Finals are over and I finally graduated! Now, I can write. Here we go.
Jesse was exhausted as he made his own way down the mountain. He kept looking down to see where Brennan was. He had to make sure not to dislodge him if he was not secured onto the ledge. His hands ached from the numerous blisters and cuts. His shoulders were on fire from the beating they just took. He wasn't the best at repelling but Shalimar had done her best to teach him and at least he was getting down. He prayed that they would make it this time. Even if the others had not made it, he had to do his best to see that they did – for the Team – for Mutant X. He noticed that he was dislodging rocks and dirt as he hit the wall each time. He looked down and tried to swing a little more to the side so that the rocks did not hit Brennan. He still wasn't moving, Jesse noticed. He looked dead. Just as Jesse was about ten feet from the ledge, he heard something laugh and then something scream from somewhere down below. The laugh didn't sound human but the scream was familiar. Jesse shuddered at the thought of what it could be. He jumped to the ledge and ran to Brennan's side.
XXX
Adam made his way into the tunnel with the beast.
"Where are you taking me?" Adam screamed at the beast. "I demand an answer!" The beast merely tightened his grip on Adam to make sure that he would not escape and forcefully pulled him through the tunnels. He threw Adam against a ladder and told him to climb. Adam looked up the ladder where he was able to see some illumination. Then he looked at the beast. The beast hit him hard in the face and Adam's head slammed against one of the rails on the ladder. He dropped to his knees holding his head. The beast showed absolutely no mercy and grabbed Adam's arm and smashed the front of his body against the rails again. "MOVE!" it growled. Even though Adam's head was still spinning, he did just that, he moved. Up the ladder one rung at a time he climbed. All the time Adam was wondering where the kids were and what Draper had planned for him. He could not believe what was happening. He wiped the blood that dripped from the newly formed gash on his head and climbed into the light with the beast right behind him.
XXX
Eckhart found himself sitting in a darkened room tied to a chair. He was cold, hurt, and very angry. The dirt he feared was seeping below his false skin and infecting him with each breath he took. He seethed at the thought of what Draper was doing. He didn't trust him, he knew he was crazy, and he further knew that Draper hated him. That could be a problem. Suddenly, a door flew open and the invading light caused Eckhart to squint. "What is the meaning of this?" Eckhart screamed at the intruder. "Untie me right this instant!" Eckhart's pleas went unnoticed as another charge was thrown into a chair. There was not enough light for Eckhart to see whom it was but he definitely knew this one was hurt a little more than he was. As the beast finished securing the ties, he looked over at Eckhart. He waved him off as he left the room and closed the door behind him. He sealed the two captives back into darkness. Eckhart tried to make some sort of contact with his new comrade. "W-Who are you, friend?" Eckhart inquired in a shaky, somewhat unknowing voice.
"I am not your friend," Adam breathed in response.
"Adam," Eckhart stated with assurance.
XXX
Shalimar looked at Emma and proceeded toward the door. "Emma, I believe you that you think something is on the other side, but sweetie, we are never going to get out of here unless we go out."
"OK, Shal. But at least let me try and see if I can knock out whatever is out there. Shalimar, try to think happy thoughts as I do this. OK?" Shalimar nodded her head and proceeded to close here eyes and think about as happy of thoughts as possible given her situation. Emma was satisfied that Shal was ready and flashed her eyes to blackness. A wave of red shot from all directions of her body. Shalimar screamed as loudly as she could as the wave of terror hit her.
From somewhere high above in another chamber, Draper felt Emma's coldness. He reveled in its darkness. He loved this side of Emma. He knew it when she attacked him with it. He let it surround him and envelope him in its cold steel. He began to laugh as a thought occurred to him. He sat down and concentrated. He closed his eyes as he traced the tendrils of Emma's thoughts back to their origin. He looked into Emma's mind and smiled as he saw this darkness in her. He joined that darkness with his own power and thrust it even further. Emma-Draper were one now and they began to laugh together in some odd sort of echo. The laughter emanated from Emma in a manner that was not hers. He had her again. She saw him in her mind and she felt him controlling this darkness within her. She feared his power and his insanity. But she couldn't stop her other side as it joined in the chaos that was now one mind.
XXX
Jesse reached Brennan who was semi conscious. Jesse grabbed Brennan's hand to feel for a pulse. He breathed a deep sigh when he noticed one. Brennan slowly lulled his head in Jesse's direction. "Jesse?" Brennan asked.
"Yeah Bren," Jesse replied as he wiped some of the newly fallen dirt from around Brennan's face. "How you doin' buddy?"
"OK," Brennan breathed a reply and choked up some phlegm. "Where are we? Did we make it?" Brennan tried to shift his position in the stretcher but thought better of it as the wave of pain hit him again.
"Hey, bro, don't move, K?" Jesse cautioned Brennan as he began to pull him farther back onto the ledge. Brennan cried out in pain at the jarring motion. When he was satisfied that he had pulled Brennan far enough back from the edge, he kneeled down next to him. "Brennan, I think we are going to stay here for the night. It is getting dark and I am going to go look around to see if I can find some shelter."
Brennan kept his eyes closed and nodded his head in agreement. Jesse patted him on the shoulder and got up. He looked around once before moving into the brush to the west Brennan's stretcher. He was very concerned about the scream and laugh he heard. He had no clue where it came from but knew he had to hide them. This night was going to be like no other.
Jesse was exhausted as he made his own way down the mountain. He kept looking down to see where Brennan was. He had to make sure not to dislodge him if he was not secured onto the ledge. His hands ached from the numerous blisters and cuts. His shoulders were on fire from the beating they just took. He wasn't the best at repelling but Shalimar had done her best to teach him and at least he was getting down. He prayed that they would make it this time. Even if the others had not made it, he had to do his best to see that they did – for the Team – for Mutant X. He noticed that he was dislodging rocks and dirt as he hit the wall each time. He looked down and tried to swing a little more to the side so that the rocks did not hit Brennan. He still wasn't moving, Jesse noticed. He looked dead. Just as Jesse was about ten feet from the ledge, he heard something laugh and then something scream from somewhere down below. The laugh didn't sound human but the scream was familiar. Jesse shuddered at the thought of what it could be. He jumped to the ledge and ran to Brennan's side.
XXX
Adam made his way into the tunnel with the beast.
"Where are you taking me?" Adam screamed at the beast. "I demand an answer!" The beast merely tightened his grip on Adam to make sure that he would not escape and forcefully pulled him through the tunnels. He threw Adam against a ladder and told him to climb. Adam looked up the ladder where he was able to see some illumination. Then he looked at the beast. The beast hit him hard in the face and Adam's head slammed against one of the rails on the ladder. He dropped to his knees holding his head. The beast showed absolutely no mercy and grabbed Adam's arm and smashed the front of his body against the rails again. "MOVE!" it growled. Even though Adam's head was still spinning, he did just that, he moved. Up the ladder one rung at a time he climbed. All the time Adam was wondering where the kids were and what Draper had planned for him. He could not believe what was happening. He wiped the blood that dripped from the newly formed gash on his head and climbed into the light with the beast right behind him.
XXX
Eckhart found himself sitting in a darkened room tied to a chair. He was cold, hurt, and very angry. The dirt he feared was seeping below his false skin and infecting him with each breath he took. He seethed at the thought of what Draper was doing. He didn't trust him, he knew he was crazy, and he further knew that Draper hated him. That could be a problem. Suddenly, a door flew open and the invading light caused Eckhart to squint. "What is the meaning of this?" Eckhart screamed at the intruder. "Untie me right this instant!" Eckhart's pleas went unnoticed as another charge was thrown into a chair. There was not enough light for Eckhart to see whom it was but he definitely knew this one was hurt a little more than he was. As the beast finished securing the ties, he looked over at Eckhart. He waved him off as he left the room and closed the door behind him. He sealed the two captives back into darkness. Eckhart tried to make some sort of contact with his new comrade. "W-Who are you, friend?" Eckhart inquired in a shaky, somewhat unknowing voice.
"I am not your friend," Adam breathed in response.
"Adam," Eckhart stated with assurance.
XXX
Shalimar looked at Emma and proceeded toward the door. "Emma, I believe you that you think something is on the other side, but sweetie, we are never going to get out of here unless we go out."
"OK, Shal. But at least let me try and see if I can knock out whatever is out there. Shalimar, try to think happy thoughts as I do this. OK?" Shalimar nodded her head and proceeded to close here eyes and think about as happy of thoughts as possible given her situation. Emma was satisfied that Shal was ready and flashed her eyes to blackness. A wave of red shot from all directions of her body. Shalimar screamed as loudly as she could as the wave of terror hit her.
From somewhere high above in another chamber, Draper felt Emma's coldness. He reveled in its darkness. He loved this side of Emma. He knew it when she attacked him with it. He let it surround him and envelope him in its cold steel. He began to laugh as a thought occurred to him. He sat down and concentrated. He closed his eyes as he traced the tendrils of Emma's thoughts back to their origin. He looked into Emma's mind and smiled as he saw this darkness in her. He joined that darkness with his own power and thrust it even further. Emma-Draper were one now and they began to laugh together in some odd sort of echo. The laughter emanated from Emma in a manner that was not hers. He had her again. She saw him in her mind and she felt him controlling this darkness within her. She feared his power and his insanity. But she couldn't stop her other side as it joined in the chaos that was now one mind.
XXX
Jesse reached Brennan who was semi conscious. Jesse grabbed Brennan's hand to feel for a pulse. He breathed a deep sigh when he noticed one. Brennan slowly lulled his head in Jesse's direction. "Jesse?" Brennan asked.
"Yeah Bren," Jesse replied as he wiped some of the newly fallen dirt from around Brennan's face. "How you doin' buddy?"
"OK," Brennan breathed a reply and choked up some phlegm. "Where are we? Did we make it?" Brennan tried to shift his position in the stretcher but thought better of it as the wave of pain hit him again.
"Hey, bro, don't move, K?" Jesse cautioned Brennan as he began to pull him farther back onto the ledge. Brennan cried out in pain at the jarring motion. When he was satisfied that he had pulled Brennan far enough back from the edge, he kneeled down next to him. "Brennan, I think we are going to stay here for the night. It is getting dark and I am going to go look around to see if I can find some shelter."
Brennan kept his eyes closed and nodded his head in agreement. Jesse patted him on the shoulder and got up. He looked around once before moving into the brush to the west Brennan's stretcher. He was very concerned about the scream and laugh he heard. He had no clue where it came from but knew he had to hide them. This night was going to be like no other.