raising you, pup (DisContinue)

chapter ten

He's been gone way too long. It wasn't hard to keep track of time with the windows that decorated the room. It's been three days and two nights and she was sure she was dying. During the time of Jacob's training plus her time kept in his office, she hadn't eaten for five days, the same applying for water. She wasn't sure if she did something wrong, or if he forgot about her. Either way, she was terrified.

To conserve enough energy as possible she didn't move, not like her injuries allowed her to. Her muscles were stiff from lack of use and she knew that she wouldn't be nearly as strong as Jacob wanted her to be.

The worst part about the whole thing was the isolation. The lack of human interaction was driving her mad. Each time she woke, whether from sleeping through the night, or one of the naps she took in the day, she'd hope someone would be there. Layal longed to see Jacob's face. To hear the same voice that conditioned her to kill those people, because at this point she knew she must have killed them judging by the stitches she now had.

Her eyes flicked shut for the night at the thought of him. Sleep took away pain and loneliness. It gave some respite from her new life.
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It was raining. The weather in the mountains changed often. Carrying thunder then humidity that comes after rain once the sun begins to shine. The rain was rushing at the windows harder than it ever had since she's been stuck in the cage. It made her curl up further. She shifted slightly to turn her back to the window.

"She's awake! Jacob!"

"And sleeping, be quiet."

Both voices were ones that she didn't recognize. That made her scramble to a sitting position, pushing her back to the wall. She pulled her arms across her chest, legs crossed. When she was brought to Jacob's office he had changed her into his loose-fitting white t-shirt. The same she wore that first night with him. She felt practically naked in front of the strangers.

"Jacob!" The female turned around, hands holding onto the bars, bouncing on the heels of her bare feet. Layla looked over her face when she glanced at Layla again. The smile she gave made Layla's shoulders relax slightly. The fact that she knew Jacob and was allowed into his personal space had her calming down too, they weren't a threat at least. The girl looked way more friendly than the man, who stood with hands clasped behind his back.

The coat he wore was dripping with what she presumed was rainwater. His head was tipped to the side watching her, brows furrowed slightly. The blue shirt underneath, covered by a way too expensive vest, was opened low on his chest. From the view she got of his exposed skin, Layal could see a metal key that swayed when he shifted his weight. He also brandished a nasty red scar which was easy to see due to the number of buttons he ignored. Unlike the girl, he didn't offer her a smile. Just a calculated stare that unnerved her.

The man turned when Jacob entered, a towel wrapped around his waist and hair sopping wet. "Does she speak?" Layal squirmed uncomfortably when all three of their eyes trained on her.

Jacob only shrugged, despite hearing her voice before. "Sometimes." The man nodded slowly, still drinking in her appearance.

The girl bounced on her toes a soft smile on her lips. She leaned into the bars. "The poor thing looks terrified." The man wearing mostly blue laughed lightly, "And starved, what would The Father say, Jacob?" This time around everyone eyed Jacob, though he didn't seem as affected as Layla did. He only mumbled something that made the unknown male chuckle.