The Stronghold

Trees Are More Dangerous Than Chainsaws

The next day, once I'd woken up properly thanks to a hot shower, I went to explain my plan to Tom. Unfortunately he was still asleep so I was forced to wait. The last time I poured a bucket of water over him he pinned me against the wall and throttled me.

I sat on the end of his bed and started to swing my legs back and forth, already bored. The adrenaline that was constantly bubbling through my veins to give me superspeed was ready to explode and so I decided, screw Tom. I was going for a run.

Grabbing a red hoodie and pulling it over my head I vaulted out of the window, landing lightly on the grass and beginning my jog. Lapping the streets a few times I finally spotted a forest where I could show my full speed without fear of being detected.

Branches whipped at my face and nettles stung my ankles. I crashed through bushes and ducked under birds that were just taking off, weaving between tall grasses and hurdling tree roots and scampering rodents. My hood had been up but it flew down and my hair was flattened to my head. I was streamlined and was a dolphin on dry land, moving gracefully across the landscape like a turtle through the deep sea.

Greenery flashed past my eyes and tree trunks came dangerously close to my head. Springing upwards so that I was hanging amongst the tree tops I climbed higher, gripping the top of the bending trunk and looking out over the world.

The view wasn't as spectacular as when I was looking out of my hotel window because I wasn't as high but it was still pretty damn awesome.

A peculiar noise reached my ears. I tilted my head and looked down, peering past the canopy to the grass below.

Someone wearing a yellow high-visibility jacket was stood at the bottom of the tree, revving a chainsaw. He/she/it raised the weapon and angled it towards the base of the tree that I was balanced in. My eyes widened as I realised what was about to happen and I leapt for the next tree across. I fumbled for a hold on a branch and my fingers slipped, sending me hurtling to the floor below.

Each and every single branch on the way down decided to hit me all over my body. Branches slammed into my stomach and punched my limbs. Splinters stuck into my skin and narrow strips of wood smacked me in the face.

I thudded to the ground with a loud bang. I was winded, I was bloodied and there was a person with a chainsaw stood mere feet away from me. You could imagine how annoyed I was.

"What the-?" the chainsaw thing cried. I pushed myself to my feet and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Are you okay?" he continued. I knew it was a he due to the tone and pitch of voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said sarcastically.

"Where did you come from?"

"Well, when a man loves a woman very much," I began. The man yanked the pull on the chainsaw and I stopped hurriedly.

"Tell you what, I'll leave it," I said, backing away. "Have a nice day now." With that parting comment I ran, using as much speed as I could without being violently sick or breaking my bones.

Within time I reached the hotel and dragged myself up the wall to Tom's open window. Crawling through like something from a horror movie I slumped on the floor, not caring that half my legs were still hanging in the outside world.

"What the hell happened to you?" Tom asked in alarm, sitting bolt upright and staring at me. I wheezed and dribbled blood onto the floor, sliding across the carpet and burning the side of my face using the power of friction and stupidity.

"You're dying," Tom said, not moving from his bed. I moaned and rolled onto my back, retrieving my legs from the window and raising my head very slightly.

"Shmurr," I groaned.

"Here," Tom said softly, walking over to me and tugging me upright. I whimpered and he hesitated, unsure of what to do with me. Fortunately I made the decision for him by passing out and falling face first onto his bed.

*

"You've been out for ages," Tom commented. I opened my bleary eyes and yawned, slowly rocking into a sitting position. Somehow I had magically been moved from someone kneeling with their head on the chopping block to sleeping beauty, hands over my chest like a corpse in a coffin.

"What happened to you?" he continued, moving from his chair and tossing the newspaper onto his seat.

"A tree," I murmured, wincing as my grazes rubbed one another. "I see you haven't tried to help me, then."

"For all I know you could have done it on purpose," Tom said. I glared at him and he shrugged.

"You're odd like that," was all he said in his defense.

"Ow," I whined. "This actually really hurts and now there's a dude with a chainsaw trying to find me."

"What?"

I explained the entire story between coughs that wracked my body from head to toe. Tom's forehead creased into a frown.

"You really shouldn't be allowed outside," he said eventually. I rolled my eyes and stole his pillow, hugging it like a teddy bear.

"Talking of outside," I began, "I have a plan. I was meant to tell you it earlier but you were asleep so I went for a run and got attacked by a tree."

"What plan? Nothing dangerous - I've died once, Pepper..."

"I've died about three times," I said breezily. "Anyway, this plan.

'I said before about us leaving and going to America. Then I set us both up with these fabulous new looks. The reason behind this, my dear fellow, is a simple one.

'We're pretty nice people with normal-ish lives. But I want to get away from all of that, to do the complete opposite. I'm fed up of waiting for something to happen and just being a regular human being all other days. I want to be something more, to be someone who has danger following their every move. It's not good enough just having a maybe - I want a Goddamn yes.

'There is a constant river of adrenaline and power flowing beneath my skin. One of the reason's I'm so jittery all the time is because I physically can't sit still. I need something to get me going, something to wear me out. Otherwise I'll just keep on falling out of trees.

'I propose that we do both go to America but start to make a bit of trouble. Because of our powers we'll easily win any fight and then we'll become respected. If we become respected then nobody messes with us and we get our own way with so much power, so much strength.

'That kind of thing is what I crave. Power but with that hint of danger." I smiled, my eyes foggy with wistful mist. "I'm not insane. I'll keep you safe, if you're afraid."

"Are you suggesting that we're going to start new lives as gangsters?" Tom said incredulously. I nodded.

"That's mad."

"But think of how fun it would be!" I persuaded. "We'd be able to do anything under new names. No having to be nice, no hiding our powers. We could have the world." I paused and grinned. "But we'll start with America.

'So, what do you say?"

Tom hesitated and looked down at the floor, thinking hard. "I'll come."

"Fantastic!" I cried. "Now, don't tell UKiP."

"You really are odd."