Shadows of the Mind

Part 16

Jane was bored.  She hit the wall with her club again.  When that did nothing, she struck again, but harder.  She kept striking.  Suddenly, the club flew out of her hand.  She looked down.  She had hit so hard, she had broke it.  She shrugged and tossed the handle aside.  It was of no use to her now.

She began to sprint around the length of her confines.  Isn't that what people in prison movies always did, got in shape?  She looked down at Alyssa's non-athletic body and sighed.  She had a lot of work to do.

She looked back up and ran smack into someone.  She looked up, and recognized the scowl on Chad's-no, Ryan's-face.  She blushed and helped him up, because he had fallen.

"How'd you get in here?  I thought we were all separated..." she asked.

He brushed off his clothes, grimaced and said, "Let's just say that I may never touch ice again."  She looked down at his hands.  The knuckles were bright red, with bruises and blisters and cuts, and he was bleeding.  The rest of his hands were very pale, and they were shaking.  

She grabbed his hands, not because she was feeling particularly romantic towards him, but because he might get frostbite otherwise.

He smirked and said, "Feeling romantic are we, Jane?"  Because he knew full well what she was doing.  

She punched his arm and said, "Shut up, I'm saving myself from having to amputate your hands later."  She began to knead life back into his fingers, avoiding the knuckles.  He grimaced, but refused to acknowledge his pain.  

After his hands were a healthy color again, Jane let go of him.  He stumbled a bit as he followed her back to her corner.  She sat down, and he sat across from her.

She tore a small corner of his shirt off and wrapped his bleeding knuckles.  Satisfied with her work, she nodded and leaned back.

"So," she said, "why'd you come find me?" 

He smirked, "It wasn't on purpose, I was just trying to get out."  She nodded, completely understanding.

They sat there like that, talking, for a long time.  Eventually, they both began to feel the fatigue of a long day settling upon them.  They stood up, with the intention of walking back to Ryan's hole, so he could return to his side of the wall and sleep.

But when they got there, there was nothing.  Ryan scratched his head, confused.  They split up and searched the whole wall.  Nothing, both of them reported.  The hole had simply vanished.  Ryan was stuck there.  For better or for worse, Jane had some company now.