The Trinity

Cullom’s game maker

NOA

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. My guess was I was coming in and out of consciousness for several days. There were always different people moving around me each time I woke up.

They’d see I was starting to come to and prick me with a needle again. What was the point of all of this? Where was my mother? I could only imagine how terrified she was. I had to get out of here.

In a rare moment of lucency, I saw the large man that had been in my home when my mother and I were taken. “Please… water.” I whispered. He looked up from his table surprised to hear me speak. He looked like he was deliberating for a moment before he approached my bed with a small plastic cup. He gently cupped the back of my head to tilt me forward a little and brought the cup to my lips. I took a big sip and instantly coughed it back up. My throat was so dry. “Easy.” He sounded like he almost cared.

I took another small sip and another. The water was gone far too soon. “Sorry, but that’s all I can give you. We can’t have a water shifter with too much water in their system. Could cause us lots of trouble.” He said in a way of explanation.

“Who are you, Where am I?” I chanced asking him.

“My name is Avery. And you’re in Cullom.” I vaguely remembered one of the men telling Avery to inject me when we first arrived.

“I’m sorry I don’t know what Cullom is. Where’s my mother? Is she here too? I don’t know anything worth taking us over. Please just let us go home. Please.” I cried, I was close to hysterical.

“Shhh…” he whispered close to my face. “Those crocodile tears aren’t going to work here. We’ve been testing you while you’ve been sleeping, and Noa? You do know things. Don’t you? Lots and lots of things.” He told me coldly.

I felt my blood run cold. Why did he say crocodile? Did he know something about Adriel or was that a coincidence? What had they been doing to me while I was unconscious?

I weakly lifted my head to inspect my body. I was still wearing my underwear and bra from days ago. I had small bruises and cuts across my entire body and small puncture wounds all over my arms.

I lolled my head to the side to look at Avery. He was smirking at me. I’d been sheltered my entire life, and hadn’t encountered real evil before. But that’s exactly what they had to be. Who else kidnapped 15 year old girls and abused them? This was what my mother was always warning me about. That the council could come if they discovered my gift for influencing multiple elements.

I felt myself begin to grow angry. Like a small flame had been ignited. Just as I was about to summon the air and the earth the metal door in the corner swung open and my mother was dragged through it and thrown to the ground.

“Mom! Mom!” I screamed as Avery dragged her from the floor to a chair in the corner. “Please don’t hurt her, please!” I begged him. Mom was trying her best to fight off Avery, but she looked so weak. Like me, she was in her underwear and had bruises everywhere. Her lip was split and there was dried blood on her face. What had they done to her?

“Alora! Are you gonna stop this bullshit and behave or am I gonna have to show you what I’m capable of?” He said with his eyes swinging toward me. My mother instantly stopped struggling.

It was like the wind had been taken from her sails and she slumped in the chair. “Please” she begged in a whisper. “Please, just don’t hurt my daughter.”

Tears came to my eyes at the sound of her voice. She sounded so defeated. I hated it. I hated that I couldn’t hug her, that she couldn’t hug me, and tell me everything was going to be alright. Even though I knew everything was far from alright. Avery tied her hands behind her back.

He crouched in front of her legs and secured them to the legs of the chair. “Mom! I’m so sorry.” I said, feeling like this was all somehow my fault. “Are you ok? I’ll get us out of here. Everything’s gonna be ok.” I added.

“Tsk tsk” Avery said rising up and turning to look at me. “There’ll be no more talking out of turn Noa or mommy here will pay the price. But you’re right about one thing Noa. You do get to decide if everything will be alright.” He said, smiling at me like the f*****g psychopath he was quickly turning out to be.

“Let’s play a little game. You like games don’t you Noa? I’m sure you and Alora must have played plenty of games at Clear Lake.” He said calmly while pulling tightly on my mother’s ties.

The tears in my eyes began to roll down my cheeks. What was he going to make us do?

“Aww, shhhh…” he mockingly whispered as he swiped a tear from my cheek. “Don’t f*****g touch her!” Mom yelled. “Now Alora, you promised you’d be on your best behavior before I brought you in here. Is this how you show your appreciation to my kindness for letting you see your daughter? You’re not off to a very good start and this is your last warning. Control yourself, or I’ll hurt Noa. Is that what you want?” He said, I could tell he was growing angry.

Mom had tears spilling from her eyes as she shook her head no.

“Noa, just do what he says ok? Show him what you’re capable of so we can go home.” Mom said to me.

I could tell from the eye contact she was making with me she didn’t really mean it. After years of her telling me countless times to never let anyone know my secret, there was no way she could truly mean what she was saying. I had to keep my secret safe. I had to keep us safe. But how was I going to get us out of here? I didn’t have a “s**t list” but Avery was quickly making one for me. And he was right at the top of it. I nodded my head the best I could at Avery.

“Good. Now girls, let’s go over the rules of the little game shall we?” He grinned.