Out of Time Chapter 22-- I Really Hate Needles

Gordon released his hold on my neck and stepped back. With one last look at Tyren, I followed Melinda through a door that was revealed when a hidden panel slid open in the wall. As it slid closed, I swallowed nervously. Now, I was trapped with one of Tyren’s worst enemies.

        Following Melinda through the twists and turns of the secret passage, I resolved to pay attention to where we were going. In case Melinda double crossed me—which was highly likely—I needed to know how to get back to Tyren. The ground sloped, so I figured as long as I went upwards, I would be alright. I should get out eventually. Or so I hoped.

These passages were all dimly lit by an unnatural red light. I recalled Sai’s lesson about demons. Light was a weakness of theirs. They couldn’t stand light. This red stuff must be bearable to them. I decided I preferred the sewer catacombs that Tyren took me through. They weren’t nearly as ominous.

        We stepped out onto a catwalk that was slightly reminiscent of the catwalks over the Thames back at the base.  However, no river ran beneath us. Instead, we stood over what resembled a large gym, only it was more like a cavern. In the dim, red light, I could see a flurry of movement. Thousands and thousands of zombies and demons ate, slept, drank, lounged, and fought beneath us.

        The sight took my breath away.  Despair set in. There was no way we could defeat such a massive horde. In fact, we were doomed to failure. Nothing would remain of us but bloody smudges. My stomach churned at the thought.

        “Is it not glorious?”

        “It smells,” I retorted.

         “Just think. We have the ability to conquer the world! You could be king of any land you desire! You could be king of the United States. Say farewell to being the boy everyone ignores. You would be in control.” Melinda gripped my shoulders, making me tense. “Everyone would know your name! Everyone would fear your name.”

        I am ashamed to admit I was strongly tempted. Finally, people would stop overlooking me. My parents would proudly tell everyone that I was their son. I would have people tripping over each other to be my friend. I could get any girl I wanted. Hey, I could even have seven girlfriends if I so desired—one for every day of the week.

        Take that, Henry.

        After all, our fight was hopeless. We couldn’t defeat Melinda’s army. Even if we did, I would go back to being a nobody. I would go back to college, finish my degree, take a boring job. Once again, I would be the average kid.

        I could be king of America. I could be a world-famous mage. Everyone would know my name. Everyone would fear my name. I would be the single most powerful mage in the history of the world.

        What was I thinking?! Tyren, Sai, Tatiana, Julian, Noddah, and even my Grams were counting on me.  In fact, the entire world was counting on me. I was the mage heir! If I gave in to temptation, the whole world would suffer. I couldn’t just ditch my friends and the world. I had to be strong.

        I checked my watch that didn’t actually tell time. “Your hour is almost up,” I commented. I had probably only been down there for twenty minutes. But, hey, I just wanted to annoy her.

        Melinda released her grip on my arms. “So you choose to remain unknown and ineffective. You choose to be a nobody.”

        I rounded on her. “You are asking me to forsake my friends. That is the one thing that I can never do.”

        She threw her head back and laughed. “Your friends?! Do you honestly think Tyren and her little group would care two wits about you if you didn’t have powers? Do you think she would be your ‘friend’ if you weren’t the mage heir?!”

        I bit my lip. Was she right? Tyren hadn’t taken interest in me until she found out I could see the demon. Even after that, she had sent me home. She really hadn’t taken much notice of me until suddenly I was the mage heir. And what about Tatiana, Julian, and Sai? Sai, maybe, since he was human, but the others? Did they like me for me, or just for my powers?

        After all, Tyren had sided with Gordon that one time. I was supposed to be her friend.

        Melinda smirked. “I can see it in your eyes. They did not care about you until they found out you were the all-important mage heir, did they? Why would you turn down all this for people who care only for what you are—not who you are.”

        My insides hurt. My head hurt. My heart hurt. But I had to make the right decision.

        “I still am not going to help you. Even if they don’t like me for me.” I fixed my eyes on her. “I am the mage heir, and my duty is to keep you from waking your precious monster king.”

        Cruelly, she smiled, red eyes flashing. “So be it. Guards!”

        Two large zombies stepped out of the shadows and gripped my arms.  Melinda seemed to look down at me, even though I was about an inch taller than her. I was suddenly very scared for my life. “You are forcing me to do it the hard way.” She snatched my hat off my head, trapping Noddah inside. “Take him to the lab.”

        I dug my heels in, but to no avail. Kicking and struggling was getting me nowhere fast. Well, except maybe further down the passageway.  The two zombie guards were far too strong. I was literally dragged deeper and deeper into the bowls of the Tower of London. As we twisted and turned, I grew helplessly lost. There would be no clever escape by me.

        The words of my Grams echoed in my mind. Was this the bad thing that had to happen? Was this what everyone wanted to warn me about? Was I going to get out of this alive? Would I ever see my friends again?

        My mind desperately tried to figure out how they could force me to join them. They couldn’t, right? I couldn’t be forced to become one of them. Right? It was impossible. I was too strong. I had to be.

        I was dragged through a door into a brightly lit room. The two guards forced me into a chair and tied me down. The chains were probably silver, but I wasn’t sure. Silver had no affect on me, so it didn’t matter. I made a lot of disgruntled and indignant noises, but I don’t remember if any of them were actual words. As what I supposed passed as nurse pulled up the sleeve of my left arm, I began to panic. I had no earthly idea what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t good. Maybe they were going to torture me. Whatever. It would not work. I would be strong. I had to be strong for those that I loved.

        Even if I was no more than a tool to them.

        I shook that thought from my head. No. I refused to believe that.

        A man dressed in a doctor’s white lab coat pulled out a hypodermic syringe filled with black liquid. Suddenly, Melinda’s plan became very clear in my mind. I knew how they could literally force me to become one of them.

        They were going to turn me into a zombie.

        I would be a slave. I would be powerless to fight against them. They could force me to kill my friends. I refused to let this happen to me. I had to be strong. I had to escape.

        I bucked and kicked and snapped. It was pointless. I was nearly cemented to the table.  I was so deep under the Tower of London that I would never escape. Screeching “NO!” like a banshee wasn’t getting me anywhere, either.  I tried kicking the doctor, the guards, Melinda, anything. I tried moving my arm. I should have just laid there like a wet noodle. It made no difference.

        The doctor plunged the needle into my arm and depressed the syringe. Fire erupted in my veins. I could feel the poison of the demon blood spreading throughout my arm. It felt like acid was eating away at my veins. The pain was so great, I began to see black in front of my eyes. No! I had to be strong. I had to conquer this. I had to escape. Pain washed over my entire body. I was slipping into the comfortable darkness. Before I lost consciousness, I managed to scream, “Tyren!”

        Darkness overtook me. 

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Yikes. I really hate needles, too. So, is the brave M.C. about to become a demon?!

You'll have to wait until next week to find out. Who knows, this could be the book that I kill off my main character.

Probs not though, right?

Anyway, posting a few minutes before Monday early 'cause this week will be insane. I leave for college (yikes!) in a week from today. Next chapter will be posted from my dorm room. Ick. I have mixed feelings about going back. Excited/terrified. This year shall kill me for sure.

Anyway, I hope you all have a nice week!

P.S. I really do love comments and thoughts!