The Elantra Pirates

Chapter 19

The cloud of darkness engulfed all of them as they couldn't see where they were heading to. In a brief few seconds of complete murkiness they still felt the wind rush through them. As quickly as they entered, they bolted out of the smoke.

Though it was hardly noticeable as when they exited it was also completely pitch black. The only thing visible was the track as it was veering to the right. Glints of the silver rusted outlining of the trail was the indicator of where they were being led to.

"Have any idea where this thing is taking us?" Shug asked.

"I know it's just a tunnel, no clue what's inside though." Li responded.

"Hopefully nothing takes us by surprise here." Brentha commentated.

"If worse comes to worse we can always retreat." Li suggested.

"That's only if things get super bad." Shug said. "I'll take any chance I get to get that mushroom."

"Just don't kill yourself in the process."

"I'll try not to."

"Well it's not that simple, just whenever you feel like it's too much for you just let me know and I'll-" Li's sentence was cut off short as after a sharp right turn the cave opened up but immediately led to another big giant train that they couldn't slow down in time for.

The cart collided into it, launching everyone forward onto the last wagon. Shug and Brentha slammed into the ground first with Li falling high from the sky and almost flattening them. All of them grunt in pain as they slowly get to their feet.

"Is everyone ok?" Shug asked.

"Get out of my head!" A loud screeching female voice was overheard. It was followed by absolutely terrifying screams, like the only ones that get produced by someone in complete agony.

"Angie?" Li's head perked up. "Angie!" He saw her at the beginning of the train.

She was spazzing out on top of the conductor cart, going completely haywire like she was having a seizure. She was still wailing in pain. The train cart was five wagons long, all of them looked like carts that were specifically designed to store stuff. Though strangely they're all empty.

"Angie!" Li shouted out as he started trotting towards her.

"Stay away!" She yelled out. It wasn't her normal voice, it was a more masculine tone. She reached out her hand and waved it to the right.

Li's body got plucked off the ground and flinged into the wall forcibly. He was slammed into it so hard that the tunnel started to shake and left a little crack.

"Li!" Brentha screamed out. She drew her rifle out and aimed it at Angeline.

With her arm still raised she made a motion of gripping something. Brentha gasped for air as she was brought to her knees. She was holding her throat as she tried desperately to breathe.

"Brentha-AGH!" Shug succumbed to the same fate as his voice squeaked off, also falling to the floor.

Angeline trotted forward as she cracked her neck. "Angie, you keep bringing more problems. If we're going to make this work you've gotta cooperate." She was talking to herself like she was in third person. "Need to hurry this up."

The telepathic grip she had around Shug and Brentha's neck clamped down harder so that it felt like it was going to snap their throats in pieces. Life was fading away from both of them as they couldn't get an ounce of air. Their faces getting paler by the second.

Just about where the constraint was going past the breaking point, it was suddenly let go. A whole new wave of life flooded into them as they could finally inhale.