Daisy Sun: Chapter Three- Introductions

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Chapter Three: Introductions2

The light was blinding, causing me to close my eyes tightly. The darkness I saw through my closed eyelids was lighter than usual, and millions of tiny dots sprang about. I put my hands over them, rubbing gently the stinging sensation. I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to get used to the light after being in the dark for so long, but I patiently awaited the adjustment to take its effect. 3

There were swift movements around me, as I heard what sounded like a tray rest before me. The thought of more food gave my stomach a tightened feeling, and my mouth watered in delight. I forced myself in one place, in order to catch my eyesight before I became too hasty. 4

I blinked several of times, taking in the greyish, hard floor. I noticed bins stacked on the far side of the wall, and jars rested all about the room, filled with beans and endless assortments of spices. There were baskets of onions, though they looked old and rotten, as well as bags of potatoes. Random Kleenex boxes littered the corners of the room, and paint cans were tossed on their sides, maybe caused by my urgent actions. 5

I couldn’t keep my eyes opened for more than a few seconds without them watering, so it was difficult to look up, where the light was so strong, and see the stranger whose presence was even stronger. He was only a few feet away, standing tall, as his shadow covered me from most of the burning light.6

I wasn’t as patient anymore in detailing his features. My head didn’t bother to take in anymore of the items stacked around the room, for I quickly realized I had been thrown into a small, forgotten storage room. My neck craned to the top of his mighty tall posture, as I took in a dim face before the silver spots and colours disappeared from my sight. He seemed to be staring right back, and for a moment, there was a deep, uncomfortable silence that followed during our gaze. 7

“I’m sorry about the light.” He suddenly said, looking away from me and towards the food. “I should have warned you. Here’s the food though. I brought you another sandwich, some fruit that I found, but it might taste slightly out of date. I apologize for that too. There’s a glass of water, but I also have some juice boxes that I just put into the fridge, so I’ll wait until that cools up.”8

It surprised me how casual he was, as if nothing big had happened. It was slightly disturbing to think that he could be so soft after my endless torture in a room that collected my groans, my pains, and my near death experience. 9

I couldn’t really say anything in return. My eyes were glued on his face, as my sight brightened and adjusted well with time. He was unbelievably tall; I hadn’t comprehended his size when he stood in the darkness beside the door. He had to be at least 6 and a half feet. His face was hard, but strangely kind, with strong cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. His hair was light brown and short, but long enough to be tossed about. He was wearing a casual t-shirt and jeans, yet I could already see his bulging muscles from underneath his clothing, and they intimidated me for a second as I recalled my tiny 5 foot 3 dimension. 10

“I’ll keep the door opened. If you need anything, just call me.” 11

I could tell he only said this because of my quietness. As he turned and began towards the door again, I felt a pulse of confidence in speaking. 12

“Don’t go.” I said, with a tiny voice. 13

I was glad he heard me. He turned and stared towards me with an expression I couldn’t understand. There seemed to be a lot going on in his head; he was evidently conflicting with himself, it was easily seen through his clouded eyes. 14

“I can’t stand being alone.” I found myself adding, feeling my eyes flicker towards my food. 15

He didn’t move, but his hands hesitated against the handle of the door. For a brief moment I thought he would just walk right out and lock the door behind him, but that didn’t seem very likely. I regretted saying it, feeling the awkwardness in the air, and yet I desperately couldn’t imagine being left alone again. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate myself for another moment with my delusional, confused thoughts. 16

To my surprise, he put his hand down from the handle and swiftly walked to the opposite corner, as far from me I noticed, where there were three large bins stacked upon each other on a wooden table. Staring at him with curiosity, I saw him take down the closed bins, and set them on the floor, randomly and carelessly. When the table was cleared, he turned towards me and took a seat. I couldn’t help but wonder if the table would break or not given how large and muscular he was, yet the table proved me wrong, standing firm and strong in its ancient state. 17

His eyes were on me intently, and I wasn’t sure whether he was waiting for me to say something. I couldn’t sum up any courage to ask the millions of questions in my mind, though it was hard to restrain myself from them. 18

My gaze stayed on my food, and I carefully grabbed the sandwich in my hands, feeling my hunger pain through me, awaiting to be filled. I was slow about it though, despite how eager I was in feeling the comfort of a full stomach. With his eyes on me --so deeply on me-- it was difficult to gorge away and be myself in such a circumstance. 19

I took my bite and chewed every bit of it, over and over again, as my throat pulled forward, waiting for the swallow. My eyes scanned the room in hopes of making my glance towards him appear as casual and innocent as possible. His face was the same, the expression was difficult to read, but it seemed to continue to soften. 20

“Sorry if it doesn’t taste so well. I’m not an expert in the kitchen.” He said, with a very small smile on his lips. 21

It was beyond strange to have one of my captors sitting so close from me and be shedding away humour at the same time. It didn’t feel like I was a prisoner, or that I was apart of a sick, twisted game. 22

“It tastes fine.” I reassured him. 23

My eyes remained on his for a long while, and the discomfort in my stomach knotted against the food I devoured. He looked so young, I couldn’t understand what his role in all this was. 24

It seemed he plainly recognized my expressions and easily identified with what I was thinking. He looked at my half eaten sandwich and then about the room, searching for the proper words that would be suitable for this moment. 25

“I didn’t tell you my name, did I?” He abruptly asked, though he knew the answer already. 26

I shook my head. “No.”27

“It’s Theo.” He gave a nod more to himself than to me, and then sighed. “And I won’t hurt you, if that’s what you’re thinking. None of us are going to hurt you. I promise you that.”28

I couldn’t help but focus on his words… None of us….29

“You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He continued, with a look of compassion in his face. “Then again, that’s what happened to all of us really.”30

His eyes went from mine, and then down to my arm, studying the deep wound that carved into my skin. Even with the pain I had forgotten it was there. My eyes turned towards it, and I nearly dropped my sandwich in both shock and disgust at the gash that could be easily seen in the light. The dried blood was thicker than I imagined, looking repulsive and easily breakable by the touch. The bumps that ran along my arm were close together, and its shape from the beginning of the narrow line caught me by surprise. It almost looked like the bumps were caused by teeth marks, and instantly I remembered my first initial guess of it during my attack.31

“It’s a bite, isn’t it?” I found myself asking, but it was more to myself than to him. 32

Yet there was a deeper line attached to it, like a knife that skidded in a row from the bite. My fingers faintly touched it, but I was reluctant to press down and feel the wound’s detailed rupture. My heart beat hard in my chest for a fear I hardly understood. When I turned back to him, his eyes were still on it, and his face more grave and thoughtful. 33

“Yeah.” He nearly whispered. 34

I had to remind myself what he was answering to, and recapped my question in my mind again. The thought of something biting me this deep… Well, there weren’t enough words to fully capture the emotion I was hurdling. 35

There was an undeniable fear that continued to weigh down on me despite his promise, however it lessened considerably, as if I believed him just enough to function properly. I continued to eat the remainder of my sandwich, this time quickening my pace to stop my stomach from irritating me. I drank my water carefully, not wanting to choke or vomit over a sudden queasiness. Regardless of the amount of water I consumed, my tongue remained dry, longing for more and more.36

By the time I was finished, my stomach sat comfortably, and my head eased from its current ache. I could already feel the strength inside me grow, as well as my exhaustion reducing. My eyes wandered back to the stranger named Theo who sat perfectly still, looking towards me, fixedly. Before anything could be said between us, his head turned towards the door as a barely audible, distant sound reached my ears.37

I couldn’t place what it was ---perhaps a footstep, or a door opening--- but a sudden drift of air flowed through the muffled, hot room. It was cool and fresh, almost like it came directly from outside. Theo stood up, eyes still trained on the doorway, until I heard footsteps closing in towards the door. I realized shortly afterwards that it was a staircase that caused the stomps to give an echoing effect. I wondered once more where exactly I was before the figures appeared at the door. 38

The first was a tall, slender female, with bronzed skin and shoulder length black hair. Although she looked fragile and gentle at the first glance, her posture said otherwise. There was something behind the interior, something that overshadowed her less intimidating frame that pulsed my heart in fear. Her chestnut eyes were hard, and they showed little emotion besides a trace of surprise when she landed on Theo and then me. 39

Behind her were two others: one a male, and another a female. The male’s body structure resembled Theo’s. He had wide shoulders, thick arms, and a bulging muscular frame, perhaps larger than Theo himself. He was shorter by a few inches than him though, but tall just the same. His hair was a shade of many colours in the light, sometimes a reddish brown, and other times a tone of dark blonde. His skin was fair, but reddish looking as if he was burned by the sun, and his eyes were a light green, almost translucent looking in the light.40

A blonde, petit girl stood beside him, almost shied away at first. The first thing I took notice of was her heart shaped face, and high cheek bones against a fairly neutral tone of skin. Her hair was long but pulled back save for a few strands that tumbled to the side of her unique face. She was lean, not as rounded as the first female, and much more fragile looking. There was no hardness about her like the previous one, just a soft looking expression clouded her face, making her appear timid yet friendly. 41

I was taken aback by how quickly the room filled up in just a short amount of time by strangers I was supposed to be feeling utmost terror against. I barely had a gist of it, as curiosity soon devoured most of the feelings in me. However, it didn’t take away the alarm that thudded through my skin, as my eyes scanned over all of them. Perhaps it was the consumption of food that calmed my nerves down, or the water that cleared away the fuzziness of before, but I found myself glued to the ground despite the ease of those delights. I was jumbled up in all sorts of temporary feelings, leading me to be fully confused and irritated towards myself. I wasn’t sure whether I was readable or not, but I hoped it wasn’t important either way.42

“She looks better.” The first female said, scanning my empty plate and my posture.43

I recognized her voice as the one at the door the very first time it was opened. I remembered the caution in her voice as if I was the one she was fearing rather than the other way around. I couldn’t stare directly back at her firmness, I was already intimidated. 44

“I made her more food.” I heard Theo say. 45

The male behind her snickered, quite unexpectedly. 46

“You made food?”47

Theo didn’t answer, but I could already feel the shift of atmosphere in the room in a more positive, less grave, way. 48

“No more pain?” I then heard the female ask, taking a few steps forward to me. 49

My eyes remained on the empty plate before me, unable to look away.50

“Just a little.” I managed to say. 51

Before I could take notice of her next actions, her frame was in front of me, at my level, kneeling. Her shadow covered most of the light, as her scent drifted towards me, strongly. She smelled like a whole bundle of carnations, most I was unable to pinpoint at the moment. It was so natural too, coming out of her in a million different ways. It calmed me more than I would have liked. 52

Quite unexpectedly, her hand touched mine. A warm feeling brushed up my arm, as I reflexively pulled away. For a moment, I thought she would be offended, and I took a quick glance towards her eyes to be sure, but they were less hard than before, and more understanding. 53

“It’s alright.” She reassured me, in a kind way. “I just want to take a look at your arm. That arm.” 54

She motioned towards my wounded arm before she rested her warm hands on it again. This time, I didn’t flinch away. It pained more than before though when she touched it, brushing her thin, long fingers over the dried blood and teeth marks. She pressed a little harder on the narrow line following, studying it carefully for a long moment. I flinched in pain, but bit my lips so she wouldn’t notice. 55

“I’m sorry.” She nearly whispered, seeing through my expression easily. She turned towards Theo, her face lightened and calm. “She’s not one of them. She’s infected, but he stopped the full transformation from continuing.”56

I didn’t understand what she was saying, but I couldn’t ask about it while they all exchanged expressions, ones that were mixed with reassurance and contentment.57

“I already knew that.” Theo said, almost smugly. “I knew that the first time I rested my eyes on her. Niles didn’t seem to agree.”58

The other male scoffed, looking offended by his words.59

“I had my doubts.” He admitted, with a shrug. “But her screams were so loud, they reminded me of them.”60

Screams? I turned away from them, as my cheeks reddened by the thought of me screaming at the top of my lungs throughout my ordeal. I hadn’t been aware of any sounds I was making until long afterwards, but even then, the only thing that I recalled escaping from my mouth were the groans. I understood now why my throat was hurting, and why it felt dry and rough whenever I spoke. 61

“The important thing is that she’s alright for now.” The female said, interrupting them from their potential argument. Her face turned towards mine, and her hand met against my forehead. “Your temperature is stabilizing. I’m pretty sure it’s okay for you to move.”62

“What was wrong with me in the first place?” I found myself asking, feeling an uncontrollable urge to ask all the questions I had bottled in me. 63

She hesitated a moment before exchanging a short glance towards Theo. 64

“All will be explained,” she answered, with a faltering tone, “in a matter of time. You will receive answers, as long as you’re able to keep an open mind.”65

An open mind for what exactly? I didn’t have the courage to ask this, but my puzzlement clearly said enough. 66

“Perhaps you should clean yourself up a bit. You’ve been through a lot these passed two days, I’m sure you’re in need of a long shower.”67

“Two days?” I echoed.68

She rose without a reply, turning towards those around her. The words stuck with me though, giving me a more perplex feeling than anticipated. I had been in this room for two days? Though it wasn’t as long as I thought it was, it still sounded bizarre to be kept shut from the world for 48 hours. My thoughts instantly took me to Little Cross, and to the aching circumstances that led me here in the first place. 69

“We should clear a private room for her, and have more food in stock. We’ll each take our responsibilities before we find her a more permanent place to situate her in.” 70

“We’re not keeping her?” Theo asked abruptly, his tone sounded agitated. 71

The female frowned. “How are we going to keep her?”72

“It’s not that difficult.”73

“Actually it is given the situation we’re in because of her survival. We can’t keep her when there’s going to be a lot of questioning-”74

“There’s going to be a lot of questioning either way-”75

“I’m not arguing with you, Theodore.” She interrupted, irritated and grave. 76

I sat in astonishment, tossing my head back and forth at them. Their words made me feel more like a pet than an actual human being. I didn’t want anybody keeping me.77

Theo tensed his shoulders, apparently trying to keep in a whole bundle of words he wanted out. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air for the moment, or perhaps I had been the only one feeling it. 78

“Lead her to the bathroom, and get her some clothes.” She told the other female.79

“Aren’t we going to introduce ourselves?”80

I was taken by surprise by her sudden outburst. She was so petit and silent that her large, squeaky voice sounded like it came from another person. She looked rather impatient, with a bright face and an eager smile. It was too bad the others weren’t feeling her excitement. 81

The other female sighed, reluctantly turning towards me. 82

“I’m Ruth.” She said, though her voice had already returned to its rock solid state. 83

She motioned her hand to each person in the room, pointing them out.84

“That’s Niles.” She said, as I looked at the muscular fellow who gave me a tight smile. “That’s Theo.” 85

I looked once again at Theo, whose eyes softened at my glance. He gave a short nod but said nothing.86

“And that’s Josephine.” 87

The petit girl smiled even wider. “Hello.”88

I didn’t have the strength enough to return a solid reply, so I nodded and tried to lift the corners of my mouth up. It didn’t go successfully. 89

“Are we done with the introductions?” Ruth asked, rhetorically. 90

Josephine frowned at her. 91

“Take her to the bathroom now.”92

She turned away and came towards me, kneeling at my level as she placed both her hands delicately on mine. Her touch was cooler than Ruth’s yet more welcoming. 93

“Come on then. Do you need help?” She asked.94

“I’m not sure.” I answered honestly.95

She chuckled softly and lifted me up without strain. I didn’t realize I was already on my feet until I met her eyes at a higher level. She was as tall as me, and strangely much stronger. My head felt a shift of feeling at suddenly standing that it took me a moment to adjust. 96

“Let’s go then.” She said, as she led me to the door.