The Elements Trilogy: The Secondaries

Chapter 42: Lightning

My throat burned as if Evie had coated it with ash. My eyes stung, and my vision was blurred as if I had been crying.

I coughed, and tried to stand up, but something dug into my wrist. Wincing, I rapidly blinked to clear my vision.

Once it cleared, I took in my surroundings. Everyone, including Jamie and Thomas was handcuffed to a wall. Evalynn was the only one still unconscious.

"David! You're awake!" Relief was clear in Skylar's voice.

"David!" Evie struggled to turn around to face me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." My throat was raw, but my eyes no longer burned. "Is everybody else okay?"

"Yeah. We've all been awake a while, talking about what we're gonna do. Tony is all healed up, and Derek is somehow cured." Jamie answered for her.

Evalynn coughed, but her eyes stayed closed. Derek glanced down at we nervously. "We have to figure a way out of these handcuffs before Evalynn wakes up."

"Why?" I asked, trying to wiggle my way out of the steel cuffs.

"Oh God! What the hell happened!" Evalynn sat up with a moan, and Derek cursed under his breath.

"We were gassed and handcuffed. We have to figure a way out of here so we can fight." Harry explained.

"And we have to do it quick," Derek hissed to Skylar. "Before-"

Crunch.

"What the hell was that?" Tony asked, his head looking around the room.

Derek's face was white, his lips tight. "Her wrist."

Evalynn stood up, and with another crunch, set her wrist back in place. "Well, that was easy."

***

We had no weapons. We had no brilliant plan to get out and defeat the enemy. We couldn't even get out of the room.

"This whole room is made of steel!" Tony exploded angrily after fifteen minutes of trying to manipulate the metal. "Open the fucking door!" he pounded repeatedly on said door.

We tried everything we could think of to get out. Tony tried to manipulate the steel door. Evie tried to melt it. Harry froze it, then I shot it with lightning. Evalynn assaulted it with air. Skylar and Harry tried to break it, but only succeeded in hurting themselves.

Everyone gave up eventually, except for Tony who insisted on pounding on the steel door and shouting "Let us out!" repeatedly.

"How long have we been at this?" I asked sourly.

Thomas glanced down at his watch."A full hour. It's 11:00 a.m."

"Why do you think they brought us in here?" I asked, trying to ignore Tony.

"To leave us here? To leave us to die of starvation or dehydration?" Skylar slumped back against the wall, rubbing her eyes.

"Dying of starvation?" Tony stopped pounding on the walls. "No, I can't do that! I have to eat! LET US OUT!" He went back to pounding on the door.

"Tony, knock it off!" Harry shouted. "They're not gonna let us out!"

"Now, hang on." Jamie held up a hand. "If he makes enough noise, he just might attract someone and they'll open the door."

"You mean like one of the doctors?" I asked.

"Yeah, or one of the idiots that put us in here." Harry grumbled. "Or a clone."

"Yeah, but the door will still open, and then we could fight our way out." Jamie argued.

"Yeah, or gas us again." Harry shot back.