The Adventures Of John B : The Sacred Stone

Part 28 - Crossing The Border.

"..You want to get in.. that?"

She stared at the barely surfaced submarine, hands frantically tapping at her sides as she processed the thought.

He nodded, feeling words were not needed to express his answer.   Slowly raising the cigarette to his mouth, he parted his lips, eyes flickering over to her shaking body.

"Can you handle it?"

Shock stampeded her thoughts as she bit her lip, her comfort trampled alongside a million other emotions.

"What? Of course.. why wouldn't I-"

Scoffing, he threw the cigarette to the ground.  Leisurely stomping on it with his boot, he let out a puff of smoke- watching it dance on air, liberated by its release.

"I'm not as stupid as you think."

The woman studied the ocean's glassy sheen, a sick feeling consuming her strength.  Waves licked at the dock, playfully teasing her with light touches and cool breaths.   Swallowing the fear, she gulped hastily.

"..I don't like it, but.. I'll be fine."

The man smirked, tilting his head in an attempt to view her eyes- investigating the violet sparks of fear as they exploded into anxiety.

"Alright.  Care to get in, then?"

Her body froze, chains of horror linking her to the ground.   In the watery mirror she found a blank stare, two wavy and glittering orbs flowing in and out.   

Her mouth opened and closed, undecidedly repeating the action until it became habit.

"..Right now?"

The woman's eyes shot over to his blatant scowl, signifying his overwhelming confusion- a manifestation of his frustration.    His brows furrowed, a tangled knot of worries hidden under the creases.  

Bowing her head down in shame, she suppressed the embarrassment with unstable breaths.  She slowly took a step near the ocean before her knees buckled, gravity carelessly thrusting her to the ground.

Her head was buried in her knees, a familiar feeling filling her up entirely- and somehow the thought of no longer being so completely empty was as frightening as having nothing to experience at all.  Words fell from her mouth- these murmurs almost like a routine prayer to the world in times of strain.  

"Get up."

She nuzzled her head deeper into the dip between her knees, venturing a idealistic cave of selective perception.  Voices were combated by the deafening repetition of numbers in her head as she struggled to zone the world out.

His hand clasped her shoulder, warmth radiating from the fingers.  She abruptly stirred to life, relinquishing the persistent grip of her knees.  

Fierce determination coursed through her veins as she felt the steady beat of courage- a reminder of all the things she feared and all of the things she didn't.   

She slowly rose to her feet- rose to the challenge, stumbling towards the cracked trap door.  She felt the world wobble at her feet, dock dancing with the ocean's rhythm.   Creaks drifted on air as the distant clang of trains and bells rang through.    With every noise, her heart lurched and her feet moved a little bit faster.

Her hands shook as she reached for the metal door.  

Carefully lowering herself in, she gulped- realizing the gravity of her actions.

She turned to smile at the man, satisfied that she had won the battle against fear.  The woman proceeded to raise herself out of the hole.

But before she knew it, two hands were shoving her back in as a clang confirmed her entrapment.

The man clapped his hands before turning to the town.

He could hear the woman's fists beating against her cage, terrified by the darkness that watched her every movement.

"It's for your own good."

And he walked away.