you, – she repeated. – You are very kind to me.
Too kind, flashed through her mind.
Lira smiled.
– Rest. You need to gain strength. And I'll be around if you need anything.
She left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Nia was left alone. She quickly changed into the nightgown and lay down on the bed. The blanket was warm and soft. The pillow was fluffy and comfortable. Too comfortable… This is alarming.
Nia closed her eyes. Fatigue instantly fell upon her. She felt the tension leaving her body. She was falling asleep…
But even in her half-sleep, doubts and suspicions did not leave her. What was Lira hiding? And why was she acting so strangely? Something was wrong here. Nia felt it with all her being. But sleep was stronger. And she fell asleep, plunging into restless dreams about a glittering city, gray fields, and a mysterious girl named Lira.
Chapter 5
Nia was awakened by some strange pressure in her chest. In her sleep, it began to seem to her that something was pressing on her and suffocating her, not allowing her to breathe. She tried to turn over, but couldn't. Something was restricting her movements. Another nightmare?
Abruptly opening her eyes, she realized what was happening. Her nightgown was shrinking! The fabric constricted her chest, arms, and wrists, like steel hoops. And the long hem of the shirt had already bound her legs, tightly wrapping them like a rope. Nia tried to move, but couldn't. She was like a fly in a web. What was this devilry?
Panic overwhelmed her. What was this nightmare? What was happening? She tried to scream, call for help, but the fabric of the shirt was squeezing her throat, preventing her from making a sound. Betrayal…
Gathering her last strength, Nia still managed to exhale a hoarse, barely audible cry.
In that same second, the door to the room burst open. Lira stood on the threshold, and she was not alone. Several guys entered the room with her, or at least, Nia thought so at first. But looking closer, she realized that these were not quite ordinary people. Freaks…
These were strange creatures with some additional limbs and unusual facial features. One of them had three arms, one of which stretched out from under his cloak. Another's face looked somehow blurry and indistinct, as if its features were constantly changing. What were these creatures?
Entering the room, they stared at Nia, restrained by the shirt. Some impatient anticipation was read in their eyes. Their gazes were sticky, disgusting.
– Where is the artifact? – asked one of them, the one with three arms. His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had been silent for a long time.
Nia didn't understand what they were talking about. Artifact? What artifact? Moreover, she couldn't answer. The fabric of the shirt was squeezing her throat and arms, not even allowing her to breathe.
Lira stepped forward.
– Loosen your grip, – she said to the shirt, as if addressing a living creature. – We need her to be able to speak.
The shirt loosened its grip a little. Nia was able to breathe and cough. Air… How wonderful it was.
– What artifact? – she asked hoarsely, looking at Lira with horror. – What are you talking about?
Lira no longer seemed like the kind and caring girl who had helped Nia on the road. Steel and determination were read in her eyes.
– The artifact should have been with her, – Lira said, her voice now sounding cold and detached.
Lira began to quickly search her belongings, or rather, the little that she had. The hospital clothes that she had worn since the escape, the nightgown that turned out to be a trap… Nothing more. There was nothing to search…
– She has nothing, – one of the freakish creatures stated.
– It can't be, – Lira objected. – It had to be with her. It's always with them.
Lira came closer to Nia and leaned into her face. Her breath was cold and unpleasant.
– Where is it? – she hissed. – Where is the artifact? Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.
Nia shook her head.
– I don't know. I don't remember anything. I really don't know what artifact you're talking about.
Lira recoiled.
– She's lying, – she said to her companions.
Some more time passed. They tried in various ways to find out where the artifact was. They asked questions, threatened, even tried to look into her thoughts with the help of some strange devices. But it was all useless. Nia really didn't remember anything. Or didn't want to remember?
Finally, Lira retreated.
– It seems she really doesn't know anything, – she said. – At least, not yet.
– And what do we do now? – asked one of the members of her gang. – Kill her?
Lira pondered for a moment.
– No, – she said. – We can't kill her. The artifact is connected to her. If we kill her, we may lose it forever.
– Then what?
– We'll keep her with us, – Lira said. – Until she remembers. As soon as she remembers where the artifact is, we'll take it first.
From that moment on, a new chapter began in Nia's life. Life in Lira's gang. She was a prisoner, but at the same time, a valuable asset. They watched her every step, not trusting her for a second. She lived in constant fear, not knowing what awaited her in the next moment.
But deep down, Nia still hoped. Hope that she would be able to remember her past. Hope that she would be able to escape from these monsters. And hope that she would be able to find out what this artifact was that they were hunting so much. “I will find out everything. Or die trying,” she thought.
Nia spent about a month in Lira's gang. Time dragged on slowly and monotonously, like a gray ribbon, like the roads surrounding their hut. During all this time, not a single new person appeared in their hut. It seemed that they lived in some isolated little world, cut off from the rest of the world. A sect. A godforsaken place.
She was assigned household duties: preparing food from this strange “plasticine” mixture, cleaning the hut.
After a while, Lira began to trust her a little. She was even allowed to walk around the district alone, collect herbs, or just breathe fresh air. But Nia couldn't go far. She was not given any technology, no means of transportation. Without technology, she couldn't go far, she would be quickly caught.
The girl understood that she was a prisoner. But she also understood that she had to wait for her chance. She watched Lira and her henchmen, studied their habits and weaknesses. She hoped that one day she would be able to escape. “I will be patient. And when the time comes, I will escape,” constantly spinning in her head.
One day, a man came to their hut. He introduced himself as a doctor from the very hospital from which Nia had escaped. The man was dressed in a light blue suit and looked very worried.
– I'm looking for a fugitive, – he said to Lira. – She escaped from our hospital about a month ago. We believe that she may be in this area.
Lira, without batting an eye, replied:
– There is no one here. We live here alone. We have not seen any fugitives.
Her voice was as even as ice. “She is an excellent actress,” Nia thought.
The doctor looked at Lira carefully, as if trying to see a lie in her eyes. Then he looked around the hut. Nia hid in the corner, trying not to attract attention. Just so he wouldn't notice.
Fortunately,