The Chase

Jailed (Peter)

My eyes slowly crept open to a concrete ceiling. My eyes adjusting to the light. My head throbbed as I leaned up unsure of where I was. I tried looking around and making out objects, but my vision was still blurred. Leaning myself up against the wall, I began to stand. Applying all my weight onto the rough surface, I achieved my goal. Guiding myself along the wall, I tried to take a step; a sharp pain rippled throughout my leg, and I collapsed back to the ground. All of my breath escaped me, and I gasped, rolled over onto my elbows, and began coughing. Red spurts of blood splattering onto the ground, as I coughed.

When the episode ended, I rolled back over onto my back breathing heavily. My stomach, aching with the everlasting urge to puke, and I just layed there, having nothing else to do.

Reaching down to my leg, I traced the lines of the open wound. Crimson still seeped from the gash, and it looked like it was getting infected. Blue and purple bruises lined the cut and yellow pus danced within it.   I felt light headed and dizzy;  just layed on the ground until my vision adjusted.    

Once my sight had returned, I leaned up against the wall and looked around. Every inch of the room was grey concrete. One wall was bars, and I immediately knew where we were.

Jail.

    There was a small blanket and a bucket overturned on the ground in which I didn't want to know what it was used for.

    After taking a look around, I also noticed Ash in the corner, still knocked out. Her chest slowly rising and falling. A huge cut from her left eye to her right cheek stood out boldly. It was definitely going to leave a scar. Otherwise she had a few burns and was terribly pale. "At Least she was alive." I thought. Stretching my leg out in front of me I examined the wound. I knew I wouldn't be walking on it for a while. Just touching it made me wince.

A new pool of blood formed around my leg. I'm bleeding out.

"No, it can't end this way! I won't let it happen." I weeped inside my mind.

     Taking all the strength I could muster, I began to stand again. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming. The pain was excruciating. The room felt below ten degrees, and I began to shiver. My hands clammy, as they slid across the wall. My eyes were drooping and, I wanted to fall asleep. My mind was slowly shutting down. I felt lethargic, as I inched my up the wall, letting out gasps, as I changed position. The shivers continued as I stood, propping all my weight up on the wall and on my left leg. I hopped forward, and a sharp pain hit me, as I collapsed once again.

"Ahggg!" I yelled and banged my fist on the ground out of frustration. "No......" I murmured.

I just laid there, my eyes closed, my mind slowly drifting into a deep sleep, in which I would never wake up. The blood slowly seeping from my cut, as I waited to die; something startled me.

"Peter?" said the faint voice of Ash.

"Ash...." I mumbled, barely audible, but it took the last bit of strength I had to say her name. My eyes resisting to open fully, but allowed them to crack just a bit. I saw the figure of Ash kneeling over me. My vision was hazy, and everything was clouded over. Like a stormy day where no one could see the sun. My eyelids bore the weight of sleep, as they gradually closed again.

"No. Come on, Peter, stay with me. Don't go to sleep." Ash whispered into my ear calmly.

"So...tired." I moaned; my body numb.

"Guards! Someone, please! My friend he's...he's dying, please." Ash vociferated, but her words betrayed her, and slightly quivered. A pair of footsteps approached our containment cell. My eyes slowly creeped open to see a pair of guards standing before us on the other side of the bars. They weren't wearing their impenetrable suits, but yet they still looked menacing even though I could not see them very well.

"What do you idiots want." One of the guards muttered annoyed.

"My friend, Peter, he's bleeding out. He needs medical attention" Ash said gesturing towards my leg.

"Well he's going to die either way." the same one laughed.

"Luke, you know the boss wants 'em alive and he's not lookin too well." the second argued, his voice extremely raspy.

"Oh come on, James, he don't gotta be in perfect condition." Luke bickered, motioning towards the cell.   

"Well if he don't get something done about 'em he's gonna die. He's already lost a good bit of blood." The one called James, answered examining the large puddles of blood on the floor.

"Well we're not gonna sedate him. Maybe he'll learn a lesson after feelin' all that pain." Luke smiled wickedly. My eyes close.

"No! Please don't hurt him." Ash cried, resting her hand on my shoulder protectively

"It's...ok...Ash." I mumbled, but she didn't hear me.

"Well if you want your friend to live, you'll let him come with us, with no problems." Luke growled at Ash.

"For once I agree with you." James responded, cocking something that sounded like a gun.

"Now stand back, or i'll have to shoot you." James commanded Ash.

I felt her leave my side; her gentle touch abandoning my shoulder. Her warm breath disappearing into the atmosphere of cold, damp cell.

Multiple keys clashed together, as one of the guards unlocked the door. The bars scraped along the ground, making an awful high pitched scraping sound.

Two pairs of footsteps approached me, and a rough hand grabbed hold of my right arm. Then a second on my left, this one sweaty and small. They then hoisted my upper body into the air, and I screamed. Tears rolled down my face, as the wound was yanked across the ground carelessly.  My leg banging into the walls as they dragged me away. Blood leaking out my lacerated skin. My mind slowly drifting away into nothingness.

       Blackness began to take over until it finally consumed me.