Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 29: Lights Out

I grabbed Eiffel's shoulders and shielded her with my own body. The living room's walls shattered, all the rubble and dust flying in different directions. Even if I shielded her, the forcefield that enveloped around the four of us did all the work.
"André!" Patrick yelled furiously.
"Let's not lose our heads!" Jason yelled louder. "We need to find a way to catch that guy."
My chin dug into Eiffel's collarbone. I realized that I wasn't just protecting her from harm, but I was hugging her at the same time. I loosen my grip slowly, wanting more of that hug.
"Sorry." I apologized nervously.
"It's okay." She smiled shyly.
"Let me out of this bubble, Jess!" Patrick shouted at me and pounded on the barrier.
I let the glass disappear and Patrick out of it. He dashes towards the small hallway, but I couldn't see through the mist of black clouds devouring the front section of the house.
"Patrick, where're you goin'?" Jason fanned his hands around when he followed Patrick.
"Are you okay?" I asked Eiffel. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. But I'm worried about something."
"What?"
"About...Jackson. The others. What if they find us?"
"What if they don't? C'mon, Eiffel..." I hold both of her hands again for comfort. "they won't find us. We'll go somewhere far from everybody else. We can escape. All of us. Then you can go back to Sky and--" The last words hurt me. Eiffel going back to Sky could be one of my regrets. I cannot risk letting her go. I think it's worse than the odds of her dying because of me.
"And what?" Eiffel wishes to continue. "And...you can be happy?"
"What makes you think I'm not happy when I'm with you?"
"You-You're happy when you're...with me?" I feel like tears would drift from my eyes, but it was just imaginary.
"Of course I am." She reached forward for a more sincere hug. Her arms behind my neck and her face pressed against my left shoulder.
"Thank you for this adventure..." she said happily. "I will never forget it, Jess."
I wanted to say more words, but the smoke from the time bomb made its way inside my nose and mouth. I gasped for the air that was never there. I grabbed my shirt and coughed breathlessly. Hopelessly hoarse, I felt like dying.
"Jess, here." Eiffel said in a hurry.
I take my inhaler from her hand and dashed for the door. But it wasn't there, so it was an easy way out. I was lacking air source, my lungs tighten, eyes watery, and my throat was dry. Why did I have to ruin the moment?
Eiffel followed me outside. I stood in the middle of the street, hoping for no cars to pass by and get suspicious of what happened.
"Jess, you okay?" I nodded slowly. A little dizzy.
I gathered some breath and whispered weakly, "We...have to go."
"Yeah, I know. They just have to get a few things."
"How long is that gonna take?" I rested my arms on my knees, then sat down on the pavement.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I said I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"All right."
Something nearby snapped. Like a twig. Or a branch. I quickly stood up, but I felt a little dizzier.
"Woah, slow down, Jess. What is it?"
"I think I heard something."
"Jess, no. We have to wait a little bit more. And it could be just a raccoon or something."
"Hold on."
"Jess--" She held on to me, but I phased.
I covered my mouth and approached the hedge next to the smoking house. As I got closer and closer, I looked through the tangled twigs and leaves. Footsteps came closer. The two ran out coughing. Patrick seemed to have dropped something. Something metallic and heavy. A gun.
"Where'd you get those?" I ask him.
"I kept these for souvenirs from Capricorn." He holds up a burlap drawstring and started rattling it. All the metals clamped against each other.
"Come on, we have to go." Jason said.
"Yeah, come on." I said, ignoring what was moving behind the bush.
As we started walking away, not drawing attention to ourselves and the burning, smoking house, I heard the branch snap again. I turned. But before my turn was complete, I felt a sudden ache on the back of my neck. A sharp sting of a needle. I wished it was insulin, but it was not. A Power Neutralizer. I plucked it out of my neck. I faint and slowly give in to the darkness.
I just fainted again. Ugh!