Well anyway this chapter is a bit different from the first and I'm not sure I entirely like it, some parts I think I over did it a bit. But I'm gonna post it in any case and throw myself at your mercies._____________________________________________________________
Impossibility 2 - Return to Consciousness
“Hey... hey you... wake up,” said the girl with purplish pink hair, “It’s me, Imoen. Come on wake up Helion.” Hearing his name the man named Helion forced himself to sit up. Another wave of pain hit him and he almost fell back down, but he gritted his teeth, shook his head, and stood up instead. He felt like he was swimming in a turbulent ocean of pain with eddies and currents that might pull him down at any moment. It took all he had to keep above the surface.
Fighting for clarity, Helion croaked out, “Im... Imoen... is that really you.” She replied, “Of course it’s me silly who else would it be?” A memory flashed into Helion’s mind for an instant about dopplegangers and Imoen and Him and then was gone just as fast as Imoen continued, “He messed with your mind too didn’t he?” Then desperately, “Oh Helion we got to get out of here. We’ve got to escape!”
Realizing what he said next would be very important to Imoen, Helion forced down any of the pain he still felt and said in a voice more confident than he felt, “Don’t worry Imm, we’ll get out of here. We won’t let him...” Torture us anymore? Keep us caged? Treat us like guinea pigs? “do anything to us anymore.”
“It’s good to hear that from you Hel. It’s very good to here that,” Imoen confided feeling less frightened now. “There’s some weapons and equipment from the room I came from. I don’t think any of it’s ours though.” Considering this, Helion came to a sudden realization. “Where are the others Imm? Are they...” Still alive? No don’t think that. “Around here somewhere?” “There are lots of cells around here Hel. I-if they are... anywhere they’ll be over in that direction.” Imoen stated while pointing behind Helion. “Then lets get going Imm. We need to move before... Well we just need to move.” Helion had almost said that they needed to move before He comes back, but taking in consideration Imoen’s mental state... and his, it wouldn’t have been for the best.
Imoen unlocked Helion’s cage and helped him step out. Stretching for the first time since he was out of that cage, Helion wondered just how long he had been in there. I don’t remember much of anything. I remember being taken out at times, but the details escape me.
“Are you ok Hel?” Helion broke out of his thoughts, “I’m fine Imm, my memory is just a bit hazy.” That’s the understatement of the year, but it would only worry her if she knew. I care too much about her to have her worrying about me on top of whatever He did to her. “Mine is too Hel. It’s all just... so foggy, but then every once and awhile, I remember some things about what he’s done... to us... and...” Imoen shuddered involuntarily. Helion moved to stand by Imoen and rubbed her back a bit to sooth her, “It’ll be all right Imm. As soon as we find the others, we’ll get as far away from here as we can.” This seemed to calm her some and the pair began their search.
As they walked along, Helion tried to get a good look of Imoen. The dimness of the magical lights made it difficult, but what he was able to see startled him. There was of course the understandable, natural raggedness and dirtiness of clothes, hair and skin from being anywhere for as long as they had without a bath or new clothes, but what Helion saw went far beyond that. Imoen’s clothes were completely ripped up, they were hanging on only as ribbons; and it wasn’t from overuse or becoming snagged on a jutting nail or some such. They looked like knives had been taken to them, and there was dried blood in many places to prove that the sharp objects hadn’t been meant for the clothes alone.
But these things were inconsequential. What really bothered Helion was her thinness and the scars... From what he could see, they covered her. They went along her arms, some small and some long, some straight and some jagged, some looked like magic had healed them well and others appeared to have been purposely left unattended. Even those weren’t too bad they would disappear with time, but the scars on her face. Helion had always thought Imoen had been rather pretty if not outright beautiful, and he still thought that, but the scars unsettled him. There was a particularly nasty one right on top of her right eye. That bastard! He’ll pay for what he’s done to her!
Helion had been trying to be surreptitious in his observation of her, but Imoen caught him anyway. In a sad but resigned voice she stated, “Yea I know... I’m going to have some bad scars from this... You’ll have some bad ones too, but on you... they don’t look so bad, you know... dangerous and exciting; while on me they just look...” Imoen trailed off and looked down. “Imm, they aren’t that bad.” “But they are Hel. They are. I look hideous! I’ll never be able to attract a man with a face like this!” “Imm, that’s just not true. While they don’t look nice, they could scarcely make you look ugly. Any man who doesn’t see that is blind or a fool!” Imoen felt a bit better but asked anyway, “Well you’re a man... what is it exactly that you think?... and don’t you lie or hold anything back; I’ll be able to tell!”
Now Helion was blushing. Imoen wasn’t boasting when she had said she could tell, it was the gods-honest truth. I’ve never been able to slip anything past her. She’s always said I give it all away with my face. Then he thought sardonically. Well perhaps all my blushing will fool her lie-detector. Helion considered this. Hmmmmm... no... no, honesty would serve best here. No matter how embarrassing it might be. Lying might make her think I’m only trying to spare her feelings.
Making a silent prayer to any god listening that Imoen wouldn’t see his blush, Helion said in a near-whisper with conviction, “Imm, I think that you are very beautiful and... and... that it would take far more than a few scars to make you look any less fair than you are. And the-then you have so many other qualities: your kind, y-your funny, your intelligent... L-like I said, only a fool would find you unattractive.” Helion let out a sigh of relief. Okay that wasn’t so bad, I only stuttered a few times. It’s a shame though that MY DAMN FACE FEELS LIKE IT’S ON FIRE!!! But maybe she won’t notice that. Yea... maybe...
Imoen thinks this over for a moment and then breaks into an enchanting smile, “Oh... that’s so sweet of you to say...” She pauses and her smile widens, “by the way you’re blushing (giggle).” Damn it. Despite the laugh, Imoen’s face turns a little red, and she seems to value the compliment.
