Marked

✙ Chapter 6 ✙

When I landed on the other side, I crumbled to my hands and knees. Embarrassed, I stumbled to my feet, just as he dropped beside me on his feet. "This is your last chance, Thea," he said, seriously. "I can turn around and hand myself over if you've started thinking this is a horrible idea - that letting me free is a mistake."

"No, it's too late, anyways," I told him, forcing a grin. "My job is down the drain now." He looked at me, almost as if he blamed himself. Suddenly, guards came bursting around the corner of the building, firing. A wheeze came from Ethen, before he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the trees of the surrounding forest. We ran and ran - we ran until we couldn't hear any more shouts or the firing of guns. I was startled when Ethen all of a sudden collapsed against a tree, breathing heavily. "Ethen? What's wrong?" He moaned and swearing under my breath, I watched as he flopped down on the dirt. "Stand up!"

"I-I was shot," he stuttered, ripping a dart out of his shoulder. "Oh no."

Quickly, I grabbed the dart from his hand, inspecting it. "Oh shit."

"Is it a paralyzing dart?"

"No, worse," I answered, mentally freaking out. "Uh, it affects your brain. You'll be 'reliving' some moments or memories."

He hissed. "It won't be my favorite ones, will they?"

"No, they'll be your worse," I told him, quietly. He muttered something under his breath and hunched his shoulders, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "That's not why it's awful, though. In about five minutes, you'll be shoved into a sleep, which is 'reliving' your memories, like you're dreaming. . . Well, if you can't snap out of it or wake up, you'll be stuck in that sleep."

An unenthusiastic laugh came from him. "You know, I'm going to blow up that entire facility."

I grinned. "You conquered the laboratory last time."

"Damn right."

"I'm curious," I blurted, suddenly slapped with a thought. "Did you want to get captured? I mean, from what I heard, it was too easy."

He hesitated. "Yes, I did." I stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to continue. "I was hoping by getting captured, it would make an excuse for me to back out of a favor that I owe."

"What favor?"

"If I tell you, you'll regret helping me escape," he said, honestly. I gulped loudly, officially wondering if helping him was a mistake. What if he was a monster? What if he killed me in the end? What if he murdered several people after this? It would've been my fault - I had let the monster escape. "I'm feeling tired." He moaned again, relaxing his head against the trunk of the tree. "Thea, do you want to see my past?"

I sputtered for a moment. "What?"

"I guarantee you that I'll be able to wake up - I've suffered worse things than this," he assured, his breathing slowing. "But, I think this would be a good opportunity for you to see who I am, what you've released into the world." Worried, I started picking at the tips of my fingers, listening to the branches swing with the wind. "I'm capable of bringing you into my mind. You'll experience my memories with me."

"I-I don't know."

"It's risky," he said, slightly nodding. "But, despite the kindness you've showed me, I can't trust you until you've seen the worst parts of me." A moment of silence passed between us when I didn't know what to say. "You've only seen the one side of me. The other side is bad - the Devil."

"So, you've been suppressing the other side of you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why? To convince me you aren't bad, so I'd help you?"

"Because, the Devil has demons," he answered, quietly. "I never wanted your help. I'm just afraid of scaring you away." He watched me with his emerald eyes, which were starting to droop.