Angelsson

Chapter: XIV

"James? Are you awake?" asked Penelope.

I opened my eyes, and I saw Penelope's worried face looking at me. She gasped, then said, "James! You're ok!"

She rushed forward, wrapped her arms around my neck, and then she kissed me. I wrapped my arms around her, thankful that she was ok. She slowly came away, and she moved her hands to my shoulders.

"Penelope? I thought that your wounds weren't healed." I said.

She smiled, then said, "When I'm down here, I get healed. So I can move more freely now."

I sighed, then asked, "How long was I out?"

"About an hour. Maybe more. I don't know. All I care right now is that you're ok." She said.

We then kissed again, but the kiss was cut short when a guard banged on the cell door.

"Hey! No kissy stuff. It makes me sick." He said.

Penelope nodded, then said, "Sorry."

We then embraced, not minding anything that was happening. Not that there was anything happening down here in this place. The embraced lasted only until two dishes of food were slid into the cell. We ate, then we slept in a hammock provided in the cell for us to sleep in.

We curled up together in the hammock embracing. We slowly went to sleep, with each other in each other's arms.

***

I woke up in the same white room was last time, but this time, I wasn't sitting on a bench. I was standing in front of Clint, with his hands behind his back.

"Ah. So you decide to come back early? No matter. We need to get one thing out of the way that you were never taught. How to feel someone." said Clint.

"Why would I need to know how to do that? I can already sense someone's presence just by using my senses." I said.

"No, no, no. Not like that. By magic." He said.

He walked over to one side of the room, and said, "Now, first off, do you know I am here?" asked Clint.

"Yes. I see you." I said.

"Ah. How about now? Elbisivni em ekam." said Clint.

He disappeared suddenly, leaving no trace of that fact that he was once standing there.

"N-no. I can't see you." I said.

"Ah. That's the problem." said Clint's voice behind me.

"You rely on sight. That won't help you when you are being ambushed." said Clint's voice beside me now.

"Feel out for me. Not with your hands, but with your mind." said Clint's voice in front of me.

I sighed, then felt out for him in my mind. It was too hard though, because I was distracted by a chair appearing in front of me. I tried again, but I was distracted by a table appearing. I groaned in frustration.

"Close your eyes. It'll help." said Clint, with the slightest bit of amusement.

I closed my eyes, relaxed, then felt out for him. Suddenly, a picture of him appeared. I reached out toward it, and I sensed a light and cheerful presence.

"Do you feel me now?" asked the voice of Clint.

"Yes...I do." I said.

I opened my eyes, and I woke up.

Penelope was still there, curled up in my arms. She was soundly sleeping, with her arms still around my neck. I smiled, then closed my eyes. I felt out for anyone, anything. A picture of Penelope appeared, along with the guards. I felt out for Penelope. She had a dark feeling, but calm.

I then opened my eyes, and I looked around. I was still in the cell, but there was something different about the cell. I sniffed in, and I smelled it. Food. I woke up Penelope, and I told her that there was food. We got out of the hammock, and we ate.

As we ate, Penelope asked me something. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded, swallowed, and then said, "Yes."

She nodded, then took a bite out of her piece of bread. "Did you dream?" she asked.

"Uh...yea." I said.

She nodded, then said, "What did you dream of?"

I stared at my piece of bread. "Clint." I said.

"Who?"

"Clint. My mentor." I said.

"Ah. Did you talk to him?" said Penelope.

"Yea...we talked about...well, it was sort of a flash back" I lied.

"A flash back? Of what?" she asked.

"Uh...one of our lessons." That was half of the truth.

"What did you dream about?" I said, trying to change the subject.

"My dad." said Penelope.

"Ah." I said.

After we finished eating, we went back to the hammock to sleep. We settled in, with each other in each other's arms. Penelope went to sleep quickly. But, before I went to sleep, I practiced sensing the presence of others. I closed my eyes, and reached out with my mind. I saw Penelope, and the guards. Before I fell to sleep, I heard footsteps coming down the hall.

I looked up, and saw them stop at our room. Suddenly, I was paralyzed, and the guards came in. They took Penelope, and went out. When I finally got un-paralyzed, I tumbled out of the hammock, and I ran to the door.

The guards were dragging a sleeping, paralyzed Penelope away.

All I could hope now was that she was going to be ok...