The Burning Rain

Chapter Three

She was strung up by her wrists by some sort of rope attached to the man hole above her. Water reached to right below her knees, though the smell rose past her nose and into her sanity. She gagged every other breath at the stench, and her eyes hadn't stopped watering since she'd come to a few minutes ago. Her arms were sore and her jaw ached with a pain she hadn't known before now. Knocked out—someone had punched her hard enough to knock her out. Sorrel hadn't prepared her for this. Memories of drowning reared their ugly head but she shut them out. She had enough problems to worry about already without the premise of an anxiety attack.

    Whoever had done this to her had to be a threat if they'd been able to sneak up on her. She tried for all the world to recall a face but the only thing she saw, over and over again, was a swing and a fist. No eyes to glare into, no face to curse at, and currently no one to ask why she was tied up like a slaughtered pig.

    She listened for the rain and noticed it had stopped. How much time had passed? It was still dark out and only the light of a lamp streamed down into the sewers. No hunger pains but Rho could use about three glasses of water. The splintered rope dug into her wrists and her arms wouldn't stop aching from the weight of her hanging body. The pain could've been distracting but at this point she only worried about the marks it would leave behind for Nell to see if she weren't careful. If she ever even made it out of here. Rho tried not to be angry. She tried to remain calm. She needed to keep a clear head so she'd be useful should she get an opportunity to do anything. Most of the time she had a good hold on her temper, though there had been rare moments when it'd taken control long enough to leave a lasting impression. Annie Malts. The name whispered across her flesh before she could turn her thoughts to other things and her eyes squeezed shut without her permission.

    "Finally realize the trouble you're in?" The voice came from the shadows, followed by footsteps. Rho squinted, probing the darkness for the owner of the mocking voice. Should she say anything? Was her temper in check?

    "If you're trouble then I'm not too concerned."

    The voice chuckled. "Don't pretend that you can see me." Was that confidence or insecurity speaking?

    "Probably not much to see, anyway." She knew the words weren't true. Her attacker had been taller than her, with enough power in his punch to be more than a skinny kid. No way was that knock-out a lucky shot.

    "Judging a book by its cover. One of those people, huh?" Was it possible that he knew her? She worked hard to cover her tracks and keep her reputation hidden. Maybe he had recognized her from school?

    He walked closer along the elevated side ledge that lined the tunnel. The filtered streetlight illuminated him well enough for her to make out his medium frame and relaxed figure. His dark clothes might've explained why she hadn't noticed him before. Short blonde hair curled over a pale face full of freckles. He didn't look more than 20. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his black jeans and he leaned against the wall, bringing one leg across the other in a leisurely gesture. She pulled the reigns tight on her irritation before it could race ahead.

    "I'll tell you exactly what's going to happen so you won't guess and ruin the fun. You might've noticed that you're hanging from the grate. It'll rain again soon." He paused. Rho waited for the telling sparks and found none. "And when it does, the water will flow towards the sewers. I'm sure you can figure out the rest from there." He spoke at a comfortable pace, as if he weren't possibly describing Rho's imminent death. But neither did she mind, because she knew she wouldn't be dying from the rain.
   
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    Even as he spoke he wasn't certain what was going to happen. He waited for the tell-tale sparks but they had yet to appear. It might not even rain. And even if it did, she hadn't been burned by it before, so what would make this time any different?