Sina Saves

Chapter 11: It's Trump's Wet Dream

I woke up after what I guessed was a few hours. I stared up at the ceiling and looked carefully at everything. I saw 1-800-273-8255. I wish I knew how many times I'd dialed that number. More than a hundred in the course of my human existence, I was sure. I was glad to have Will and Nico, but those phone calls literally saved my life.

I sat up and looked at the different pictures on the walls. There were pictures of my mom, my new family, and my favorite youtubers. Some of my favorite fan arts were there too. I reached for the covers and realized Cerberus was lying beside me, awake but content. I didn't want to disturb him, but he rose and yipped at me. We got up together. I pulled on my boots but didn't bother changing into real clothes. If I can shop in Walmart with this on, I can walk around my father's palace in it. Plus, Persephone isn't here to complain either.

I decided to look around my room more thoroughly. I picked through the games and found a lot I knew: Uncharted, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian, Minecraft, GTA, and about a hundred more. I started up the computer to see tons of shortcuts to games. Why would anyone want to leave here?

I stared up at the ceiling for a while before I decided to go find Dad. I was held back for a few minutes by Cerberus. He was so big that he was less than a foot shorter than me when sitting down. Hard to think this was his small form. I scratched behind his ears. I decided to get going, but he licked my hand before I could draw it away. "I'll pet you while we walk," I offered, and he led me to dad.

[I know I mentioned I'm a germophobe, but puppy slobber isn't gross like people.]

He led me to a dining room where dad was sitting, drinking tea. He looked up at me and smiled. "You and your merch."

"Mhmm. I needs it to look cool."

"Okay, Seenu. You do you."

I laughed and sat down beside him. "So when do I leave?"

"Much too soon. You'll have to start getting ready."

"Fiiiiine," I complained.

"I know, Seenu. It sucks, but the sooner you leave; the sooner you come back."

I made a little hmph noise before stealing a drink of tea and going back to my room, Cerberus at my heels.

I took a shower and put on my new dress. It was a pale pink color and flowed loosely everywhere except for at my waist. I looked skinny in it, not strong or fit, just thin. I could not look less threatening. Perfect. I combed out my hair and actually put effort into it so it fell down my back to the small of it.

Finally, I was done getting ready and went out to see dad. "So dad, I got a question."

"Shoot."

"How will I talk to them without knowing Japanese?"

"I worked that out with Hermes. You're fluent in it but can't read or write it."

"Really? It's that simple?"

He chuckled before he sighed, "Well Seenu, as much as I don't like it, I think it's time for you to go to Wall Maria."

"Already?" I asked, feeling like a deflated ballon.

"Yes. I'm sorry, my darling."

I ran forward and wrapped my arms around him. He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead and whispered, "I love you, my precious little girl."

Darkness swirled around me, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on a cold stone floor. I opened my eyes and saw the dusty, musty, dark room around me. Some stairs led up above. I guessed it was some type of storage room. Cerberus appeared beside me and nuzzled me. I scratched behind his ears, and he looked over to the staircase. He stood and led me to the stairs silently. I followed him. I heard something above me. Hooves... I couldn't hear anything else or sense anything truly living around me other than the horse. In every other direction, I assumed the other things were dormant titans within the wall. None of them were an imminent threat to me.

I climbed the stairs as quietly as I could with the rickety creaks of old wood. At the top was a trap door. I stopped and listened just to be sure before going up. Agro stood there, pawing the top of the wall. Sunlight gleamed off his inky black coat. Below me lay miles of villages and forests that had been destroyed and partially flattened by the titans. I distracted myself by stroking Agro's neck.

Suddenly, I heard a strange metallic noise. I guessed it was omni-directional gear. Cerberus rubbed against me before jumping into a shadow and disappearing. I looked and saw them: Ymir, Reiner, and Bertolt. I tensed and stroked Agro. I buried my face against my neck.

Be a deer, be a deer, be a deer, be a deer. I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't remember anything.

I backed away enough from Agro so I could see a small part of their reflection in Agro's eye. I tried to look afraid, but after wearing a mask of emotionlessness for so long, it was really difficult to show fear in front of potential threats.

They landed on the wall a few meters from me and collapsed. They hadn't even noticed me. I decided I should go over and offer help graciously. I jogged over and stopped a meter from them. "Are you alright?" I asked with a honey-coated voice of concern and fiddled with my hair.

Reiner looked at me first. "Who the hell are you?" he shouted loudly, and I half-forced myself to flinch. I looked at him fearfully, hiding behind my hair. "Sorry, who are you?" he asked in a much softer tone.

"My name's Sina," I said shakily.

"Like the wall?" Ymir asked with a snort.

"Yes, like the wall," I said loftily.

"I'm Reiner," he said, his eyes sliding over me, particularly my hair and waist.

"Nice to meet you, Reiner," I said in the most pleasant voice I could muster. I took a step forward and pushed my hair back. I gave him a small smile and batted my eyelashes a few times.

It felt so strange; I did that ironically during battle, not to seduce people.

I could see the typical lonely, hungry for attention look in his eyes. I turned to Bertolt and Ymir. "What are your names?" I asked in a charming voice.

"I'm Bertolt," he said edgily. I could tell he didn't trust a damsel in distress waiting for them.

Ymir surveyed me for a minute before saying, "I'm Ymir, and I don't trust you."

"That's okay! This isn't a great situation, is it?" I forced myself to sound cherry and sweet like Kritsa. If I could make them like me, they might not kill me. I must've been doing a good job considering the way Reiner was looking at me.

I made a small smile play across my lips. "Is there anything I could do to help any of you?" They didn't say anything, so I suggested, "I have food and water."

I knelt in front of them and started taking out water and food. Ymir cocked an eyebrow at me and ordered, "Eat and drink some yourself."

I paused. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"Prove none of it is poisoned. Eat it."

"Okay," I said in an innocently confused voice. I broke off a piece of the bread and nibbled it then sipped some water. "No poison." I smiled again innocently and twirled my hair around my fingers. Reiner was still staring at me slightly strangely. "I'm not gonna hurt you," I promised.

He smiled. "I doubt you could, sweetheart."

Okay, freaking creep, I could kill him without fricking moving. But he didn't need to know what I really thought. I looked over him with a giggle and let my eyes settle onto his arms and chest. "I do too." I twisted my hair playfully and smiled flirtily. This was gonna be easy and a little fun.

As mentioned earlier in the story, 1-800-273-8255 is the national suicide hotline. I know what if feels like, and no one deserves to feel like that. There are so many opportunities in this day and age. Plus, no one in this entire great big world knows what the future holds. Make the call. There's more to come for you.

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