09-20-2013, 12:11 PM
The young lady moved away and Jensen paused in his own search, impressed with her knowledge. Since she knew what she was doing, far more than he did, apparently, he finished examining the otherwise ordinary breaker box, and followed her across the way. Just before arriving, he side-stepped around the blunt end of an old, capped off sewage pipe. Only having known it was there from formerly flashbulbing the space. In fact, it was with a bittersweet regret that he decided it was best to relinquish grasp of that source of power, before someone got hurt.
With the combination of their flashlights, he determined she was far younger than what he had originally estimated. A child. One whom he would serve as much as protect simply by virtue of some self-imposed role he no longer had the audacity to claim. Old habits die hard, after all, and far back in the beginning, he had once cared about taking care of people. Of course, therein was the absurdity. He was far too deeply flawed to be worthy of such a task.
He tried to displace such thoughts from his mind and focus on the task at hand. He peered close to the wires, and his grim expression flattened into utter confusion. "That seems safe," he murmured while scratching idly at his throat. It was time to trim the beard again, though it was likely to be at least a few more days until he cared enough to get around to it. A far cry from the clean-shaven man he once was. Then again, so much more was different than simply facial hair.
"I'm Jensen. Its a pleasure to meet you, Katya. But perhaps this is over our heads. Maybe we should--"
The earlier clinkling sound cut him off. Unlike before when it seemed to originate everywhere all at once, this time, he was sure the noise radiated through the other side of the wall itself. He thought of that lured source in the back of his mind, but before an innocent child, he staved off the temptation to fling himself into the pit.
He put his arm out that Katya step back and whipped the light head on toward the brick and shone the light up and down the length of the wall from floor to ceiling.
Carefully, he flattened his body and pressed an ear to the cold morter to listen. Vibrations thrummed through from the other side. He turned to look back at Katya, horrified as much as he was concerned, "I think someone," or something, "is on the other side of this wall."
With the combination of their flashlights, he determined she was far younger than what he had originally estimated. A child. One whom he would serve as much as protect simply by virtue of some self-imposed role he no longer had the audacity to claim. Old habits die hard, after all, and far back in the beginning, he had once cared about taking care of people. Of course, therein was the absurdity. He was far too deeply flawed to be worthy of such a task.
He tried to displace such thoughts from his mind and focus on the task at hand. He peered close to the wires, and his grim expression flattened into utter confusion. "That seems safe," he murmured while scratching idly at his throat. It was time to trim the beard again, though it was likely to be at least a few more days until he cared enough to get around to it. A far cry from the clean-shaven man he once was. Then again, so much more was different than simply facial hair.
"I'm Jensen. Its a pleasure to meet you, Katya. But perhaps this is over our heads. Maybe we should--"
The earlier clinkling sound cut him off. Unlike before when it seemed to originate everywhere all at once, this time, he was sure the noise radiated through the other side of the wall itself. He thought of that lured source in the back of his mind, but before an innocent child, he staved off the temptation to fling himself into the pit.
He put his arm out that Katya step back and whipped the light head on toward the brick and shone the light up and down the length of the wall from floor to ceiling.
Carefully, he flattened his body and pressed an ear to the cold morter to listen. Vibrations thrummed through from the other side. He turned to look back at Katya, horrified as much as he was concerned, "I think someone," or something, "is on the other side of this wall."