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Chapter 9: The True Rescue

– A couple of weeks later –

They had done horrible things to Elliott. She wasn't sure how long she'd been with them, but probably two to three weeks or something like that. And she hated every moment.

Today, Elliott, Jacob and Lloyd were walking around, searching for food. They were trying to teach her, but they weren't good teachers at all. Right now they were walking down a long tunnel when, suddenly, they saw someone at the end of it, walking towards them. It was just a silhouette, so Elliott's first thought was that it was a Styx. But when the person came closer, she realized this wasn't the case.

"Shit," said Jacob, "It's Drake!"

"No, it can't be."

"Yes, it is! Look at his eye! It's definitely Drake, but what the hell is he doing here?" Elliott had no idea who this Drake person was, but Jacob and Lloyd seemed to be afraid of him.

Soon they were so close to him that Elliott could see his face. He looked like a normal guy, maybe around 25 years old, but she wasn't sure. He looked strong. But his most startling feature was the thing he had across his right eye. Elliott had no idea what it was supposed to be, but it gave off a soft orange glow.

"Hello, guys," said the man who obviously was named Drake.

"Hello, Drake. What the heck are you doing here?" asked Lloyd, glaring at Drake. He was clearly irritated.

Drake glared back. "I can be wherever I want to be."

"You can, but you really shouldn't. This is our part of the Deeps, and you know that, don't you?"

"It's not yours," Drake stubbornly contradicted. He seemed to notice Elliott for the first time, who stood at Jacob's left side, a bit behind. "Who's that?"

"Why do you care?"

"Is it a girl? A little Styx girl! What's she doing down here?"

"I'm not a bloody Styx!" Elliott blurted. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything, but she was so tired of people calling her a Styx all the time. She looked Drake in his eye – the left one, his right was covered by that weird thing – and maybe it was just an illusion but she seemed to notice a bit of compassion in his expression.

"Alright, I'm sorry. But you're little, and you shouldn't be down here. Especially not with these guys."

"I ran away from home. The Styx want me."

"I see," Drake murmured. Elliott instantly decided that she liked him. Not that she knew anything about him – he could be a murderer or something. But he reminded her of her dad. "Guys, isn't it a bit difficult to take care of her? I mean you've already got a hard time finding food. And now you have to play Mummy too, taking care of this girl."

"My name's Elliott."

"Taking care of Elliott, then. Anyway, if you want me to, I can take her instead. She'll have a good time with me."

"Never!" objected Jacob.

"Are we going to fight about it?" Drake smiled as if he knew who would win.

"Why do you even care?" Lloyd said.

"I'd like some help. It's starting to get a little lonely down here. And I feel sorry for her. No one should have to suffer living with you – I have a strong feeling you're not good mummies at all."

"You sound like a fucking priest."

Still smiling, Drake pulled out a gun and pointed it at Lloyd. "Leave her to me. Don't move any closer, just go back slowly and let me take care of her. Or else I'll shoot."

"You wouldn't dare." Lloyd's voice was shaking, and both his and Jacob's eyes were filled with fear.

"Are you serious? After all you've done to me? Of course I'll shoot. You almost killed me once. You wanted to kill me. But you didn't succeed, although I know you wish you did. Of course I'll shoot. And you know it. You know I won't hesitate for one moment. So do as I say, now. Or do you wish to die?"

Lloyd and Jacob glanced at each other fast, and then they started to slowly back up. Elliott now stood between Drake and her two former companions, trying to appear calm even though her body was trembling.

"Come here," Drake commanded, and Elliott approached him slowly until she stood by his side. Drake took off his backpack, still brandishing his gun in his large hand. "Elliott. That was your name, wasn't it? Look in the bag for a match and a little bottle with gasoline." Elliott found the two things quickly and showed them to him. "Exactly. Now, take the gasoline and put it over the floor between them and us. Then set fire to it." Elliott did as he said, and soon a huge wall of fire stood between Drake and Elliott, and Jacob and Lloyd.

"We're not finished with you Drake! We'll find you, I swear!" Lloyd screamed over the crackling fire. Drake finally put away his gun and smiled once more.

"I'm not finished with you two, either!" he screamed back. Drake swung his backpack onto his back walked away from the scene, Elliott beside him.

"So, tell me, Elliott," Drake said when they couldn't hear the fire anymore. "Why are you here?" When Elliott only stared at him with wide eyes instead of replying, he stopped walking and looked her in the eyes. "I know what those idiots did to you, okay? But I'm not like them. Those guys are more like animals than humans. They're completely insane." Drake stopped talking, scratching his unshaved jaw. "Anyway. I promise, I won't hurt you. Okay?" Elliott nodded. She liked him. He really reminded her of her dad, even though they looked completely different.

"Are you a Topsoiler?" she asked. She had never seen anyone with brown hair before. Just white, in some cases blond, and black.

"Yes, I am," Drake laughed. It was a laugh, but it sounded so sad. "It's been such a long time since I was last up there that I almost don't remember what it was like, though."

"My dad's been up there. He always told me stories about it."

Drake nodded and smiled, something he seemed to do often. "Your dad sounds nice." Elliott nodded agreeably. "You don't have to tell me, but I'd really like to know what you're doing down here."

"I ran away. My dad is…" Elliott began, but she changed her mind. "My dad was a Styx. And my mum's a Colonist. So they had to keep me a secret. But the Styx know, and they've hurt my dad and my mum's always worrying. All I did in the Colony was be afraid of spies, and that's not a life. So I had to run away."

"I see," Drake murmured. "So your dad's a Styx, then?" He scratched his jaw again.

"Yes," Elliott conceded. "But a nice one," she hurried to add. Drake nodded.