Genosha - For Free Trade: Lost and Forsaken

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

There was no-where to conceal oneself in the small, bare cell, the overhead light cancelling out the shadows and design intended to provide no shelter. Yvette sat huddled in a corner, knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped around them, her long hair draped deliberately over as much of her bare body as possible. At every sound, every movement, she flinched, small whimpering noises coming from her.

Sarah kept her own arms wrapped around herself, partially in a reflexive attempt at modesty but mainly to try and keep herself warm. She was thankful her hair was as long as it was, which helped cover part of her neck, shoulders, and back, but the rest of her was freezing. Her posture nearly mirrored that of Yvette, balled up in the opposite corner and trying to conserve as much of her body heat as she possibly could. Talking felt like a great effort and she was so wore down, so exhausted, it was hard to bring herself to speak, but there were so many questions on her mind and so much worry that she couldn't remain completely quiet.

"What's going to happen to us? Someone's coming to get us soon, right?" They had to be looking for them, there were so many of them there after all. This wasn't really happening, it couldn't have been.

There was a long silence, as if Yvette hadn't heard Sarah's soft voice. Then came her reply in a broken whisper: "I do not know, Sarah. They will be looking, but I do not know if they will be able to do much, if they find us."

Frowning at the explanation, Sarah just shook her head. It didn't make sense, Yvette was mistaken. "No, they will find us, and they'll get us out, they have to. Because if they don't... if... they have to." She had to get out of there, had to find Layla and the rest of their friends and go back home. Still hugging her knees to herself, Sarah leaned back against the cold wall. "My parents will be looking for me too, and the police, and the military, for all of us." That was how it worked, it had to be.

"It does not matter. You heard them, they think this is the legal arrest. They think we are terrorists.." Yvette knew she was upsetting Sarah, but she couldn't pull herself out of the fear and anxiety. Sometimes there was such a thing as knowing too much. "There will be the political fight over whether they acted correctly. Sanctions, perhaps, an embargo. But they will not be able to come for us."

"Yes it does!" It was an attempt at shouting but her sore throat, dry and hoarse from both the lack of water and all the previous crying and screaming, wasn't anywhere near capable of emitting anything louder than a croaking noise, which was what her screaming devolved into. Tears came from somewhere, thought not many thanks to the start of dehydration, and Sarah shook her head. "You're wrong, you're wrong, Yvette, you're wrong. We can't stay here." Sliding down against the wall, she rested her head against the dirty floor, not caring any more. It didn't matter, they'd be home soon and she could clean up then.

If there would be anything that would shake the Albanian girl out of her hopeless fog, it was the sight of her friend so upset. And it was her fault. Yvette winced and uncurled, shuffling across the cell to where Sarah lay. The concrete floor bit into her hands and knees, the skin soft and fragile after years of her mutation. "I am sorry, Sarah," she quavered, reaching out hesitantly to touch Sarah's hair. "Do not listen to me. I am being scared and not thinking what I am saying."

Sarah would never blame Yvette in a million years but it was such a hopeless situation, worse even than the psychic torture they had suffered together shortly after her return last spring. Shuddering as she cried, and with the tears pretty much dried up already, she just lay there on the ground. "I just want to go home. Why are they doing this?" That was the one question she couldn't get her head around no matter how hard she tried. It was just wrong, and that was why someone, somewhere, had to be coming to save them somehow. It just wasn't right.

"We interfered." Yvette sighed, thinking of Jenny and Phillip. What had happened to them? "They were doing wrong and we tried to stop them. I suppose we never thought they would go so far." Gently she stroked Sarah's hair, even in the depths of their shared misery able to appreciate the sensation on her skin.

"They're wrong, everything is wrong. It shouldn't be wrong." That was why they had to be stopped, and if they couldn't do it because they were captured - yet another wrong on their part - then others would come to stop them. That was the only hope Sarah had to cling to at that moment in her damaged state, so that was what she was doing. "We'll be ok, Yvette, we have to be, right?" Her eyes closed as her friend stroked her hair, exhaustion setting in once again.

It was good that Sarah's eyes were closed, so she couldn't see the anguish twisting Yvette's as she lied: "Yes, we will be okay, Sarah. We will think of something."