Waves

Understanding

It's been two days since that first night at the hospital. John is still recovering, and Michaels hasn't left his side. His mom has been going back and forth from hospital to work, and I think she's about ready to drop dead. Jemma's been here too but we haven't really talked since our last conversation on the staircase. Closing my eyes I try to get the notoriously elusive sleep to come greet me, and am quickly rewarded.

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Hearing a choking sound I twirld every which way trying to find who it is. Trying to find out what's going on. With an extreme suddeness the lights flare on an reflexively my arm comes up to shield my eyes from the painful glare. When my eyes have adjusted I slowly lower my arm and turn towards the choking sounds. Seeing Michael standing there with a figure dressed in black behind him my breathing increases about ten fold. The black-clad figure tightens his hand on Michaels throat and slowly lifts his head, those blood red eyes meeting mine. My breath catches, and for a second I wonder if he can smell the fear on me.

The gasping sounds increase and my eyes snap back to Michael.

"Let him go!"

"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. I'm having quite a bit of fun. What about you? You don't like this?"

Quickly shaking my head no I can almost hear the smile in his voice when he says,

"That's alright. There's many other ways we can accomodate you and your brother."

Our surroundings flash until we end up in a dank basement with Michael strapped to a chair screaming out in pain as the black-clad figure lightly touches the end of a flame to his bare chest. Screaming out in my own horrification, those blood red eyes turn to me again.

"Is this any better? No? Alrighty then, let's see what else we have in store."

Again our surroundings flash around us. This time however I'm left standing in a corner tied to a chair while blood eyes holds Michael under water. Michael thrashes against his hold, trying desperately to reach the precious oxygen and I feel my own lungs constrict as his thrashing starts to slowly decrease.

"Stop! Please!"

Blood eyes turns his head to look at me again.

"But it's so much fun. And it's not like your offering me anything in return."

At the end his voice caught a steel edge to it, and with a racing heart I try to think of something he'd like better. Something I could actually give him.

"Well, this has been nice. Why don't we just go see what it's like when you're not just sleeping, huh? That sounds like a lot of fun to me!"

For a second my heart soars with the reminder that this is just a dream, but when I catch onto the second half of that sentence fear swallows me again. What can I give him?! And then it clicks.

"ME! Take me instead. Just leave everyone else alone! Please!"

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because that's what you've wanted this whole time. To torture me. So why don't you just do it already? Take me. I'll come willingly, just don't hurt them anymore. Please."

The last word is a whisper, but I know he heard me. His laugh echoes throughout the room and in a ferocious voice he says,

"Finally! I think I'll take you up on that deal. Now being the nice fellow that I am, I'll let you have half an hour to say goodbye. Don't even try to run. It's too late now, and no matter where you go I'll find you."