He'd been patient! He'd been very patient, and at last, his day had finally come! Yet that IDIOT had ruined everything! Donovan tightened his grip on Octavia's wrist as he yanked her up the tower steps. His other hand clutched the wound on his side. He felt his insides falling out, but kept moving. He knew he couldn't afford to stop. When they finally reached the top of the tower, he forced Octavia to the floor. She scampered away from him, and he took a moment to look over his injuries.
He knew the prince's blade had cut deep, he expected some blood, but not this much. He was seeing things, he'd only seen in dissections. He groaned realizing the gravity of the situation. He was not long for this world! His hands trembled not with fear but rage. He had worked so hard and was so close to getting everything he had ever wanted... DESERVED!
Octavia sobbed on the floor, and attempted to cover herself with what little there was left, of her torn dress. After a few seconds, she struggle to her feet, then dared to try and run passed him. Donovan might have been dying but he wasn't dead yet! He grasped hold of her and laid into her, expending some of his remaining energy. She tried to put up a fight, but even dying, he was still stronger then her. He threw her back down to the floor and she looked up at him, her eyes red with tears and anger. Such hate, she had for him, when he had tried to give her the world. FINE! FINE! SHE COULD HATE HIM!
He stumbled forward and kicked her. She let out a painful whimper as he nearly lost his balance. For a moment, he swayed realizing he'd all but forgotten about his injuries. He looked down at them and toiled once more with his end. He desperately considered if there was anything he could do but he knew there wasn't. He was going to die...it was only a matter of minutes now.
His gaze flickered up to the sky and he saw the sun was setting. He would no doubt take his last breath, before it fully set. He wouldn't even get one last sunset. His eyes flickered back to Octavia. He had always loved how she looked bathed in the moonlight. Yet another thing he would not live to see again. She nursed her wounds now but they were nothing compared to his. She would live. She would live and he would die. She'd probably wouldn't even wait for him to take his last breath. No, once he was too weak to stop her, she'd escape him.
His mind began to race, decisions...decisions needed to be made. How did he want to go out? What did he want to leave behind or more as what did he not. His gaze narrowed on Octavia...his Octavia! He decided how he would spend his final moments. He decided she would not escape him. HE WOULD NOT LET HER GO! NOT NOW! NOT EVER! Even in death he would have her! He smiled as his ice blue eyes, glistened with madness.
He staggered towards her, she recoiled back until she hit the tower wall. He fell to his knees before her and she finally took notice of all the blood. "You're dying!" she choked.
"Yes." he rasped.
"Good," she said with delight. She flashed him a vengeful smile and then said it once again, with more confidence, "GOOD!"
His smile widened and she furrowed her brow, in confusion. She hadn't yet grasped what this meant for her, if he was dying, then they were dying! He looked at her for a moment, admiring her as she was now. How many years had he admired her from the shadows, longed to touch her, to hold her, to consume every part of her until she was his and his alone. She would be his forever now. He swallowed then struck out his hands like venomous snakes. He grasped hold of her throat and began to squeeze.
She quickly moved her hands to his, but he didn't let go. She dug her nails into his flesh, ripping and tearing at him, but still he did not budge. He just kept squeezing her neck! He would be her end! He would destroy her with every last fiber of his being! She madly lashed out, struggling for air. He could see it now, in her big beautiful eyes, she understood what was happening. She looked at him and his chest ached. If only he had the strength and time, he'd take her again, but he needed to be certain of her demise...certain that she took her last breath before him.
He watched her eyes gloss over, it wasn't long now. He made it clear to her. "I WONT EVER LET YOU GO! I WONT EVER LET YOU GO! YOU ARE MINE! MINE! MINE!"
He repeated it madly even after she had gone from this world. Drawing close to his own demise, he eventually let his hands drop from her neck. He moved himself to sit against the tower wall. The sky was beginning to darken. He'd made it longer then he'd thought, but he would see no stars. No matter. No matter. He needn't the stars…
He pulled Octavia's lifeless body to lay on him. He positioned her as if she were asleep on his lap. He closed her eyes with his bloody fingers, leaving a trail on her face. Growing light headed, he tangled his fingers in her hair, knowing she liked that. He recalled how she had cooed to the prince's touch. His chest grew tight with anger thinking of them together, but he smiled on, knowing the idiot..the prince would never have her. NO, she was his...his…she was always going to be his.
Donovan's eyes grew heavy, at least they would be together, he thought…forever together. He let his eyes drifted down to her, one last time. She would be the last thing he saw. No, he needn't the stars, not when he had her. He could still recall the first time he'd seen her. She'd glowed brighter then any star. She was his...his...His eyes opened and shut as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He could hear his heart beating in his ears until... he couldn't.
***
Jesep couldn't hear a thing as he floated up into the sky. His ears had long since gone with the air pressure but he saw her. He saw her glowing brighter then ever! He called out to her in awe, wanting to know more then anything, "WHAT ARE YOU! WHAT ARE YOU!"
The world was spinning around them but he didn't care. He didn't take his eyes off her. Recognition washed over him as she looked down at him. He found he already knew the answer to his question...some part of him had always known. Yes, she was...was...his. His beloved, his Keyoko...his…his! SHE WAS ETERNALLY HIS!
He watched her perfect mouth move as she responded to his question...cursed. Cursed?Cursed! She had said cursed, even though he couldn't hear, Jesep had taught himself to read lips. It had come in rather handy, on more then one occasion, in his line of work. Frankly it was an important skill to have, he liked to acquire it, in all his lives, when he could. Information was key. Key! KEYOKO! He looked at Genoa now realizing her true name and then she pulled back. His eyes widened as he had a sinking feeling she was about t-
***
Jesep seized taking a breath. He was suddenly alive and conscious once more. He opened his eyes, vaguely aware of his current situation. There was darkness... such darkness, but he was not alone. He heard voices arguing in the distance.
A smooth charismatic voice called out:"Brilliant! Just fucking brilliant! You are useless!"
A strange whisper hissed:"I'm NOT USELESS! I FOUND HER! I watched over her ALL THESE YEARS!"
The charismatic voice snapped:"Yes and you also just WATCHED her take us down! WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"
The whisper cried:"I- I TRIED TO WARN! But he no listen, no UNDERSTAND ME!"
The charismatic voice shouted:"SHE! SHE should have understood the CONSEQUENCES! YOU! YOU HAD ALL THIS TIME WITH HER! DID YOU TEACH HER NOTHING!"
The Whisper whimpered.
Another voice, deep...dark, calmly said "She will understand soon enough. She will pay for this."
Jesep swallowed, his throat was bone dry and he could feel something sticking to it, little bits of something. He wasn't sure what it was. He wasn't sure of anything right now. He found himself annoyed, it was hard to think with all these people talking. He groaned and said, "Quiet"
The voices all grew quiet for a moment as if they suddenly took notice of him. Jesep smiled having some peace but it didn't last long.
The charismatic voice called out:"At last!"
The whisper hissed with glee "Finally!"
The deep voice boomed. "WAKE THE FUCK UP!"
***
Jesep gasped, waking in the darkness once more...only this time it was different. He could feel something all around him. He was confused. He must have fallen asleep, he'd been dreaming yes but what had he been- His face itched, he went to scratch it but found he couldn't raise his hands, they seemed trapped. He quickly realized it wasn't just his hands but his whole body was trapped. He tried to move, he heard a strange sound and then felt something cold fall on his face. It took him a second to identify it was dirt.
Yes! He realized he was not in his bed, he was- was- There was dirt everywhere. It would seem he'd been buried alive. Any normal person would have panicked but he knew better, it would do him no good. Somehow he was still alive, there must have been just enough space, enough air for him to exist. If he flailed about now, there was a chance wherever he was, would fully collapse and he'd die. If he wanted to live, wanted to survive, he needed to focus and move carefully.
He held himself very still and assessed what he could, from his current position. His eyes looked about carefully until they honed in on a sliver of light in the distance. His possible entry and now exit. Somehow he needed to get to the light. The darkness grew lighter around him as he found himself able to see more and more. Very carefully he began to move, he managed to get his hands free and began to climb, he found himself weak and so very tired but he pushed himself.
He would get out of here. HE WOULD GET OUT OF HERE AND KILL WHOEVER PUT HIM HERE!He moved clinging to the dirt and rock around him, keeping his eyes focused on the light. His mind vaguely wandered as he wondered just how he had gotten down here? Had he been kidnapped? Was this an attempt on his life. No. No. The last thing he could remember was- was- paint. He still had some one his hands. His eyes shifted from side to side, he froze recalling what had happened now.
She! She had done this to him! Yes! She- Genoa- his Keyoko. He saw the events play out in his mind. The moment of his release, the struggle with Harold, the sudden rise in air pressure and then an all out storm, her rising up and realizing just who she was to him. She was his...his…HIS! SHE WAS HIS AND HAD DONE THIS TO HIM! IF SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD ESCAPE HIM, SHE WAS MISTAKEN! Jesep's mind festered on the thought and his movements became uneasy. Before he knew it, the area around him completely collapsed. Dirt filled his lungs and he madly struggled, drowning… suffocating. He fell unconscious once more.
***
When he awoke again he could feel the dirt within his lungs. He realized he'd drowned. Annoyed he began coughing and climbing once more. Drowning in dirt sucked, it was one of his least favorite ways to die. When you drowned in water, it was easy enough to expel the liquid from your lungs but dirt...dirt would fill your lungs completely and cling to the insides. It would come up for days, weeks or even months after. In most cases it was better to just replace the lungs all together.
He continued to climb toward the light, only vaguely aware of the strange thoughts he was having. After a while it occurred to him something else was down here with him. It had to be. When he'd collapsed earlier he'd been completely buried yet upon waking his face and path had been cleared. Someone had to have removed the dirt but who…what?
The charismatic voice called out:"KEEP MOVING! We don't have much time!"
Jesep paused recognizing the voice from earlier.
The whisper called:"THEY FOUND HER! THEY FOUND HER! THEY ARE TAKING HER AWAY!"
No he thought, his chest ached as the words sunk in. Somehow he understood what the whisper was taking about. Someone had found his Keyoko and were taking her away. He continued to climb, dragging himself up as much as he could. After a minute or two, it suddenly occurred to him, he wasn't hearing voices, no they weren't coming from outside him but within.
He called out "Wait! What! Who are you and how did you get in my head,"
The charismatic voice sighed "Heh...this one isn't very bright!"
The deep voice boomed:"Give him time."
Jesep groaned, not liking other thoughts- others, wandering in his head. He wondered if it was some sort of transmission. He'd seen inventions for mental suggestion but that was years away and this was different. Had he snapped? Was this his brains way of dealing with his current situation? He needed time to think, needed to understand what was happening to him.
The charismatic voice almost felt like it was on top of him as it said:"There is no time for that just keep climbing."
He continued to climb but didn't like putting things off, he wanted answers and now. He moved a bit faster then he should have, the area became unstable once more and he was quickly buried.
***
The charismatic voice groaned:"We don't have time for this, expel some fucking energy and get us out of here, already!"
The whisper cried:"But he didn't tell me to."
The charismatic voice hissed "Well in his absent mindedness, I'm taking charge and I SAY MOVE OUR ASS NOW!" There was some mumbling and then quiet.
Jesep vaguely felt the area around him shift as he was pulled up and up.
"Wait! Hold on, there are others just outside, listen." said the charismatic voice.
Jesep concentrated hearing more voices. He could tell these ones were outside his head.
"Seriously what do you think could have done this?" asked a man. "How deep do you think it goes?"
"We're not suppose to be talking, while on guard." said a woman's voice.
"Come on we've been out here for hours and nothings happened." groaned the man
Jesep opened his eyes and shifted his gaze, seeing the light was closer. How had he gotten so close? The voices, the people they were just outside beyond the light. He lifted his hand wanting to reach out to them.
The charismatic voice hissed:"We should hold off until we can escape. We need to recover!"
The whisper cried:"BUT THEY TOOK HER! THEY TOOK HER!"
The charismatic voice hissed yet again:"Yes and they'll take us, if were not careful, can't you feel it, there is another here!"
The deep voice bellowed "YES, I sense them as well, Jezza"
"Jezza, of course, of all the ones, to run into at a time like this," complained the charismatic voice.
"Huh you made a pun," the whispered laughing to itself.
"Unintentional, stay focused," The charismatic voice hissed. "Clearly we can't leave now, we'll be spotted and she'll know who we are and what were capable of."
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Yelled Jesep. He couldn't take them talking. "SHUT UP AND LET ME THINK!"
"Did you hear that?" asked the man.
"Hear what?" asked the woman.
"I thought I heard someone shouting?"
"YES." Jesep choked. He madly coughed before calling out once more. "I'M HERE! I'M HERE!"
He just wanted out of this hole, more then anything, he just wanted out of this fucking hole.
The charismatic voiced sighed "If that is what you so desire FINE! We'll let them take us."
The whisper cried out with glee, "to her. TO HER!"
"I'M HERE!" gasped Jesep his voice scratchy. He tried to ignore the voices, he tried to crawl out more. HE JUST WANTED OUT OF THIS FUCKING HOLE! He needed them to see him but he had no idea how deep he was or how far away they were.
The whisper cried out, "I HELP!"
Jesep groaned but kept trying to get out.
"SHIT!" shouted the man.
"What," said the woman
"Did you see that!" shouted the man.
"See what!" shouted the woman
"What I- I thought I saw something- a shadow moving." said the man
"A shadow." said the woman. She was clearly annoyed.
"Yes it moved over by the hole." The man walked over to it.
Jesep could see a figure above him now casting a shadow down on him.
"Here. I'm down here!" Jesep managed to sputtered out before coughing madly, dirt sprayed everywhere..
"SHIT! I THINK SOMEONE IS DOWN THERE," shouted the man.
"What no way!" said the woman.
A moment later flashlights shined into the hole and fell on Jesep's face. When the light hit his eyes, it was blinding. His eyes began to burn and he raised up his hands to cover them.
"A man," gasped the woman.
"ARE YOU OKAY DOWN THERE!" called out the man.
It took everything for Jesep not to snap and snarl "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK!" Instead he held his tongue and simply hissed "Nooo"
"I'll notify the recovery team!" said the woman, "Let's get him out of here."
"If we can?" said the man.
"Just keep him talking!" said the woman before she began to radio it in.
The man continued to stare into the hole, keeping his flashlight trained on Jesep. "Hey buddy, how did you get down there? How deep is it down there? You along?"
Jesep groaned, thinking WHAT WAS THIS TWENTY QUESTIONS RESCUE! He heard the other voices snicker in his head, they were just as annoyed as him. For a moment he felt connected to them, it felt good...really good. Like, he'd been missing something, this whole time. He shuttered then broke into another coughing fit, more dirt came up and his chest felt tight, his lungs burned. The man took his flashlight away from the hole and move to the woman, "He doesn't sound so good down there."
"The recovery team is on their way." said the woman.
The charismatic voice groaned. "I really don't like this."
The whisper called out, "What choice do we have? We wont be separated from her, not again."
The charismatic voice said, "I suppose you're right."
The dark voice bellowed, "The stone!"
The charismatic voice responded, "Right hide it,"
The whisper cried out, "Yes, hide it so they wont know it's us."
"Oh shit! The mark, can't hide that," said the charismatic voice.
"We'll think of something," said the deep voice. "Just hide the stone,"
Jesep felt torn, the voices had annoyed him a moment ago, but when they'd synced up, if only for a second or two, he'd felt something more. He found himself more willing to listen now, "What stone?" he called out.
"Use your thoughts," said the charismatic voice. "Don't let others hear you converse."
'What stone?' Jesep thought
"There is a small stone around your neck, take hold of it with your hand, press it into your chest until it goes inside," said the charismatic voice.
It was a bit of a struggle but Jesep manage to moved his hand to his chest. He pulled at his shirt and indeed there was a stone. He pressed his palm against it and felt it press into him until it was gone.
"Good" the three said in unison.
Jesep smiled knowing he'd done something important. They wouldn't be able to tell who he was now, at least not right away. His eyes grew heavy. He had exhausted a lot of energy, pulling himself up to the surface. He needed to rest and finish healing. He broke into another coughing fit and the dirt in his lung rattled about painfully. He wheezed, vaguely registering a rope drop into the hole before he passed out.
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