Oh I'm so bad, I can't believe how long its been! Thank u to all my reviewers who have stuck with me! I'm sorry it's been soooo long! xx
CHAPTER 13
Trapped
Veronica sat in the small room she had been allocated at the top of the West Tower. It consisted of a small bed, a rounded table and large wooden chair. It was dark and the room was cold as the shadows of sunset cast on the village. Little light ever reached the tower through the tiny cracks of the roof. Even in the daylight a chill ran through. Three times a day someone would offer her a meal of fruit and vegetables. Water was constantly available and they had even given her a blanket for the cold chill of night. They wanted her alive and healthy. She was their only hope at winning this ever-returning battle.
As she contemplated life day after day in the darkness of the tower, she realised that she was beginning to think more and more about Ned Malone, the man who had stolen her heart. She began to realise that she had lost him too many times and now that he was back at the Treehouse, she was determined to get back to him and tell him how she really felt. As the moonlight began to seep in through the cracked shafts in the roof, she realised that since she had become Protector she felt no different. She wondered if she would ever find out what being Protector meant, whether she would ever find out what powers she held, and she wondered who would answer these questions. Deep in her heart, she still hoped that her mother would come for her, would rescue her at any moment.
Just then, the door opened and was quickly shut and locked once again. She found that a candle had been placed by the door, along with a small cup of water. She picked up the offerings and went to lie on the undersized bed, which was placed next to the furthest wall. She had contemplated escape many times each day but the door was opened and closed so quickly that she barely had time to rise before her chance was over. The door itself was impossible to break for the room had been designed to house the Priest and Priestess in times such as these. Momentarily she wondered who the Priest and Priestess were and where they were staying now that their room was occupied.
Before long she found herself asleep and once again dreaming about Ned Malone.
Forward to……. 2033
"Right, so we all know what we're doing. Challenger you distract him, Finn you get yourself and Challenger out of here, and I have the gun."
"Malone, you've been through the plan six times already, the gun knows the plan by now," sighed Finn.
"Right," said Malone, looking toward the door.
"Anytime now," said Finn.
The three waited anxiously in the silence.
They waited in the silence, their hearts pumping, each moment expecting that door to creak open. Suddenly it did just that. The three sat there as though anxiously awaiting their food. They waited until their food had been placed in front of them and only then did Challenger speak.
"Excuse me," said Challenger, "You do know that the food you're giving us contains mild traces of natural gold? I'm a scientist and I've been investigating it in my spare time." The man closed the door behind him so as the inhabitants could not escape. However, the idea of locking it escaped his memory as he wondered over to see the food for himself. "See, look, here," continued Challenger.
Meanwhile Malone and Finn had opened the door with a creak. They froze as the officer turned around. Finn leapt forward but before she could get to him he had grabbed her. "I'm not letting you get away again Finn," he yelled. But his remark was cut short as Challenger jabbed a large slab from the jagged floor into his back. He fell to the ground, leaving Finn free to run.
"Good work Challenger," cried Malone as he ran from the enclosure.
"Yeah, thanks Challenger," smiled Finn.
"We'd best take the path through the city, they're less likely to see us there among the rubble," stated Challenger.
The three of them headed through the city ruins. They passed through rubble of all kinds; bricks, metal, plastic, remains of things in a place that people had once called home. A surreal parallel to the world their friends were now encountering back on the plateau. Finally they came to the end of a long alleyway and the cave was once again in view across the dusty slavers road where Finn and Veronica had first encountered the automobile.
"This is the hardest part," whispered Finn. "They go up and down that road at least a hundred times a day, I've never made it across before, there's always at least one of them there hiding and waiting for someone to show up. There's no easy way across. I guess we're just gonna have to take a chance.
A little short I know but there's more to come! Please review good or bad!