The Cards that Keep Turning

Chapter 14 ~ Home

Third Person - Archie Baker (Baker) P.O.V

Its been two weeks since he last saw his friends. Two weeks since he was able to move both his arms and both his legs. Two weeks since he was able to smile. Two weeks... since he actually saw the light of the outside world.

Baker was nothing but skin and bones, he has grown weaker and weaker over the course of time. His oversized clothing he had once worn was now just another blanket he could use when he goes to sleep. He could curl himself up into a small ball, keeping himself hidden as well as keeping his small and fragile body warm. Not only was Bakers body and appetite for happiness disappear, but the healthy lifestyle Baker had lived in, and his complexion, had gone down the drain. His healthy, olive skin had completely transformed into a rough looking surface with small red spots appearing on his now milky white skin. It was all wrong...

Bakers position from before still hadn't changed, he was still laying in the middle of the Studio, him laying face to the ground, him trying to block out the blinding light. He was sick, he was slowly wasting away. He was hurting so much more then before, he just wanted to return to normal, he just wants things to end. His whole body was hurting, all except for his ears. Bakers ears had noticed that the annoying sound of the air vents violently shaking had stopped, completely, giving his sore ears a chance to relax. Although the noise had stopped... Bakers ears had picked up another sound that was coming from the air vents once again...

It wasn't violent shaking, it was more like whispers he heard. Baker was able to hear whispers... coming from the air vents. They weren't completely inaudible, he was able to make out what a couple of the whispers were...

"I don't feel so w-well Miles!"

*Miles?* Baker questioned himself as he rolled onto his side, *Why? What is happening?*

There was an unsettling feeling amongst all this. Baker was scared that he was being toyed with, that he was being teased by the cards choices. But then it happened again... another whisper appeared...

"It will be f-fine don't w-worry!"

Baker couldn't help but cry. It had been two weeks since he had heard the voices of his friends, his brothers. He was hurt... he was hurt by the sound of their voices. You would think that someone should be happy to hear the voices of their loved ones, but Baker wasn't... he was the complete opposite. The words that he had heard had replayed in his head, the sad and frightened voices of his friends had played over and over again.

The tears wouldn't stop, they were uncontrollable. It was hard for him, in more ways then one. Bakers breathing had picked up once again, making things harder for him, harder then before. His breathing was unsteady, his tears weren't stopping and he was choking on his own saliva as he was trying to calm himself down. It was hard...

...

...

After a little bit of time trying to control his breathing patterns, silence had taken over. The whispers that could be heard before, were gone and the violent shaking of the air vents were long gone. His sobs had eventually died down. He was scared, scared for what was going to happen next. The noises might've stopped, but the lights were still shining... something was happening, he just didn't know what.

Baker rolled onto his side, facing the wall. The bright lights still being in his view... only until his eyelids gave out and shut fully, letting darkness take over.

Just when you think its all over, it had started again. The noises from before had appeared. The noise of the light shining, the noise of the air vents shaking and the noise of... thuds, multiple thuds. Something heavy had fallen to the ground, as if a duck had given up and fell to its doom, although these objects, or creatures, appeared to still be conscious and alive.

Being the curious little bean he sometimes was, Baker had decided to turn over and face whatever landed inside the Studio... and what he had seen had made the tears he was holding in poor out. He turned back towards the wall and cried out the last of his sobs, before being fully consumed by darkness.

~0~~0~

Third Person - Claude Miles (Miles) P.O.V

Miles had awoken to a the feeling of a cool breeze brushing against his face, trying to sit up would only make him a laughing stock of his already awoken friends. They were all laying upon a metal sheet, cramped together... only realising that they are boxed in by multiple pieces of metal sheets.

"Miles... where are we?" questioned Reedie rubbing his head.

"... I'm not too sure Reedie. But we'll be alright... trust me," Miles said in a reassuring tone.

Once Miles finished his sentence, small creaking sounds could be heard coming from all around them. Were the metal sheets giving out?

"Miles! I think we are in air vents... and I think we are going to-"

But before being able to finish his sentence, the metal sheet underneath them had gave way, letting them fall to the ground, landing on the grooves rubble and broken metal sheets.

Pained groans and moans had filled the dusted room, making everything impossible to see, and breath.

"Hughes... Reedie... Tay... are you all ok?" Miles managed to cough out.

"Arrrggghhh!" groaned the boys in response

"I will take that as a yes then."

Even though Miles was hurting from the impact of the fall, he still managed to climb to onto elbows and wipe away some of the dust that was stinging his eyes. After a few groans and moans of pains from wiping away the dust, Miles had looked up to scan his surroundings... his familiar surroundings.

Gasping for air, Miles had pushed himself up off the ground and landed flat on his back, alerting the three still pained boys.

"Miles, are you ok?" Hughes asking as he gently gripped his shoulders.

"Hughes, look!"

Without even questioning Miles sudden order, he had looked around the new room they were in... or so they thought it was new.

"Miles, we're back in the Studio!" Hughes screamed, jumping up on both feet while waving his arms around like a mad man.

"Hughes, don't celebrate too soon," Reedie said with sadness covering his words.

"What?! Why?"

Without speaking, Reedie had only pointed to a pile of clothes that was laying on the ground in the corner of the Studio.

"Is that..."

"Baker..." Hughes said finishing Tay's sentence.

"Baker! Baker! Oh My Lord! Baker are you ok?!" Miles yelled even further.

There wasn't a single response. No welcoming tears, no happy smiles, no loud laughs... and no words.

"What do we do Miles?!" Hughes bellowed, comforting the two boys who were both in shock and in tears.

"Call an ambulance, quick!!"

An ambulance... never thought it would come to that... never thought it would come to that moment in which one of them were being rushed to the hospital. Although they shouldn't be surprised... because two of them did...pass.