Species

Chapter 25

           After more kisses, Chloe had to go. She didn't know what to do, think or feel. She knew she wasn't going to think straight with his warm, muscled chest distracting her and she wanted to make it back in her room before Drew did. Slowly and quietly she creeped out of Patrick's room looking both ways down the hall making sure no one saw her. It felt like the longest five steps of her life. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Letting out a slow breath she opened the door to their room. Oh Thank God! To her relief, the lights were off. Drew must still be out with whoever.

         Feeling relieved she stepped in with a smile on her face and turned on the lights.

"Aaah!" she jumped back slightly her hand flying to her chest. Drew sat in a chair in her direct eye sight. His eyes were serious, dark, unwavering, focused on her in a rage. A rage he was holding back by a thin chain. He didn't look the same. He looked terrifying.

"You scared me." she said. Hoping he'd at least say something. Or was he better off silent and glaring?

"Where were you?" he whispered. She almost missed his words he spoke so quietly.

She stared at him in awe, stuck in terror. She'd never seen so much  . . . anger . . . in one person. She wanted to answer but she couldn't get herself to talk.

"Answer me!" He bellowed at her. She flinched closing her eyes and turning her face away from the loud roar of his voice and the ferociousness of his face.

"Umm . . " she took a breath her face still turned away. "I was in the spa."

"Lie!" He yelled. Suddenly his chair whirled past her barely missing her before crashing into the door. He grabbed her by her hair. "Let's try this again, shall we?" He dragged her by her hair to the bathroom forcing her to stand in front of the sink. She couldn't miss the running faucet and the overflowing water in the sink that was splashing on the floor.

        He grabbed the back of her head so tight she could feel his none existent fingernails digging into her skin.

"Now, where were you?" he asked. 

She just stared at the water wondering if this was it. If this was the end for her. Before she could think about an answer he plunged her head into the cold water holding her head under for a few seconds before grabbing her head and pulling her up. She was coughing and gasping for air.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

She coughed. "Hold on," she said between coughs.

"I don't like to hold on." He pushed her back under the water this time holding it for a minute. It was the longest minute of her life. Her grabbed the edge of the sink trying to push herself against it.

"Where were you?" he asked once he'd pulled her up again. This time he waited a moment to let her cough her lungs out. 

"Where were you?" she asked back out of breath. It must have been the adrenaline or lack of oxygen to the brain that made her say that. She regretted the words as soon as they came out and was filled with fear. 

          He gritted his teeth his face contorted in anger before he took her head and smashed into the sink as hard as he could smashing her face into marble. Her body went limp and against the vanity. He let go of her head watching it sit at the bottom of the sink as the water played with her. Blood slowly began to flow up from the bottom of the sink. He watched mesmerized by the beautiful colored blood dance in the water. 

"Beautiful" he whispered to himself. Sticking his hand in the water he let the blood flutter through his fingers smiling. He felt so close to her. This was beautiful and intimate to him. He grabbed her head and lifted it out of the water leaning her against his shoulder he saw her bloody nose and lip. 

Filled with disgust by her dishonesty he sneered at her and looked away. He could not bare the sight of her. He let her body drop to the floor. 

"So disappointing." he said. Turning around he saw Bergita standing in his room waiting for his orders. He knew this must be upsetting for her to see, but she stood there trying to put on a blank face waiting dutifully. That's why he liked Miss Bergita. 

"Tell me, how can something be so beautiful yet so disappointing?" he asked her.

"Something?" she asked looking confused. His eyes drifted back to Chloe's body in a puddle on the floor.

"Clean this up." he ordered before leaving.

             Chloe woke up on the black rubber floor. She blinked awake. A big light beamed down on her. After a moment of blindness she tried to look around. She couldn't see where the room ended. Not a single wall insight. All she could see was the black floor and darkness. The only light was the big blinding light above her.

"Chloe," She heard Drew call to her. She turned in the direction she thought it came from. He wasn't there. No one was there. She looked all around her. No one was there.

"Chloe," this time it was patronizing. He was in here somewhere. He was enjoying this and she didn't know what to think or expect. She just kept looking around waiting for him to appear.

"Come now, Chloe, aren't you having a little fun?" his voice kept moving. She kept looking about, on guard for when he'd make his presence known.

"No? Okay then." he said. The crazy beaming light above her shut off leaving her in darkness. Her heart beat so fast and breathing was loud and heavy.

"Are you scared Chloe?" this time is voice was right in her ear. She gasped and jumped but tried to keep her cool. She was going to try to be strong like Kylie had been before her execution.

"Well, are you?" he asked his breath tickling the side of her neck. She nodded. "Good." she could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Lights!" he yelled. All the lights turned on in a weird dark dome. These lights weren't as intense and were higher up in the dome of the ceiling. A balcony spanned around the dome and all the girls were seated in the balcony so many feet above them. On the ground level surrounding them standing side by side were all of the men on the ship. 

              "Let the hunt begin!" He hollered magnificently throwing both his arms in the air. The girls cheered and roared above them. He smiled as if they'd just given him a crown, septer, robe, and all the power in the world.

"The hunt?" Chloe asked Drew. He ignored her soaking in the praise. She tugged on his shirt gettin his attention. "The hunt for what?" she asked. 

He looked at her his eyes aglow with arrogance. "The Truth." he looked at the scab on her lip. "And you should be worried, you harlot." he shoved her hand away and turned away from her to face his waiting audience.