Chapter 6
Leo
I woke up with tears stained on my cheeks. I had just woken up from yet another nightmare. Every night it's the same thing. I see my brothers, my family battling Shredder. I'm there, but I'm not helping them. I'm just watching, smiling even, like I enjoy watching my family's torment. One by one Shredder knocks them off, tearing through their flesh and blood splattering against the ground. But they don't die, it's as if they get possessed or something. So when Shredder knocks them down, they get right back up, but they're different. Their eyes are completely red, no iris, no pupil, nothing but the deep colour of blood.
Then, they attack me. The first one knocked off is always Mikey, by baby bother. When he rises from the ground, he approaches me, slowly. I try to get up and run, but I can't. I'm frozen in place, trapped in the battle field. Mikey is moving so slowly yet so fast. And before he reaches me, Donnie comes right up beside him. Moving at the same pace. Shortly after Raph joins them. Then, the reach me and stop in their tracks. Each one of my brothers are holding a dagger. Then, they speak. They always say the same thing.
"You failed us Leo." Donnie says then stabs his dagger in my leg.
"You shouldn't have left us!" Mikey says then stabs his dagger in my arm.
"We don't need you anymore, just stay in Japan!" Raph says the final words and stabs his dagger in my chest. Then I wake up, gasping for breath.
I clenched my fist over my chest, right where the last dagger always stabs me, sometimes I can still feel it. I can still feel the hot red liquid pouring out of my chest, leg and arm as I get colder and colder. When I close my eyes, I can see my brothers torn up bodies and evil faces.
I gasp as I try to hold in my sob. I had to get my mind off this dream, this nightmare, I always get. It's been almost three weeks since I've left New York and the boat should be docking in Paris today. This is where I get off, the rest of my journey I need to make on foot and I think another boat ride after, but less long.
I shakily lift my hand over to my shoulder bag and pull out the picture of my brothers. I passed my thumb over the now smudged part of the pick due to the fact that a few weeks ago it got wet. I smiled a rather sad smile, I miss my family so much. I know that I made the right choice in leaving, but a twinge of regret hits me every time I look at this picture.
I tighten my grip on it as the corner crinkle and tears form in my eyes. I place the picture on my chest and squeeze.
"I'm sorry." I whisper as if I'm talking to my brothers, "I'm sorry for leaving you behind."
I took a shaky breath in and let it out. I had to pull myself together, let myself breath. I just kept thinking, what if my brothers saw me like this? I couldn't let them. They would be disappointed in me. Ashamed even. I left so I could get better, not worst. And get better I shall, there's no way I'm travelling all the way to Japan and come back as a failure.
"Well, at least my inner voice is gone." I told myself out loud as I prepared myself some breakfast. A slice of bread with peanut butter.
It's true, the voice is gone. I don't know how or why, but one day it just stopped. It's as if it went away and never came back. I'm unsure if it is going to come back, so I always have to prepare myself. Listen to every sound, be aware of every movement I'm making. As a ninja, I do that anyway. But I never know when I'm gonna turn around the wrong corner and the voice inside my head is going to come back. Maybe this means I'm getting better, that I'm not losing my sanity.
I unclenched my hand and looked at the now wrinkled up picture. I gave a disappointed side smile and tried to smooth it back out of my leg. I smiled a little bit before putting the picture back in the bag. Then I started to eat my breakfast. I scarfed down the slice of bread, normally I would have been more generous but today is my last day on the boat, so I didn't have to hold back.
It'll be nice to get out of this storage room. I had to move twice into two other rooms to prevent myself from being discovered. Each storage room looked the same, so my surroundings never changed. Every day for about three weeks I've lived in storage space, only coming out at night. Even then it's not that often. The time I went in the restaurant and almost got caught by the security guard leaked out and now I have a nickname. They call me 'The shadow of the ship.' I don't how I feel about that, but I think it's pretty cool.
Today, I get to sneak out during the day. I can't wait to feel the warm sun on my skin again. It's not often I go out during the day back in New York, but now it'll be a nice change. Being stuck in this tiny room for nearly 21 days is no picnic. Your legs get cramped and you can't step anywhere without knocking something over or bumping into something. So I can't wait to get out.
"Five minutes till docking time, Leo." I told myself while glancing up at the wall clock. We are suppose to arrive in Paris at 9:15 am. And if all goes according to my plan, I should be the first one off the ship.
Five minutes pass and it's time for my plan to take action. By this time everyone is on the deck, ready to get off, well...all the remaining passengers that it. So it's time for me to sneak out. I grab my shoulder bag with everything already packed in it, then I creak open the door. I swing my head from side to side to make sure it's all clear. When I'm assured that nobody's coming, I make a run for it.
Once I'm in the hallway, I jump up onto the ceiling pipes. Hanging upside down, I climb and inch my way forward. The pipes go up until the second floor, so I have until then when I really sneak around in case of any last minute people still in their rooms.
I jump down from the pipes and land with a silent thud. I ran the rest of the way through the second floor and then the first. All the way until I made it to the top deck. I peeked up the stairwell, as I suspected, everyone was gathering at the very tip of the boat. We were almost docked, just pulling in now.
My adrenaline started pumping through my veins as I came out of the shadows and dashed to the very back of the boat, where no one was standing. Before I left, I gave one last look at the boat. Nearly three weeks I've spent on this thing, and I'm happy to get off. I couldn't help but smile.
I'm half way there. I thought to myself as I finished gazing over the ocean and the ship. Then, I jumped off, grabbing the boat's railing as I did so. I hit the side of the boat and had to bit my lower lip to prevent myself from crying out in pain. It didn't hurt that much, but the impact was hard enough to make a person shout.
I didn't stay hanging for long. I had to be on the move. The ship finally stopped and the stairs were lowering so people could get off. Sliding my hands along the edge and swinging my body, I managed to make it to the stairs. Everyone was pushed to the other side of the boat so they could lower the stairs safely. This worked out perfectly for me. With a kick off the side of the boat, I flung myself on the stairs for a brief second before quickly jumping off and disappearing from sight. I went unnoticed and my plan worked out just the way I wanted it too.
I was crouched behind a near by dumpster, I have no idea why the have one so near to the docking port but I'm just thankful they did. I peeked over top of it, just now people were getting off the ship, completely unaware of a mutant turtle just a few feet away. And as people were gathering to greet either their loved ones or a bunch of tourist, I decided to make my move. While everyone was distracted, I slowly crept from behind the dumpster and dashed to the nearest building. If I assumed correctly, I am in upper Normandy. Just a couple of miles away I would be right in Paris France. I'll pass through there and make my way across Europe to Asia and travel by another boat from North Korea to Japan.
With the nearest building in sight, I climbed up and rested on the roof top for a second. It was funny, this scenery kinda looks like New York except the buildings are smaller and further apart. Nothing I can't handle, but it makes me miss home a little.
"I'll be back soon." I whispered to myself and glided my hand over my shoulder bag, where the picture of my brothers layed safely in. I took one last deep breath before sighing and start to jump from roof to roof, the ninja's best way to travel. I just prayed that my next rest stop in Paris France will come sooner then expected.
I ran for three days straight, non stop, all day and all night. By the time I got to Paris I was exhausted. My eyes felt every and every muscle in my body was screaming for me to slow down and stop. But I had to keep going, no matter how much my body was aching, I had to make it a little further until I can stop. There had to be an abandoned building here somewhere, I just had to make it out of this town. Maybe near the border. If Paris was anything like New York, there's bound to be an abandoned warehouse or factory somewhere. But my luck was poor since I'm right in the middle of a town.
"Man, Donnie would love it here." I said to myself. There was a bunch of old museums of national history and cultural buildings. Donnie's in to that kind of stuff, history and science and what not. Mikey would definitely love all the local coffee shops around here too. Raph, well I don't know what he would enjoy. But if he could take Lily to the Eiffel Tower I'm sure he would enjoy himself.
What about me? I thought to myself as I jumped from yet another roof, what would I love to do in Paris? Honestly, I don't know the answer. It would be cool to see all the tourist attractions, but that's just my problem, they're tourist attractions. I wouldn't be able to show my face, so I don't plan to stay in Paris for too long. Maybe a day or two at most, just to rest up.
For half the day, I ran looking for shelter. The sun was just below high noon, it must be at least around two. But still, it was scorching hot. And for the countless hours that I have been running, I still never made it out of the city. It was huge, endless rows of buildings and sidewalks and roads as far as the eye could see. Now I'm in the rustic part of Paris, just past the Eiffel Tower, getting in the section of apartments, little bakeries and shops.
I paused, stopping dead in my tracks as I skidded to a halt. Something felt off. I knew something was wrong, I just didn't know what. The air felt more hot and musty. The wind was picking and dust seemed to be flying. I took in a shaky breath. The air tasted bitter. Something instead me told me to run, run as far and fast as I can. To get away. But for some reason I stayed. Drawn to this mysterious feeling in the air, my curiosity spiking by the second. Then, I heard an ear popping and bone shattering noise that almost caused me to lose my balance.
I quickly glanced over my shoulder and felt my eyes stretch wide with fear and shock. Just a few buildings away from me, fire and smoke were going up and screams could be heard. The building was crumbling and then the next and the next. My heart clenched in fear and anxiety. This time, I decided to run.
The fire and smoke was catching up to me, blurring my vision and making my eye tear up. The black cloud was soaking into my lungs, making me gag. I was unable to scream out in terror when I felt the ground beneath my feet began to crumble. I was so close to the next building, just a few more steps I would be able to jump. But sooner then I knew it, the last brick I was able to stand on fell from my foot, unable to carry my weight. Then, I fell.
Images of the night that my brothers and I defeated the technodrome flashed through my memory. Once again the feeling of free falling course through my body and fear came over me. Tears were leaking out of my eyes, partly out of fear and partly from the wind and smoke. I tried to take in a breath but burst out in a fit of coughing. The only I could do is cover my face and wait for the impacted.
I don't know how much time has passed. I could hear nothing but an insane ringing in my hear and my entire body screamed in pain. I tried to open my but got was met with nothing but darkness. A heavy weight was pressing down on my body. I tried to move, I shifted and felt things move above me. I flinched as the minimal movement caused shooting pain to run up and down my tired body.
Deep breaths, Leo, deep breaths. I thought to myself and tried to breath. Nothing. No oxygen was getting through to me, only dust...and smoke. The fire must still be going, and gradually I could hear the screams. The chaos. Get up! I screamed to myself in my thoughts. I forced my body up and push through the pile of bricks I must be under. I was met with a gust of dirty wind, louder screams and the roar of a blazing fire.
It was so hot and my mouth was so dry. I couldn't see anything either. I was blinding, but not by darkness. The only colour I could see was red. I gaped open my mouth slightly and tasted the gut wrenching taste of iron and salt. But I had not time to stand here, I knew I was out in the open so I had to run. Trying to make my was through everything, I finally felt the cool steel of a fire escape. I climbed up the tall building and nearly collapsed. I managed to stay on my feet.
I tried to steady my breathing, knowing that I had to get away as soon as possible. But I couldn't see. I tried to wipe my eyes, but more red just kept filling them. I wiped my finger just below my brow and felt it. I felt two deep cuts running horizontally across my face, just above my eyes. This is the source, the reason why I can't see. Blood kept gushing from that certain spot, running down my face and into my eyes. But it wasn't just that, a deep pain came from behind my eyes. I didn't know why, maybe because of the cut. The only thing I could think about was how tired I am and how much I wanted to collapse.
I shook my head, feeling the blood splatter, I had to get out of here. Run as far as possible. But how could I run when I can't see? But I had to go. So I did. I charged forward, praying that I could sense when to jump. I felt my feet give out as my flesh burned. But I gave one jump and launched myself forward. For a split second when I was in the air, I thought everything was going to be okay. For a brief moment I lost all my worries and just concentrated on the air. Then, I landing. Just barely on the edge, I slipped backwards and gripped the building so I wouldn't fall. I slammed into the side wall, hard. Scraping my face against the bricks, I climbed up.
I continued to run, blinding by blood trickling out of my face. I wanted to cry, but it stung. Every time I blinked, it stung. Each time I put pressure on my feet, I wanted to stop moving. I could almost feel the burnt flesh underneath my bandages wrapped around my ankle. I could almost picture what I looked like, feeling every little scrap or bruise. Yet I couldn't look. I couldn't make sure where each one of my injuries are and which ones are serious or minor. I felt lost in my own world, the world of red.
The energy was draining fast from my body. I couldn't breath properly for smoke kept filling my lungs. Dirt and wind was whipping against my face, feeling as if the wind itself was cutting me. My feet throbbed against the roofs of buildings, each step and new pain shot through my veins. I couldn't keep this up much longer. So I gave one final leap and landing on a building I don't know how far from the fire.
I staggered on my feet, rocking back and forth as I struggled to keep my balance and dizziness took over me once more. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but couldn't. I couldn't stop my body from shutting down this time. I knew I was near an edge, I just didn't know which one. But all I know is that I fell. I didn't even feel fear this time, I was to tired to do anything. To even feel.
I hit something. I didn't fall for long, only a couple of feet until I hit something. It was flat, like a surface. It was cold and hard, like metal. My body landed on it with a thump. It hurt, but I didn't scream. I didn't have enough energy to scream. I just laid there unmoving. I wanted to cry out for help, but my mouth was so dry and sticky I couldn't. It was sickly.
Where ever I was, I heard movement. Just the slightest bit, like running footsteps or something. I felt a small gush of air on my face. As if something swung open or something flew pass me. Then, I heard a voice. It was very distant, as if in the back of my mind, but it was beautiful. Soft and comforting. I wanted set thing with the voice to come closer, to hold me and say everything in alright. But now I couldn't even tell if I actually heard it or not. I never made out what it said, but it was like music to my ears. I smiled. I turned my head towards the direction I thought I heard it. I wanted to open my eyes, but all I could see was a deep red I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or close. Darkness started to creep into my vision. My smile faded. Panic started rising inside me. I needed to hear that voice one last time before I black out of exhaustion and pain. So I managed to cry out for help. It came out as a whisper, but I hope the voice heard me. For I could do nothing else, I no longer felt air inside my lungs as I gave in to the darkness that surrounds me.
Well...it's been a long time, sorry about that. Hope this chapter made up for the long wait! Thanks for reading, and I always appreciate a review! Thanks!
