Fight scene music: Skillet- Monster
A few hours had past and I roamed around the large town looking for a place to rest. Eventually I stopped outside a few stores and went to buy fruit. Climbing back in, I sent the white orbs a quick warning that I would be right back and unlocked the front two doors. Warm night air and the city smell of exhaust, fried food and distant smoke greeted me as I got back out. Walking up to the trash can, I tossed in my bag from the bakery and went back. There weren't a whole ton of vehicles around here, and not a lot of people either. Maybe I could just stay here tonight. A cold front had moved in during the evening but I would be warm enough with my jackets and blanket.
Climbing in with one knee on the driver's seat, I rubbed the cylinder to tell the lights I was back. Mischief greeted me happily while Sullen grudgingly noted my presence. A quick smirk flashed across my face for a second. He would warm up to me eventually.
Behind me, I could hear footsteps. Immediately my hackles were up. I did not like people sneaking up on me. Paranoia, that is your cue. Turning around and straightening, I saw the same three guys who had bothered me earlier. Warning bells went off in my head. My body stilled as I thought of my options.
Three to one are bad odds. Baseball bat was under the back seats and it would take too long to get it. They'd rush me. Slingshot in the drivers door. But it was a ranged weapon and they were less than five feet from me. That left the knife that had been returned to the inner pocket of my jacket. Three to one odds and I had a blade. They knew this and could have weapons as well. Shit.
My body froze as my breathing picked up and I kept a mask on to hide my fear. Ragged Shoes looked bored but the other two were smiling. This isn't good, I thought frantically.
"Hey, you remember us." A statement instead of a question from Baseball cap who seemed to be leading now. Sweat gleamed on my brow as I kept my hands down at my sides by the open door. Staring at him, I didn't move.
He frowned when there wasn't a reaction, "Why don't you give us that thing you had earlier. It seemed real pretty. We don't want any trouble now."
"Well, you found trouble." My reply was out of my mouth before I could think. In some situations there are only certain options. Fight or flight and I couldn't run. That would mean leaving the lights. The locks on the doors weren't automatic, so I'd have to manually hit the buttons on both doors if I chanced locking myself in the truck. What were the chances I could get in, close the door and hit both locks before they grabbed me?They were very close. And what if they had a gun? If they had such a weapon then I was screwed no matter what choice I made.
Apparently they found my statement funny. With the parking lot lights shining just behind them and the last light of day fading, they laughed and walked closer. Baseball cap's chuckles sent shivers of fear down my spine. Adrenaline spiked in my veins while a numb feeling spread through my core.
Perhaps I should mention now, I normally try to keep myself separate from situations. The more I'm pushed, the less I react. A good defense mechanism that usually works.
"Come on now. Hand it over. Bet it's worth something." They edged even closer as the leader spread his hands to the side, showing empty palms. As if I would believe that. Just because you're hands hold no weapons doesn't mean you don't have a blade on you.
I don't normally get really mad. It takes a lot and only certain things actually get to me. Do I get annoyed? All the time. But I rarely get truly angry.
Faced with a threat, the emptiness stirred inside. I felt light headed, a buzz under my skin but still I stood unmoving. Something started burning down below. Let this end well.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noted the youngest edging toward my door and the sparks. He was way to close. Oh no you don't. Suddenly I lunged to the side and threw a punch at his head. The blond teen stumbled back to avoid the blow and fell over on the cold pavement, his backside whacking the ground. Before I could so much as turn my head, hands pinned my arms to my side. Cold and distant panic enveloped my core as the faintest whispers of fury started to rise. A snarl ripped it's way out of my mouth.
Baseball cap slammed a fist into my gut and the air left my lungs in a whoosh. As I gasped to fill them again, Ragged Shoes struggled to get his arms around me, trying to keep me from fighting back. Still kicking, I managed to squirm enough to pull my knife out and nicked my captors hand as we twisted and thrashed. Physically being this close to people was setting panic and anger alight.
"Rrrrraaaaahhhh!" I howled and another punch to the gut brought stinging to my eyes. No! NO! Anger rose inside as I bellowed and tried to bite. Leaning forward, I almost managed to headbutt Baseball cap but his accomplice jerked me back at the last second. He clawed for the knife while holding me against him. How Dare You!
I gave an ear piercing shriek of rage, "LET GO!" I Will Rip You Up! The numbing cold had left by now and was replaced by a burning. How Dare They Think They Could Do This To Me.
Only a few seconds had passed. As much as I knew this, it seemed like longer. Nothing existed now but blood, pain and rage. It's hard to be scared when you're so angry. They would pay. If only I could get loose, I'd use my knife to maim them them from head to toe. But Ragged Shoes held me with steel limbs and crushed dirty fingers around my hand. My hold loosened and he ripped the knife from me. Thrashing, I struggled to ignore the pain and sickening sound of fists hitting my ribs. They were laughing, content to just hold me still and beat the shit out of me.
Your mind can only keep track of so many things at once. I had forgotten the youngest looking one. It nearly cost me.
The Other usually warned them when the Other was going to pull away. The Other was there and then suddenly gone. Mischief and Sullen felt uneasy and wondered if something was wrong. A brief pause and then they felt the presence of Another One. With this one came a riot of emotions they didn't like.
Greed. A sickening sort of joy.
It was like a high almost. Doing something bad and knowing you would get away with it. But they wouldn't let Another One get away. Panic and fear at their helpless state held prevalence, but they were fighters. Anger was there and they sent pain to Another One.
Another One felt the pain and thought it was it's own. There was shock and then nothing as Another One pulled back. But for how long?
They were scared and angry. Another One was still nearby. And were was the Other? Both reached out.
Anger, adrenaline, and pain raged through me. I was going to lose. There wasn't any options that would help me out of this.
Snap.
Fear. Panic. Anger.
I'd gotten used to telling my emotions from the spheres. Right now, I could feel them. They were in danger.
Something way deep down roared.
Everything seemed to click as my surroundings lost a haze I'd never noticed before. It became clearer. Not that I cared. All that mattered was the need to rip and shred. Defend them. They cannot be harmed.
Rip You. Tear.
I surged, reaching behind me as I turned and grabbed the man by his coat. Heaving, he was tossed to the side with a violent throw that ended with him crashing into the pavement. I wasn't that strong and therefore, shouldn't have been able to throw him. That didn't matter at the time.
Threat. Die.
Hardly thinking, I lunged forward and snagged Baseball cap on either side of his head. He was taller than me but I latched on while he tried to land a blow to my face. Berserker fury smashed itself around in a cyclone inside me, demanding to be let out.
How Dare You!
Yanking him down, my knee came up and a crunch was heard as it connected with his nose.
They Are Mine To Protect. You Will Pay!
The man was down and forgotten. Thoughts ran red as my vision centered on the youngest. He was halfway in the vehicle and backing out. A bellow of rage split the late evening air like a beast's claws slice flesh.
I couldn't remember moving. But my hands were fisted in his heavy jacket as I ripped him back and away from my lights. Die threat.
Do You Know What You Have Done!? I Will Tear You Apart And Scatter Your Ashes!
Wave after wave of burning pain and fury pour out of me. Nothing matters. Destroy the offender.
He smacked into the ground as a harsh kick to the face and middle had him curling up and shrieking in pain. You deserve worse. Scum. How Dare You.
"...-Bastard! How Dare You Try To Harm Them!" I was shouting aloud without noticing the words tearing from my throat, lungs heaving in gasps. Pressure filled me up and poured out as I screamed at him. Pinned down, I tore at him. Hitting his face and chest, leaving scratched and damaged flesh. Blood stained my fingers.
Slaughter.
I could still feel their fear, just as they could feel my rage. Mine to Protect. How dare you threaten them.
I Will Destroy You!
The boy's cries of pain and terror fell to deaf ears and meant nothing. They were ignored, just as my warning to them earlier was ignored. If it was a threat, it had to be dealt with. Behind me, I heard the sounds of movement. The other two men were running. They didn't even try to help their friend.
Threats. Chase. Hunt them down.
Howling. Murderous intent scratched it's way out of my vocal cords as I lunged up and ran after them. But they were past the edge of the lot and I couldn't leave the spheres unguarded. They were still upset.
"I Will Slaughter You!" My rant thundered through the dark town air, "Your Bodies Will Be Torn and Burned. Pray For Mercy Because I Will Give You None!"
A sharp turn showed the last assailant dashing off, taking the opportunity to escape in the opposite direction. As long as they were gone and the lights safe, I didn't care. Simmering and boiling inside, I stalked to the blue vehicle and peered at my cargo. Both orbs were there. Spinning much faster than normal but there. Safe. Letting out a breath of relief, I sent what soothing emotions I could muster.
It's alright. Safe.
And then the rage was gone, like strings cut from a puppet. Slumping in the seats, I jerked the door shut and hit the lock buttons a little more forcefully than normal. Oh my god. What the hell did I just do?! Shit shit bloody shit...
I would have killed them...
The thought hit me like a ton of cement. I would have killed somebody. How...how, what? How could I have just done that? I hurt them, so badly. And I would have, I really would have taken their lives. Oh god. A whine slid out of my sore throat.
Damnit! This isn't right! My hand came up to cover my mouth as terror once again got it's grip on me. But the smell of blood got stronger and I jerked them down in disgust. I'd never gotten that bad before! Sure, I'd let myself get angry once in a while. But not like this! The worst I'd ever done was break that guy's leg. Normally I would yell and maybe punch a wall, but I'd never lost it enough to actually think about murdering someone! The last time I'd lost my temper had been nearly two years ago. This doesn't make any sense! What just happened?! What the hell did I just do?!
Comfort.
They were picking up on my fear. But I wasn't touching the cylinder. Rubbing my face with filthy hands, I looked down at them tiredly. How could I feel them or vice versa if I wasn't touching the container? Can this day just end? I'd gotten beat up, went psycho, lost my knife to some jackass, and now this.
Two deep breaths to try to regain my calm and then I settled the container as close to my seat as possible. Buckling up and checking that everything was okay, I adjusted the rear-view mirror with trembling hands and noticed something odd. Pale pale eyes staring back.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I reached up and blinked. Nothing felt out of the ordinary. But I knew the irises of my eyes weren't that white. Even as I watched, the paleness was fading until they were my regular old gray over blue. I let out a shaky breath and shoved everything down.
Delayed shock. I was good at that. I couldn't put up with anything else today. Just...deal with it later.
Everything ached. As the adrenaline wore off I realized I needed sleep. Starting up, the headlights were flicked on and within a moment I was across the sprawling town. At one point I'd heard sirens but saw no vehicles following me. Perhaps it had nothing to do with me at all. Shakily, I drove and drove in winding paths, looking and discarding each place I found. I had to stop soon, to sleep and make sure I wasn't bleeding. Shouldn't I have done that before? It occurred to me that maybe I wasn't thinking straight. It didn't matter just then. I had to find a safe place.
Do what you have to do. Keep going. Deal with it later.
Time of some unknown amount passed as we wandered up and down sparse and crowded streets in the small city. As the night lights flashed down on us, illuminating the interior before fading, the glowing orbs kept sending emotions my way. Mainly comforting ones each time my control started slipping and the maelstrom inside surged up. I was so tired and scared damnit.
Finally I just pulled into the entrance of a shadowed alley between some brick buildings and turned off the engine out of habit. Slumping over the steering wheel, exhaustion creeped around me and almost every part of my body thrummed, aching. It was like I was one big bruise. My mind started to drift as I inhaled the scent of pine and apples. I loved how the inside of the truck smelled...
'Knock knock'
Startled at the unexpected sound, I jerked into a sitting position to find an older woman cautiously rapping her knuckles on my driver side window. Just behind her, a shorter man peered into the interior of my borrowed vehicle. I blinked at them in surprise.
Huh? Oh right, I was falling asleep. People. People outside, I should say something. What do they want? To my muzzy head, it seemed that asking these people why they were waking me up was a good idea.
Rolling the window down an inch and letting in a whoosh of chilly air, I leaned over a little, "Uh, yes?"
Damn, my voice sounded bad. All that screaming and bellowing had done a real number on my throat. It felt like fire was burning it and my words came out as a rasping croak. I swallowed and winced as the pain increased slightly.
The woman licked her lips nervously, "You ah...Are you alright?"
I blinked again. My pain and sleep addled mind wasn't giving me any options on how to respond. Autopilot seemed like a good idea. Faintly, just past the edges of my mind, the buzz from the lights nudged me. They were trying to help and wake me up, but the shock was keeping me numb.
"I'-m fiiin-e." My reply was jumbled as I shivered. It was cold, even with the truck having warmed up the closed off space. My body temperature had dropped too low, making it feel like it was freezing. I hate the cold.
The woman's expression turned determined, I think. It was hard to tell in my dazed state and with all of us being out of reach from the street lights. Brunette hair bouncing, she leaned in with thinned lips. Hazel eyes from an olive skinned face bore into mine. Not sure what else to do, I just stared back. The edges of my vision were started to blur and turn black.
"We need to take her to the hospital. She's barely awake. Look at the blood on her." She turned to the man behind her. He responded while I tried to understand her words. Blood, right. There was blood on my face because I had rubbed it. Hospital...fixing. Right. Someone would help me, because I was injured. But...something wasn't right. I couldn't go there.
Why? Something important. Tired, so tired. I need sleep. Just sitting there was nice though, and I started to drift again.
"We shouldn't get near her. What if she attacks us? She could be with a gang." My gaze had slowly moved away while the middle-aged man tried to pull the woman back. Her words finally registered in my hazy brain.
"Hos-pital...I..can't go the-re." They would see the orbs. They would take them away. I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to stay away. Stay away.
"Not safe." Mumbled words left stinging lips.
The couple argued just outside the doors but nothing really registered anymore. Oh, my head hurt. Pain ravaged my entire being in waves as I once again closed my eyes. Distant words and phrases of 'hurt' and 'covered in-' faded in and out of my hearing, the sounds so distant and distorted. More tapping on my window. I cracked an eye open to look at the woman as she tried the handle.
"...-hear me? Honey, we're going to try to help. Can you open the door? Can you hear me?" Worried. I didn't need to be awake to catch the fear underscoring her soft voice.
Open the door. They want in. They want to help?
No, don't. Don't trust them. They could hurt us. They could hurt all of us.
Two presences pushed and nudged me again, somewhere in my head. The lights were upset, scared and confused. Keep them safe. Don't let anyone near.
I can't stay in here forever, a distant thought. I had to take a chance that they really would help me. There wasn't really a choice. As much as I wanted so desperately to make them go away, I didn't have the strength for it. I needed help, even if I didn't was to admit it.
Forcing myself to wake up a little more, my fingers found the unlock button and shook as I pushed it down. A loud 'click' as the lock shot up and the woman opened the truck. My eyes were having trouble staying open, leaving me to stare at her unsteadily.
"Here honey, we're going to help. Alright?" She brushed thick hair back and tried to gently pull me from the seat, the man at her side lending a hand.
I squirmed, making the pain flare all over, "Wait."
A croak as I turned to grab the container with scrambling digits. They couldn't be left alone. My fingers left more streaks of dark and drying red on the metal and glass. Oh right. Blood on hands, from hitting those guys.
With arms to support me, I slid out into the empty night and stood trembling. The couple stood next to me in the alley, broken glass and some trash littering the ground. My legs didn't want to support me after all the abuse they'd already been put through tonight and shivers wracked my body. Cold, so cold. At least moving seemed to make staying conscious easier. With arms hugging the container to my chest, I knew I looked pathetic. At least the large cylinder was light. Thank goodness for alien tech because I didn't think I could have carried it otherwise at that point.
They looked startled at what I was carrying and then ignored it. The man pulled back to grab my bag and keys before locking the vehicle. They pulled me toward a car, only ten feet away down the street. Paranoia kicked in and I struggled and stumbled to a halt. No. No way. Not going with them. Do not go in strange care with strange people.
"Easy sweety. It's okay. We're just going to the hospital. They'll help. It's okay." Her eyes flickered to my cargo with a concerned look and then to my face as the woman tried to soothe me. Wisely, the man kept his distance. Breathing heavily, I shook my head 'no' rapidly. The pain in my chest got worse and moving my head made me dizzy.
"No...hospital. Not safe." My teeth chattered as I dug my feet into the pavement. It was freezing. Oh, I hate being cold.
The older couple exchanged glances, "Okay, no hospital. Maybe...?" They seemed to confer. Vehemently, the man shook his head.
"No. That is not safe for us. She could kill us in our sleep." He looked at me warily, as I stood there fighting my daze.
"Do you see her?!" Hazel eyes woman hissed at him angrily, "She's injured and half asleep! I don't think she could hurt us even if she wanted to!" She pointed a finger at me and I flinched on reflex as in came within inches of my face.
Why couldn't the world leave me alone for a few minutes, an hour?, "Just want sleep." I needed sleep. Couldn't they see that? It seemed obvious to me.
The man and woman conversed silently with their eyes and gestures until he sighed, "Okay. But if she pulls a weapon, I'm calling the department."
Staring, I tried to understand what was going on. I didn't have a weapon. I'd lost one and the others were in the truck. The olive skinned lady gently took my elbow.
"Come on. If you really don't want to see a doctor, even though you look so banged up..."
"Low blood sugar...and bruises." It felt like a few broken bones as well but I wasn't going to admit that. Show no weakness to those you don't trust. I had to trust them, a little, but that didn't mean have complete faith in strangers.
"You can come to our house and sleep. We have a guest room. And you can call the police tomorrow after you rest." I nodded even though I had no intention of doing so. Slowly I allowed them to help me to their vehicle. The man put my keys in my bag and set it in the back seats. After studying me closely for a second with wary dark eyes, he moved so I could climb in. The woman got in next to me and pulled a first aid kit out from under the seats. She took off her light coat and started bandaging the the lower right side of my neck. Apparently it had started bleeding again. Starting the engine, the vehicle pulled away and we left my truck behind.
To say they were concerned would be an understatement. They had reached out to the Other and felt a tsunami wave of rage bear down upon them. Sullen and Mischief struggled to keep it from affecting them and mostly succeeded. They were used to dealing with fury.
But with that much emotion, from the Other, they knew things had to be bad. It was blind violence. Something they hadn't felt from the Other before.
The Another One was gone. Then the Other was trying to comfort them when the rage left. It was replaced by horror, fear, and pain. Both pulled back a little at the whiplash of emotions. They didn't like these things at all.
Comfort
Both of them sent this, but it didn't do much. The Other still had panic and hurt coming off in waves. Then exhaustion came.
Worry. Fear. Tired. Scared. Tired. Worry.
A loop that played over and over. They didn't like these emotions. Was the Other still in trouble? They could feel the Other's pain.
Numb.
Sullen jerked back when a numbing cold slid through the Other and to them. It was bad. That crawling sting that left nothing in it's wake. Mischief turned to Sullen and tugged. They would fight this.
Warily, Sullen pushed against the bad feelings with the other light. They shoved through the Other's emotions and gave off peace, comfort, and the feeling of safety.
It will be okay.
They would make sure of it.
The couple didn't ask me my name and I didn't ask theirs. We had arrived at a simple little house on the edge of the suburbs and they helped me into the kitchen. Wiping the blood off with a wet towel, the woman realized that I wasn't bleeding to death and didn't actually have a lot of cuts. That information calmed her down and I reminded her that I was crashing from lack of sleep and pain, not wounds. They gave me some pain killers and I took what was offered but put them in my pocket instead of swallowing. The husband noticed but didn't seem offended.
Leaving me in their simple furnished guest room, the first thing I checked was the wooden door for a lock. None on the outside but a dead bolt on the interior. After sliding it over, I stripped off my filthy clothes and painfully pulled on a too large shirt. I felt bad that I'd be sleeping on clean sheets while I wasn't exactly washed myself, but I was too tired to care. Deal with it tomorrow.
I collapsed on the bed and pulled the container up with me. If the couple wasn't going to hurt me, we were good. Unless they decided to call someone to come get me. But I would worry later. My mind and body had been trying to shut down for the last who knows how many hours. When was the last time I had sleep?
Yesterday night? I think. I'd only gotten six hours of sleep then and seven the night before. I'd slept earlier. Many many hours ago. I was too tired to do the math. So tired...
Blackness cloaked my vision.
The Glitch Mob - Between Two Points
The Other was sleeping, but it wasn't a good sleep. They felt the Other just out of reach, fear and worry emanating. The bad emotions were still there, just dulled now. Both lights could feel the Other twitching and in pain. Mischief reached and latched on...
Pain. Worry. Disjointed images.
Vague colors and thoughts as the Other startled slightly at the light's touch. The Other was scared and trying to hide it, even in partial sleep. Mischief turned to Sullen and tugged. They could help.
Sullen seemed to puff up, as much as a light could puff up. Although in this place, they weren't so much lights as they were a presence. The Other started to fade back away. Mischief bumped into Sullen and they seemed to argue briefly before Mischief nuzzled the other one and went after the Other.
I was drifting, somewhere. Somewhere?
And then someone was pulling me. It didn't occur to me to question how I was being tugged along when I couldn't feel my limbs. But the one pulling me felt like Mischief. I allowed myself to be led. Just this once.
It was a dark warm place. That's all I knew. And Sullen was there. He wasn't exactly happy that I was here, but Mischief somehow gave him a hug before settling down to rest. I didn't bother trying to understand what was going on.
Safe. Sleep.
Mischief gave off warm thoughts to reassure me before starting his slumber. The less happy light bristled and sent the feeling of irritation and suspicion at me. I 'huffed' at him and sent back annoyance. I was not in the mood to deal with his crap. I was tired damnit. Ignoring him, I slid down to rest as well. Maybe I didn't have limbs after all. Everything was a blurred and vague sense. Sullen grumbled when I no longer acknowledged his presence and then settled as well.
Poke.
He nudged me in an annoyed sort of way. Without fingers or hands, I gave him a light whap which caused him to startle. Mischief edged up to me and curled around me a bit. I 'watched' that which was Sullen and then started to drift into a deeper sleep.
The other light finally relaxed a bit and curled on me as well. Tangled together, the constant fear that had been plaguing me left, and we drew safety from one another. In the dark warm place, we slept.
Author's note: All of them resting together is one of the original scenes from when I first started plotting out everything and is one of my favorites. Also, tough chapter for Shay. Poor woman.
Review and let me know what you guys think.