Part Two
When Scott first heard that agonized scream, it turned his blood to ice. He wanted to believe with everything that was in him, that it was all some twisted joke on his brother's part. Merely, Johnny's way of getting back at him over the 'Mrs. Pruitt incident'. However, even by Scott's guessed calculations, it had been over twenty minutes since he last heard any sound from above. Twenty minutes too long.
Scott had shouted so frantically, his voice had gone hoarse. His desperate pleas went unanswered as he called for Johnny to give him some sign, something; anything that would tell Scott that the cries of torment he'd heard weren't from his brother. Except Scott's inner voice knew that there could be no other source.
Trapped and helpless inside the muddy prison of the mineshaft, Scott punched at the walls of the in frustration. Fists melded into soft, wet earth and he was once more reminded how useless another attempt to try to climb out would be. He stared a his battled-scarred confines, the results of his earlier endeavors to gain a footing, and found they were proof enough that the only way he was getting out was with help from above.
LRLRLRLR
Johnny's first conscious perception was of intense pain, which was quickly followed by an all-consuming urge to empty his stomach. Ceding to the more urgent need, Johnny painfully rolled on to his left side, just as the heaves began to torture his already abused body. Agony pulsed through his side with each violent wretch, tearing a moan from his bile-coated throat.
Gasping for breath, but certain there was nothing left in his stomach to bring up, Johnny ignored the painful twists in his gut and shoulder and used his left arm to push himself back on to his knees. The world tilted and began to fade as the pounding in Johnny's head blocked out the sounds around him. He would've fallen had it not been for the hard surface beside him. Unfocused eyes and a mind still coming to terms with the tremendous pain attacking it, continued to struggle to make sense of their surroundings.
It was only as Johnny began to realize that he was shivering uncontrollably, did he comprehend that it was raining. Taking support from what he now recognized as a rock, Johnny tilted his head back, greedily opening his mouth in attempt to quench his dry lips.
Unable to fully satisfy his thirst, Johnny's uncoordinated hand movements brushed the rain from his face as he painfully levered his full weight on to faltering legs. With his face twisted in pain, an indistinct memory, an urgent need, propelled Johnny to keep moving no matter what the cost. With deeply furrowed brows, Johnny shivered as his shuffling gait came to a breathless halt.
'Where was he going?'
He had no answer to his question, only an intangible necessity that told him that he had to get moving.
Blinking not only against the rain, but also his blurred vision, Johnny tried to make sense of where he was, hoping it would hold a clue to his all-consuming need to do keep going. Swaying on his feet, he started to bring his right hand up to clear the rain from his face. His eyes clamped shut, as his legs buckled under the pain and he fell to his knees in agony. Struggling to catch his breath, Johnny wrapped his arms around himself as he weakly rocked back and fourth, trying to will the pain away.
LRLRLRLR
At first grateful for the soft, muddy surface that had broken his fall, Scott now grew apprehensive as rain seeped through the mine's opening. The level of mud and water began to rise around his ankles and he saw with ominous clarity the reason for the life saving dampness inside his prison. The mine was flooding. With renewed desperation, Scott stared up and opening and prayed for his brother's help. "Come on brother, I need you!"
LRLRLRLR
Johnny flinched, startled as thunder cracked at the air. Ceasing his rocking, he kept his arms wrapped around himself as he arched his face toward the heavens. Blinking against the rain, Johnny shivered, as another roar seemed to shake the very skies. The sudden scream of frightened animals distracted the wounded man and with chattering teeth, Johnny turned to see a horse rearing wildly as it fought it's tethers.
"Barr-anca?" His voice barely above a whisper was shouted down by the storm's rapidly growing rhythm.
Releasing the death grip he had on his body, Johnny's reached out a trembling hand to the ground for support and slowly pushed himself to his feet. Darkness again threatened to overpower him, but he fought it off, knowing that Barranca could be his only hope of survival. Staggering toward the distressed horse, he painfully managed to get a bloodied grip on his saddle as a shaking hand reached out to untie the reins.
"Who-a," he attempted to calm the startled animal. With his hand gripping the saddle for dear life, Johnny was taking a moment to catch his breath before making an attempt to mount the horse, when it suddenly registered in Johnny's muddled mind that there was the sound of a second horse nearby.
"Charl--"
If Johnny thought he couldn't be in anymore pain, then he was wrong. A sickening wave of fear welled in his gut, as his eyes darted around maniacally in their desperate search for his brother. He now had a name for the unknown apprehension that had driven him forward.
"Scott!" His pain cut through the chilling wind.
A thunderclap echoed through the hills. Barranca snorted, his eyes rolling back into his head as he reared, knocking his weakened owner to the ground. As a second roar of nature exploded, the horse took the opportunity for escape and bolted.
Struck, not only by the hooves of his startled horse, but also by the sudden onslaught of slowly converging memories, Johnny lay in a tangled heap on the muddy ground, gasping for air as he recalled his brother's desperate situation.
TBC
When Scott first heard that agonized scream, it turned his blood to ice. He wanted to believe with everything that was in him, that it was all some twisted joke on his brother's part. Merely, Johnny's way of getting back at him over the 'Mrs. Pruitt incident'. However, even by Scott's guessed calculations, it had been over twenty minutes since he last heard any sound from above. Twenty minutes too long.
Scott had shouted so frantically, his voice had gone hoarse. His desperate pleas went unanswered as he called for Johnny to give him some sign, something; anything that would tell Scott that the cries of torment he'd heard weren't from his brother. Except Scott's inner voice knew that there could be no other source.
Trapped and helpless inside the muddy prison of the mineshaft, Scott punched at the walls of the in frustration. Fists melded into soft, wet earth and he was once more reminded how useless another attempt to try to climb out would be. He stared a his battled-scarred confines, the results of his earlier endeavors to gain a footing, and found they were proof enough that the only way he was getting out was with help from above.
LRLRLRLR
Johnny's first conscious perception was of intense pain, which was quickly followed by an all-consuming urge to empty his stomach. Ceding to the more urgent need, Johnny painfully rolled on to his left side, just as the heaves began to torture his already abused body. Agony pulsed through his side with each violent wretch, tearing a moan from his bile-coated throat.
Gasping for breath, but certain there was nothing left in his stomach to bring up, Johnny ignored the painful twists in his gut and shoulder and used his left arm to push himself back on to his knees. The world tilted and began to fade as the pounding in Johnny's head blocked out the sounds around him. He would've fallen had it not been for the hard surface beside him. Unfocused eyes and a mind still coming to terms with the tremendous pain attacking it, continued to struggle to make sense of their surroundings.
It was only as Johnny began to realize that he was shivering uncontrollably, did he comprehend that it was raining. Taking support from what he now recognized as a rock, Johnny tilted his head back, greedily opening his mouth in attempt to quench his dry lips.
Unable to fully satisfy his thirst, Johnny's uncoordinated hand movements brushed the rain from his face as he painfully levered his full weight on to faltering legs. With his face twisted in pain, an indistinct memory, an urgent need, propelled Johnny to keep moving no matter what the cost. With deeply furrowed brows, Johnny shivered as his shuffling gait came to a breathless halt.
'Where was he going?'
He had no answer to his question, only an intangible necessity that told him that he had to get moving.
Blinking not only against the rain, but also his blurred vision, Johnny tried to make sense of where he was, hoping it would hold a clue to his all-consuming need to do keep going. Swaying on his feet, he started to bring his right hand up to clear the rain from his face. His eyes clamped shut, as his legs buckled under the pain and he fell to his knees in agony. Struggling to catch his breath, Johnny wrapped his arms around himself as he weakly rocked back and fourth, trying to will the pain away.
LRLRLRLR
At first grateful for the soft, muddy surface that had broken his fall, Scott now grew apprehensive as rain seeped through the mine's opening. The level of mud and water began to rise around his ankles and he saw with ominous clarity the reason for the life saving dampness inside his prison. The mine was flooding. With renewed desperation, Scott stared up and opening and prayed for his brother's help. "Come on brother, I need you!"
LRLRLRLR
Johnny flinched, startled as thunder cracked at the air. Ceasing his rocking, he kept his arms wrapped around himself as he arched his face toward the heavens. Blinking against the rain, Johnny shivered, as another roar seemed to shake the very skies. The sudden scream of frightened animals distracted the wounded man and with chattering teeth, Johnny turned to see a horse rearing wildly as it fought it's tethers.
"Barr-anca?" His voice barely above a whisper was shouted down by the storm's rapidly growing rhythm.
Releasing the death grip he had on his body, Johnny's reached out a trembling hand to the ground for support and slowly pushed himself to his feet. Darkness again threatened to overpower him, but he fought it off, knowing that Barranca could be his only hope of survival. Staggering toward the distressed horse, he painfully managed to get a bloodied grip on his saddle as a shaking hand reached out to untie the reins.
"Who-a," he attempted to calm the startled animal. With his hand gripping the saddle for dear life, Johnny was taking a moment to catch his breath before making an attempt to mount the horse, when it suddenly registered in Johnny's muddled mind that there was the sound of a second horse nearby.
"Charl--"
If Johnny thought he couldn't be in anymore pain, then he was wrong. A sickening wave of fear welled in his gut, as his eyes darted around maniacally in their desperate search for his brother. He now had a name for the unknown apprehension that had driven him forward.
"Scott!" His pain cut through the chilling wind.
A thunderclap echoed through the hills. Barranca snorted, his eyes rolling back into his head as he reared, knocking his weakened owner to the ground. As a second roar of nature exploded, the horse took the opportunity for escape and bolted.
Struck, not only by the hooves of his startled horse, but also by the sudden onslaught of slowly converging memories, Johnny lay in a tangled heap on the muddy ground, gasping for air as he recalled his brother's desperate situation.
TBC