On a String

Chapter 17

So dark. So dark.

He'd spent so long numbing (repressing) the pain with shadows that the night practically knew him by name.

(So dark...cold... endless...)

Kai's grip on his pistol tightened and he willed ("...willpower isn't enough, Fireboy...") -fought the thoughts away.

(You know you can stop the pain, if you will it all away.)

Lies.

The pain...

If I will it all away....

Crimson pain. He could still see it.

The blood.

Like the blood on the carpet.

Bleeding. Losing life.

Someone should have died here tonight.

(Just who... what... were they chasing?)

The blood without a body...

(But no one should -could- lose that much blood and still survive)

...Ghost.

Chainedchainedchained restrained.....

He stopped and, almost against his will (-perhaps controlled by some sort of twisted horrible fascination, the darkening depths of his own mind forced his head down-), he looked at the dark moonlit puddle. The thuds coming from the hallway faded away, and for one heart stopping second, he was back in the cell, watching his own blood leak through his fingers onto the cold (cold!) grey floor.

Once more, he was captured.

Once more he was a prisoner.

Once more he belonged to them.

Kai gave a soft groan, clutching his head as images of chains and rope and fire burned in his mind.

(Snapping and crackling and popping and glowing and, and-)

No, no, no! Don't lose control!

Cole.

The information.

He had to pull himself together and get out of here now.

(People are depending on you!)

Kai took another step back, and fortunately, this time his boot crunched on small pieces of glass instead of landing in the thick stain. He made it to the window quickly, spurred on by the heavy sounds of footsteps continuing towards his position. Over his shoulder, he could feel the searchlight getting brighter.

(Won't be that much longer, now)

Just as Kai reached the window, the light was bright enough to illuminate the window sill. The white washed wood glowed beneath his hands while he vaulted from the house, clearly displaying every inch of broken glass and wood.

The sight was enough to make his mind freeze. His body would've stopped too, had it not been flying through the air. But by the time his feet had hit the veranda, Kai had himself back under control.

Thinking again. Fighting again.

He leapt from the veranda and ran, not pausing to look back.

COLE!

"Twenty minutes is up. Let's go!" Jay bellowed, leaping from the bunkroom like a bullet from a gun. Zane and Lloyd quickly dashed out of the room after him. The tension in the room for the past twenty minutes had become almost unbearable. Ninja were trained not to show fear, but everyone had been exhibiting signs of concern and each person's fear had fed the others'.