01-20-2018, 07:19 PM
The guy squat low in the absence of furniture. Jay wasn't married to luxury, but a chair would have been handy about then. Then again, he was lucky there was a toilet if he was going to come to know the place well.
It seemed they were at some sort of impasse. The tone was noted, though. Marcus already admitted he didn't intend ultimatums, but neither was he unlocking the door and escorting him to freedom. Memory of that bag still sinching his throat was near.
Also close to the surface hovered a darkness around Marcus that Jay did not overlook. Although the menacing presence receeded, Jay had the sense it was of a wave called back into the belly of an impending tsunami yet to come. He might drown in stagnant air down here. Wherever here was. In fact, his eyes narrowed upon ventilation slits cut into the ceiling he overlooked previously, what with his eyes drawn to the camera dots previously.
Already sunk into the sling of the cot, Jay leaned against the wall and waited with wary gaze. He supposed it made a sick sort of sense. The CCD had a trained operator on their hands and they tracked channelers. Maybe Vellas was isolated in the same way. How many other channelers previously occupied this room? Had they scratched at the walls? Had they pounded at the light in their heads? Did they die of Sickness or suffer a worse fate? He sighed, and waited for the declaration of his own.
When Marcus did speak, he had the air of failure on his breath. Jay's brows curled with surprise. His jaw might have dropped if it weren't for the fact that it was clenched tight at the hinge.
He liked Puzzles? The guys from high school would double over laughing. Puzzles? Unfortunately, Jay didn't feel like laughing. Ropes of power reached out, there was something repulsive, like the turn of magnet on magnet, that made him want to recoil, but he forced himself to stillness. The ropes touched metal and Jay frowned. What was the game now?
Marcus wanted him to duplicate it. A cold sort of dread churned in his stomach, and a voice whispered that this was a bad idea. Marcus' tone had softened, but the adamant edge of gaze remained sharp. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
he asked. Maybe cooperation would get him somewhere. Of course, compliance with Marcus' demands was but the first step to conformity. The road to hell was paved with good intentions, after all.
His lids fell low for a moment and he reached into the light. It filled him with awe as much as dread. The power thrashed like sharks on carnage, but he grit his teeth and forced it to submission. Darkness hovered the edges of his expression from then on.
He had to stand and turn toward the cot to watch what he was doing in order to duplicate Marcus' efforts. When it did, there was a cold sort of connection that bridged in his mind, like the steel was a part of him then. With a thought he could fold it, hone it, wield it and summon it. It was a little amazing, but he did none of those things and turned back toward Marcus. He didn't know where puzzles fit in to the scheme. Atoms and molecules were absent. All that remained was steel. A cold, lifeless steel skeleton. He shook his head, disliking this, but trapped, there was little else to do but try.
It seemed they were at some sort of impasse. The tone was noted, though. Marcus already admitted he didn't intend ultimatums, but neither was he unlocking the door and escorting him to freedom. Memory of that bag still sinching his throat was near.
Also close to the surface hovered a darkness around Marcus that Jay did not overlook. Although the menacing presence receeded, Jay had the sense it was of a wave called back into the belly of an impending tsunami yet to come. He might drown in stagnant air down here. Wherever here was. In fact, his eyes narrowed upon ventilation slits cut into the ceiling he overlooked previously, what with his eyes drawn to the camera dots previously.
Already sunk into the sling of the cot, Jay leaned against the wall and waited with wary gaze. He supposed it made a sick sort of sense. The CCD had a trained operator on their hands and they tracked channelers. Maybe Vellas was isolated in the same way. How many other channelers previously occupied this room? Had they scratched at the walls? Had they pounded at the light in their heads? Did they die of Sickness or suffer a worse fate? He sighed, and waited for the declaration of his own.
When Marcus did speak, he had the air of failure on his breath. Jay's brows curled with surprise. His jaw might have dropped if it weren't for the fact that it was clenched tight at the hinge.
He liked Puzzles? The guys from high school would double over laughing. Puzzles? Unfortunately, Jay didn't feel like laughing. Ropes of power reached out, there was something repulsive, like the turn of magnet on magnet, that made him want to recoil, but he forced himself to stillness. The ropes touched metal and Jay frowned. What was the game now?
Marcus wanted him to duplicate it. A cold sort of dread churned in his stomach, and a voice whispered that this was a bad idea. Marcus' tone had softened, but the adamant edge of gaze remained sharp. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
he asked. Maybe cooperation would get him somewhere. Of course, compliance with Marcus' demands was but the first step to conformity. The road to hell was paved with good intentions, after all.
His lids fell low for a moment and he reached into the light. It filled him with awe as much as dread. The power thrashed like sharks on carnage, but he grit his teeth and forced it to submission. Darkness hovered the edges of his expression from then on.
He had to stand and turn toward the cot to watch what he was doing in order to duplicate Marcus' efforts. When it did, there was a cold sort of connection that bridged in his mind, like the steel was a part of him then. With a thought he could fold it, hone it, wield it and summon it. It was a little amazing, but he did none of those things and turned back toward Marcus. He didn't know where puzzles fit in to the scheme. Atoms and molecules were absent. All that remained was steel. A cold, lifeless steel skeleton. He shook his head, disliking this, but trapped, there was little else to do but try.
Only darkness shows you the light.