Don't You Come Crying When They're Rippin' Out Your Throats (Sequel to AsHollow)

5 - On The Marshlands, Cry Out Like The Black And Mangy Crows That Watch

I couldn't quite make out anything, and at first I thought I was dead. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear and I couldn't feel anything around me. The only thing I could feel was my heart pounding against my chest, which ruled out me being dead and I let out an internal sigh - I think - so that wasn't as bad as I was thinking.

After a moment of blind panic and a thumping heart I started to feel my fingers twitching and moving and suddenly there was something beneath my fingers which I gripped onto with everything that I could. A bed sheet from the feel of it... Moments later I started to pick up little bits of conversation from two voices and suddenly I began to freak out when the last little bits of memory came back.

Gilbecc and The Cardinal were the last two people I remember me being with... That could only mean that I'd been knocked out and they'd gotten me... Fuck. I had to think of something fast.

I felt my eyes slowly beginning to adjust to the room around me, even though the whole thing was a little fuzzy, and the feeling properly returning to the rest of my body. I knew that now I had to make a run for it, I had to get out of here and go to wherever my friends and boyfriend were.

"He's waking up..." I heard one voice say and moments later there was the sound of two people moving closer to wherever I was. 

Now was my chance. I saw two shadowy figures standing over me and in one swift moment I was out of the bed and running towards the only thing that was in my sight - a large door. The two of them shouted something from behind me in alarm and I almost laughed in glee at the thought that they didn't have me any more. I was seconds away from being free and nothing was going to stop me.

I yanked the door open to see two figures standing there who were both about to come inside. One had what I could make out as goggles on top of his head and was hand in hand with the other. I began to panic more - The Cardinal had more followers than I realised and I was very unprepared for this now.

I stumbled back, very aware that the other two were close behind me and I was running out of options on where to go and how to escape this place. I kept on moving back until I heard one of them that was behind me get closer and I spun round on them, holding up my hands to try and defend myself from anything that they might try and throw at me.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"I didn't even recognise my own voice as it erupted from my throat - it sounded strange and alien to my ears.

The one with the steampunk goggles stepped forward to try and grab me but I wouldn't give him the chance and lashed out to him. I don't know if I moved a little slower than I meant to but next thing I knew, the steampunk goggle man grabbed the arm I was going to attack him with and pinned it behind my back in a vice like grip.

"Barrone, don't hurt him - he's just confused," the one with the top hat said.

I snarled at them all and tried to slap him with my other arm, but the second I moved it I screamed as pain shot through my arm and proceeded through my whole body.

"Laurence please calm down... You've dislocated your arm and moving it like that is going to damage it more." That was the red haired one but I didn't listen and kept trying to get out of the grip that he had on me.

"We're trying to help you," he said, a little too calmly for my liking and I wasn't sure what else I could do. My heart was beating against my chest, ready to burst out at any time. I could feel my breathing picking up ridiculously fast from the fear of everything and I didn't know how much longer I could keep any of this up.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I suddenly screamed, fially giving up and dropping to my knees. Thankfully as I did so, the man who was holding onto my arm let it go so it wouldn't twist.