Monday, February 27, 2017

Unspeakable, Part 16

Mander woke in the night with a start as a hissing, scrabbling noise slid past his head through the wall. He shot off his slab and into the room, breathing hard. The noise passed by.



Heart pounding, Mander went out into the main room, clenching and unclenching his hands. Sequoia was standing guard, sharpening a weapon, face lost in her hair.

Mander approached her cautiously. They’re getting closer, he whispered. Sequoia nodded without looking up. What are they? Mander asked. Can’t say for sure, Sequoia said in a low voice.

Are you sure you didn’t see anything during the attack? Mander pressed. The wild mane shook side to side. Too fast, came Sequoia’s voice. Mander sighed, starting to turn away, when her voice came again. Ask Shylock.

Mander stopped, blinked several times. He strode over to Miles and Shylock’s room, but caught himself before barging in. Startling Miles would not end well.

He moved cautiously into the room. Miles was dozing in his chair, and Shylock lay on the slab. In the dark Mander saw the barest movement which told him Shylock was awake. He moved around the opposite side from Miles’ chair, softly.

Shylock, he whispered, crouching down. Shylock’s head turned toward him. It’s just me, Mander said. Shylock, those things, he said, those things that attacked us-- what are they?

His heart in his throat, he waited for the answer, and at last Shylock whispered, us. Mander’s eyebrows rose. Um, what do you mean?

If I may cut in, came Miles’ voice sharply out of the dark. Mander flinched. Before we continue this conversation, Miles said, I’d like to know what the hell you’re doing in here.

Sorry, Mander said, really, I just realized the only one who got close enough to see what they were-- Miles cut him off. Was Shylock, he finished.

After a moment, he sighed. All right, Shylock, spill. What do you mean, they’re us? Shylock’s shadowy face turned back toward Miles. It’s a lower dungeon, he said, his voice barely audible.

Mander could feel the change in the air. Lower dungeon, Miles muttered. Lower dungeon. Sealed up behind a door...like us. Those things are us, gone savage. It’s just a matter of time.

So what? Sequoia said, voice echoing in the main atrium. We still have to kill them. Before they kill us. Mander looked up. Kill? he whispered. Not even the Academy did that.

That we know of, Sequoia’s voice replied, without drawing closer. If we pushed them far enough, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill any of us.

But if they’re prisoners, Sally’s voice joined in, we can’t know that they deserve to die. Sequoia answered we can’t know that they don’t, either.

Do we honestly have a choice? Connie asked, her voice distant. Shylock almost died. Sally’s voice rose. So, what, we’re killers? She sounded distressed. Will we just slaughter our way out of the Academy, too?

We’re not arguing about this, Miles said, in a voice that made the others fall silent. Mander heard him take a breath, hold it, then let it go. It’s not about whether we kill or not, he said.

Those things trying to kill us devolved into beasts because they were stuck down here. What matters is that we don’t stick around long enough to do the same. Got it?

Mander nodded, mostly to himself, and heard the others murmur. Shylock stretched his hand toward Miles’, grasping the wheel of the chair, but froze at the sound of cracking stone.

Sequoia inhaled sharply and took her weapon in both hands. Did you hear that?

Arm yourselves, Miles ordered, quick. He shot a glance at Shylock. Mander hurried into the main room and went for his own weapon, when suddenly the cracking came again.

His skin crawling, he said, Miles-- and Sequoia finished his thought. That’s not coming from the empty room, she said, her head whipping around.

Connie cried out, the wall! A moment later Ivan backed quickly into the main room. They’re coming through my floor, he said. Snarling seemed to come from all around them at once.

Something clawed at Sequoia’s ankle, and she gave it a stomp that crushed bone and shook the room. Move, Miles yelled, get together, hold together! Shylock was struggling to push him into the main room around the cracking floor.

Sally grabbed Mander’s arm, and they stood back to back with Sequoia and Ivan, slashing at claws wherever they appeared. At least they can’t come from above, Sally gasped. I hope.

The walls seemed to burst at the seams, the sealed door to the lower dungeon falling in halves as creatures snarling and clawing lunged out toward them.

Miles shoved Shylock into the middle of the group, blocking him with the wheelchair, and knocked a creature away with all the force he could muster.

There’s too many! Ivan said. Far away, Connie’s voice cried out in pain. Miles yelled, Connie! A moment later, the whole dungeon started to shake, the cracks in the floor growing.

Sequoia kicked a few creatures into one widening abyss as Connie ran and stumbled over to them on her own two feet, eyes wide as the shaking grew worse and battle turned to chaos.

I’m sorry, Connie shouted, I panicked! Miles pushed her toward Ivan. Time to go, he said, make for the rubbish heap, go! Ivan scooped Connie up onto his back and they ran through the archway, Shylock pushing the wheelchair for all he was worth.

Connie had been right. Riding piggyback on Ivan was not enough to stop the tremors. They had no time to hear the shrieks of the creatures as the dungeon crumbled around them.

They struggled up the incline of the tunnel, and despite Shylock’s best efforts, the wheelchair fell behind. Suddenly they jolted to a stop as a wheel fell into a crack and stuck fast.

Miles cursed, unable to curb his momentum, and fell sideways onto the unstable ground. Shylock dropped to his knees beside him, starting to try to pull him up.

Shylock, Miles said, stop. He shook his head. It’s no good, the chair--I can’t make it. Shylock shook his head vehemently, struggling to speak. Shylock, it’s just a fact, now run, Miles ordered.

No! Shylock cried. Miles growled. Listen, this is no time to be stupid, he said, trying to keep his voice steady. I made you a promise, didn’t I? You’re going to live, even if I’m not. Go!

NO! Shylock said again. I’m not going to argue- Miles began, but Shylock interrupted, tears in his eyes. You saved me, he whispered, you saw me as a person when I was barely alive. You accepted me for what I am and you said I was special. You gave me everything and I’m never going to leave you.

Miles blinked back tears. Shylock, he began, but Shylock wrapped his arms around him and held him tight, and all Miles could do was wrap his arms around Shylock in return and close his eyes.

Rocks began to fall from above as the whole tunnel to the dungeon destabilized. As the wave of emotion passed, Miles’ determination for Shylock to survive returned with a vengeance.

We’ve got to get out of here, he said, we’ve got to at least try. Shylock nodded and struggled to his feet, keeping his arms locked tight around Miles. Miles groaned involuntarily as the dead weight of his body dropped toward the ground and pain shot through him. .

Shylock struggled forward up the incline, and Miles gritted his teeth and tried not to curse aloud. He knew he must look idiotic. Suddenly Sequoia appeared beside them.

Hold your horses, we’re coming, Miles snapped. No time, Sequoia said, and took Miles under one arm, and Shylock under the other. She turned the way she’d come, and leapt up the hill.

It took an awful lot to make Miles breathless, but being a passenger on Sequoia’s leap was more than enough. The power in her spring propelled them through the air and up the tunnel in the blink of an eye. When the tunnel curved, she pushed off the wall with a foot, barely slowing down. In a moment, they were back beside the others.

The pain wracking his body was making Miles’ vision blur, but he saw they were all there in one piece. Ivan was making a sling with his shirt for the distressed-looking Connie. Sally and Mander took it between them and they continued hurriedly on their way.

To their relief, the tremors subsided as they continued hurrying upward. But when they paused for breath, they could hear distant hissing resume. Some of the creatures had survived.

Great, Connie said, feet dangling out of the sling. Now thanks to me we’re in danger AND homeless. Miles tried to see around the white spots in his vision long enough to reply.

Thanks to you, he said hoarsely, we- we got … away. He cursed in spite of himself. Miles? Shylock said anxiously, struggling out of Sequoia’s grip onto the ground.

Miles shook his head faintly. Keep going, he said in a strained voice, Find Boy. I have to pass out for a while. Be- be back soon. He lost consciousness as Sequoia lowered him to the ground.

His body’s still broken, Ivan said. It hasn’t healed properly. Shylock rocked back and forth, cradling Miles in his arms, and said nothing.

Boy will know what to do, Sally said, her knuckles white on her end of the sling. Assuming we can reach him, Sequoia replied, her low voice sounding ominous.

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