Gravity Rises (S1)

MM: Part Nine

Gideon's eyes flicked back and forth again, taking in the pine tree on Mabel's shirt and the upside-down one on Lizzie's. "Yes, you are," he replied. "Well, let's go, then."

"You can't just barge in here—!" Lizzie started.

"I just did," Gideon replied, "and we're leaving." He turned to Mabel. "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Just do it," he said. "Close your eyes, turn around, whatever. Now." His hand gripped the amulet pinned to his collar.

Wow, he was bossy. But Mabel did as he said, closing her eyes and covering them with her hands. There was a flash of light against her eyelids, a sudden scream, and a thud.

"Don't open your eyes." Gideon's voice was closer to her now.

"Wh. . . what. . . ?"

"Follow me." She felt a hand on her arm, guiding her towards the entrance. "You can open your eyes, but don't look behind you."

"Wh-why not?" She opened her eyes to see that they had entered the passageway in the cave. The only light came from Gideon's amulet, glowing a soft blue.

A moment later, Mabel realized she was glowing, too. She cried out, but Gideon said, "It's okay; I'm just lowering you down. Relax."

Mabel tried her best to relax as she floated down the hill of rocks she had climbed earlier, but it was all she could do not to hyperventilate. This felt way too much like. . . her. She was positive she was about to burst into hysteria when she finally landed. The glow disappeared. Mabel immediately braced herself against a nearby wall and took slow, deep breaths. Gideon flew down himself and waited silently for her to recover.

"Ready?" he asked when Mabel's breathing steadied. He sounded neither concerned nor impatient; his voice was near monotone.

"Yeah," Mabel replied. They started through the cave again, their way lit by Gideon's amulet. "What. . . what did you do? What happened to Lizzie?" She had her suspicions, based on what she heard, but she didn't want to think—

"I killed her."

Mabel stopped walking. The words from Gideon's mouth that sounded so casual and easy stopped her in her tracks like a wall. Gideon stopped as well, a few feet ahead of her. "That's why I told you not to look."

Mabel took a step back.

"She wasn't you," Gideon said. "She wasn't really a person, either. I'd never hurt you like that, if that's what you're afraid of. Now, come on: We have to get out of here. Don't you want to see sunlight again?"

But Mabel couldn't get herself to move. Or speak.

Gideon sighed. "I can levitate you out of here, if you want."

That snapped Mabel out of it. "N-no! I can walk." And to prove it, she started stomping ahead of Gideon, stuffing the horror she felt somewhere deep down inside — somewhere she could pay attention to it later.

It wasn't too long before Mabel and Gideon reached the entrance to the cave, and Mabel couldn't help but gasp in relief when the mid-morning sun washed over her. She gave herself a moment to take it in before turning on Gideon. "You just killed someone."

"I killed something," Gideon replied. "Her body disappeared into a puff of smoke after we left the cavern; I saw it."

"How could you do that?" Mabel demanded.

"When you roam these woods long enough, you learn to off anything that poses a danger to you," Gideon replied smoothly. "I know this forest inside out; I also know the creatures in this forest and what they're like. And if they're expendable."