Programmed Love

Chapter Nineteen: Get Aways

     "When will we be there?" I asked for the millionth time in boredom. Dominic's robot, Quincy, had been driving on an empty road for what felt like eternity. Nic had told me it would be awhile before we got to a location that was once used as something called an 'airport'. 

     "It won't be much longer, Miss," Quincy replied reassuringly. 

     "She's no longer a 'Miss', Quincy. I thought I already informed you to address her either as 'Mistress' or 'Mrs. Estis'," Dominic replied.

     Throughout the entire trip, Nic had been spacing out periodically, only being brought back to reality when I'd shift due to the uncomfortable seats in the vehicle. Eleanor's death seemed to genuinely hit him hard, but I knew better than to believe it. The only possible explanation was that he was what killed her. However, I'd been thinking greatly on that assumption the entire ride. 

     "My apologies, Master. I was programmed only to refer to Mistress Aradella as the Mistress," Quincy said in his gravely voice. 

     "Well you no longer have need to do that. I've practically disowned her by this point. Once we get to our stop, I'll have to reprogram you," Dominic calmly said before nodding to himself in satisfaction. For a split second, our eyes clashed from across the car, but I quickly broke the contact and turned to look out the window. 

     The scenery consisted of miles upon miles of a desert terrain. The occasional cactus would zoom past in a blur, and a few tumbleweeds could be seen in the distance. It was relativity flat, therefore no sand dunes were in the area unless you were to look very far off into the distance. Putting my chin in my left hand, I rested my arm against the window edge. I was just about to fully close my eyes due to exhaustion before Dominic's smooth voice broke the silence. 

     "My dear, why have you been avoiding my gaze? Ever since we left your room, you've never looked at me for longer than three seconds, believe me, I've been counting," he sadly chuckled. I'd gotten used to his slightly creepy comments by now. Hearing the scratchy sound of someone moving against leather, I was about to turn my gaze across from me before my face was gently turned to face Nic. 

     His brilliant blue orbs met mine, and I gazed back at him tiredly. Rubbing a comforting circle against my cheek cupped in his hand, I lazily leaned my head into his palm before yawning. 

     "Would you like to take a nap, Cutie?" He softly asked with amusement, and I nodded. Moving back to his respectable seat across from me, he motioned for me to come to his side.

     Deciding to comply with him since it would help pass the time, I went to stand before the van was tousled to the side due to a bump causing me to fall face-first into Dominic's chest. My arms landed on either side of his torso, and my current body's position was snuggly between his legs. A chuckle escaped his lips as he looked down at me, and I tried to move away with a blush on my face before his arms wrapped around me. 

     "Ya know, when I told you to come here, I meant beside me, but this position works just as well," he said with a small twinkle of life that returned back to his eyes. Pouting at him, I tried once more to push myself away from him, but he only held on tighter. 

     "Please let me go," I ordered nicely. I wasn't going to beg to him, but it must have sounded like it due to my voice being muffled from his shirt. 

     "Aww, no need to plead, sweetheart," he jokingly said before releasing his grip. Right when I moved to fully stand and brush myself off, I was jerked down beside him with my head resting in his lap. 

     "What-" I started to ask before he placed his hand across my mouth. 

     "Hush, my love. Take a nap. We'll be there soon," he told me before running his fingers through my pulled back locks of brown hair. Sending a glare at him for cutting me off, I turned on my side facing away from him and attempted to get comfy until I felt him tugging at the elastic band in my hair. 

     Immediately reaching back to him, I reflexively swatted his hand away before tightening my hair and looking at him from the corner of my eyes. A small chuckle was heard before he softly ran a finger along the side of my face, and I decided to ignore him as I firmly closed my lids. 

     "I love you," Dominic whispered, and I replied with a quiet 'mhmm'. Feeling a sudden change in pressure, I opened one eye to reveal the dangerous look of Dominic. His hand that was delicately running through my hair had now roughly grasped it and turned my head to face him. 

     "I said 'I love you'. Don't take that for granted, Valencia. When I say that, I expect to get an 'I love you' in return," Nic darkly said, and I merely rolled my eyes due to tiredness. Any other time, I would have cautiously replied, but my nerves were already thinning. Grabbing his hand in my hair, I pried his fingers away and sat up from his lap before moving away from him against the rear door. 

     "I'm not one of your robots you can easily manipulate, Dominic. I'm my own person," I told him before resting my head on the glass. Before completely blocking him out, I heard his soft whisper that was clearly meant for only himself to hear. 

     "I wouldn't be so sure of that," was what it sounded like. Snapping my eyes back open, I immediately replied. 

     "What does that mean? Eleanor said something similar to that as well. I can't be kept in the dark forever," I said with questioning eyes. A look of surprise crossed his face before he turned away to face the front window. Rolling my eyes, I scoffed at him. 

     "You're so childish," I insulted before placing my attention on the desert sand being kicked up behind us. I faintly heard Dominic grumble to himself, but I was no longer in the mood for conversation. 

     In no time at all I was back in the world of sleep, and the feeling of eyes on me followed me even then. 

                                                                         •                  •                •

     "We're finally here, Master," informed Quincy as the van came to an abrupt halt. I felt myself shoot forward only to be stopped by two firm arms that held me against a sturdy chest. Groggily opening my eyes, I looked up to find the defined chin of Dominic above me. Somehow within my nap, Dominic must have moved me onto his lap. I was curled up with my head on his shoulder and my legs against my chest. The warmth radiating from him was enough to make me stay against him, but I soon felt him shifting causing me to grudgingly move off of him. I'd nearly forgotten why I was mad at him to begin with. 

    "Come on, my love. One more trip and we'll be done. You can sleep more on the plane, I promise," Dominic told me as he moved to the rear door. Opening it revealed the sun setting across a decomposing building fallen long ago. It looked like it belonged in Rubble City, but it also gave off an extremely lonely and eerie aura. 

     Dominic got out of the van first, and I soon followed. Nic had offered his hand to me, but I'd declined and hopped out on my own. He sent me a displeased look before grabbing my hand and leading me towards the unstable looking building. 

     "Are you sure it's safe to walk in there?" I asked Dominic. My agility and ability to quickly flit between falling objects hadn't been tested for awhile, and I wasn't too keen on it being tested now. 

     "Not entirely, but I'll protect you. The worst thing that could be in there would be a rabid animal. You won't have to worry about robots," Dominic assured me, completely missing the main point of my worry. Deciding not to press on it any further, I nodded my head and we continued walking with Quincy behind us. 

     "Where's Corrine?" I inquired while glancing up at Dominic with squinted eyes due to the position of the sun. 

     "She should already be on the plane. They arrived here a lot earlier than us. I was considering taking two planes, but I wanted us to be the first ones to step on Alaska," he answered while looking straight ahead at the crumbling stones. 

     We reached the entrance to the airport a few minutes later, and that was when Quincy departed back to the van to go home. Dominic had told him to tidy the place up, and to preserve Eleanor's body until we returned to give her a proper funeral. He stepped over a particularly large pillar that had fallen, and then turned around, reaching for my waist. Allowing him to grasp me, he lifted me over the pillar in an attempt to make a romantic moment.      

     I smiled at him in return before planting a small kiss on his cheek and wandering around. I'd already made it quite a few yards away from him before he came after me, but I paid little attention. Scraps of what used to be posters dangled off what was left of the walls, and the occasional bench was seen strewn across the floor. The wood they were made of had molded, and holes made by insects could be seen. Dust, rocks, and leaves littered the tiled ground, but even some of the tiles had been uprooted. 

     I was so engrossed exploring the building that I hadn't noticed Dominic holding my hand once again. When I reached the end of the building with shattered stained glass windows, Dominic placed a kiss on my knuckles causing me to face him, nearly oblivious to the large piece of glass I almost stepped on. 

     "You have to be more careful in here, darling. Our plane was back a ways further, but you just looked so adorable looking around that I had to let you explore. We've really delayed our flight quite awhile now, though, so we should get going," Dominic said while ruffling my hair. Sending him a sweet smile, I turned our hands over and kissed his own knuckles. 

     "Alright, let's get going then," I replied with the same sweet smile. Giving me a love struck gaze, Dominic nodded at me before bringing our hands back down and swinging them back and forth as we walked to a nearly untouched arch that led to a tunnel-like ramp. 

     "Nic?" I questioned while we were walking up the ramp. 

     "Hmm?" He hummed in reply to signal me he was listening. 

     "What were airports used for?" I finished, looking up at him with curiosity. 

     "Oh, my dear, dear Valencia, there's so much you need to learn. I'll be glad to teach you, though," the bluenette answered with a flirtatious wink before continuing, "An airport used to be for people that needed to make it from one place to another as quickly as possible. People would get tickets and wait for their plane to arrive. Then they'd ride the plane to another airport where they got off probably hours later."

     "Oh," I said, slightly disappointed. I had expected the backstory to be a bit more interesting. Uncovering ancient artifacts like this always seemed amazing to me. Being in a place such as this made me want to pretend that I lived in a time era before the robots where living was so much simpler. I wish that among all the technology advances scientists used to make, that they'd have created a time machine to go back and fix the mistakes that had been made. 

     "Cheer up, Cutie. I hate seeing that little frown across your face," Dominic said with a pout of his own. Lifting one corner of my mouth, I gave him a half smile before we were finally on the airplane. 

     The inside was nearly empty besides a bed nailed to the ground, a few chairs, a coffee table, and an overhead tv. The plane was split in half by a white,  opaque curtain. I assumed Corrine and Aradella were on the other side, but if they were talking, that made the sliding curtain soundproof. Dominic and I were in the front half. 

     "Does it seem comfy enough?" Dominic asked with concern from behind me. His arms found their way around my waist, and his chin rested on my right shoulder. 

     "It looks fine," I told him before pulling his arms away from my waist and walking towards the curtain. Right before I went to slide the curtain back, Dominic rested his hand on top of my own. 

     "Can we just spend this time together? Alone? I've already told them not to bother us. I just want you all to myself for once," Dominic pleaded. His face conveyed pure agony and pleading. It felt like a heart wrenching decision, but I slowly removed my hand from the handle in compliance with him. I felt obligated to be a good wife to him in this moment. I'd be away from him soon, and betraying him none the less, so the least I could do was spend this small bit of time with him. 

     "Alright, but isn't Orson over there?" I asked, looking at him with my own pleading gaze. 

     "Yes, and I assure you he's safe. Now, why don't you try to resume that nap you were taking earlier?" Dominic rhetorically asked. 

     "I thought you wanted to spend time with me?" I said with pure confusion as he led me to the bed.

     "I do," he gently said before carefully pushing me onto the bed. Instincts kicked in the moment I lost my balance, and I reached out to Nic in order to remain on my feet. 

     "It will be okay, Valencia. Trust me, I won't hurt you. Just lay down," his voice dripped of honey, and I found myself hypnotized from it. Gradually loosening my grip on his shirt, I fell further and further back until I landed on a soft mattress which sunk down due to the new weight. Looking up at Nic, I watched him innocently as he removed his shirt and tossed it to the ground. My eyes were drawn once more to the scar on the left side of his chest, and I continued to stare until Nic coughed in an attempt to get my attention. 

     Changing my line of vision to his own eyes, I took in the light pink that dusted his cheeks. Sending him a content smile, I shut my eyes figuring he was going to join me in bed. In the next moment, I felt his warm fingers tracing the shape of my lips. Cracking my eyes open, I was startled to find Nic's face significantly closer to my own. 

     Bringing my body closer to his, I held myself up on my elbows. In the space between my back and the bed, Dominic snaked his arms around me and brought me to his warm chest. My arms were pressed against his chest as well, and I found myself looking up into his shimmering blue eyes. Planting an innocent kiss on his lips, he looked down at me mischievously causing me to send him a curious gaze. 

     In the next moment, I felt the elastic band around my hair release its grip as my hair fell around my face. Gasping in surprise, Dominic let me go as I fell onto the bed with my hair fanning around me. In Dominic's right hand was my hair tie, and it was snapped. Right when I was about to scold him he practically fell on top of me and locked his lips with mine, tangling his left hand in my hair as the right hand rested on my waist. 

     "Was breaking my hair tie necessary?" I panted after Dominic allowed me space to breath. Sending me a devious smirk, he simply kissed my forehead before collapsing on the bed beside me. Rolling my eyes, I shook my head at him before turning on my side to face him. 

     Wiggling my body closer to him, I curled up next to him and he wrapped a single arm around me, pulling me closer. I placed my forehead on his chest with my hair trailing behind me, and I soaked in the warmth he provided. 

     "And now you can take a nap," he said while placing another kiss on the crown of my head. I smiled against his chest as another wave of tiredness crashed over me. When I woke up, I knew I'd be in Alaska and one step closer to my end goal. 

            •                    •                   •

     "Master?" The faint whisper of Corrine asked. I'd been in limbo between sleep and waking for a short while before I heard Corrine. 

     "What? Didn't I tell you not to disturb us?" Dominic lowly growled with me still cuddled against his chest. He was trying to keep his voice quiet so as to not wake me, so I looked up at him and ran my hand along his chin to signify I was already up. His eyes softened when he looked down at me, and he planted a kiss above my left eye before returning his attention back to Corrine who was standing awkwardly between her half of the plane and ours. 

     "There's only about an hour until we reach our destination, but it's nighttime here at the moment, and those lights you've always been so thrilled to see are out," Corrine said with a downcast expression. In the next moment, Dominic had practically lept from the bed and raced to the window. He had to move the curtain up to peer outside, but when he did, joy lit up his face as he stared in amazement outside. 

     "Valencia! Come look!" He excitedly called, and I pushed myself up from the bed to go to him. Corrine was still standing off to the side, and I sent her a smile before walking over to Dominic. When I was finally over by Dominic, I had to bend over him to look at the sky, but I wasn't disappointed. 

     An array of greens, purples, and light blues waved around the sky. Each beam of light seemed to have its own pattern, and they reminded me of snakes slithering across a dark canvas. The stars behind them completed the look, and from the distance the lights appeared to touch the snowy mountains in the distance. 

     Snow was hard to find in this world due to global warming that happened a long time ago, but occasionally I'd be able to stumble across a patch or two. However, I'd never seen an entire area covered in it. The snow was nearly as beautiful as the lights, especially with the lights reflecting onto the snow, painting it in vibrant colors. 

     "It's even more amazing than I imagined," Dominic sighed, "I'm so glad I'm able to share this moment with you."

     He softly smiled at me and took my small hand before turning his attention back to the view. I felt another hand on my shoulder, and I jumped before turning my head to look behind me. Corrine's bright orange hair was what I noticed first, and her equally orange eyes glowed at me. Giving her a curious look, she put her finger to her lips to keep me quiet, then she gently pulled on my arm. Glancing to Nic, I determined that he was too focused on the brilliant light show to notice my presence gone, so I carefully removed my hand from his loose hold and tiptoed away behind Corrine. 

      I was correct in believing he wouldn't notice, and in no time at all I was on the other side of the plane with the curtain shut tightly behind me. From this side, the curtain was a deep red. The only furniture on this side was two chairs and a coffee table. They were only missing the bed and a tv. This side did have a miniature bed for a pet, though, and Orson was laying snuggly in it. 

     "Valencia! How've you been? I haven't seen you since the wedding!" Aradella exclaimed with puffy bags beneath her eyes. It wasn't hard to tell she'd been crying earlier, and slightly runny mascara further proved my point. 

     "I've been good. You?" I politely asked. 

     "Honestly," she laughed, "Not good. These chairs are terrible for your back, and I was already on the road when we got the news about Grandma." 

     "I'm sorry, Ella. I know how close you two were," I empathetically said. She gave me sad smile in response and her eyes started to well up. Before the first tear even fell, Ella had ran into my arms and was hugging me like a lifeline. We didn't say anything as I reassuringly patted her back. I felt her tears forming a wet patch on my sweatshirt, and her neck seemed bent at an uncomfortable angle for her to be able to cry into my shoulder due to our height difference. 

     "I know she h-had to pass eventually, but it f-feels so bad since it was your wedding a-and everything," Aradella choked out with her face still buried in my sweatshirt. 

     "It's okay, Ella. Don't worry about it. All we can do is try to move on, okay?" I asked, and I felt her nod her head. Another moment of silence filled the room as Aradella started to calm down. 

     "Do you know how long it's been since someone besides Grandma has returned my hug?" Aradella asked. The question itself was heartbreaking, and I held her tighter against me. 

     "I'll always give you a hug if you want one," I assured her. 

     "Thank you. I'm so sorry I didn't take the time to befriend you when we first met," She said while taking her head off my shoulder. I loosened my arms from around her shoulders to allow her to move away, and told her it was okay before she fully did move a respectable distance away. Wiping her tears, she smeared her makeup further leaving her looking like an absolute mess. 

     "I don't mean to bring this up now, but I have reason to believe Dominic may have been a reason for your grandma's death," I softly said. Scrunching her eyes in confusion, Aradella shook her head at me. 

     "That's not possible. There's no way he could have done that," she denied, and I released a heavy sigh. 

     "I think he was slowly poisoning her, Ella," I said in my same hushed tone. 

     "But that's not possible, because I'm the one that always made her tea. I'd leave it premade on the counter for whenever she wanted it, and whichever one of us saw her first would bring it to her," she explained. 

    "He could have poisoned it when bringing it to her. Believe me, I've seen how terrible humans can be," I said. 

     "That tea doesn't decompose anything besides the water and tea itself. If anything was put into it, it wouldn't dissolve, and Grandma wouldn't drink it. She's very picky about her tea," Aradella further supported Nic. 

     "But I heard them talking right before her death and-"

     "I don't know what you heard, Valencia, but Dominic wouldn't have done it. Grandma's mind was already starting to deteriorate long ago. She's always been biased between us kids anyways. Even if she herself thought he was killing her, that doesn't mean he did. Please, he's the only family I have left. Even if he hates me, I don't want to hear someone saying things that are completely untrue about him," Aradella said with a defensive look. She'd crossed her arms giving her a closed off look, and I decided to drop the topic. She wasn't being open-minded, and it would be impossible to prove anything. The only thing I heard to backup my theory was a few words anyways. 

     "Alright. I understand," I defeatedly sighed while looking down. 

     "But," she started, "There are a few things you don't know about him, and some things I know he'll never tell you that you have the right to know. When he brought you back from your plantation after... You know... That incident, he had to perform a surgery on you. You aren't the same anymore, Valencia. He changed the way you work. You're-"

     "Aradella! Haven't I told you not to talk to my wife? You lost that privilege after you nearly killed her!" Dominic angrily interrupted. Aradella and I whipped our heads to where he stood, a frightened Corrine stood behind him trying desperately to hold him back. 

     "What are you hiding from me, Dominic?" I forwardly asked before Aradella even had a chance to answer. His eyes widened in shock at my question as I heatedly stared at him. 

     "What? I'd never hide anything from you, sweetheart. What was she telling you?" Dominic asked with a hurt expression. My gaze changed from demanding to suspicious in a matter of seconds, then a look of sadness replaced it. 

     "Why do you insist on lying to me? I thought you loved me," I quietly asked while using his emotions against him. 

     "I do-"

     "Then why are you keeping secrets from me?" I asked with salty tears blurring my vision. A silence filled the room as the tears started slowly falling down my face. 

     "Because it's better for you," he finally replied. 

     "I see," I quietly whispered before turning away from him and walking to the door across the room. I assumed it went to a bathroom, and when I entered the enclosed quarters, I locked the door and slid down it onto the floor. Now I had a reason to avoid him when we landed, so my disappearance wouldn't be a major worry. Everything was falling into place. 

     "I love you, Nic," I silently whispered as I ran my fingers along the ring on my left hand. He didn't deserve this. The 'keeping secrets' part was really bothering me, but I figured it was only karma since I was keeping something major from him as well. Whatever he had to hide would most likely be nothing compared to what I was doing behind his back. From the moment our eyes first met, I'd been playing him. 

     "Please come out, my love," Dominic's anguished voice was heard as a single knock came from the door. 

     "Go away," I told him, mentally bashing my head against the wall to relieve my emotional pain. 

     "Okay... But we're about ready to land, so you'll have to come out soon. I'll wait here until then," he gently said as I heard a weight sliding down the other side of the door. We were so incredibly close, but I felt like we were miles apart for the first time. 

     A beeping noise was heard as my ears popped. The plane started going down, and my back pressed more firmly against the door as I cradled my left hand in my lap while staring at the ring. Nic had told me earlier that it would be very cold in Alaska, but I'd refused to wear the huge coat he'd offered me. I could tell I was going to regret it, but the coat was too bulky for me. 

     Sulking in the bathroom would get me no where, so I soon stood up, stretched my limbs from being in a cramped position, and carefully opened the door so as to not disturb Nic. He was staring peacefully off at the red curtain, and I assumed he must have told Aradella to go to our side. Corrine was also gone, but Orson remained on his small bed. 

     "Where's the coat?" I asked while towering over Dominic. Looking up, he gave me a forced smile before standing up and retrieving it from the velvet chair Aradella had originally been sitting in. He handed it to me, obviously trying desperately to make our hands brush against each other. 

     "Thank you," I blanky said, and before I could attempt to put the white coat on, Dominic had taken it from me and was telling me to put my arm through a hole. Figuring it wouldn't hurt, I allowed him to put the coat on me, and he made sure it was secured around my shoulders before zipping it. 

     "When we get to our stop, there should be a cabin nearby. That's where we'll be staying. You can choose whether to put your stuff in our room or not. I understand your upset. Just please, don't go wandering off. It's dangerous here," he pleaded with puppy eyes. Giving him a bored face, I nodded my head before walking to the curtain and briskly moving to the other side, sliding it shut in Nic's face. 

     I passed Ella sitting on one of the chairs staring out the window, and I grabbed my bag from the foot of the bed. Moving back to Aradella, I bent down to her ear. 

     "When we get to the cabin, I need you to distract Nic from going out to look for me. I'll be going on a walk to clear my mind. Please, don't let him come looking for me," I whispered before returning back to my full height and sitting on the bed. Turning my head to look out the window, Ella gave me a word of warning. 

     "That's not a very smart idea. It can be potentially dangerous here, but I trust you can handle yourself. I'll do the best I can," she said without removing her gaze from the window. Eleanor had already told me of the dangers, but she said they wouldn't be an issue until I was inside the facility. I put my thick furred combat boots on that had been specifically made for this adventure. They were incredibly warm, and on the inside there was a small loop with a sheath made for a knife.

     Removing the coat from my body, I set it aside before digging through my bag for the black shirt given to me by Genni long ago. I was surprised I still had it when I was looking through my backpack. Someone would had to of put it in their themself, but it seemed to fit this occasion. Fur lined leggings with an extra layer provided more warmth. My backpack was also in my bag, and I'd put a few water bottles and crackers into it, as well as a pistol I'd found in some of Ella's belongings.

     When the plane bounced on the ground, I put the coat back on and grabbed my bag, fully prepared for my journey. I had Orson's harness as well, but I was extremely wary at the idea of taking him with me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to the adorable bear, but I also couldn't stand the idea of leaving him behind. He'd been with me up until this point, and I didn't want to part with him. 

     "Are you ready?" Dominic asked from the other side of the curtain. 

     "Yes," I called back, waiting for him to c***k the curtain and move to our side. When he moved it, Orson waddled through and made it to my feet before looking up at me expectantly. Caringly smiling at him, I kneeled down and scratched behind his ears before hooking his leash on the collar around his neck. 

     Petting him one last time, I stood again and walked to the plane door. Dominic tried smiling at me, but upon seeing the icy stare I was giving him, he looked away and opened the door revealing the equally icy wonderland. 

     The Northern Lights were even more spectacular without a layer of glass between it. Swirls of snow blew with the wind as my hair was tossed to one side. A light mist of snow was falling, and I could already feel my face growing cold. My fingers grew numb as I walked down the plane steps with Orson trailing behind. His little brown eyes seemed to light up seeing the snow, and he started jumping around trying to fall into it. While my feet sank in to it, he seemed to stay eternally on top of it. It must be because of his half polar bear genetics. 

    "Is the view worth the trip, Cutie?" Dominic attempted to make conversation, and I nodded my head in response. Releasing a sad sigh, he softly grabbed my left hand and we started walking with Corrine and Aradella carrying the rest of the luggage behind us. 

     "Ya know, you have a voice for a reason. You're not mute anymore," Dominic said in desperation. My quietness was getting to him, and the only reason I answered him this time was due to me not wanting him to get angry. 

     "Yes, I know. But my throat is hurting," I lied. He seemed to accept that answer, but he tightened his hold on my hand, most likely to assure himself that I was really there. 

     The 'cabin' Dominic told me about earlier could be seen in the distance. It seemed much larger than the stereotypical cabin, but it still appeared cozy from far away. I wish I had the time to stay there, but my schedule was tight. Guilt was coming back again, and I nearly broke my unhappy facade multiple times due to the sorrowful look on Dominic's face when he glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. 

     When the cabin was within sprinting distance, I looked back at the other two people in our party, and they seemed content looking around at the scenery. Aradella seemed fully at peace in this icy tundra, and her fallen tufts of hair blew in the wind. Before she left, she must have put her green contacts in, because the undeniable crimson was gone and the brilliant green was seen instead. 

     Corrine was skipping occasionally and twirling in the snow causing small flakes to fly up around her feet. A thin layer of ice was forming patterns on her robotic skin, and it shimmered in the moonlight. She was carrying the most bags, but it seemed they weighed nothing to her as she moved around with an airy composure. 

     Looking back to the cabin, it was indeed two stories, and it seemed big enough to house several people at once. A small stream of smoke was coming from the chimney meaning someone had been here earlier to tidy up the place before we arrived. I would be happy to warm myself up a bit before heading out once more. Orson seemed like the only one unfazed by the cold. This was like his perfect home. It was like he'd found where he belongs. 

     "Can I have some time alone here?" I asked Dominic. Sending me a dissatisfied look, he released my hand and moved it around my waist. 

     "Yes. I'll give you an hour, but after that, you're mine for the rest of our honey moon, deal?" He bargained. Firmly setting my lips into a line, I nodded my head and Orson reached the stairs leading up to the entrance of the cabin. Dominic walked in front of us and unlocked the door before twisting the handle and letting the warm gust of air exit the cabin. A comforted noise left my lips as I briefly closed my eyes before continuing into the house. 

     A few oriental rugs resided on the wooden planks of the floor, and a cobblestone fireplace rested on the opposite side of the room. Two scarlet couches sat on either side of a circular rug, and a glass table rested between them. To the right appeared to be a small kitchen, and to the left was a bathroom. A small staircase led upwards above our heads to an open railing. A few doors could be seen along the walls upstairs, and I figured they were the bedrooms. 

     "Which room is ours?" I asked Dominic as the others ogled at the inside of the cabin. 

     "The one with the moon on the door," he answered before I raced to the stairs dragging Orson behind me. I stopped in my tracks as Dominic started talking again. 

     "Oh, and your hour of alone time starts now, darling," he said with a playful tone. Running faster, the wooden steps beneath my feet creaked out in distress as my eyes scanned the five doors. The one with a silver moon painted on it was on the complete other side, and I sharply turned before swinging the door open and slamming it behind me once Orson was inside as well. 

     I quickly went through my options of sneaking out as I grabbed my backpack from my bag. Grabbing the unique key, I put it securely into a pocket before swinging the bag over my shoulders. I couldn't exit through the front door, because I was nearly certain Dominic wouldn't be leaving the living room. I could go through the window in this room, but it would be risky since I had Orson with me. It seemed like the only option though unless I told Corrine or Aradella to help me out. 

     Aradella already had enough on her plate, and Corrine would want to go with me, so I was alone in this. The only option I could go with would be going through the window. I wouldn't be able to close it behind me, and my tracks could easily be followed through the snow if Aradella failed to distract him enough. There was nothing for me to use to cover my trail unless I dragged a blanket behind me, but even that would leave a mark. Furthermore, if Dominic had Corrine track me down, it would all be in vain. 

     My time was running out slowly, so I decided just to deal with the consequences of going through the window. I put the harness around Orson and attached the leash to that instead. Opening the window, a gust of snow came in and a shiver ran down my spine. Kissing Orson on the head, I carefully put him over the edge and attempted to carefully lower him to the ground. My plan seemed to work until I ran out of leash. I didn't want to release the leash for fear of him running off into the snow and getting lost, but he was still a few feet off the ground and could possibly hurt his spine if he fell. 

     My eyebrows furrowed in concentration as I made my decision. Wrapping the leash around my ankle and tying it, I carefully dangled my legs over the side of the window.Orson's weight was slowly slipping my boot off my foot, and I lowered myself out the window, staring down all the while to make sure Orson reached the ground. My fear of heights kicked in as I stared down, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Just when my fingers were about to be on their last knuckle, I felt the leash go lax, and I dared to open my eyes. Orson had safely made it to the ground, and I intook a shaky breath as I released my grip from the ledge. 

     A feeling of weightlessness rang through my mind before a jolt of shock went from my legs to my shoulders. I stumbled for a second before laughing in relief. Squatting down, I kissed Orson's nose and pet his head before taking off. 

     Eleanor told me that if I went straight from the East side of the cabin, I'd come to a snowy hill, and on the other side I'd find the singular rock. The hill I assumed she meant could be seen about two miles away. If I ran for the first half, then catch my breath for the next half mile before running again, I could make it there in about half an hour. Therefore, I could be to the hill before Dominic even went up to the room to look for me. Unless, of course, Aradella distracted him so much he didn't notice the time, giving me a few more valuable minutes to make it over the hill so Dominic wouldn't be able to even see me. If he managed to get himself into a breakdown, then he wouldn't notice the footprints, which gave me even more time. So all-in-all, I had about a two hour head start. 

     Looking down at Orson, I calculated how much he could run before needing a break. He'd of course slow me down, but I had plenty of time, and I could carry him if need be. Starting at a slow jog, I started moving faster to the hill. The light show above my head led the way for me, and it gave me something interesting to look at. It was a point of focus that caused me to tire less than normal. My legs ached eventually, and I was finding it a bit difficult to run as fast as normal because it felt like my limbs weren't getting enough blood pumped to them quick enough. It helped me keep a steady pace however, and Orson found it easier to keep up with me. When I determined I was more than halfway to the hill, I slowed down and allowed Orson to trudge slowly behind me for awhile. 

     Still moving, I took my backpack from around my shoulders and dug in it for some crackers. After I located a package, I waited for Orson to get beside me and I fed him a couple. Eating a few on my own, I located the g*n inside my bag and put it into my waistband for future reference.  

     "Hang in there, baby. We'll be there soon," I told Orson before moving again. He seemed happy again from the food I gave him, and his energy seemed to return as he danced around my feet. Chuckling at him, I picked up my pace once again and started running with Orson tailing me. 

     By the time we reached the hill, my legs were undeniably sore. I had to put my hands on my knees to catch my breath before I even dared to look at the steepness of the hill. Glancing over my shoulder, I could faintly see the outline of the cabin meaning I was too close to take a break. Taking one last deep breath, I craned my neck to see the hill. It didn't seem like the worst hill I've ever even had to sprint up, but it would definitely take a toll on me. Straightening my back, I braced my legs and began to climb. 

     The most difficult part was keeping my footing on the slippery ice. The snow wasn't completely packed, and I often found myself falling if I didn't move quick enough. Hopping from safe spot to safe spot made me look foolish compared to Orson who easily trotted up the hill with no worry. A thin trickle of sweat was falling from my forehead, but the cold wind was trying its hardest to freeze it in its place. 

     "Just a little further," I said to myself more than to Orson. The bear squeaked out a response, and a tired smile found its way on my face. In a few minutes, I was finally at the top, and glancing down revealed a snowy valley with a singular rock directly in the middle. The area itself had quite a few rocks, and I would have brushed this area off as just the same as everywhere else had it not been for the forewarning from Eleanor. Looking back again, the cabin seemed even smaller and more miniscule just based on the elevation difference. 

     I still didn't see any sign of being followed, but the wind had picked up. Deep down, I hoped it was covering my footsteps. Dominic would be heartbroken even more if he found me than if I just ended up missing. 

     Slowly descending into the valley, Orson moved quicker and ended up dragging me down. In only a few minutes we were at the bottom, but I was still barreling forward due to the speed he had me at going down. Before I could stop myself, I tripped over a rock and fell into the freezing snow. My fingers erupted in ice cold flames, and I intook another sharp breath. Trying desperately to wipe them off, I internally yelled at everyone for not giving me any gloves. 

     Getting up through the pain, I continued walking to the center. Each step seemed to get harder and harder, almost if there was a huge magnet made to stop anyone from coming near. The wind seemed to roar in my ears, and it felt like I could hear thousands of gears grinding together. Right when I was about to clamp my hands over my ears, all the noises stopped, and all that was left was silence. A deafening silence. 

     I'd made it to the center, and before me stood a large pillar-like rock. Getting into my bag I removed the device Eleanor gave me that contained the picture. Shakily pressing a button on the side, a holographic scene appeared. My hands continued to shake from the cold, but I was able to determine the resemblance between this rock and the holographic one. Continuing through the picture reel showed a map of the control area, and more detailed pictures followed. The map was easy to follow, and the pictures of every room I'd have to go through to get to the direct center made it even easier.  

     Going to the large rock, I noticed the scratches near the bottom, further peaking my interest. Crouching down, I noticed that the rock went down into the snow. Squeezing my eyes shut at the cold I knew was about to further chill my fingers, I shoved my hands down in an attempt to brush the snow away. Instead, my hands met a furry warmth, and I saw Orson instead. 

     A smile lit up my face as I tried once again to move my hands to the snow. Orson stopped me once more with his head before turning away and starting to dig on his own. He proceeded to paw at the ground until he met a rock pedestal. 

     "Thank you, Orson. You're so smart," I said with pure gratitude. This little bear saved me from having to harm my hands even more. 

     Looking down at the pedestal, it seemed blank, but when looked at closer, a circular c***k could be seen in the middle. Placing my fingers on it, I pressed down causing a terrible sound like rocks grinding together. Once it stopped moving, the ground started to shake. I pulled Orson to me as the snow beneath us caved in leaving us on the rock pedestal. The snow seemed to melt in a triangular pattern, and I dared a look over the edge. 

     The ground was a good ten feet beneath us, but a grated floor was sending heat waves which most likely was activated due to the pressure on the button. A cement ledge gradually went down the length of the triangle on both sides. Deciding that was my best way down, I grabbed Orson's leash and carefully balanced down to the grated flooring. Once my feet landed on it, the warm air seemed to circle around me, and I hugged the coat tighter to me. 

     The door seemed normal enough, but a security camera sat in plain sight above it. Looking up at it, I decided against destroying it. That would only make my presence even more suspicious to whatever lurked within. 

     "This can't be that easy. Eleanor said I'd have to do something to prove I'm an Estis," I said aloud. Moving my hand to the door handle, I attempted to open it only for a slot to pop out beneath it. 

     "Welcome, human. Please place your thumb pad on the center of the slot that has just popped out," a mechanical voice said. The voice seemed raspy due to a long time without use. Putting my right thumb on the slot, I felt a beam scan it before a small prick hit the center. The prick wasn't painful, but a small droplet of blood smeared on the slot before it abruptly went back into the door. An accepting 'beep' rang out. 

     "Valencia Estis,  pleased to make your acquaintance. Welcome to the main control base, manufactured in 2374, also referred to as my home. I've been alone here for quite some time. Please, come in," the mysterious voice said as the door creaked open in protest. 

     Glancing behind me once more, I picked Orson up into my arms before stepping through the threshold with my mission embedded firmly into my mind. Once I stepped through I faintly saw the heat coming from the grates stop, and the door slowly shut behind me leaving me in absolute darkness.