The Fifth World

Bo: It's cold in the morning. I can smell the hay - since I am sleeping on it - and I can smell the animals and their... waste. The only sounds I hear are breathing and on the odd occasion there is snoring. There is an arm over my body, Cynric's arm, he lies behind me, his chest pressed up against my back. His breathing is slow and even. I know he is fast asleep. He must be quite tired. I remember him saying something about it last night. Now that I think about it - he's exhausted, actually.

I move quietly, straighten up my body so that I am sitting up yet sitting down at the same time. Bodies lie everywhere, each and every one of them fast asleep. It is light outside and the cave is the brightest I have ever seen it but it is not vibrant enough to wake up the unconscious. I look over at the men in here, study their faces... I wonder how many of them were born in Seabrooke and who here found refuge in Seabrooke... and why. It all seems quite pointless now. I'm sure Seabrooke is probably history, I'm sure the many homes and personal belongings are ash. I look over at some of the children, one is sucking his thumb as he sleeps... they are so innocent... so young and tiny and beautiful... a world like this; a world of war and running, they don't belong in it.
I look over at Cynric, see him sleeping so peacefully and recognise the innocence, even when he is basically a man, within him. I wonder what is happening in Calhoun's home. I wonder what will happen today. Will we continue to run? It's useless staying here, there isn't enough room for everyone. I feel so claustrophobic in this cave but I'm sure it's worse at Calhoun's. I stand up slowly and am careful not to wake anyone. I tip toe passed many sleeping bodies, pass Caine and after a couple of minutes of trying to be as quiet as a mouse I am outside in the cold. The sun is high in the sky and I guess it is almost midday. We had a big night last night, everybody deserves a sleep in.
I find a boulder and sit down on it while I let my hands sink deep into the pockets of my hooded jacket. I sigh and breathe in the fresh air as the wind whips against my face. The trees blow wildly, it won't rain today but it is definitely cold and windy. There could be a storm in the next few days.

I think about Adam, Mum, Callahan and Jonathan. I think about how much I am missing them and what I would do to see them. I laugh to myself, am I really that dim? I can see them whenever I want but I can't exactly let them see me. I haven't time traveled in a few days now... Caine has been teaching me well, maybe I've finally gotten the hang of it but he has assured me that although I believe I may finally get it... it will happen again and I won't be able to do much about it - that's the whole point of staying at the Academy for so many years... as well as a few other things.
I look down at my shoes, which right now are Ugg boots and dig my heels into the earth. Shrubs and sticks get in my way and with a huff I kick a stone towards the end of the mountain. It rolls at least thirty times before falling and leaving my line of sight. I yawn, close my eyes and let the wind brush against me again and again. I wonder what is happening further up the mountain - at Calhoun's. I'm sure Nancy will be up soon. She'll head up the mountain, probably after jumping to a grocery store back in the Average Human World, and go to Calhoun's to cook up a huge feast - too bad there won't be enough for everyone. We might have to use some kitchens in the Average Human World before bringing the food back to be eaten.

There is a snapping sound and my eyelids open almost immediately... am I wrong to be alarmed? I mean, it was the sound of a stick snapping, most likely from some weight of an animal... I can hear some shuffling of feet and I quickly stand up from the boulder. I look around quickly but it is too late... it is no animal... whoever is there is well aware of my presence and is probably watching me at this very moment. My breathing catches and I feel my palms begin to sweat. My eyes are wide open as my head flicks around for anyone in sight. Do I scream? What do I do? I should scream! No, what if it is only someone from Seabrooke... maybe they went on a morning walk or something... what if it is just a friend? What if I scream and the Thornes hear me? I see a shadow... well, not a shadow... a blur run straight in front of me. It is not someone of Seabrooke. It is a Thorne and if they were a Thorne of Seabrooke they would not be joking around like this considering the current situation.
There is a sharp sound, a sound of metal, a sound of a sword or knife being drawn. I feel it at my neck and I gasp quite loudly. The Thorne stands behind me, their right arm around my neck as their hand holds the knife to my flesh. His breath smells of stale coffee. His face is inches from mine but I do not get a chance to look at him.

"One sound," he whispers into my ear, his face pressed right up into my hair, "and this blade takes your life in an instant."

My heart pounds and my fingers begin to shake. I can feel the tears in my eyes. What the hell do I do?! No. I'm sick of this. This is not the first time I have been held with a weapon against me. I am sick of it! I am not defenceless!
There is one thing that all Angelicans have been taught since they enrolled at the Academy - always have your Angelican dagger on you. Luckily for me I was taught this merely four or five days ago. Caine lent me an Angelican dagger that once belonged to Lucius. I don't know any spells because I don't know the Angelican language... but I know how to use it as a weapon. I smile softly because it is sitting in a pouch, hanging from a thin belt that wraps around my waist and remains hidden under my shirt.
Thank god for Caine.

"What is it you want?" I ask him, my voice surprisingly strong.

He breathes against my cheek, "you, Bo. We want you."

My heart stutters. Be strong. Am I afraid? Yes. Deadly afraid? Yes. Will I go down without a fight? Hell no. I jump from his grasp and before I know it I am standing almost at the end of the mountain, about fifteen metres from the Thorne. The Angelican dagger is already in my hand. Although I have only been staring at him for a second I am able to process everything about him; the way he squats on the boulder I had been sitting on just a minute ago, his dirty and tattered clothes, his long and dark dreadlocks. He scowls at me and launches himself from the boulder as if he is an animal hunting their prey. In a quarter of a second he is already throwing punches directly towards my face and I am lunging my dagger towards him and doing everything I can just so he cannot hurt me. His first few attempts are unsuccessful but after realising my technique he is able to get a few jabs in. I yelp and jump behind him and successfully cut a lovely long streak across his back. Blood prints into his shirt. He grows angrier, swivels around very quickly but I am able to jump from him before he hits me. I could jump into the cave and alert everyone... but then he could go in there and try to hurt other people. Think of the children! But what about the others? There must be more Thornes on their way. This one must be a scout or something. For a moment I am distracted because I am thinking and with a closed fist he hits me as hard as he possibly can, my body jolts when he makes impact with my chin and my body falls back. It was too much of a blow for me to make a sound. I feel my eyes roll and I try to scream... but I can't. The light of the day fades in and out... the sound of the male Thorne grumbling is around me but those sounds fade too... my fingers try to take hold of something but I am too weak. I feel my body being lifted, quite quickly. I then hear footsteps all around me, voices, plenty of voices... the last thing I see is a female Thorne, she is young and strong looking... with a torch of fire she lies it down onto some grass... the grass leads to some hay, it alights, big flames appear, the hay leads... to the hay in the cave... which is everywhere.
Everything turns black.