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Kaptita (part 2)
I don't know what pulls me from my sleep, but when I wake up I find myself in the woods. The girl still lays slumped against my shoulder, her neck sits in a sharp, uncomfortable angle. I move my free hand through my dark hair before struggling to get both of us up. My feet ache and my muscles remain stiff. I lift the girl up and start through the dense forest. The ground is covered in dead leaves. The trees are coated in moist green moss.
The minutes tick by. The dead silence weighs on my shoulders. How did I find myself chained to this girl? I let out a huff of air as I shake my head. I listen for noise, but hear nothing. No birds, no shuffling leaves, no water. Just silence. The minutes tick on. The girl doesn't stir. I continue shuffling through the silence until I reach a cliff. The gray brown rock rises in a sharp angle. Frustration courses through me as I try and figure out the best option.
Screams erupt in my ears as I try and think. Her screams startle me and I almost drop her. She writhes in my arms, pushes against my chest. Her screams are caught by a sob. Her body trembles as she shoves herself from my arms. The chain bites into my wrist but my feet stay put. Her body thumps into the leaves. She tugs against the chain hooked on her wrist, she squeals in pain or in fear, I'm not sure which. She begins crying again, she's awake.
I'm frozen, all my words are caught in my throat. What do I say? Can she speak? I can't say she’ll be okay, not even I know that. I take a deep breath, “Are you okay,” idiot, obviously she's not okay.
She tries to pull apart from me, the chain digs into our wrists and blood spills from her arm. She squeals again. “P-pl-please d-don’t hurt m-me.” She tries to back away from me again but she stops.
I squat down in front of her, my chained arm extended forward to give her more room, she shuffles backward until the chain is fully extended between us, her arm, like mine is extended in front of her. About a six inch gap stays between our fingers. “I’m not going to hurt you, I'm trying to help.”
I watch her head shake vigorously as her eyes begin to water again. “Help? Sir, I’m chained to you....
The minutes tick by. The dead silence weighs on my shoulders. How did I find myself chained to this girl? I let out a huff of air as I shake my head. I listen for noise, but hear nothing. No birds, no shuffling leaves, no water. Just silence. The minutes tick on. The girl doesn't stir. I continue shuffling through the silence until I reach a cliff. The gray brown rock rises in a sharp angle. Frustration courses through me as I try and figure out the best option.
Screams erupt in my ears as I try and think. Her screams startle me and I almost drop her. She writhes in my arms, pushes against my chest. Her screams are caught by a sob. Her body trembles as she shoves herself from my arms. The chain bites into my wrist but my feet stay put. Her body thumps into the leaves. She tugs against the chain hooked on her wrist, she squeals in pain or in fear, I'm not sure which. She begins crying again, she's awake.
I'm frozen, all my words are caught in my throat. What do I say? Can she speak? I can't say she’ll be okay, not even I know that. I take a deep breath, “Are you okay,” idiot, obviously she's not okay.
She tries to pull apart from me, the chain digs into our wrists and blood spills from her arm. She squeals again. “P-pl-please d-don’t hurt m-me.” She tries to back away from me again but she stops.
I squat down in front of her, my chained arm extended forward to give her more room, she shuffles backward until the chain is fully extended between us, her arm, like mine is extended in front of her. About a six inch gap stays between our fingers. “I’m not going to hurt you, I'm trying to help.”
I watch her head shake vigorously as her eyes begin to water again. “Help? Sir, I’m chained to you....
