the surface of my sleep, keeping me from truly falling under. Moments of bliss would seep into my mind, then a picture of Daniel or Lexie slammed into my head, popping my eyes open. A sharp sob would tear into my chest, bringing me back to reality.
The darkness hung around, suffocating, brewing an edgy and frightening chill into my bones. I hated the dark. Too many evils hid in the corners. The only light coming in was from the top bathroom window. We were away from downtown fires, and the spotlights from the helicopters were becoming less frequent.
I hunched my neck tighter against my shoulder.
“There you are,” a squeaky voice muttered.
It jolted me; my wrists burned against the tug. “What the hell?” I glanced around the dark, my heart skipping. Through the shadows I saw movement through the air/heater vent on the wall.
“I have been searching for you for hours,” the thing grunted as it wiggled its body through the metal gaps.
My eyes narrowed. “Sprig?”
“How many monkey-sprites do you know?”
I cautiously glanced toward the closed bathroom door, straining to hear any movement from the next room. “What are you doing here?”
“Sprites take obligations very seriously. I cannot leave your side till my debt has been repaid.” The creature jumped down from the duct and trotted on all fours across the linoleum flooring. The tiny body leaped on the side of the tub. His little primate toes curled tightly to keep from slipping. “Oh, did I interrupt something?” He tilted his head, looking down at the rope around my arms.
“Funny.”
“Hey, no judgment here.”
My brain was still having a hard time wrapping around a monkey-sprite talking to me.
“Actually, your debt could be repaid faster than you think.” I kept my voice low, my attention constantly darting to the door. “Get me loose, and we’ll call it even.”
“You have no say in when the debt is repaid. It’s the only one who knows.” Sprig crept around to the faucet, his small but nimble fingers getting into the gaps of the intricate knot. I tried to keep still as he worked out the binding.
This was not my first time being tied up. One time was when I turned twelve. It was the house before Jo’s. It was my foster parents’ way of dealing with me. They left me in the closet all night to “contemplate” my actions. I ran away the next day. Three months later, they placed me with Jo. It was when my true fear of the dark set in. When it was pitch black, my mind took me back to being tied and locked in the closet. I couldn’t say all my foster parents were awful, but those were the ones who stuck in your mind.
“Monkey’s uncle. Who tied this knot? A pirate?”
I smirked. “He could be. He looks like one... a Viking pirate.”
The creature froze. “This Viking pirate doesn’t happen to have markings all over, white eyes, and goes by the name of Ryker?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Sprig jumped back from the rope. “Oh, you didn’t tell me. Sorry, I can’t help you.”
“What?” I wailed a little too loud before continuing in a low, harsh whisper. “Why?”
“Ryker the Wanderer. Do you not know who he is?”
“Yeah. Ryker the Wanderer,” I said with derision.
Sprig crossed his arms, the human gesture looking odd on a primate. “You have no idea who you are dealing with, do you? How did you get hooked up with him?”
“It wasn’t by choice, as you can clearly see.” I flapped my pinned hands. “And I would like to get away from him. Help me, please?”
Sprig shook his head.
“You don’t remember seeing him pull me out of the other air vent?”
“I don’t recall anything of the sort. And I think I would remember seeing the Wanderer.” He clicked his tongue at me.
“What do you mean you don’t recall?”
“When I fall asleep, I don’t remember things.” He shifted nervously. “In stressful situations, I go to sleep. That’s a lie. I fall asleep in non-stressful situations, too.” He continued to rattle on. “Actually, it’s really whenever. But I lose memory around those times.”
The door swung open and ricocheted off the wall. “If you touch those ropes, you’ll find your intestines being used for rope.” Ryker’s face contorted with anger, his words meant for Sprig, but his scowl was on me.
Sprig squeaked and scrambled out of the tub, hopping onto the counter.
“How did you find us?” Ryker uttered through clenched teeth. I stared at him, waiting for his wrath. I could feel it bubbling