G/T Escape: A Borrower's Dystopian Chapter 8

“But-” I begin, my breath tremulous.
“Don't,” he says tiredly, shaking his head.
“But what if we-”
“No-” he meets my gaze darkly, leaning in and I slam my mouth shut, sinking back at the severity in his eyes, “Don't put these people in danger.” My stomach sinks, turning with frustration and helplessness and I yank my gaze away. My hands clench my worn sweater draping off me and onto the ground at my sides; I want to storm away, but I can't even do that. I push my fists against the ground to keep from drawing them up and slamming them against the wall at my back. I breath, refusing to move, because I know if I give my muscles an inch, I'll end up beating the closest thing to me, hurting myself and solving nothing. “I know you're scared-” he says lowly, “but so are they. Don't do something so foolish- so selfish.” My breath catches and I blink; he's right. Why should I be allowed to put everyone in danger, just because I'm too scared to face the same fate as them? “Hey,” I meet his gaze, searching me, “how old are you?” I blink; I haven't even thought of it in so long, it takes me a moment to recall.
“Twenty-one,” I say, not feeling it for a second, wondering what the number even means to me. He snorts softly, smiling almost sadly. I pull my gaze away, examining his exo-skeletal armor, decorated with beading and shapes carved into it. It almost looks like there's words engraved in it, but I can't understand them. Is that even English? It looks so strange. I glance up at him, still studying me, his brow knitting. I fidget, my insides shrinking under his examination, “What?” A soft snort escapes him again, drawing my gaze. His smile widens, but his brow is still furrowed,
“You're just a kid.” I'm not sure if I should take it as an insult; I don't feel like a capable, full-grown Borrower. “I'm old enough to be your father.” My chest constricts and I try to push away memories of my past life, my normal life, before the world fell apart. It really does feel like an entirely different life. I fold my arms across my chest, hugging myself. I catch sight of my useless and bandaged leg.
“How long til this heals?” I ask, shifting my leg and instantly regretting the small action. I grimace, gritting my teeth and holding my breath.
“A while if you keep doing that,” he smothers a smirk, cocking a brow at me. I cast him a cold glance, absorbing the pain until it fades. I tuck my frozen fingers under my arms. “Don't move it at all, for a few days at least- then about,” he shrugs, “a month or two of slowly adding weight to it.” I glance at him- he doesn't sound convincing. “It's been a while since I broke a bone,” he says, shifting and glancing to Ginseng. Vibration moves through the ground and up my spine, my breath catching in my throat and stopping my heart. It stops- I catch myself clenching the fabric of my shirt anxiously. “Kid?” I meet his warm brown eyes, short, labored breaths moving through my nose. The walls settle, dust wafting from the roof, as a rumble moves up from the floor.
“Did you feel that?” I ask breathlessly.
“Getting worked up won't help; stay calm,” he orders, rising and starting away. My heart jumps-
“Wait- where are you going?” I almost jump up, but pain shoots through my leg.
“I'll be back- don't move!” he calls over his shoulder. The floor vibrates almost continuously now, my pulse racing and terror running up and down my spine. Blade is at the wire wall, peering out, a shadow cast over the daylight once pouring in. I glance to Ginseng and Nickleby, but they're gone. I swerve my gaze to the left, where Thimble, Tack, and Grouse were dispersed. Nickleby gathers them, as he glances over his shoulder to Blade, but Ginseng isn't there. I catch a dark form out of the corner of my vision, crouched at my injured leg. I flinch and gasp, swerving back around- my leg screams at me and I grimace.
“Shh-” It's Ginseng, peering intently at me with big icy, blue eyes. “ It's just me-” Where did she come from? I blink, eerie confusion flooding me, as she glances over her shoulder at Blade, still consumed by the outside. How did I not see her? She turns back, her hands open, as she runs her piercing gaze up and down my injured leg, from knee to ankle, chewing on her dark lip. She moves her hands over the bindings, her open palms hovering over my shin. What is she-? Is she planning on unwrapping it? She hesitates, her hands still hovering, as if she's trying to decide where to start.
“What are you doing?” I ask, uncertainty tainting my voice. She doesn't hear me, almost consumed by my injured leg, studying it intensely. She gasps, suddenly jerked away and to her feet by her upper arm. Blade towers over her, his expression dark and stern.
“I told you no-” he says lowly. Her brow furrows darkly and she presses her lips together, peeling his grip from her arm.
“I wasn't-” she bites, “I was only..” her voice trails off into a harsh whisper I can't understand, not softening Blade's expression one bit. He turns away from her and to the others, coming up along side us now, though all standing over me.
“He's coming with another being- the-” The cage is consumed in darkness. Someone gasps, Tack whimpers, and Grouse curses. The walls creak, sounding as though they might be torn apart all together. The whole room shifts beneath us, slamming me back against the wall and knocking the others into each other, their cries accompanied by the consuming sound of scraping wood, vibrating through my core. Ginseng is on her hands and knees over my leg. Daylight peeks into the cage in short flashes.
“You said he had someone with him-!” Grouse shouts. She meets my gaze panting, her blue eyes wide with terror that sends my insides spiraling; what's she afraid of?
“He does- it's-” She's flung into Blade's legs at the left, as everything shifts and the light leaves once again. The cage shifts again; I feel Ginseng thrown against my injury and my breath catches in my throat at the pain, as a cry escapes me. Light flickers and fades in but not from the front of the cage anymore, it's coming behind us, on the far left.
“Blade- the door-!” Thimble cries, and I hear a scramble, light flickering between the bodies around me. Ginseng's hand still presses against my shin. A wooden scraping rumbles through the wall at my back and my blood runs cold. The wall is pulled out from behind me, daylight flooding the small cage, more than I've seen in hours. I clench my eyes shut. My arms flail to catch myself and tremble beneath my weight with adrenalin and anxiety. I peel my eyes open, the light almost blinding. The others falter around me, they seemed about to pull me away, but now they stare into the light, hesitant.
“Ginseng-” I say through gritted teeth, as I turn to her, yanking at my leg, still pinned beneath her weight, but I stop, blinking. No one's there. I scan the darkness; I search the empty space around me. It's as if I can still feel the pressure of her hand on my shin- but she's gone. My elbows buckle under my own weight and hit the floor, pain shooting up my arms. Where is she? Did she really run away? I wouldn't have guessed it of her to leave everyone. A large shadow penetrates the light and my heart stops. I twist to peer over my shoulder, as a form grows in the corner of my vision. I see his fingers hovering above my head, panic sinking it's claws into my chest. I instinctively throw my arm up, shielding myself from the approaching threat. I flatten myself against the ground and curl into a ball, hyperventilating as it lowers, “No- no- no, no, no, no!” I'm enveloped in darkness and heat once again, all sounds muffled through the flesh of his palm and fingers. His fingers curl up around me, gathering me, almost squishing me, before flipping me over, against his palm. I push against his leathery skin, only to hit my back against the roof of my tiny container. Panic grips me at the small confinement, squeezing my lungs and making the air feel thick and tangible. I push and push, moving nothing, sobs racking my body and eating up my precious air. I claw at his palm, but I don't think he can feel it. Suddenly his grip tightens, pressing me into his palm and threatening my sanity. I pant, feeling like I can't breathe, whimpers escaping me with each breath, as I push vainly against his palm. “Let me out!” I cry, my voice breaking with terror, “Let me out!” I sob, my chest constricting. I feel sick. The pressure at my back relinquishes and light floods the darkness. I suck in heavy doses of air, scrambling up and spinning to face him. I backpedal from the monster, a grin tugging at his lips. I wipe my eyes and nose, suddenly self-conscious beneath his dark gaze.
“Not so brave now, haw Princess?” My heart clenches and emotion balls in my throat, as I sink back into his hand.
“Be careful- you wanna make a profit don't you?” A new voice draws my gaze, a man with sandy, red hair, leaning on a table behind him. He cleans some utensil in a white cloth, boredom and annoyance consuming his features, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, with a long trail of silvery smoke, wafting from the red end like a ribbon. His grey, blue eyes are narrow and his brow furrowed, as he casts the dark-eyed being an irritated glance. “Don't damage the merchandise, idiot- she'll be worthless when you're done with her.”