The Eden Projects (Book I)

Chapter 43. Fledge.

- Zak - 

Zak awoke.

It was cold, and dark, and nothing about it felt like waking up. It was all a wild dream and when he blinked again, he would be back home on his couch with a bottle at his side and someone he didn't know in his bed. He blinked. He moved, and when he did, his entire body craned. Cold water sloshed at his back and his bones burned. He wanted so badly to fall back into sleep, but he couldn't.

He was awake.

"Ah-" Zak muscled to his side, reaching at his back, his skin ached with a rawness that he had never felt before. He felt new. As his eyes adjusted, he tried to sit up. Hitting his head on the roof of whatever he was in, grimacing when his hair snagged on the concrete texture. "Hello?" He called to the dark. Pulling at his shirt that had been hiked up past his belly button. "Hello??-" his hand nudged at a soft plume near his side. He had been darted. "Kas- Kasper???" He didn't know how long he had been lying there in the cold, muddy, water, but if the lack of feeling in his fingers were any tell. He'd been there a while. "Hello?" His voice returned to him and he began a slow shuffling crawl forward. His vision adjusted quickly. He was in a storm drainage tunnel. Not that he had ever been in one before, but from wherever it fed, gasoline had been introduced and it was the logical choice. Either a storm drain, or a catacomb. "Kasper?" The mouth of the tunnel yawn, opening up ahead into a large hub. Slowly, he got to his feet, finding them took a few seconds.

Curled against the far wall, huddling in the corner with his head to his knees like a frightened child was Kasper. He was muttering. Light streamed through an overhead grate, casting barred shadows on the water that had settled there. "Hey-" Zak wobbled over. Wiggling his toes in his soaked boots. "Oh man-" He lowered and with the motion his back throbbed. "Oww." 

Kasper, was stuck. His eyes were defocused, staring at the ground and he shook uncontrollably. Shivering like Zak had never seen before. A long row of spines ran down his back, slicing holes in his shirt. His horns were much longer than they ever had been, tapering off above him. The blackness that had once only covered his chest had traveled up and nearly coated one side of his face entirely. He wasn't home.

Zak knocked. "What happened? Did you bring us here?" He whispered, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You're burning up. Hey- hey- can you hear me?" He shook him gently and with the introduction of movement Kasper jolted.

"-no no no NO NO NO!" Kasper fell backwards, clawing to get away. Zak jumped and nearly fell back himself, unsure of what to do as Kasper scrambled, falling into the water and inhaling a lung full. He coughed and hacked as he backed up against the opposite wall. "Please!" He covered his head. "Stop! I'm sorry!"

Zak's brow furrowed and he looked around. He's crying? They were sealed in. Is he hallucinating? Zak moved forward cautiously. "Kas it's not real." He said, in part reassuring himself. "It's not real." He had never seen him like this. Gently, he placed his hands on Kasper's shoulders. Lowering down to his level. "There's nothing there-" If it was one thing Zak understood, it was a bad trip. "You're tripping." This couldn't have been much different. Was he darted too? He needed sobering. "Kas its not real, your hallucina-"

"GAH! GET AWAY!" He popped up and fell against the wall. Zak followed him, grabbing his arms. "NO PLEASE!" 

He's gonna hurt himself-

"It's not real- Hey! Listen to me!" This time, Zak held on tight. "Kas!" He tried to pull Kasper back. He kicked at Zak, and he in turn, stayed his ground, taking each hit. "Snap- out of it! Damn it!" Kasper's kick knocked the air out of him and sent him backwards. "I'm trying to help you idiot-" Zak grimaced. "-shit!"