Page 50 of Locked Souls
Pulling Hendrix inside, I gaze at Malachi as I close the door. His face is one of horror and desolation, and I can only hope they’ll be able to pull through this trial. Mind over matter, always.
I have a syringe filled with saline—that will do absolutely nothing biologically to Hendrix—in the pocket of my robe. The point of this is to throw him into a tailspin, to make his fears consume him, as he believes that he is doomed to become a drug addict as well.
Often, one taste is all it takes, and I know it’s a concern he’s voiced to his group. The gas in the tunnels will make him believe the rest.
Jacob stands for this, walking around the desk to hand him the piece of paper. Hendrix reads it, looking confused for a moment as Jacob begins to walk him toward what appears to be a simple wall.
We’ll spin that as well.
Reality is the truth, while your demons tell lies. Hold onto the truth, the drugs lie.
“What drugs? Hello?” Hendrix asks. Jacob stops him in front of the wall, and I yank down the recruit’s shirt, quickly pushing the needle into his skin and depressing the plunger.
Throwing the needle at his feet, I wait for the realization to kick in. Jacob pushes the depression in the wall, to make it seem as if it is opening on its own, his foot helping it along the way. Hendrix is too panicked to notice.
“Remember the note,” I growl, pushing him into the tunnels. “Use your time well.”
Hendrix screams in anger and terror, before taking off running, and I sigh.
“This last one is gonna suck,” I mutter, shutting the door.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Jacob agrees.
Growling under my breath, I open the door for Malachi.
“You’re the last one. I hope you do better than the other two,” I lie. Malachi is trembling a lot for such a big guy, and he struggles to keep it together as he walks inside.
“Are they okay?” he asks, eyes wide as I shut the door behind him.
“No idea,” Jacob says, holding up the piece of paper and giving it to him. “They’re only as valuable as their ability to conquer their demons. The only way you can be of any use to them is to do the same.”
If your value is placed on how well you can protect others, you’re a failure. You can’t protect everyone, every time.
Malachi looks up from his paper, his features shattered and angry.
“But you said…” he rasps, his eyes looking tortured.
“I know what we said,” I grunt, picking up from Jacob as I lead Malachi to the tunnels. “The truth lies beyond the door. It’s up to you to figure it out. Good luck.”
I open the door as Malachi pulls on his long black locks, his voice breaking as he gives a tortured yell. He throws the paper to the side before stalking into the tunnels, yelling his friends’ names. I appreciate how loyal he is to them. Maybe they’ll figure their shit out after all.
The screams grow louder as they echo around us, and I can tell that at least two of them are stuck in the nightmares of their minds.
“Close the door,” Jacob says, rubbing his temples as he moves over to his desk, perching on the corner. Doing as he says, I then return to stand next to them.
“Go ahead and leave. There’s more than enough people running interference in the tunnels tonight.”
“You sure?” I ask. Even though he’s family now, he’s still my boss.
“Yeah. I’ll be here most of the night as they work through things,” he says, dismissing me.
Nodding, I use the tunnels inside of the school to keep from seeing any students. I’m more at home with them than the hallways, despite the odd spider here and there. Shoving my mask up off my face, I think about how I should start to make amends with my own family.
A lot has happened, and I’ve survived so much. The least I can do is open a line of communication, but first, I need to face a demon of my own.
Chapter 15
Last night was a lot. Now I see why the Elders drink. Having to force people to face their fears may haunt me for a long bloody time.