Watch the World Burn

I woke up, feeling confused. I didn’t open my eyes, instead just laid on whatever I was laying on, trying to get my mind back together. It felt like my head was going to explode and my limbs felt like lead. The first thing I noticed was that I was chilly. Not cold, not frozen, but chilly; as though I was standing in front of an air conditioner. I had never had air-conditioning. The next thing I noticed was the sound. It was loud, surrounding me like a pillow of noise. It almost sounded like I was on an airplane.

I opened my eyes.

I was on an airplane.

How did I get on an airplane?

I looked around; I was lying on a small bed in an airplane. I hadn’t even known that airplanes could have beds. I was in the back of the airplane as well, or so it looked like; there was a little curtain over what I thought to be the doorway to the rest of the plane. I looked out the window by my head. There were lush, green mountains below and white clouds flying past. Looking down at myself, I saw that I was wearing the rags I had made myself. Around each of my wrists were strips of cloth, with what looked like blood soaking through. I tried to bend one, and hissed in pain.

Then the memories then hit my pounding head like a tidal wave. I had been caught. The heat of the sun made me weak. The guards had been taking me to the Pit. Their hands were all over me. That man…the big man with the mask. He saved me. What was going on?

“I see you are awake,” The curtain was pushed aside, and the large man strode in. He was now wearing a tight black shirt that accentuated his strength, though he still had that mask across his face and I still felt absolutely terrified as I looked into his eyes. I quickly sat up, pushing myself up against the wall, trying to keep my distance with this man.

“Don’t be scared, child. I saved you,” His voice was unnerving. With his physique, I would have expected a low growl of a voice but instead it was articulated, well educated, slightly higher. I could also hear his breathing, though his mask, like Darth Vader.

“Tell me, small one, what is your name?”

“What’s yours?” I asked, sticking my chin out defiantly. To my dismay, however, my voice sounded hoarse and weak, and speaking made my head hurt even more. The large man chuckled.

“You have a spark to you, little one. You may call me Bane,” Bane? What kind of name was Bane? Was that like some gang name or something? It sounded dangerous, whatever it was.

“Now, child, tell me your name,” Bane said. I noticed this time it was not a request; it was an order. Even though his voice still sounded pleasant enough, I could tell he meant business now.

“Amelle,” I said, cursing my voice for being so small. Bane chuckled again, as though my name was something funny. He seemed to be in high spirits right now.

“Well, little Amelle, you are something. You are just lucky I found you when I did, and then you just pass out like that!” I felt like I was being laughed at, like I was some joke Bane found amusing. I could feel my face heat up and I glowered at Bane, the pulsing in my head growing stronger.

“Who are you? Why did you take me? Where are we going?” I asked, my voice growing stronger. Bane’s eyes grew wide with what looked like false hurt and surprise. It was amazing how a man with most of his face covered could still convey such obvious expressions.

“I save you from the Pit and this is the thanks I get? Most are a little more grateful,” He said, his voice mirroring his eyes. I looked away, staring back out the window at the flat, green, land below.

“You make a habit of taking girls away from their prisons then?” I questioned, still not looking at him. We passed over a small lake that broke the expanse of green. I was surprisingly calm for getting kidnapped by a strange, masked, man who saved me from being raped and thrown into prison. It was almost as though we were talking about the weather outside the airplane right now.

“Only the ones who need my help,” he replied, as though the answer was obvious, “Now, enough of the small talk, little one, please allow myself to tell you what is going on. We are over Ireland right now; we had to take a small detour from India to America you see; however we are currently en route to Gotham City if all goes to plan. And I assure you, small child, all things will go to plan,” I looked back over at him, but didn’t say a word.

“Very well,” He said, turning to leave, “I will have one of my men bring you food. You must be very hungry after that ordeal in the desert,” With that, Bane left and the back of the plane felt a lot less crowded with his presence not there.