The Night

Night of Lies Pt (2) Meeting Dace.

Lincoln was beyond shocked, looking at such a fragile little woman, beaten and bruised as if she was trying to be made into a human pinata. He was so frightened he didn't know if to pick her up or quickly close the door to whatever was chasing the woman that was at his step. He knew that if she was being chased he didn't have a lot time before they were knocking down his door and looking for the woman that he was pretty sure will bring him a heck of a lot of trouble on his very first night. 

She was a pathetic sight crumpled up on the floor like some sort of crushed ant. She was in horrible shape, and even that was an understatement. He knew that if he left her there, whoever was gunning for her would catch up. Keeping her there would me a death on his hands. If he let that happen he wouldn't be a real man, he would be just a cowardly boy posing as one.

"Be happy I am new at this." He whispered more to himself since the girl on the ground in which it was pointed to was out like a light. He leaned down to the feminine figure, placing his hand underneath her back and hooked his arms around her and pulled himself up in effect bringing her up as well. Carrying her bridal style into his wooden cabin not wanting to stay outside his home for another moment IF she was being tracked. He looked down at the woman he beheld and just shook her head. 

"What happened to you?" He heard himself say before he could think it through, laying her down on his sofa, and blowing out the candles of his chandelier to make sure they remain unseen, camouflaged in darkness. "Guards." Is all he heard to make his head whip back, and see that to his surprise the girl was wide awake. At that moment he was amazed that he hadn't looked at the woman's beautiful and sculptured features.

Dark chocolate skin and long curled afro-like hair. Her eyes an intimidating gold that would almost pass for hazel. Her lips large and luscious, so much so it made her look like she was consistently pouting. Her nose was like that of a button, her body lanky and stick like, slender. Her chest a humble size along with a rear to match. She was beautiful, and to be in such danger he can only imagine what she has been through already. 

He saw a pained expression on her face as she grimaced, her body ached from head to toe due to her earlier ventures with Night Knights. "I was protecting a group of the Near Dead." She spoke in short intervals, but Lincoln didn't need to her to speak the rest of it anymore than that.  It was enough for Lincoln to understand, the Arena Guards are very harsh when it comes to the Near Dead, knowing that the day after the Night of Lies, they will die either by hand by the guards themselves, or in combat in the Battles.

Lincoln frowned as he began to back away from the woman and turn on his heel to the kitchen. "How many of them were there?" He asked referring to the ruthless Guards. 

"Four." She said softly. Her voice was so scratched, it sounded as though she had been screaming at a club for hours. 

"All four was on y-"  he was swiftly cut of by her response. 

"Yes." She said. Finishing his sentence just as quickly as it started.

When he heard her concise response, he realized she mustn't be so talkative as her current condition was awfully gruesome. So he decided to drop the subject for now. Instead he focused on retrieving a towel and bath cloth from the kitchen and filling a basin with warm clean water. Then he rounded the sofa and sat down at her feet. Feeling a dip in the sofa her head jerked up and watched as he was preparing to clean her. She relaxed again realizing she was safe, and allowed him to proceed.

"What is your name?" 

"Dace." She responded. Again quick to answer. She chewed on the insides of her mouth, as if she was nervous or peeved.

Lincoln not yet catching on to that bit, drove on with conversation. "My name's Lincoln." Continuing the soaking of the rag that he brought over to them, and began washing down the dried blood that stuck to her skin. "Why here?"

"Why not here? It seemed safe enough." She said in a defensive tone.

"Never said it wasn't, but I could have been a partaker of the Night of Lies."

She knitted her eyebrows together in a firm frown. "But you aren't, so what's it to you?"

"Strange is all."

"Stop over thinking!" She instructed, she seemed to get more skittish by the minute.

"Worse time to not over think."  

"Worse time to argue where you're in my foots kicking range." She quipped.

A chuckle slipped from the lips of Lincoln as he heard the minor threat. "You want to bite the hand that's feeding you?" 

"There's no food here so I am biting the hand tha-" 

"That is currently cleaning up your scars and putting a roof over your 'most WANTED' head."

"By choice." She quickly responded.

"Yet I still have the choice to kick you out on your rear."

"But you won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

This where Dace took a moment to let out a dry, humorless laugh."I know your kind. You're too caring."

"Caring doesn't mean I am stupid."

"Could've fooled me."

"How can you  make such a quick judgement of character?" 

"I am human, that is how."

"That makes no sense."

"Neither does that question."

By the time their awkward and slightly perturbing banter ended, he was finished cleaning her up, her body stitched up with sutures. Along with bandages and band-aids. She looked like a real life mummy, but it protected all the cuts and scars on her body, even if it made her look slightly idiotic. He dried his hands off on his T-shirt and stood up.

"When will you be on your way?"

"I can try by morning."

"So you'll be here for the first half of the Night of Lies."

"Is that a problem?"

"No not a problem, just not exactly ideal." 

"That is just another word for it being problem." Which in fact was the truth. Having an extra body with you on the Night of Lies, only brought along stress;  Another person only meant another life that was in your hands.

"Must you over complicate everything?" He said, trying to degrade the fact that it was a problem, trying to make it sizzle away and not to be thought about.

"Not being complicated just being honest."

"Well quit it with honesty.

"Why should I?"

"Lie. It is the Night of Lies after all." 

"Funny."

"I am not joking." 

She finally stopped her witty comebacks and rose an eyebrow at the boy. She didn't think he had that bit of spice in him. Is this side of him coming out because she pushed him too far? She didn't know, and wouldn't dare to ask, not while he had that hideous frown on his face. She was under his roof after all, she didn't want or need to push her luck.

"You can keep the couch, I will be heading to my room, if you hear or see anything suspicious, yell for me." And with those few words Lincoln was on his feet and checking out the surroundings of his home, searching for any sign of trouble through the windows and doors. Even waiting a small second before stepping outside to be closer to the chaos that could be awaiting.

Dace felt Lincoln's paranoia. It was thick in the air as well as his fear, which caused her anxiety to spike. She knew he was young and from the way he acted, she could tell it was his first night without his usual crowd in the Night of Lies. 

Which meant it will be a long night for both of them. 

Vote and Comment~!