Silent Intrigue

A Cure for Silence

Silence.

It was familiar, yet so hard to attain now. It seemed the world was never silent around him anymore. There were always new sounds that reached his ears now, though he had only been able to identify a few. Daylight nor moonlight mattered. The world continued to make noise.

Yet it was preferable, almost, to the sounds he could generate with his chains or his mouth, or even his breath should he choose to draw in air. It was certainly friendlier than the relentless sounds of the Captor talking at him.

The only thing that had become more familiar, was the insistent thirst. It consumed his mind. He needed sustenance. Something to fill the void in his stomach. To fill his veins with life. It had horrified him at first. Then disgusted him. Now, it was just a part of life.

He glanced up at the ceiling when there came sounds of footsteps in the rundown shack above him. The moon was on the rise, but barely above the horizon. There were only a few watery strands of silver light streaming through the cracks in the rotting wood above him. The Captor was early this evening. He wondered what had prompted the change in routine. His eyes narrowed when he realized there were two people moving around up there.

He cocked his head when the lock rattled. Then clapped his hands over his ears when it was pounded at, rather than unlocked. That had never happened before. The lock broke and the trap door was pulled open, admitting a moon beam and a dark figure. Not the dark figure he was used to however.

This figure was leaner, and moved with an agile grace that was more fitting for a woman than a man. And female was probably accurate. Long hair swung down as the figure leaned over the edge of the opening, blocking out the light for a moment.

The figure dropped through and crouched, eyeing the darkness. Then they slowly stood. A woman. Not the Captor. Fear gripped him. She was going to be killed if he found her down here. He wrenched against his chains, trying to communicate to her that she had to leave. To get out as quickly as possible. She couldn't possibly be here as the Captors replacement. He would have given her a key.

Her eyes lit on him, studying carefully for a moment before she tilted her head back. A second woman appeared in the opening, peering down. "Found him?"

"I think so."

The first womans gaze dropped back down to him. She slowly crept towards him, studying him. He snarled, hoping to scare her away. Her eyes flashed gold in the dim light and she smiled, showing fangs. Just like him then. He wouldn't be scaring her in that case. The second woman dropped down behind her and followed.

The first woman squatted in front of him to get closer to eye level while the second stopped right behind her. He drew his legs away from her. She slowly lifted her hands, trying not to be threatening. He didn't care if she was threatening or not. He just wanted her to leave before the Captor came for the night and killed her. It had been horrifying to watch the Captor kill the young farm boy that had found him the first time. He didn't want another to die in front of him.

He blinked in surprise when she swept her hands through familiar motions that he hadn't seen in too many years.

'Hello Silence.'

He choked on tears. She knew his name and how to talk to him. How was this even possible? She had spoken as she signed, perhaps not realizing he could read her lips. It didn't matter. The signing was just as precious to him as the new ability to hear. She moved her hands again, in motions he knew meant 'My name is-', then added a sign to identify herself with, then introduced her companion. Again she spoke along with her signs. He nodded. His hands were chained above his head, but he awkwardly repeated her motions.