Secrets (a MPHFPC Fanfic)

One Hope: Alma

I woke up, gagged, with my hands and feet bound. I lay there for a while, sorting through all that had happened. My last memory was being forced to drink a drug, which explained why I was so groggy. We were moving, in some sort of truck.

"I know you're awake, Alma," I recognized that voice too. Bentham, my other traitorous brother, was sitting right across from me.

Since it was no use pretending to still be asleep, I slowly sat up, groaning. Someone had taken all the pins out of my hair, so it fell down to my back. It seemed like every joint in my body hurt. I opened my eyes and blinked, but it was so dark in the truck, I couldn't see anything anyway. And I didn't bother trying to respond to my brother.

"Do you want a drink? Caul said "I could take your gag out for a minute or two while you take a few sips." Bentham said. "He doesn't want you dying on us. But he also said you couldn't have too much, just in case."

I sighed. He was hopeless. I can't answer his question anyway.

"Oh, right," He said, finally coming to his senses. He removed the cloth and I ran my tongue around my mouth. I cleared my throat.

He tipped a cup to my lips and I drank some, then some more. After a few more sips, Bentham pulled it away. I cleared my throat again and asked, "Why are we here? Where are we going?"

Bentham shifted in the dark. "I'm not supposed to say. I need to gag you again."

"Wait," I said. "You owe me this much."

"For what?"

"Well, for one thing, what are you doing right now?"

"Oh," He said, shifting again. "That's a good point. But Caul's making me do it."

"There are always ways to rebel. Even against the stronger force."

We sat in silence for a while. My back burned and I longed to shift to a different position, but was so weak, I was afraid I would collapse again if I tried.

"Fine," I finally said. "But at least tell me what you want with me and my daughter."

Before he could answer, the doors burst open, letting in blinding light. Bentham quickly shoved the gag back in my mouth, trying to not get caught disobeying Caul. We both squinted through the light. It was daytime, about midday, which made me wonder how long I'd been knocked out for.

And there stood Caul.

"Oh," Caul grinned, feigning surprise. "Alma, you're awake!" Behind him was a bridge, part of it missing. Beyond the bridge was a large fortress.

"Men," Caul said, pointing at me. "Get her up and let's go." Two wights entered the truck, one grabbing me while the other pointed the gun. I could barely lift my head. Whatever drug they had given me made me weak. The only thing that kept hopelessness away was the possibility that my daughter was in that giant fort, and we would be reunited, that no harm had come to her.

They carried me to the bridge, Caul walking in front. When he got to the edge of it, It seemed like an invisible rope had lassoed him and lifted him across the gap. A hollow. Once Caul was across the bridge, he pointed to me and what I could only assume was one of the hollow's tentacle-like tongues wrapped around me and pulled me out of the wight's arms and across the bridge. The hollow must have been putting its other tongues to use, because as soon as I was across, the wights were too. Then the wight picked me up again, and we proceeded into the fortress.