Book 1: Shattered Harmony

Chapter 4: Hell...?

Unready Guardian

Chapter 4

Hell...?

Danny kept running, but no matter how far she ran she couldn't get away from that man. She could still hear him laughing down the concrete hallway. The walls were sprayed with blood, her steps splashed the blood around her. The outfit Zareth just got her was stained in the color. It wasn't an expensive outfit, just a pair of jean, tennis shoes, and a shirt that had a local band on it. Nothing much, but to her she would cherish it. But now it was covered in blood, and it would probably stain the baby blue fabric. She ran into a room and closed the door. She turned around and gasped. Sitting in a chair chained down was Zareth. He was covered in cuts and wounds. All of which would kill any man. His eyes were still open, but unseeing. He was dead in every sense of the word. Her heart quickened, she couldn't look away from the horror that was in front of her. Her hero was sitting there slumped over dead. She covered her mouth, and slumped. The scream that escaped her was blood curtailing.

"Babe!" Danny jerked awake and pushed at Zareth. "Babe...Danny...Danny look at me. Its me. Its Zareth." She stopped pushing and looked him in the eyes. They weren't devoid of life, they were so full of it. The bright glow watched her intently, afraid to speak. She fell limp in his arms for a moment. He pulled her out and held her to him. "Danny?" He shook her trying to get her to see him. Zareth watched her eyes as if they were lighting back up again. He shook his head. She reached up and hugged to him.

'Do humans have dreams like this all the time?' Zane asked Dareth shook his head.

'I never have, but then again I haven't been traumatized. Zane we gotta get her out of here.'

'Yes I know.'

"Come on babe...why do you go take a shower. It'll help you wake up better. Besides I'm sure you haven't had a proper one in a while. Ronins shower didn't have soup." Zareth said leading her toward the bathroom as she was still rather groggy. He went to let go of her hand, but she held it for a little while longer, before letting go.

As she had done before she left the door open a crack. Zareth began to make some coffee in the tiny coffee pot in the corner.

"Hopefully something warm will help." Zareth said and looked out the window. Their were a few kids playing at a playground not to far from them. Their mother sat down on the bench looking over her cell phone. Zareth sighed,

'How did we end up sleeping so long?' Zane asked looking at how high the sun was. It was 10am and he normally woke up at 6. He walked over to the mirror and pulled up his shirt.

'Ow....' Dareth grunted.

Danny stepped out of the bathroom to see the huge bruises on his chest, and stomach.

"Zareth...?" Zareth stuffed his shirt back into his pants and looked up at her.

"Hey babe." He tried to play it off. Danny swallowed hard and pointed to the coffee. "Oh yeah...coffee..." He said handing her a cup. She poured four packets of sugar in and two things of creamer. Zareth chuckled and drank is black.

"Do you find something funny?" She looked up and smirked. Zareth shook his head and tapped her nose.

"All the time. But about you...never." He said sipping his coffee setting it down on the counter and pulled on his shoes. "Well we had better hurry up. I'm afraid we gotta be out by 11." He said stuffing a toothpick in his mouth.

"Really?" Danny asked.

"Yup. Never stay in a hotel before?"

"No...never had a need to." Danny said. "Never went on vacation, and never had to stay in a hotel. We were a poor family until dad went to work for Borg. But I was out of the house by that time." Danny said pulling on her shoes. She took the towel from around her head and shook it. Zareth covered his face.