Chapter 14 - As The Cogs Grind On

Let me assure you - you have never been in that much pain, unless you yourself have been thrown into a cog that twists your body round and back on itself and you can only get out when you are thrown into a deep, dark pit where you can't see or move at all because not only are you hurting so much, but you are also tied up and in a potato sack with a rope over your mouth so that you can't scream for help. Your loved ones are close yet far, you basically have no hope of getting to them, and they are in pain as well - and you know it. You do all you can to move and get out but it only serves to make the pain worse and as you finally set yourself free, you see your most feared enemy waiting for you across the room.

There was no point in hiding, I know. He had seen me fall in. He knew where I was. He didn't move, though. He stood there, staring at me, unblinking, waiting for me to take the first move. I didn't, so we just stood there, staring at each other for ages until he said, "Come on, little girl, you know you want to go and get Toddy,"

I could feel a growl rising in my throat.

"And the children, awh, so cute. And wouldn't it be a shame if I were to -"

I pounced at him but my limbs were now so weak that I couldn't get far enough to reach him, and I landed at his feet on a mouldy potato sack that stank of rotting...flesh? I didn't want to think about how that person had got to that state - probably through the cog like I had. I shook my head to rid the thought from my mind. That wasn't my priority. I had to get rid of the Mayor before I could do anything else.

I had a plan, but it would never work. I could crawl to a corner and eat the piece of bread I had shoved in my pocket, wait for strength to come, and then force the Mayor up the cog - but they had taken the bread away from me, and even with that meager food I wouldn't have the strength to force the Mayor up there - it was so far above us, and I'm not that strong. He is. He has powers, as much as it hurts me to admit it. He is stronger than me even at the best of times. I needed Todd. With him, we were invincible.

But Todd couldn't get to me. I needed to get to him, and fast.

I tried all different things: I tried to climb through the potato sacks to get past him, I tried swinging from the sticks of metal sticking out from the walls like I was doing the monkey bars, I tried to tackle him over and over and over again, but it was to no avail. He just kept throwing me back against the concrete wall with I am the Circle and the Circle is Me. But I think he got sick of his little game after around three hours, because he left, locking the great door behind him, leaving me to die in the pit.

But I'm a fighter - I thought he should have known that. And everywhere I go I carry a penknife, incase of any attackers. I learn from my experiences, and it has helped me before, so why wouldn't it help me then? I slothed over to the door and stuck it in the lock - there was a clicking sound. I began to get hopeful. I turned it, the sound of the cog burning into my ears, and the clicking slowed to a stop.

"No..." I muttered to myself. "Don't stop now," I turned it even harder - and the tip of the knife broke off. Great. Just great. I threw it to the floor and leant against the door, sliding down to the floor and weeping. I hugged my knees tight and then, at that moment, I knew that I was going to die alone in that pit.