NO! STOP! STOP! STOP!
He hated it. He hated everything.
It rushed over him, the fire inside shrieking in protest. It was killing him. Eating him up from the inside out.
He huffed loudly, writhing against whatever force was taking ahold of him, growing weaker with each passing second. His vision faltered, a strange, unfamiliar weakness taking hold.
He reared and bucked, howling as the light spread from his palm over his arm, his shoulder, his head, his legs…
I'm…
Light was pouring over him. It was reaching into every corner, so bright it became suffocating. The anger inside him twisted, creaked.
I'm afraid…
He lay shaking in the naked light, wave after wave of dismay crashing over him.
I'm so afraid…
He reached again for that anger, so reliable… so strong, so…
The light screamed until it burned itself out.
He grasped, only to find cold darkness. It took him gently into its vast embrace.
He opened his eyes slowly, blinking into the darkness.
And such darkness it was. The air smelled damp and musty, but Steve couldn't see a thing. He sniffed, shifting his weight.
"Ahhh!" He gasped in pain, curling into a ball and shuddering. It was all over his body, a horrible agony. He grit his teeth, riding it out.
He slowly relaxed, dismay transforming into a cold sort of frustration. He could feel that he was still wearing pants, but not much else. He didn't exactly smell like a rose, either. His skin was slicked with mud, leaves, cuts and bruises; he could feel it.
Who am I?
I'm Steve Palchuk! Easy. Next!
He tried to remember more. It wasn't so easy anymore.
Steve pushed off the ground, ignoring the aches all over his body.
C'mon. Remember. What the heck is going on? WHERE am I?
He stood up with a creak, searching for a speck of light. But there was nothing but darkness.
Did I go blind? Am I... dead?
Steve gave a low, rising gasp.
It all came back in a rush, loud and awful.
A nightmare. Fire in his chest, rage like molten lava, seizing him and shaking until he forgot his humanity.
He lifted his left palm, feeling for the welt; the gray, rocky skin… but there was nothing but his own flesh.
I didn't get petrified after all...
Wait. Am I really alone? Wasn't I with…
"Eli!" he called hoarsely, his final memories returning, the darkest of them all.
"Pepperjack, are you…"
He grit his teeth, nausea rushing over him. It was all he could do to stay standing.
I… I hurt Eli!
Horrid memories returned to him. Of the fighting and snarling and the biting, of the burning sun, of lifting Eli into the air, the desire to crush him into dust filling Steve's mind…
No… it can't be!
He got up, desperately glancing around for his something to see despite the uselessness of his eyes. He clenched his fists, fearing that the anger would overtake him again, that he would desire it once more. He began to wander, footsteps echoing.
Crunch.
Steve gasped, lifting his foot. Beneath his foot lay a pair of shattered glasses. Their edges rested sharply against his sole.
He gave a high, wordless wail of dismay, falling to his knees and feeling around blindly in the dust.
"No…" he whispered.
His fingers found a clump of curly hair, causing Steve to jerk his hand away with a gasp of surprise. Carefully he spread them out, again, desperately running his fingertips over the face, the shirt…
It's Eli, isn't it?
Steve knelt, pulling the still body close, racked by choking sobs.
I did this.
"Oh…" he blubbered. "Oh Eli I'm so… sorry… I… I'm so stupid, I'm sorry…"
Steve's world crashed into pieces. He was so overcome that he didn't feel Eli shift against him, woken by the commotion.
"It's my fault… oowwoooo! Ohhh, why?!" Steve blubbered like a baby, suddenly feeling a gentle touch on his tear-stained cheek.
"Steve..."
Steve's mouth dropped open as he relaxed his grip on his friend. Eli's voice was a like a light in the darkness, warming him to the core.
"Oh…" He breathed. "You're alive?!"
"It worked." Eli rasped.
Steve howled. He hugged Eli tightly in the darkness, overcome by relief. He buried his head into Eli's hair, tears flowing freely.
He's alive… he rescued me from that nightmare… wimpy little Eli! He saved me!
He isn't sure what he'd ever done to deserve such loyalty and affection.
"You're like… a real-life hero, Pepperjack." Steve muttered under his breath. "You're my hero."
"Huh?" Eli pulled back, sniffing loudly as if he'd been crying too. "What'd you say? Why are you crying?"
Steve suddenly sees himself from an outsider's perspective; clutching Eli so tightly, crying all over himself, dressed in only a torn pair of dirty pants.
Lucky no one can see us.
He gave a great sniff, rubbing the water from his face.
"It's nothing." He sniffs, "It's nothing."
"I thought it wasn't going to work." Eli said quietly.
"What?" Steve rubbed his nose, still trying to halt the waterworks.
"The stone…"
"Well, whatever it was, it worked." Steve said confidently. "Although…" He gave small, hoarse chuckle. "I feel like total crap."
Eli chuckled back. "I think my arm is broke... AHHH!" Steve felt Eli twitch suddenly. "Oh, yeah, it's broken..."
Did I break his arm? That's pretty nasty of me...
Eli sighed. "My mom's nooot gonna be happy about any of this."
"THAT'S your first thought? Whatever, man!" Steve snapped, stifling a mocking laugh.
It feels strange to apologize... but...
"Jeez, Pepperjack." He said, lowering his voice. "I'm... I'm sorry."
To Steve's surprise, Eli brushed his apology away. "It's okay. It wasn't YOU anyway, right?"
Steve furrowed his brow, considering Eli's words.
I guess it... wasn't. But I still can remember the anger.
"Have you ever broken anything before?" Steve said, wanting to change the subject. "You get a lot of attention for it! It's like… a war scar!"
Steve felt Eli let his broken arm go limp, wincing. "Nope, never broken any bones. There's a first time for everything, I guess."
A great peal of laughter rose up in Steve's aching chest. "For real!"
Eli echoed his laughter. "I know, right? What the heck!? What are WE EVEN DOING!? We're crazy!"
"We're creepslayerz, man!" Steve cried, raising his arms to the heavens. "We're survivors!"
Suddenly, a loud snap ushered a sliver of light into the cave. Steve and Eli both gasped, scooting backwards and clinging to each other in fear.
More and more light burst into the cave, rocks flying away.
"HIYAH!"
A voice echoed into the private darkness of the cave, the blocked entrance crumbling away as Toby's hammer finished its job.
Jim, Toby, Claire, and the friendly monster stared in astonishment as they beheld Steve and Eli, battered and wide eyed, huddling defensively as the moonlight washed over them.
"Ha!" Jim laughed suddenly, ending the awkward silence. "I guess you are friends after all."