sat in this room, on this carpet, all alone for what felt like forever. I had cried, I had worried, I had missed my parents. I still did the last two almost constantly, but I couldn't let myself cry anymore. I couldn't let myself cry from the moment Polly and that man had dragged Cyprian in. I was eleven, I was the eldest, I had to act like it.
Cyprian and I had quickly bonded, as most people in peril usually did. We knew we would have to keep each other from being scared, even if it was just through talking until we were let free. Even so, the darkness had pressed in on us from all sides and the only thing that kept it at bay was a single light that lit our rug and a small bit of floor around it. The rug itself was circular and comprised of rings of orange and red. It looked like a giant bullseye on the floor, but it was the only thing we had had. Polly had since brought us pillows and blankets to make sleeping easier, one for each child that now were clustered here like some strange herd.
After Cyprian had come Philo, the smallest of all of us by at least a few years, who hardly said anything at all. He was two, and he showed just how young he was by continually clinging to whoever was nearest like he would get lost if he didn't. For all I knew, that was actually how he felt. Sometimes I wished I had a hand to cling to, but I couldn't tell anyone that because I was the oldest and I had to act like it. I couldn't cry, I couldn't show fear or weakness. I had to be the strong one for everyone else.
Vita and Gaia had come in at almost the same time, the two youngest girls of the group. They were rather different, one who thought a lot about the world and one who thought a lot about herself, but they were more company and neither Cyprian nor I could complain. I did though, internally. I could hardly deal with being around Philo and Cyprian all hours of the day, and now I had to deal with two more children who were so much younger than me. I was literally twice their age, and that frustrated me. I really didn't like having to deal with others.
As each kid came in - Felix, Decimus, Livia, Camilla, Marius, Albia - I became more and more agitated. Having all of these people around was hard on me because I was so used to either being by myself or with my parents. Even at the parties my parents had taken me to I was mostly left to myself. There was the odd woman who would marvel over me, or a man who would compliment me on being a fine looking lad, but really most of the adults ignored me. I preferred it that way.
This gathering of chickens was grating on me and I felt like I was a wolf in sheep's skin. I was going to lash out one of these days and then the flock would run from me, but until then I was viewed as just another one of them. It was hard, but I would rather they be with me than me be left alone in the dark. I looked into the blackness around us, trying to see anything at all. Of course I couldn't.
When the door opened I jumped like I always did. I was on my feet in a moment and staring into the blackness. Would I have to deal with another kid? I was more than tired of having these ten others around me. One more and it might just be what puts me over the edge. As Polly's shape emerged from the darkness I realized she was alone and almost heaved a sigh of relief. The man that usually accompanied her when she brought in more children was absent, and I didn't know if that was comforting, or more frightening.
I watched Polly as she came to stand just at the edge of the rug. She didn't have any blankets or pillows in her arms - in fact, she wasn't carrying anything at all - and I wondered what she was here for. "Children," she started, looking at all of us while she waited for us to quiet down and pay attention. Philo ran over to her, arms outstretched and hands ready to grab. She stepped out of the way of him, grabbing him and not-so-gently plunking him back onto the rug. I was silent, bothered by the roughness she had showed. She had always been gentle with Philo, more than most of us were, and always lifted him into her arms when she came around. Philo sniffed and she scowled at him. "Shut up, you little brat." I didn't know what the others thought, but I know my mouth had fallen open. This was a very different person. If I was any younger, or any less experienced with adults, I might have believed that this wasn't even Polly. Every bit of evidence pointed in the contrary of that thought, though, so I knew it really was her.
Everyone was hushed at this point, so Polly looked at all of us once more and started to speak. "I came to let you know that you are all a pawn in Himself's game." There were small confused noises coming from everywhere, and I had no idea what she meant either. "Shut up, the lot of you. Like a bunch of bloody sheep, all bleating like that." We all shut up really quickly. "Himself is playing with you. Think of it like you've been reaped for Himself's own Hunger Games." I thought I heard a gasp or two and I began to feel sick. Did she mean we would have to kill each other? I looked at the other ten, from little Philo to Camilla the second eldest. I may get frustrated with them, but could I bring myself to kill them?
I didn't really want to know the answer to that.
"Oh be quiet. You don't have to kill each other, unless you want to of course." The look on her face was so dark and horrible that I wanted to look away. I couldn't. "No, Himself has set up everything you need to face already." She grinned, looking directly at me. "The last one alive gets to go home, just like in the Games." Her gaze shifted from me and the prickle down the back of my neck faded a bit. A voice came up from the rug and I didn't pay attention to who said it, just what they had said "Why?" Polly seemed to find this amusing because she laughed, a harsh sound that made me want to cover my ears and cringe. I didn't though, I had to be strong. "Why? Because you just have to live, and that will be enough of a task."
She gave us all another look over, the smile on her face more terrible than I thought anyone's smile could have been. "Goodbye, children." With that, she turned around and walked back out the way she came, ignoring the cries from Philo and any other noises that were made. I turned my back on everyone and sat on the edge of the carpet, staring into the darkness. Away in the distance, as a bang was heard from the location of the door, came a deep bark. I looked out towards where I thought the sound was coming from, but it was hard to tell with how this place echoed. All I knew was that there was some large dog out there. And he sounded hungry.
✚ ✙ ✛ ✚ ✙ ✛ ✚ ✙ ✛ ✚ ✙ ✛It had been two days since Polly had slammed the door after her announcement. No one came to visit us. We had only limited water left, and we hadn't had food since before then. I did my best to ignore my hunger and only drink a little bit, but I knew that the others were suffering too. If we stayed here too long, if we didn't find more water and more food, then we would all die. I really didn't want to die, and I really didn't want to see any of the others die. I stared out into the darkness, wondering if there were any good things out there, or if it was only death. We had to find out somehow, but how could I convince the others to leave the safety of the light or the rug. I only knew I had to try.
I stood up and turned around to look at the others. I was the oldest, I was the one that at least some of them looked up to, I was the one they expected to find some way out of here. I couldn't do that if I had no idea where anything was. "Hey, uh..." That wasn't a strong start. I had to be strong, otherwise they wouldn't listen to me. "Hey!" I waited for them all to look at me. Even Philo did, after a time. "I think we have to get out." My fingers twisted into the cloth of my pants, tightening and loosening again and again. I was never fond of speaking in front of a group, but I had to do it. "And to get out, we have to leave here." I gestured to the rug, to the edge of our circle of light and then into the darkness beyond. "We have to find things. We have to get food and water and we have to live because-" I coughed, trying to keep calm even with my stomach churning with nerves, "because I don't want to die, and I'm sure you don't either."
I looked at each of them. The only healthy thing we had managed lately was getting enough sleep, but even that was getting harder and harder because the dark seemed to crawl in closer and closer each night. The dog hadn't barked again since two days ago, but I could swear it was wandering around at night, coming up to us and being ready to eat us when one of us would move and it would scamper off. It wasn't afraid of us, but I was afraid of it. "We have to get out, and we can't do that by sitting here. Doing nothing is getting us nowhere. I-I vote that we do something." I forced myself to stand taller, trying to look like I was brave and confident and not about to piss myself. "I can't do this alone. I need you to help me." My eyes searched for Cyprian's and I hoped that he would stand with me.
"Who's with me?"
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OOC: There is no posting order for this thread, but please wait for at least two people to post before replying so that we get development from everyone. This thread will go until a decision is made about heading into the darkness.