Hiraeth (n)
A homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your path.
"Just one thing. In order to get the cure for you and your group, you must kill...
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She woke abruptly to the car door opening and someone ripping her out of her seat. The dirty fingernails dug into her arm. Before she could yell, the tip of a gun met her temple. Nyla stopped struggling. She raised her hands up above her head, and got out to see three people. One was a girl, and the other two were boys. The one trait they shared was the fact that they were dirty. Their clothes looked as if they hadn't been washed in days. Their skin was pale, but blotched with dirt patches. Their hair must have been a literal nest for some creature.
"Feisty, I like this one." The girl with the red hair pointed her knife towards Nyla.
"How many are in the other car?" The boy standing farther from her asked.
Nyla stayed silent. She had a feeling the group wasn't scared to kill her, but also knew they would probably need more convincing than her not answering a single question. Nevertheless, the blonde next to her pushed the tip of the gun further into her head; a sign he would pull the trigger if she didn't answer.
"Five." She spat the lie, but it wasn't convincing enough.
The taller boy banged on the window next to Thomas. "Wakey, wakey. We got your pretty little girl out here. Come say good morning!" His voice had eery undertones.
Thomas took no time opening his door. He raised his hands at the sight of the gun, but didn't say anything. It was Brenda who did the talking. "Look, we're new here. Just looking for some friends. If you'd kindly let us pass-"
"Welcome to WICKED's very own Crankland." The tall started. "Don't worry about them down there. Most of us aren't too far gone just yet." He nodded towards a door in the side of the alley. Music blared from the broken window above the entrance, and colored lights flared out as well.
"What do you want from us?" Thomas mustered up the courage to ask a question of his own. The question was more in the tone of a statement; stern and direct.
"Why, party of course! Party party, the only way to let a little loose in these parts." The girl's voice was nasally and high pitched. It frightened any sane person listening, but she was too small and frail to fear physically.
Brenda's stance was confident. "Thanks, but no." She mumbled.
This caused the tall boy to pull out his gun, and the girl her screwdriver. "I'm afraid we didn't ask. We invited you to party with us."
"Fine!" Thomas shouted. "We'll go to your party."
"What?!" Brenda and Nyla shouted in unison. Thomas eyed the weapons, hoping to help them understand.
"You two should listen to your boyfriend. Is he the only one that uses logic?" The tall mocked the girls. "Anyways, let's get this part started. You three will lead the way. The password is three slow knocks, three fast knocks, and two knuckle taps."
Nyla refrained from rolling her eyes at the ridiculous ritual. She could feel the knife pierce her back as the cranks herded them to the door. Thomas was first, and by default had to do the password. Almost immediately, the door opened. The building was full of cranks.
"Welcome, Thomas." The bouncer smiled. His teeth were yellow and chipped, but that's not what caught their attention.
Thomas's eyes widened. He looked back at Nyla and Brenda. Although Nyla assumed maybe they knew each other, Brenda knew the problem.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh, you think we weren't watching you last night? That, and your name is all over the city on small little plaques. You didn't see? Of course, that's okay if you didn't. You don't seem like the brightest bulb of your little threesome." The crank kept rambling, and Nyla wished he would just stop. When he finally did, they entered the club.
The three cranks dispersed in the crowd, the tall one telling them he was going to get them drinks. Nyla was about to come up with a way to escape the club, when Brenda spoke up.
"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here. Let's stay for awhile."
Nyla's focus shifted straight to Brenda. Her eyes widened. Brenda's hips swayed to the beat of the music. She rested her arms over Thomas's shoulders. The girl was weird, no doubt, but Thomas seemed just as confused as Nyla.
"What? Don't say that." Thomas declared. Nyla could tell he cared about her just by watching the two. But she had enough of the two.
"That's it. I'm going to look for another way out of here." Nyla could hear Thomas say something about not going alone, but the farther she got, the more his voice blended in with the crowd.
Her body was pushed and bumped into by other bodies in the crowd. She'd lost Thomas and Brenda with only a few steps, and could barely make it to the wall. The flashing lights added to the dramatic effect. Her breathing became heavier. Sweat began building at the sides of her temples. The room kept getting hotter and hotter.
Then the tall crank came back, the redhead behind him. Together they carried three drinks. "And where do you think you're going?"
"I want to leave." Nyla was blunt and honest with her reply. She saw no need to lie at this point.
The annoying woman shook her head in disapproval. Her pigtails swayed back and fourth over her shoulders. "The party hasn't even started yet. And your friend over there," She raised her bone-y finger up in Thomas's direction. "He's kind of growing on me! Maybe I can make him mine." Her voice was crazed and squeaky. The tall guy eyed his friend, yet another look of disapproval.
"Friend is a bit of an overstatement." Nyla mumbled, her eyes meeting Thomas's. In that moment, there was an unexpected flash of worry in his expression. He too sensed the danger in the atmosphere. He grabbed Brenda's arm and pulled her through the crowd.
The tall guy grabbed Nyla's wrist and placed the blue drink in her hand. "Bottoms up." He whispered to her. She eyed the liquid, and gave the man a look. "If you want to leave, you have to drink that first."
Nyla's gaze traveled to the ceiling. She gave herself a moment to ask herself how she got into the situation she was in. She was surrounded by hundreds of cranks who definitely wouldn't let her leave if any one of them disagreed. So in one gulp, she drank the bitter liquid. Brenda and Thomas were hesitant to follow, but did so without any words. Within moments, their vision became blotchy. Their bodies, almost lifeless, dropped to the ground. Everything was black.
