I'm not sure I have a favourite children's character to be honest; when I was a kid I ended up with books on mythology more than fairy tales, so I knew more about Perseus and Hercules than Goldilocks and Rapunzel. I think I'm going to end up saying my favourite is Reepicheep.
A chain reaction “The big one?” Collins felt an enormous wave of relief as the darkness ahead of him lightened and he saw the rectangularish outline of the doorway. “There’s another Device?” His voice trembled slightly because of the relief he was feeling about not being lost in the darkness, and Tony seemed to interpret it as fear. “Not exactly,” he said. “It’s more like there’s one Device that will bring the Light to the world, and there’s six switches that all have to be turned on. It’s like there’s a chain reaction from them, that builds up the necessary Radiance for the big Device. Five of them turned on already, we just need to fix the sixth.” They stepped into the Crisis centre and Collins noticed the bats still covering all the surfaces. Some were even lying on the floor, and he took care not to disturb them as he walked to the doors to the stairwell. “But looks like this one’s a lemon and needs a bit of a hand. Lucky you’re here, really, isn’t it?” He laughed, and for the first time Collins heard real nastiness in his tone. “Right, since we’ve not been followed by your fri—bosses I don’t think I need her anymore.” Collins looked round, holding the door to the stairwell open with one hand, and saw Tony drop Adams amongst the bats. He had a nasty, twisted smile on his lips. “And if she wakes up we’ll hear about it.” Tony looked at Collins and waved the gun at him. “Move, numbnuts.” Collins passed through the doorway, letting the doors shut behind him and wondered if he could get to the top of the stairwell before Tony couldn shoot him. Maybe… but where did he go then? “Thinking about running?” Tony’s grin seemed fixed to his face now. “I used to shoot rabbits when I was a kid. Would be nice to see if I’ve still got the old reflexes.” He let the doors swing shut. “Let’s go, let’s see what you did.” Collins’s skin prickled as he walked up the stairs. This wasn’t like the feeling of ants crawling on his skin from before, this was like sunburn: a sharp tingle of solar radiation drying and burning the surface of his arms and face. He paused and held his hands out in front of him, halfway up the stairs, looking to see if they were reddening. “That’s the Radiance,” said Tony. “That’s the Light getting under your skin and making you holy. Turning you into something precious and beloved.” “Why aren’t you getting any then?” Collins’s mouth felt dry and his tongue felt a little too large. He started to sweat. “Patience,” said Tony. He sounded amused. “It’s not good to get too much all in one go, you should get acclimatized. Then you can hold the Light and use it. Get moving again.” Collins took another step and then they both turned as a voice behind them called out, “Tony!” “William?” A second Robed figure was coming up the stairs, moving more slowly and carefully and holding onto the bannister. Tony stared for a moment, and Collins thought about grabbing his gun, but then Tony took two steps back down and raised it. “No chances,” he said, and pulled the trigger.
Greg - so what you're saying is that now wouldn't be the best time to admit that I've never read the Narnia books? Okay, I'll just carry on then...
Some really great descriptions in this one. Tension still ramping up as they draw closer to the device... and the final showdown, I expect. The gunshot was unexpected, but that's more me underestimating Tony I think.
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I'm not sure I have a favourite children's character to be honest; when I was a kid I ended up with books on mythology more than fairy tales, so I knew more about Perseus and Hercules than Goldilocks and Rapunzel. I think I'm going to end up saying my favourite is Reepicheep.
A chain reaction
“The big one?” Collins felt an enormous wave of relief as the darkness ahead of him lightened and he saw the rectangularish outline of the doorway. “There’s another Device?” His voice trembled slightly because of the relief he was feeling about not being lost in the darkness, and Tony seemed to interpret it as fear.
“Not exactly,” he said. “It’s more like there’s one Device that will bring the Light to the world, and there’s six switches that all have to be turned on. It’s like there’s a chain reaction from them, that builds up the necessary Radiance for the big Device. Five of them turned on already, we just need to fix the sixth.” They stepped into the Crisis centre and Collins noticed the bats still covering all the surfaces. Some were even lying on the floor, and he took care not to disturb them as he walked to the doors to the stairwell. “But looks like this one’s a lemon and needs a bit of a hand. Lucky you’re here, really, isn’t it?” He laughed, and for the first time Collins heard real nastiness in his tone. “Right, since we’ve not been followed by your fri—bosses I don’t think I need her anymore.”
Collins looked round, holding the door to the stairwell open with one hand, and saw Tony drop Adams amongst the bats. He had a nasty, twisted smile on his lips. “And if she wakes up we’ll hear about it.” Tony looked at Collins and waved the gun at him. “Move, numbnuts.”
Collins passed through the doorway, letting the doors shut behind him and wondered if he could get to the top of the stairwell before Tony couldn shoot him. Maybe… but where did he go then?
“Thinking about running?” Tony’s grin seemed fixed to his face now. “I used to shoot rabbits when I was a kid. Would be nice to see if I’ve still got the old reflexes.” He let the doors swing shut. “Let’s go, let’s see what you did.”
Collins’s skin prickled as he walked up the stairs. This wasn’t like the feeling of ants crawling on his skin from before, this was like sunburn: a sharp tingle of solar radiation drying and burning the surface of his arms and face. He paused and held his hands out in front of him, halfway up the stairs, looking to see if they were reddening.
“That’s the Radiance,” said Tony. “That’s the Light getting under your skin and making you holy. Turning you into something precious and beloved.”
“Why aren’t you getting any then?” Collins’s mouth felt dry and his tongue felt a little too large. He started to sweat.
“Patience,” said Tony. He sounded amused. “It’s not good to get too much all in one go, you should get acclimatized. Then you can hold the Light and use it. Get moving again.”
Collins took another step and then they both turned as a voice behind them called out, “Tony!”
“William?” A second Robed figure was coming up the stairs, moving more slowly and carefully and holding onto the bannister. Tony stared for a moment, and Collins thought about grabbing his gun, but then Tony took two steps back down and raised it. “No chances,” he said, and pulled the trigger.
Greg - so what you're saying is that now wouldn't be the best time to admit that I've never read the Narnia books? Okay, I'll just carry on then...
Some really great descriptions in this one. Tension still ramping up as they draw closer to the device... and the final showdown, I expect. The gunshot was unexpected, but that's more me underestimating Tony I think.
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