Chapter 8:
A week later, Dr. Harris strode through the entrance, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Everything was ready, and if it went smoothly Clark would be home before the sun rose. Her footsteps echoing throughout the vacant facility, she walked through the hallways, scanning every room to make sure she was alone. It was just a precautionary step, but she knew sometimes Dr. Baum would stay after to gather more information after her sessions. Turning away from his empty office, she was glad she wouldn't have to put off the rescue for another day.
Her mission now going into phase two, Dr. Harris casually strode towards the power control room and stealthily opened the door. Seeing there was no one inside she smiled to herself, knowing the facility's overconfidence was finally going to pay off. She glanced over what looked like the control panel for a spaceship. There must have been over a dozen televisions displaying the identical hallways and twisting corridors. Tracing her fingers over the hundreds of buttons before her, she prayed a large red button stating 'off' would magically appear before her. Growing impatient, she opted for the second choice and turned her attention towards the large plug to her right. She dramatically pulled it out of its socket, sighing with relief as she heard the constant electrical buzzing throughout the facility die.
With their security out of her mind, there was only one more thing to worry about...Clark. Clark's sessions varied like a roller coaster. Some nights he would show much improvement and join her in a small conversation about nothing in particular, then the next night he would be frightened and unresponsive, completely withdrawn from reality. Praying the gods would smile upon her, she hastily entered his cell, wanting to get him out of there before fate caught up with them.
Subconsciously she was thrown off by the darkness overwhelming the room. Over the past week she had grown used to the harsh florescent light, and now she couldn't see two feet in front of her. "Clark..." she called out, hoping he would answer. She knew it was a false hope. He never spoke until she initiated direct contact. Whether it was a pat on the shoulder or the more favorable thumb rub against his cheek, he felt more comfortable once he was sure it was her. "Clark, it's me, Cassie. Please answer," she called again, searching through the darkness for his silhouette.
"H-H-Here," he stammered, barely above a whisper, from the far corner.
With her hands cautiously placed out in front of her, she followed the voice. Once she found the wall she slid down on her knees. Blinking against the darkness, she slowly reached out towards the shaking silhouette in front of her. Hearing a slight whimper escape his lips, she assured, "Clark, its Cassie. Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here." She placed her hand on his face and rubbed his cheek with her thumb, hoping the familiarity would calm him down a bit.
Trembling under her touch, he whispered, "W-Why is it dark?" It was never dark. There was always light everywhere, but not a warm, comforting light. It was bright and harsh, very hard to ignore.
Even though Clark couldn't see it, Cassie smiled at his subtle sign of improvement. It was the first time he directly asked her a question. Even though it was out of fear, he was showing a great deal of internal courage. She decided to reward him with absolute honesty. "It's dark because I don't want anyone to see us escape."
Clark slowly bit his bottom lip, confused by her last statement. "Escape from what?"
Sure time was catching up with her, Cassie quickly retracted, "Don't worry about it. Just follow me, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, she slowly stood up and reached out her hand. "Can you stand?" Hesitantly placing his hands in hers, he slowly rose to his feet. Instantly feeling the cold metal wrapped around his wrists, Cassie made a mental note to get the pliers out of her trunk before they left. She slowly guided him towards the large metal door. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she felt Clark become tense with fear under her grip. "What's wrong?" she asked as she turned towards him.
Looking sheepishly up from the ground, his green eyes twinkled through the darkness. "H-Hurts..." he breathed, before looking back at the floor.
Having forgotten about the kryptonite embedded in the walls, Cassie mentally slapped herself. "Of course..." she whispered. Clark was just beginning to trust her; if she directly caused him pain it could stunt his emotional growth. Running out of options, she slowly lifted his head with her hand. "Look at me," she said calmly as she tilted her head. "When I open this door it's going to hurt, and I'm very very sorry, but soon it will all be over. Okay?" She knew she was talking to him like a young child, something she usually frowned upon, but in this particular case, she felt it was necessary for him to completely understand.
Slowly nodding, he replied, "Okay."
Placing her hand on the doorknob she counted, "One...two," giving him a moment to prepare. "Three!" She pushed the door open, unaware of the stone's true effect on him. He was now dead weight in her arms. The reports stated the meteor rocks disabled him momentarily, but they never mentioned it left him completely defenseless. The rocks within the room now radiating a sickly green, Cassie hovered over the fallen boy. "Clark, hang on," she said, her voice fringed with worry. Locking his arms under hers, she slowly dragged him out of the room, trying her best to ignore his painful groans. Once they were in the hallway, she gently placed him on the floor and ran to close the door. Placing her hand over her heart, she looked back at Clark, who was leaning against the wall still catching his breath.
Cassie immediately dropped down to her knees. Cupping his face with her hands, she breathed, "It's over." Overwhelmed with emotions, she began to blink back tears. "I'm so proud of you."
Even though he had no idea what her words truly meant, Clark couldn't ignore the strong urge to smile. "Thank you."
To Be Continued...
oOo
Chapter 9:
As the yellow sun lazily peeked through the countryside, a black sedan streaked down a country road, intent on completing its mission. Within it silently sat a young woman, whose thoughts continually swarmed her head, leaving her shaky and restless. The previous night continually played over in her head, something was off. It was way too easy. Part of her still couldn't believe she had actually gotten away with it.
She glanced sideways towards the boy who was constantly rubbing his raw wrists. His head was bent forward, his long, dark hair covering his face. As if sensing her stare, he subtly peered through his tangled strands, his shaky breaths slowly increasing. Clutching the filthy sheet he dragged out of the facility, he breathed, "W-where are we?"
Looking back towards the road, Cassie bluntly answered, "We're in my car."
Accepting the answer, Clark glanced back down at his hands for a brief moment before asking, "Why?"
The question slightly startled Cassie. Blinking for a couple seconds, she thought of the best way to answer without sounding condescending. "We escaped that horrible laboratory. Don't you remember?"
Furrowing his brow, Clark thought over the past couple hours. It was dark, not bright like it usually was. There was a person...with hazel eyes. Cassie...yes, it was Cassie. She opened a door. Green...everywhere. It felt like someone was stabbing him with thousands of knives. Green knives...like the ones the people use. The people...they'll be angry. He's not where he's supposed to be. 'You'll never escape!' a loud, harsh voice echoed around him. 'There is nothing beyond this!' Shaking, he brought his sheet closer to him, bunching the material in tight fists. A second voice called out to him, yet this one was softer...kinder. "Clark!"
She merely spoke his name, still waiting for a response, but he looked up at her like she yelled at him. Immediately noticing his pale face and shaky breaths, she whispered, "It's okay..." With one hand still on the wheel, she reached over and smoothed back his damp hair. "I was just wondering if you remembered." Swallowing the lump in his throat, he simply nodded.
"Okay, good," she confirmed, softly rubbing his cheek before removing her hand. She took one last glance at her mapquest directions, positive the property should be appearing at any moment. The golden sun highlighting the landscape, Cassie immediately slowed down as a lone mailbox appeared in the distance. She turned onto the gravel driveway, under the wooden plank with 'Kent Farm' engraved on it. "I guess this is it..." she muttered as she pulled to a stop.
Growing up in Metropolis, Cassie only heard about the quaint attitude in the little town called Smallville. She glanced around at the large, red barn and yellow farmhouse surrounded by sunflowers. It seemed like utopia compared to the harsh confines of the facility. "Does any of this look familiar?" she breathed, still taken away by its pure perfection. After several moments of silence, she looked over at Clark, who was mesmerized with the scene in front of him. "Clark..." she urged, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Snapping out of his stupor, he immediately jumped and looked at Cassie with tears in his eyes. "So you remember..." she whispered.
Clark sadly shook his head. "M-My dreams..." he whispered. Rubbing his wrists, he continued, "Long t-time ago..." He glanced back up at Cassie. "But they st-stopped. So long..." He turned his head towards the window and placed his hand on the cold glass. "It's real," he breathed, his voice clear with wonder.
At a lost for words, Cassie just nodded, not wanting to intervene. Clark needed time to be alone. She didn't want to disturb his memories with her presence. "Wait here..." she whispered as she stepped out of the car.
As if on cue, when she closed the car door, the front porch door swung open, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a blue flannel shirt. Jogging down the porch steps, he curiously asked, "Can I help you?" He awkwardly smiled afterward, showing he meant the question as greeting, not a threat.
Placing her keys in her jean pocket, Cassie casually walked towards the man. Glancing at the farmer as he slipped worn-out gloves on his hands, she debated how much information she should reveal. For all she knew, he could be the man who sent Clark to the laboratory to begin with. Mentally scolding herself for not preparing in the slightest bit, she stammered, "Um...yes, actually you can."
Straightening out the yellow glove, he asked, "With what, miss?"
Placing a strand of her wavy brunette hair behind her ear, she started, "You see...I'm a psychologist." She nervously bit her bottom lip as confusion continued to grow on the man's face. "And I found this...boy."
All color immediately drained from the Jonathan's face. His blue eyes wide with hope, he placed a shaky hand on the woman's shoulder. "W-Where?"
Side glancing at the black sedan, she continued, "He-" She never had a chance to finish the sentence.
Jonathan followed her glanced towards the car. His breath caught in his throat. "Clark," he lipped, seeing his son in the front seat. Before his mind even knew what he was doing, he raced towards the car and threw the side door open. Crouching down, he peered inside the car, his heart so full of relief he never noticed the fearful look in his son's eyes. "Clark," he said, his voice cracking with joy. Blinking back tears, he placed his gloved hand within the car.
His wide, frightened eyes never leaving the hand, Clark scrambled backwards across the seats. "Clark, it's me, D-Dad," Jonathon stammered as he retracted his hand. Shocked, he finally heard the voice calling behind him.
"Mr. Kent, please," the woman's voice begged as she grabbed his shoulder. Stunned beyond words, Jonathan turned around, looking for any type of explanation from the young woman. Deeply sighing, she slowly removed her hand from his shoulder. "He's...hurt."
To Be Continued...
AN: Re-reading part of the story, I've discovered somethings didn't quite add up (that's what I get for trying improv), but of course that's just me overanalyzing everything. But, just in case, if you have ANY questions or find ANY loopholes, please state them and I'll try to fix it in the next chapter. Thanks!