Sparrows

by Laura Mae

  Her lips trembled as she watched his eyes take in every tiny feature of her face. Her cheeks were undoubtedly strawberry red, and she felt hot and cold at the same time. She studied every inch of his face as well. Hair slightly covered one eye and she absentmindedly pushed it back. His eyelids weren’t perfectly symmetrical, and she had never noticed before. He had exactly seven freckles on his face and peach colored lips that hid his gorgeous smile. The man loved her. It wasn’t just lust. It was pure, real love.

  Her lips found his again before she started to cry. She focused her energy on being as close as possible to him. They pulled away, and Sydona tilted her head down to touch his forehead with hers. She wondered if he could hear her heart fluttering like a hummingbird’s.

  Lost in the moment, she finally spoke up. “Is that really what you want to tell Gia?”

  Silas laughed through his nose. “Yep.”

  “Okay, but she might be a tad confused.”

  “She’ll know what I mean.” He winked.

  Sydona shoved him playfully and bounced off the bed. Her head filled with air, and she picked up the weightless phone again and took it outside. As she sat on the chair, she floated on the lingering kiss and didn’t care how uncomfortable the chair was anymore.

  Staring at the numbers on the paper, she dialed Giovonna and waited for an answer. As she listened to the phone ring, she didn’t think of the time difference. What time would it be there? And what if her parents answered?

  “Hello?”

  It sounded like a younger girl, so Sydona replied. “Hi, Gia.”

  “Oh my god, Syd? Is it really you?”

  “It is! How are you?”

  “It’s so nice to hear your voice. Hang on… let me go to my room.” Muffled sounds and crackles curdled in Sydona’s ear as she waited for Giovonna to get situated. “Okay, good now. I’m okay. How are you?”

  “I’m good. We’re up in the mountains right now[SD351][LM352][SD353].”

  “Seriously? Oh man, you guys got far!”

  Sydona smiled. She missed her so much. “Yeah, it’s beautiful here.”

  “So jealous. My parents decided to start homeschooling me so they can keep an eye on me[SD354]. Can you believe that?” she said with an increasing whisper.

  “Oh wow. That really sucks…”

  “But you’ll be happy to know that I have made some progress with the… ‘you know what’s’. At least, I think so. It’s hard to know without having something to test it on. God, I sound just like doctor douchebag.”

  “Yeah, and I mean, it’s fine if you don’t. I don’t want you to be burdened with something like that. Since you’re not here anymore.” Sydona swallowed.

  “No, it’s fun. I like doing it. I feel like I’m still helping you guys even though I’m here…”

  Sydona didn’t know what to say. But Giovonna changed the subject for her. “So, what else have you guys done? Come on, gimme details!”

  Sydona laughed. “Nothing much else. Just been driving and flying a lot.”

  “Flying? You? I don’t believe it!” she gasped.

  “Yep! It was strange, but it felt good.”

  “I bet! How’s Devon? I kinda miss that kid.

  “He’s… full of surprises, I’ll tell you that much.”

  Sydona stretched her legs and placed them on the table to get more comfortable. Looking past the curtains and through the glass door, she saw all four boys were still watching the television and hadn’t moved an inch. As she leaned back in the chair more, she thought of the next thing she wanted to tell Giovonna: her new feelings for Silas. Before she could open her mouth, a whistling sound grazed her ear and something hit her head so hard she only felt the blunt pain for a second before things went black.

  For just a second, before she fell unconscious, she faintly heard Giovonna say some words, but Sydona couldn’t make out what they were. Who hit her? And why?

  ~~~~~

  What felt like half a day later, Sydona opened her eyes but still only saw darkness. But she was moving. An engine revved below her, and her heart sped up instantly. Her mouth was covered in duct tape, preventing her from making a single sound. Bound by what felt like bed sheets, her hands and feet were completely useless. It was stuffy and smelled like carpet. Sweat dripped into her eyes and soaked her clothes. It must have been one-hundred degrees in that trunk. [SD355][LM356][SD357]

  Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and she tried to look around the trunk for anything she could use to free herself. Wiggling around and breathing through what felt like a plastic bag, she was only able to see clothes, a bottle of some kind, a soccer ball and a tire pump. She didn’t have her dagger. Worse, she was utterly alone. Someone was turning her in for their reward. She should have known better than to sit outside in the open, unarmed and shoeless[SD358]. She hit her head against the floor of the trunk a few times to punish herself. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. The Sparrows were supposed to take over the doctor’s mansion and kill him. She tried to let herself relax and prepare for what was ahead.

  She never felt so vulnerable in her life. She didn’t know who had captured her or where she would end up next. If it was a Vulture, she was sure she would be going straight to the doctor.

  The air was getting tighter, and she needed more oxygen. Her lungs felt as if they were in the process of shrinking to the size of a prune. Licking her lips and curling them in toward her mouth, she wet them as much as possible to alleviate the stickiness of the tape. With each pull of the tape, micro hairs ripped from her pores. She worked quickly to moisten the tape and eventually got it off. It stayed stuck to the right side of her face, but at least she could breathe fully. [SD359][LM360][SD361]

  She took a minute to catch her breath and slow her heart. The one thing she knew was whoever captured her would not kill her. Her existence was too valuable. Scenarios of how to escape played in her mind. The car hadn’t stopped in a long time, making her think they were on the highway. Escaping from a moving object at ninety miles an hour onto a concrete road with other cars fast approaching? Not a good first plan. She would wait until they stopped and find a possible latch to get out. Some cars had them equipped. Did people get trapped in trunks often? Taking another glance around, she saw no such lever, so that idea was a bust. Plan C: she could wait until whoever opened the trunk saw her, headbutt them and hope it would be hard enough to knock them unconscious so she could escape on foot. She was unable to fly away without Raoul, though. Plus, her feet and hands were still bound together. With each plan that fell apart, her heart pounded harder. All she could do was simply wait and watch it all unravel.

  Another few hours passed, and Sydona eventually fell asleep. Once the car engine vibrated differently and slowed, her eyes opened wide. Her moment was coming. The vehicle made several turns, pushing her to either side and turning her body. Soon the car came to a complete stop, and the engine turned off.

  The trunk opened, and the early morning sun scorched her retinas. Her eyes squeezed tightly, and she felt a huge wave of oven air blow over her. Once her eyes opened again, someone stood in the direct sunlight, casting a shadow over her face. With such extreme contrast, she was only able to make out the silhouette of her kidnapper but knew it was a woman.

  “Welcome to Nevada, punta,” she said.

  All Sydona could do was scowl at her.

  “You hungry?” she asked in a normal voice.

  Sydona looked off to the side, not satisfying her with an answer.

  “Suit yourself,” she said and ripped the rest of the tape off Sydona’s mouth. The after-effect burned her cheek, and she squirmed in disapproval. Natalia dug in her purse, pulled out a large roll of duct tape and put a fresh one back on her lips. [SD362]“This place has some rad pie. Stopped here on the way to kill you guys. The raspberry is to die for.” She giggled a high-pitched laugh.

  Sydona mumbled curse words at her through the tape, but of course it was gibberish.

  “What did you
say to me?!” she backlashed. Natalia flipped open a small pocket knife and sliced Sydona on her right cheek bone. Sydona screamed out in agony, but it was unsatisfactory because of the tape[SD363]. She could feel the warm blood instantly drip down her face, and her eyes watered uncontrollably.

  “I’m gonna get some food; I’ll be right back. Stay right here,” she said seriously, then cracked herself up.

  She slammed the trunk door shut to abandon Sydona as she writhed in pain. All she could focus on was her cut and the blood that poured from it like a faucet. With no way to tend to it or close it up, it could permanently scar her. She hated Natalia with every fiber in her being, and there was nothing she could do about it. It dawned on her that the main reason she normally got out of situations like this was because of Raoul. His tiny self and quick flying skills always got her out of a bind, so to speak. But she was alone and entirely out of ideas.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Natalia started the car up again and drove off down the highway. Her fresh wound throbbed as if it kept reopening itself, and blood dripped down her into her ear. She had nothing to do now but wait, and she grew tired. At least she knew where she was going now. The simple fact somehow calmed her, even if it meant she would be in the presence of the doctor.

  Energy drained from her body. She managed to get the duct tape back off and craved the air like snow craved cold. Picturing snow was the wrong choice, and it was all she could think of. All the sweat leaking out of her pores left her feeling like a dried-up sponge on the kitchen sink. Saliva was the only way she could trick her mind into thinking she had water. The warm and bland taste left her even thirstier than before. She wished she hadn’t turned down the offer for food, but she also wouldn’t trust anything Natalia gave her.

  Eventually, after what seemed like several more hours and a full bladder, the car acted differently again. The wound on her cheek had dulled and didn’t bother her as much. Her bladder was the next concern. She was unsure why it was so full; she seemed to have expelled most of the liquid in her body already.

  The car stopped a few times, and she heard voices including Natalia’s. It then trundled on at a slow and steady pace. She rolled to the edge of the trunk as the car climbed what felt like a mountain. Smooth paved road soon dropped to a rocky road that made her vibrate so hard she had to clench her teeth together. The car crept slower and slower, then stopped.

  Natalia slammed her car door shut and greeted someone nearby.

  Sydona listened in closely. The voices were extremely muffled but close enough for her to hear full words. “Hey, Nat. Where the hell you been? You look like shit!”

  “Fuck off, Jones. I been busy.”

  “You’ve been gone for like five days. I sure hope you were doing something out there.”

  “Oh yes. I have been doin’ something. Wait till you see what I brought home.”

  Sydona’s heart thumped harder. She was a prize. Disgusting.

  Then a car door opened, but it wasn’t hers. After a few seconds, Natalia spoke up.

  “The best damn pie in Nevada. Got a blueberry one just for you.”

  “Is this from Henry’s Bakery? Hell yeah! You’re the best.”

  Sydona stuck her tongue out.

  Natalia continued. “And I have another surpriiiise,” she said in a sing-song, crazy tone.

  The trunk flipped open once more, and light burst in but not as harsh as last time. It appeared as if they were in a garage, a very large one at that.

  “Ta-da!” Natalia exclaimed and waved her arm over Sydona like a magic trick.

  “Dude! You didn’t! Ug, I’m so jealous right now.”

  “Fuck off, Jones,” Sydona said with a dry throat.

  “Oh! She’s spunky! I like that!” he said while licking his lips.

  His words and the perverted look in his eye sent a chill down her spine. A slimy, sweaty hand reached over and moved the hair sticking to Sydona’s forehead, and he examined her with a tilted head. His fingernails scraped her skin, and she shivered to prevent him from touching her. A rat’s nest kept together with a rubber band sat atop his head. A strand of it fell over his tanned, or dirty, face, and his bulging hazel eyes looked as oversized as his nose. Without warning, one of his boney fingers somehow found a way into her mouth and wiggled around. She couldn’t figure out how, why or what possessed this man to shove his disgusting appendage into her mouth full of vengeful teeth. Overwhelmingly uncomfortable and appalled, Sydona bit down on Jones’s index finger as hard as she could. Her teeth hit bone.

  “Fuck!” He retracted with blood running down his hand like a river. “Bitch!”

  Sydona felt there was no way to hold back a grin. Jones saw it and used his other hand to slap her across the face. Her teeth felt close to breaking from the shear force, and she tightened her jaw from the sting.

  “Well, you shouldn’t stick your fingers where they don’t belong.” Natalia shrugged. For once she seemed to be on Sydona’s side, kind of. Natalia ripped off the rest of the duct tape again and untied her feet.

  Jones sucked on his finger like a baby. “Where’d you get that car?”

  “Stole it from the hotel I was stayin’ at. Didn’t plan on it, but you know, things came up,” she said with a wink at Sydona.

  “Is he in?” Natalia asked as they walked Sydona out of the garage and through a door leading inside a house.

  Jones replied, “No, he’s still in New York doing interviews and stuff. Been gone a few days. Should be back tomorrow, I think. God, this fucking hurts.” He shook his hand.

  All Sydona could do was smile as she looked at the ground. They were not going into a house like she thought. The door led down a large flight of stairs and to a narrow corridor.

  “What was in New York?” Natalia wondered, talking normally again. Sometimes it felt as if it wasn’t even the same woman next to her when she tried acting civil.

  “Good Morning America.”

  “Good for him.”

  Their conversation ended. They kept walking her down a corridor that never seemed to end. The walls looked as if they were made of steel, and everything was brightly lit. Ivory and cotton were the only colors. She walked by several sections of walls that were see-through, like plastic. Flashes of the cabin at Eagle Lake came to mind. This was like the motherland. Malik had a look, and he stuck with it. None of the plastic clear walls had a single finger print either. She guessed he had a dozen or so maids that cleaned his entire house every day. Oh, to have endless amounts of money.

  They arrived at an opened enclosure, though it was hard to tell because it looked invisible. Natalia undid the sheet bindings on her hands and pushed her inside, causing her to trip. She closed the door and entered in a code on the side of the prison that made the edge of the plastic walls glow a dull red. Locked. Jones had already walked away, but Natalia lingered behind to look at Sydona more. She pressed her hand against the plastic and stared at her with big sad eyes. Sydona stared back, unsure of what she was doing. Natalia fogged up the plastic as she let out a content sigh.

  “This is like the best day of my life…” she said softly. Sydona could barely hear her but read her lips. She kissed the plastic while keeping her eyes locked on Sydona’s, then waved and walked away.

  Sydona looked after her and touched the hard plastic to observe the hallway and area outside of her prison. She saw nothing but glowing white and red. The cell adjacent from hers was vacant. It had a cot like hers and a small metal toilet.

  She turned to see her own setup. She had a cot with a single blanket and pillow, a metal toilet like her invisible neighbor, a petite bookcase full of books and a rocking chair with another pillow. She sat down on the bed, touched her face with a shaky hand and winced. So much dried blood. Using the reflective toilet back, she attempted to look at the damage inflicted. It looked dreadful, and her face was completely covered in blood and swollen. [SD364]One thing she was grateful for was at least she had a place to use the bathroom. There was even toile
t paper. Once she relieved herself, she lay back on the cot and cried.

  The floodgates opened. Her tears started as pure terror, then turned into sadness and depression, and finally into rage.

  “Fuck! Fuuuucckkk!”

  She clutched the rocking chair and smashed it against the wall with a growl from deep down. She ripped the pillows up until the room filled with more whiteness, beat her hands on the firm cot over and over again, pulled at her short hair and screamed until her throat physically hurt. Once her lungs went out, she went back to sobbing and crawled under the blanket.

  She missed Raoul so much her heart had sharp pains that came and went. And Silas… she wasn’t sure if she would ever see him again. Devon, Willow, Knox, everyone… never to be seen again because she was stupid and careless. She surrendered herself to the man who would use her like a lab rat. And now that she was there, the Sparrows would come after her in order to get her out, which meant more death. And there was no way to tell them to stop. She hoped they would rescue her, but she couldn’t count on that. If she wanted out, or to do what she came there for, she had to do it herself.

  Malik was coming back tomorrow, at least according to Jones. She would have to see his ugly face again. And then she would have to stab it, which she was more than okay with. Her stomach growled, and she clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth. She was dehydrated. She became dizzier by the second, and her stomach felt as if it were curling up. If only the guys had ordered room service earlier, she would have lasted longer in her prison.

  “Ug.” Thinking of food only made the feeling worse.

  The cell stood completely absent of sound, and it was already driving her mad. [SD365]She never knew how much she loved noise. Time and sunlight didn’t exist. She had no idea how long she waited down in the barren prison, but seconds felt like minutes and hours felt like years. Maybe it was because she was expecting Malik at any moment.

  Unable to shut her eyes and sleep after what felt like hours of nothing, she decided to prepare. She grabbed a piece of the rocking chair and searched for something to sharpen it. At the base of the toilet, a screw stuck slightly out. It was just enough to grip. Sydona spun it out and revealed a screw about three inches long. In a rapid downward motion, she moved the twisted, jagged instrument against the wood to make a point.