Status: Around about the middle. Prequel to the main plot. =)
Hollow Repentance
The Freedom You Desired - Rules
- - - - - Izzy's POV - - - - -
"L--Let go of me, now. Torren, let go of me!"
My voice trailed away to almost a pleading whisper as we pulled to a halt at his bedroom door. Torren took a single step in to throw the diary onto his bed, the covers of which were torn to the side and the two remaining pillows strewn across the floor alongside the bed. I must have really annoyed him...Uh-oh! I stared blankly into Torren's eyes as he slowly turned and stepped towards me. With each threatening step he took, I mirrored his movements, backing away until my back crashed against the wall. Damn it.
I screamed as he smirked evilly and advanced, crouching down and wrapping an arm around my legs. Before I could wriggle away, Torren lifted me effortlessly from the ground and I pounded furiously against his back, flailing my legs as though I was drowning. With a bounce in his step, Torren plodded into my room and carried me over to the bed. Well, I woke him up; that was the main thing; wasn't it? I sure hoped so.
Silently, he threw me down onto my bed, not very gently, might I add, and casually made his way back to the hallway.
"Stay here for a few minutes and don't go anywhere, or you won't get any breakfast. I don't know what you like, so you'll take what I give you. Okay?"
Without even waiting for a reply, Torren smiled slightly and disappeared from view, slamming the door shut behind him. There wasn't any reason for me to start running just yet; he was bringing me food and then I was going for a walk in the sunlight, the most freedom I'd had for over a week. As I waited for Torren to return, I wandered over to the balcony and threw the curtains open, pushing the balcony doors open and stepping out into the golden sun rays.
Resting my arms on the marble railing, I stared up into the perfectly clear azure sky and sighed. Something was wrong; whenever my eyes closed as I blinked, an image and-- and almost words formed in my mind. Curiosity got the better of me and I closed my eyes firmly, giving in to my mind's desire to show me something. Throughout, I felt the familiar throbbing at my temples, but simply ignored it. The flashback took hold of my consciousness as I stood rigid against the balcony railing.
'I wrapped my arms around his neck and dug my fingers into his jacket as he pulled me close to him, stepping gracefully onto the balcony railing. Torren's grip suddenly tightened as he stepped over the edge and we were hit by a rush of wind. My heart started to beat rapidly. Carelessly, Torren slid from the porch roof into the shadows and my breathing shallowed and grew heavier as the stranger slowly approached. I pulled myself into his chest as the chilly air drew the warmth from my skin. Silently, Torren turned from the path and set me down, making my heart skip a beat as he crouched close to me...'
I was forced back to reality as a voice called from behind me in a soft yet assertive voice,
"Izzy, come back inside now. You can go out after you've eaten and we've gone over the rules."
I twisted around and wandered back over to my bed, sighing heavily and rubbing my eyes as I dropped onto the soft mattress. I wasn't tired, not at all, maybe just a little bit shocked by what happened. At first, I didn't realise how close Torren actually came to me but, from seeing it over just then, my heart realised it but never told me. I felt as though my entire body was split in two and telling me different things.
My mind was telling me to hate Torren since he'd kidnapped me and took me away from my family; yet, my heart... Every time he smiled in that way and pulled me close to him; I felt--well, that's just what I didn't understand right now...
"Izzy? Izzy! Snap out of it, you're worrying me."
Shaking my head vigorously, I focused on Torren's face inches from mine and my heart skipped another beat; stupid heart. Smiling sheepishly, I shuffled back against the headboard and reached for the tray settled on the edge of the bed. Torren caught my hand and knelt in front of me on the bed, lifting my leg up onto his knee. Trying to calm my nerves, I rested my head against the backboard of the bed and watched Torren as he carefully examined my leg, almost as if he'd never seen one before.
"It won't do a trick if you stare at it you know..." I teased, a smirk playing on my lips.
Torren glanced up at me momentarily, shaking his head and turning his attention back to my leg, shaking with laughter. Suddenly, he touched my ankle and I hastily drew my leg from his grasp; a force of habit. Never taking my eyes from a crease on the duvet below me, I felt his stare on the top of my head and a heat rose in my cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Izzy. I thought it might have healed by now; I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never--"
I blushed again and couldn't help but smile slightly. Almost as if my body had a mind of its own, my hand found Torren's own and I lifted his large warm hand into mine. We both looked up at the same time. Feeling the heat burning stronger on my cheeks, I turned away and broke the eye contact, gazing longingly towards the balcony.
"It's alright, Torren; I'm the one who should be sorry. There's nothing wrong with my ankle now; it was just a force of habit, I guess. Can I have something to eat now, or am I supposed to just stare at it all day?"
From an almost blank expression, Torren burst into laughter, his whole body shaking as I joined in. Several long moments passed and, all the while, I had forgotten who Torren actually was; what he had done to me. Gradually, we simmered down to tittering at random interludes and Torren twisted behind him and set a well-laid tray between us.
Whole-wheat cereal, a breakfast bar and an apple; it was more of a breakfast than I’d ever had back at home. Usually, I would have nothing, but it was nearing dinnertime now, so I was hungry. Smiling, I dug into the apple's tender flesh with my teeth and pulled away to examine the bite mark.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't know; checking for poison, I guess."
I grinned broadly and Torren growled playfully, leaning over me and resting his chin on my forehead, whispering almost too silently,
"Now Izzy; if I wanted to kill you, don't you think I'd find a more... entertaining, way to do it?"
Choking out a nervous laugh, I pushed him forcefully back to the bottom of the bed and set the half-eaten apple on the edge of the tray. I lifted the silvery spoon and quickly tucked into the cereal; every moment I wasted here was a moment wasted in my precious sunlight. Who knows when I would get to see it again? Chuckling quietly, Torren leaned back against the bottom bedpost and stared at me with a solemn and frightening expression; something was going on...
"While you're eating, just listen. If you're going out into the gardens, there are a few rules you have to follow. If you break them, I'll know and I'll bring you straight back in. Right, let’s see... Stay clear of the walls, don't go near the gate, and whatever you do, if the air doesn't feel quite right or if anything happens, either get back inside as fast as you can or call for me. Do you understand?"
Of course I didn't understand; what the hell was he going on about?! 'If the air doesn't feel quite right, or if something happens...' Sheesh! Was there a psycho or ghost I needed to know about? Relentless of whether I understood him or not, Torren was certainly not going to let me go out unless he thought I did, so I nodded plainly and murmured more to myself than anybody else, making sure to add a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."
Smiling sweetly and revealing his perfect pearly white teeth, Torren swivelled around until his feet touched the floor, taking the tray from my lap and glancing to the open doorway. So quickly that I almost didn't notice, Torren rested his free hand on the back of my neck and pulled my close to him, pressing his lips to mine and smiling as I relaxed against him. His touch was bliss. As quickly as it happened, it was over.
As though he was in a dream-like trace, Torren glided through into the hallway and turned back to look at me, waving quickly before he disappeared as if to say, 'You're free to go.' I felt giddy with excitement. The oversized garden had always seemed beautiful, but I had never been given the opportunity to admire them; someone was always chasing me before.
Almost running to the farthest suitcase, I dragged a pair of old converse from the bottom of the stash of untidy shoes and dragged them over my striped socks, grinning to myself as I hastily knotted the laces. My hands trembled with anticipation.
I was ready to go...Finally.
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"L--Let go of me, now. Torren, let go of me!"
My voice trailed away to almost a pleading whisper as we pulled to a halt at his bedroom door. Torren took a single step in to throw the diary onto his bed, the covers of which were torn to the side and the two remaining pillows strewn across the floor alongside the bed. I must have really annoyed him...Uh-oh! I stared blankly into Torren's eyes as he slowly turned and stepped towards me. With each threatening step he took, I mirrored his movements, backing away until my back crashed against the wall. Damn it.
I screamed as he smirked evilly and advanced, crouching down and wrapping an arm around my legs. Before I could wriggle away, Torren lifted me effortlessly from the ground and I pounded furiously against his back, flailing my legs as though I was drowning. With a bounce in his step, Torren plodded into my room and carried me over to the bed. Well, I woke him up; that was the main thing; wasn't it? I sure hoped so.
Silently, he threw me down onto my bed, not very gently, might I add, and casually made his way back to the hallway.
"Stay here for a few minutes and don't go anywhere, or you won't get any breakfast. I don't know what you like, so you'll take what I give you. Okay?"
Without even waiting for a reply, Torren smiled slightly and disappeared from view, slamming the door shut behind him. There wasn't any reason for me to start running just yet; he was bringing me food and then I was going for a walk in the sunlight, the most freedom I'd had for over a week. As I waited for Torren to return, I wandered over to the balcony and threw the curtains open, pushing the balcony doors open and stepping out into the golden sun rays.
Resting my arms on the marble railing, I stared up into the perfectly clear azure sky and sighed. Something was wrong; whenever my eyes closed as I blinked, an image and-- and almost words formed in my mind. Curiosity got the better of me and I closed my eyes firmly, giving in to my mind's desire to show me something. Throughout, I felt the familiar throbbing at my temples, but simply ignored it. The flashback took hold of my consciousness as I stood rigid against the balcony railing.
'I wrapped my arms around his neck and dug my fingers into his jacket as he pulled me close to him, stepping gracefully onto the balcony railing. Torren's grip suddenly tightened as he stepped over the edge and we were hit by a rush of wind. My heart started to beat rapidly. Carelessly, Torren slid from the porch roof into the shadows and my breathing shallowed and grew heavier as the stranger slowly approached. I pulled myself into his chest as the chilly air drew the warmth from my skin. Silently, Torren turned from the path and set me down, making my heart skip a beat as he crouched close to me...'
I was forced back to reality as a voice called from behind me in a soft yet assertive voice,
"Izzy, come back inside now. You can go out after you've eaten and we've gone over the rules."
I twisted around and wandered back over to my bed, sighing heavily and rubbing my eyes as I dropped onto the soft mattress. I wasn't tired, not at all, maybe just a little bit shocked by what happened. At first, I didn't realise how close Torren actually came to me but, from seeing it over just then, my heart realised it but never told me. I felt as though my entire body was split in two and telling me different things.
My mind was telling me to hate Torren since he'd kidnapped me and took me away from my family; yet, my heart... Every time he smiled in that way and pulled me close to him; I felt--well, that's just what I didn't understand right now...
"Izzy? Izzy! Snap out of it, you're worrying me."
Shaking my head vigorously, I focused on Torren's face inches from mine and my heart skipped another beat; stupid heart. Smiling sheepishly, I shuffled back against the headboard and reached for the tray settled on the edge of the bed. Torren caught my hand and knelt in front of me on the bed, lifting my leg up onto his knee. Trying to calm my nerves, I rested my head against the backboard of the bed and watched Torren as he carefully examined my leg, almost as if he'd never seen one before.
"It won't do a trick if you stare at it you know..." I teased, a smirk playing on my lips.
Torren glanced up at me momentarily, shaking his head and turning his attention back to my leg, shaking with laughter. Suddenly, he touched my ankle and I hastily drew my leg from his grasp; a force of habit. Never taking my eyes from a crease on the duvet below me, I felt his stare on the top of my head and a heat rose in my cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Izzy. I thought it might have healed by now; I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never--"
I blushed again and couldn't help but smile slightly. Almost as if my body had a mind of its own, my hand found Torren's own and I lifted his large warm hand into mine. We both looked up at the same time. Feeling the heat burning stronger on my cheeks, I turned away and broke the eye contact, gazing longingly towards the balcony.
"It's alright, Torren; I'm the one who should be sorry. There's nothing wrong with my ankle now; it was just a force of habit, I guess. Can I have something to eat now, or am I supposed to just stare at it all day?"
From an almost blank expression, Torren burst into laughter, his whole body shaking as I joined in. Several long moments passed and, all the while, I had forgotten who Torren actually was; what he had done to me. Gradually, we simmered down to tittering at random interludes and Torren twisted behind him and set a well-laid tray between us.
Whole-wheat cereal, a breakfast bar and an apple; it was more of a breakfast than I’d ever had back at home. Usually, I would have nothing, but it was nearing dinnertime now, so I was hungry. Smiling, I dug into the apple's tender flesh with my teeth and pulled away to examine the bite mark.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't know; checking for poison, I guess."
I grinned broadly and Torren growled playfully, leaning over me and resting his chin on my forehead, whispering almost too silently,
"Now Izzy; if I wanted to kill you, don't you think I'd find a more... entertaining, way to do it?"
Choking out a nervous laugh, I pushed him forcefully back to the bottom of the bed and set the half-eaten apple on the edge of the tray. I lifted the silvery spoon and quickly tucked into the cereal; every moment I wasted here was a moment wasted in my precious sunlight. Who knows when I would get to see it again? Chuckling quietly, Torren leaned back against the bottom bedpost and stared at me with a solemn and frightening expression; something was going on...
"While you're eating, just listen. If you're going out into the gardens, there are a few rules you have to follow. If you break them, I'll know and I'll bring you straight back in. Right, let’s see... Stay clear of the walls, don't go near the gate, and whatever you do, if the air doesn't feel quite right or if anything happens, either get back inside as fast as you can or call for me. Do you understand?"
Of course I didn't understand; what the hell was he going on about?! 'If the air doesn't feel quite right, or if something happens...' Sheesh! Was there a psycho or ghost I needed to know about? Relentless of whether I understood him or not, Torren was certainly not going to let me go out unless he thought I did, so I nodded plainly and murmured more to myself than anybody else, making sure to add a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."
Smiling sweetly and revealing his perfect pearly white teeth, Torren swivelled around until his feet touched the floor, taking the tray from my lap and glancing to the open doorway. So quickly that I almost didn't notice, Torren rested his free hand on the back of my neck and pulled my close to him, pressing his lips to mine and smiling as I relaxed against him. His touch was bliss. As quickly as it happened, it was over.
As though he was in a dream-like trace, Torren glided through into the hallway and turned back to look at me, waving quickly before he disappeared as if to say, 'You're free to go.' I felt giddy with excitement. The oversized garden had always seemed beautiful, but I had never been given the opportunity to admire them; someone was always chasing me before.
Almost running to the farthest suitcase, I dragged a pair of old converse from the bottom of the stash of untidy shoes and dragged them over my striped socks, grinning to myself as I hastily knotted the laces. My hands trembled with anticipation.
I was ready to go...Finally.
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