The Burning Passion
Kay
Her heart was pounding in her ears, a constant pulsing to remind her how much she had ran. Just ahead of her was Jayna, also panting as she was, heavy and laboured. In her left hand was a broom pole, snapped at one end to act as a makeshift spear. She was holding her own 'spear' in her right hand, ready in case any more guards turned up. Looking behind herself down the clinically and blindingly white hall, she scanned for any movement to signal any guards following them.
"Kay, hold up."
Turning back round to look at Jayna, Kay found that the corridor that they had been following branched into two smaller tunnels with no signs to signify which one led back to the surface.
"So what now?" Kay asked, mostly knowing what the answer would be, but not wanting it to be the only option open to them.
"Exactly what we didn't want to have to do. It looks like we're going to have to split up again." Jayna's reply had been said with a joyless look on her face. With a grim nod to one another, the two girls went down one of the routes each, Kay to the left, Jayna to the right. Both prepared for whatever lay in wait.
More running. The seemingly endless hallways twisted several times, but always kept in one direction. The direction of freedom. A sound from ahead caused Kay to falter, slowing down to peek round the coming corner. The clear sounds of boots was matched up to the image of four guards jogging towards her direction with their rifles unslung. Moving back a step, she looked at the end of her makeshift weapon. It was cracked and splintered, with a wicked point on the end. One chance was all she got as the first of the guards came round the corner, surprise being the only thing keeping him from shooting her on sight. In the same space of time it took him to raise his rifle and aim it at her, Kay had already thrust the broken pole deep into the weakest point of his body armour. Pushing with feelings of rage and adrenaline, the pole pierced his neck with a crimson spray painting both wall and person alike. Not even bothering to take her 'spear' back out of the unfortunate man, she scrabbled for his gun, not caring that his finger still lay on the trigger. Simultaneously spinning him to face the other three, to use him as a shield, Kay squeezed her own finger over his and pulled.
The devastation caused by the rifle was enough to make Kay throw up. The smell of gun smoke had mixed with the metallic scent of blood. Had this happened on any other day before this one, it would have been enough to make Kay shut down with shock. After what had already happened today though, she had motives enough to reason out her actions.
xxxxxxShe had been scared. Who wouldn't be in a situation like that? Clubbed in the back of the head before being chloroformed. Waking up in a strange room with an armed guard waiting outside the locked door.When she had tried to stubbornly tried to kick down the heavy door, the metal collar round her neck had exploded into life. The resulting shock had been enough to launch her cross the room and back onto the bed. Kay had lain there stunned for a few minutes until she was sure that she wasn't going to die from it. Sitting up again once she was ready, she moved to the door and peered down the hall as far as she could.At regular intervals up and down were identical doors, thick bars across the small windows. Directly opposite her door was another one. From behind the murky window, Kay could see some movement. Movement meant another person.
Now, pushing aside any feelings of guilt or regret, Kay tugged on her pole, tearing splinters into her palms on the first try and ripping it free on the second with a wet plop. Cursing quietly at the state of her hands, she pressed on round the corner the guards had came from. For once, it was a short hallway, leading to a single door. Tapping it open with the end of her bloodied broom pole, she uttered a small cry of surprise. The room was far larger that any other that she had been in so far. More surprising though, was the fact that the room was empty aside for the single figure in the center of the room. At his feet lay the bodies of Jansen, Simon and Jayna, unmoving and undoubtedly dead. The smoldering embers of rage that had been slightly quelled in her scuffle with the guards roared into life, ready to kill the man in front of her.
xxxxxxJayna had been the person in the cell opposite hers. During the scant few hours each day they had managed to talk to each other unheard,they worked on an escape plan. Two days later, they got their chance as well as finding out why they had been taken. With an unexpected burst of flames, Kay had killed the guard. Just as easily, Jayna had walked through her locked door as if it had never been there. Soon after, they paired up with Simon and Jansen, another two that had managed to escape. Between the four of them, they managed to work out enough to guess why they had been taken. Whoever had taken them had managed to awaken the dormant parts of their brains, resulting in a different effect on each of them.
"So you made it past the guards." His voice was sickly sweet, like honey left out in the sun. His hatred was still obvious, despite the front that he was putting on. "I don't need to ask what happened. Their blood is all over you." Stepping over the bodies , Ian slithered off his tie and unbuttoned his top button. "Shall we dance." A statement, not a question. Not waiting for any more of his remarks, Kay lunged at him with her pole, hoping to catch him by surprise. Unremarkably, he countered the strike easily, disarming her and sending her sprawling. Just as quickly , Kay had scrambled back to her feet, ready for the next blow. Barely blocking the blow to her face, the fist to her gut was more than enough to suck the air from her lungs.
Coughing violently, Kay looked up at the gloating face of the man above her. It was this that sent her into overdrive. Without really knowing what she was doing, she raised her hand and pointed her palm towards him. As if to react to her raging anger, a plumb of fire burst out of her hand, roaring across the short gap between them. He had just enough time to leap out of the way, barely managing to avoid being burned alive. Bounding to a safe distance, Ian scowled back at Kay. He hadn't expected her to be able to use her power at will yet.
"So you have a new trick. Don't think it's going to be enough to beat me!" With a fluid motion of his own, Ian sent a bolt of electricity screaming through the air, catching Kay in the middle of her chest. That would be enough to make her go down for good. Or so he thought.As he walked over to secure her, her hand snaked out to the 'spear' that she had landed next to, driving it deep into his unarmoured chest. Coughing up a gout of blood as she twisted it deeper, Ian collapsed in shock and pain, his breathing uneven and rattly.
You know, I just wanted to find a way out." Kay's laugh was bitter at how things had turned out.
"This isn't the end. Everything is only just beginning." Pausing only to cough up more blood, Ian flashed a wolven grin at Kay. "I'm only a pawn in this great game. There are worse things to come and now you will be will be in the center of them. Enjoy the calm while it lasts." With his warning complete, Ian laughter once more, before finally dying. Kay was left on her own to wander down the hall to freedom, and whatever evils lay in wait.
