ran 2.4 miles
Chapter20
Jonas and Erica sat trembling across from one another in an abyss of black. There were desolate noises and occasional grunts that didn’t quite seem human. Although the blind darkness had set Jonas and Erica seemingly far apart, they were actually positioned closely enough to one another to reach out and feel the cuts and bruises on the other’s face.
Their hands were tied behind their backs and their feet were bound together. Each had a gag in their mouth, which forced their breathing through broken noses and crimson, coagulated nostrils.
In the darkness they were unaware that the frightening sounds they had kept hearing were their own. They didn’t know that they were facing each other for the first time in what seemed like weeks. The heavy breathing of what sounded like a fierce animal snarling was themselves right in front of one another.
All of a sudden there was a loud click like a generator being turned on. Slowly, the room began to fill with light. At first it was soft, hazy and nearly nonexistent. Second by second the light intensified until it was absolutely blinding. Jonas and Erica had seen very little light in recent days. Their eyes squinted and burned for minutes until finally Jonas focused through a single eye an image of what appeared to be Erica directly in front of him. The sight of her exaggerated all of his facial features in a writhing torrent of pain. He squirmed desperately in his bindings until he realized it was useless.
“Erica?” he said through his gag in a low mumble. She sat across from him barely moving. It had taken her longer to acquiesce to her new surroundings and Jonas could see terror in her eyes
Somehow she managed what appeared to be a smile, only detectable through a slight and brief squint in her eyes and attempted to speak Jonas’ name. Nothing came out but muted mumblings.
Seconds later menacing footsteps grew louder and louder heading in their direction. They were even and swift and had almost reached them. Jonas and Erica took a moment to roll their eyes around the room they were in. It was a huge space and even slight noises seemed to have made echoes. It seemed to be an airplane hangar or a space the size of one, absolutely empty except for Jonas, Erica and the footsteps that had just arrived behind Erica. A man stood and met Jonas’ painful gaze. He stared Jonas in the eyes and was not going to stop until Jonas blinked first or averted his own stare, like a master asserting superiority over a dog. Jonas unlocked his sight and looked down at Erica. The man spoke.
“Isn’t that better?” he said as he removed the gag from Erica’s mouth. She coughed achingly and gasped for air. The man walked around to Jonas and patted him on his head and rubbed his hand through his hair.
“Are you going to behave, Jonas?” He removed the gag and said, “That’s a good boy.”
Jonas bit for his hand snapping his teeth together just after the man had safely recoiled. The man immediately countered with a backhanded slap to Jonas’ face. All included, Jonas, Erica and this mysterious monster of a man were extremely surprised when Jonas actually managed to grip a large portion of his foe’s swinging hand with his teeth. The government man was clearly in pain and had not expected this outcome. His right hand was stuck from pinky to middle finger in the gnashing teeth of Jonas Martin Cassidy. This act only served to humiliate and piss off the nameless man. He pulled out a pistol with his other hand and hit Jonas over his head with it. Jonas refused to loosen the grip in his jaw. He bit even harder.
The man turned behind him and struck Erica with all of his might square in her nose. She was completely unsuspecting and squirming to help Jonas in case this may have been a predicament for escape. She fell completely over on her chair’s end, unconscious. Jonas immediately loosened the grip of his teeth and then his jaw altogether. The enemy hit him squarely in his forehead with the butt of his pistol. He fell over, blankly, upending the backside of his chair.
Here is Chapter 20 of "I am Erica". To read from the beginning click on "I am Erica" in the Categories section.
Chapter20
Their hands were tied behind their backs and their feet were bound together. Each had a gag in their mouth, which forced their breathing through broken noses and crimson, coagulated nostrils.
In the darkness they were unaware that the frightening sounds they had kept hearing were their own. They didn’t know that they were facing each other for the first time in what seemed like weeks. The heavy breathing of what sounded like a fierce animal snarling was themselves right in front of one another.
All of a sudden there was a loud click like a generator being turned on. Slowly, the room began to fill with light. At first it was soft, hazy and nearly nonexistent. Second by second the light intensified until it was absolutely blinding. Jonas and Erica had seen very little light in recent days. Their eyes squinted and burned for minutes until finally Jonas focused through a single eye an image of what appeared to be Erica directly in front of him. The sight of her exaggerated all of his facial features in a writhing torrent of pain. He squirmed desperately in his bindings until he realized it was useless.
“Erica?” he said through his gag in a low mumble. She sat across from him barely moving. It had taken her longer to acquiesce to her new surroundings and Jonas could see terror in her eyes
Somehow she managed what appeared to be a smile, only detectable through a slight and brief squint in her eyes and attempted to speak Jonas’ name. Nothing came out but muted mumblings.
Seconds later menacing footsteps grew louder and louder heading in their direction. They were even and swift and had almost reached them. Jonas and Erica took a moment to roll their eyes around the room they were in. It was a huge space and even slight noises seemed to have made echoes. It seemed to be an airplane hangar or a space the size of one, absolutely empty except for Jonas, Erica and the footsteps that had just arrived behind Erica. A man stood and met Jonas’ painful gaze. He stared Jonas in the eyes and was not going to stop until Jonas blinked first or averted his own stare, like a master asserting superiority over a dog. Jonas unlocked his sight and looked down at Erica. The man spoke.
“Isn’t that better?” he said as he removed the gag from Erica’s mouth. She coughed achingly and gasped for air. The man walked around to Jonas and patted him on his head and rubbed his hand through his hair.
“Are you going to behave, Jonas?” He removed the gag and said, “That’s a good boy.”
Jonas bit for his hand snapping his teeth together just after the man had safely recoiled. The man immediately countered with a backhanded slap to Jonas’ face. All included, Jonas, Erica and this mysterious monster of a man were extremely surprised when Jonas actually managed to grip a large portion of his foe’s swinging hand with his teeth. The government man was clearly in pain and had not expected this outcome. His right hand was stuck from pinky to middle finger in the gnashing teeth of Jonas Martin Cassidy. This act only served to humiliate and piss off the nameless man. He pulled out a pistol with his other hand and hit Jonas over his head with it. Jonas refused to loosen the grip in his jaw. He bit even harder.
The man turned behind him and struck Erica with all of his might square in her nose. She was completely unsuspecting and squirming to help Jonas in case this may have been a predicament for escape. She fell completely over on her chair’s end, unconscious. Jonas immediately loosened the grip of his teeth and then his jaw altogether. The enemy hit him squarely in his forehead with the butt of his pistol. He fell over, blankly, upending the backside of his chair.
1,012.6 miles to go.
