“That’s the problem,” James nodded.
I walked from one end of the bars to the other trying to see anything.
“I might be able to get us somewhere but I don’t know about the guards. It doesn’t seem like there is many that ever comes down here. But we can’t see much,” James waved his hands to the bar.
Chase? Chase, can you hear me?
“Hm, let’s just sit it out for awhile. See how often they come now.”
“Okay,” James agreed.
“Maybe they’ll come more with both of us down here now.”
“It’s possible.”
We went back and sat against the wall.
I looked over at James. “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?”
He smiled.
Chase, if you can hear me. I’ll be listening for you.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - ABIGAIL
The cold metal was pressed up against my face as I tried to see as far down the hallway as I could. We had already observed two guard visits but we wanted to make sure that we were going to be able to get out as safely as possible. We had a plan.
“James, James!” I whispered waving my hand back at him.
“What? Are they coming?”
“Yes, act normal. Go, go,” I turned to face him going to sit against the stone beside him.
That’s when we could hear their footsteps echo off the stone.
“Abigail, that sounds like more than usual,” he whispered.
“How many do you think? Three?”
“Five or six, I’d say.”
I looked over to him with wide eyes. “Why, do you think?”
“Hard to say,” he shrugged. “Shh, they’re almost here.”
I pulled my knees into my body wrapping my arms around them. I rested my chin on my knees as I closed my eyes.
Chase, can you hear me? I wonder how everyone is. I wonder if they are okay. I wonder if I’ll be okay.
I heard the metal ring as one of them dragged a pole along the bars.
“Get up,” one of them growled at us.
I opened my eyes to see that James’ guess was right. There were six guards standing in a row on the other side of the bars. I looked over at James.
“Get up!” The guard in front of the door yelled.
James held his hand out helping me to my feet as he rose to his. As soon as we stood as if in one swift movement the door was open and all six guards were now inside the cave with us. I pressed myself against the wall, James didn’t move.
“Move.”
We didn’t even have time to obey the order. Two guards grabbed James by the arms, starting to drag him along. Two more guards came and grabbed me, pulling me to the other side of the cave. One stood in front of us to block most of my view.
“James! Hey! Let me go!” I yelled, trying to squirm out of their grip. It was useless though. They were much stronger than I.
They all started to laugh.
“He has her calling him James. Adam why would you do such a thing?” They mocked.
“Let me go!” I struggled to try and get out of their grip.
The last guard who had done all the talking turned to me and smiled. “What a mistake, my dear, trying to find Chase. You should have known people were listening in. You are never going to find him and now this poor man will pay for your actions.”
Tears immediately came to my eyes. “No! That isn’t fair! Leave him! Take me!”
As if they had a moment of sympathy, they let James and I face each other. A tear rolled down my cheek as soon as I looked at him.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I knew my time would come eventually. You have been a great friend to me. Now you have to find your friends and my son. Tell him that his father was a good man and that I am forever sorry that I never got to see him again.” He smiled the warmest smile. “And make sure that you kick Limbo’s ass.”
The leader of the group lifted the metal rod, quickly smashing it across James’ head. I closed my eyes as more tears escaped. When I opened them again, I watched as they dragged James’ limp body down the hallway.
The leader turned back to me getting only inches from my face. “How does it feel to have the destruction of a whole entire world sitting on your shoulders? This was your fault you know.”
He was right. I was the one that opened the chapel doors that seem to set off the chain of reactions.
“Why do you care? You got what you wanted didn’t you?”
My response seemed to catch him off guard.
After a moment the two guards pulled on my arms dragging me to the door and down the hall the opposite way they had taken James. Sadness washed over me because I knew that was probably going to be the last time I saw him.
“Where are you taking me?” I questioned, trying to twist from their grip again.
“Shut up!” They both pulled on my arms dragging me forward.
As we turned the corner along the left side there were steel doors, which I assumed all held helpless people. So I decided to change my tactic.
“Help! Someone help!” I yelled, twisting in their arms.
“Oh, Abigail.”
I was immediately forced to a stop. As I turned my head I watched all of the men bow their heads and I was released.
“Jesus, thank you,” I said shaking out my arms. As I looked up to see what made for the abrupt stop I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Ugh, it’s you. Exactly who I didn’t want to see today.”
Aaron had his hands behind his back as his black cloak flowed all around him. “Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you.”
“What do you want?”
“I should be asking you that question, my dear,” as he walked towards me all of the guards stepped out of the way.
“You know why I am here.”
He began to laugh. “You are looking for Chase.”
“Where is he?”
“Oh, no,” he was inches from my face, smiling. He turned his back to me walking a circle around me. “No, no, no. First, we have a few matters of business to take care of. Come with me.”
“Excuse me?”
As he turned his cloak swooshed through the air. A guard that was behind me gave me a hard push on the shoulder making me stumble forward. I shot a glare back at him before following behind Aaron. As he walked it looked as if he was floating.
When we got to the end of the hall it opened into a large room that must have been a hundred stories high and just as wide. When I saw what was in the middle I stopped cold.
No, it can’t be. There’s no way.
“Get moving!” Again I was pushed. I slowly walked forward towards what looked exactly like my tree, but the only difference was that almost all of the leaves covered the branches, there was only a few that laid on the floor.
I looked down at my arm, seeing that the tree on my arm was almost naked.
There’s no way they are the same. This one is full of leaves. How is it full of leaves down here?
As I looked back up I was only inches from running into Aaron. Taking a step back I realized that we were now standing a few feet from the trunk of the tree. The closer I looked at it my brain began to put the pieces together. It looked exactly the same as the City of Spirits.
“Something look familiar?” Aaron’s voice seemed to cut through me.
“What?” I was still having a hard time processing.
He grabbed my arm with such a tight grip that I knew it would leave a bruise. He pulled it up so that it was in between us.
“What’s this? Sure looks familiar to me,” he nodded his head towards the tree.
In one sudden movement, he tugged on my arm beginning me closer to the tree. I felt hands on my back pushing me along as well.
“No, please! Please, don’t! No!” I tried to pull my arm from his grip but it was as there was cement around it.
He forced my hand against the tree and immediately it felt like my heart had stopped. Energy pulsed through my body but I couldn’t figure out
if it felt good or bad.
Chase—
As soon as I thought his name a searing pain throbbed in my right arm. I tried to lift my other hand to cover it to try and relieve some of the pain but the guards restrained me. I began to scream in pain. I had never felt something so horrible in my life. Not even Chase healing my breaking bones didn’t hurt as bad as this did. I looked down to see that where the mark of my tree began to bubble as if it was burning from the inside out.
“Stop this! Please! Just stop! What do you want?!” I cried as I looked over at Michael who was reveling in my pain.
“My dear, Abigail,” he laughed pushing my hand harder into the tree, making me scream in pain. “This is exactly what I wanted.”
Just when I thought that my body wasn’t able to take any more pain all of the men released me letting me fall to the ground. Instinctually my body curled into a ball I held my arm close to my chest, pulling my head in as close as possible. When I didn’t feel anymore attack I looked over my shoulder to see Aaron going down the hallway that we had just came from and the guards had disappeared.
I looked down at my arm to see that my beautiful tree was hardly recognizable. It was covered with red blistery burns that made my skin looks like melted plastic. I looked over my shoulder to see a leaf float back up to the tree.
It can’t be.
I tried to put my other hand over it but it hurt too much. Instead, I pulled my arm back into my chest laying my head on the floor as I began to cry again.
What have they done? What have I done?
***Chase***
As I opened my eyes, all of my pain began to radiate through my body. The only light that my eyes had to adjust to was the small amount that came in from the small gap at the top and bottom of the door. I was in some sort of cell. There was a large metal door and the other three walls were stone. The cell must have been no bigger than four feet by four feet. Due to that my whole body felt ceased. I nodded my head from left to right and felt the pain crawl down my spine. I placed my hands under my body trying to push up. I closed my eyes as the pain tingled.
Abigail? Anyone? If you can hear me say anything. At all. Please.
Once standing I began to walk back and forth in my little area to try and work my kinks out. After a few minutes, I knew that it wouldn’t do any good so I began my daily inspection of the door. Every day I would find a different imperfection but still wasn’t able to find a way to try and get out.
I turned away. I couldn’t focus on much for too long. I was losing my mind and I knew it. I placed my forearms on the cold stone, leaning my head on my arms.
“Help! Someone help!”
My heart stopped beating in my chest.
It can’t be her.
“Oh, Abigail,” Aaron laughed.
I have completely lost my mind.
I pushed myself off the wall and turned to face the door as if I would be able to see what was happening on the other side.
“Jesus, thank you. Ugh, it’s you. Exactly who I didn’t want to see today.”
That sounds like her sass.
“Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you,” I knew his voice anywhere.
“What do you want?”
“I should be asking you that question, my dear.”
Wait a second... why is she here? In Limbo? What happened?
“You know why I am here.”
I heard Aaron laugh. “You are looking for Chase.”
“Where is he?”
Oh no. No. No. NO! Why did she do this? Where’s Ryan?
“Oh no. No, no, no. First, we have a few matters of business to take care of. Come with me.”
“Excuse me?”
I could hear movement and I knew that he was taking her away from me.
“No, Abigail! I’m right here! Come back!” I was saying the words but I couldn’t hear anything come out of my mouth.
Abigail! I’m here! Can you hear me? Please hear me!
Suddenly I hear screaming. I knew it was her. I tried to yell again but nothing came out. I slammed my fists against the wall. I felt hopeless. I heard more struggling and then suddenly so much pain ran through my body it made me fall to the floor in a ball. I knew at the moment this was happening to Abigail too, and there was nothing I could do to help her.
Then there was more light in my room then there has been in what seemed like years. Then it was blocked again. I rolled my head over to see Aaron standing in front of me.
He snickered as he knelt down beside me. “Oh Chase, if only she knew.”
Just as I was about to answer he waved his hand through the air. My whole body seized with pain.
“This is your last warning, bother.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - ABIGAIL
When I was able to breathe again I pushed myself to my feet. Slowly I made my way to the doorway, making sure not to look back at the tree. I didn’t want to see it anymore. It didn’t make sense.
How is it possible? Aren’t the Worlds supposed to be made equally?
I turned down the hallway that I had come from. There, along the right side of the hallway was seven metal doors. Each one had a small hole covered by another small piece of metal that slid over and locked.
Cells. Horrible.
I walked over to the first one and pulled on the door. It didn’t move. I moved to the next one and did the same thing. Again it didn’t move, nor did the third.
Is there no one in them? Why don’t I hear anyone?
When I got to the fourth door though I noticed that the door wasn’t flush to the stone wall like the rest of the doors previous. When I pulled slightly it moved. I looked either direction down the hall before peeking around the door into the cell. The only light in the cell came from the torches lit in the hall. I could hardly see but it looked as if there was something in there.
“Hello?” I pulled on the door as hard as I could. The door scraped along the stone floor. I stepped around to see what it was. I looked down the hallway again before slowly kneeling down.
“Hello?” I whispered. There was a slight moan. “Hello? Are you okay? Do you need help?”
“Abigail?”
Everything in my body froze.
No. It can’t be. There’s no way. This must be a trick.
“Abigail? Is that you?”
This is just Aaron playing mind games. There’s no way.
“Abigail,” they struggled to roll over so that I could see their face. “Please, tell me it’s you. Don’t let it be another game.”
It was then that I realized that not once did I feel any pain in my arm besides the constant burning of my wounds. “Ch—Chase is that you?”
“You have a heart-shaped locket that you keep hidden in your nightstand. It belonged to your grandmother. You keep it hidden because you’re scared to lose it.”
That was on the list. Our list. It is Chase.
He sat up and it was only then that I could see his face. It was him. A little slimmer, but it was Chase. Living and breathing. He took a deep breath, wrapping his arm around his torso.
“Oh, thank God!” Without thinking, I launched myself towards him.
***Chase***
Her grip around me was suffocating but at the same time, I felt like I was home. I don’t know how long it had been since I had seen her or Ryan but right now I didn’t care.
“Are you okay?” She leaned back on her heels but kept her hands on my shoulders.
“I don’t know anymore. I think I’m starting to lose my mind. They keep me weak enough that it takes everything I have to try and keep myself healed. It’s almost not worth it.”
“Have you heard Ryan and I at all?”
I shook my head. “They’re blocking us.”
With her hands still on my shoulders, I could feel that she was in pain. Glancing to her arm I saw her mark covered in what looked like blistery burns. I grabbed her wrist pulling her arm in between us. She grimaced as I did. “What did he do to you?”
“It’s a
long story.”
“It’s hurting you.”
“Don’t worry about it, Chase. I’ll be okay,” she said placing her hand over the one I had around her wrist.
“No Abigail,” I tighten my grip.
“Chase, you can’t heal me. You don’t have enough strength for yourself.”
I thought for a moment. “Just a little bit. Enough so your mark won’t be ruined. I can’t let him do that to you.”
She nodded once.
I placed my hand lightly over her mark. Closing my eyes I felt the surge of pain I caused and then it started to dissipate.
“Okay, Chase. It feels better,” she placed her hand over my pulling it off her arm. The blisters were all most all gone, just some redness left. Now I just felt like I needed to sleep. “Thank you.”
She sat down beside me placing her head on my shoulder.
“What’s your plan now?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I’m thinking.”
I looked over to see she had her eyes closed.
“Do you think you can walk?”
“I can do it.”
“Okay,” she pushed herself off the ground and peeked around the cell door. She turned back to me holding out her hands to help me up, “come on.”
I grabbed onto her hands and closed my eyes. Every bone in my body cracked as I stood.
“Okay?”
I nodded.
“Okay,” as she turned the cell door flew open on its own. Stood in front of us was what my nightmares were made of. Aaron and ten massive guards stood in front of us.
“Well, well, well... what do we have here?” He smiled.
The Divine Fallen Page 10
