" Stupidity and bravery go hand in hand"
I actually don't have any recollection of who imparted that nugget of wisdom to me. It could have been my father or I read it somewhere. Either way, it holds a grain of truth.
I was roused from my slumber with a bucket of ice-cold water. Gasping and shivering, I'm greeted with three hundred degrees of cold grey stone. The cold water had served its purpose and sent my body on high alert, washing every bit of drowsiness out of my system.
A bowl of food appeared in front of me, making me look at the person who oh, so kindly offered it to me. Although, I had a feeling that it wasn't out of the kindness of his heart.
A man, no, a boy with muddy brown hair, green eyes and a complexion that would make most women commit murder just for a chance to own. He is tall, maybe the same height as me. Wearing jeans, boots, and a leather jacket that hugs his upper body. I have a feeling that he is the one who snatched me.
" Eat," He nudges the bowl closer to me and I take it and place it down next to me. I don't think much at that moment. My brain is seizing, trying to understand where the hell have I been dragged into. It looks like hell, it feels like hell, it smells like hell, so it must be hell.
" You need to keep your strength. We need you alive. You can't die. Not just yet," Comforting. I look at him and behind him. It's not a cell. There is an open corridor behind him with a vaulted ceiling. The lights flicker on, and I know that we are somewhere underground because there is not an ounce of natural light.
" Don't bother escaping. It's a maze down here. You'll only end up getting lost. Plus, you'll have to figure out how to rid yourself of those first," He points at my legs, and I finally notice that I'm chained to the floor. I swallow the ball of dread that settled in my throat threatening to suffocate me and I realise that I'm doomed.
I will die in a squalid underground cave, most likely covered in my own urine. Charming. At least my sense of humour hasn't been dulled by the recent events. I wonder if anyone would go through the trouble to look for me. I was supposed to meet with Laira on Wednesday. I know she will worry if I don't turn up. I'm not the most punctual person in existence. No matter how late I might be, I still turn up at one point. So maybe she won't brush off my absence. I pray like I haven't done in a long time.
He hasn't moved from his spot. He studies me intently. The same way an archaeologist studies a rare artefact everyone thought was nothing more than a mere myth, yet it still exists.
I pay no attention to the fact that I'm cold. It is irrelevant at this point. If I die ahead of schedule and mess with their plans. It's no skin off my back.
Whatever they want from me and Mason it clearly rests heavily on us being alive. First thing first. Find out what they want. I'm sure they won't offer me the answers I seek on a nice silver platter. That would be great, but in every book I read usually the villain gives a nice lengthy speech about what led him to take the evil road.
" What's your name?" The clattering of my teeth had made that little sentence sound like I was being electrocuted.
The boy's brows pull together, with a hint of curiosity.
" I keep calling you ' the boy ' in my head. It would be much easier if I knew your name or I'd get creative," I make an effort to contain the shivering. Shivering and speaking, never went well together. Multitasking isn't something I naturally possess like many other gifted ladies out there. But I make an effort, most of the time.
" Eagan," He studies his nails as if they were the most fascinating thing on earth.
I nod, or at least try to nod. I'm not sure anymore. I have very little control of my reflexes. I have entered cavewoman mode. So, pretty much every twitch and jerk is involuntary.
" Eagan," I draw a superficial breath in, mostly to buy time and his attention. He raises his eyes and lowers his hand to his side.
" Why am I here? What is it that you want?" He smirks at my question and shrugs. Either he knows or pretends not to know. Or is he so far down the food chain, that he is only a step above me and I'm chained to the floor?
" Should I assume you don't know or don't want to tell me," He seems reluctant to share any more information with me.
" I have to say, I'm slightly heartbroken. I deserve to know why I'm going to die. Is it at least for a good cause?" I venture further into the guessing game hopefully he will let something slip out. Anything is better than nothing.
" Just eat your food. You'll find out soon enough," He says rather darkly, turns on his heels and saunters into the hazy darkness.
I look at the bowl of mush on the floor for a brief moment trying to decide. To live or die.
The human body can survive without water for approximately three to four days, depending on the environmental factors. The higher the temperature the higher the dehydration rate. Seven days without food, and after that the body would turn on itself. First the muscles, and then slowly, the internal organs, and after that a slow and agonising death.
Clearly, they were leveraging me. They must've known I was Mason's weakness. At least Enid was safe. I found some comfort in that.
Infuriated with my current predicament, I found my resolve and decided to starve myself to death.
My lack of strength and stamina was staring me in the face very much like the bowl that I had managed to go splat on the floor about one foot in front of me.
I did find it quite gratifying that the content splattered all over the floor, adding a touch of beige to the dark grey walls of my new home.