No Escape

Chapter 22

Leo jerked in surprise, against the ghastly nightmare that tore through his mind. Blinding, unfathomable pain burst through his chest, leaving him feeling breathless.

He tried to move, but found the pain to do so, too excruciating to complete the simple action. He grunted in pain and resignation. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the hole, but he could finally feel Death stalking him now. This thought brought such an immense sense of relief, that it brought tears to his eyes.

Leo tried to take a in deep breath, but found he was unable to. It felt almost as if his lungs were being crushed in a vice. He closed his eyes against the agony, and felt his mind drift away; trying to ignore the pain that flared with each agonizing, hitched breath that he took, which was becoming shorter and weaker, as the minutes ticked by.

In the perpetual darkness of his personal hell, the voices of his dead brothers always managed to find him. He wished that he was able to give his brothers peace, but he knew that his death would not bring his brothers any rest. Dying of dehydration, or succumbing to his injuries, was not an honorable way to die. It was not a death that would bring comfort the shades of his murdered family and friends.

Leo took another strained, wheezing breath. His burning lungs protesting against the arduous effort. It felt as if he was trying to breathe through oatmeal.

Tears began to slowly trickle down his face. He had thought that his tears had dried up long ago, and yet, he still had a few tears left to shed for his family, his friends, and himself.

"I'm sorry." He managed to croak out through parched lips and throat. He could not offer his family anything, but his battered soul as payment for failing them so completely, but it was not equal to the recompense that he owed. "Raph, Mikey, Donnie, Father... everyone." He managed to choke out the names of his loved ones, as something gurgled from deep within his chest.

'I know you can't forgive me.' He sent out his thoughts into the void, as he concentrated on his family and his friends, hoping that the message would reach them, wherever they were. 'And I would never ask your forgiveness, I know that I don't deserve it. But I wanted all of you to know how much I love, and miss you. I know I am dying, slowly, by inches and minutes. So I will give you this dishonorable death, and know that if it had it been in my power, I would have given you so much more.'

He struggled to take another gasping breath, and found that he couldn't get enough air. His chest felt like it was being crushed, the air squeezed from his lungs before it was of any use to him.

Phantom lights burst to life, the glow penetrating through his closed eyelids. He took a ragged, rasping breath, and turned his head away from the light as much as he was able to, which wasn't much. He closed his eyes more tightly, the voices of his dead brothers echoing in his head tauntingly. The icy, calm hand of Death gently caressed his cheek, as he felt another painful breath squeezed from his lungs.

He fought briefly against the icy, dark touch of Death, that lingered like a ragged, and torn cloak, wrapping him up gently within its eternal embrace. His chest tightened as a ragged, wet cough was torn from his body, sending red, hot agony shooting across his chest to reverberate throughout his entire body. Something wet dribbled down the corner of his mouth, and ran down his chin.

More tears seeped out from beneath his closed lids, as he choked back a scream of agony and frustration. Air was far too precious a thing to waste, and he did not believe that even if he could, that he would be able to let out the scream that was building up in his throat, go.

He tiredly opened his one eye, the other not responding, and was surprised to see a dim, yellow light fill his eye, blinding him. He tried to get away from the terrifying brilliance of the faint light, but his body no longer responded to his wishes, or desires. Trapped, and unable to move, his eye gazed upwards, and fell upon the figure of his genius brother, Donatello.