Lori: I'm gonna have to put a disclaimer for this chapter and say it's rated M for some er, squicky moments. You'll know what I mean when you read them.
Jaeh: I have to say, and please nobody shoot me, that I like those squicky moments. -_-
"We need medical assistance near the carousel …"
"The victim appears dehydrated, and he's been buried alive…"
Shouted commands filled the area, everyone speaking into their mouthpieces and radios at the same time. Sadusky shouted orders to his agents. Flashlights immediately turned on, sweeping randomly towards the coffin. Every person in the area seemed to be running somewhere, and voices echoed eerily in the underground. Organized chaos, Riley would say.
But Ben didn't notice.
All he noticed was Riley's frantic breathing, his closed eyes and his pale face, the bruises and wounds on his arms and his neck, barely visible in the dim light. He didn't feel the people jostling against him; all he felt was Riley's cold hands squeezing his tightly. He didn't hear the crunching of the gravel, the screams of orders. All he heard was his own voice trying to soothe Riley, telling him that they're getting help and that they're getting him out of here, and that everything was going to be okay…
"Sir? We have a problem."
That Ben heard. "What problem?" He asked urgently, even before Sadusky could say anything. The agent hesitated, but Sadusky gestured at the agent to go on.
"Sir, the ambulance couldn't get in. Half of the carnival is on fire, and the gates are blocked by burning tents and buildings…"
Sadusky uttered a curse under his breath, and started blaring out new orders. He made the paramedics maneuver through the carnival with a stretcher and wait by the carousel.
The men began to help carry Riley out of the carousel, and slowly they made their way back into the light. Ben helped Riley into the stretcher, and they headed off towards the gates.
He didn't realize how much of the place was on fire.
Everything burned. The tents were slowly turning to ash, and the buildings collapsed as the fire ate everything in sight.
They continued through the carnival, trying to stay as far away from the blazing heat as possible, which was proving increasingly difficult.
Suddenly a flaming wooden pole crashed onto the ground in front of them. Everyone scattered for a brief moment but it was enough time for Ben and Riley to be separated from the agents by a wall of fire… and Ben knew in his gut this wasn't an accident.
Devin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and Ben barely had any time to react. With frightening quickness he leapt towards Riley, half-dragging him out of the stretcher with one hand and whipping out a knife with the other. Riley barely had processed what had happened before he was once again in the clutches of the psychopath. Devin grinned and slashed the knife towards Ben if he dared to come forward, and threatened to cut Riley's throat up.
The madman dragged Riley into a burning building, without a word to Ben.
Ben instantly dashed after Devin. He glanced back to see that the building's front had collapsed, and Ben had no choice but to follow Devin through the burning building. He grabbed his handkerchief and pressed it to his nose, and ran through the smoke and heat.
He could barely see anything. "Riley!" Ben screamed. "Riley!"
Fire suddenly leapt up inside him, matching the fire blazing around him. He wanted to destroy this man. Ben dodged and slid, narrowly missing a falling beam. The smoke was suffocating, but Ben thought he could see light in the distance.
"Ben!" Someone shrieked with a cough.
"Mr. Gates… Welcome to hell. The exit's on the other side." A chilling laugh broke through the haze, and Ben growled. Devin, if you don't let him go, I swear, this place will be your hell.
Ben waved a hand to clear his vision, and emerged coughing into the open. The Ferris wheel loomed like a giant before him, but Ben paid it no mind. Instead, he focused on Devin cackling before him, pulling Riley along. Devin grinned madly. "Hi, Ben." Devin said, waving his fingers. "I'm going to kill your little friend. Here to watch? Where are your tickets?"
Ben's heart beat faster. He knew that Devin would actually do it, and he knew he had to act fast. "Let him go, Devin."
"No." Devin said simply, and smiled. He bowed a little, waving his knife. "This is the last part of my act, Ben. Don't take it away from me."
Ben growled. "Don't you dare hurt him."
"Or what?" Devin laughed. "There's nothing you can do, Ben."
Riley's eyes pleaded with Ben. The techie wasn't even speaking. He just stared at Ben, begging for him to do something.
Devin smirked at Ben, deliberately tracing the knife along Riley's neck, drawing a thin line of scarlet in its wake.
"Let go of him," Ben said, his voice nothing but steel and ice.
Riley had his eyes closed tightly, a small whimper escaping him when the knife was placed almost delicately on his neck.
"Oh, Ben… your friend was such a treat to have…" Devin grinned his other hand smoothing back Riley's brown hair.
"He was just delicious." With that, he licked the side of Riley's face and Riley shuddered in disgust and fear. Devin kept his eyes on Ben and enjoyed the look of fury and shock that crossed it.
"If you don't let him go I'm going to kill you." Ben circled Devin. "Let. Him. Go." He was tense, ready to fight. Ben's fists curled and tightened.
He would get Riley back, even if it meant killing someone. Or even if it meant being killed himself.
"B-Ben…" Riley finally spoke, his hoarse voice barely audible over the fire. "It's okay. J-Just… get yourself out of here."
"Isn't that sweet," Devin chuckled. "He knows it's over Ben. Why can't you accept it?"
"I'm not letting him take you, Riley," Ben told his friend. "I promised he wouldn't hurt you."
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."Devin held the blade close to Riley neck. Riley couldn't even struggle because of how close the blade was. "Now, let's give Riley his final rites, shall we?" Devin backed away little by little, and dragged Riley off towards one direction.
"Devin, I swear I –"
"We therefore commit his body to the ground…" Devin breathed, a mad grin on his face. He waved the knife a little in gesture. "…earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection…!" He gave a little dramatic pause, and menace glinted in his eyes. "…to eternal life.
"I hope you enjoyed our time together as much as I enjoyed it, Riley."
Riley was frozen, unable to do anything. Devin had him again and there was nothing he could do but wait for the blade to make him bleed and bleed…
He felt a sudden tug behind him, and the knife reopened a small wound on his shoulder. He trembled as the knife pressed down against his spine, tracing over his vertebrae.
This is how I die, right? I survive being buried alive only to be stabbed clean through. I guess it'll be quicker though…
I wonder how it will feel.
Suddenly the knife, and Devin's unwanted grip disappeared. Riley stood still in shock then he spun around to see what was happening.
Ben held Devin's wrist back, the knife glinting dangerously in the light. Devin forced his hand against Ben, and Ben pushed against it. He kneed Devin in the stomach, who doubled over, but recovered by slamming the back of his hand against Ben's cheek.
Devin punched Ben under the jaw and smacked him on the nose. A trickle of blood appeared on Ben's cut lip, and his nose bled. Devin slammed his palm against Ben's temple, and Ben blinked, dazed.
Riley watched in horror as Devin twisted Ben around, catching him with a tight grip, and the knife hovered dangerously over Ben's collar. Riley backed away a little, and his hand hit something sharp. He grabbed it without even looking, never taking his eyes off Ben and Devin.
"So, Ben... You said you wanted to be in Riley's place! Well now... here you go!" Devin laughed, and casually made a little cut just under Ben's jaw line. The wound drew blood, and Devin swiped his knife against Ben's skin, and licked it. "Mmmmhm, you taste good, Ben. Maybe I should have played with you, too."
Riley let out a strangled cry, and tackled Devin from behind. He knocked away the knife, and Ben rolled away. "Riley!" He shouted, and watched as Riley wrestled with Devin.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM DEVIN!" Riley screamed. Something glinted in Riley's hand, and Devin screamed when Riley stabbed him with it.
The glass shone against the light, stained with red.
Devin threw Riley back hard enough to make him see stars. Riley landed on his back, all the wind knocked out of him. He watched as Devin pulled the shard from his back, and ran towards the Ferris wheel.
Devin turned to them a mad grin on his face. "I told you we'd get to play on this." He hit something in the control panel and the Ferris wheel groaned and slowly began to move.
Devin jumped onto the nearest gondola, and Ben jumped after him.
Riley followed, but had to catch the next one. "BEN!" He screamed. But Ben didn't seem to hear him.
Devin laughed at Ben's persistence; his menace seemed to reach a point of hysteria. "Ben! I have to say you really are the determined one!"
Ben didn't answer him, but he threw himself forward causing Devin to smack his head on the metal pole.
"I'm going to kill you," Ben snarled. "I'm going to kill you for what you did to Riley."
Devin's knife suddenly cut into Ben's arm and Ben cried out, stumbling back.
"Ben, Ben, Ben," Devin breathed, a mad grin on his face as red firelight reflected off of it. "Don't you see? This is how the world works. I'm just speeding along the process, making it a lot more fun. Like this carnival. It would have been destroyed anyway, and yet here I am, making a masterpiece out of it first before it disappears…"
Devin positioned himself over Ben, the knife over his chest. "Riley fought against it at first, but it was inevitable. I had to break him down. You have to erode a rock before you can smash it…" He inhaled deeply. "…and it was fun. Breaking him was so much fun…"
As Devin continued his madman's rant, Ben's mind raced for a way out of his precarious position. He suddenly brought his elbow up and it smashed into the side of Devin's face. Devin weakened his grip long enough for him to kick Devin to the side of the small car.
Devin let out an angry snarl and through himself back at Ben, slamming him to the side. Ben almost lost his balance and fell out but he caught himself.
He pushed Devin on the floor, and threw a punch to the jaw. Devin spat blood, but Ben kept throwing punches until Devin's jaw broke. Devin's face was black and blue all over, and red was smeared everywhere.
Devin pushed him up against the gondola door, and the hinges rattled. A fist flew and hit Ben's nose, and Ben kneed the psycho in the stomach. Devin flipped out his knife, and Ben held him by the wrist, banging it against the edge of the windows until the knife fell to the streets blow, hitting the other gondolas with loud metallic clangs as it fell.
Ben slammed Devin against the door, banging the psycho's head against the gondola windows, banging his head over and over. Devin growled and elbowed him in the chest, throwing him off to the door's side. Devin charged, and Ben dropped sideways onto a chair, and the hinges went loose.
Devin slid out, and caught the edge of the floor with his fingers. The gondola tipped dangerously, and Ben held on fast to keep from falling watched warily as Devin attempted to pull himself up with crimson-stained fingers.
"Ben? You'll never let a man fall to his doom, won't you?"
Devin's hand slipped, and he scrambled to keep his grip on the edge. "Help me, Ben! What are you waiting for?!"
Ben looked at him with hard eyes, and Devin paused, fear clouding his expression. Then Ben said, "No."
Devin's eyes widened with fear and uncertainty, and his fingers slipped. The gondola swung back and forth, and Ben held on as he watched Devin plummet to his death, into the smoldering chaos below.
Ben was exhausted when the Ferris wheel finally stopped onto the ground. He stumbled out and wasn't surprised to feel Abigail's arms go around him. He winced as he tried to murmur comfort to Abigail. It was only then that he felt the bruises and wounds on his body. He raised a finger to swipe off caked blood from his cheek.
He looked blearily around to see most of the fire was put out. Smoldering ash and cinder floated into the sky, painting the orange sky with specks of gray.
"Ben!" Sadusky ran forward. "We saw what happened. We have people looking for the body now."
"Where's Riley?" Ben whispered. "He's okay right?" He found Abigail's hand, and Abigail squeezed Ben's fingers reassuringly.
Sadusky hesitated. "He's… well, he's with the paramedics now, but… well, follow me. I'll take you to him. I think he needs you two right now."
Lori: There should be one more chapter after this one.
Jaeh: We're almost done?! Check out the question right dooooowwwwwnnnnn - oh, there it is. xD
QUESTION: We were going to put this on a poll but no one looks at those things anyway lol. Who here would be interested in a sequel solely about Riley recovering psychologically (and physically)? PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE THE REVIEW FOR THE CHAPTER IF YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION.