Chapter 7. A Dead End.
Kirsty and Elliot nearly fell on the first bench that came across. Lacking their breath, they rubbed their aching feet.
- What a hard night. – first words that Kirsty could say when she calmed down. Elliot said nothing, only seized his head with his hands and stooped as preparing for hard blows.
- Elliot…
- Kirsty, please, don't!
- I won't blame you, I promise. Just tell me what's happened.
Elliot only mumbled.
- Listen, I need to know in what situation Pinhead can posses your mind. And how he can influence your behavior.
- I could have killed him. – Elliot was speaking so silently that Kirsty had to bend to him to hear what he was saying. – I wanted to kill him. I was angry. I wanted to see his blood. And enjoy the sufferings of his mother. But most of all I wanted…
The silence fell.
- What? What did you want?
Elliot put his hands off his face and looked straight in Kirsty's eyes.
- I wanted you to enjoy them too.
- I…
- But you called me. I looked into your eyes and understood that what was happening in that house couldn't make you happy and it upset me too. When you promised to kill me if I do any harm to this boy, I understood what horrible thing I could have done.
The last words Elliot pronounced in a trembling voice, he was nearly crying. Kirsty turned around – she didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think about…
- I'm a monster…
- At least you became one beyond you will… five souls lie heavy on my conscience. You fight with your dark side, I got used to mine.
Elliot looked at her with some bewilderment.
- You're not… it's because of Pinhead.
- Don't shift the weight of the world on his shoulders! I offered him a bargain myself. Myself! Nobody made me do it! I told him that I'll give five souls at his disposal.
- They were all sinners.
- Yes, but it doesn't make me innocent. What's more disgusting – I let myself living further, but I'll never make my hands clean off their blood. Who is monster here – is the person who feels no remorse for her deeds! God is my witness – if I was at that time again, if I was given a choice – I'll accept the bargain again!
Tears were in her eyes. Elliot took her by the hand gently. They were sitting in complete silence in the dawn sunlight, linking their hands and staring at the ground. Demon and a serial killer. An old soldier who lost his meaning of life and a little terrified girl in the body of a grown-up woman, who got lost in vices on this world…
- There is one thing I cannot understand. Why he agreed to that bargain? He told himself that he wanted my soul. And suddenly, without any hesitations agreed to set me free for only five souls…there must be some other reasons for this…
Elliot left hold of her hand and turned away, he didn't want her to see his ashamed eyes. Of course, he knew the reason why Pinhead let her go than. There was nothing to do with the bargain. There was a reason that he wasn't ready to tell Kirsty, perhaps some other day…
- What's your pleasure, gentlemen? – they heard malicious voice behind their back.
Hardly had Elliot managed to push Kirsty off the bench when the next moment something awfully heavy attacked him. This "something" collapsed the bench with it's weight and many wooden chips pierced Spencer's back. Actually The Guardian of the Puzzle Box could easily bite off his head, rip off his heart, or simply crush with his weight, but he was ordered to find Spencer and bring him back but not to find and kill. On the other hand he wasn't told, in what condition the victim supposed to be bright back so The Guardian could have some fun…
Spencer yelled when I huge claw started tearing the skin off his forehead. He tried to push the monster away, but he failed – the dragon's weight was much bigger. The creature clinked his jaws – and Elliot's shirt was torn apart. Naked Elliot's chest showed the panorama of roughly darned scars – the signs of Engineer's precise work. The Guardian put his clawed paw a bit lower and started cutting this stitches opening the wounds. Blood off Elliot's forehead gathered in his mouth and he angrily spit it into monster's bony snout. The dragon hissed, grabbed the victim on his side and started taking flight.
Kirsty knew that it was useless trying to fight this creature but it didn't mean that she couldn't help Elliot. Hardly had the dragon tried to take flight, when Kirsty took a run and jumped catching Spencer by his feet. The Guardian failed to keep both people with one paw so he let go. Both fell to the ground.
- Run! Run now! – Kirsty screamed helping Elliot to get on his feet.
The Guardian made a circle in the air and gave a start towards the prey.
- Aside!
They jumped in different sides, dragon's claws scraped the ground. He rose into the air trying to attack once again.
- Hide, we're here an easy target!
