Far From Home

Escape Attempt

     The day after he had been whipped, Seth tried escaping. He didn't get very far.

     In the few short months that had passed after Zzyzx, Seth had secretly tried training his powers. The Sphinx had once told him that a Shadow Charmer - when in control of his powers - could open locks. This had been the first thing Seth had tried learning, imagining the times he would end uplocked up in the attic after one of his stunts.

     Learning it was a bore and he didn't seem to be getting it, but finally, after hours and hours of staring at the locked chest full of toys in the attic, with a final click, the lock opened. At that time, he could never have imagined what the skill would help him in.

     The moment that Death had disappeared out of the door after hours of torment, Seth had set to work. 

     He focused on the shackles on his hands and closed his eyes. He imagined the mechanics inside, trying to feel his way into and through the lock. In his mind's eye, he saw the small pistons and forced them to move. It took a noticeable amount of tries, but one by one, a small click could be heard and soon enough the shackles opened and clattered onto the ground.

     Seth cringed as the noise echoed around him and prepared himself for the sound of Death barging in angrily... but was met by silence. Perhaps the cavern was soundproof? Or Death was simply too far away.

     Rising from the chair as fast as he could - which wasn't very fast - Seth clutched the armrests hard to keep himself up. Something in Death's saliva may have made him survive without food or water but the lack of both had weakened his body, not to mention all his injuries. Though his wounds were healing and they weren't as bad as when they had been inflicted, he had to restrain himself from crying out.

     Pain flared under his skin, in the burns and cuts littering his torso and his legs nearly gave away from beneath him. This was going to be a lot harder than he had originally thought.

     After a few deep breaths, he took the first step and promptly fell face-first onto the floor. He had underestimated the amount of pain walking would bring him. Which meant his escape seem even more impossible than it already was. Still, he wasn't going to give up.

     Pushing himself back to his feet, Seth focused on the door and began stumbling forward, gritting his teeth together tightly as he did. He had to stop more than once to catch his breath, and in those moments, he made sure to remember the faces of everyone he loved.

      With every step, he imagined Kendra standing just a few feet away, urging him on, telling him to keep moving. With every labored breath he took, he imagined Warren telling him to keep fighting. With every heartbeat, he imagined the warm embraces of his family, the rare occasions that they happened. He made a mental note to give everyone a massive hug when he got back.

     When. He focused on that word. When. Not if. When.

     A few feet from the door, Seth's foot caught on a loose rock and he tumbled to the ground, barely catching himself on his arms. His head hit the floor with a crack and for a moment, he only saw darkness. Groaning, Seth dragged himself the final hundred centimeters and leaned against the door. Lifting a hand to his forehead, Seth brought his fingers away, now covered in blood.

      The horrible rock of realization plummeted into the pit of his stomach and Seth squeezed his eyes shut in desperation.

     He was only human. Sooner or later he would give in to all the torture. That's why he was escaping. But he had no idea where he was, and no idea of how to get out. What if behind the door was a hundred demons? He could never fight them in the state he was in, even with his ever healing wounds.