Internal Light Part 2

Chapter 17

Seth's POV:

The next morning when I woke up, it took me a minute to remember everything that had happened. I had gone to sleep in the knapsack...yes. The bolted barrels and equipment reminded me where I was. Roti.

I stretched and cracked my back, not wanting to get up. Today was going to be a long, confusing day. Hopefully it wouldn't be my last.

I had to get moving. Who knows how long I slept? With how far I swam the night before...heck. It could be noon. So I grabbed a crossbow, a dagger, and a shield before realizing that I could just take the whole knapsack with me...then I decided just to take the dagger and the extra potion.

I climbed the ladder slowly and stuck my head out to find...
I was in the castle already. I was...I was in the castle. And I was moving...I looked up to see who was carrying the knapsack and nearly fainted.

"KENDRA!!!" I screamed, hopping out of the knapsack and pulling her into a hug. It had been so long. So long since I'd seen her. "I thought I'd never see you again..." I sobbed. Kendra nodded.
"It's OK, Seth. I'm right here." She said. I thought she would have been happier to see me, but I wasn't really complaining. I mean, a few months in a dark castle on an abandoned island was probably enough to mess with her emotions a bit.

"Where Bracken?" I asked, pulling away. She smiled. "Right in the auditorium." She said. "I'm gonna go check for Gavin down this hallway. You go check on Bracken." I nodded and ran to the auditorium door.

Then I hesitated.

Did she say...'Gavin'? Now, why would she refer to him as Gavin...she hated Navarog's guts. I turned to see where she had gone, but she had run down the hallway already.

I sat down.

Fake Kendras had fooled me too many times. This time I couldn't risk being so naive.

I put my ear up to the auditorium, mostly listening for traps or monsters, but instead...I heard...crying.

It kinda sounded like Bracken. But it didn't make since that he'd be crying if they had escaped...

Unless they hadn't.

Kendra came back into the room smiling and stopped suddenly when she realized I was there.
"Seth...why are you still here?" She asked.
I shrugged. "Just waiting for you." I said. Kendra stared at me for a moment before smiling and walking to the door.
"Ladies first." I stated as she squinted at me in confusion. After she went in, I sighed in relief and followed after her.

Maybe I wouldn't tell her I thought she was fake. Yeah, that would probably be trouble later. She'd be like,
"Can't you recognize your own sister?"
And I'd be like, "Well, I thought I could the first two times." And it would go on...and on...

As we entered the auditorium, I noticed Bracken quietly sobbing in one of the audience chairs. Thank goodness he was OK.
"BRACKEN!" I shouted, running to hug him. He looked up to me and screamed, "SETH, NO!" And as I got closer...I noticed he had shackles on his wrists and ankles.

I stopped. "Uh...Bracken?"
He shook his head. "He's lying to you, Seth."
"Who?" I asked, more confused than ever.
"Navarog." I turned to see Kendra bolting the auditorium door shut. She skipped over to me and nodded.
"Good to see you, Seth." I shook my head. I had never heard of mind control...or...switching bodies before. Was there such thing as a sting bulb you could control? Or maybe Bracken meant that the sting bulb belonged to Navarog...

Kendra giggled and shook her head. "It's me. Kendra. Come on, Seth. Don't you remember?" she said smugly. I looked to Bracken in confusion.
"What, is it mind control or something?" Bracken shook his head and began sobbing.
No...no, it couldn't be.

"Mind control? What do you mean, Seth?" she asked.
"Seth..." Bracken said from his seat. I turned to face him, afraid to hear his next words.

"Kendra is dead..."

———————

Bracken's POV:

Seth only stared blankly at me for a moment. I didn't blame him. It was shocking for me too, and I had actually been there.

Then he got a few silent tears in his eyes and asked, his voice cracking, "What?"
I stared down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Seth...she's gone."
"What do you mean, shnookums? I'm right here!" Navarog stated, pretending to be annoyed.

Then he walked up to Seth who was still standing open-mouthed and pale with silent tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Navarog, leave him alone..." I stated firmly. He grabbed Seth's shoulders, causing him to flinch slightly and snap out of his trance.

"SHE'S DEAD?" He screamed, turning around and throwing Navarog to the side. He groaned and fell back into an auditorium seat, the shackles snapping closed over Kendra's wrists and ankles. I snapped up.
"HA!" I screamed as Navarog struggled. Seth ran over and searched my chair for something. Anything, really. He found a button on the very back and pushed it, releasing the shackles on my chair.

I jumped up, rubbing the places where the shackles left marks and stood over Navarog's chair. He looked up at me, eyes half-closed in disappointment.

Then I slapped him harshly across the face. He breathed out sharply and then looked back up at me, laughing.
"Oh no. I'm so scared." He said sarcastically. I shook my head and got eye level with him.
"Hurting you won't do me any good. The Knights of the Dawn will determine your fate. And I don't think Warren will treat your sentence with kindness."

Seth sobbed behind me, and I turned to see him on the floor, clutching his knees to his chest. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he stated,
"Oh...Warren too. No...no..."

Warren was gone too. Navarog chuckled.

I only knelt down and picked up Seth while he sobbed uncontrollably and carried him bridal style out of the auditorium.

We made it. We escaped.

Yay...