Layla the gypsy girl

17- Fight Or Flight

Layla made her way up onto the balcony, and began to walk towards a small room, where she heard people talking. The door was wide open, and Layla could see Frollo standing behind Quasimodo, who was kneeling on the floor.
Quasi's hands were laid on Esmeralda's unmoving body, which had been placed on a small bed. He was crying, and Frollo appeared to be comforting him. That's when Layla saw the knife in Frollo's hand, behind his back.
"There, there Quasimodo. I know it hurts. But it is now time to end your suffering" soothed Frollo.
As Frollo began to raise his knife, Layla screamed.
"Quasi!".

Quasimodo spun around and stopped Frollo's hand, in mid-air. He over-powered Frollo and threw him to the ground, discarding the knife straight after. Once it was safe, Layla ran to Esmeralda's bedside, and took hold of her hand.
"Now, now, Quasimodo. Listen to me" trembled Frollo.
"No! All my life, you've told me that the world is a dark cruel place. Now I see that the only thing cruel about it, is people like you" yelled Quasi, angrily.
Layla began to cry as she stared at Esmeralda's unmoving body. Just as Layla was about to give up hope, Esmeralda's eyelids began to flicker.
"Layla" she muttered.
"Quasi. She's awake" Layla announced happily.
Quasi turned his back on Frollo and lept over to them.
"Esmeralda" he said happily, as he hugged her.

"She lives" growled Frollo, removing his sword from his belt, and getting to his feet.
Layla screamed, and Quasi picked up Esmeralda's body, fleeing from the room with Layla by his side.
Once outside, Quasi picked up Layla and jumped off the roof, clinging onto a gargoyle a metre down.
Esmeralda clung onto Quasi's neck, and Layla held onto Esmeralda's waist, allowing Quasi to use both hands to hang onto the building.
Just as Layla thought they were safe, Frollo appeared above them, leaning over the side of the balcony.
"Leaving so soon?" He mocked.
As Frollo swung his sword at them, Quasi swung to a nearby gargoyle, trying to get to safety. But Frollo was not so easily stopped. He continued to chase them along the cathedral, forcing Quasi to swing from gargoyle to gargoyle.

As they reached the last one, Quasi placed Layla over his shoulder and threw Esmeralda over the balcony. He then began to climb up, into a standing position, with Layla on his back.
"I should have known you'd risk your life to save that gypsy witch. Just as your own mother died trying to save you" revealed Frollo, as he advanced towards them.
"What?" Stuttered Quasi.
"Now, I'm going to do, what I should have done, 20 years ago" shouted Frollo.
He threw his cloak at Quasi's face, and pulled, causing Quasi and Layla to fall off the balcony.

Layla grabbed hold of the wall, and Quasi had one hand on her waist, while his other hand held the cloak, with Frollo on the end of it. The weight of two people falling, had over powered Frollo, sending him over the edge with them.
Esmeralda jumped to her feet and bent over the balcony, taking hold of Layla's hand.
"Hold on" encouraged Esmeralda.
"I can't" cried Layla. Who was now holding the weight of two grown men.
Frollo began to swing on the cloak, until he managed to reach a gargoyle, which he was able to stand up on. With a sword in one hand, he began to balance himself on the gargoyle.
He smiled as he raised his sword above his head, preparing to kill Esmeralda, sending Layla and Quasi to their deaths.