Sinking Through Time - Future Past

Chapter 9 - The Games We Play

“Stop now. Turn to your right. That’s it. Take three steps forward and stop. Okay, you can sit now. I’m placing a chair right behind you. You’ll have to sit on the edge of the chair to accommodate your water suit or you won’t fit,” Prairie directed Lucy.

Lucy slowly sat, trusting that a chair was actually behind her. Luckily it was, but even though she sat as far forward as she could, she still teetered on the edge and only just managed to stay on the chair. Her Winnie suit was bulky and not made for sitting. The oxygen tanks on the back of the suit made it difficult to stay on the chair and Lucy had to take a lot of the weight on her legs to manage it. Her leg muscles quickly began to ache.

“Now remember, I am the one who will be asking the questions. I will allow you to ask two questions before we begin. After that you must limit your talking to answering the questions. I am going to tie your hands to the seat. Do not be alarmed. This will only be for a moment. I am going to get you a drink and something to eat. I will undo the restraints upon my return. Nod your head if you understand,” Prairie instructed.

Lucy nodded. Prairie stepped forward and tried to pull Lucy’s arms behind her back. The Winnie suit was too bulky and didn’t allow for the sort of movement Prairie was going for. Instead, she held Lucy’s arms down at her side and looped a rope around each arm, tying it off to the back of the chair, restraining Lucy as effectively as she could manage. She studied her handiwork.

“Good,” she said, satisfied her captive wouldn’t be able to get away without a great deal of effort. “Now, use the time I am away to think of your two questions. I will return momentarily,” Prairie advised and departed the room quietly.

Lucy wished she was anywhere but here. Her legs were really aching now and the Winnie suit was so terribly uncomfortable. It wasn’t designed for use out of the water for long periods. Lucy still wondered how she had even managed to move in it for so long. Even though she knew it wasn’t making the best use of her questions, she knew that one of them would be to ask if she could remove the suit.

Now that she had a moment to herself, she wondered again where John was. Had he come ashore and seen her get taken away by Rachel and her crew? Was he just waiting for the right moment to come and rescue her? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that whatever answers she gave to Prairie in a minute would determine whether she was seen as a friend or an enemy.

Lucy didn’t have time to think about the other question she was allowed to ask because Prairie came back into the room and placed something on a table. The noise suggested to Lucy that the table was directly in front of her.

“Lucy, I am going to remove your restraints and your blindfold. I have stationed two men outside this room. If you try to run I will have no choice but to give them the signal to close you out. If you try to hurt me in any way, I won’t hesitate to close you out myself. Do you understand?”

Lucy nodded.

“Good. I’ve acquired a drink and some food for you. You may eat and drink as we talk. This may be the first of many meals with us; or your last. That will be entirely up to you,” Prairie stated coldly.

Lucy could smell something very nice but couldn’t quite place what it was. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she smelt the food and her mouth began to salivate.

Prairie approached Lucy. She removed the rope from around the Winnie suit and then she removed the blindfold. It took Lucy’s eyes a minute or so to readjust to the light. Once they had, she looked down at the table and was surprised to see a roast chicken dinner, complete with vegetables, gravy and a bread roll. The drink was iced water. She wondered how they managed to provide such a meal down here in the sand mine tunnels, especially the ice.