Ghost Rider

CHAPTER XXXVI: What Do You Want?

   "So you can wash up and get dressed." He answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I didn't reply, although I'll admit that I was surprised and slightly frightened at the change of schedule.

What does this all mean? I wondered.

I only silently accepted the uninformative answer.

After that, no words were exchanged, and I was beginning to feel a bit out of place; especially since I had no idea what would come next and how this would all play out.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he realized that I had no idea what to do.

I think he felt rather stupid, by the way he began quickly hustling about all of a sudden.

Placing his calloused hand on the small of my back, he led me through another door, and into a small room. As we slowly walked into the next room, I knew he could feel my spine through my shirt. Almost all of my bones poked out in that area, due to malnourishment.

In this room, was a washing basin and a thin sheet of polished metal hanging on the wall in which I could see my reflection.

I noticed that the washing basin was already full with water and, judging by the steam rising from the basin, was already heated.

I understood now. He wanted me to get in. I slowly turned around to face him, but I didn't realize how close our faces were together.

I glanced at the door, and back to Viggo as I attempted to give him a hint that he should leave.

He wasn't catching on though, he just kept staring at me. I tried to read what he was thinking, but his face was expressionless.

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable again, so I took a step back. This seemed to snap him out of whatever trans he was in.

"Umm...could you leave for a bit? I don't really-" I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence before receiving my reply.

"Oh..yes of course." He answered, and for the first time since I've known him, he sounded unconfident.

Viggo briskly made his way to the door, and shut it gently behind him.

I turned from the door, and made my way to the bath basin. The steaming water made it extremely inviting to my shivering skin. It was growing colder by the day and I could feel every drop in the temperature in my cell, due to the thin walls.

Shrugging off my now baggy clothes, I made my way to the reflective sheet of metal.

I guess I just wanted to see what I looked like after being imprisoned and abused for so long.

As soon as I fixed my gaze on my reflection, I sharply inhaled a bit. I looked very different than I remembered.

My ribs, like mountains covered with only a thin layer of earth, were jaggedly poking out of my body. Every detail of them could be seen, it was the same for my collar and hip bones.

My once fiery red hair seemed to have lost its flame in the multiple layers of grime that obscured it.

It grew almost six inches too. I always had fast growing hair, but this was unusual.

I suppose more time had passed than I had assumed.

I turned away from the mirror, the temptation of the warm water in the basin was to enticing to ignore.

Slowly tiptoeing my way to the tub, I felt as though I shouldn't be here.

Nevertheless, I at last reached the basin, and slid into the relaxing bath.

Letting out a sigh of contentment, I reached for the rough wool rag, which hung on the side of the bath, and began to scrub my skin clean of the filth it had collected in the duration of my imprisonment.

My hair floated in the once clear, now murky, water.

It was so long, it covered the top of almost all of the water.

There was a wooden cup next to the basin. I reached out, and dunked it in the water so I could use it as a scoop to pour water on my head.

I didn't want to dunk my head underwater, for fear that someone might try to drown me in the process.

I was always skeptical of people's ulterior motives, and although Viggo was my friend and I knew he would protect me, I was still cautious.

After I was finished scrubbing the seemingly endless layers of grim off of my skin, I reluctantly got out of the basin and dried myself with a piece of cloth I found. It had been draped over a wooden rack by the wall, opposite of the bath.

Next to the cloth, also draped on the rack, there were a few new and clean pieces of clothing.

I didn't question where they came from; I was much too elated at the thought of clean, form-fitting clothes to care.

There was a dark green, allegedly cotton, V-neck shirt with long sleeves. At the end of the sleeves, two holes were present for thumbs to fit through for a tighter fit. This way, the wind didn't blow through your sleeves as much. Along with that, I found a pair of brown leather pants, and a fur coat.

I felt so much warmer and comfortable, that I dearly hoped that Viggo wouldn't make me take them off after this strange event played out.

I brushed my hair and braided it in my normal side braid; the way I had worn it since I was a child. I figured I should change it at some point, but to be honest I didn't really care at the moment.

Then, as timely as ever, Viggo's knock rang through the bathroom, firm but gentle.

"Are you almost finished?" He inquired.

Instead of answering his question, I made my way to the door and swung it slowly open.

He gazed at me and, for a moment, I could have sworn I saw him freeze for the first time since I had made his acquaintance.

He quickly regained himself, and cocked his head toward the door at the end of the room.

"Where are we going?" I queried.

"You'll see." Came his unsatisfying reply.

I remained silent, but rolled my eyes at his response as I followed his lead through the halls of the ship.

I didn't realize how long the ship was until I had to travel down it's many passageways. At last, we reached the end of our journey.

At least, that is what I assumed. The hall we were walking down came to a dead end, where it was met with a ladder.

Viggo began to climb it, so I followed.

"Viggo, I'm confused where are we-" My sentence was caught short as my breath halted in my throat.

Although the light was blinding and I had to cover my eyes with my hand, I could still discern my surroundings.

I was outside, out in the open.

The stench of my prison cell was gone. It was replaced with the fragrant and familiar scent of the wild, untamable ocean.

The darkness of my solitary confinement quickly faded away. Instead, my face was warmly kissed with the rays of sun that pierced through the rolling clouds.

The bitterness of my cell had evaporated like water under a fire. In its place was the warmth and sense of freedom that came with the outdoors.

Out here, on the deck of the ship, I felt so free I nearly forgot I was still a prisoner.

However that fact never left my mind completely. I still remembered I was a prisoner. I knew I shouldn't believe otherwise, just because someone gave me a bath and clean clothes. I dozing have the time to fantasize.

I'm still a prisoner; I reminded myself. His prisoner.

I sharply turned around and faced Viggo, who had somehow ended up behind me as I was taking in my stunning surroundings.

"What do you want?"
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Do you think I should do a "Viggo's POV" or no?