- - Part II - -

< < Part I

Rexy felt a sudden pressure on her eyes as a blindfold was hastily tied behind her head. Now, without her sight, all she could do was feel the force of those strong arms controlling her…lifting her up to a standing position and forcing her body forward a few steps. She struggled, digging her heels into the ground, bringing the two to a halt. With a frustrated grunt, the man lifted Rexy up and threw her over one shoulder.

Despite Rexy’s protesting screams and kicks, she could feel the man briskly walking and hear the foliage crunching beneath his feet. She realized that no matter what she did, he would succeed in taking her wherever he had planned to.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rexy started to sense that her surroundings were changing. Her vision underneath the blindfold went from pitch black to a very dull glow, indicating that the trees had drastically thinned out. She’d started to hear the calls of birds that she didn’t recognize. They were leaving the rainforest. Never had she been even close to another edge of it.

The steady rhythm of the man’s crunching footsteps suddenly muffled, as if he were walking in loose dirt or sand. Shortly after, they turned woody and hollow. Several new sounds started to chime in. Rexy could hear the voices of many people mixed in with shuffling, scraping, more footsteps, and the occasional strange metallic noise.

After a loud creak and a slam, all those noises were silenced other than the man’s footsteps. Suddenly they stopped too. Without any warning, Rexy was thrown. Her shoulder slammed into something hard – it felt like a wall – and she slid down and landed on a soft, lumpy surface. After another creak and slam and the fading footsteps of the man, Rexy was alone in silence.

She immediately pulled the blindfold from her head and found herself in a cell in a dimly lit corridor, sitting on a small bed. The walls, floors, and ceiling of the corridor were all made from planks of wood that quietly creaked, which she found very strange.

The terror of Rexy’s situation heightened now that she had her vision back. She was a prisoner. Escape seemed like a slim option until she saw those bars. She pulled her legs close to her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks.

After a moment, Rexy heard another faint creak and slam, and a couple sets of footsteps coming down the hallway. Two men came into view, one shirtless, covered in tribal tattoos. The other man looked drastically different – he was extravagantly dressed with a very regal air about him.

“Thass her,” the tattooed man uttered in a somewhat raspy voice. “I found ‘er lurking near the entrance to our artillery cave…no doubt out to rob us clean!” The well-dressed man’s brow furrowed and he swiftly slapped the tattooed man upside the head.

“What would a pretty lass want with a stock load of melee weapons, guns, and ammo, you fool??” he turned to look at Rexy, and his angry expression changed to a warm, sympathetic smile. “I’m terribly terribly sorry miss; you’ll have to excuse Brug, he’s not the brightest. Are you alright? Did he harm you?”

“Well,” Rexy said shakily, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat before continuing. “He threw me against this wall and I hit my shoulder…” she massaged the raw, throbbing area.

“You horse’s ass!!!” Shouted the man, whirling around to glare directly into Brug’s eyes.

 The man forcefully grabbed Brug by the dreadlocks and threw him to the floor. Brug landed with a heavy thud and scooted away, whimpering.

“Get out. Now.” The man said in a low, stern voice. Brug was to his feet and running before Rexy could even blink.

He turned his attention back to her.

“I’m horribly sorry miss, I’ll have someone bring you a cool cloth and bandage for that. That dress looks awfully uncomfortable…I’ll see if we can’t find you something a little less taxing to wear.”

 “Wait…” Rexy said, suddenly not as comfortable with the situation as she was before. “Different clothes? Why can’t you just let me tend to my injury and leave??”

“Well you see miss…” the man said, his warm smile vanishing, “there are many complications that arise from Brug bringing you here…you’ve stumbled upon something you shouldn’t have. We have much to discuss, and as of right now, you must stay here. My apologies. I’ll be back swiftly with your things.”

With those words, the man turned around and headed back down the hallway. Rexy’s stomach churned and her head was spinning from the strangeness of the situation, and the mysteriousness of that well-dressed man. He’d thrown her off with his kindness, but it turned out she was just as trapped as she had first thought. Now that dreary life at home didn’t seem so bad.

To Be Continued...