Crumbled

Escape your Past

       "Walz," Bramstone repeated. No answer. It had been like this ever since their run-in with Kei. After running through the forest for days, stopping only to rest, or to eat, they had arrived in Umwror, Walz's home.  As soon as they got there, Walz had collapsed on the forest floor, and stopped talking.

Bramstone couldn't help but feel unwelcome. His first trip to the neighboring kingdom, and there he was, crouched on a forest floor. Walz stared through the lushous foliage, looking dazed and confused.

Bramstone was worried. If the Harrowers really were searching for them, Umwror was the first place they'd look. With Walz out of commision, neither of them would stand a chance.

With a sigh, Bram sank into the grass beside his friend.

Walz was wrapped in memories, their hold on him felt all too real.

Walz strained against the icy chains that bound him to the dungeon's wall. It had been three days since he'd been captured, and there was no sign of relent. He hadn't seen his friends or anyone he knew since then. He also hadn't had anything to eat or drink.
      
Kei leaned casually against the outer wall of Walz's cell, drinking a glass of water. Walz knew it was another slight, a cruel form of punishment from his captor. Kei sipped the water like he had all the time in the world.
  
"Walz, you can have some of this," Kei said, grinning. Walz could hear the lies in his voice. Even so, he was desperate. He almost agreed, but
then he heard Kei's voice once again.
      
"It'll cost you though," Kei smirked, sipping from the glass once more. Walz shook his head.
      
"Then I don't need it," he rasped, his voice teetering on the edge of deparity and anguish. Kei just smiled.
      
"You really are dumber than I thought," he turned away, "Guards, tell the staff to continue witholding all food or drink from this prisoner, until my order." The guards nodded, looking slightly uneady,. Kei turned back to Walz, an evil smile playing on his lips.
     
  "We'll see how long it takes you to crack. The last guy didn't last a week." Kei finished his drink, and threw the glass into Walz's cell, spraying the boy with shards. Then he walked away, laughing to himself.
      
Walz slumped against the wall, his throat burning, and his stomach on fire. Later, in a moment of utter weakness, Walz had begged Kei for some water. Kei kept his word. Nearly every scar on Walz's body was a part of his "payment".

   "WALZ!" He woke with a start, disoriented and terrified.

Bramstone's face loomed above him, and Walz scrambled back.

   "Were you watching me sleep?" He asked, brushing dirt off his pants.

"No, I was trying to wake you up, you were screaming, and quite frankly, I'd rather we not get caught," Bram said, leaning against a tree trunk, sipping water from a bottle.

Walz shuddered, remembering the sluggish way his blood had churned, felt the chafe of the iron against his wrists. He could barely seperate past from present, and his insides crept up his throat.

  "We should get going, Harrowers are going to start searching for us here soon," Bramstone said, taking another swig from the bottle and capping it. Walz barely heard him.

"Do you want some Walz?" There was no reply. Bram looked over to see Walz trembling. His hands ran absently over the scars peppering his body.

He knew what was happening. It was a regular occurance. When Walz had been rescued, it had taken days to get him to speak. Some part of Walz seemed locked in the past.    

Bram sat worried, and waited for the fit to pass. Sure enough, after several minutes Walz sat up. He inhaled shakily, clutching his knees. When he looked at Bram, his eyes were back to their regular shade, but they weren't shining in quite the same way.

"Bram, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, go away there... I was just, uh, thinking," Walz said, accompanying the statement with an unconvincing laugh. Bram glared at him.

"Look Walz, I don't know what happened to you, but ever since you were captured, you've been having these fits. Are you sure you're able to continue your mission? The team surely has someone else willing to take your spot," Bramstone said, looking pointedly at Walz. Walz shook his head.

"I'm perfectly capable of continuing my quest. Speaking of which, we should get a move on. Where to next?" Walz asked.

  "Somewhere pretty familliar to you. There's some people who'd like to talk to you," Bramstone replied.