My Trip To Nowhere... - Chapter Eighteen

“More toast, Tom?”

“No thanks, mom”

“How about some cereal?”

“No thanks.”

That’s my mom; always giving me a heavy breakfast every morning before school. It was so bright and so lovely here, with the sun pouring in through the windows, and I could even hear birds twittering outside. My little brother, Darren, knocked over his cereal bowl. I smiled. I missed this… then I thought to myself, ‘miss this?’ I frowned. Something happened… something happened that made me miss all this. What had happened? My mind seemed so… blank. I tried to think, but everytime a thought crosses my mind, it disappears. It felt so weird. I reached my hand out to pick up my glass of juice. The sunlight fell across the kitchen table, and as I held my glass of juice I didn’t feel the warmth of the sunlight. But I didn’t think much of it. I sipped it, and then put the glass of juice down. Strange… I looked at it. It tasted like… nothing. I glanced around at everyone. They all looked slightly blurred. So… unreal. I rubbed my eyes.

“Tom”

I looked up at mom. But she was busy buttering her toast.

“Tom!”

I looked at dad. He was deep into his newspaper. I glanced at Darren. No… it wasn’t any of them who spoke.

“Wake up!”

I felt myself being shaken. I closed my eyes, and I felt I was leaning against something cold and hard. I did not want to lose the image of eating breakfast with my family. I groaned, and jerked awake. I opened my eyes.

I was back at the dim tunnel-like passageway. At once I felt cold, and stiff. It took me a while to remember where and why I was here. I blinked, and looked at Josh who was in front of me.

“Finally,” he said. “Here,” and he handed me the torch. “It's your turn to keep watch.”

I tried to get up to a proper sitting position. My back was so stiff after lying against the hard and cold wall. The image of eating breakfast with my family was still intact in my mind. I slowly stood up, and stretched. My neck clicked, and I stifled a groan. My body felt so stiff. I turned to see Nicky in a sitting position with her back leaning against the wall. She looked so pale. I bent over and touched her arm. And she was cold. I hesitated, then I took my jumper off, leaving my t-shirt on which was underneath. I draped it over Nicky, and made my way to the opposite wall with the burning torch in one hand. I settled down opposite Nicky and Josh, who lay asleep.

I sat.

And I thought.

I looked over at Nicky.

What seemed to be hours passed by.

Something rustled in the dark.

I froze.

I pricked my ears, and started to listen carefully.

Footsteps.

Light, cautious footsteps coming closer.

I blew out the torch in my hand.

I waited.

“Gee… that was very clever of you Tom. Now how are we supposed to see in the dark?”



TO BE CONTINUED…

My Trip.... To Nowhere - Chapter Seventeen

It was a long and restless journey to… where? I had no clue where to go, and I had no idea what to expect when we get there. But I did know that we have to escape. Escape. The word escape had crossed my mind so many times. It now seems to mean nothing. I shook my head, trying to rid my thoughts.

We carried on walking; walking through this long, dim passageway, lit with not many burning torches on the walls. Josh took one and held it, making it easier for us to see where we were going. I was supporting Nicky, who was limping slightly. Josh walked by her other side. We were quiet, most of the time, apart from times when one of us would say, “It’s so dim here.” Or, “I wish I was home.” Don’t we all wish we were home…

My mind seemed numb as we walked. I noticed the grey walls… the plain grey stone walls. I even noticed the cracks and missing tiles on the floor. I took them all in numbly. Then, Nicky slumped over me.

“Tom.” She said; her voice was low. I looked at her. I noticed she looked very tired, and was in a bit of pain.

I stopped walking and held her. Josh paused, a little way ahead.

“Tom, we need to rest.” She whispered.

“We can't” I said softly. “We have to go on. Who knows, they could catch up to us anytime.”

“Who's ‘they’?” Nicky asked softly. I noticed her eyes were half-closed, and she leaned more against me.

“The bad people who locked us here, Nicky.” I explained gently. I tried to hoist her back up, but suddenly her body was heavy, now that she was not supporting herself. Then her eyes widened slightly.

“The people who took my brother…” she murmured, her voice trailing off.

I paused.

I waited.

I thought.

“Nicky…” I said softly.

“My brother.” She whispered, and I saw a tear drop from her cheek.

Then it clicked.

“Rio… is your brother.”

She didn’t say anything, but buried her head against my shoulder. I heard her cry. I looked up at Josh bewilderedly. I had never been in a position where a girl cries on me, and now I am in one, I didn’t know what to do. I held her whilst she cried, patting her back every now and again. It seemed a long time, till Josh said,

“Nicky’s right. We should rest for a bit.”

I looked up at him.

“One of should keep watch while the two sleep.” He looked at me. “I’ll keep watch first.”

I was relieved. All of a sudden, it felt my legs were heavy. I made my way to the side of a wall, and sat down, with Nicky beside me. She leaned against me.

“Everything's going to be alright.” I whispered.

At least, I hoped.



TO BE CONTINUED…

My Trip To Nowhere... - Chapter Sixteen

“Tom! Tom, are you OK?” I heard Nicky ask me urgently.

I grunted something unintelligent. I stood up straight, facing Rio’s Other-Half.

“So what’s the plan now?” I heard someone say in my ear. I turned my head slightly to see Josh.

I glanced past Rio’s Other-Half’s shoulder. The door was just a few metres away. I remembered it was locked. I glanced at Rio’s Other-Half and saw they key dangling from a chain from his pocket. I nodded to the door’s direction.

“But it’s locked.” Josh hissed in my ear.

“That’s why I’m going for Rio’s Other-Half.” I hissed back.

I felt Nicky come to my other side.

I was still aware that Richard, Allison and Rio were edging closer.

“I’ll go for Allison.” Nicky said.

“That leaves Richard to me then…” Josh said.

I took a step forward, away from them two. The Other-Halves were standing opposite us, blocking our only chance of escape. I faced Rio’s Other-Half. I looked to my right to see Josh facing Richards Other-Half, and I glanced to my right to see Nicky facing Allison’s Other-Half.

Suddenly, I heard a cry from Josh. Distracted, I turned to look at him to see Richard charging to him. Josh was charging back at him. I turned back to look at Rio’s Other-Half to see just in time his fist aiming for my head. I ducked. He swung his other fist to me and I dodged that.

“You can’t run!” he snarled, and stepped towards me.

I eyed the key dangling from his pocket. I heard a shriek, and turned to look at my right. Rio’s Other-Half, also distracted, turned too. We watched Allison skid across the floor, hitting a pile of boxes which toppled over her, and Nicky walking towards her with a livid face.

“What did you say about him?” she said to Allison, her voice very low just below the freezing point.

Allison struggled to get up, but spat back at Nicky, “Did you not hear me, pretty-girl…” she looked up at Nicky’s face. “… I said he was a good for nothi -”

But this was enough for Nicky, for she threw herself on Allison. I suddenly became conscious to the fact that Rio’s Other-Half was very close. I glanced at his pocket through the corner of my eye and saw the key dangling from the chain. My hand was just inches away from it. I slowly reached out for it, but I felt his hand grasp my neck. His face was inches from mines, and he was smiling menacingly. He tightened his grip.

“You have one last chance now… Tom.” He said; his voice almost a whisper. “You either come with us… or –”

“Never” I gasped.

“Very well.” He said, and gripped tighter.

I struggled to get free, to breathe. My eyes swivelled past Rio’s Other-Half’s head and saw Richard kicking Josh on the floor, and to see Allison yanking Nicky’s hair. I have to… have to get away…

I was now gasping. It felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head any second now. His hand gripped tighter around my neck. My hand groped desperately around for something. Anything. Anything to hit Rio’s Other-Half with. I couldn’t find anything. I was pinned to the wall. Just when I thought I was going to lose it, it suddenly clicked to me. Rio’s Other-Half is a guy, right?

I raised my knee up violently, praying that I hit the right spot. He cried out, and let go of me, leaving my air-space free. I gulped for air, and staggered onto some other pile of boxes. I turned to see Rio’s Other-Half crouching on the floor. He looked up for me to see his face contorted with pain.

“You bastard.” He groaned. I looked around. I saw a nearby pile of boxes near Rio’s Other-Half. I lunged towards him, and tackled him onto the floor. He tried to push me away, but he was weak from my very special attack. (Hehe) I pinned him onto the floor, and reached for the key. I yanked it off the chain that dangled from his pocket.

“No!” he cried out, and started to reach for it.

My other hand clenched into a fist and I clouted him on the head. He fell back, and groaned again. I quickly got up to the nearby pile of boxes, and pushed them over. Rio’s Other-Half watched helplessly as they slowly fell on him. I heard a strangled cry as they toppled over him, covering every inch of his body.

Satisfied, I turned with a deep breath to look at what Nicky and Josh had gotten up to.

Allison was on the floor, seemingly unconscious, and Richard was nowhere to be seen, probably under a pile of boxes as well. Nicky looked weak sitting on the floor, and Josh stood beside her, with a grin.

“Nice move.” He said to me.

Nicky looked up, and attempted to smile, “Yeah, sweet.”

I looked at them, “You were watching me?” I asked bewilderedly.

“Well… yeah. I mean, I was finished with Richard.” Josh said, still grinning moronically.

I gaped at him. “You could’ve at least helped me there; he was chocking me to death.”

He shrugged. “I came to Nicky’s rescue… Allison had her on the floor.”

“I was fine” Nicky said. She made to get up from the floor, and nearly fell over. Josh steadied her as I made my way to her.

“You OK?” I asked.

Nicky nodded. I saw her face twist in pain as she stood up. She made to take a step forward, but nearly buckled if I wasn’t next to her supporting her. I put her arm around my shoulder and helped her walk towards the door.

“I think I’ve sprained my ankle.” She said as I took the key to unlock the door.

She was stating the obvious, and I smiled very slightly, and said, “You think?”



TO BE CONTINUED…