Predator (DWT x OC)

5

I can feel my brain throbbing. My head pulses with dull, aching pain, and my eyes are sealed shut. My body is stiff, joints seized up and muscles tight. I can vaguely feel a soft cloth rubbing across my cheek. Slowly, feeling returns to my body, a cool chill nipping at my finger tips, toes wriggling in my cotton socks. There's definitely something touching my cheek. I pry my eyes open, squinting into the softened light. My head is resting on a dense pillow, my body lying on some scratchy fabric which itches my left elbow. The ceiling is a dark stone, a lantern swaying slightly, emitting an orange glow. That's when I remember where I am.

I sit up abruptly, eyes snapping fully open, senses flooding back in. My nose picks up the slight stench of mildew and detergent, my ears focusing on the sound of rushing water faintly outside. My head snaps towards the person rubbing something on my cheek. It's Eret. For a moment I'm swept with relief, a familiar sense of safety, that I'm home, but it passes in a second as I'm deluged in the icy cold reality of who he is, and where I am. 

I snarl, slapping his hand away from my cheek, the motion makes me dizzy, so I sit still for a second before lunging at his figure. His eyes widen in surprise as he catches my hands easily, and wrestles me back onto the bed. I stop fighting, struggling to cope with the new wave of nausea that's washed over me and my sudden movements. He straightens up, sitting next to me on a chair. 

I look at him. The hurt from his betrayal is fresh, and shatters my heart, it swells up great waves of anger and sadness within me. He resumes his wiping of the cloth on my cheek. 

"They had me clean you up because they thought a familiar face would stop you freaking out as much." He mutters, not looking at me. 

"Well, it would, if said person wasn't a dirty fucking traitor, and I wasn't being held hostage by a psychopath." Eret ignores my venom filled words, dipping the cloth into a bucket of water and ringing it out. The water is tinged pink. Huh, I hadn't noticed I'd been injured in the rush of adrenaline.

"You were hurt during the attack, I'm just trying to help you."

Are you serious right now?

"Oh yeah? Guess what Eret, I wouldn't be hurt right now had you not betrayed everyone!" My voice rises with anger. He ignores that too. A swell of rage bubbles in my chest and I smack the cloth from his hand. I register the white bandage wrapped tightly around my left arm. 

"Get the hell away from me. Don't ever touch me again you absolute scum, don't ever pretend like you care." He sighs and finally meets my eyes. I'm surprised to find his filled with sadness and defeat. As if I'm going to fall for that though. He stands up, turns on his heel and leaves, the door slamming behind him. Coward.

I push myself back into a sitting position and examine the damage. My left arm has a shallow slice that's been cleaned, so I re wrap it. There's a few scratches and nicks on both arms, legs and hands so I gently clean them with a cloth, but don't bother to cover them. Most have already scabbed over. I raise my hand to my cheek, and it comes off bloody, so I clean it and patch it up with some bandaids, pretty difficult when you can't see what you're doing. There's a large bump on my head, but thankfully isn't bleeding, so I just have to wait for the swelling to alleviate, I don't think I have a concussion. 

The door swings open again, and my worst nightmare strolls into the room.  Dream pulls up Eret's chair, and sits down, thankfully further away. I scowl at him.

"Awwww, are you not happy to see me?" He coos, voice light, but ringing with a sick sort of taunt that makes your hair stand up on its end. 

"What do you want from me?" I surprise myself with the steadiness of my voice, as my stomach churns with anxiety and fear. He chuckles.

"Oh she speaks! Well princess, your annoying revolution won't die down. No matter how many things I blow up, you all keep fighting back. It's cute, I'll admit, but my patience is very fucking thin." He pauses mouth quirking into a smile. "And, that's where you come in. Despite your little speech, your friends are too sentimental for their own good. They will do anything to save their little damsel in distress. And I assure you, princess, you will be in distress." The clear threat hangs heavy in the air.

"So that's it? You're keeping me hostage so they give up the revolution to fight me? What the hell is wrong with you? The revolution is too important to them, they won't give it up just for me." I spit. I'm terrified of him and what he can do, but enraged by the betrayal and the insanity of my circumstances. 

His grin only widens at my outburst, like this is some sort of sick joke. I scoff and focus my attention away from his lips and onto the ceiling. 

"Look at me," he says, but I keep staring at the damp stone, refusing to give in.

"I said look at me princess." I hate that nickname. It makes my stomach tighten and swirl and makes me uneasy. And he knows it. Yet, I grit my teeth and continue my petty act of defiance. This is how I get myself killed.

"Rosie"

My head snaps to the right and I look directly at him. How the fuck does he know that. How does he know my name? He reads the confusion right off my dumbfounded face. 

"Don't worry Rosie, Eret's told me all about you," Of course he has, that traitorous bastard. "And I couldn't help but overhear Tubbo begging for you to stay, almost brought a tear to my eye." He mocks, that goddamn smirk widening on his pale skin.

"You don't get to call me Rosie" I swing my legs off the edge of the bed, and cross my arms over my chest. I'm only in a T-shirt and shorts, my armour stripped off me, and I feel too vulnerable under his gaze, even if I can't see his eyes. 

"Alright then princess"

"I have a name. It's Rosemary. That's what you can fucking call me." Uh oh. I don't know where that burst of courage came from but it was as stupid as it was surprising. I'm going to get killed for running my mouth. Tommy would be proud. 

His jaw clenches at my words, hands tightening into fists. He stands up quickly, knocking the chair to the floor. Oh shit I really messed up this time. He stalks forward and I shuffle back, but my back hits the stone wall behind me and oh god I'm trapped. He reaches the end of the bed and leans forward, hands on either side of me, face hovering above my own. My heart is beating wildly in my chest, and every one of my nerves are trembling in tension. 

I grips my ankle and yanks hard, pulling me down and underneath him. His hands are either side of my head, and caging me in, his body trapping me between him and the bed. I can feel my face burning at the closeness of the two of us, an uncomfortable feeling settling down in the pit of my stomach. 

"Well princess," he snarls, mouth hovering over my ear, "it's nice to know that you're a lot more talkative than back in the woods." My stomach tightens at the memory, and the shivers go even further down my spine. "However, don't you ever think that you are in the position to speak to me like that. I can kill you right here, right now and then crush L'manburg on my own. Remember that next time you're feeling brave." I can't breathe, and he's too close and my hearts beating too fast and I'm terrified, more than I have been in my entire life.

He pushes himself off me, but I don't dare move, too afraid of him snapping and lashing out again, too afraid of him coming near me. I hear him laugh, and turn and walk out of the door. I stay frozen, back flat on the bed, legs dangling off the end, heart thumping wildly. Eventually my body stops shaking, and I sit up, head in hands.

I have to get out of here.