Love or Die

Breaking Free

Jade narrowed her eyes in both confusion and suspicion of Liz's words. She didn't know if it was another trick of William's to give her false hope before she died or if her friend was serious. “I'm going to move my hand from your mouth and you have to continue to complain at me,” Liz said quietly. “But do not fight me or it's going to be a lot more painful to get the chains off you.” Jade stared at Liz in disbelief as she removed her hand from her mouth.

            “Why are you doing this?” Jade said to her. Liz smiled at her way of getting information without making things suspicious in case William was still around.

            “I'm doing what I have to to deal with you,” Liz answered simply. “This might hurt a little.” She pulled the silver chain that had burned on to Jade's wrist and she screamed. Without pause Liz pulled the second chain on her other wrist off and Jade winced as it grazed her skin. As Liz removed the chains from around her ankles, Jade became glad that she had worn long pants. But as she was being freed Jade had watched Travis in hopes that he would give even the slightest of movements; he never did.

            No longer bound to the chair, Jade moved as quickly as she could to him, stumbling from the after affects of her earlier silver injection. Landing in front of Travis, Jade lifted his face which felt cold in her hands and looked as pale as death. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and his eyes stayed closed. Jade felt the tears begin to stream down her face again and had no sudden desire to go anywhere. She didn't want to believe he was gone but she didn't to go anywhere if he couldn't. “I have to burn the house,” Liz stated.

            “Then burn it,” Jade said through her tears. “I'm not leaving without him. There's no point.”

            “But-”

            “Just do it!” Jade demanded. Liz stood where she was watching her friend as she lay her forehead against Travis chest and cried. She wanted to help but the demand to burn the house when she was done dealing with Jade was too strong for her to fight against. Backing away silently, Liz went upstairs and began to set up the fire.

            A few minutes later Jade heard the faint click of the front door closing again and began to smell smoke from the newly started fire. Keeping to her word, Jade did not move from where she stood. She saw Travis' final moments in her mind again and trembled with knowing that she hadn't been able to do anything to save him. She had told William she would get her revenge on him but at that moment she couldn't think of anything except how she let Travis down and wanted to be in his arms again.

            “Babe, why do you smell like smoke?”

            Jade's head shot up to look at Travis who's eyes were still closed. She could swear that she heard him speak but he looked just as lifeless as before. “Travis?” she said, scared to get her hopes up for nothing.

            “Unless there's someone else that calls you babe.” Her jaw dropped in disbelief as she watched his features twist into a pained smile and his eyes opened slightly.

            “Oh my God,” she gasped out in relief. “You're alive!”

            “Of course,” he answered as though it should have been obvious. “Did you really think I was going to just give up on you like that? Now, do you mind maybe getting me down from here? My arms are kind of sore.”

            “Oh right, sorry,” Jade said as she looked around for something to protect her from the silver. She found the pair of gloves William had been using and put them on before she went back to Travis and loosened the chains from his wrist. As soon as she got the chains off of his wrist, Travis dropped down and she stumbled slightly under his weight as she caught him.