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Part Fourteen - Welcome to the Shadow World
"No! No! Julian." He was dragging her away. Joey was bawling like a baby. Michael was screaming again.
Jenny tried to kick him. She was fighting him with sheer panic. She didn't feel good anymore. She felt evil and bad. Jenny really wanted to hurt Julian.
I really have gone mad. That's good. Maybe I won't be able to think anymore. That's what she wanted.
"Come on, Jenny." Julian said softly. He picked her up in his arms protectively and she struggled pathetically like a small brat in an adult's arms.
Jenny felt dizzy for a minute. She dimly noticed the scenery around her change. From light to dark.
Then she heard a voice. It wasn't the husky melody of Julian's. It was frightened and full of love and worry. "Jenny!"
"Tom!"
She practically jumped from Julian's arms.
Jenny and Tom were in each other's arms in a matter of seconds. They were kissing and crying and apologising and sobbing together.
"I love you, Tom. I missed you so much. I'm so sorry. What I said, it wasn't true. I need you. I love you."
"I love you, Jenny. I'm so sorry. It's my entire fault. I should have protected you. I love you so much. Please forgive me."
"Oh Tommy." Jenny sobbed into his chest.
Tom clutched onto her, his face in her silky gold hair.
"Thorny." He was crying as well. He didn't feel strong now. He felt he needed Jenny so strongly it was overwhelming. He was so aware of her at that moment. The feel of her soft skin, the smell of her hair, the coldness of her tears, the support of her arms, the desperation in her hold on him.
They used to have a silent competition of who was stronger. She had proved to be just as strong as he is and he had found it hard to deal with. Their relationship had become different. They were both partners now, not like before when Tom had been the leader.
Now, they just needed each other, strong or not.
"Oh Thorny. Oh Thorny." He whispered. "Oh Thorny. Oh Thorny."
"I've made a decision." Said a cold, barely leased angry voice.
Julian.
Jenny and Tom parted to face the Shadow Man together.
"I have decided I don't care anymore about you giving in willingly." Julian said to Jenny. "I've decided that at the end of the first game, you said the oath and swore yourself to me. So technically, you belong to me. Willingly or not."
"That's bull." Summer spoke up. Jenny hadn't even noticed her before.
"Shut up." Julian said to Summer. "You also should be dead. Remember that." Summer shut up hastily.
"You can't do that." Tom said. Tears were rolling down Jenny's face rapidly. She looked totally bewildered and terrified.
"You changed the words on the ring, remember?" Jenny said. Her voice was tiny and thin.
Instantly, the ring was in his hand. Jenny looked down at her bare finger slowly then up at that stupid glinting gold piece of crap that effected everything.
She knew then, that he had changed the words.
"All I refuse and thee I chuse." He said and then he smiled, his white teeth glinting madly in the dim light.
"You can't just change your mind like that!" She yelled.
"Oh, can't I?" Julian looked at her with insane blue eyes.
"It isn't sporting!" Jenny said dully.
"Does it look like I care? This isn't about games anymore. The games are over. You lost, Jenny. The Shadow man always wins. Shadow Men don't lose. It doesn't happen. I don't have to obey the rules. You're the one that asked for the game. You swore the oath, you knew the game was real and knew it was dangerous and could kill you. I wrote it on a box, remember? So don't talk to me about sporting! You were the one that broke your oath, locking me in that closet. So I don't want to play anymore."
There was a shocked silence. Julian was furious. He was saying the words with a deadly fury. All of the anger he had when losing the three games was exploding now.
Jenny was terrified. "But the new oath." She started weakly.
"I didn't start a game yet. That oath only comes into play when one of us loses or wins."
She was weeping softly. She couldn't think of anything else to say.
"So, I don't have to keep my side of the oath. Which means, I can kill anyone I want." Julian lifted blue eyes to Tom.
"No!" Jenny said. She stood between Tom and Julian. "You are not hurting him anymore. Take me if you want. I'm already lost. But Tom doesn't deserve this. You're right. I bought the first game, I said the oath. I agreed to the second game. You're right, okay? I'll say it again. The oath. I give in willingly, whatever. Just don't kill anymore people."
"You give in?" Julian said.
"Yes." She said soberly.
"For Tom?"
She didn't know what to say. If she said yes, he'd kill Tom. But if she said no, she'd be lying and she just didn't want to do it anymore. Anyway, he'd be stupid if he believed anything else.
"This ring, the symbol of my oath, Will hold me to the words I speak: All I refuse and thee I chuse."
That's what she said. She was thinking too fast. This is it. This is how it's going to be.
She heard a sharp gasp from Tom.
Julian kept his eyes on her then smiled and repeated the oath.
There was a silence. Jenny could tell Summer wanted to say something but she didn't risk it.
"Can you at least bring those people from the mental hospital back to life?" She said after a while. Her voice was insanely calm and detached.
Julian threw back his head and laughed.
He laughed and laughed and laughed. Jenny froze, shocked. Tom was radiating anger.
"You cruel, evil son of a bitch." Tom said savagely.
"What? What's going on?" Jenny said.
Julian looked at her then, smilingly. "I didn't kill them. It was an image."
Jenny felt like she couldn't breathe. She fell back on Tom, reeling.
I wish I could just faint. I wish I could just die.
"No!" Jenny was instantly transported back to the end of the second game. "I told you once not to mess with me," Then he had built up a wall of flames, encircling Jenny and her friends.
Tom was holding her up. Jenny couldn't cope with anymore. She couldn't deal. She felt so lost, like she was in the middle of a maze and there was no possible way out. grip. Summer hugged Jenny then. Numbly, she stroked her fluffy hair.
Summer and Jenny was wailing. Tom was still holding Jenny up in a secure warm grip.
Part Fourteen - Welcome to the Shadow World
"No! No! Julian." He was dragging her away. Joey was bawling like a baby. Michael was screaming again.
Jenny tried to kick him. She was fighting him with sheer panic. She didn't feel good anymore. She felt evil and bad. Jenny really wanted to hurt Julian.
I really have gone mad. That's good. Maybe I won't be able to think anymore. That's what she wanted.
"Come on, Jenny." Julian said softly. He picked her up in his arms protectively and she struggled pathetically like a small brat in an adult's arms.
Jenny felt dizzy for a minute. She dimly noticed the scenery around her change. From light to dark.
Then she heard a voice. It wasn't the husky melody of Julian's. It was frightened and full of love and worry. "Jenny!"
"Tom!"
She practically jumped from Julian's arms.
Jenny and Tom were in each other's arms in a matter of seconds. They were kissing and crying and apologising and sobbing together.
"I love you, Tom. I missed you so much. I'm so sorry. What I said, it wasn't true. I need you. I love you."
"I love you, Jenny. I'm so sorry. It's my entire fault. I should have protected you. I love you so much. Please forgive me."
"Oh Tommy." Jenny sobbed into his chest.
Tom clutched onto her, his face in her silky gold hair.
"Thorny." He was crying as well. He didn't feel strong now. He felt he needed Jenny so strongly it was overwhelming. He was so aware of her at that moment. The feel of her soft skin, the smell of her hair, the coldness of her tears, the support of her arms, the desperation in her hold on him.
They used to have a silent competition of who was stronger. She had proved to be just as strong as he is and he had found it hard to deal with. Their relationship had become different. They were both partners now, not like before when Tom had been the leader.
Now, they just needed each other, strong or not.
"Oh Thorny. Oh Thorny." He whispered. "Oh Thorny. Oh Thorny."
"I've made a decision." Said a cold, barely leased angry voice.
Julian.
Jenny and Tom parted to face the Shadow Man together.
"I have decided I don't care anymore about you giving in willingly." Julian said to Jenny. "I've decided that at the end of the first game, you said the oath and swore yourself to me. So technically, you belong to me. Willingly or not."
"That's bull." Summer spoke up. Jenny hadn't even noticed her before.
"Shut up." Julian said to Summer. "You also should be dead. Remember that." Summer shut up hastily.
"You can't do that." Tom said. Tears were rolling down Jenny's face rapidly. She looked totally bewildered and terrified.
"You changed the words on the ring, remember?" Jenny said. Her voice was tiny and thin.
Instantly, the ring was in his hand. Jenny looked down at her bare finger slowly then up at that stupid glinting gold piece of crap that effected everything.
She knew then, that he had changed the words.
"All I refuse and thee I chuse." He said and then he smiled, his white teeth glinting madly in the dim light.
"You can't just change your mind like that!" She yelled.
"Oh, can't I?" Julian looked at her with insane blue eyes.
"It isn't sporting!" Jenny said dully.
"Does it look like I care? This isn't about games anymore. The games are over. You lost, Jenny. The Shadow man always wins. Shadow Men don't lose. It doesn't happen. I don't have to obey the rules. You're the one that asked for the game. You swore the oath, you knew the game was real and knew it was dangerous and could kill you. I wrote it on a box, remember? So don't talk to me about sporting! You were the one that broke your oath, locking me in that closet. So I don't want to play anymore."
There was a shocked silence. Julian was furious. He was saying the words with a deadly fury. All of the anger he had when losing the three games was exploding now.
Jenny was terrified. "But the new oath." She started weakly.
"I didn't start a game yet. That oath only comes into play when one of us loses or wins."
She was weeping softly. She couldn't think of anything else to say.
"So, I don't have to keep my side of the oath. Which means, I can kill anyone I want." Julian lifted blue eyes to Tom.
"No!" Jenny said. She stood between Tom and Julian. "You are not hurting him anymore. Take me if you want. I'm already lost. But Tom doesn't deserve this. You're right. I bought the first game, I said the oath. I agreed to the second game. You're right, okay? I'll say it again. The oath. I give in willingly, whatever. Just don't kill anymore people."
"You give in?" Julian said.
"Yes." She said soberly.
"For Tom?"
She didn't know what to say. If she said yes, he'd kill Tom. But if she said no, she'd be lying and she just didn't want to do it anymore. Anyway, he'd be stupid if he believed anything else.
"This ring, the symbol of my oath, Will hold me to the words I speak: All I refuse and thee I chuse."
That's what she said. She was thinking too fast. This is it. This is how it's going to be.
She heard a sharp gasp from Tom.
Julian kept his eyes on her then smiled and repeated the oath.
There was a silence. Jenny could tell Summer wanted to say something but she didn't risk it.
"Can you at least bring those people from the mental hospital back to life?" She said after a while. Her voice was insanely calm and detached.
Julian threw back his head and laughed.
He laughed and laughed and laughed. Jenny froze, shocked. Tom was radiating anger.
"You cruel, evil son of a bitch." Tom said savagely.
"What? What's going on?" Jenny said.
Julian looked at her then, smilingly. "I didn't kill them. It was an image."
Jenny felt like she couldn't breathe. She fell back on Tom, reeling.
I wish I could just faint. I wish I could just die.
"No!" Jenny was instantly transported back to the end of the second game. "I told you once not to mess with me," Then he had built up a wall of flames, encircling Jenny and her friends.
Tom was holding her up. Jenny couldn't cope with anymore. She couldn't deal. She felt so lost, like she was in the middle of a maze and there was no possible way out. grip. Summer hugged Jenny then. Numbly, she stroked her fluffy hair.
Summer and Jenny was wailing. Tom was still holding Jenny up in a secure warm grip.