Hunted

It Is Time

Jessie wasn't sleeping well. She was groaning softly in my arms. I stared down at her pretty face, inches away, her dark hair cascading around it. She had woken me up with all her movements in the bed we shared. Her face was contorted into pain and suddenly I felt her struggling against my arms. She cried out, scared. I released her quickly.
"Hey, Shortcake, calm down." I woke her up. "There's nothing to be scared of."
Jessie's eyes popped open and recognition dawned on her eyes as she stared up at me. "Sorry." She breathed.
I sighed and laid back down beside her. I was tired. "It's okay." I muttered.
She sighed also and moved closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder and draping her arm across my stomach. My arm was around her and I held her against me tightly. I had noticed she seemed grateful for anything that was gentle and protective. I tried to let her initiate most the touching though.
"You okay?" I asked her, knowing I sounded lame.
Jessie shrugged one of her shoulders. "I'll be fine." She muttered. "What time is it?"
"It's probably around dinner time soon." I told her and sat up slowly, pushing her off of my chest. Jessie sat up also and wrinkled her nose. "When do we get a shower?" She asked me. "Because I need one." Then she actually smirked. "Actually maybe you're the one I smell."
I smiled back at her. "Check your nose, Shorty." I teased her. "That smell is obviously you."
Jessie rolled her eyes and snorted. "I'm a girl, we don't stink." She told me smugly.
I laughed. "That is such a lie." I smirked.
Jessie shrugged, still sitting on the bed. "Yeah, we actually stink." She informed me.
We became stiff as stones when we heard the lock on our cell being moved. Jessie jumped out of the bed and straightening the covers, sat on the very edge, tense. I moved in front of the door again, waiting to see an opening.
A different guard walked in, also holding a taser. He set down the tray of food warily, similarly to the previous man. He made eye contact with me nervously and i could see him sweating. He opens his mouth hesitantly. "I can help you." He blurted out. He instantly looked like he regretted it.
I stood on the balls of my feet. "And who are you?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"Kainan." The man told me quietly, looking at me squarely in the face. I recognized him now. He was one of the men who dragged Jessie away from me. One look at Jessie made me sure I was correct. She looked downright murderous.
I shrugged, knowing my options. "We can't take your help." I told him firmly. I was probably going to regret this, but he did drag Jessie away from me and into her nightmare.
Kainan looked shocked. "You need my help." He stuttered.
I shook my head and walked over to Jessie. I couldn't help feeling overly protective of her. "No, we don't need your help." I told him calmly.
The man grew red in the face. "They're going to kill you." He blurted out.
Jessie stiffened next to me. I didn't let anything show. "I figured." I told him grimly.
Kainan took a step towards us. He stopped when I gave him a warning glare. "Get out." I told him slowly.
"You need me." Kainan stuttered again.
I stood up menacingly, looming over Kainan who cowered away from me. "I don't need anyone." I spat at him. "I always manage to get out of these things and I don't need help from a coward like you." I glared down at him. "I don't need anyone." I told him again, my voice was almost an octave lower than usual.
Kainan nodded hurriedly and practically scrambled out of the cell, leaving me and Jessie alone once again. I sighed, feeling the energy I had a moment ago drain out of me. I rubbed my forehead and turned and sat down next to Jessie again. "This sucks." I muttered.
"Don't need anyone, huh?" Jessie sounded tense.
I looked up into her face. "That's not what I meant." I muttered. "And you know it."
Jessie shrugged. "Well, maybe you don't actually need me." She mumbled. "I mean, you would probably still be in this same position if I wasn't here. I haven't been much help, have I?" She cracked a smile and I also smiled. She wasn't mad. She was just looking back on our journey.
"Nah, I'd probably be dead already of it wasn't for you." I chuckled.
Jessie laughed also and I couldn't resist putting my arm around her and pulling her closer to me. I liked doing that. She wrapped her arms around my torso and leaned her cheek on my chest.
"We could die soon." I told her quietly.
"I know."
"Are you scared?"
Jessie shrugged. "I don't think I have anything to fear." She muttered. "And there's not much left for me here. I have nothing now. You're literally everything I have left."
I closed my eyes for a second, a lump coming to my throat. I leaned my head down and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I wanna get you out of here." I told her quietly. "And I'm used to getting what I want."
***
It might have been four or five hours later when our cell opened again. A different guard came in and Jessie and I sprung up from our bed. "It's time." The guard told us gruffly.
Uh oh, that's never a good thing.
Jessie sighed. "So they ever say anything of variety?" She muttered under her breath.
A few more guards filed and three of them grabbed me roughly, forcing my hands in front of me and handcuffing them. A couple of them started grabbing Jessie roughly. "Be careful with her." I told them in a low voice.
They were, which is kind of strange because I basically had no power at that moment. Jessie hissed angrily at the men who were holding her, but she didn't struggle. I glanced over at her, wishing I could stroke her hair one more time. She glanced up at me and I gave her a reassuring smile. She smirked at me before she accidentally kneed one of the men in the jewels. She smirked even more.
"I am so sorry." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I thought we were going to walk soon."
The victimized man growled angrily at her and raised his hand to slap her.
"Touch her and you'll die with us." I muttered darkly.
The man stopped and glanced at me, paling visibly. He grunted and dropped his hand, moving away from Jessie and walking towards the door. "Bring them." He muttered.
One of the men prodded my back and I moved forward, the cuffs on the wrists cutting into my skin. Jessie followed behind me and I heard her muttering profanities to the men beside her. I smiled slightly. That was the Jessie I knew.
"I remember all faces." I heard Jessie warning them quietly. "I am so beating the crap out of you after this." A couple men snickered at her, but a few of them remained silent, as if realizing she was completely right.
They led us outside to the courtyard and my stomach sank when I saw the gallows open and ready for use. One rope from the wood with a wooden trap door below it. I swallowed. They were going to do us one at a time. This was going to be tricky.
I scowled when I noticed my father sitting maybe a hundred feet away, looking decidedly lazy and evil in his black jacket and chair. A few guards, including that Kainan guy stood near him, looking to be on watch. A crowd of castle guards was starting to gather. Some of them were arguing, which I guess is a good sign for me and Jessie.
The guards had me stop and one of them walked up to the wooden platform, holding some documents. He opened them up and began reading them, something about our crimes to the throne and attempted murder.
Jessie stood beside me, her face blank. I leaned down. "Jessie." I whispered in her ear. "I don't want you to see me fall." I didn't want her to go through the pain of watching me die. Jessie nodded, understanding, her eyes were moist. I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." I muttered. "I never wanted this."
Jessie swallowed. "It was the best time of my life." She whispered, her voice was hoarse. I watched as a tear trickled down her cheek. Hesitantly, I brought my bound hands up to her cheek, wiping the tear from her face.
"I'm sorry." I said again, not knowing what else to say.
One of the guards approached us. "Come on." He told us gruffly. "One of you has got to go first."
Jessie took a step forward, "that'd be me." She told him calmly.
"Jessie." I couldn't help it. My voice filled with pain. My chest hurt.
Jessie turned back to me and smiled sadly. She got up on her tiptoes and I leaned down. She pressed a kiss to my cheek and as she pulled away our lips touched tenderly for a fleeting moment. "See you on the other side, Hunter."
"See you, Shortcake." My voice sounded strange to my ears.
Jessie straightened her shoulders and followed the man up to the platform. I felt tears filling my eyes but I refused to shed them. I wasn't going to cry, and I wasn't going to look away. I watched as Jessie and the guard exchanged a few words and he gently brought the rope around her neck. He didn't look thrilled of what he was about to do. Jessie's eyes caught mine one more time and she smiled. The man near her motioned towards the executioner who reached for a lever.
My mouth was dry. What was I supposed to do. I was helpless. I couldn't save her.
The lever was pulled.
I heard something explode and I thought it was my own eardrums as I watched Jessie fall through the floor. Then my shock multiplied as I watched a severed rope follow her falling body.

I hope you're confused. You should be :) until next time :)