(Sorry for the delay, folks! Maybe we'll try this again, maybe not. We'll
see how it goes.)
Emma's heartbeat grew more deafening as the silence beyond the door grew painfully quiet. Earlier, she had consequently capered towards the door, after hearing the agonizing shrieking that had come from behind it. Pressing her ear against the door, she strained to hear what was not there. As the silence encompassed the room, Emma felt sure that something was still present, but she was unable to attend to the slightest noise. After a few moments had passed, she squinted her eyes with disillusionment, and a small tear ran down her cheek. Leaving a small, damp streak on her face, she was fighting her mind to tell her that it wasn't true...that her teammate hadn't left her and that he wasn't going to return. Logic argued otherwise. No matter what, she attested, she was never going to give up on Jesse-he had been too stubborn to give up on her. Yet, she acquiesced with silent composure, he may not have a choice. Thoughts, worries, and fears wouldn't depart, and she had evolved into a better understanding that to try to get a hit off Jesse could prove precarious-the 'creatures' on the opposite side of the wooden door would interfere, possibly rendering her psionic abilities indefinitely.
Thoughts enveloped her mind ever since Jesse had slipped through the wall; some of them were expected, but others were relatively surprising. When moments had seemed like hours, and minutes were days, Emma had become even more vulnerable to the surrounding views of others. At first, they were rash and abrasive, cutting into her mind like a blade. Although they soon calmed, and began to soothingly (but forcibly) enter her mind, she couldn't keep them out. Some of the emotions depicted fear, one of an intense hatred-additional sentiments were those of disappointment and anger. While these seemed to be normal reactions, Emma couldn't help but notice how it was her own feelings that surprised her: before the raucous scream, her brain had felt resentment towards Jesse. Pondering, questioning if he still considered her the 'baby' of the group. It was a reputation she had long since been trying to dispose of, and it was times like these that reminded her how much he was right. Shalimar, Brennan, and Adam knew she could fend for herself, but it was convincing Jesse that worried her-what if she couldn't?
Either way, she thought, looking up, that was not something to worry herself with now. The door, that presented her current situation with such danger, still locked away the mystery of her teammates, Jesse, the car crash, and these complex individuals. She felt up and down the door, running her fingers along the rough, wooden edges. Anything could be behind the door now, she noted, but the possibility that they might have already disappeared kept crossing her mind. It was unfeasible not to wonder if they had gone. Steadying herself with the doorknob, she rose off the floor, brushing the dust specks off her skirt.
"He has to be close by," she spoke aloud, eliminating the remaining particles in one sweep of her hand. "And I'm not about to just sit around here waiting for him."
She folded her hands gently onto her face, and tried to recapture the events. They had obviously not left her mind, but she couldn't help but think there was something she was forgetting. That scream-it was female, to be sure. It could not have belonged to Jesse; Jesse didn't know how to cry. He kept his emotions locked away, in some tin box located in the bottom of his heart. She had always known that-but she couldn't shake the feeling it had come from someone she knew. Someone she had perhaps been close to at one point in time. The pain of that person had stretched through her---making her tremble with fear. And yet.
There was no time to think about that now. With an unwavering eye, she stood abruptly, facing the door. It was inconceivable to use that door, knowing that her enemies were only footsteps away. "If there's a will, there's a way," She mentioned quietly to herself. Finding a way around the door would be tough, but understandably, it had to be done. If Jesse was here, she reminded herself, she could do this. He knew every street, and how these marketplaces were set up at this part of town. His intelligence streamed across these buildings, knowing how they were built, where doors and such were located-floor plans and the like. Ever since one mutant had outwitted him by a trap door, he scanned his computer for information so no one could do it again. He didn't like things he could not control---he figured if he knew everything that, someday, no one could beat him.
Perhaps she had always known, but it hit her like a sack of bricks how he had come to such a pass. How defenseless he could come within a matter of seconds. Perhaps it wasn't until now how much she realized Jesse helped the group. She needed to find a way out of here, a way of getting Jesse back, and alerting Brennan, Adam, and Shalimar. Things would be all right if they would just come back and help her-but where were they? Jesse said Brennan had left to get Adam...and Shal...she had to be with Jesse-where ever he was. But Brennan had been gone too long for comfort.
Stretching yet again, Emma looked across the room. This was the first time she had been able to walk around for quite some time. Before she had not seen this place at all-and the moonlight proved difficult to see even now. Glancing confirmed the lack of clarity of objects within the room, but it didn't keep her from stumbling across and exploring. Although still somewhat weak, she wobbled a bit, catching herself on the wall. Moving forward, she was determined that nothing would stop her. The dim lighting faulted her vision into tripping on something beneath her shoe. Her mind kept buzzing over what it might have been, scanning it. Reaching towards the ground, Emma kept her hands on her back, grunting slightly as it was still sore. It had lain directly where she and Jesse had been trying to sleep earlier.
Carefully holding it between her fingers, she gently rose back to her original position. The item itself was curious in shape, being long and cylindrical. It was smooth, but sharp on the edges, and from what Emma could tell rather plain looking. Dark and looming, it placed a small shudder in Emma's shoulders, and gave a feeling of 'unwanted-ness" that she couldn't help but embrace. She ran her fingers along it, and a small, shimmering symbol reflected the moonlight. It was small enough to be carried and unseen. "It must have come out of Jesse's pocket," she whispered to herself, and placed it in her pocket. It was rather odd that she hadn't noticed it earlier-but then again, it was hardly visible upon the floor-she would never had found it had her foot not tumbled on it. Digging back into her pocket, she pulled it out and took careful observation. It was curious why Jesse would be holding that in his possession. Cocking her head to the side, placing her forefinger on the side, she shook her head silently, figuring that Jesse might need it later- or perhaps even have a purpose for it.
Putting her mind back on track, she felt along the walls for another exit to the building. The walls weren't smooth, and her fingers ran into numerous rusty nails and pieces of cheap paint flaked off the walls and back onto the floor. She kept close to the wall for many reasons; one of them was so she knew where she was going, but the other was in anticipation of an oncoming, and un-welcomed visitor. Peering along the walls, the light was getting brighter and she knew that dawn wouldn't be far off. She quickened her pace, fearing that if she lost anytime, Jesse wouldn't make it. He had saved her life before, and now it was time for her, she reasoned, to return the favor.
Noting that the light appeared brighter ahead of her, she tried squinting her eyes long enough to see more than 4 feet in front of her. To her surprise, her fingers had led her in the right direction, and continued to the corner of one of the walls. The building seemed to extend further, and another entrance became visible. Letting go of the wall, Emma felt a sure cry for her to keep moving hastily forward, that each step meant more. Beating harder with each step, her pulse quickened until she could feel it in her throat, and clutched the object in her pocket, bracing herself for the unknown.
Setting on her trek, numerous thoughts ran through her mind-things she could barely rationalize. Among of all of them, Emma had only one reoccurring determination that would not leave her alone, a deepening emotion that she could not sway...Now, no matter where Jesse was, what he was feeling, what he was going through or why, he had left her with the one thing she couldn't take: a bad goodbye.
And she was determined to get that goodbye back.
Emma's heartbeat grew more deafening as the silence beyond the door grew painfully quiet. Earlier, she had consequently capered towards the door, after hearing the agonizing shrieking that had come from behind it. Pressing her ear against the door, she strained to hear what was not there. As the silence encompassed the room, Emma felt sure that something was still present, but she was unable to attend to the slightest noise. After a few moments had passed, she squinted her eyes with disillusionment, and a small tear ran down her cheek. Leaving a small, damp streak on her face, she was fighting her mind to tell her that it wasn't true...that her teammate hadn't left her and that he wasn't going to return. Logic argued otherwise. No matter what, she attested, she was never going to give up on Jesse-he had been too stubborn to give up on her. Yet, she acquiesced with silent composure, he may not have a choice. Thoughts, worries, and fears wouldn't depart, and she had evolved into a better understanding that to try to get a hit off Jesse could prove precarious-the 'creatures' on the opposite side of the wooden door would interfere, possibly rendering her psionic abilities indefinitely.
Thoughts enveloped her mind ever since Jesse had slipped through the wall; some of them were expected, but others were relatively surprising. When moments had seemed like hours, and minutes were days, Emma had become even more vulnerable to the surrounding views of others. At first, they were rash and abrasive, cutting into her mind like a blade. Although they soon calmed, and began to soothingly (but forcibly) enter her mind, she couldn't keep them out. Some of the emotions depicted fear, one of an intense hatred-additional sentiments were those of disappointment and anger. While these seemed to be normal reactions, Emma couldn't help but notice how it was her own feelings that surprised her: before the raucous scream, her brain had felt resentment towards Jesse. Pondering, questioning if he still considered her the 'baby' of the group. It was a reputation she had long since been trying to dispose of, and it was times like these that reminded her how much he was right. Shalimar, Brennan, and Adam knew she could fend for herself, but it was convincing Jesse that worried her-what if she couldn't?
Either way, she thought, looking up, that was not something to worry herself with now. The door, that presented her current situation with such danger, still locked away the mystery of her teammates, Jesse, the car crash, and these complex individuals. She felt up and down the door, running her fingers along the rough, wooden edges. Anything could be behind the door now, she noted, but the possibility that they might have already disappeared kept crossing her mind. It was unfeasible not to wonder if they had gone. Steadying herself with the doorknob, she rose off the floor, brushing the dust specks off her skirt.
"He has to be close by," she spoke aloud, eliminating the remaining particles in one sweep of her hand. "And I'm not about to just sit around here waiting for him."
She folded her hands gently onto her face, and tried to recapture the events. They had obviously not left her mind, but she couldn't help but think there was something she was forgetting. That scream-it was female, to be sure. It could not have belonged to Jesse; Jesse didn't know how to cry. He kept his emotions locked away, in some tin box located in the bottom of his heart. She had always known that-but she couldn't shake the feeling it had come from someone she knew. Someone she had perhaps been close to at one point in time. The pain of that person had stretched through her---making her tremble with fear. And yet.
There was no time to think about that now. With an unwavering eye, she stood abruptly, facing the door. It was inconceivable to use that door, knowing that her enemies were only footsteps away. "If there's a will, there's a way," She mentioned quietly to herself. Finding a way around the door would be tough, but understandably, it had to be done. If Jesse was here, she reminded herself, she could do this. He knew every street, and how these marketplaces were set up at this part of town. His intelligence streamed across these buildings, knowing how they were built, where doors and such were located-floor plans and the like. Ever since one mutant had outwitted him by a trap door, he scanned his computer for information so no one could do it again. He didn't like things he could not control---he figured if he knew everything that, someday, no one could beat him.
Perhaps she had always known, but it hit her like a sack of bricks how he had come to such a pass. How defenseless he could come within a matter of seconds. Perhaps it wasn't until now how much she realized Jesse helped the group. She needed to find a way out of here, a way of getting Jesse back, and alerting Brennan, Adam, and Shalimar. Things would be all right if they would just come back and help her-but where were they? Jesse said Brennan had left to get Adam...and Shal...she had to be with Jesse-where ever he was. But Brennan had been gone too long for comfort.
Stretching yet again, Emma looked across the room. This was the first time she had been able to walk around for quite some time. Before she had not seen this place at all-and the moonlight proved difficult to see even now. Glancing confirmed the lack of clarity of objects within the room, but it didn't keep her from stumbling across and exploring. Although still somewhat weak, she wobbled a bit, catching herself on the wall. Moving forward, she was determined that nothing would stop her. The dim lighting faulted her vision into tripping on something beneath her shoe. Her mind kept buzzing over what it might have been, scanning it. Reaching towards the ground, Emma kept her hands on her back, grunting slightly as it was still sore. It had lain directly where she and Jesse had been trying to sleep earlier.
Carefully holding it between her fingers, she gently rose back to her original position. The item itself was curious in shape, being long and cylindrical. It was smooth, but sharp on the edges, and from what Emma could tell rather plain looking. Dark and looming, it placed a small shudder in Emma's shoulders, and gave a feeling of 'unwanted-ness" that she couldn't help but embrace. She ran her fingers along it, and a small, shimmering symbol reflected the moonlight. It was small enough to be carried and unseen. "It must have come out of Jesse's pocket," she whispered to herself, and placed it in her pocket. It was rather odd that she hadn't noticed it earlier-but then again, it was hardly visible upon the floor-she would never had found it had her foot not tumbled on it. Digging back into her pocket, she pulled it out and took careful observation. It was curious why Jesse would be holding that in his possession. Cocking her head to the side, placing her forefinger on the side, she shook her head silently, figuring that Jesse might need it later- or perhaps even have a purpose for it.
Putting her mind back on track, she felt along the walls for another exit to the building. The walls weren't smooth, and her fingers ran into numerous rusty nails and pieces of cheap paint flaked off the walls and back onto the floor. She kept close to the wall for many reasons; one of them was so she knew where she was going, but the other was in anticipation of an oncoming, and un-welcomed visitor. Peering along the walls, the light was getting brighter and she knew that dawn wouldn't be far off. She quickened her pace, fearing that if she lost anytime, Jesse wouldn't make it. He had saved her life before, and now it was time for her, she reasoned, to return the favor.
Noting that the light appeared brighter ahead of her, she tried squinting her eyes long enough to see more than 4 feet in front of her. To her surprise, her fingers had led her in the right direction, and continued to the corner of one of the walls. The building seemed to extend further, and another entrance became visible. Letting go of the wall, Emma felt a sure cry for her to keep moving hastily forward, that each step meant more. Beating harder with each step, her pulse quickened until she could feel it in her throat, and clutched the object in her pocket, bracing herself for the unknown.
Setting on her trek, numerous thoughts ran through her mind-things she could barely rationalize. Among of all of them, Emma had only one reoccurring determination that would not leave her alone, a deepening emotion that she could not sway...Now, no matter where Jesse was, what he was feeling, what he was going through or why, he had left her with the one thing she couldn't take: a bad goodbye.
And she was determined to get that goodbye back.
