Love Again - A Pentatonix Story

Chapter 3

Scott and Kirstie tried very hard to keep their footsteps silent, although it seemed like Mitch found it unnaturally easy, as he walked with confidence. At the end of the hallway, there was a single bright white door. They looked at each other briefly before Scott curled his blackened fingertips around the handle. He paused for a moment before swinging the door open. At once, the smell of blood wafted towards them. He stepped inside and the others followed him. Inside, the room was cold and dark and the opposite of the scene outside. The walls and floor were made of rough brick and part of it was caked in mould and mildew. The only light that bathed the room came from the hallway outside. There was a metal table one side of the room. But what surprised Kirstie the most was on the other side. A man was slumped against the wall, metal chains encircling his neck and wrists and bolting his arms to the wall. His brown hair hung in greasy clumps and his clothes were ripped and torn in places. 

Mitch furrowed his eyebrows and studied the unfamiliar character. 'He's alive; I can hear his heartbeat. He's still breathing – but only just.'

'He's unconscious,' Kirstie breathed.

'Yeah,' Mitch answered even though Kirstin's whisper was more of a statement than a question.

'What do we do with him?' Scott asked.

'Well, we can't just leave him here.' Mitch said.

'Wait. Are you suggesting that we take him with us?' Scott questioned.

'That's exactly what I'm suggesting.'

'But he could be a criminal!'

'You mean like us?' Mitch countered.

Scott knitted his eyebrows together, and after what seemed like too long, he finally sighed in exasperation.

'Fine. Let's take him.'

Kirstin edged towards the strange man, and picked up a stray brick from the floor. One by one, she hammered the chains until they were crushed and severed from the wall. With a soft thud, the man fell to the floor. Kirstie froze before the horrifying scene in front of her.

'Oh my...' she mumbled

Before her, the man was laying ion his stomach. Red, raw streaks lined his back. Dark red blood oozed out of some of his cuts. There were some parts of what was left of his skin where it was starting to peel off. The edges of the cuts were burnt, as if whatever did this to him was white-hot.

Kirstin retched in the corner of the room.

'What did he do to deserve that?' Scott wondered.

'His wounds haven't healed,' Mitch observed, 'Whatever happened went down not so long ago.'

'How do we move him?' asked Kirstin, wiping her mouth.

'Lucky he's unconscious,' Scott said before heaving the man onto his back.

'Let's go,' said Kirstin, 'I've had enough of this place.'

She was anxious to leave and was the first to exit the room. Scott had to duck to avoid hitting the man on the doorway. Mitch was the last to leave, and quietly closed the door behind him. The walk back was silent and awkward. When Kirstin was halfway down the hole to the pipes below, Mitch prickled.

'Footsteps. Coming this way. Go, go, go!' he motioned for them to hurry up.

Kirstin dropped to the ground. Scoot passed the unconscious man down to her before falling down the hole himself. Kirstie struggled with his weight before Scott picked him up again and threw him over his shoulder. Nimble as a cat, Mitch slipped into the cavern and helped Kirstin up to close the cover. 'Let's get a move on.' he said.

About a mile later, Mitch gestured for them to stop running.

'It should be safe enough to walk from here.' He said.

'How long until we get to the end of this hell-hole?' Scott asked.

'Um. A couple miles,' Kirstin answered.

Scott sighed, though he didn't reply.

...

After a while, the three reached their destination where they promptly climbed back up to the surface world. Walls lined the perimeter of the alleyway where they emerged.

'This way,' Kirstin beckoned.

Scott grunted at the thought of more running. After two rights and a left, they found themselves in front of a spaceship about three storeys tall. At the push of a button on Kirstin's wrist, the doors flew open. Kirstin led the way into the ship, and the others followed.

'Home, Sweet home.'

...

Yay! Chapter 3! More coming #soon.