Carnations for Emily

Chapter 20: Search/Survive

The clang of metal from Louis' split dagger and Jack's black thumper rang throughout the building.
"You aren't half as strong as you were back then." Louis said as he throws a punch at Jack, knocking him back.
"I don't even know who you are!" Jack yelled.
He was aching, and tired.
They had been fighting for an hour, which felt like a decade.
Jack had a handful of major cuts along him, but most were minor.
Still though, his blood was spilling too fast.
Try as he might to block Louis' strikes, Jack could only guard one at a time.
As soon as he stopped one, the other blade would still get him.
He was too slow.
Admits this fight, Jack was struggling to keep himself together in his mind...

Inside his head...

Jack was sitting in the same strange room as before, the boy sat across from him once more begging to have his body back.
"Why are you scared of me Jack?" The boy with discolored eyes asked.
"I'm scared I'll lose myself to you..." Jack replied.
"You can't fight me off forever.
You know who I am.
I am you...
I am who you once were." The boy cocked his head to the side with a small and fragile smile.
"What's my name?"

Back to reality, Jack was once again pushed back by Louis...
Jack stopped in his tracks for a moment.
"Jamie..." he paused.

"Give me strength to win this fight..." as he said this under his breath, Jack bent his thumb over his index finger and cracked it...

...Meanwhile...

"Where could he possibly be...?" Belle mumbled to herself.
Over the last few days, after meeting Jack's friend Emily for the first time, she and Belle had been trying to find Jack.
He had been missing for over a month, and not just Emily but, Belle and her father Cole have been worried about him too.
Just then Belle's phone went off.
It was Emily!
"Hello Belle, have you figured anything out yet?" Emily asked.
"No not yet.
I've asked a few people I've come across, but none of them have seen him." Belle replied.
"Oh..." Belle could just hear it in Emily's voice that she was sad to hear that.
"Don't worry Emily, we'll find him." Belle said reassuringly.
Though in her honesty she wasn't sure if they would find him.
When people go missing in New York City they typically don't wind back up alive...
Yet Belle was hoping beyond hope that they would find him soon.
Where ever he may be...

...

Louis flung Jack into the air.
As soon as Jack came down Louis didn't miss a beat.
He reared back and kicked Jack as hard as he could in the ribs, sending him into a wall.
When Jack picked himself up from the ground he could tell his ribs were cracked, if not completely broke.
When he looked up, Louis was looming over him pointing a dagger at him.
"You disappoint me Jamie.
You were always better than us as kids.
Look at you now." He hissed with venom filled words.
Grabbing Jack by the back of his head, Louis whispered in his ear.
"You better kill me right here Jamie.
Otherwise, I'll just finish you off.
Then go for that stupid girl in the yellow.
I know all about her..."
Then he slammed Jack's face into the concrete wall and dragged him across it.
It was a miracle his face didn't fall apart, but it was cut up.
Louis tossed Jack across the room and Jack just fell into a heap.
He saw Louis walk over to him before he passed out briefly.

...

"I-I can't win...
I'm going to die here...
And then Emily!" Jack gasped.
Jack sat in the chair with his head in his hands.
He couldn't help but cry.
He wasn't ready to die.
He wanted to protect Emily and now she's in danger if he can't get back up and beat that guy.
"You can't die here Jack.
You have to live so that I can get my body back.
Get back up and put him in the ground." The boy, who Jack now remembered as Jamie spoke to him.
With a smile Jamie said:
"You're stronger than this."