Verdant

The thoughts that give you hell

My eyes opened slowly. Feeling my thoughts slightly blur as I struggled to get a grasp on my surroundings. I was rested against someone's back, my head on their shoulder. I was fairly high off the ground with my feet dangling slightly as my knees were held up. I must've been being carried. I could feel somewhat of a light thumping coming from beneath me. They were walking. I tried to move but there was little feeling in my body. My arms were wrapped loosely around the persons shoulders as they held onto my legs. Was I drugged or something? I could barely recall the days events, I just remember going to sleep in the cave again.

I shifted my head slightly to get a look at my surroundings and the person carrying me spoke up. "You're finally awake, good, we're here." The voice was unfamiliar but comprehensive enough to understand in my strange state.

I was carried into a large open field that was soon quickly covered in underbrush once more. The person stopped and the sound of rolling metal and the electronic sound of what I'd imagine was a keypad could be heard. A cold breeze came at me as the person began walking forward again. The area around us got darker and darker as the forest area disappeared further into view and we entered an enclosed metal structure similar to that of a hallway. I closed my eyes in the darkness. I was still so drowsy, and there was nothing I could do at the moment. Time passed, I'm not sure how much. My thoughts slowly returning to me. I couldn't sense my panic from before I was too relaxed and drowsy...but I was scared. I was protecting Ryan from two men. It clicked. The days events everything since I woke up in his arms. Nothing felt in order though.

I was set down with my back against something hard allowing me to sit up. My mind felt a little clearer now and some of my energy and feeling came back. There was little to no visibility in the room at first but my eyes adjusted within a matter of seconds before they clicked on a small overhead light that lit the room dimly.

"Wakey wakey." The man carrying me whispered messing with my hair.

Huh? I blinked a few times. I was correct as to the man who had been carrying me was the strange man from before, James. That red head. He patted my head. Right, they tried to attack Ryan. My thoughts flooded back in a whole instead of jumbled fragments, and the sudden drowsiness instantly was swept away. I tried to back up against the wall more frightened. They'd kidnapped me??

The room lit up dimly so you could see a small shadow of everything. It almost looked like a rundown office or radio center. The other man from before set Ryan down beside me on the floor. He had such a weak looking frame, him being able to carry someone bigger than him was surprising. He had two black wristlets on though. Maybe that black cube again? Was it more then just a gun?

It was dark, but I could still faintly see how red Ryan's forehead was. It looked that it had gotten even worse. His breathing had sped up again and it almost looked like he was burning up. Like he was in the middle of a nightmare. What must be going on mentally and physically, I can only imagine the pain.

I struggled to turn and reached my arm out to him. A sudden surge of pain went through my body causing me to wince in pain slightly as I fell to the ground aching. Why does it hurt to move? Why can't I reach him?

"Ha, your little experiments really work Aaron!" James laughed staring in a curious and joyous awe.

"A poison that renders movement temporarily and a slow acting poison that could be agonizingly painful if it's victim shared the same rate of speed as this one...just for him." Aaron kicked Ryan in the side. Ryan coughed up a bit of blood falling onto his side. Still unconscious.

"Stop it!" I yelled horsely.

"And for you...just targeting your pain and conscious receptors. Knock you out but a rude awakening. It would hurt at first but someone's soft." He rolled his eyes at James.