Ecdemomania

Chapter 5

A/N: Final part! :D

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You know that saying? 'Time flies when you're having fun'. It couldn't be more accurate for the past two months of Mark's life.

Ever since he left college and went to travel the world with Jack, he has not felt a moment of bore. Even if the days are just spent walking, Mark will be satisfied, because he's not stuck in a classroom, half-listening to lecture he couldn't give a damn about. For him, life couldn't be better.

Him and Jack have fallen into routine. They wake up early and travel, sometimes catching a train. Nights are spent either in a hotel room or outside with a fire. Mark continues to read at night, to Jack mostly. Whether Jack knows what's going on in the story or not, he always falls asleep to the sound of Mark's voice.

This particular day was just like any other. They were in the country, walking along railroad tracks. Each took a rail and tried to balance along it, shoving the other by the shoulder to get them to fall.

"I'll stay on longer, Mark, you can't get me to fall," Jack says as Mark tries to swipe at his arm.

"Oh yeah?" Mark says. "Say that when you fall!" And he risks kicking out to get Jack to trip. His plan fails, and he ends up losing his balance and slipping onto the tracks.

"Hah! I win!" Jack says.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Mark pouts. He gives Jack a smirk before sitting down on the rails.

"What, tired already?" Jack asks. "C'mon, the next town is probably in the next few miles."

"Ah, but today is such a beautiful day," Mark says. He leans back and looks up at the clear, blue sky.

Jack sits down next to him. "It does look really nice today." He pauses. "I just jinxed us. It'll probably start raining now."

"Then you're buying the hotel room," Mark replies with a smirk.

Before Jack can retort, a rumbling vibrates the ground. A low whistle can be heard.

"Alright, time to get up," Jack says, and stands and walks off the tracks.

Mark starts to follow him, but his foot sticks and he trips while trying to stand. He looks down and realizes his shoe is stuck between the boards of the tracks. And stuck tight.

He pulls up, but his shoe doesn't budge. His foot is pinched between the shoe walls and he can't slip it off.

"C'mon, Mark," Jack says from somewhere behind him. "What are doing?"

Mark looks over his shoulder, and Jack must see the panic in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jack asks and walks back over to him.

"I-I think I'm stuck," Mark says, and he pulls at the board trapping his foot.

"What?" Jack steps back onto the tracks and kneels down. He tries to pull at Mark's shoe and anything keeping it down. "Shit, shit, shit."

Mark looks farther down the tracks. He can see the train now, a distant thing that's coming closer every second. The whistle blows again.

Mark feels genuine fear start to seep in. He looks to Jack, looking just as scared. Down at his shoe. He unties the knots in his shoelaces and tries slip his foot out again, to no avail.

Jack starts frantically pulling at the board. It's sturdy, though, held down with thick metal nails that are rusted over and near impossible to remove.

"Jack," Mark says, watching the train grow nearer, nearer.

"I think I'm getting it," Jack says, but his voice is shaking and his fingers pry uselessly.