Mistakes and Magic (Book 1)

Chapter 11 - Getting Ready

Jack's POV (been a while)

"ANTI!" A door further off in the house slams shut as I scream out.

"Give up, Jack. He is gone." Schneep holds me back, gripping with rough hands on my biceps.

I pull against him then growl lightly as it becomes clear he's not gonna let go; I plead desperately. "We need to go after him! Schneep, you don't understand!"

"No, I do." He tells me with a firm tone and bored eyes as I twist my neck to look at him. "But I vill not let you risk your precious life for someone like HIM."

Once again, I yank against Schneep. The sleeve of my shirt rips in the doctor's hand, but my arm is finally free. I shove my elbow back, but Schneep dodges the blow, hand rising up to block, and losing his entire hold on me in the process.

I look at him, hatred for this particular ego forming quickly as he stares wide-eyed at me. "What do you mean "someone like him", Schneeplestein?" I keep my voice steady, but my tone harsh.

The doctor gulps. "Jack, please. You are safe here, yes? From the magician?"

"Answer my question first." There seems to be a slight hesitation, before he repeats his own not-so question, because he and I both know he's most probably right. Yet still, I hold my hand up to stop him, before walking backwards to the door. "If you're not gonna let me, I'll just go by myself."

"No, no, no, no, no. Jack?" My eyes remain on Schneep, watching him intently in his every move as he walks up to me, head bowed and hands fiddling. "I-I'll come vith you. Because I know you, and I know you'll take the first opportunity you get to escape if I try to keep you here. But I'm coming, whether you like it or not, because it is dangerous out there."

"Thank god you're learning to see things from my p-AGH-" I hold my head as yet another wave of dizziness washes over me, this one far too fast to keep up with, sending me to my knees beside the door. Schneep's heavy footsteps race over to me and I can barely make out his words behind the ear-splitting ringing the dizzy spell brought with it. Oh, how I hate these popping up so suddenly; I just wonder, why?

I sit there, a ghost of a hand running along my back soothingly, and wait.

The feeling is practically incapacitating, a static-like texture taking up most of my vision with the edges blacked out. It makes me wonder if Anti has something to do with-

No. He wasn't there when the first one hit and he's not here now.

My thoughts are everywhere.

Dammit. I need to will myself out of this or I'll never get anything done. Something about the fact that Jackie didn't come back has me feeling ... wrong, and I take it that means he needs help, so that's what I'm going to do!

I grip my hair in my fists, nothing but a silent scream escaping my lips as fresh pain travels along with the static.

My skin becomes sensitive to touch and suddenly Schneep's hand feels like it's burning a hole through the back of my shirt. "Schneep-" I croak out, mouth dry. I shrug his hand off as he doesn't respond and he comes around to my front, laying a hand on my forehead.

I feel like I'm burning alive but, surprisingly, Schneep's voice comes in clear as day telling me how cold my skin is.

Then all at once, it stops. My body crashes to the floor, the cold wood of the bedroom touching my stomach as my torn shirt rides up from a breeze that takes up the room through the window that is now open. Or was it like that? I can't remember.