Marked (Hosie Fanfic)

[18] Guilt

Hope POV

My eyelids are heavy and I can't seem to lift them. I try and try but nothing seems to work. No matter how hard I try, my vision is still shrouded in darkness.

"Hope." A voice faintly calls out to me but I pay no heed. I just sit in the darkness with no intentions of waking up. I couldn't even if I wanted to. My body feels like it's on fire. Pain courses through my body and it leaves me breathless.

"Hope." The voice calls out for me again and the concern in it makes me jolt awake.

My eyes pop open and shut almost immediately at the bright light. "Ah, shit." My hand goes to my temple and I try to rub it to soothe the massive headache but it does little to relieve it. After a few minutes I brave trying to open my eyes again and this time it's slightly easier.

My eyes adjust to the lighting and I look around my surroundings. My mind is in a haze and I can't seem to focus on anything. "Hope?" I turn my head to look at the owner of the voice and I'm met with Penelope's green eyes.

"Oh, hey." The voice that comes out is hoarse as if it hasn't been used in a while. "How do you feel?" "Like I got ran over a truck and then dad threw a skyscraper on me." I clear my throat harshly.

Penelope laughs lightly but it's hollow. We sit in silence for God knows how long and my haziness has long since cleared up. My body still aches probably from whatever they drugged me with but I can now think clearly.

"What happened to you?" I break the silence and look over at Penelope. She shrugs. "Lizzie blew some dust at me, it knocked me out and when I woke up, I was here with these on." She lifts her wrists to display thick black metal chains that snugly hug her wrists. Another chain connects her to the wall. "Magic-restraining cuffs. Smart," she says bitterly. I lift my wrists to see that another pair of chains are also around my wrists. I'm also connecting to the wall. Great.

I look down to see that we're both still wearing the same outfits from... yesterday? How many days have we been down here? Why did Josie do this? I barely realize that I have a shirt on.

As if she heard my question, Josie enters the room with the squad flanking her.

"You know, usually when a woman has me in chains, we're usually on my bed." Penelope's words echo in the empty cell and no one reacts. I don't miss the subtle blush that flashes on Josie's face.

"Shut up. Tell us what you are?" Josie's voice is firm and I'm taken aback. So she does remember. She must remember or else why would she be doing this.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, darling." I silently thank Penelope for doing all the talking. "Don't lie. I saw Hope transform from a wolf to a human. And then the next day she spat up a black liquid. What does Malivore want?"

Josie's outburst is followed by silence as my mind tries to follow and understand what she just said. But when my brain catches up, I burst out laughing. I clutch my sides as it hurts both from laughing and pain from my wounds.

"You think... that I'm from Malivore?" I barely get the words out through my cries of laughter. I nudge Penelope. "What a great joke." But when I notice that Penelope isn't laughing, I pause. "Hope, I don't think she's joking." When I look over at the group and all their somber faces I realize that she's right.

"Josie, this is stupid. Your dad remembers us. He even yelled at us in front of you. How can we be from Malivore if your dad remembers us?"

"We don't know everything about Malivore. Maybe you put fake memories in his mind." I scoff at Lizzie's comment. "I mean sure that makes sense. I have an explanation for everything but I'm not sure if you're ready to hear it. Just ask your dad. Or even better, call him down here so that I can see your face when you realize how stupid this is," my voice comes out harsher than I meant but it's too late now, and honestly I don't really care anymore. "You can even call your mom down. I'm sure she'll be happy to explain this."