Just because I have no life, I have actually written two chapters tonight. Though, I'm considering just bunching the two together to get one chapter.
It's getting close to the end now!
Gah!
Hope you all enjoy...
Chapter 33
We got home relatively quickly after the trial. I was just silent all the way through. I did not know what to expect, what to do, or how to act. The houses passing by were just a blur. I didn’t’ feel like I was exactly there.
This would have been a perfect opportunity for me to go and have a smoke. I’m not allowed though; I’m still under surveillance.
Walking into the house, Maggie let out a long sigh of relief, she was either being really uptight about what just happened, or she was happy that I didn’t have to go to prison. I don’t really want to analyze her that much.
“Jamie, I need to talk with you, remember?” I said, turning around to look at Jamie.
“Okay, let me go and get changed, we can talk then. Why don’t you get changed to then I’ll call for you when I’m done.”
“Alright.” I walked up the stairs methodically and reached my room, grabbing the first load of clothes that I could get my hands on and was changed within five minutes. To be honest with you, I was quite glad to get out of that suit. It was really uncomfortable.
“Danny!” Jamie shouted from her end of the hall and I got up to go and explain things to her. I never thought about how much I’d now have to involve her in my life.
“I’m really glad he’s not going, Jim.” Maggie said, looking her husband straight in the eye.
“I’m glad too, he is our son, and I don’t think I can bare loosing him again.” Jim sighed, inside, he was truly happy to see his son off with such a small sentence. The shame of bearing what he’s done. He knew it would not be people would hold against him for long. He trusted the good in people.
“I don’t like to think that we could have lost him again.” Maggie whispered.
“Don’t think about it anymore. He’s here. He’s fine. He’s going to be okay.” Jim reassured.
“I’m not so sure.”
“And why do you say that?”
“He’s different from our Danny –”
“Maggie, we’ve been over this.” Jim sighed, Maggie had brought up this subject a lot since they’d gotten Danny back. It didn’t seem to quite sink in to her that Danny would never be the Danny before. Heck, the Danny they’d had before had begun changing way before he’d been kidnapped.
“It’s not just that, Jim. He’s become obsessive. He won’t let go of his friends. It worries me how much he blames himself for it.” Maggie said.
Jim stayed silent.
“It’s like he’s living on a completely different universe to us. He’s not our son anymore.”
“If it’s anyone that’s become obsessive, it’s you, Maggie. You constantly talk about how he’s not your child anymore. How he’s not the same. Look at what you’ve become! You can’t accept that you’re Danny isn’t coming back! He was tortured for Christ sake, Maggie, what? Did you expect him to come back all fine and dandy? You had you’re hopes set too high. There’s still hope for this Danny though, he’s here. We’re managing. You’re going overboard!”
This time, it was Maggie who stayed silent.
“You’re lying.” She finally answered.
“Blinded by your own obsession. At least Danny knows that he has problems. That’s what sets him apart from you. He knows what’s wrong and he wants to fix it. You’re just willing to sit there and watch him as his world crumbles because he’s not getting love from his mother!” Jim shouted.
I heard them fighting over me. I guess I should have expected something like this to happen. Maggie didn’t want me, she wanted Danny, her Danny, not the Danny that was returned to her.
“Don’t listen to them, Danny, what did you want to talk about?” Jamie asked, touching my arm. I flinched at the contact. I looked at her eyes; she’d noticed I flinched.
“Uh, I’m not sure how to ask it.” I replied hesitantly.
“Go on, I’m sure you can’t surprise me anymore.”
“I remember.”
She was silent.
I guess I can surprise her.
She still hasn’t spoken to me. It’s been nearly ten minutes now. Maybe I should get her a drink?
“What do you remember?’ She finally whispered.
“Just being captured.” I answered equally as quiet.
“Oh, Danny. I’d hoped you’d never get those memories back. Some memories are just better left forgotten. How are you dealing with it?”
“Is there another dimension, purely for magicians? Or someplace where they all gather and hide from each other?” I asked suddenly.
“Well, I don’t know much about it, you, Hayley and Jesse kept me pretty out of it, and from what Hayley and Jesse told me, you kept them really, really out of the know on what really happens in that place.”
“So it’s a place, not a dimension?”
“Hang on, it’s strange. It’s a dimension. An old one. Only really, really powerful magicians can open a gate on their own.” Jamie answered.
“So how do less powerful magicians get through it?”
“There are natural opening gates. They open randomly, anywhere, but only for a few seconds.”
“So, they get locked in or out if they’re not in the right place at the right time?”
“Basically.”
“So, could I create a gate of my own?”
“Not that I could remember.” Jamie sighed, “why?”
“Well, I know where Hayley and Jesse are.” I said, “I’m going to go and get them.”
It took a moment to process in her head.
“Do you know how dangerous that is?” She shouted.
“Yes, but I know where they are, if I can get in, I can get out.”
“Yes, but the people who kidnapped you in the first place can get in and out too!”
“Didn’t it occur to you that they could have already come and get me if they wanted to?” I asked. I hadn’t realised it either until I was thinking about it in the car on the way back.
“No, honestly, no the thought had never even crossed my mind.”
“Well, think about it. They’re not coming back for me because they’re waiting for me to go to them.”
“No. I will not let you go back to them.”
“You can’t stop me.”
“Danny, this is your life you’re playing with. You can’t just waltz back in there, get Hayley and Jesse and waltz back out.” Jamie stated, her voice all matter-of-fact.
“I know that.”
“So, what were you planning on doing?” She asked, sarcasm in her voice.
“I was going to let them think I’d fallen for their trap. I need your help.” I said determined.
Chapter 34
“Okay, so, we know the plan?” I asked Jamie.
“Yes, I don’t like it though.” She replied, a grim look on her face.
“You don’t have to like it. Okay. I’m ready.” I said.
“It’s only been a week, maybe you could wait a moment. Practise more. Make sure you know what you’re doing. You said you could only just about do it.”
“Yeah, well, I’m kinda hoping for a miracle.”
“Well don’t go! Practise more. Please, Danny, just listen to reason.”
“No! Everyday I sit here wasting time practising; the longer they’re there with him. I can’t let that happen any longer, especially now that I know where they are.” I nearly shouted. Maggie and Jim are downstairs watching TV.
“Danny, they’ve been there this whole time, I’m sure their alright.”
“I don’t think they’re alright. He wasn’t alright with me.”
Jamie was silent. I hadn’t exactly told her what happened in my memories. I don’t want to…
“He wasn’t hurting them. But I’m not sure if he’s still not hurting them since I’m gone. I just need to get to them. I need to save them.”
“Don’t you think it’s weird though, that there have been hardly any attacks since you’ve remembered?”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to worry about it for now. I’m focusing on getting to my friends.”
“What am I supposed to say to Mom and Dad?” Jamie asked.
Damn, I did not think this part through.
“Start and argument with me.” I said suddenly.
“What?”
“About anything. Just start an argument.”
I don’t think she’s caught on why I want this argument…
“You don’t need them, Danny. You’re better than that!” Jamie shouted. Jim and Maggie’s ears twitched slightly at this, they’re sensitive parent ears picking up on the brewing argument.
“I can’t help it! It’s not as easy as it looks, you know!” Danny shouted. Maggie and Jim moved their heads to stare at the top of the stairs.
“You should be able to do it. Look at what you’ve lived through, dealing with something as small as a drug addiction should be nothing!” Maggie and Jim walked towards the stairs, curiosity lining their eyes.
“I can’t, okay? It helps me. It’s not my fault.”
“Of course it’s your fault. No one forced you to take drugs.”
“And how the hell would you know? You know nothing about me!”
“Kids!” Maggie shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
“WHAT?” Danny and Jamie shouted at the same time.
“Come here.” Maggie ordered. There were thumps as Danny and Jamie walked out of the room, and walked down the stairs to Maggie and Jim’s waiting eyes.
“What’s going on here?” Jim demanded.
“Uh, nothing!” Danny replied defensively.
“It’s not nothing, Mom, Danny was trying to sneak out to get drugs again.”
“Was not!” Danny replied immaturely, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Oh yeah? So why the sneaking?” Jamie replied, confidence leaking from her voice.
“I wasn’t sneaking anywhere!”
“Yeah? That’s why I caught you climbing out of your bedroom window. I asked you nicely to come down, and you told me to shut my know-it-all mouth, Maggie and Jim couldn’t stop you from going and neither could I. How’s that for evidence?”
“Danny!” Maggie shouted.
“She’s lying!” Danny whined, inside though, he was smirking at the great acting job Jamie was portraying.
“You know you’re not allowed out without someone there.” Maggie scolded.
“Stop treating me like I’m four!” Danny yelled. “I seriously don’t need to be babied.”
“Well, judging from the attitude you’re giving now, you need to be babied as obviously you’re not mature enough to deal with things on your own.” Maggie said.
“So, a drug addiction is a immature thing now?” Danny asked, glaring at Maggie.
“Calm down, Danny, Maggie. Lets just talk about this.”
“No, I’m sick of talking! That’s all everyone wants from me is talking. I’m done here. You’re caging me. Just let me go.” Danny shouted, successfully escaping the house. A grin stretched across his face, though for a split second, the grin was sad. He was sad to go on such a bad note. He didn’t know whether he’d be coming back or not. He hadn’t given Jamie the entire truth of the plan. She never would have accepted doing it if she had known the true extent of what he was planning.
“Okay, focus.” I whispered to myself. Determination seeped through my body. Hayley and Jesse were so close now. I could just feel it. The butterflies coursing through my body, the nervous excitement. This was the calm before the storm.
Looking around the area, I carefully noted that I was alone. I did not need my secret to be revealed.
Sighing. I started what I’d run away for.
Connecting my thumbs together, I concentrated on the flow of energy inside my body. I felt the magic pumping through my veins. I felt the cold sweep of my body transforming to Danny Istari, I focused on what I needed.
A black portal appeared before me. It looked remotely similar to a black hole appearing, circular in shape, but none of the suction.
“I’m coming, guys. I hope you’re okay.” I quietly said, walking through the portal.
“Oh, coming you are, Danny Istari. But be prepared. It’s not exactly as you’d expect.” A maniacal laughter followed in the dark room, red eyes shining in the darkness.
An experience it would definitely be.
Night!
No comments:
Post a Comment