Secret Academy - Deuteronomy

XXIV: Into Sub Zero

Loraine was suddenly aware of hushed voices around her, but dare not open her eyes. It felt like she was lying on soft sheets, and the room was awfully cold. In the darkness, her ears heard crackling flames and assumed there must be a fireplace to keep them warm. But where was she? Something had happened in London…what was it? Her thoughts were interrupted by the muted conversation. A foreign language? It appeared as if her kidnappers didn’t want her to understand their discussion. Loraine listened anyway.

“Ich danke dir. Und noch ein Gefallen bitte” it was female.

“Ja, naturlich” a male voice replied.

“Bitte…” there was a short pause, and Loraine picked up a bit of hesitation on the girl’s part. If only she could understand what they were saying...

“Bitte…sag Papa, dass ich ihn liebe – obwohl wir uns noch nicht gesehen haben”

Her voice was a bit shaky, and although she couldn’t comprehend what their conversation was about, Loraine felt a hint of sadness with her words. There was no response after, only the faint sound of a creaky wooden door closing.

“You can open your eyes now”

She was surprised that the girl knew she had been awake. She heard footsteps coming toward her before she slowly opened her eyes.

It appeared to be a wooden cabin with no ceiling. A couple of cobwebs hung at the corners, and a small fireplace burned brightly at the center. She had been right; she was lying on a bed with clean linen sheets and fur blankets for warmth. A table beside her had a ceramic plate filled with some sort of broth she wasn’t familiar with, and a glass of water. Loraine’s hazel brown eyes turned to look at the girl who was also staring back at her.

“Don’t look so surprised and eat. We won’t hurt you. I’ll need to leave you soon though”

She sounded so grown up, even though her height and looks said otherwise. The girl wore a thick white coat made of fur, but the end of one of her sleeves looked stained by some reddish liquid…Loraine frowned and turned her attention to the broth. As she reached for it, she noticed the bandages on her wrists. She gasped.

“They held you in the warehouse for three days before we found you. Your wrists were hurt badly from being bound too hard. Don’t worry, it’ll heal fast” the girl answered her silent question.

I see, that’s what happened then, she thought, still confused.

“Who are you…?” she asked after tasting the soup. Its warmth filled her empty stomach.

“I can’t tell you that. But rest assured, I will protect your son”

Loraine nearly dropped the plate at the mention of Jasper. Her eyes widened, but the unknown girl merely gazed at her with expressionless eyes.

“Jasper?! Is he alright? Is he still at that dreadful academy? Please…tell me about my son!” she couldn’t help raising her voice frantically.

In a few strides, the girl’s face was soon inches away with her hand on Loraine’s mouth. Her black eyes flickered dangerously.

“Shhh! He’s fine. I have to go now, but you’ll be taken care of by my friend. Don’t try to escape on your own – they’ll catch you again and you’ll be dead for sure. Don’t worry about Jasper - the academy won’t hurt him. I promise you that on my life” the mysterious girl assured her.

For some odd reason, she believed her. There was something comforting in that promise…something real. Her mind hadn’t recalled yet the events of her visit to London before the end of the year, but she knew she could do that once she was alone. Her son was safe…that’s all that mattered. She felt her eyes water, and when the girl removed her small white hand, Loraine brushed away at the tears that never fell. Suddenly, the wooden door flung open and a heaving man in a dark coat entered. His disheveled brown hair had bits of snow stuck to it. Was this the man she had been talking to? Loraine wondered.