Chapter 1

Arabella

Arabella's eyes watered and she held her legs close to her body. She tried to stare beyond the rusty old bars, but couldn't adjust her eyes to the brutal darkness. The floor was covered in newspapers as if she were some kind of a bird. She sure as hell felt like it, for the cage was suspended about 40 feet above the ground. Her mind was filled with questions. None were answered. She wailed even louder, as she drew more air in she heard a sound.Was it.....was it singing? She listened intently. Now she was positive that it was. She crawled about the cage in her tattered jeans, stifling back cold wet tears. She still couldn't find the source of such a beautiful melody. Suddenly, she felt a searing pain in the back of her neck and was rendered unconscious.

She laughed as she chased her 6 year old daughter around the kitchen. Everything was so good back then. A nice home, a loving family, and a steady job. She finally caught her daughter, she held her tight and whispered,"I love you so much," She put the young girl in her bed and tucked her in with the quilt she made three years ago. As she walked into the kitchen she picked up a letter on the coffee table. It changed her life, a letter, as simple as that. On the envelope it just stated her name,'Arabella Medici' She was hesitant to open it, but she eventually did after much debate with herself.
She awoke, moments later, to the light of candle. She realized that who ever knocked her out, must have moved her. "How medieval," she said to herself as she stood up. Her head still hurt from whatever hit her, but she perservered. Since she always wants to know what was going on she bent down to pick up the candle, she held it tight and close, it was the only thing that kept her going. She tried to investigate her surroundings, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it, in fear she would not like what was around her. So she just walked straight towards a little wooden door with a round knocker on it.

Her arm outstretched towards the cold knocker, she heard a sound behind her. She could barely make it out. She listened intently and soon realized it was another person, the were running. She turned around to see, but then she rembered that the candle's light only outstretched 5 feet in front of her. The person grew closer and closer, until a face was reavealed. A man's face, it was a young face. Black hair, grey eyes, and a confused, but scared expression. He yelled,"Open it! Please just open the door!"

Her mouth opened but nothing came out, she was completely confused. He shoved her out of the way and tried the handle, but the door didn't budge. He started to yell again sounding even more frantic,"Open the freakin' door!

She looked at him like he was crazy,"What? If it won't open for you then why would it open for me?" she yelled back.

He groaned in anger and calmed himself slightly,"Look, just trust me. Open the door." He grabbed her hands in a comforting way and whispered,"Please, it's life or death." She thought of how genuine he sounded, and took pity upon him and gently touched the cold silver handle, and twisted it ever so slightly. To her surprise, the door opened with ease, and he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the darkness of the next room.

The room was damp, cold and cramped. Arabella stood closely to him, because he seemed to know his way around. His voice came a whisper,"Ok, we are safe for now, but-

She cut him off and yelled,"What the hell are you talking about? I want to know what is freakin' going on!

He sighed. "I knew that sometime you would need to know, but I didn't know it would be this soon," Her eyes never left him as she waited for an explenation. He looked at the ground, for her gaze was uncomfotable and there wasn't anywhere else to look.

Well?" Arabella said still staring at him intently.

She remembered when things were simple and she was the one who knew everything. Evereything changed when she got that letter. The letter who's envelope just simply read 'Arabella Medici' The letter that was neatly folded so that the edges were all aligned perfectly. The letter that on the inside said:

Dear Miss Medici,

You have been selected by a group of scholars off the coast of Florida, to participate in an expirement. You yourself would not be experimented on, however you would take part in finding a conclusion. Your may take your daughter or you may leave her with a friend. Your trip expenses have been taken care of.

We hope to see you there.
She awoke, moments later, to the light of candle. She realized that who ever knocked her out, must have moved her. "How medieval," she said to herself as she stood up. Her head still hurt from whatever hit her, but she perservered. Since she always wants to know what was going on she bent down to pick up the candle, she held it tight and close, it was the only thing that kept her going. She tried to investigate her surroundings, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it, in fear she would not like what was around her. So she just walked straight towards a little wooden door with a round knocker on it.

Her arm outstretched towards the cold knocker, she heard a sound behind her. She could barely make it out. She listened intently and soon realized it was another person, the were running. She turned around to see, but then she rembered that the candle's light only outstretched 5 feet in front of her. The person grew closer and closer, until a face was reavealed. A man's face, it was a

It was simply stated, her college degree would be helped greatly by this strange event. She pulled out a plane ticket from the depths of the white envelope, and held it in her hand, still deciding.

He was afraid to tell her, everything was so complicated. He thought she wouldn't understand. He told her anyway, she seemed like a smart girl,"Ok, the people here are scientists.

I already knew that!" she spat out with annoyed tone.

Ok well they are doing a phsycological experiment, they brought me here to be tested, did they do that to you too?" he said holding back his anger from her tone towards him.

No. They said I was to help find a conclusion," she muttered, quoting the letter exactly.

His eyes widened and he stared at her with a blank expression."That's what they said to me, they lied.

Ok I'm really starting to wonder who 'they' are." She said putting hand quotes around 'they'."I mean, doesn't it strike you strange that they put us in cages and suspended us 40 feet above they ground?" she yelled at him."And I got knocked out when I heard a song. Who the hell would knock me out when I hear a freakin' song?" she added, while raising her voice.Her anger showed very well and he just stodd there taking it all in, not even adding a remark.

I knocked you out." he stated simply once she was done and venting her anger into the near-by door. She stopped and turned around. She stared at him with disbelief.

 

"Why the hell did you freakin' do that?" she yelled so loudly that he had to cover her mouth. That didn't do much, because she bit him as soon as he did so and continued yelling at him,"Who do you think you are knocking me out!"

"I-I'm really sor-"

"Why rould you do that to me?" she said feeling betrayed, even though she barely knew him.

"You must be quiet if you want to know what's going on." he said and she replied with a nod of her head,"Ok good. These scientists are doing a phsycological expirement with human interactions. You see they chose seven people to expirement on, and one person will betray and hurt everyone. That, they are calling, the protagonist. They pay him to continue to hurt these people, I'm not sure if they mean physical or not, but anyways. They wanted to see how you would interact with others after torture. Bu-"

"Torture?" she whispered with fear in her voice.

He sighed."Yes and I don't appreciate you cutting me off again. Anyways, I heard your song, and I tried to act quickly."

"My song? I didn't sing at all. I was-I was uh crying." she tried to disclose the last word but she couldn't.

He looked at Arabella with sympathy and continued,"Ya I know you didn't sing. The protagonist sings before it strikes, it was what was going to torture you." Arabella winced when he said torture again."I know It's a vile thought, but you're safe now." he said taking her into his arms.

"What's your name?" she blurted out, ruining the moment.

"Aaron" he whispered into her ear in a loving way.

Reviews

[Belator Books]

As much as the first person styles is vastly overdone, you managed to mostly pull it off. (impressive) I loved the title and the line: "How medievil..." It was a trifle muddled, as far as action and plot, and flashbacks are hard to write clearly. All in all a fairly good, drama tinged foray into the realm of fiction.

Please keep up the pen.