Out of the Darkness (v2.0)

Chapter Ten

 The rest of the trip was quiet.

Ellanor had become much more distant than she already was. She wouldn't speak at all, and communication had diminished to a minimum -- the only time she exchanged words with Elijah was whenever it had to do with work. Even then, the gloomy cloud that stuck to her like a shadow persisted throughout the flight, and Elijah had no clue what had happened. Except for one time:

"The worker told me about the bruises."

Ellanor had stiffened, then relaxed. He'd ask. She'd never answer. It was the usual, just to another level of extreme. And he wasn't going to nag her like he had done before. He didn't get anything out of it, so he decided to wait. Best to wait and make her patience decline than be an added annoyance. The thing was, she was being patient, too.

Ellanor kept a blank expression that exaggerated her hollow cheeks and the dark circles around her eyes. Her hands were steady as they landed on her stomach, unsure if she wanted to protect the life inside her or strangle it into non-existence. She wanted to scream, to shout, but out of anger or wailing sadness, she did not know. The fact hadn't kicked in yet, and maybe she was clinging to the obviously false belief that this was some sick trick or mistake, but no. No, no, no. She was doomed, and she'd be stuck with Dallas forever.

Compared to before, the plane ride was swift. It was likely because the two of them had too much on their mind: Elijah occupied with his business in order to avoid the feeling of being isolated and Ellanor trying to purge the horror from her thoughts.

"How are you going to get home?"

It was the first sentence Elijah had said to Ellanor in nearly 24 hours.

Ellanor looked up at him and smiled. "Dallas is picking me up."

They shuffled their way off the plane on a large metal staircase. Though Ellanor didn't seem to care, to Elijah's annoyance, people often stared at them as if they were aliens or animals at a zoo, with wide eyes, pointed fingers and quiet whispers. Ellanor just hugged herself, bundled up as tight as a burrito in the oversized coat she'd temporarily borrowed from Elijah despite the biting heat of day. She was just sick, Elijah decided, and that's why she had rushed to the bathroom for what seemed like a million times. Additionally, she wasn't being either an insufferable loudmouth or a timid rabbit. Maybe it was that time of the month. Who knows? He wasn't going to ask-

No. Stop lying to yourself. She was troubled, traumatized, terrified, and she wasn't sharing. As much as he wanted to yell at her to get the truth out, that wasn't exactly the best thing to do in a public place, and someone could call the cops.

... Don't you dare even think of yelling at her or anyone at all.

Eh, maybe he'd somehow persuade her. Time for the business talk and tactics to kick in.

As soon as the former passengers had been packed away into thin, crowded aisles, Ellanor took a breath of the smog-filled air. Damn it. She had wasted the last of her freedom while lost in thought. Then again, was she ever free from Dallas?