On The Other Side Of The World

Chapter 5

When night fell again, Brooklyn's stone skin crackled inside that coffin those men had placed him in. Eventually, he broke through; eyes glowing and growling but unable to roar from those leather straps latching his jaws shut. He wound up hitting his head on the coffin and realized his situation of still being trapped in this horrible thing.

How long is that creep gonna keep me locked in here? I hope not forever, since he said he really wanted to sell me to the highest bidder... Brook thought in fear, staring up at the ceiling of his coffin and gasping slightly from it touching his beak slightly. He shifted about trying to move, but the sides restrained Brooklyn from too much movement. He wanted Goliath or anybody to get him away from this evil place!

Brooklyn gritted his teeth as he started to push hard on the cover of the coffin, pushing with what little strength remained in his tired muscles. He could already feel his air getting stale from this awful, cramped coffin, desperate to get out even more, feet scrabbling at the top now, giving out small whimpers of feeling enclosed and stuck. It was bringing back memories of when as a young one he was stuck in a small space and couldn't get out for hours.

Another hour passed during the night and Brooklyn couldn't hear anybody coming to let him out. His chest felt tight and heart beating fast, throat dry and his head felt hot and dizzy. It made him sweat and feel disoriented, even imagining the walls beginning to shrink and close in to squash his body, managing to curl up and hide his eyes, starting to give little sobs, claustrophobia slowly eating away at his mind and sanity. He wanted to get out, to breathe freely once more and see the night sky.

This darkness was suffocating and not serene like how it was outdoors. No stars, and it made him hot and dry, wishing for a drink, weakly pounding his fist on the coffin lid. Brook didn't want to die in here, they had to let him out soon! He felt like he had been punished enough!

His jaws were so achy that it made Brooklyn next pull hard on his muzzle but eventually felt those awful shocks from his collar, making him let go, and suddenly heard a foot stomp on his lid. He gave cries for mercy and to let him out, but a voice came along. "Stop fiddling with your bonds and shut your voice, pathetic animal!" It was Yegor, which instantly made Brooklyn go silent. He knew then he couldn't lose himself like this and did his best to close his eyes, struggling to slow down his fast-paced breathing.

Hudson had taught him at how breathing could be used in a tight situation, which at first didn't appeal much to him but Brook now felt like he was paying the price for not taking Hudson's breathing lessons to heart, hand on his heart and trying his best to breathe calmly, thinking about open spaced fields and the fresh air in his face. At first, he could nearly feel it working but then suddenly, he hit his head on the coffin lid again and snapped Brooklyn back to reality, feeling sweat coming down his face.

Hudson, I tried to breathe but it isn't working! I need you Hudson! Get me out! Brook screeched in his head, squirming in his coffin, worried they had abandoned him here to perish. He didn't want to die this way, in cruel suffocation!

The air was beginning to feel stale despite the coffin having air holes, but they didn't help Brooklyn breathe properly which he felt was what Yegor wanted. He cursed the evil human for hurting him, seeing the small sides of the wall beginning to shrink even more, eyes popping out now, hitting his fist even more on the top. Get me out! I can't breathe! Get me out of here! The red one wailed inwardly. It had now been another night after he had broken out of his usual sleep but was still afraid of turning after the threat they gave him.

But then suddenly, some weird growling noises came from the outside, and a paw scratching at the box. It sent Brook's nerves on edge, tensing up badly, hoping no fierce animal would try to maul him! For Yegor had taken one of his polar bears out of the cage and decided to use it to tease/scare his victim by putting pieces of meat on the coffin. The polar bear climbed onto the coffin and scratched around it curiously, sometimes eating the meat and sitting down.