Broken and Together

Chapter Eleven: Hunted in the Dark

     As soon as Charlie heard Michael's desperate voice, she spun around and charged back into Ballora Gallery. She dropped her flashlight in the process, but Michael's lay upon the floor of the room, just barely lighting up the scene before her. She froze, her stomach dropping. Ballora had a hold on Michael, her mechanical hands tightly gripping his ankle and shirt as she attempted to drag him back. He reached out towards Charlie, his blue eyes wild and pleading.

    "No!" Charlie dove forward and grabbed his hand. She then seized one of his arms and pulled, grasping them as tightly as she could. Michael struggled towards her, panting and shaking. Ballora's strength didn't give. She yanked back, nearly stealing him from Charlie's desperate grip. A slight cracking sound came from an area hidden in darkness; Michael let out a long groan of pain, his hand tightening around Charlie's. She gulped down a lump in her throat, whispering, "It...it's okay, Mike. I'm gonna save you. Just hold on." Straining what felt like every muscle in her body, she pulled back on Michael as her eyes clamped shut in concentration.

    It barely did a thing; the animatronic's strength was unmatched. Giving a growl of anger, Charlie repositioned herself and began kicking at one of Ballora's hands. "Let him go!" The animatronic barely reacted, giving a good pull. Michael cried out in pain. Charlie gulped hard, silently trying to remain calm as she strained against Ballora's strength. "I got you, Mike. I got you. I won't let her take you, I'll—" She broke off as Ballora gave a sudden and powerful pull. Immediately, Michael escaped Charlie's grip. A sharp gasp escaped her. "No!" Her hand shot forward, attempting to grab him again. It was too late. Ballora pulled Michael close, turned him over, and seized his neck. Charlie covered her mouth, tears filling her eyes. Frozen to the spot, she could do nothing but watch as Ballora's hands tightened around Michael's neck, making him gag and choke.

    He squirmed against the floor, clawing at Ballora's arms. In the midst of the being strangled, he forced out a single, breathy plea. "N-no...please." Ballora's hands stilled. As her head tilted, a single eye peeked open, revealing a glowing purple iris. It flickered, and her grip on him loosened.

    "Not...yet," she whispered. With a distorted noise, she released him and contorted her body. Horrifying as ever, she crawled away, moving like a spider with four legs.

   "Why do you hide inside your walls," she sang.

   "When there is music in my halls?

    All I see is an empty room

    No more joy, an empty tomb.

    It's so good to sing all day

    To dance, to spin, to fly away..." 

    Charlie scrambled over to Michael, quivering all over and trying to speak through the paralyzing terror that still had a hold on her. "Michael?" She touched his shoulder as he sat up, coughing and touching his neck, which was noticeably red and irritated. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

    "Um," he began, his voice rough, "I'm fine, I think. Let's get out of here. Quickly!" Charlie nodded, getting to her feet. Michael did the same. With a small cry, he pitched forward.

    "Whoa!" She just barely kept him from hitting the floor, taking his arm and steadying him. "Are you alright?"

    "Gah, um..." He clung to her, his teeth gritted against the pain. He spoke through his teeth, saying, "My ankle hurts a lot, but we can't stop. Ballora might've decided to spare me—" he paused, his eyebrows drawing together— "for some reason..." He shook it off. "But that doesn't mean she will forever. Let's go." He moved away from Charlie and limped into the next room. She followed, keeping back any concerned words. Michael was right. They could deal with the injury after they completed the task at hand.