Wicked Hearts Of Stone

Chapter 6

Lights flickering over my face, my eye lids feeling heavy and protesting to fully open and adjust my vision. I felt so tired, so weak, almost slipping back into the cradling temptation of sleep, but as my thoughts were gathering, flashes of last nights encounter replayed in my mind.
Eyes shoot open wide, heart suddenly pounding hard and deep in my chest. My breaths become quick and shallow, struggling to get a proper breath in.
Where am I?
I try to move, to sit up but my body restrained against something.
I try to look around but the sharp midday sun beaming between the tree canopy onto my face blinds me momentarily.
I grunt and struggle to get any movement, quickly realising a thick and dense woven rope twisted and tangled all around my body tightly. Digging into my exposed skin around my wrist and ankles. It felt like the more I struggled, the more the rope was getting tighter digging into me.
The more you move, the tighter it gets. It's no ordinary rope, dear
"You're awake? Already?" That familiar voice spoke above me from last night. That man - the one who kidnapped me. Or should I say father sold me to?
I try to look around, testing and turning my body to meet the face of the man, but all I managed to see was the back of his body. Perched up on a wooden bench on top of the moving carriage, his body layered in what seemed to be some sort of soft armour. A long crème tunic draping his body with straps of thickened leather patches on his elbows and his rigid broad shoulders. In between his shoulders his mid length brown hair met in soft curls. A bit dirty his hair was, with small knots and specks of dirt and dried grass, even his tunic was fraying at the seams.
I studied the man momentarily, as his body swayed and hobbled with the moving carriage on the loose pebble ridden path. Chains and rope clanking again the carriage and horses hooves and puffs of air suddenly becoming louder, more aware. Everything was sinking in and panic arose yet again.
I glance around the back of the wooden cart I was laying in, looking amongst the dry hay and edges of the worn carriage if anything would help me get free. I try to shuffle my body around, feeling in between the hay and stray for any material or tools laying underneath, but my fingertips just kept finding the splintering, worn wood underneath.
"You're not going anywhere, dear." The man stated. It was like he would see my every movement with eyes on the back of his head.
Anger arose in my body, not wanting to be defeated, to be sold and stolen by this man. I thrash and squirm more, but i am reminded of the tight bounds of rope around my body, tightening yet again with every movement. I hiss in the pain, realising the skin on my ankles have become raw from the friction against the ropes.
Feeling defeated, I angle my head back to the man, "Where am I?" I demand from him, trying to sound as confident as I can with a lump building in my throat. I was panicked and scared but knew there had to be a way out, somehow.
"Far from where you've ever traveled before, but don't worry, we're not long off from our final destination. The man replied in a deep but monotone voice.
"What are you going to do with me? Why did my father sell me to you? I'm not worth anything." I spat back at the man, demanding a proper answer.
There was a moment of silence followed by a sigh from the man, "females like you are worth a good amount of coin, but your loud mouth and attitude won't get you very far. So why don't you just shut up and stop asking question" he said back, his face turned to the side as I'm able to catch his side profile. Obviously looking very irritated.
The stubbornness in me wanted to keep poking the man, keep asking him question until I got an answer, but I knew it would be better not to. I had no idea where I was, what way was home or what was waiting for me at the end destination. I decided it would be best to save my energy and collect my thoughts. Find my boundaries and look for an escape while I had the chance and courage.

I look back up at the tree canopy, the sun dancing along the leaves as they rustle in the gentle wind. Little birds freely swooping around, playing and chirping with each other, now realising I have taken my freedom for granted.
A thought of Luca enters my mind and my heat tightens in my chest. I just hope he is doing okay, if he knows where I've gone, what happened, or if father has spun a twisted sick lie to Luca. But yet again, knowing father so well I can bet the high probability of him making his way to the bar after his transaction with this man, drinking pint after pint all night long without feeling any remorse of his actions. Gotten so drunk he would have had to stumble and crawl back home to pass out in the porch, or if he was enough to make it inside. He would either be still stinking drunk from the night before in the morning when Luca greets him, or have a raging hangover, making his problem and pain everyone else's problem and pain. Luca would avoid him like the plague until he becomes more sober and stable. But just knowing Luca is stuck there, alone, makes me sick and angry. I'd have to deal with the situation harshly but appropriately once u get back, weather that would be sooner or later.