WitB - Chapter 14

The man appeared from the woods and looked around at the field of flowers.  He saw the seven guys walking toward him, and smiled.

“So, you’re the one who chased Sam here,” Ryan growled.

“Miss me?” he mused.  “It has been what, 30 years since I last saw you?”

“You’re not welcome here,” George warned.  “Leave now, and we’ll let you live.”

“Oh, but that’s not possible,” he replied.  “You see, my little pawns lead me right where I wanted to be.”  He was about to take a step forward when the grass wrapped around his feet and held him in place.

“So this is how you want to play, huh?” he smiled.  “Don’t you remember what happened the last time we played a survival game?”

Keith’s eyes lit up with fury. “Get out of here before I kill you myself.”

“Oh, so hostile,” the man clicked his tongue.  “And who was it exactly who killed that beautiful young woman again?  Oh what was her name?  Cora? Karrie? Ah yes, it was Caroline.”

Keith lashed forward, but Paul held onto his shoulder.  Keith winced as Paul froze his arm and glared up at the man, who shook his head in return.

“I will ask you one last time,” George growled.  “Leave this place and don’t return.”

The man pulled out an arrow and pointed it straight for George’s heart.  “Not likely this time, old man.”  The arrow soared from his bow and lodged itself deep into its target.  George staggered and put his hand on the arrow before falling backward.  Keith caught him and set him down on the ground. 

Ryan lit up his hands and threw three fireballs at the man.  The latter dodged out of the way and shot an arrow right at Ryan’s right shoulder.  Ryan winced as the arrow leapt into his flesh, and he pulled at it.  Ryan grunted and tried again, but it wouldn’t move.

“Don’t let the arrows touch you!” He cried out as Damian pushed Paul out of the way of another arrow.  Daniel charged forward at the man and grabbed his metal bow.  The man fought Daniel for control.  He pulled a sword from its hilt and swung at the boy.  Daniel released his grip and rolled under the man before the blade could touch him.

“Hold still you little-ah!” the man yelped.  He clawed at his back to try and remove the ice shards from his shoulder, but gave up.  The distraction was long enough for Daniel to grab the man’s bow and take off.  He charged after the boy, sword still drawn, and grabbed Daniel’s legs.  Daniel fell to the ground and tried to kick the man off.

As the man raised his sword to strike, a high pitched shriek shot through the air.  The two of them covered their ears.  Damian commanded the grass to grow, and the plant wrapped around the man.  The noise stopped, and Daniel crawled away from the man.  Paul ran to Daniel’s side to make sure the lad was okay, and Daniel nodded in reply.

“You think you’re all so clever,” the man chuckled, which turned into a hysterical laugh.  Paul helped Daniel to his feet and stared at the man.  “Just because you got away that one time, you think I’d let you slip through my fingers again?”

Keith walked beside them, his eyes cold.  He spoke to Paul, but kept his eyes focused on the man.  “I could drown him.  That would save us a lot of trouble.”

“You know that’s not going to work,” Paul replied.

Ryan walked beside him.  “True, but I’m pretty sure the memory might keep him at bay for a while.”

“Wait, guys,” Neil walked beside them.  The group looked over at him.  “We can’t do anything to him yet.”  He knelt down beside the man, his brown eyes locked with the man’s blue ones.  “Not until you tell us where Emmet is.”

The man smirked and spit in Neil’s face.  “You’ll never find him as long as you live.”

“We’ve got bigger problems!” Damian called from over by the house.  His hands were gripped around the arrow in George’s chest.  “I can’t get the arrow out!”

His words distracted the gang long enough for the man to sink into the mud like a rock.

Keith hissed through clenched teeth, “Son of a-“

Paul covered Daniel’s ears and shot Keith a dirty look.  They walked over to Damian, who had beads of sweat dripping down his face.

“Guys, help me!” He cried in desperation.  Ryan put a hand on the arrow wedged in his shoulder as well.  Even his fire wouldn’t melt the arrows.  One by one, they tried to pull the arrow out, but none succeeded.  Daniel buried his face in Paul’s chest.  Ryan pounded the ground after his attempt and yelled in frustration.

Neil checked George’s pulse and shook his head.  “If we can’t get the arrow out of him…” But he didn’t dare finish his sentence.  A choked sob escaped Daniel.

“God, why didn’t I push him out of the way?” Keith whined and ran both hands through his hair.  He got down on his knees and yanked at the arrow with all his strength.  “You can’t die on me now, old timer!  You’re supposed to stick around.  Who’s going to watch out for Daniel?  He needs a father.  He needs you.  Come on.  God damn it COME ON!”

Neil put a comforting hand on Keith’s shoulder.  “Stop, Keith.  You’re going to hurt yourself.”  Keith looked into Neil’s brown eyes and placed his head on George’s chest.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked as she poked her head out of the doorway. She looked down and clasped her hands over her mouth.

“What happened?” Kris asked as she came from behind Sam.  Her lips formed a silent ‘oh’ and she put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

“Is he?” Sam asked and knelt beside him.

“He might as well be.  We can’t get the arrow out.  If it stays in there, his body can’t heal itself.” Paul replied

“Heal himself?  He has an arrow through the heart.  There’s no coming back from that.” Kris shook her head.

“It’s a long story,” Sam spoke and touched the tender area on George’s skin.  She stood up and faced Ryan, who was trying hard not to show his sorrow.  However, to his surprise, her eyes welled up with tears, and she collapsed into him.  Ryan sucked in her sweet smell and wrapped his arms around her.  She took note of the arrow in his arm as well and touched the warm metal around the wound.

“Does it hurt?” She asked, hating how obvious her question was.

“It’s not that bad,” he replied and led her eyes away from the arrow.  Her grip on it however didn’t budge.  Ryan hissed a bit as her hand pulled at the arrow, and it slid out a bit.  She let go of the arrow and bit her lip.

“I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to hurt yo-“

“No, keep pulling,” he replied.  Sam looked from his eyes to the arrow and wrapped her fingers around the metal.  She looked up at Ryan again, who nodded his head.  With one swift yank, the arrow was out.  She marveled at the bloody arrow in her hand and looked back at George.

“Kris, pull the arrow out of George,” Sam called out.

Kris knelt beside George and grasped the arrow in her hand.  She pulled and the arrow released its grip.  The wound around the arrow healed as soon as the point left his flesh.