A Monster Inside - Book of the Amulet - ITV's Jekyll and Hyde

14 - The Poisoned Youth

"We've been here forever/ And here's the frozen proof/ I could scream forever/ We are the poisoned youth".

-'Centuries'.

:/:

Lottie was completely oblivious to what was happening outside of the almost cell-like structure she now inhabited. The Sight Mirror was the only glimpse she had of what was happening around her, and she was now regretting having not taken it off the wall and bringing it with her. Currently she had been teleported out of the first 'puzzle room' and was now walking the tall, stone corridors of the Puzzlebox. There was hardly any difference between each wall and the next - it was a maze after all. It did occur to her that Louis was likely to be here as well, so she decided to leave a message for him. Something that would clear his conscience from Dance framing him. Taking out a knife, she carved into the stone the words: "It wasn't you", then stood back to look at her handiwork.

"Lotts?" she heard someone shout all of a sudden. It wasn't Louis, his accent was more British with overtones of Middle Eastern, but this was strongly Welsh.

"No..." she whispered softly to herself. "Please don't let him be in here too". She looked over to where the voice was coming from and there, in the middle of the stone floor, was a single handgun. Curiously she edged towards it, knife outstretched in front of her, and picked it up. There was a single bullet in the barrel.

"Hello?" the voice said again, and she was sure it was Sackler, but what was he doing here? It wouldn't be in Tenebrae's favour to imprison him in here, so who was it? Nearing the corner, she curiously looked around to see Tom Sackler chained up to a wall, looking around panicked.

"Tom?" Lottie asked timidly, and he immediately turned to look at her with a small smile. "Is that really you?"

"Lottie! Yes, it's me. God, I've been here for weeks", he lilted. "Can you untie me?"

"Of course, Lottie replied, but before she could her eyes caught something scrawled on the wall beside him. It read:

"If I told you that was a demon disguised as the one you love, could you put a bullet through its skull?"

"So that's the game then", she murmured and raised the gun to Sackler's head.

"No. No, don't please. Lottie, you don't understand".

"You're not Tom. Don't use my name".

"They took us here, Tenebrae. They came to the building and took us. All of MIO. Me". Sackler stood up to face her, eyes tearing up slightly.

"Stay where you are", Lottie demanded, clicking the barrel into place.

"I'm not a demon, Lotts. Don't let this place trick you. Isn't that what it's designed to do?"

"I- I've got to ask you some questions, Tom. I'm sorry, I can't trust anyone in here".

"Don't do this. You know it's me. Don't let this place trick you".

"My brother's name".

"Tenebrae locked me in here. They're using me against you. I'm scared. Please, I'm so scared".

"Place where you promised to take me on a date".

"I don't remember. I'm sorry, I don't", he replied, and Lottie was near tears. Could she really take this risk? If that was really a shapeshifter, a demon, then she might lose more than a letter. She might lose her life. "Don't kill me because I don't remember!" Sackler cried out.

"You're a demon", Lottie said quietly, lowering the gun slightly.

"If you can unchain me, then I can prove that I'm not". Sackler was almost in arm's reach of her now, pulling on the chains around his wrists. "I can prove it. Please".