Broken

Chapter Five

*credits to the artist*

"We- stop- here!" Shyanna gasped.

I halted and bent over, breathing. Why have did I not notice air was so awesome until now?

We had taken shelter in a creepy abandoned mansion that was way outdated.

We paused at the entrance.

"Ariadne you go first." Shyanna nudged me from the back.

"What? Why me?"

"Because you have a heavy guitar."

"You have a FLIPPING SWORD and you're trained in the MARTIAL ARTS."

"But you're SO much bolder!"

"You're older!"

"By a MONTH!"

"STILL!"

"it's pitch black!"

"Take a lantern!"

"Where am I gonna find one of those?"

We both looked at the lantern in front of us, covered in cobwebs.

"Nope. There's spiders."

"If I clean it off for you, will you go?"

"Maybe. If you even MANAGE to, that is."

My stomach knotted. I had a small case of arachnophobia.

Grabbing a stick from the ground, I pushed aside the cobwebs.

I whole stampede of spiders flooded out.

I dropped the stick as me and Shyanna both screamed and ran for our lives in the opposite direction.

We stopped after running about 50 feet away from the spiders, hyperventilating against some tree.

"Ariadne go back and make sure they're all gone."

"Good Lord why me??"

"I'll go into the manor first!"

"Fine!"

I approached slowly. Then, when I couldn't see tiny bodies with lots of legs, I bent down.

Then I realized it had just been charcoal that had sat there for ages, practically disintegrating when I poked it.

I smacked my forehead. "Oh my god."

Wow. We're wimps.

"Shyanna!" I called. "it's just some old burnt wood."

She emerged from behind a stone wall. "Seriously?"

"Hey, I feel dumb too. Now let's get you this lantern-" I picked it up and dusted it off, "and something to start a fire."

I looked around, maybe looking for a random match lying around?

Yeah, that's not happening anytime soon.

"Can you use this?" Shyanna held up a piece of metal.

"If you can find obsidian or quartz, I think. If that's carbon steel."

"How am I supposed to know if it's carbon steel?"

"Well I don't know!"

"You're the smart one! The one learning EIGHTH GRADE ALGEBRA!!!"

I cut my hand on a dark, jagged stone.

"I think I just found obsidian!"

I waited by the unlit lantern while Shyanna brought what was, hopefully, carbon steel.

She handed me a random rectangular piece of metal.

"Okay... Um.."

"Have you started a fire before?"

"No."

"You're gonna burn this whole place down!"

"Well, I've seen people do it on videos! My knowledge is all we've got now, and I'm NOT A GENIUS OKAY!!??"

I struck the obsidian against the steel.

It sparked.

I yelped and dropped both objects as a stick in front of me started smoldering.

"Light the lantern!"

"You want me to pick up a BURNING stick!!??"

"Do it, okay! The sooner you do it we can FINALLY REST!!"

I lifted the burning stick, feeling the heat lick my hand.

I thrust it over the unlit candle, yanked it out, and stepped on it rapid fire.

I prayed the candlewick lit.

"YOU DID IT!! OH MY GOSH!!"

Shyanna nudged the now lit lantern shut and picked it up by the metal handle.

"Now go!" I pushed her towards the entrance.

"But--"

"I lit the thing and nearly got a heart attack cleaning the cobwebs off! Hold up your half of the bargain!"

"Can you follow behind me with my katana?"

"I can follow behind you ten feet, yeah."

"WHAT!! That's way too far!"

"Just go!"

She pushed the door open with a creaking sound.

"It's so creepy!" She whispered.

She held the lantern up while I followed behind her, katana raised in what I hoped would look threatening.

One of those creepy old fashioned staircases led right up the middle of the room to a dark door on the second story. It even had one of those red carpet things on it.

The elements really hit the manor hard too, rain had leaked through the roof, scattered rocks and splintered wood were randomly lying around, and our very footsteps stirred up so much dust, we were both sneezing repeatedly.

Way to ruin the dramatic scene.

Plus, we were in nothing but our school uniforms. Black shoes, short black skirts, a black and white shirt, and black stockings. My mom made me wear mine everyday, even though I was homeschooled. She said it brings the "school vibe".

Ew.

"Ari, are you following me?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Have any serpent-necked killer teachers jumped out at you?"

"ARIADNE!"

"Okay, okay, jeez."

She brought the lantern down and turned.

"We can stay here tonight."

We both huddled under a section of intact roof as the rain poured, hugging the objects that bound us to are old lives close.

A katana, and a guitar.

That's ironic.

But someone has found me.

And we were both safe.