I heard yelling behind us, and I knew that the guards were hot on our tail.
“Faster!” Jack yelled, still dragging me along behind him. It was easy for him to say, his legs were long and strong. Mine were short and clumsy and I was having trouble keeping up. I tripped several times, and only Jack’s hand in mine kept me from falling to the ground. It was hard to believe that just moments ago Jack had suffered from several broken bones and possible brain trauma. He really was amazing.
A cold sweat had drenched my face and Jack steered me through dark, deserted streets and alley ways. At one point I thought I had even caught a glimpse of Seth Swaggart, and I was reminded of my imminent doom. Perhaps it would be now, this very night. My heart pounded uncomfortably and I felt myself begin to run that little bit faster.
Jack looked over his shoulder to see how close our pursuers were. I wasn’t that brave, I didn’t want to know that they were catching up, thought it seemed they were for Jack swore loudly and I saw panic glisten in his eyes.
I was then made aware of what it was exactly that had plastered that look of panic upon Jack’s face. Someone’s Power no doubt, in the form of a bolt of lightning cracked past my ear, missing me by inches.
“Jack!” I cried, panicked.
“Just keep running!” Jack urged.
Another crack of lightning hit a spot where I had been only seconds before, missing me by a hair. They were trying to electrocute us with their Power.
As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, Jack led me around a corner where a long, narrow pathway led into pure darkness. It could have been a dead end for all we knew, but we kept running, our boots slipping and skidding on the ice compacted to the pathway. The timing was almost unfair. As the guards rounded the same corner I slipped upon a rather icy patch and fell to the ground backwards, taking Jack with me. I skidded on the slick surface and slipped again when I tried to get up. Jack grappled with me and was about to pull me to my feet, but it was too late.
A jolt of electricity, perfectly aimed, came crashing down upon my body. The shock was intensified by the melting snow and ice around me. Pain seared through me and my body writhed and jerked. I then found myself unable to move. I lay upon the cold, hard stone street in an absurd position, my muscles completely locked and barely conscious.
Jack didn’t even have time to react before the same fate befell him and he crashed to the ground as lifeless as myself. It was then that I lost consciousness. As simple as that … one hit and I was down. Darkness consumed me.
When I awoke it was extremely dark and the smell of rotting meat reached my nostrils and made me gag. I tried to move but found that my ankles were shackled together. The chains clinked miserably as I sat up, my body aching and feeling stiff. I was sure that being electrocuted and paralysed at the same time hadn’t helped. My breathing was short and fast, my skin was covered in goose bumps and the floor was hard, cold and seemed to be covered in some sort of hay. Was this bedding? It was so dark I couldn’t even see my own hand in front of my face. I licked my lips and decided that I was ridiculously thirsty and hungry. Where was Jack? Was he okay? Where was I? Questions buzzed through my mind. I had come to the conclusion that I was in some sort of dungeon. Was I back at the manor? I had never seen a place like this in the building.
I was freezing and noticed that I was not wearing my coat. It had been taken from me. So cold. I was shivering violently. Should I call out? Perhaps Jack was here too, sitting in the dark, waiting, scared.
Suddenly movement was heard somewhere close by. I froze and listened hard, holding my breath.
Chink, Chink.
There was most definitely someone there.
I weighed my options and took my chances. I was in a dungeon by the looks of things, so most likely the only other people to be here were prisoners too.
“Jack?” I whispered; my voice was hoarser than I expected, as though I had not spoken for days.
The noise I had heard stopped abruptly and all was painfully silent for several long moments. My guess was that it in fact wasn’t Jack who occupied this cell with me. How I wished for some fire at this very moment, just so I could see. I scrunched up my eyes and held my breath, concentrating harder than I ever had before.
Nothing. Not even a spark. What had once come so naturally seemed beyond me.