Nanowrimo Day 24
Nov. 24th, 2019 08:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unknownfateI've never made a character mood board but the urge is there.
Helena slept until the car slowing down woke her up. It was a toll booth. She saw Mius show his teeth to the worker in the booth and they let him through without paying.
“Can I sit up?” she asked.
“Feeling brave?” Mius asked. She really didn’t, but she sat up anyway. She looked over to where Not-Catelyn was sprawled in the passenger seat. The headrest behind Mius’ head was stained and oily looking. She hoped it was just from his hair. The whole inside of the car was grimy. The steering wheel was the worst of it. It looked crusty with filth. Mius’ hands rested on it, but it didn’t look like he used any effort to drive. The clanking car made its own way down the interstate.
There were mountains around them. It was pretty and scenic. She wasn’t sure where they were or which way they were going. She was afraid to ask, so she started to look around for any road signs. She caught sight of herself in the rear view and was shocked at how bad she looked. There was dried blood all over the side of her head and down her chin. She had a black eye and swollen lip. She looked like something from one of the forensic shows her dad had liked.
She could only imagine how she had looked passed out in the back seat. If the toll booth agent had seen her, they had to be calling the police, right? Unless whatever Mius had done to not have to pay had kept them from noticing either of the children in the car. Even if the police did come, who was to say he wouldn’t pull the same trick and be let go? A flash of green caught her eye and there was the road sign. Twenty six miles to Oakville, and forty three to New Jordan, it said.
She knew a little about Oakville because the high school played them in state finals every now and then. She had never been there though. Or New Jordan. Her head was starting to throb again. She was going to have to lay down again in a minute.
“Mius?” she asked, before she could lose her nerve. “Where are we going?”
“Mission of mercy, little bug,” he said. First a lamb, now a bug? she wondered. “Your little sister here has a big fat secret and we are going to help her with that because it will help us get what we want.”
Helena waited for Not-Catelyn to react to that but they didn’t. Maybe they were asleep too. She couldn’t see their face, just the top of their head and their legs. They weren’t moving at all. That might be the best idea. Just go to sleep and let it be over when you woke up. That wasn’t why her stomach was aching, though.
“Can I have some more food soon?” Helena asked next. He was chattier than Not-Catelyn. As much as she wanted to put her head down, she didn’t want to miss a chance to find out what was going on. He eyed her a little warily in the rear view, before he must’ve decided she meant it. He claimed he knew about children. He must know they had to eat.
“I’ll catch something for you,” he said. The longer he talked the more his breath stank. She could smell it all the way in the backseat. Like roadkill on a hot day, just a whiff of things rotten and maggoty.
“Thank you,” she said and he shrugged in a casual way. They weren’t going to discuss if he meant it literally. Helena wasn’t up for it. She looked down at the nasty old car seat. She had added her own blood and drool to the mix. That was probably the safest place to lie on. Sure it was gross, but at least it was her own grossness. Mius’ voice made her look up again.
“I had hoped you were one of hers,” he said, nodding to Not-Catelyn. “I’d have use for you then. But I tasted your blood and you’re no kin. I don’t know why she’s letting you tag along. I don’t know why you’re taking this so well.”
“I’ll probably snap eventually,” Helena said after mulling it over as much as her skull would allow. He snorted and then laughed outright, all teeth and mockery. Like a hyena, she thought, laying her head carefully down. A hyena that had survived an oil spill and never brushed its teeth ever. His noise must’ve woken up Not-Catelyn because she grumbled and shifted. Not-Catelyn must’ve made some sort of gesture against him, because his laugh became a growl in an instant.
“Your raise a hand to me and I will bite it off and eat it in front of you,” he rumbled. Helena bit back a gasp. Not a hyena, a monster, she reminded herself. A monster that liked bones. It chilled her to hear it. He clacked his teeth together hard. He could do it. Catelyn’s little arms were thin and weak because Not-Catelyn only liked corn syrup and straight sugar and didn’t care if her flesh shrank around her. Mius’ teeth would snap right through them.
The sound that came out of Not-Catelyn at that wasn’t a human one. It was a clicking and a hissing keen of rage. They didn’t like to be threatened either.
“Don’t fight,” Helena heard herself say. “I’m scared enough.”
“Don’t worry, baby bird,” Mius said, back to normal tone just as quickly. “This is just business.”
“How dare you?” Not-Catelyn growled and Helena didn’t know if they meant her or Mius. She decided Mius could handle it. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. It didn’t happen, but it was nice to have her eyes closed. The smell was still pretty bad now that she was clear headed enough to tell. She curled her wrist up under her nose so she could smell her watch band instead. She hardly ever took it off, so it had its own particular smell. Not quite like corn chips, but close.
She had gotten the watch in her stocking the Christmas before Catelyn had fallen through. She and her mom has made lost of time puns about it. Her mom was dead now. It still didn’t seem real, even though she had seen the blood. She wondered wildly if Not-Catelyn had lied and led her away when she should’ve stayed to help. Maybe she could’ve saved them. Both her parents had cell phones. She could’ve called for help and stayed right there. She could be in a hospital now, safe and looked after, instead of bloodied and broken in the back of this horrible car like a kidnapped victim.
Isn’t that what I am, though? She wondered if the only reason she wasn’t crying was because she didn’t want the two in the front seats to know she had crumbled again. She wondered if she had any tears left at all. She had cried the whole way from the wreck to Mius’ bone collection. She might’ve just wept herself dry.
Mius had said he would’ve had a use for her if she had been something else. It popped back up in her head. If she had been Not-Catelyn’s. But Not-Catelyn had already claimed her back in the bones. Maybe just to keep Mius from being able to have her. What would he want with her otherwise? What possible use could she be to a monster if not just to eat?
Her stomach rumbled again and she whined a little. She was the hungry one here. Mius had said he would feed her. Hopefully it wouldn’t be worms or bugs since he was calling her bird and things. She tried to sleep again. It might not be over when she woke up, but at least this part would be.
Helena slept until the car slowing down woke her up. It was a toll booth. She saw Mius show his teeth to the worker in the booth and they let him through without paying.
“Can I sit up?” she asked.
“Feeling brave?” Mius asked. She really didn’t, but she sat up anyway. She looked over to where Not-Catelyn was sprawled in the passenger seat. The headrest behind Mius’ head was stained and oily looking. She hoped it was just from his hair. The whole inside of the car was grimy. The steering wheel was the worst of it. It looked crusty with filth. Mius’ hands rested on it, but it didn’t look like he used any effort to drive. The clanking car made its own way down the interstate.
There were mountains around them. It was pretty and scenic. She wasn’t sure where they were or which way they were going. She was afraid to ask, so she started to look around for any road signs. She caught sight of herself in the rear view and was shocked at how bad she looked. There was dried blood all over the side of her head and down her chin. She had a black eye and swollen lip. She looked like something from one of the forensic shows her dad had liked.
She could only imagine how she had looked passed out in the back seat. If the toll booth agent had seen her, they had to be calling the police, right? Unless whatever Mius had done to not have to pay had kept them from noticing either of the children in the car. Even if the police did come, who was to say he wouldn’t pull the same trick and be let go? A flash of green caught her eye and there was the road sign. Twenty six miles to Oakville, and forty three to New Jordan, it said.
She knew a little about Oakville because the high school played them in state finals every now and then. She had never been there though. Or New Jordan. Her head was starting to throb again. She was going to have to lay down again in a minute.
“Mius?” she asked, before she could lose her nerve. “Where are we going?”
“Mission of mercy, little bug,” he said. First a lamb, now a bug? she wondered. “Your little sister here has a big fat secret and we are going to help her with that because it will help us get what we want.”
Helena waited for Not-Catelyn to react to that but they didn’t. Maybe they were asleep too. She couldn’t see their face, just the top of their head and their legs. They weren’t moving at all. That might be the best idea. Just go to sleep and let it be over when you woke up. That wasn’t why her stomach was aching, though.
“Can I have some more food soon?” Helena asked next. He was chattier than Not-Catelyn. As much as she wanted to put her head down, she didn’t want to miss a chance to find out what was going on. He eyed her a little warily in the rear view, before he must’ve decided she meant it. He claimed he knew about children. He must know they had to eat.
“I’ll catch something for you,” he said. The longer he talked the more his breath stank. She could smell it all the way in the backseat. Like roadkill on a hot day, just a whiff of things rotten and maggoty.
“Thank you,” she said and he shrugged in a casual way. They weren’t going to discuss if he meant it literally. Helena wasn’t up for it. She looked down at the nasty old car seat. She had added her own blood and drool to the mix. That was probably the safest place to lie on. Sure it was gross, but at least it was her own grossness. Mius’ voice made her look up again.
“I had hoped you were one of hers,” he said, nodding to Not-Catelyn. “I’d have use for you then. But I tasted your blood and you’re no kin. I don’t know why she’s letting you tag along. I don’t know why you’re taking this so well.”
“I’ll probably snap eventually,” Helena said after mulling it over as much as her skull would allow. He snorted and then laughed outright, all teeth and mockery. Like a hyena, she thought, laying her head carefully down. A hyena that had survived an oil spill and never brushed its teeth ever. His noise must’ve woken up Not-Catelyn because she grumbled and shifted. Not-Catelyn must’ve made some sort of gesture against him, because his laugh became a growl in an instant.
“Your raise a hand to me and I will bite it off and eat it in front of you,” he rumbled. Helena bit back a gasp. Not a hyena, a monster, she reminded herself. A monster that liked bones. It chilled her to hear it. He clacked his teeth together hard. He could do it. Catelyn’s little arms were thin and weak because Not-Catelyn only liked corn syrup and straight sugar and didn’t care if her flesh shrank around her. Mius’ teeth would snap right through them.
The sound that came out of Not-Catelyn at that wasn’t a human one. It was a clicking and a hissing keen of rage. They didn’t like to be threatened either.
“Don’t fight,” Helena heard herself say. “I’m scared enough.”
“Don’t worry, baby bird,” Mius said, back to normal tone just as quickly. “This is just business.”
“How dare you?” Not-Catelyn growled and Helena didn’t know if they meant her or Mius. She decided Mius could handle it. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. It didn’t happen, but it was nice to have her eyes closed. The smell was still pretty bad now that she was clear headed enough to tell. She curled her wrist up under her nose so she could smell her watch band instead. She hardly ever took it off, so it had its own particular smell. Not quite like corn chips, but close.
She had gotten the watch in her stocking the Christmas before Catelyn had fallen through. She and her mom has made lost of time puns about it. Her mom was dead now. It still didn’t seem real, even though she had seen the blood. She wondered wildly if Not-Catelyn had lied and led her away when she should’ve stayed to help. Maybe she could’ve saved them. Both her parents had cell phones. She could’ve called for help and stayed right there. She could be in a hospital now, safe and looked after, instead of bloodied and broken in the back of this horrible car like a kidnapped victim.
Isn’t that what I am, though? She wondered if the only reason she wasn’t crying was because she didn’t want the two in the front seats to know she had crumbled again. She wondered if she had any tears left at all. She had cried the whole way from the wreck to Mius’ bone collection. She might’ve just wept herself dry.
Mius had said he would’ve had a use for her if she had been something else. It popped back up in her head. If she had been Not-Catelyn’s. But Not-Catelyn had already claimed her back in the bones. Maybe just to keep Mius from being able to have her. What would he want with her otherwise? What possible use could she be to a monster if not just to eat?
Her stomach rumbled again and she whined a little. She was the hungry one here. Mius had said he would feed her. Hopefully it wouldn’t be worms or bugs since he was calling her bird and things. She tried to sleep again. It might not be over when she woke up, but at least this part would be.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-25 01:48 am (UTC)i do not like him and if he hurts helena i will BITE him.