Broken

Soundtrack: Twiztid- The World
Twiztid- Nikateen
Limp Bizkit- Break Stuff

The Cell, Resurrection day

‘Locked in? As in we can’t get out?’ Holly’s face and expression said it all. They were all thinking the same thing; ‘If they’ve locked us in, they know where we are.’ Seth passed a hand over his eyes, then looked at Artemis and Holly very simply as he spoke.
‘Yes. As in sealed in tight, sitting ducks, dead meat, utterly screwed- you get the idea. No, there’s no way it can be fixed either. They’ve completely overloaded every single electrical component- non reparable without tools.’ Seth said this with little emotion in his voice. Holly stared at him with her mouth agape, whereas Artemis simply stared. Seth was not finished though, not yet. ‘If you ask me,’ he said, ‘I think it was the magic.’ He looked down at the still crouched figure of Holly Short, her face remained aghast, and continued on his route of morbid declarations. ‘It would make sense that they could feel it, and the timing was perfect.’ When he was finished, Seth slumped against the wall and was finally silent.
For a while, nothing was said between any of them. An open void, held strong by six metal walls. What could be said? Who would say it? Someone would speak if they had a monumentally brilliant idea, but neither of the two genii in the room made a sound. One of which, Artemis, had pulled himself into the lotus position against the wall and was meditating. Concentration was needed now. For everyone’s sake. Holly sat morosely, her arms crossed as she stared into space. Never before had she felt so helpless. There had been times in the past where she had believed doom was inevitable, but the fact was that each of those times there had been some vague hope, some blessed chance of survival on the horizon, friends or comrades that had been there to help. Now where was she? In a fifteen-by-fifteen metal box with no way out. All her equipment was nulled by the signal that was undoubtedly being broadcast by now. The personification of death undoubtedly knew where they were and was fast closing in. But by far the worst thing was the lack of outside help. Everyone Holly could think of was lost or probably so. She went through them in her mind for the first time, she hadn’t allowed herself yet. Vinyaya, undoubtedly slain at the resurrection. Running out of police plaza with Artemis and dragging an unconscious Seth in tow, only to see Trouble Kelp and his brother hanging from a street light, inverted pentagrams branded to their faces. Mulch Diggums, probably caught in the initial city sweep, and if not they would have purged him by now. Then Foaly… No. Not yet. Holly found herself sobbing uncontrollably. She tried to stop the torrent, only to find it an impossible task; the dams broke and threw her into hysterics. She cried not for herself, but for the families, for the children, for the things lost, for the doomed pair sat with her. And for the humans. The poor, innocent humans on the surface. They knew not of what was coming. Of its numbers and its power. Of its heated flame, with which it would set the world on fire. Holly pounded her fists on the wall until they bled.
And so it went on. Artemis meditating as best as he could, Holly expressing herself and Seth drifting in and out of alcohol-induced sleep. None changed for some time, although the three didn’t know it. Seth was first to come round, and his actions were the ones that had caused so many controversies and debates worldwide. The thing he did was what broke that initial terrible silence in the group; some would call it an omen, others would just call it antisocial. From his pocket Seth took a pack of twenty cigarettes, peeled back the cellophane wrapper and withdrew the first. From his pocket he took a worn steel Zippo lighter. Raising the lighter up to the cigarette in his lips, Seth looked down at this arm. Still numb. Oh well, he wouldn’t be doing much with it anyway. He flicked the lid of the Zippo with that ever-familiar metal ding and spun the wheel. The flame danced lightly and shyly, as if it sensed the atmosphere in the room. Seth brought it’s white heart to the tip of the menthol, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He had always believed that the first exhale was the best part of a cigarette, and held as long as possible before pushing his lungs clean.
Apparently, Holly didn’t agree with him.
‘Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Her voice was soft and dangerous. Seth replied as if he didn’t realize he had done anything wrong.
‘I do believe, my good elf, that I am smoking one of my cigarettes.’ Holly continued to stare at him, head cocked to one side, mouth partly open.
‘How you can poison yourself with those things is beyond me. But I for one don’t want to choke to death just yet, if you hadn’t noticed, there’s no airvent in here.’ Holly spoke slowly, trying to calm herself. Maintain her self-control. But the sight of him sat there with the cigarette in his hand… reclining while he smoked it. It was setting her off. Seth replied to her now;
‘You’d be dead already if there was no air supply. I get cravings once an hour; I’ve been resisting for longer than that. You’ve already got my bottle-’ He paused to take another drag. Holly’s teeth were grinding. ‘-so as you’ve been preoccupied with your little tantrum for most of that time, I suggest you leave me in peace to finish my last smoke alive.’ Seth finished and turned away from her, then addressed the now roused Artemis. ‘Want one?’
Holly snapped. She launched herself on Seth like a dog sicked on an unlucky criminal. Slamming him to the floor, she dived in with her left and then came across with her right. Holly was no longer herself, a savage fury she had never known surfaced itself. She smashed an elbow across the bridge of Seth’s nose, screaming while she did it, and heard a sick crack. Holly went on. She slashed at his face again and again, pinning him to the floor. Seth had been taken completely by surprise, and was trying his best to struggle against the enraged elf. He was a head taller than her and at least a hundred pounds heavier, but still she decimated him. Holly was swallowed by her rage, both at Seth and herself. Why was she doing this? She didn’t know, but it felt good. Crying and punching the wall was one thing, but it was so much better to have someone else experience her pain.
This went on until Artemis intervened. At first he was so startled that he didn’t move and simply watched, mouth wide open. He had observed the altercation between the two about the cigarette, which now lay smoldering on the ground, having just awakened from his trance. As Seth had offered him one, Holly had leapt, and Artemis was forced to move back or face getting hit too. He realized now what he had to do. Artemis calculated, braced himself and then launched towards Holly. He knocked her off a battered Seth, then her the breath slam out of them both as they collided with the far wall. Artemis looked over his shoulder, he saw Seth rising up, red vengeance in his eyes. He was like a bull to a flag as he charged, one fist raised whilst exploding with a testosterone-fueled battlecry. Artemis picked his moment carefully. Shielding Holly’s body with his own, he waited until the last second before he grabbed her shoulders and threw both of them to the ground on the right. Predictably, Seth continued forwards into the wall. From behind, Artemis heard what could only be someone headbutting a steel wall at full speed before falling to the ground unconscious. Relieved, he turned to face Holly, whom he was now lying on top of following the dive. Her eyes flickered, and she managed a whisper;
‘Hey.’ She gazed up at him for a moment, and Artemis gazed back.
‘Hey yourself.’ He replied, keeping to whisper level. Holly managed a grin, and looked ready to speak again. Just as she was about to, her eyes rolled and Holly passed out.

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• Contest Entry- A Visitor.