Chapter 15
Void
Kai flexes a finger, and tests his other ones, each individually; then sighs inwardly. Great, I still have them, at least. He opens both palms and weakly squeezes them into a ball. He swallows, his throat dry, and licks his parched lips, opening his eyes to nothing. Is it night, or this a void room like the ship that had us? He groans, closing his eyes again and reaching out a hand to touch his throbbing head. It's sticky and stings without being disturbed by any of his weak movements. He bites down on his lip until it bleeds, and moves to curl into a ball, but quickly recoils as a sharp pain shoots through his spine and leg. He strains his ears for any sounds and hears two people in a hot debate, "I said he needs to be chained up, and soon! I don't like the way Harold ended up when he tried to take him!" a deep voice shouts and something shatters.
"Relax, Leroy," a softer, feminine voice reassures his, "He's injured severely and probably broke a few ribs. He isn't going anywhere. Besides, we have hours till morning, you know; then we can chain him up."
"I'm doing it right now!" Leroy exclaims and Kai hears shuffles.
"Okay. I never stopped you. Just don't expect me to participate!" the woman calls as clinking sounds draw near.
The man mutters to himself. "Maybe I should put some of the torch lights out to make the scene more menacing. Huh, why should I be partnered with her anyway? What's so great about her?"
Is it light out or isn't it? If it is that means…I'm blind, but that couldn't be. Kai does not dare to move as cold metal clasps over his left wrist then the right one.
The man begins telling random, odd stories, "Once upon a time, there was a little girl allergic to cuteness and lived a dreary life. One day, a friend gave her a puppy named Bear on her birthday. He was so adorable that when she planted a kiss on his head, she died."
What the heck is he saying? Kai lies there listening to such nonsense.
"It looks like there was a struggle here," Jay announces, pointing to scratch marks on the wall of the hospital building and blood mixed with water.
"Jay, it looks more like Kai had a picnic outside. Duh, he fought back!" Cole rants, not quite at Jay, but is just frustrated from the recent events.
"We better follow the bloody tracks before they all wash away," Jay says.
"Why would he run here?" Lloyd speaks to himself aloud as he and Pixal rush through the birch wood forest, still finding bits of blue and black liquid, progressively becoming blacker as they press on. Lloyd skids to a halt as the tracks turn to the left and stop in front of a tree with a symbol on it; Zane's old house. He pants, his hands leaning on his knees. "Why-here?"
"We should have thought of that sooner. He did insist on going home," Pixal draws her conclusion.
"Ouch! What the heck?" Lloyd mutters.
"Are you alright?" Pixal asks.
"What? Oh, yeah, yeah; I'm fine," Lloyd lies, wincing, but turns his head away from her.
"Listen! I sense danger." Pixal whispers as a treehorn makes soft sounds in the distance.
"We need to go inside the house before the treehorns find us," Lloyd whispers back and both head for the door.