Hush

Jack: Spineless little boy

Hush sniffed the air, snarling he charged ahead. Jack cried out reaching after him, the strange feeling of tension rushed from his outstretched hand towards Hush who had jumped at the throne, as a black ball of electric launched towards him to meet him half way, only to be deflected back to the throne by whatever power had left Jack's hand. An angry growl came from the throne, but Jack never heard as he rushed to Hush who had landed safely but somewhat shook by what had happened.

'Are you okay?' Jack asked.

He's there.

Hush shook himself and stared behind Jack at the now visible enemy. Jack quickly turned, his hardened features slacking into a look of absolute shock at who stood before him.

'ello boy.' The suave voice of the disembodied voice dropped to a Cockney London accent, stood at a safe distance from both Jack and Hush was Jack's dad. Looking the exact same as he had the day he had left the family, wearing the same smart deep blue tux, with a grey waistcoat underneath. His hair still in cornrows and his goatee no longer than Jack had remembered. He met the cold blue eyed gaze of his dad and was left speechless, staring at the smug expression on his father's handsome face.

'You've grown quite tall.' His dad said, almost sounding proud.

'Dad?' Jack asked, still shocked to see his dad stood before him in this place, he turned to Hush, 'it's not real, is it?' He asked. 'My dad isn't here, he left me and Mum a couple of days after my twelfth birthday.'

Hush looked from Jack to his dad and bared his angled teeth at the smartly dressed man.

'You left us.' Jack recalled, 'you told us you had business to attend to.'

'And here I am.' His dad replied. 'Attending to business four years later.'

Jack shook his head in disbelief. 'You walked out on Mum when she needed you most.'

His dad raised an eyebrow in fake shock. 'You killed her in her sleep, Son. I at least walked away with her still breathing.' A hint of a smile touched his lips.

Jack shook his head and frowned. 'No, this isn't real.' He looked up once more then turned his back on his dad to walk away.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of pain surge up his spine, Jack stiffened and stifled a gasp, as he stood rigid his back still turned.

'don't turn your back on me, boy.' His dad's controlling voice shouted, and he felt himself being turned to face his dad by force.

Hush charged towards him, only to have two skeletal hounds with long sabre like teeth emerge from the ground and tackle him, taking his attention away from his target to fight off the two aggressors.

'Hush!' Jack struggled to move against the pain through his body, attempting to aid his friend in what looked like a zombie dog attack.

Stay back Hush's voice entered his mind, confident though strained. He looked on at the scene, the two skeletal hounds hadn't got the better of his friend yet, there was faint lines glowing across his skin as he fought them tenaciously, each time he gained advantage the strange lines illuminated brighter, as though charging him up.

Focus on your dad. Hush said again in his mind, as he shook the head from the skeleton of one of the creatures.

I don't know how I'm going to defeat him. Jack thought to himself, he looked at his dad and realised that his hero from his childhood was no more.

'Why did you leave?' Jack asked quietly.

His dad stepped closer, not threatening, but rather as though to greet his son.