A Life Less Ordinary
Have I Lied To You?
It had taken them 12 more hours to reach Jasper once they left Yorkton. Two more days had been spent in yet another hotel room which they didn’t hesitate to turn into a makeshift love nest. From there, they drove until the landscape prevented it then abandoned the SUV and continued on foot.
They had spent two more days hiking through rocky snow-covered terrain, only stopping at dusk to pitch the tent. It was absolutely NOT her idea of camping. It was so cold, even with all of the clothing and the insulated sleeping bag, she shivered to the point that Bane pulled her into his sleeping bag.
The next morning they had trekked for miles before Isla collapsed to the snow covered ground, cold and exhausted. “Bane…I can’t…”
He knelt beside her laying the enormous camping bag next to him. “You have to, Isla. We have to make it just a little further.” She shook her head weakly.
“No…” she whimpered.
“Isla! Look at me…” he took her face in his hands. “I know you’re tired-”
“Exhausted!!” she cried.
“I know you’re exhausted but we only have a little further to go. Right over that ridge is where we can rest…” he said, pointing behind him.
“You’ve been saying that for hours, Bane…” she replied meekly. He nodded.
“I understand that…but have I lied to you yet?” he asked, his eyes holding hers steady.
Isla’s nose and cheeks were red from the cold air. Her tiny body was lost in the mountain of insulated pants and coats that he had put her in. Regardless of it all, she still shivered violently. He wrapped her scarf around her neck and pulled her hood up.
She shook her head and took his hand. He pulled her up easily and together they made their way towards the ridge.
He hadn’t been lying to her. When they got to the top of the ridge, Isla found herself staring at a colossal building that looked as if it were carved into the side of the cliff. The sky was darkening quickly, giving it a rather ominous appearance.
“What is it?” she shouted over the wind.
“It’s home.” he replied, looking down at her. He grabbed her hand and practically drug her in the direction of the structure. Forty-five minutes later, after hiking and pulling their bodies over large, jagged boulders, they came to the giant wall that surrounded the entrance. Isla’s head was all the way back as she stared up at the wall. It had to be at least 15 feet tall.
“How do we get in?” she asked. Bane dropped her hand and walked up to the massive door. Cameras were mounted on the top of the wall. He pounded his fist against the door, but nothing happened.
He grunted, obviously displeased. “I need you to crawl over the wall and open it from the opposite side.” He said.
“Are you fucking crazy?!” she scoffed. Before she could continue with her outrage, she was being hauled into the air by Bane. She shrieked, arms and legs flailing wildly.
“Isla! Focus! I need you to crawl over to the other side and unlock the door!” She clung to him like a feral cat.
“Why can’t YOU do it?!” she yelled.
“I really don’t see you lifting me onto your shoulders-” he grunted loudly and heaved her into the air. She screamed as she was thrown into the air, clutching desperately to the edge of the wall.
“You ASS! What if you had missed?!!!” she cried, kicking her leg up over the edge.
“I didn’t miss.” he called. She glared down at him and could see his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Are you smiling?” she asked. He was definitely smiling behind his mask.
“Is there anyone on the other side?” he asked. Isla narrowed her eyes at him before looking over her shoulder and scanning the grounds.
“No one’s here….or has been from the look of it.” she replied.
“Slide over and drop down.” he said.
“NO! I’ll break my legs!!” she said, looking behind her.
“No you wont! Throw both legs over the edge, turn onto your stomach and let yourself drop. It wont hurt if you balance your weight properly.” he shouted.
“I severely dislike you right now!!” she yelled, kicking her other leg over the edge. She groaned as she looked down at the ground below. The wind whipped her hair around fiercely as she tried to gather the courage to get down.
“Isla! You have to do this! We are out of provisions and a storm is coming!” Bane yelled.
She rolled onto her stomach and eased herself over until she was dangling. She tried to look down to see her landing when her hand slipped on the ice. She never even had the chance to scream before she fell to the ground. She sucked in her breath and refused to scream, but she could feel her ankle throbbing.
“Isla!!” Bane’s voice was barely audible over the howl of the wind. He pounded on the door. “Are you ok??” he bellowed.
Isla pulled herself up, but cried out as sharp pains shot through her foot and up her leg. She collapsed to the ground, trying to catch her breath.
“ISLA!” Bane was banging louder, sounding as if his face were pressed against the door. She crawled the short distance to the door and grabbed the handle to pull herself up. Leaning against the wall, she looked for the lock, but only found a clear box covering a keypad.
“What’s the code?” she yelled.
“133-8046” he called back. She pressed the combination and heard a loud metallic bang as the locks were released. Bane pushed through, slamming the door behind him.
“Are you alright?” he asked, entering another code. The door locked loudly.
“I’ll live.” she replied. He heaved the bags onto his shoulder.
“Let’s move then. This storm is going to be violent.” Isla limped behind him as he led her across the grounds towards the main doors.
He turned his head, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “You’re hurt” he stated.
“I balanced my weight.” she snapped sarcastically. He turned without missing a beat and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
“You did not balance your weight.” he said. Isla was suddenly too tired to argue and sunk into the warmth of his arms. The next moment he glanced down, she was asleep.
Isla rolled onto her stomach, stretching her arms out. She pressed her face into the silky sheets wondering if she had dreamt up the past week, then bolted upright, looking around. The room was pitch black and she could hear the wind howling against the windows. She could just make out the faint golden glow of embers in a fireplace on the opposite end of the room.
“Bane?” she called out. When he didn’t respond, she slid out of the bed-and crumpled to the floor when sharp pains shot through her foot, causing her leg to give out. Immediately, the door swung open, casting light over her. Isla could tell from the silhouette that it was him. He hurried over and helped her up.
“Is my ankle broken?” she asked. He laid her back on the bed and sat beside her.
“Does it feel broken?” he asked, his voice was machine-like.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t balance you weight.” he said quietly, his large arm wrapped around her tiny waist.
“I’m aware of that…” she winced as he squeezed her ankle.
“Can you move it?” Isla wiggled her toes and moved her foot in all directions. It hurt like hell! “Most likely sprained. You need t-”
“I know, I know. Elevate it and alternate heat and ice.” She yawned. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked.
“Six hours, thirty-two minutes.” he replied, tucking a pillow under her foot.
“Thank you, Bane…” she said quietly.
“Of course.” he said, his thumb traced small circles over her leg where he rested his hand.
“So did your Shadow association build this place?” she asked.
He laughed loudly. “League of Shadows. And no. This was a resort in the 1920s-completely abandoned right after the Depression. We merely turned it into living quarters.”
“How many people constitute a league? Ten?”
“My dear, there are hundreds of us-possibly thousands.” he said. Isla rolled her eyes. Bane stood.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I have some tasks to finish up. I’ll only be downstairs.”
“I want to look around.” she said.
“You should wait until your ankle has mended. This place is quite large and if you fall again, I may not hear you.” he kissed her forehead and handed her a remote control, before taking his leave.
Isla, pouting, rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep again.
They had spent two more days hiking through rocky snow-covered terrain, only stopping at dusk to pitch the tent. It was absolutely NOT her idea of camping. It was so cold, even with all of the clothing and the insulated sleeping bag, she shivered to the point that Bane pulled her into his sleeping bag.
The next morning they had trekked for miles before Isla collapsed to the snow covered ground, cold and exhausted. “Bane…I can’t…”
He knelt beside her laying the enormous camping bag next to him. “You have to, Isla. We have to make it just a little further.” She shook her head weakly.
“No…” she whimpered.
“Isla! Look at me…” he took her face in his hands. “I know you’re tired-”
“Exhausted!!” she cried.
“I know you’re exhausted but we only have a little further to go. Right over that ridge is where we can rest…” he said, pointing behind him.
“You’ve been saying that for hours, Bane…” she replied meekly. He nodded.
“I understand that…but have I lied to you yet?” he asked, his eyes holding hers steady.
Isla’s nose and cheeks were red from the cold air. Her tiny body was lost in the mountain of insulated pants and coats that he had put her in. Regardless of it all, she still shivered violently. He wrapped her scarf around her neck and pulled her hood up.
She shook her head and took his hand. He pulled her up easily and together they made their way towards the ridge.
OoOoOoOo
He hadn’t been lying to her. When they got to the top of the ridge, Isla found herself staring at a colossal building that looked as if it were carved into the side of the cliff. The sky was darkening quickly, giving it a rather ominous appearance.
“What is it?” she shouted over the wind.
“It’s home.” he replied, looking down at her. He grabbed her hand and practically drug her in the direction of the structure. Forty-five minutes later, after hiking and pulling their bodies over large, jagged boulders, they came to the giant wall that surrounded the entrance. Isla’s head was all the way back as she stared up at the wall. It had to be at least 15 feet tall.
“How do we get in?” she asked. Bane dropped her hand and walked up to the massive door. Cameras were mounted on the top of the wall. He pounded his fist against the door, but nothing happened.
He grunted, obviously displeased. “I need you to crawl over the wall and open it from the opposite side.” He said.
“Are you fucking crazy?!” she scoffed. Before she could continue with her outrage, she was being hauled into the air by Bane. She shrieked, arms and legs flailing wildly.
“Isla! Focus! I need you to crawl over to the other side and unlock the door!” She clung to him like a feral cat.
“Why can’t YOU do it?!” she yelled.
“I really don’t see you lifting me onto your shoulders-” he grunted loudly and heaved her into the air. She screamed as she was thrown into the air, clutching desperately to the edge of the wall.
“You ASS! What if you had missed?!!!” she cried, kicking her leg up over the edge.
“I didn’t miss.” he called. She glared down at him and could see his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Are you smiling?” she asked. He was definitely smiling behind his mask.
“Is there anyone on the other side?” he asked. Isla narrowed her eyes at him before looking over her shoulder and scanning the grounds.
“No one’s here….or has been from the look of it.” she replied.
“Slide over and drop down.” he said.
“NO! I’ll break my legs!!” she said, looking behind her.
“No you wont! Throw both legs over the edge, turn onto your stomach and let yourself drop. It wont hurt if you balance your weight properly.” he shouted.
“I severely dislike you right now!!” she yelled, kicking her other leg over the edge. She groaned as she looked down at the ground below. The wind whipped her hair around fiercely as she tried to gather the courage to get down.
“Isla! You have to do this! We are out of provisions and a storm is coming!” Bane yelled.
She rolled onto her stomach and eased herself over until she was dangling. She tried to look down to see her landing when her hand slipped on the ice. She never even had the chance to scream before she fell to the ground. She sucked in her breath and refused to scream, but she could feel her ankle throbbing.
“Isla!!” Bane’s voice was barely audible over the howl of the wind. He pounded on the door. “Are you ok??” he bellowed.
Isla pulled herself up, but cried out as sharp pains shot through her foot and up her leg. She collapsed to the ground, trying to catch her breath.
“ISLA!” Bane was banging louder, sounding as if his face were pressed against the door. She crawled the short distance to the door and grabbed the handle to pull herself up. Leaning against the wall, she looked for the lock, but only found a clear box covering a keypad.
“What’s the code?” she yelled.
“133-8046” he called back. She pressed the combination and heard a loud metallic bang as the locks were released. Bane pushed through, slamming the door behind him.
“Are you alright?” he asked, entering another code. The door locked loudly.
“I’ll live.” she replied. He heaved the bags onto his shoulder.
“Let’s move then. This storm is going to be violent.” Isla limped behind him as he led her across the grounds towards the main doors.
He turned his head, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “You’re hurt” he stated.
“I balanced my weight.” she snapped sarcastically. He turned without missing a beat and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
“You did not balance your weight.” he said. Isla was suddenly too tired to argue and sunk into the warmth of his arms. The next moment he glanced down, she was asleep.
OoOoOoOo
Isla rolled onto her stomach, stretching her arms out. She pressed her face into the silky sheets wondering if she had dreamt up the past week, then bolted upright, looking around. The room was pitch black and she could hear the wind howling against the windows. She could just make out the faint golden glow of embers in a fireplace on the opposite end of the room.
“Bane?” she called out. When he didn’t respond, she slid out of the bed-and crumpled to the floor when sharp pains shot through her foot, causing her leg to give out. Immediately, the door swung open, casting light over her. Isla could tell from the silhouette that it was him. He hurried over and helped her up.
“Is my ankle broken?” she asked. He laid her back on the bed and sat beside her.
“Does it feel broken?” he asked, his voice was machine-like.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t balance you weight.” he said quietly, his large arm wrapped around her tiny waist.
“I’m aware of that…” she winced as he squeezed her ankle.
“Can you move it?” Isla wiggled her toes and moved her foot in all directions. It hurt like hell! “Most likely sprained. You need t-”
“I know, I know. Elevate it and alternate heat and ice.” She yawned. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked.
“Six hours, thirty-two minutes.” he replied, tucking a pillow under her foot.
“Thank you, Bane…” she said quietly.
“Of course.” he said, his thumb traced small circles over her leg where he rested his hand.
“So did your Shadow association build this place?” she asked.
He laughed loudly. “League of Shadows. And no. This was a resort in the 1920s-completely abandoned right after the Depression. We merely turned it into living quarters.”
“How many people constitute a league? Ten?”
“My dear, there are hundreds of us-possibly thousands.” he said. Isla rolled her eyes. Bane stood.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I have some tasks to finish up. I’ll only be downstairs.”
“I want to look around.” she said.
“You should wait until your ankle has mended. This place is quite large and if you fall again, I may not hear you.” he kissed her forehead and handed her a remote control, before taking his leave.
Isla, pouting, rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep again.