Francesca's Dream

A Coupe

The group met up at breakfast; sitting down with their bowls of gruel the group talked about what progress was made. Looking around the room, Aira noticed that Vincent was still missing. This was now really starting to worry him; what could he be doing with two guards, and for this long.

Francesca noticed the worry in Aira's eyes; placing a hand on his forearm she spoke "Hey calm down, we don't know anything yet." "Yeah you're right, but I still have an uneasy feeling about this. He was talking to two guards. Why would he do that?" He said. "I don't know ,but you need to act like nothing is going on, if not he will catch on." Francesca said.

Helena, and Skott sat across from the pair. 'Hey, so how are we going down there?" Skott said in a hushed voice. "It's going we still have another hour of our shift to do after breakfast." Aira replied. That's good, But what I think he means is how long is it?" Helena injected. A dumbfound look stumbled across his face" Oh, right of course, I will have to measure it when we get back." He said blushing a bit. "Are you okay, you look a little off today." Skott said looking hard at Aira. "Yeah man I'm fine, it's nothing.-"

"Hey look there's Vin." Helena said. She stood a bit ,waving her hand in the air with a smile. Vincent walked over with a slight smirk. Slapping his hands onto Aira's shoulders, and sat down. "So how is everyone this morning?" He said striking up conversation. "It has been the same thing as usual; dig, eat, dig some more." Skott said sipping his weak coffee.

Vincent was acting like nothing at all happened this morning. He was laughing, and smiling with the others, acting like his usual self; it was driving Aira crazy. All he wanted to know was what he was doing with the guards this morning; if Vincent was giving their plan up for something else that he could possibly desire. "So what were you doing with the guards this morning!" The bitter words flying out of Aira's mouth before he could catch them. "Excuse me?" Vincent said in a confused tone. "You heard me, I saw you with the guards this morning. What did you tell them!" Aira said his anger coming close to boiling over.

Francesca placed her hand on his arm, hoping that he would calm down a bit, before making a scene. "I don't know what you are talking about." Vincent said once more. "Don't lie to me!" Aira said his voice rising. A few nearby people turned their heads into the direction of the table. In a hushed voice Vincent said "Fine I will tell you but not here, not now where people can hear us." "Fine when we get back to the bunk house then you spill your guts." Aira said still in an angered tone.

Once the group made it back to the bunk house, minus Audrey they got down to business. Vincent sat on one of the bottom bunks, Skott perched on top of his, long legs dangling below. His feet almost hitting Helena's head. Francesca sat with Helena; next to Aira who was standing. Aira was still in a fit of rage over Vincent and the guards. "Spill." He said in a calm, but still authoritative voice.

Vincent looked up, his blue eyes cold. "I have been smuggling the guards information." Aira's eyes when wide with rage. "Not about us! About Intel coming from outside the camp. There is rumor that a so called cur army is rising; Elphaba can't find them. The officers have been assigned to question the prisoners. They are even going to start checking bunk houses. I paid a few of them off." He said urgently. "And how did you do that, we don't get paid Vin!" Aira thundered.

Vincent was quiet for a moment, looking down at his shoes he spoke ever so softly,"I paid them with her." He was now pointing with a slim finger at Francesca. Without a moment's notice Aira was upon Vincent in a split second. Fists were flying at Vincent's face; Aira hitting him again, and again. Blood was streaming down Vincent's nose, and mouth. "How could you do that Vin! Trade a person off like a toy on the playground!" Aira screamed in anger.

Skott flung himself on top of Aira, grabbing him around the chest, trying to pull him off of Vincent. Skott fell backwards, Airas weight pushing him against one of the bunks. "You bastard! How could you!" Aira screamed. "They will be here first thing tomorrow morning to get her, I had no choice Aira! Vincent screamed back, blood still dripping down his face. "It was either trade her and live, or be caught and die."

In the calmest voice she could muster Francesca asked "Who did you trade me to?" "What does that matter?" Vincent asked wiping his blood from his face. "Just answer the question!" Skott shouted, still struggling to hold Aira back from possibly killing Vincent. "I don't know, I think he said his name was Raswood, Eric Raswood. Said he was in need of a new maid for his house or something like that." He said. Francesca put her face to her hands. How could this happen she thought. "Skott let him go." She said now standing up from the bunk she had been sitting on. Helena was shaking, nothing like this had ever happened before. "If I let go of him he will kill Vin." He said still struggling to keep hold of Aira. " Let go of him Skott." She said one last time. Skott let go; Aria sprang to his feet after Vincent once more.

Francesca stopped him in his tracks. Standing now in front of the cruel boy, still bleeding on the floor. "Aira stop, he isn't worth it." She said looking at him now. His knuckles bloodied from hitting Vincent. "Why should I, He just gave you away like you were a toy." He spat back. Francesca grabbed at his bloody hand, dragging him outside the bunkhouse. On the way out she could hear the ever so good hearted Skott helping Vincent off the floor. "Come on let's go dig."

The pair walked a few bunk houses over; Francesca stopped and turned around to face Aira. Her eyes were watering. Aira's face began to soften seeing this, the girl he was falling in love with, cry was killing him. He wrapped his strong arms around her delicate body, bring her into him. She started to sob, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. This could be the last day they had to be together. Aira bending his head down resting his cheek atop her head.

The following morning before the first bell rung two guards came into the bunkhouse, pulling Francesca out of her bed. The others still in a cold sleep, never stirring at even the slightest noise. Francesca walked out of bunk house 117-G under the cover of darkness.