Chapter 18

It seemed like hours before the trailer came to a stop again.

This time, the door was opened and light was let into the trailer.

It was early evening and the sun was still up in the sky. The sky was a slight orange colour, and the sun would soon go to sleep for the night.

Elle had been right. It was much colder here than in Grea. She was very grateful for the warm coat, even if she was not pleased with where it had come from.

"You gonna get out?" Zelroth asked, blocking Elle's view through the door.

Elle tried to reply only to remember that her mouth was gagged. She tried to crawl out of the trailer, but it was difficult with no hands.

She was suddenly yanked out by Zelroth, and she found herself on the floor. A bruise would surely form on her hip later.

"We ain't got all day!" The man yelled, bringing Elle back to her senses.

She struggled to get up off the floor, and when she had made it up Zelroth grabbed her arm. He used his other hand to untie her mouth, and he began to lead her through the streets.

The village was bustling with activity. Stalls were closing for the night and people were rushing home.

Instead of the happy atmosphere in Grea, people rushed home not bothering to smile at each other or talk to one another. It was almost as if a heavy blanket of gloom was covering the area.

The air was filled with dust, and the buildings all seemed dirty. There was an odd smell, like burning, that floated through the air.

"Where are you taking me?" Elle asked, her voice coming out like a rasp. She was seriously frightened, and had no idea what to do next.

"You'll have to see," Zelroth repied.

As they walked Elle continued to look around. People were staring at her as she walked, and some were laughing at her.

One man that they walked past had only one eye. He bowed mockingly at her and sent a sarcastic smile.

Elle couldn't help but feel that they all knew something about her that she didn't know.

It was worse than expected. The stories that she had heard didn't even begin to describe the horrible atmosphere and conditions that these people were living in.

Somehow, despite the dull and lifeless surroundings, Elle still looked so full of life. Her dark hair was shining in the evening sun, and her eyes were dancing around. She looked so perfect and pure amongst the people surrounding her. It would be clear to anyone that she was not from here.

They walked down the main street which seemed to Elle that it went on for miles. Elle stumbled several times on the rough ground, only to be yanked back up by Zelroth.

They passed one stall with a dead fox hanging up with a rope tied around its neck. There were hundreds of flies gathered around, and the smell made Elle gag.

When they finally stopped they were outside of a small hut. Elle was pulled in and shoved to the floor. She was dizzy and lightheaded from the lack of food, so the last thing she remembered when she reached the floor was the feeling of falling to the ground.

**

Elle awoke with a headache. She was immediately confused at where she was, before she remembered the day's events.

She had reached the hut in the evening, but it now felt liken the middle of the night. The hut was dark and had no windows so it was impossible for Elle to know for certain. But it was eerily quiet and even colder than before.

Elle was quickly distracted from her thoughts by the entrance of a young women. When the door was opened Elle could see that it wasn't as late as she thought.

The women walked over to Elle.

"Ah, good, you're awake." She threw a piece of stale bread in Elle's direction. "Eat up, the boss wants to see you," she spat, glaring at Elle.

Elle quickly ate the bread, not wanting to be punished. The woman was small and thin. Her hair was untamed and her dress ripped. But instead of making her look poor, it made her look beastly.

The lady waited until Elle had finished the small dinner, and then she left the hut. Elle could hear the lock being clicked into place, and then footsteps leaving.

Looking round the hut, Elle could tell that no one lived there. The walls were damp. There as a small mat to one side where Elle had woken up on. On the opposite side was a table and a chair.

Elle was confused at wat she was doing here. Why would her Pa send her away knowing that she would be treated so badly? Surely under the strict and unkind mask her Pa really loved her?

But that could not be. No loving father would send his daughter to a horrible place to be locked up and cruelly treated.

Elle began to cry. It was quiet at first, the small whimpers echoing across the walls. But soon Elle's body was shaking with sobs.

Only when she heard footsteps approaching did Elle calm down slightly.

The door clicked open and in walked the woman from before, Zelroth, and another man.

The new man had a neatly shaven beard, and black hair. His eyes were dark as well, almost a black colour.

"Well, finally you have come to me," the man said, smirking down at her. He pulled over the chair from the table and sat on it, looking down at where she was sitting on the floor.

"They were right, you are a beauty." The man continued. He reached down at Elle, who was still quietly sobbing, and stroked her cheek.

"Why are you crying, my dear?" he asked. When Elle didn't answer he angrily repeated himself. "I said, why are you crying?"

Elle didn't answer, so he grabbed her hair and pulled it roughly.

"You will answer me!" he yelled, jumping up. The chair fell to the floor behind him. He kicked it away in fury.

Elle was really frightened now.

She opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out.

"You'll have to talk to me at some point. Your parents won't want you back mute!"

Elle was confused, and scrunched her eyebrows together. What was he talking about?

"Ah, you didn't know that, did you?" he continued. "Yes, you're parents. They have been looking for you ever since you went missing, nine years ago."

He turned to leave, the women and Zelroth closely following. When the door was closed Elle was plunged into darkness once more.

What did he mean, 'her parents'? Her mother was dead, and she had been for nine years now. And her Pa couldn't have been lying to her.

But the man had said that she had been gone from her parents for nine years. That was when her mother had died. Could it really be that she had been living with her kidnapper for that long?

She wanted so badly to believe it. She might somewhere have a loving mother and father who missed her. She could have lived a happy life with them, but instead she was forced to live with an evil man who had bad intentions.

It was too late to do anything now. If she had known before she would have run away to find them. But now she couldn't escape, and she would never have the life that she wanted. And they would never have their daughter back.

The thoughts brought a flood of new tears to Elle's eyes. She wept for what she had lost and the life that she would never know.

The door opened again, but Elle had been so stuck in her own thoughts that she didn't even realise that anyone was coming.

It was a younger women this time, who had dirty blonde hair that was pulled into a messy bun. She came up to Elle and knelt down beside her.

"You should stop crying," she said looking pityingly at Elle. Elle just looked back at her, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

"I won't hurt you," she continued. "I'm not like the others."

Elle nodded her head. This lady was nothing like the others.

"My name is Rose," she said, with a gentle smile.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a rag that was soaked in water. She handed it to Elle and gesture for her to drink the water from it.

"I would have brought you more, but this is all I could sneak out of the house. Oh, and I have another bread role!"

Elle took the bread from the lady and scoffed it down, frightened that it would be taken away. It was much fresher than the bread she was given earlier, and tasted much more delightlful.

"I'm sorry that I can't do anything else for you. There is so much more that I wish I could do, especially considering who you are. If they catch me they will hurt me. You can't tell them anything." She said, her eyes filled with worry.

"Thank you," Elle sincerely replied. It was the first time she had spoken. "What did you mean when you said 'considering who you are'?"

"Oh, they haven't told you. It's almost easier for you if you don't know. Just know that you are someone very important. Your family have been searching for a long time." Her smile was a gentle, almost pitying sight.

There was a noise from outside, and Rose jumped.

"I've got to go! You can't tell them what I have said! And if I were you, I'd keep quiet around them."

"Thank you, Rose" Elle said, smiling sadly.

The door began to open, and Rose jumped up from the ground next to Elle.

"Rose, I didn't know you were meant to check on her." Zelroth said, staring at Rose with narrow eyes.

"We can't very well have our prisoner dying!" Rose smirked at the man.

"I suppose you are right," Zelroth replied, sending Rose a smile.

Rose sent a small, almost unnoticeable smile of apology at Elle, and walked towards the door. Elle didn't miss Zelroth's lustful gaze as he watched her leave.

"You better sleep for the night."

He followed Rose out and shut the door behind him. Elle was plunged into darkness, and the last thing she heard was the lock being clicked into place.