[M] The Influence of Words [IC] {Ash & Drako}

[Ashen]

Both women watched the boy sign what he was trying to say. He signed swiftly, desperately even, which was very different than how Ziven might have signed.
Celestynn's mother was the first to speak. "Now Ziven," she said softly. "I understand you must be very tired. Why don't we get you to sleep? If only I'd known you were coming. I would have prepared your favorite."
"I can order pizza, if you'd like, Matka," Celly offered.
Her mother waved her off. "I'll make him some soup. How about some chicken noodle?"
Neither of them seemed to realize Benjamin wasn't Ziven. They just continued on was if the boy knew exactly who they were and what was going on.

Upon her mother's request to take him to his room, Celestynn grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him up a flight of stairs. She pushed him into a room first, then went in behind him and locked the door. She let out a big breath and looked at the kid.
"Ben," she said in a shaky voice. "I understand you have no idea what's going on. That's why I'm going to explain some things to you."
The room they were in was a baby blue, with a twin-sized bed that looked freshly made. Trains were scattered across the room, whether in toy form or book form. There was a large bookcase in one corner of the room with more books than it could hold. There were two rooms, one that led to the hallway they had just come from and one that led to a bathroom. It was apparent this was a little boy's room, and from the letters on the wall over a desk, it was clear the room had belonged to Ziven. His name was spelt in wooden letters. The N was loose.
Celestynn sighed. "First off," she said, "I am so, so sorry." She stared right into his eyes. "I had to take you, and I know you'll probably never forgive me. But you're part of this family now, whether you like it or not. My mum downstairs, she mourned the death of her son the most. That's Ziven. He died last year of laryngeal cancer. His death led to my dad's death, and also my mum insanity."

Celly smiled weakly. "I don't expect you to understand why I took you, so I won't go there. Just know that I had to. And trust me, I did not want to. But for the rest of your life, or at least the rest of my mum's, you'll be living as Ziven." She turned to the door but stopped. "We're...a good family. I guess we couldn't compare to the money you had and all the other luxuries you're used to. But we're a good family. We really are. I'm proud of my upbringing. And I hope you can grow to at least like us." She turned to face him. "Until we trust you, your door and your windows will be locked. Hopefully it won't be for too much longer. Ziven was mute, like you. The cancer did that to him. So Mum and I both know sign language, and there's about five white boards in here that you can use to communicate with us. This room hasn't been touched since Zivy left us. And um, I think that's about it, unless you have any questions. I'll let you get settled in and go get your soup. I, um, Benjamin..." She looked up at him with huge, watery eyes. "I really am, sorry," she said in a barely audible whisper. And then she turned to leave.

[Drakonnas]

Ben watched as the older woman didn't seem to recognize that he wasn't her son. He gave her one last sign, "You're mental!" Before Celestynn took him upstairs. She spoke to him, and her demeanor seemed to have changed as well. She tried to explain to him that they wanted to trust him, that they wanted him to be a part of their family. "No way!" He signed, furious. He was going to be locked up. Alright. That was okay by him. He'd be away from those two mentally insane women, and could focus on getting out. "I will never be a part of your family, no matter how much you plead, beg, or threat." Ben told her, still scowling. "All you've ever done is lie to me. I don't trust what you say at all, you snake... I'm getting out of here. Just you watch. I don't care about you, or your stupid family. I don't care about your brother, your father, or any other member of your pathetic family. You're all lunatics!" He told her furiously.

As she left, Ben looked around for anything he could use as a weapon. Anything in this room could be used. He could break the windows, and escape that way. He was on the second floor, which could cause problems... But there were always ways around that. And he could also break down the door, but the former would be much easier. He wouldn't attempt his escape now, she would be coming back with food. But that night, perhaps he could get somewhere. He knew there was a bike in the garage, he could take that, and escape on it. Go somewhere. As far away as possible. Get help. It wasn't too late yet. He just knew it.

[Ashen]

Celestynn fled downstairs thinking about all Benjamin had said. It had hurt, all of it, but one sign stuck out more than the rest. When Benjamin had curled his fingers in a sort of V shape and wiggled them, that's what Celestynn had remembered most vividly. You snake.
She hated that anyone could ever hate her. She had grown up a sweet child, loved by everyone, even envied by a few parents. She was a golden daughter that could never have any enemies.
Celly didn't even know the sign for hate. She had learned it, sure, but she had never used it. It wasn't a word she particularly liked to use, and because of that, she had forgotten it. But she had the feeling-no, she knew Benjamin would be signing that particular word to her. And that, that bothered more than he could ever understand.

After a quick chat and explanation with her mother, Celly walked back upstairs with a bowl of soup balanced in one hand and a glass of apple juice in the other. She bowed her head a bit in thanks, told her mother to given Ziven some time before she visited him in his room, and went back upstairs, still shaky from what he'd told her earlier.

"I'm back," she announced before holding the glass with only three fingers and unlocking the door with her index and middle. She let herself into the room again and set the soup and glass on Ziven's desk. "I don't know if you're hungry," she said, "but I reckon I would be after such a long trip. You ought to eat. We don't... It's not poisoned." To prove this, she dipped the spoon into her soup and took a sip. "See? Though I get it if you don't want to eat. Just know, the last thing we want you to do is watch you suffer. Don't starve yourself, please."
Celly watched him, unsure of where she should go. Her mother wouldn't be coming in here for a while yet, and she had nowhere to go, so she was free for the rest of the day. She planned on spending it with her new brother.

She took a seat on the bed that had been vacant for too long. "I understand that you hate me," she said, and her voice gave a hint of how upset that made her. "I don't blame you. But from this point on, I promise I won't lie to you anymore. I want you to be comfortable, as comfortable as possible. So if you need anything, just let me know. I just... I can't take you back to Iowa. That would spoil her. Us. We can't spoil this family again."

[Drakonnas]

All of Ben's rage, anger, fear, and horror at what had happened to him in the last day was slowly melting. And what was left was depression, sadness, grief. As Celestynn walked in, Ben didn't make notice that she was there, respond to her, or acknowledge her in any way. He had his face buried in his... no, not his, the other boy's pillow. And it was being stained with the tears that were falling freely from his eyes. He hurt now more than he could have ever imagined possible.

And everything that Celestynn said to him just made him feel worse. His body shook with sobs as he cried angrily into his pillow. A feeling of complete helplessness was starting to feed on him. For the time being, he wasn't moving, wasn't eating, he wanted nothing to do with the world. If only he felt up to playing something, he'd have composed the saddest, most heartbreaking music that would make anyone cry. He knew that he could pour his heart out. But... he couldn't. There was nothing here that he could do that with. And besides, he didn't want her to have the satisfaction of listening to him play.

Comfortable, she said. Don't want to see him suffer, she said. Yeah. Sure. Go and kidnap someone, lock them up, and tell them to be comfortable, and not to suffer. That would sure work well. Ben had found a very large stuffed animal and turned his back to Celestynn, and hugged the animal, as if it would take him home. As if it would protect him. As if he were still in bed at his own house, and having some sort of horrible nightmare. "Make it go away..." He thought. "Let me wake up from this nightmare... please..." But Ben was as awake has he ever was. This nightmare would not simply vanish, or go away.

And for everyone who knew that Ziven had died, how would Ben's presence be explained? Would he be kept in the house like an animal, ever allowed to leave? Was this place to be his prison? With each thought, Ben grew more and more agitated, each new thought seemed like a red hot dagger being stabbed into him. HE ignored the girl completely.

[Ashen]

Celestynn tried not to take Ben's tears to heart. She watched him sob into the pillow and bit her lip. She wanted to pull him into a hug, cradle him and tell him it would be alright, but it wouldn't be. Who was she kidding? She couldn't just replace her dead brother. This was like something out of a horror film. And people in horror films always were tortured or killed.
She looked to Ben, trying not to think about that. No one would be tortured. The Zykowskis were a great family. Ben would be happy here. He just needed time. He'd get used to things. Of course he'd get used to things. He would never be Ziven, but he could be her brother. Hopefully.

When the boy grabbed for the stuffed animal, Celly smiled. "His name was Duzy," she said. "You can ask me of the name of any animal in here. Ziven made me memorize them all. That one, though, that belonged to a young Jewish boy during the Holocaust. The kid offered it to Pra-dziadek in the hopes that he wouldn't take his family. I don't know if he did or not, though. That's just the story Matka told. Either way, this guy came to us with the name Duzy. It means big." She was sure Ben wouldn't care about her story but she spoke anyway. It filled the silence, and she hated the silence.

After a minute she cleared her throat. She hadn't removed her big grey eyes from Benjamin.
"Why don't... Why don't we hear a bit from you?" she asked softly. "I keep telling you stories. Why don't you tell me some?" She paced a bit, then said uncomfortably, "What's it like being rich? Can you get anything you want, any time you want?" She seemed genuinely curious. Celly was desperately crying to break the ice, but at this rate, it was as if she was using a toothpick. She just wanted to get him talking. And she needed him to stop crying. If he kept at it, she would cry, too.

[Drakonnas]

Ben's sobs eventually died down both in intensity and frequency, though he still was in not fit condition to even talk. He wanted so badly things that he clearly wasn't going to have... Maybe it would be better to give up. Maybe it would be better to simply make life as comfortable for himself as possible. Maybe it would be better for him. But then again... maybe he could simply act it out. Maybe, if he faked things, they would trust him, and then he'd be able to escape. Maybe instead of violence and brute force, he could escape with his wits. Yes, that's what he would do. He'd pretend. He'd fake being happy, and follow their instructions. Then, when they slipped, he'd run. He'd get away. And then he'd somehow find his way back to his parents.

Deciding that it might be better to start sooner rather than later, he waited for his tears to subside, and then for a few minutes, and sat up, still holding the stuffed animal, looked at Celestynn with large, sad eyes. Sniffling a few times, he glared at her, but his glare broke down to a depressed look at the floor. "Why? Why did you kidnap me?" He asked her, signing slowly. "You've destroyed my life. Why do you expect me to simply forget my previous life, and go along with you? Why did you resort to breaking the law? I can understand disappointment, and grief... But you could have solved your problems without ruining someone else's life as well." He stopped signing, and looked back at the floor. "You ruined my life... I don't want to be here. I don't want to live here. I don't want to be a part of your family. I want my family back." He turned back to face the wall. This was the first time he had tried to rationally talk with her. He wasn't expecting it to work.

Taking several deep breaths, Ben tried to calm himself. How would she respond? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. But maybe... Just maybe, he'd be surprised.

[Ashen]

Celestynn watched Ben's words carefully. He signed with the same, slow grace that Ziven had. It was what he was signing, though, that pushed the girl to tears.
She hadn't wanted to ruin anyone's life, ever. She just wanted to make things better. Her life had been thrown upside down, and she was just trying to remedy things. Ruining his life to make hers better... Was her life worth more than his? She certainly didn't think so, didn't like the idea of some people being worth more than others. But what could she do? The ruining had been done, both to her life, and to Ben's. She couldn't take anything back, now. It was too late to go back.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and put on a very small smile. "Benjamin?" she said softly. "I'll take you back to your family." She was a little surprised by her words herself, but she continued. "I promise I will. It won't be soon, but I will, if that's what you want. I don't know how long it'll be. It could be a few years, or a few months. But if you just cooperate with us, if you just try to enjoy us, just a little, I'll drop you off at your front door and you will never hear from me or Mum again." She stared at him, tears still falling from her eyes. "O... Okay?"

[Drakonnas]

Benjamin looked up at Celestynn. "Fine. I have one more request to make." He signed. "Let me talk to my mother, or my father. Let me communicate with them. I don't care if you want to oversee what I say, to make sure I don't tell them where I am. I don't care. I need to talk to them. To at least tell them that I'm alright, and not dead on the side of a road somewhere." He didn't think that she would agree to this, but there was always the chance that she would. "At least let me make it so they don't worry as much... Please?" He signed the last word slowly and deliberately. "If not for me... for them. For the parents who just had their child stolen from them. I'm sure your mother knows how hard it is to lose a child. I'm sure she'd want them to not have to suffer that pain."

Ben sighed. Well, at least she wasn't planning to kill him or something. That was a start. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here. Obviously he still wanted to go home, and obviously he still disliked her for kidnapping him, but... Maybe there was another side to this story. A side he hadn't considered yet. Maybe, if he understood why she had chosen this course of action... Maybe then things wouldn't be so ugly. "I'm not Ziven." He signed. "Your brother is gone. But... until I can go home... I may as well try to make this as easy on myself as I can. And if that means pretending to be something I'm not..." He looked very bothered. "Do... do you have any musical instruments I can play?"

[Ashen]

She smiled at Ben, a helpless smile. "I can't let you do that," she said softly. "You can't speak through the phone, for one. Nor can I risk you saying something that could destroy this. You might tell them where we are. I'm sorry, Benjamin, but I cannot do that." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "If you want, I can call them for you. There's a payphone down by a... um, not far from here. I can call them from there and tell them their kid is okay, if you want me to. I know their numbers. I'd uh, prefer if you didn't ask why." She looked away. What would she say? Hey, it's the kid who stole your son. He's doing fine, and just so you know, you'll never see him again, so give up.
Celly felt sick. She didn't want to talk to his parents, the parents that had lost a son. She knew what grief did to people. It forever changed them, and she didn't want to be there for that.

She looked up as he started signing again. His signs were relaxing, if just a bit. At his request, she kind of lit up. "Of course," she said happily. "What would you like to play? I can bring my guitar in here, or my oboe. We have those two, a baby grand, a flute, and a harmonica. The flute and harmonica work, but I bet they're kind of dusty. I prefer the other three. We could play a duet, if you want. I pick up music really easily, and from what I've seen, you do, too. I could even go find some old sheet music. I'd have to look for it a little, but I'm sure I'd find it. We have a lot of sheet music. Mum and Daddy used to love listening to me play, and as Zivy was growing up, he used to try to play with me. It was kind of fun, with him, because he was never any good, but I taught him to play a few things and-oh, I'm ranting." Celly giggled a little. "Music is the key to the soul, no?" She held up her hands and signed the word for guitar, then oboe, then piano, and tilted her head, letting the choice to him.

[Drakonnas]

As Celestynn refused him this offer, he grew angry again. "Not even an email?" He asked her, desperate again. "I hate you." He lay back down again, and held the animal again, as he stared at the wall. He had so many conflicting feelings now. He didn't trust her. She would never take him back. He was never going to see his parents again. And that crushed him. He didn't even feel like music. He shook his head at every one of the offers she made him. It was as if someone had flipped off a switch. He had hope. And now, that hope was gone.

Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Or maybe, things would be worse. He would be allowed no contact with the outside world, in fear that he might let something slip. In fear that he would give them away. He was still a kidnap victim, not a brother. He close his eyes, and lay there. She seemed way too happy, the change of mood was too sudden, it was almost as if she was trying to get him to forget that request. No, he wouldn't make this easy on her. But he couldn't shoot himself in the foot trying to do that either... How was he supposed to go about this?