Running From Hell

Chapter 2

*warning, moderate violence*

Notia's POV:

I awake to hands on my shoulders, shaking me. "Your turn." I hear liam snap in the dark. Exhausted, I rise to a sitting position and attempt to adjust my eyes to the dark cavern.

 Liam slides to the floor, back facing towards me. I notice he has stripped his shirt off from the heat, and the muscles on his back ripple as he gets comfortable.

I push the thought away, concentrating on the cave passage in front of me. It is quiet, eerie. I lay down, straining to keep my eyes open while I watch. I manage for about an hour before my eyes slide shut and my brain falls into a haze.

 I awake to a bright light shining in my face. Liam is there, holding a flaming branch. I squint in the light. "You fell asleep." Liam says angrily. "I know." I say, sheepishly. "You're going to get us killed." He says, grimly. "Get up." He commands.

 My eyes harden at the words, and I get to my feet, but not to follow his command. "Listen." I say, crossing my arms over my bare chest. "Stop acting like a boss, because you don't make all the rules around here, Liam." I say Icily.

 "I know I don't, but if you were alone you'd be dead by now." He says mockingly.

 "And if you were alone, you'd be branded, humiliated, and rotting in a smelly prison cell." I say, clenching my fists.

 "Yeah, I guess you already got that first part down. I think I saw a couple of pebbles!" He says, narrowing his eyes mercilessly.

 My eyes widen and I cross my arms over my chest. Pebbles? They weren't that small.

 "You know what?!?" I hiss. "If you're so eager to get rid of me, I'll do you a freaking favor. Good luck on your own, Liam." I say, starting to stride off.

 "Good luck dying, Pebbles." He says, waving me away. That is the last straw for me. The pot that had been boiling with annoyance the past two days finally popped, unleashing an explosion of rage. Even though it was him who should be angry.

 I lash out, landing a good blow to the side of Liam's face. He did not expect the confrontation, and stumbles back a few steps before gaining composure.

 I see the pop of fire in Liam's eyes too, he lunges. He grabs me by my hair roughly, and slams my head into the rock wall. His knee connects with my stomach and the wind is knocked out of me.

I see his fist coming and even then I don't guard myself. I can't reason why. The blow connects with my jaw, then his large hands grip my tiny wrists and slam me against the rocky wall, giving him eye-access to my "pebbles." My cheeks flush an angry red.

 In a rage, I bring my sharp fingernails across his face, leaving four red horizontal cuts across his face. He pushes me to the ground, pinning my arms back and holding me down with the weight of his knees on my bare hips. I spit in his face, but he doesn't let off.

 I move my arms to try to cover my almost-bare chest, (oh, pebbles); but he has them pinned. I spit at Liam again and his palm connects with my cheek, leaving an angry red mark.

 My eyes water and his fist connects with my nose. And again. Then my jaw. Blood runs down my face and the punches sound like gunshots in my ear.

 I groan in pain, clawing at his shoulders.

 He doesn't stop though, and his fists slam into my face mercilessly as if he's trying to hammer nails into a wooden board. There's a fire in his eyes, from what I can see past my swollen lids and blood.