I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from yelling. Eden had turned himself in. The authorities now had two of the Elements, the compass and the key, along with the Antipode. While I didn't know fully what that meant, the idea still filled me with dread.
"C'mon, we have to go before we get caught," Seth urged, jumping up out of the chair.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. I followed behind as we sprinted down the halls, making all kinds of twists and turns I didn't register. My head spun.
Eden was a prisoner. Eden had betrayed me for a cell. Eden and Seth knew each other.
We descended down a staircase, then another. Shouts from above faded, but Seth didn't stop until we were standing in front of the metallic door. He didn't hesitate to slam into it with his shoulder, causing it to crash into the wall. The pair of us entered.
"Eden!" I cried, trying to get to him.
Seth grabbed my shoulders.
"Rowin, be careful," he stated. I looked at him, confused. "They could be... They could be torturing him," Seth whispered.
I felt my breath leave me as I looked to my friend. Eden's watery eyes were focused on his hands, which shook terribly. Sweat poured down his face as he mumbled something to himself over and over.
Panic flushed through me instantly.
Seth's grip on me slowly let up. I was frozen in place as he approached Eden cautiously. He crouched beside him, placing a hand on his knee. Eden jerked, and Seth's expression was briefly hurt. He recovered, then turned to me.
"He's kinda okay," Seth said, forcing a smile. I tried not to think about what that meant.
I felt my chest shake as I exhaled. Tentatively, I took a step forward.
Abruptly, the walls began shaking. Bits of dust from the ceiling clouded my vision. I gasped, then began coughing violently. Before I could fully comprehend what I needed to do, Seth was beside me with Eden leaning heavily on his shoulder. His expression was frantic and wild, contrasting Seth's calm eyes.
"There's an exit on this floor, follow me," he said, his fingers encircling mine.
We left the cell. I followed him, hoping we would make it out alive. Eden stumbled, but somehow, we managed to make it past the maze of halls.
I should've been used to the terror by then. I should've been expecting how my mind went into overdrive, how my hands shook, how my heart slammed into my ribs uncontrollably. The only thing that kept me sane in those moments were the physical attributes of what was happening; Seth's firm grip on my hand, our constant progress, the fact that I was still breathing.
The door was simple, labeled for emergencies. I sped up and met the door first, desperate despite Seth's shouts of caution. I slammed into the bar, flinging it open.
I blindly took another step into the darkness -- longing to feel secure, in control -- then shrieked when I felt myself falling through the rain, into the cold air.
Fresh air swept through my lungs, clearing my head. With that came the realization of my stupidity.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down as I descended. The neck of my shirt was wrenched back, bringing me to an immediate halt in the dark oblivion. The air was forced out of my lungs.
"Rowin, what do you think you're doing?" Seth stated, pulling me back into the collapsing building by my shirt collar.
I was sprawled out on the floor beside him, gazing at the ceiling. His familiar grin spread across his face for a moment, but then it was replaced by a strained expression, as if he was thinking hard about something.
"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing myself up to my feet.
A gust of cold wind swept through the narrow hall, causing goosebumps all up my arms. I tentatively looked over the threshold of the door and saw a five-story drop into rigid, angry water below. The horizon was out of sight. A light flashed through the sky at regular intervals, but it wasn't enough to comfort me.
Someone was pulling me back with a weak force. I turned and saw Eden with a hopeless expression. His eyes searched mine. I held my breath, hoping he would say something. He didn't.
He just stared at me, as if he was trying to communicate with me. Bottom lip trembling, he took my arm, pulling me further away, and laid his head on my shoulder. His breathing was sporadic and he was still shaking.
My eyes met Seth's; he was also silent. Raging worry overtook me.
What were we doing? How were we expected to escape? Would we make it out alive? Did Seth have a plan?
"Hey!"
All three of us jumped and spun toward the voice that was instantly drowned out by the rolling thunder and a crash of waves. Hanging in the doorway was a girl who looked to be my age. A braid extended all the way down her back, her sharp chin and determined expression set on one objective. Her eyes examined us, resting on me for a moment longer, then meeting Seth's.
He looked surprised, glancing between her and I as if he had no idea what was happening.
"Don't look so shocked, Stefen. I had a role to play, it wasn't because I hated you," she said, rolling her big brown eyes.
He kept his mouth shut, speechless. I was instantly curious about who this was and what had happened in the four months I hadn't seen him.
"If you want to make it out alive, trust me and jump. Then head out to the open ocean, you'll find help," she instructed. Of course, I was skeptical. However, in my distressed state, I was heading for the treacherous opening.
"I don't have a reason to trust you!" Seth shouted over a deafening crack of thunder.
"I know!" she replied without giving us a second glance before pulling herself out of the doorway.
Eden gripped my arm with white knuckles, seeming terrified. I held my breath and saw a flashlight strapped to the bottom of something floating in the water-- a life boat.
<<<<<<<<<<<
(a/n)
Honestly, the hardest part about writing this book was coming up with a suitable beginning.
QUESTION: any predictions for the upcoming chapters?
HEY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. GOD LOVES YOU & YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM. Also, I hope you're liking the first couple parts (:
-Abigail
{March 12, 2017}
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The Trace of Stars
Adventure» Sanity was a precious gift they didn't realize they had -- until it was taken from them. « A spilt second was all it took for Rowin's life to fall apart. As the ones she cares for disappear one by one, she realizes the Elements go far beyond her...
