Secrets (SAMTBK Vol. 1 Rewrite)

Act 10: Oil Lamps

Max's P.O.V.

I crept to the side wall, which was hidden by the shadows, and discreetly made for the service elevator. Hopefully that speech about us being hostages will drown out me going down a floor. The storage level.

Claire's P.O.V.

During X's hostage speech, I dashed for one of the staircases. X was too distracted by his own ego to notice. I can't remember whether I went up or down, but I fell on the stairs. Next thing I knew, I had crashed into some dark room.

Well...

I'm lost.

Hopefully I can at least find something to keep X from hurting those people...

In the darkness, I felt my head hit something hard... and I fell backwards to the cold ground.

I felt something on the ground and instantly picked it up. I must've done something in the process, because it lit up. It was a lamp of sorts...

But then I saw what I hit.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Max said with a grin.

"Well where else was I supposed to go?"

"I don't know. The whole service level is being shut down and the other levels have no clue what's happening."

"Yeah... And we're practically trapped down here surrounded by oil lamps..."

"Wait. What?" Max looked at me, obviously confused.

I lifted the lamp I was holding up some more to illuminate the near wall, where shelves sat with nothing but oil lamps were placed. I then got an idea based off what I learned about such things.

I turned back to Max, a grin growing on my face.

"Oil lamps!" we exclaimed in sync.

"Let's just hope that hostage speech drowns out what we're going to do." I was grinning from ear-to-ear after seeing and hearing Max's reaction to my words.

"We better hope so."

I set down the lamp and picked up two of the unlit lamps. Max followed suit. I looked at him, waiting for him to confirm he was ready for the unspoken madness.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" I couldn't help but laugh at Max's remark.

"What?" I have no idea where that came from.

"Never mind."

After making sure there was no oil in any of the lamps, we smashed the glass. As the process repeated, we soon found ourselves somewhat dancing around to avoid stepping on the glass we smashed. I couldn't even hear the shattering over the sound of our laughter.

I slipped on a stray piece and fell, but Max caught me before I could hit the glass.

"Good catch."

"Isn't it always?"

I grinned and got up, going back to the smashing of the glass with Max.

Now we just have to sweep up the pieces and make an oil trail.

Should be no problem.

"Remember the plan," Max reminded me later.

"Of course. How could I ever forget the unspoken plan?"

"Claire, not helping."

"What? I'm not being... what's the word?"

"Sarcastic?"

"Yeah! That's the one I'm not being!"

I then grabbed oil buckets and ran around quietly on the steps and around the floor on the levels... at least, the ones I could go to, emptying the oil onto the ground as I went.

While I was emptying the last oil bucket, I bumped into someone... X. My shock was too obvious, as I gasped...

"What's going on here?" he asked, grabbing my wrist before I could run. I'm not sure if he was angry or intrigued by what I was doing with the oil... but I know he wasn't a part of the plan.

He trapped me in what is known as a headlock... he's cutting off the air...

I hit the ground hard numerous times, trying to either signal to Max to start phase 3 of the plan or to somehow get X to let me go. He eventually got bored and just lifted me off the ground to prevent me from making any more ruckus.

"Now, tell me," he began. "Who are you?" I reached into my pockets and pulled out some of the glass shards, throwing it at him.

"An Oil Fire. That's what I am!" Right before I said that, Max must've lit the oil with a match. And since it was flammable, it was on fire around me when I said that.

Hopefully this fire'll signal Serenity from upstairs too...

~~~~~~~~~~

I know it's short, but I just had to delay the actual fight for another act.

I'm sorry.

But I won't keep you people waiting long for Act 11.

I hope...

Bye!