Ella’s POV
I heard sounds and as much as I looked back, I didn’t see what was running after me. I was terrified and my mouth ran dry as I continued running.
I had sweats breaking out on my body and I forced myself to stop looking back so I could run faster. What was wrong with me? I wondered as I looked around my surroundings and continued running. How did I get here? I thought I was with Kevin and the others in the front of tree and wondered how I had suddenly gotten here.
Whoosh! I heard a loud deafening sound and gasped as I saw the wind barreling towards me at an alarming speed.
I didn’t think I recognized where I was. This wasn’t the jungle or was it? I didn’t think I had seen this place while we were on our journey.
If we were still in the jungle, I couldn’t understand how I had gotten myself here. Had I hit my head against something and lost my memory? I couldn’t have. Even if I had, I was sure that the boys were looking for me.
I strained my ears, eager to pick up on the sound of my name but I couldn’t hear anything. There wasn’t any sound except that of the loud wind, the strange sounds in this place that I found myself in and my harsh breathing.
I heard footsteps and ran in the direction, wondering if it was one of the boys in search of me. It had to be them. I had missed them though I didn’t know how I had gotten far from them. I would have thought that this was a dream except that I didn’t remember falling asleep.
The last thing I remembered was being by the Arok tree and then being here, running from what I couldn’t see. I wondered if the cannibals had caught up to us and fed us drugs and that was why I didn’t remember anything else.
I heard sounds-human voices-and was elated when I heard that. I was finally going to see Kevin and the rest and be out of this mess.
I stopped in my tracks as I walked into the open and saw the count with some of the guards. I was confused and wondered how they had found me there. They had turned back from chasing me and didn’t know that I was there. Was there a short cut from the Utopia town to the jungle that they could have passed to be there?
I didn’t think so. The slaves would have known if there was and wouldn’t have been so confident living in their hideout.
I looked at the men. They all looked fresh as if they walked straight from their beds to where we were. They didn’t look like they had been through what we went through in this jungle.
Was this a dream? It wasn’t possible that the count and his men would suddenly be here. I doubted that it was a dream. I had fallen down earlier while I had been running and the wound had hurt like hell and almost drove me crazy.
I turned to run away from the count before they saw me but I was too late.
“There she is.” I heard Peter say and winced as he pointed his scrawny finger at me.
I rolled my eyes. I was never going to like that man. I picked up the pace and started running but they were prepared for me. It was like they had been waiting for me and their energy had been saved all day for the sole purpose of catching me.
I was caught and dragged back to the count by two men who had their hands hooked to my armpits. I was being dragged on the ground with my clothes swirling around me but my dirty cloth was the last of my worries.
I couldn’t believe I was in the clutch of the dirty and wicked count again. Why couldn’t I just be free from them? I wanted to yell out loud.
Before I could get my voice to ask what was wrong with them or what they wanted with me, I was strapped into a chair that I didn’t know was standing nearby.
My eyes bulged in their sockets as I watched the men tying me up like the animal that they had always thought that I was.
The count stooped down and smiled as he looked me in the eye. “I heard you wanted to get the slave mark off.”
I gasped at his words. He couldn’t have known that. This couldn’t be real but it was. I pinched myself on the thigh to convince myself that it was a dream and I felt the pain.
He noticed the shock on my face and laughed. “You are surprised that I know?” He looked down and saw me pinching myself. “You think this is a dream? Let me show you that it isn’t.”
He made a signal to two of the guards with him who took turns beating me with whips. I cried out as the whips landed on my body and slumped helplessly on the chair, tired and watching as the count laughed and rocked back on his feet, pointing at me.
“Do you think you can be free from me? You are my slave. We wouldn’t be in this mess if you had accepted that as your fate.”
“I… I wouldn’t.” I was tired but I had to say that. I wouldn’t ever admit that. I wouldn’t let my fighting spirit be drained and mocked.
Suddenly, he went mute and I wondered what happened to him. He apparently heard a sound and I would have heard it as well if I hadn’t been beaten into fatigue.
I heard it this time though when the sound came. It sounded like the roar of the cannibals and I sighed in defeat. It seemed like I was going to die today anyway, either at the hands of the count or through the mouth of a cannibal.
The count stiffened and turned to Peter. “What is that?”
Peter darted anxious glances around. “It seems that is the roar of the infamous cannibal giant that is said to be in the jungle.”
“And we are here?” The count squeaked.
I smiled as I raised my dropping head to stare at him. Somehow, seeing him freaked out gave me strength. “I thought you had all the power in the world. I didn’t think the mighty count would be afraid of anything.”
“Let’s go.” The count hissed, ignoring my taunt. “I don’t want to be here and get eaten.”
“What about her?” One of the guards asked, pointing at me.
“Let her be. It would serve her right if the cannibals ate her up. That is her punishment for daring to run away from the master.” Peter said.
The count looked at me and shook his head. “Release her from the chair.”
“Master,” Peter cried out in protest.
The count nodded. “I know what I’m doing. She is tired and can’t run far and would eventually end up in the bellies of the cannibals. The best punishment I can give her is letting her have a taste of hope and letting it all be in pain when she dies eventually.”
Peter smiled when he finally understood what the count was saying. “I think I liked that idea.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. Of course, he would. He could have been the devil’s associate without argument.
“Release her and let’s go.” The count ordered. “We don’t want to end up being punished with her.”
The guard who had asked what was to be done with me nodded and released the strap holding me to the chair. I watched as they will ran off at the sound of the huge giant footsteps getting closer to us.
I got down the chair when they were gone and forced myself to run. The count was right. I would be lucky if I didn’t end up in the bellies of the cannibals with the way I was moving at a slow pace.
I heaved, my chest gasping for breath as I was once again running from what I couldn’t see.