VICIOUS (II) : peter pan ouat

How to Find a Girl

Chapter 2:

I feel my face tingling as my eyes slowly crack open. Maybe I was drugged, or maybe my brain still doesn't have enough oxygen in it. I always feel like this after taking allergy medication; sleepy and tingly.

The first thing I notice is the fire in front of my face. It's on a spit, and I flinch back violently, pulling a muscle in my neck in the process.

It's too soon to see fire. Especially after the night our camp was destroyed. Much too soon.

What hurts me isn't physically moving of course, it's the ropes that bind me in place. Those gave me a bit of whiplash as I lurched around.

I turn to the side, and notice Alex next to me, tied to a separate tree. He doesn't have any bruising, and seems more frustrated than anything.

When I spot a tall man, towering over Inali, I realise we were abducted by the Natives. It's embarrassing, I definitely should've realised sooner. Who else would there to be to abduct us now that Dominique is gone?

The man says something indistinguishable to Inali, who then turns to me and Alex.

"Listen, it's out of my hands." Inali shrugs, a frown tugged across his face.

I really don't like being unconscious. Jumping in on the middle of conversations makes no sense.

"We don't have her." Alex says. "We only have Lily."

Inali speaks to the man next to him, who barks something back. His tongue lashes out, like a whip.

Lily like the tiger?

"Where would she be Al?" Inali pleads. He continues on speaking in a language I don't understand. I forgot that Alex can speak their language.

"We've got rogues." I tell them. "They could've kidnapped her. Dominique and them, and they are all dead now, so we have no idea where she could be."

"We already went over that." Alex jumps in, shaking his head.

Of course they did. Don't mind me, only trying to be helpful.

"Listen, we just want Walela back." Inali says. "Your people can't keep taking ours."

Walela is the Native girl. Does he seriously think we kidnapped her?

"The boys don't take people." I jump in. "I mean, at least not from you. To be fair, I was kidnapped as well."

Alex shakes his head at me frowning. "Can someone please knock her unconscious? Or let me loose so I can."

I notice all the other people who surround us.

Inali moves closer, until he looks Alex down. "Listen, none of us want to do this. A deal is a deal. A girl for a girl."

His voice is hush, and I realise he's only saying it in English so his people can't understand him.

I really don't like not knowing what is going on. I am so confused at the moment. Never before have I wanted to know what is happening as much as I do right now.

"Alex, what's going on?" I demand, turning to him.

"Questions," he spits, his voice low, "really?"

I roll my eyes, before looking back to Inali.

He says something to the man before me, who repeats it louder for everyone. A woman comes up to me, cutting me loose, as her and another woman grab me roughly, yanking me forward. My hands are still tied behind my back, but at least now I could run if I really needed to.