Heart and Soul

Nick was silent and hung back as we followed the ‘hound’ into the night. I could hear them, sense them even, all around us, but they weren’t a threat, not like Nick said. The only threat to me was him.

I couldn’t bare it, that look in his eyes. He looked betrayed and broken and it was all my fault. I’d done what Sora asked of me, I set her free. Yes technically I set her free into the fiery pits of hell, but I did it so that she wouldn’t be Leith’s pawn anymore. Nick wasn’t going to understand that yet though, I knew that, but I had to show him that I can be trusted and that I did it for the best, how else was I going to be able to save him like Sora suggested?

I know that we have to fight Leith and stop him from killing any more people and stop him from controlling anybody else, however to do that we needed help and the hounds seemed like the perfect solution.

We walked silently in the darkness, Nick remained on edge the whole time, until finally light from a lamp post high in the sky lit up the night. Under it was a small metal box, that you probably wouldn’t even notice amongst the thick undergrowth that surrounded it.

The hound walked towards the box and looked back over its shoulder at us and then turned back around and leant forward, pressing a small button on the box until it beeped. I looked up as movement caught my attention, a security camera. What did hounds need with security cameras?

I turned to look at Nick, but he was glaring straight forward and I knew that he was practically refusing to even glance at me. I needed him on my side. The sound of metal clicking and grinding captured my attention as a gate I hadn’t noticed swung open to reveal a small path that had been burrowed out of tall mounds of earth.

Taking a quick check around us we followed the hound through the gate and down the narrow path, the gate clicking shut behind us. On either side of us was a wall of dirt, topped with overgrown grass. Tree roots jarred out of the mud walls, so I ducked and dodged along the rapidly descending path.

As the tops of the mud walls disappeared into the darkness we ventured further until a ceiling of dirt blanketed out in front of us. Lights lit our path now as the mud turned to brick and we entered a building, buried deep beneath the ground.

The scent of must and damp lingered around us as we walked through a corridor and towards a heavy set brown door that opened in front of the hound, opening up into a bustling room as figures flitted about in front of us.

“Welcome Annika, you too Nick.” A booming voice invited.