Struggle

Beware the Broken Clock

"Beware the broken clock."

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Felicity's eyes snapped open. Breathing heavily, she clutched at the drenched bedsheets beneath her and lifted her torso up into a sitting position. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to remember where she was. She was in a plain grey cell-like room. Her room. She clambered off the hard mattress of her bed.

Craning her head up to look out of the small window that was metres above her head, her scarlet eyes rested drearily upon the ambient sunlight that leaked through it. Felicity dragged her eyes to the wooden box in the corner and extended an arm towards her closet. She opened the wooden door and grabbed a simple white dress from inside. She stripped from her night-shirt and replaced it with the fresh garb in her hand.

It had long sleeves covering her arms and a collar that swooped just above her chest. Felicity straitened out a few kinks at the bottom and turned her attention to a metallic grey glove. She slipped it onto her left hand to cover what was beneath. The crimson-haired girl finished dressing after shoving her feet into dark flats and tugging at her hair to remove the knots she got from sleeping.

Out of the corner of her eye, the girl noticed a book on the floor lying open at the end of her bed. She stared at it incredulously before ambling over to the alien object. She crouched beside it, her pale fingers curling around the open book and picking it up. Felicity walked back to her bed and sat down.

The book snapped closed and fell into her lap as soon as she took her seat and she gasped. Gently, she tried to open the cover with a dainty finger. It didn't open. This time, Felicity used both her hands to pry it open, once more ending in failure. The girl let out a frustrated sigh, letting the book lie limply in her lap as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

Her ears pricked up as she heard the sounds of crashing and banging nearby. Alarmed, she jolted up, the book tumbled off her lap and lay back onto the ground. Suddenly, the wall in front of her exploded, bits of debris cascaded down onto the floor leaving no metre in the room untouched. Felicity shrieked as a man jumped through the newfound mouth in the wall.

He was tall, that's for sure. He had floppy blonde hair that reached past his ears and bright blue eyes with a smile even brighter. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, tinted blue and brown cargo pants. His shoes were black boots that covered part of his pants. He had gloves similar to Felicity's own, except they were black. Ruby eyes widened as he looked around the room.

She stepped back towards her pillow and sneakily slipped her hand underneath. Clasping her hand around the handle of a knife, Felicity finally choked out, "W-who're you?!" She stammered. The man turned his head to the girl. "Oh! Hey, I'm Goura. You seen a weird book around here? I'm sure it's in this room." He said with his hands on his hips. His voice was husky and unfamiliar. "A weird book...?" Could he mean...?

The man-now known as Goura-strode around the room with no trace of fear or anything whatsoever. You wouldn't think he just knocked down a wall and walked right into some strangers room. "Yeah. If you've seen it, it would've shut closed and wouldn't let you open it." He said as he began searching her closet. "H-hey, that's my closet!" Felicity said, suddenly aware of the book at her feet.

She stepped on it lightly and pushed it underneath her bed with her foot before slipping the knife up her sleeve to keep it safe and rushing to the blonde-haired man. She decided she would see what they needed with it before she handed it over. She wasn't an idiot. "Where are the guards?! There should be heaps! You just broke into the Animal Lab!" She said as she pried his hands out of the closet and shutting the door tightly. "Don't worry. They're only unconscious." Goura said nonchalantly.

Felicity stepped back slightly before leaning forward with her eyes cut to slits. "What the hell do you mean 'only'? Why are they unconscious?!" She demanded, keeping close attention to the knife still hidden in her left sleeve. "I beat them up." He stated as if she asked him what two plus two was. Her eyes widened. "You... Beat them up?" She repeated, not believing a word. But then again, there was no sound of guards running and calling. If someone broke in, they would know. Especially since he made such a ruckus from what she heard before he smashed the wall.

"Yeah. Are you sure you haven't seen that book?" The man asked as if the topic had reached an end. "You beat them up...?" Felicity said again, now more of a question. Goura let out a loud sigh before grabbed he both of her shoulders and ignoring the yelp of pain she let out.

"Yes. I did. Now would you please tell me where you put the book?" She stared up at him with wide eyes. "How did you know I-" She stopped dead in her tracks as he placed his hand over her mouth. "Enough. Just tell me." He dropped his hand to his side and stepped back, waiting for an answer. Slowly, she lifted her hand up and pointed to the bed. "It's under there." She mumbled. Maybe she was stupider than she thought.

The blonde sighed in relief and wasted no time rushing to the bedside and fishing out the book from beneath. Goura smiled as he held the book in his hands.

He slowly got up, not looking away from it. Turning to Felicity, he grinned widely. "Thanks!" He said before going back to the hole in the wall. "Sorry about the mess." He said sheepishly. Goura stepped out of the cavity and beamed as he walked back where he came. "W-wait!" Felicity said, stepping forward. "If you're leaving, can you take me with you...?" She whispered. Goura turned back towards her and placed a hand on his hip. "Take you with me? Why?" He asked, tilting his head.

The crimson haired girl bit her lip. "Well... I've been here ever since I was a child. I have never once successfully escaped yet here you are, waltzing around the place messing stuff up and just leaving when you're done. I made a promise... That I would come back... It's been so long since then and I'm still here. She may just be an imaginary friend like the others tell me but... Even so I want to escape. I can't take it here. It's suffocating me." Goura's blue eyes widened and looked down at the book. "Imaginary friend?" He closed his eyes and for a second Felicity thought the worst. "No wonder the book wandered over here. It wanted to find you." He opened his eyes and grinned. "Let's go, then!" For the first time in a while, Felicity smiled. She rushed through the makeshift exit and stood beside Goura.

"Also, get that blade out of your sleeve, it's freaking me out." He added as he began to walk with Felicity following close behind. "H-how...?" She began, taking the knife out from under in her glove, careful not to show her metallic hand to Goura. "Seriously?" He asked with his eyebrow raised while Felicity just averted her gaze. "Well excuse me. Mysterious man breaks into my room and searches my closet. You're telling me you'd serve them a cup of tea?" Goura laughed "Yeah... Sorry." He said, scratching the back of his head. "By the way... What did you mean by 'the book wandered over here'?"

(A/N hey guys, I'm sorry for those of you who are waiting for chapter four of my other story but I needed to get this finished XD I can't think of a good ending so if anyone has an idea you're free to voice it. Did you notice the cover? I drew it with my iPad so it's pix ally... )