a man destined for hell and Lena could only pity him.
“Lena.” He whispered her name. His voice startled her, as he moved closer to her. Her thoughts had drawn her inwards, something she hadn’t allowed to happen in a long time. Looking around, she saw that aside from a door in the back of the room leading deeper into the building, there was only one way out of the room—unless you counted jumping out of the (very high) windows. That was an option that Lena had not yet resigned herself to.
She stared up at the man with defiance. She hoped he knew that she wouldn’t give up without a fight, and deep down she hoped he realized that she knew who he was. A monster.
Standing straight, she faced the free man. She knew the probability of her fear coming through was great but for now she clung to what little adrenaline ran through her veins.
“So,” she said, turning away from him. He didn’t attempt to stop her, which only made her a little more worried. He either knew she had no way of escaping or he had lost more of his mind than she had initially thought. As she walked towards the window she could see how high up they really were. Her thoughts of freefalling to safety went out the door with her thoughts of running out of this place.
“Tell me, free man,” she started again, afraid he knew she was only biding her time. Turning back to him, she saw how closely he watched her. Not watching her because she might escape, she thought, but because it seemed that he hadn’t seen anything like her before. She hoped, in a way, she could use this to her advantage. “How did all this happen?” She smiled at him, a fake smile, but she hoped that he couldn’t tell. Lena hoped that he had been away from women like her long enough that he wouldn’t recognize genuine emotion. Either that, or she hoped she was a better liar than she thought.
The free man continued to look at her. He reached out and stroked her cheek as he sighed. He never responded in words, only headed back towards his throne.
“Listen,” she said. “I know who you are.” He neither acknowledged that she had spoken nor turned as if he were surprised by her remarks. “I know what kind of man you are!” Her voice rose. On some level, whether emotional or physical, she hoped to reach him.
Her mind suddenly went to Jasper. Her heart sank and she tried not to wonder whether he was searching for her or not. She prayed he was still alive. The thought of him dead seemed to make her heart feel worse than the thought of him alive but not looking for her. They had only just met, but she knew they were connected somehow. This whole thing couldn’t just be fate.
She couldn’t have lived this long, lived through so much, only to be killed or worse by this man. Deep down, she knew there was something bigger going on here. Maybe this man had answers, maybe he only needed someone to reach out to him, maybe he knew how things could change. In all her time alone on her farm, she had never imagined a community such as this. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but something told her that this community’s leader knew something very important.
As he settled down in his chair, she was brought back to reality. “I know who you are!” she shouted again.
He raised his hand to halt her speech. “You’ve mentioned that already,” he spoke at last. “So, please, tell me who I am. Maybe I have forgotten.”
She was unsure whether this was a trap or not, but didn’t hesitate. She moved towards him, suddenly not caring if she would live or die. “You have become a madman.” She swallowed, keeping the exit door in her line of sight at all times. She had no idea of what kind of reaction she could expect from him.
The motionlessness of his body gave her strength. She prayed that he needed to hear what she had to say. “You weren’t always this kind of man; your eyes tell me you used to be different.” She looked into his face, hoping she could see the look she was
“Lena.” He whispered her name. His voice startled her, as he moved closer to her. Her thoughts had drawn her inwards, something she hadn’t allowed to happen in a long time. Looking around, she saw that aside from a door in the back of the room leading deeper into the building, there was only one way out of the room—unless you counted jumping out of the (very high) windows. That was an option that Lena had not yet resigned herself to.
She stared up at the man with defiance. She hoped he knew that she wouldn’t give up without a fight, and deep down she hoped he realized that she knew who he was. A monster.
Standing straight, she faced the free man. She knew the probability of her fear coming through was great but for now she clung to what little adrenaline ran through her veins.
“So,” she said, turning away from him. He didn’t attempt to stop her, which only made her a little more worried. He either knew she had no way of escaping or he had lost more of his mind than she had initially thought. As she walked towards the window she could see how high up they really were. Her thoughts of freefalling to safety went out the door with her thoughts of running out of this place.
“Tell me, free man,” she started again, afraid he knew she was only biding her time. Turning back to him, she saw how closely he watched her. Not watching her because she might escape, she thought, but because it seemed that he hadn’t seen anything like her before. She hoped, in a way, she could use this to her advantage. “How did all this happen?” She smiled at him, a fake smile, but she hoped that he couldn’t tell. Lena hoped that he had been away from women like her long enough that he wouldn’t recognize genuine emotion. Either that, or she hoped she was a better liar than she thought.
The free man continued to look at her. He reached out and stroked her cheek as he sighed. He never responded in words, only headed back towards his throne.
“Listen,” she said. “I know who you are.” He neither acknowledged that she had spoken nor turned as if he were surprised by her remarks. “I know what kind of man you are!” Her voice rose. On some level, whether emotional or physical, she hoped to reach him.
Her mind suddenly went to Jasper. Her heart sank and she tried not to wonder whether he was searching for her or not. She prayed he was still alive. The thought of him dead seemed to make her heart feel worse than the thought of him alive but not looking for her. They had only just met, but she knew they were connected somehow. This whole thing couldn’t just be fate.
She couldn’t have lived this long, lived through so much, only to be killed or worse by this man. Deep down, she knew there was something bigger going on here. Maybe this man had answers, maybe he only needed someone to reach out to him, maybe he knew how things could change. In all her time alone on her farm, she had never imagined a community such as this. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but something told her that this community’s leader knew something very important.
As he settled down in his chair, she was brought back to reality. “I know who you are!” she shouted again.
He raised his hand to halt her speech. “You’ve mentioned that already,” he spoke at last. “So, please, tell me who I am. Maybe I have forgotten.”
She was unsure whether this was a trap or not, but didn’t hesitate. She moved towards him, suddenly not caring if she would live or die. “You have become a madman.” She swallowed, keeping the exit door in her line of sight at all times. She had no idea of what kind of reaction she could expect from him.
The motionlessness of his body gave her strength. She prayed that he needed to hear what she had to say. “You weren’t always this kind of man; your eyes tell me you used to be different.” She looked into his face, hoping she could see the look she was
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