Promise

Chapter 3

May sighs.

She's hungry. Xavier has been absent the past few days so she hasn't been able to eat. Groaning, she attempts to yank her wrists out of the corroded chains that enslave her. The result is a sharp pain shooting up her arms. She tugs at the chains, standing now, dragging her feet on the rugged cavern floor. She collapses to the ground. Cursing, she flings her arms, surrendering to the fact that she cannot escape.

Perhaps Skylar is here, May thinks to herself. Or Evan...or...Derek?

She tries to recap every name of the Magma and Aqua grunts, but they won't recollect. It was almost a year ago when Xavier kidnapped her for a reason she is still unsure. And since then, her home has been a large, dingy, empty cavern.

Xavier himself is a former Team Magma grunt along with Evan and Derek. However, Skylar is a former Team Aqua grunt. May is still not quite sure what their intentions are, or why the unlikely pairs are united—especially since their teams have dismembered. The cold-faced members spat on her the past year. Skylar sometimes offered some kind of comfort. But not really.

May only withholds a feeling of never-ending loneliness; she has nothing to do but sit idly and stare at the enclosed walls of her cave-like prison. Very seldom, however, the grunts unhinge her from the chains and allow her to walk around. Of course, they closely monitor her actions. Alas, she is immersed in constant boredom.

"Sk-Skylar! Are you here?" She croaks; her voice is wearing away due to her seldom use of it.

There is no answer besides the lonely echoes of her voice. She decides to squint into the sliver of the cave to configure what time of day it is. Because the dome is heavily masked in darkness, the tiniest bit of sunlight it does receive is almost tangible. (The sliver is the way through which her captors enter and exit. It is camouflaged by patches of tall grass, making it imperceptible to passerby's view.)

May stands, hands still chained, and attempts to peer through the sliver. She tilts her head. There's a hint of pale orange sunlight, so she assumes it must be morning.

"Oh," she lies down on the little cot they gave her. It's as stale as a pile of bricks, but she enjoys every little bit of comfort she is offered. She sighs, closing her eyes.

"It's...it's awfully lonely here. I miss ya, Mom. Dad," she says aloud, expecting no answer.

Sometimes talking gives her déjà Vu of the fond memories she shares with those whom she loves.

"And B-Brendan..."

"Is that the guy who you keep chattering about in your sleep?" Chuckles a deep voice, cutting the quiet atmosphere. "Brendan, was it? Ridiculous!"

May, cheeks red and eyes narrow, abruptly sits upright. She recognizes the voice—it belongs to Xavier.

He slides through the sliver and down into the cave, slowly strutting towards May. She glares at him, a disgusted look reigning her face.

"Well, good news for you, Missy," Xavier cackles, his dark eyes masked under his red hood. "He's the one we need. So you'll be reunited with your little boyfriend at last."

The menacing male turns on his heels like a military general. His maroon boots click against the stone cavern floor as he ignores the girl, expecting no response; for May is often quiet. But May's quiet demeanor suddenly changes.

"Wh-What?!" She hisses, her light voice cutting the thick atmosphere.

"You heard 'em, Miss," chuckles Evan, who closely resembles Xavier except with sleek blonde hair. "He's just what we've been looking for." He gives a light-hearted pat on Xavier's shoulder.