LIFE OR DEATH
Part 12: The Unholy Dark
Disclaimer: This is just getting ridiculous. See the previous chapters for my disclaimer. I'm tired of typing them! :D
Author's Note: Thank you guys again for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. They also help me feel out where you think the story should go. I'm putting most of my focus on this fic because I'm stuck with my other two. I'm also working on making the parts longer. they're going to have to be longer, because a lot of plot action is going to be involved pretty much from here on out. I hope you guys can bear with me if it starts to get difficult. Now, on to the story.
Jarod banged his fist against the walls of his cell, yelling. He knew he was helpless, and he hated it. Emblazoned in his memory was the vision of Parker, falling to her knees. After pounding the wall one more time, he slid to the ground, on the verge of tears.
He had to get out! In a moment of near-hysteria, claustrophobia began to set in. The walls were too close, too cramped. Then, his hysteria fed into rage. A look crossed his countenance, and he rushed to the door.
"HEY! LET ME OUT!!" he shouted while banging the door. He began yelling at the top of his lungs until a mellow voice came over the intercom.
"Now, now, Jarod. Calm yourself down, or I'll do it for you. Just sit down on your bed and be a good little boy." Panting for breath, Jarod realized that it was no use. Defeatedly he walked over to his bed and sat down like he was ordered. Then the lights went out.
Jarod covered his face and sobbed in the complete darkness.
Darkness. She opened her eyes and saw complete darkness. She muttered, "Great, who turned off the lights?" She tried to shift into a more comfortable position, and winced. Breathing hard from the effort, Parker flopped her head back down on the pillow. She almost even felt dizzy. So, she tried to collect her thoughts.
"Well, I remember talking with Jarod," she whispered to herself, "and then we. . . we kissed. Then. . .Willie came in and shot Jarod, then me," she finished. Her breathing calmed down a bit. She'd been shot. That's why she was so out of it. Immediately she wondered where she was at. She strained her eyes to see something, but it was far to dark to make out any shapes. She shivered, though, as she sensed that this place was cold in many ways. -The Centre,- her mind whispered to her. She lay very still for a long time, attempting to formulate an escape plan. Then she sensed that someone else was in the room, watching her.
"Hey, turn on the lights, would ya?" she asked after clearing her throat. She could hear a soft chuckle. Male. "Well?" she insisted after a few moments of inactivity.
"Dear," a grating voice with a faint British accent began, giving Parker chills, "the lights *are* on." He didn't say anymore, but she heard the door open and close, leaving her alone in the room. Her mind, a little bit slow from the blood loss she'd had, fought to process what she'd just heard. Then it hit her. She put her hands right in front of her eyes, almost to where they were touching her face, and she couldn't see them at all. Her normally strong resolve broke then, as she let out a mournful wail.
Parker was blind.
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Darkness bothered Jarod. In the dark, demons would pay a visit and torment him. It was almost as if he could feel eyes on him. When he did see a pair of eyes, he almost jumped in surprise. It was only when he heard the chuckle of an old friend did he calm down.
"Angelo," Jarod whispered, "how are you?" He could hear the other man move closer and sit down before he replied.
"Miss Parker scared," he whispered back, getting right to the point, "It dark. Miss Parker don't like dark." Jarod's mind reeled with this little bit of information. Miss Parker was alive! He almost shouted for joy, but stopped himself upon processing the rest of Angelo's statement: it was dark. He didn't quite understand, but at least she was alive.
"Angelo, where is she? Where is Miss Parker?" he asked in a gentle voice. He waited for a bit as Angelo moved closer to him.
"Dark," he murmured, "light, but dark." Jarod frowned in concentration as he tried to solve that riddle.
"Angelo, I need to get out, but I have to find her first. We're going to get out together. Where can I find her, Angelo?"
"Light, but dark," he repeated softly as his eyes shot to the door. Without warning, he scrambled for the ventilation shaft and was gone in moments. As soon as the cover had been replaced, Lyle came in through the cell door.
"I see you're calmer now," he mused. "Good. Maybe you'll be cooperative for us." It wasn't a question. It had the undertones of a command. Jarod simply shot him a sneer. Lyle straightened his tie while slightly stretching his neck to one side.
"Why should I be cooperative? I'm being held here against my will. I haven't been given any reasons for cooperating," Jarod spat out.
"You piss around, Parker dies. How's that, Rat Boy?" Lyle stated calmly. Jarod clenched his jaw as he fought to keep his attitude.
"She's already dead. You think I don't know that?" he growled menacingly, hoping Lyle wouldn't call his bluff.
"You sure about that one, buddy?"
"I'm not your buddy."
"You've been mistaken. Parker is alive. But if you don't behave accordingly, I can remedy that," Lyle snarled, sounding so much like his sister.
"I want proof. Let me see her," Jarod demanded.
"Negative on that one, bucko."
"Then I refuse to believe that she's alive. Even if she were alive, you'd kill her anyway."
Lyle leaned in really close until the two men's faces were mere inches away. He whispered, "You're right." Then he turned and walked out of the cell. After he shut the door, Jarod slumped in a mix of relief and defeat. He immediately began to formulate a plan in his head. He knew he needed to find out where Parker was. If Lyle wouldn't show him, then Angelo would have to tell him. Once that bit of information was known, then Jarod could finalize his plan and find a time to implement it.
One Week Later
Parker lay in her bed, somewhere in between sleep and consciousness. She suddenly sensed another presence in the room, and that brought her out of her half-dream state. She noticed absently that she had become better at sensing when other people were in the room with her.
"Who--who's there?" she asked nervously. Lately, visitors had not been welcome.
"No be scared, Miss Parker," came Angelo's gentle voice. She immediately calmed down.
"Sorry, Angelo. It's just. . .I've been having lots of scary visitors lately," she explained. She could almost hear his smile.
"It okay. Still dark?" he asked.
"Yeah. It's still dark." Angelo was silent for a long time. "Angelo?" No reply. She sighed. Then she painfully moved her arm up and began to chew her fingernails on her left hand. Ever since she'd woken up blind, she'd suffered from random bouts of depression, anxiety, and even paranoia. Sometimes she suspected that she was imagining the visits with Angelo. Tears began to fall from her unseeing eyes as another depressing wave hit.
Two Days Later
Jarod was on the move. He had to get Parker before meeting up with Angelo. From there the two would escape. Regrettably, Angelo chose to stay behind. The outside world was scary to him. He could do more good in the Centre. Jarod thought back to when Angelo rushed into his cell. He was ecstatic when he learned that Angelo knew where she was. He couldn't wait to see her.
Somehow, she'd been kept on the same sub-level that he was on. So, Angelo finagled a way to get the cameras in the halls turned off until they made it to the ventilation shafts. Jarod quickly made his way to the room that Angelo said was hers. He opened the door and stepped in.
She was a vision. He nearly passed out in relief of seeing her there, just breathing. As soon as he started walking towards her, her eyes snapped open, darting back and forth.
"Who's there?" she asked anxiously. Jarod frowned.
"Parker, it's me. It's Jarod." He noted that she didn't look towards him until he'd spoken. He decided to move over slightly, and very quietly. He was pretty good at throwing his voice, thanks to a pretend as a ventriloquist.
"I've come to get us out," he said, making his voice sound like it was still in the spot he was previously. Parker's eyes didn't move. Jarod silently moved over to her side and gently waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing.
"Oh, Parker. . ." he whispered. Now he remembered Angelo's earlier riddle. Light, but dark. She was blind.
"Jarod, just go. Leave me here. I'll only be a hindrance to you," she remarked softly, catching on that he knew.
"Parker," he replied, "I can't leave you. Don't you want to get back at the Centre for doing this to you? You're coming with me, and you can't stop me." With that, he picked her up and carried her toward the ventilation shaft. She didn't protest because she didn't want to draw any attention. But they still had a long way to go.
Part 12: The Unholy Dark
Disclaimer: This is just getting ridiculous. See the previous chapters for my disclaimer. I'm tired of typing them! :D
Author's Note: Thank you guys again for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. They also help me feel out where you think the story should go. I'm putting most of my focus on this fic because I'm stuck with my other two. I'm also working on making the parts longer. they're going to have to be longer, because a lot of plot action is going to be involved pretty much from here on out. I hope you guys can bear with me if it starts to get difficult. Now, on to the story.
Jarod banged his fist against the walls of his cell, yelling. He knew he was helpless, and he hated it. Emblazoned in his memory was the vision of Parker, falling to her knees. After pounding the wall one more time, he slid to the ground, on the verge of tears.
He had to get out! In a moment of near-hysteria, claustrophobia began to set in. The walls were too close, too cramped. Then, his hysteria fed into rage. A look crossed his countenance, and he rushed to the door.
"HEY! LET ME OUT!!" he shouted while banging the door. He began yelling at the top of his lungs until a mellow voice came over the intercom.
"Now, now, Jarod. Calm yourself down, or I'll do it for you. Just sit down on your bed and be a good little boy." Panting for breath, Jarod realized that it was no use. Defeatedly he walked over to his bed and sat down like he was ordered. Then the lights went out.
Jarod covered his face and sobbed in the complete darkness.
Darkness. She opened her eyes and saw complete darkness. She muttered, "Great, who turned off the lights?" She tried to shift into a more comfortable position, and winced. Breathing hard from the effort, Parker flopped her head back down on the pillow. She almost even felt dizzy. So, she tried to collect her thoughts.
"Well, I remember talking with Jarod," she whispered to herself, "and then we. . . we kissed. Then. . .Willie came in and shot Jarod, then me," she finished. Her breathing calmed down a bit. She'd been shot. That's why she was so out of it. Immediately she wondered where she was at. She strained her eyes to see something, but it was far to dark to make out any shapes. She shivered, though, as she sensed that this place was cold in many ways. -The Centre,- her mind whispered to her. She lay very still for a long time, attempting to formulate an escape plan. Then she sensed that someone else was in the room, watching her.
"Hey, turn on the lights, would ya?" she asked after clearing her throat. She could hear a soft chuckle. Male. "Well?" she insisted after a few moments of inactivity.
"Dear," a grating voice with a faint British accent began, giving Parker chills, "the lights *are* on." He didn't say anymore, but she heard the door open and close, leaving her alone in the room. Her mind, a little bit slow from the blood loss she'd had, fought to process what she'd just heard. Then it hit her. She put her hands right in front of her eyes, almost to where they were touching her face, and she couldn't see them at all. Her normally strong resolve broke then, as she let out a mournful wail.
Parker was blind.
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Darkness bothered Jarod. In the dark, demons would pay a visit and torment him. It was almost as if he could feel eyes on him. When he did see a pair of eyes, he almost jumped in surprise. It was only when he heard the chuckle of an old friend did he calm down.
"Angelo," Jarod whispered, "how are you?" He could hear the other man move closer and sit down before he replied.
"Miss Parker scared," he whispered back, getting right to the point, "It dark. Miss Parker don't like dark." Jarod's mind reeled with this little bit of information. Miss Parker was alive! He almost shouted for joy, but stopped himself upon processing the rest of Angelo's statement: it was dark. He didn't quite understand, but at least she was alive.
"Angelo, where is she? Where is Miss Parker?" he asked in a gentle voice. He waited for a bit as Angelo moved closer to him.
"Dark," he murmured, "light, but dark." Jarod frowned in concentration as he tried to solve that riddle.
"Angelo, I need to get out, but I have to find her first. We're going to get out together. Where can I find her, Angelo?"
"Light, but dark," he repeated softly as his eyes shot to the door. Without warning, he scrambled for the ventilation shaft and was gone in moments. As soon as the cover had been replaced, Lyle came in through the cell door.
"I see you're calmer now," he mused. "Good. Maybe you'll be cooperative for us." It wasn't a question. It had the undertones of a command. Jarod simply shot him a sneer. Lyle straightened his tie while slightly stretching his neck to one side.
"Why should I be cooperative? I'm being held here against my will. I haven't been given any reasons for cooperating," Jarod spat out.
"You piss around, Parker dies. How's that, Rat Boy?" Lyle stated calmly. Jarod clenched his jaw as he fought to keep his attitude.
"She's already dead. You think I don't know that?" he growled menacingly, hoping Lyle wouldn't call his bluff.
"You sure about that one, buddy?"
"I'm not your buddy."
"You've been mistaken. Parker is alive. But if you don't behave accordingly, I can remedy that," Lyle snarled, sounding so much like his sister.
"I want proof. Let me see her," Jarod demanded.
"Negative on that one, bucko."
"Then I refuse to believe that she's alive. Even if she were alive, you'd kill her anyway."
Lyle leaned in really close until the two men's faces were mere inches away. He whispered, "You're right." Then he turned and walked out of the cell. After he shut the door, Jarod slumped in a mix of relief and defeat. He immediately began to formulate a plan in his head. He knew he needed to find out where Parker was. If Lyle wouldn't show him, then Angelo would have to tell him. Once that bit of information was known, then Jarod could finalize his plan and find a time to implement it.
One Week Later
Parker lay in her bed, somewhere in between sleep and consciousness. She suddenly sensed another presence in the room, and that brought her out of her half-dream state. She noticed absently that she had become better at sensing when other people were in the room with her.
"Who--who's there?" she asked nervously. Lately, visitors had not been welcome.
"No be scared, Miss Parker," came Angelo's gentle voice. She immediately calmed down.
"Sorry, Angelo. It's just. . .I've been having lots of scary visitors lately," she explained. She could almost hear his smile.
"It okay. Still dark?" he asked.
"Yeah. It's still dark." Angelo was silent for a long time. "Angelo?" No reply. She sighed. Then she painfully moved her arm up and began to chew her fingernails on her left hand. Ever since she'd woken up blind, she'd suffered from random bouts of depression, anxiety, and even paranoia. Sometimes she suspected that she was imagining the visits with Angelo. Tears began to fall from her unseeing eyes as another depressing wave hit.
Two Days Later
Jarod was on the move. He had to get Parker before meeting up with Angelo. From there the two would escape. Regrettably, Angelo chose to stay behind. The outside world was scary to him. He could do more good in the Centre. Jarod thought back to when Angelo rushed into his cell. He was ecstatic when he learned that Angelo knew where she was. He couldn't wait to see her.
Somehow, she'd been kept on the same sub-level that he was on. So, Angelo finagled a way to get the cameras in the halls turned off until they made it to the ventilation shafts. Jarod quickly made his way to the room that Angelo said was hers. He opened the door and stepped in.
She was a vision. He nearly passed out in relief of seeing her there, just breathing. As soon as he started walking towards her, her eyes snapped open, darting back and forth.
"Who's there?" she asked anxiously. Jarod frowned.
"Parker, it's me. It's Jarod." He noted that she didn't look towards him until he'd spoken. He decided to move over slightly, and very quietly. He was pretty good at throwing his voice, thanks to a pretend as a ventriloquist.
"I've come to get us out," he said, making his voice sound like it was still in the spot he was previously. Parker's eyes didn't move. Jarod silently moved over to her side and gently waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing.
"Oh, Parker. . ." he whispered. Now he remembered Angelo's earlier riddle. Light, but dark. She was blind.
"Jarod, just go. Leave me here. I'll only be a hindrance to you," she remarked softly, catching on that he knew.
"Parker," he replied, "I can't leave you. Don't you want to get back at the Centre for doing this to you? You're coming with me, and you can't stop me." With that, he picked her up and carried her toward the ventilation shaft. She didn't protest because she didn't want to draw any attention. But they still had a long way to go.