The blazing storm

Chapter 18

James watched over Darcy that night as she slept that night.  Scars still crisscrossed across his face.  Some were old and others were fresh.  Darcy was sweating as if the memories she were seeing were that she was in the desert or perhaps in a furnace.  James gently pushed her bangs off her forehead and kissed her there.  She flinched but then her fingers gently wrapped around the hem of his shirt and she didn't let go.

1 year and 11 months earlier
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Darcy sat in the dark room, scratching at the stone wall.  She was waiting for James to be returned to her.  She had just been through her daily slashing session and her back burned.  She was weak with blood loss and cpuld barely hold herself upright due to her gnawing hunger.  The last time she ate was a week ago. 

Luckily, they had a daily shower and that's where they got their water but that was basically the only nutrition they would run on.  Every night, they would be strapped to a chair in the dinning room and torment and the Cyclopses ate in front of them.  The one Cyclops who always sat beside James would always spit on him.  That Cyclops' name was Gas.  The biggest on called himself Tar, the one who sat beside Darcy was named Brother Toe and the one who brought them to the shower and who cut them up was called Reaper Hands. 

Brother Toe seemed to take pity upon them.  He was more patient with them and brought them their food.  It was usually disgusting rubbery bread but Brother Toe would slip butter in with the bread and her also would occasionally sneak things like vegetables and slivers of meat to them.  Darcy planned to use his sympathy to their advantage. 

James was returned to her by Reaper Hands.  "I come back to get you in ten minute." He said gruffly.  His grammar made Darcy's skin crawl.  She held James in her arms and gently patted at his face with the hem of her shirt.  It came away darkened with blood. 

James winced every time she touched his face.  "I'm sorry." She whispered.

James held her wrists. "We need out." He said.

Darcy nodded in agreement.  "I think if we are nice enough to Brother Toe, he'll help us." She said.  James nodded just as the door smashed open and Reaper hands dragged them away.  Throughout the torturous dinner, Darcy kept her eyes on Jaxmes.  He didn't loom so miserable with the possibility of escape on his mind. 

Dinner felt like it was inching by a much slower than before. 

As soon as dinner was over and they were alone with Brother Toe in the hallway, Darcy gathered her nerves and spoke up.  "We need your help." She whispered. 

Brother Toe looked down.  He seemed weary at first but he must have seen the despair in their eyes and how they were gripping eachother's hands because he finally caved.  "What whit?" He asked.

Darcy felt relieved that he was actually going to help them... possibly.  "We need to go home." She said.

Brother Toe stopped in the middle of the hallway.  "Where home?" He asked. 

Darcy looked at James.  "America." She said hopefully. 

Brother Toe began to look fascinated.  "Why need go home?" He asked.

Darcy began to realize how childlike some Cyclopses were.  "Because our families miss us." She said. 

Brother Toe looked sympathetic.  "Family important." He said.

Darcy nodded hopefully.  "Please, will you help us?"

Brother Toe thought for awhile.  "Yes.  Will help." He continued to walk down the hallway and opened the shower room door for them.  "Prepare and will go tomorrow."

Darcy felt so relieved and was overwhelmed with emotion.  She abruptly hugged Brother Toe around the waist... mostly because that was how far up she could reach.  "Thank you." She breathed.  She almost regretted breathing in.  Despite his sweetness, he smelt of everything except sweet.  She stepped away and they quickly showered. 

Brother Toe led them back to the dark room and just begore shutting the door behind them, he spoke up.  "This be secret, yes?"

Darcy looked up at him and nodded.  "Yes, please."

Brother Toe nodded and closed the door.  The two demigods cutled up together and waited for morning. 

Present day
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Darcy lightly gripped James' shirt. "Brother Toe. .." She muttered in her sleep. 

James curled up around her protectively, just as he always did in the Cyclops lair.  Brother Toe had been the kindest Cyclops he had ever met.  That was until...

2 years and 11 months earlier
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Throughout dinner, Brother Toe slipped scraps of food into a greasy napkin.  He was quiet as he brought them to the shower and left them more time to shower than usual.  When he came back to get them, he didn't lead them to the dark room.  He hid them in the pocket of his heavy coat and started walking. 

His pockets were filled with bits of metal.  It reminded Darcy of Leo.  James was in a seperate pocket from Darcy because two of them couldn't fit in one pocket without being twisted into pretzels.  Sure, Brother Toe was a big Cyclops, but he wasn't that big. 

After about ten minutes, Darcy began to feel fresh air seep through the rough fabric.  She pressed her face towards the current, ignoring the smell.  They were getting out of there.  A big hand reached into the pocket and pulled her out.  Her shoulders were squished painfully but she didn't care.  The light of the setting sun blinded her for a moment then she took it all in. 

Brother Toe set her down on a pale, glassy rock and placed James beside her.  They were over the edge of a cliff.  He handed them each a small pack of food and pointed brhind them.  "You run now." He said. 

Darcy reachrd to hug him, but she never got the chance.  A giant bronze sword was thrust through his back and pushed out his chest.  Brother Toe's eye meet Darcy's eyes one last time before he exploded into a yellow monster dust cloud. 

Darcy screamed.  She was horrified.  Reaper Hands stood there woth a maniacal grin.  James grabbed Darcy around the waist and jumped off the cliff.  They sailed through the air.  Darcy gripped James' shirt.  The cold air whipped against her cheeks and it felt like her tears were being frozen.

Bellow them, the dark water was rapidly approaching.  With one scream of desperation, Darcy forced the air around them into a sort of cusion.  It slowed them down, but not enough.  They hit the water with a deafening smack.  Darcy's skin pickled painfully as the sunk through the dark water. 

She ler the darkness swallow her.  She had lost James somewhere along the way and she thought this was a good moment to welcome her fate with open arms.  She was never meamt to survive this long, she was a child of Zeus.  In fact, she was never meant to be alive in the first place.

She opened her eyes just in time to see the sunlight glint through the water and James swimming above her before she was sucked into cold darkness.