Loyalty Divided

Chapter Four

Evangeline was bound and gagged, her wrists chafing against the rough ropes as she lay in the corner of a dimly lit cabin. The flickering light from a lone oil lamp cast eerie shadows on the walls, creating twisted shapes that seemed to mock her helplessness. Her heart pounded in her chest, the fear and despair almost suffocating. The door creaked open, and her captors entered. The leader, a tall man with a jagged scar across his face, approached her with a menacing grin. "Look at you, all tied up like a little bird," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Ain't no one coming to save you, girl." Evangeline's eyes burned with unshed tears as she glared at him. She remembered the night they had taken her, how they had murdered her family in cold blood. Her father had tried to protect them, but he was no match for the brutality of these men. Her mother had pleaded for their lives, only to be silenced by a gunshot.

"Why are you doing this?" she had managed to scream, her voice raw with grief and rage.

The scarred man had laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Because we can. Because people like you think you're better than us. We're here to remind you that you're not."

His words echoed in her mind as he loomed over her, the memory of his cruelty making her shiver. He reached down and grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look into his cold, dead eyes. "You're gonna learn your place, girl. We'll break you, one way or another."

She had fought against them, her spirit unbroken despite the horrors she had witnessed. "I'll never submit to you," she had spat, defiance burning in her eyes.

The man's grin widened. "We'll see about that."

Arthur stirred in his sleep, hearing a muffled cry. He opened his eyes and listened intently. Another cry pierced the night, and he realized it was coming from Evangeline's tent. Concerned, he rose quietly and approached her tent, peering inside to see her thrashing about, clearly caught in the grips of a nightmare.

"Evangeline," he whispered, stepping closer. "Evangeline, wake up."

She bolted upright, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with fear. Seeing Arthur, she tried to compose herself, brushing away the tears that had streaked her cheeks.

"You alright?" Arthur asked softly, concern etched on his face.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Just a bad dream," she said, her voice shaky. "Thank you, Arthur."

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "Try to get some rest. Got a long day ahead of us." Arthur backed out of the tent. Seeing the sun start to rise, he made his way to the fire to brew coffee for everyone else.

Arthur stirred in his sleep, hearing a muffled cry. He opened his eyes and listened intently. Another cry pierced the night, and he realized it was coming from Evangeline's tent. Concerned, he rose quietly and approached her tent, peering inside to see her thrashing about, clearly caught in the grips of a nightmare.

"Evangeline," he whispered, stepping closer. "Evangeline, wake up."

She bolted upright, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with fear. Seeing Arthur, she tried to compose herself, brushing away the tears that had streaked her cheeks.

"You alright?" Arthur asked softly, concern etched on his face.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Just a bad dream," she said, her voice shaky. "Thank you, Arthur."

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "Try to get some rest. Got a long day ahead of us." Arthur backed out of the tent. Seeing the sun start to rise, he made his way to the fire to brew coffee for everyone else.

As the coffee brewed, Arthur couldn't shake the image of Evangeline's frightened expression. He knew that look all too well-it was the look of someone haunted by their past. He poked the fire absently, lost in his thoughts until the aroma of coffee brought him back to the present. The first light of dawn painted the horizon in soft hues of pink and orange, signaling the start of a new day.