confined space » hollowheart

» day five: part 2 «

Said Hollow had managed to find its way to the house. Not inside, but close enough that the lion puppets were becoming aggressively defensive.

"So much for them not being able to find the house." Jacob hissed in a hushed voice. Enoch grumbled an apology, before leading Jake into the house from the back.

Or tried to.

While the Hollow was in the front of the house, keeping the attention of the guardians and lookout, in the back the blind bird watcher.

Jacob stopped Enoch in their tracks, pressing them up to a tree.

"Damnit. Golan is here." Pointing to the male, scouting his way into the home, Jake kept silent. Enoch's gaze tore away from Golan and to the house itself.

There was only two ways in from the ground floor, if you didn't count the currently boarded up windows. Neither Jake nor Enoch could reach high enough to grab the roof.

Shit.

They prepared so nothing could get in easily, not even themselves.

Then Enoch hit Jake's chest, pulling him from his thoughts. Cobalt curiously watched Enoch, as he clearly thought of something.

"We left the basement window alone."

The basement. Enoch's home. Covered in clay and dust, refusing to allow light. If everyone did as asked of them, they could enter the house with ease through the basement window.

First they had to get over there.

The basement covered the bottom of most of the house, it had to, otherwise everything crammed inside wouldn't fit. Yet, the window, the lone window, was clear on the other side of the house from the two.

The home, surrounded by a large forest, the only forest of the island, cleared out of trees to make way for a boarding home and garden. And luckily the garden stretched out most of the backside. Making just enough cover, due to the hedges to reach the window.

Enoch hurried them behind the flora. Jake watched the area, being carefully dragged along, Enoch's hand within his. Hyper aware, Jake's breathing echoed in his ears like drums. A thump that threatened to burst.

"Jake." Enoch's voice cut through it all. Like always the male could calm him with a single sound.

"Yeah?"

"Window." Enoch tapped on the glass, and Jake could see blurred shuffling behind the grime. It took some effort, enough so that Bronwyn had to open it herself. They slipped inside and silently closed the glass.

"Boys!" The Bird cried, relieved. Her arms widespread before she held them in a hug.

"Hi." Jake called, tugging himself away, a smile on his face.

"Where were you? Olive and the other's got back ages ago?" She cried out, her tone lecturing, but still motherly.

"We were looking for the Hollows. They're outside the house, same as Golan." Her expression darkened at the words.

It wasn't the prettiest of sights, as she had messy hair and smudged makeup. Her voice was horse as she spoke. "They found us."

Jake swallowed at the words, as Enoch nodded. They had both tensed instinctively reaching out for each other, and toward the Bird.

"We need to leave."

"But how?" A voice called out, Horace. "If we leave the loop we'll all rapidly age within minutes."

Right.

Jake had forgotten about that detail. But, it wasn't impossible, right? It couldn't be.

"Peregrine you can make another loop outside of this one right? If we leave, and make a new loop would it work?" Everyone's eyes widened and their gaze landed on the Bird. Her pale features were wrapped up in thought. Eventually she opened her eyes and glaced hesitantly at Jake.

"I am not sure." A whisper. A deafening whisper in the pen drop silent room. "I do not know if it's possible."

"But could it, in theory work? Since we wouldn't be outside the frame of time for long?" She looked helpless. Moments passed, with the sounds of the wandering Hollows the only noise. Then, she let out a sigh.

"Whether it's possible or not, I am willing to try." Then she gave a weak nod, not sure, but willing. "Alright." Standing to her full height, she inspected each body within the room. Which was a lot. "In order for this to work," a look of inspired desperation crossed her face, "I will need the combined effort of all of you."

In a single moment the room was filled with happy and excited yips and shouts as everyone gave an 'understood.'