The day had come and gone and the sun was already beginning to set by the time Seven finally stirred. A dry, stiff tongue was what finally woke him, as it had been ages since he had anything to drink other than dirty water that collected at his feet at the bottom of the Hole. Slowly, his eyes opened, but he could not make out the strange shapes of the objects stacked on the floor in front of him. He blinked to clear the sleep and dirt from his eyes, all the while trying to summon the strength to sit up. His body ached from the beating he had received from Reece before his descent into the Hole. Sleeping on a hard dirt floor that was dusted with only hay did not help.

With a labored groan, he forced himself up. His hands found his face as his palms massaged the flesh of his cheeks and brow. Everything hurt, especially the long, raw burns that collected around his collar. His prolonged sleep had helped to rest his mind, but his body would need a few additional days to recover. As his arms fell to his sides, he noticed the objects he had first seen upon his awakening were actually things that would help him. A pail of water, a towel, and large chunks of stale bread all sat untouched on a tray. Someone had been in his stable room while he was asleep, and he had never known it. He must have been very tired.

Reaching forward, he grabbed the pail of water and drank deeply. Liquid streamed out of the corners of his mouth and down his dirty chest as his eyes closed. The water was old, but it was clean and refreshing. By the time he had finished, he realized the water was most likely meant for washing himself off rather than quenching his aged thirst. He dipped the towel in the pail and soaked up what was left and began to pat his chest, arms, and throat with great care.

A sudden stabbing pain raged through his neck, making him drop the towel and flinch backwards as if he had been slapped across the face by some invisible entity standing in front of him. His eyes closed tightly when the memory of his near-death experience ran quickly through his mind. The unimaginable pain, the inability to control his body or its bodily functions, the blinding light and choking sensation of his lungs being rendered useless, the darkness that followed as his heart and brain struggled to remain alive. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he hugged his knees close. Did he really survive what William had meant to be an execution? Part of him wished it would have killed him, as the humiliation, defeat, and hopelessness he now felt was nearly unbearable.

He slowed his breathing and rested his chin on top of his knees as his ears listened to the world. The dawn of night brought on an eerie silence. He secretly wished for company; to hear a familiar, friendly voice. But none came. His eyes ran along the shadows cast by the bars over his window on the floor, which seemed to point directly to his locked stable room door. His mind knew that he was no longer in the Hole, but it was difficult for him to find comfort in knowing he was still caged.



At some point in the night, Seven had found his mattress and curled himself into a defensive ball against the wall. His sleep was restless this time as his mind began to recover the memories of his experience in the forest. Nightmares of being electrocuted startled him awake over and over throughout the night. The sun rising went unnoticed until the heat of the morning made him uncurl atop the mattress. With care, his legs stretched beyond the dirty fabric of his bed as he rolled over to look at the stable door. Still locked. Still silent outside. Where was everyone? Why had he not heard or seen Three or Six? Did William relocate them somewhere, or were they just avoiding him? His eyes drifted away from the door and lifted to the ceiling as he stretched his arms above him.

And that is when he saw it.




........................almost done! Hopefully by this weekend, as I'd like to have some art accompany it. :3c