Games In The Night - Chapter 8

by DarkAlias (Jack D) in the dark side of the moon, rockin out with Pink Floyd

Hi everyone! Jack D here! I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry it's kinda long but I;m coming near the end of the book so the cahpters are getting longer and the tension is building. Please please comment! And I'd love CC! Thanks guys! Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8

    I ran and ran and ran, unable to do anything else. Adrenaline pumped like hell through my veins, and my feet worked like clockwork below me. My breathing was steady and my vision was clear, and the only thought going through my mind was: protect mom. I’d ran like only a handful of times, and each one had either been to escape Fern or to protect my family. This time, it was both.

    I wasn’t even sure where the heck I was going; every time I reached a fork in the path of corridors I didn’t even stop to think of which route to take, just that I needed to find my mom fast. Soon, I reached a familiar looking staircase. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I hurried down the stairs, taking three steps at a time, and burst through the door into the dining room.

    There, sitting at the table was my mom, and standing above her was the beefy figure of Inspector Jenkins. He held a cup of tea, steaming hot, which he placed in front of my mom, who thanked him and was about to take a sip, but put down the cup when she noticed that I’d arrived.

    “Hello, Charlie,” she smiled. “Sit down and have a cup of tea, won’t you? The Inspector only arrived back a few minutes ago. He was kind enough to make me a cup. Will you have one? It’s quite cold tonight. It’d be good for you. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind making another one, would you, James?”

    “Of course not!” he boomed, a sly glint in his eye that I’d never really noticed before. The two obviously didn’t realize that I’d just been down investigating in the tunnels, and I intended to keep it that way; it’d be easier to stop Jenkins if I took him by surprise. I’d known instantly once I’d heard that he’d made my mom that cup of tea that it was probably poisoned, and I mentally made a note to do anything in my power to stop her from drinking that tea.

    My mother looked suspiciously at me and realized that I was panting heavily from running so hard. “What’s wrong, dear?” she asked me. “Why are you so tired? Were you out in the garden? You know I told you not to be snooping around!”

    “I, um, was just having a walk with Edward,” I lied, praying that she’d believe me. “We, eh, had a bit of a jog. That’s why I came in here. To get a drink.”

    My mom nodded understandingly. “Oh, good. At least you weren’t out on your own.”

    Jenkins left to get more tea and I hurried over to my mother, a panicked expression on my face. “Mom, don’t trust him! There isn’t time to explain but whatever you do, don’t drink that tea! Jenkins is in league with Fern! That tea’s poisoned; I’m sure of it!”

    “Don’t be silly!” she replied calmly. “Inspector Jenkins is a lovely man! He wouldn’t do something like that! Now, just calm down have a drink.”

    “Ugh!” I thought angrily. “She’s just being stupid! She won’t accept it because she loves Jenkins! This is so annoying! Well, if she’s not going to do something, than it’s up to me!”

    Jenkins arrived back a few second later, a new cup in his hand. Although he kept a straight face, I knew that deep down he was cackling madly, just like Fern would. “Here you go,” he said, handing teh cup to me. “Drink up. It’s a bit of a chilly night.” I gulped at looked down at the steaming brown liquid that I held in my hands, and wondered miserably what kind of horrible toxic concoction Jenkins had planted in it...

    My mom and the inspector were looking at me, expecting me to take a sip any second, a wicked leer spreading slowly across Jenkins’ face. I had to do something quick, so, without a second’s notice or thought, I threw the scalding liquid at Jenkins, splashing it all over his face. He grunted in disgust and while he was distracted I grabbed the cup that my mother was holding and threw it down on the floor, smashing it into a thousand pieces. As the tea spread quickly across the marble floor, I noticed that here was a greenish hue in it, no doubt the poison.

    “See, mom!” I exclamied. “It’s green! Look! It was poisoned! I was telling the truth!”

    The look Jenkins was giving me would have turned fresh milk sour with a single glance. “So you figured it out, did you?” he sneered at me. “That I was working with Fern, right? Ugh! I told her you’d find out! I warned her, but she wouldn’t listen! I told her you were smart, smart enough to foil her plans, again, but she didn’t care! Oh well!” Then a sly smirk flshed across his face. “Fern told me to leave you alone, thjat she wantwed to finish you off herself. Well, that’s just too bad!”

    In one quick swipe he pulled a knife from his belt that had been hidden by his long hanging jacket, and leaped forward, slashing rapidly through the air, his eyes wild and furious. “HELP!” I yelled, as I dodged a near-fatal swipe from Jenkins dagger. “HELP! PLEASE!”

    “There is no one coming to help you now, boy,” snarled Jenkins, rushing forward with a quick jab to my stomach. I jumped out of the way just in time, searching  like hell for something that would help me to protect myself. I spotted a vase on the dining table, and thought of smashing it down on his head, but it was on the far side of the room and I knew I’d never be fast enough to get it.

    Jenkins ran forward at me again, roaring like a mad man, the knife raised high above his head. “GET READY TO DIE!” he bellowed, slicing down, missing my head by a hair’s breath. I was running out of energy, and if I didn’t move quick enough I’d be sliced up by Jenkins in a second. My mom watched in horror, paralyzed in fear, glancing from me to the inspector who was dashing towards me, holding the knife out to go right through me like a skewer.

    Suddenly there was the sound of movement behind the closed doors, and several police officers burst into the room. A spurt of joy sprang into life inside of me and my face broke into a wide smile of relief. “Thank goodness!”I thought. “I couldn’t have held out much longer!” But I had forgotten about Inspector Jenkins and suddenly I felt a hot searing pain in my side. It was spreading rapidly, and as I looked down at me hip, I gasped.

    The knife was embedded deep in my side, just a sliver of metal in sight beside the handle. Blood was gushing from the wound, either being soaked up in my clothes or trickling down my leg where it joined a large puddle forming on the floor. I was beginning to feel very lightheaded as a group of officers rsuhed forward; two wrestled Jenkins into handcuffs and led him away, and several others swarmed around me, first aid kits in hands. Darkness was closing in on my vision and I could feel my eyelids drooping lower, and lower. The last sight I saw was my mothers face, distraught, pushing police out of her way in her attempt to reach out to me.

    Then everything went black.

P.S. If you haven't read the other chapters, please do so! I'd love to hear what you all think! Thanks guys! Keep on writing, and reading! Peace out!