Jocelyn steadied her grip. “One, two, three.” With all her might, she pulled at Jacob, her effort mirrored in the tension she saw in Matthew’s grip. Jacob didn’t budge.
“He weighs a ton.” Matthew wiped his brow with the back of his hand.
Jacob scanned Jocelyn’s face, a hint of recognition flashing in his pupils, a hint of understanding.
“You’ll have to help us, Jacob.” She put her hand to his shoulder, the cold metal instantly reminding her how little of her brother actually remained. Her gaze dipped to her fingers against the hard steel and she quickly moved them up to touch the warmth of his cheek. “Can you push yourself up and sit?”
The heavy metal of his torso grated and clattered as he moved. His motions were awkward at first, his arms not quite following the orders his brain gave. When he finally sat up, Matthew and Jocelyn grabbed his torso and twisted him around. The long appendage that served as his legs dangled over the edge of the slab.
“Come down,” Jocelyn ordered.
“In a move that came more easily to him than the last, Jacob pushed his heavy weight off the slab and landed on the hard tile with a loud clang. After wobbling precariously a moment, he found his balance and steadied himself.
“Okay,” Matthew said. “Now comes the tricky part. How do we get him in the barrel?”
Jocelyn looked at Jacob, confident in his capacity to understand and obey. Though the effect of this new transformation left him distant, he seemed to quickly adapt to his new limbs and their function.
“Get in the barrel,” she said.
The large wheels at the base of his legs turned and swiveled and brought him to the barrel. Extending his hydraulic arms out, he clamped down on the edge of the barrel and swung the trunk of his body inside.
Jocelyn smiled, pleased with the simplicity of his actions. Even in this condition her brother showed his capacity to do anything, master everything.
“You have to scoot down so no one can see you.”
Once again, understanding flashed in his eyes. In an instant he disappeared into the barrel. Jocelyn grabbed the garbage bag from a nearby bin, tied it up and tossed it over Jacob. “Ready to go,” she told Matthew.
They wheeled him out into the flaring light of the hall. An acute beep echoed in the silence.
“What was that?” Matthew asked.
Jocelyn peered inside the barrel. A red light flashed on and off at Jacob’s abdomen. “I don’t know. It’s like he’s just been activated.”
Matthew hurried to push the buggy to the elevator. The doors slip apart the moment he pressed the button and Jocelyn let her breath seep out at finding it empty. Once inside, Jacob beeped again.
“I don’t like it,” Matthew said.
“I know,” Jocelyn said as she looked up at the numbers that lit up on their way down.
The elevator ride down seemed indeterminably long and Jocelyn resisted the urge to press repeatedly on the button indicating the main floor.
“Finally,” she hissed as the doors parted.
Their exit caused another beep to sound.
“Damn it. What in the world does that mean?”
Jocelyn shook her head. “Every time we cross a threshold….” They were so close to getting out, to getting away. She hated to think something could stop them now. She didn’t want to consider the possibilities of everything going wrong, not now, not when they were on the verge of succeeding.
To their left a buzz of activity sounded.
“We’ll have to go this way,” Matthew instructed.
Jocelyn hurried to elude the group of workers.
“Stay calm,” Matthew reminded her. “We belong here. So long as you act as if we belong here, they won’t suspect you.”
She slowed the legs that were itching to run and glanced back at the crew of workers. They seemed oblivious to the passing of the janitorial crew. Consumed by their coffees, doughnuts and talk of the gory evening, they didn’t even look up at the pair.
The doors to
“He weighs a ton.” Matthew wiped his brow with the back of his hand.
Jacob scanned Jocelyn’s face, a hint of recognition flashing in his pupils, a hint of understanding.
“You’ll have to help us, Jacob.” She put her hand to his shoulder, the cold metal instantly reminding her how little of her brother actually remained. Her gaze dipped to her fingers against the hard steel and she quickly moved them up to touch the warmth of his cheek. “Can you push yourself up and sit?”
The heavy metal of his torso grated and clattered as he moved. His motions were awkward at first, his arms not quite following the orders his brain gave. When he finally sat up, Matthew and Jocelyn grabbed his torso and twisted him around. The long appendage that served as his legs dangled over the edge of the slab.
“Come down,” Jocelyn ordered.
“In a move that came more easily to him than the last, Jacob pushed his heavy weight off the slab and landed on the hard tile with a loud clang. After wobbling precariously a moment, he found his balance and steadied himself.
“Okay,” Matthew said. “Now comes the tricky part. How do we get him in the barrel?”
Jocelyn looked at Jacob, confident in his capacity to understand and obey. Though the effect of this new transformation left him distant, he seemed to quickly adapt to his new limbs and their function.
“Get in the barrel,” she said.
The large wheels at the base of his legs turned and swiveled and brought him to the barrel. Extending his hydraulic arms out, he clamped down on the edge of the barrel and swung the trunk of his body inside.
Jocelyn smiled, pleased with the simplicity of his actions. Even in this condition her brother showed his capacity to do anything, master everything.
“You have to scoot down so no one can see you.”
Once again, understanding flashed in his eyes. In an instant he disappeared into the barrel. Jocelyn grabbed the garbage bag from a nearby bin, tied it up and tossed it over Jacob. “Ready to go,” she told Matthew.
They wheeled him out into the flaring light of the hall. An acute beep echoed in the silence.
“What was that?” Matthew asked.
Jocelyn peered inside the barrel. A red light flashed on and off at Jacob’s abdomen. “I don’t know. It’s like he’s just been activated.”
Matthew hurried to push the buggy to the elevator. The doors slip apart the moment he pressed the button and Jocelyn let her breath seep out at finding it empty. Once inside, Jacob beeped again.
“I don’t like it,” Matthew said.
“I know,” Jocelyn said as she looked up at the numbers that lit up on their way down.
The elevator ride down seemed indeterminably long and Jocelyn resisted the urge to press repeatedly on the button indicating the main floor.
“Finally,” she hissed as the doors parted.
Their exit caused another beep to sound.
“Damn it. What in the world does that mean?”
Jocelyn shook her head. “Every time we cross a threshold….” They were so close to getting out, to getting away. She hated to think something could stop them now. She didn’t want to consider the possibilities of everything going wrong, not now, not when they were on the verge of succeeding.
To their left a buzz of activity sounded.
“We’ll have to go this way,” Matthew instructed.
Jocelyn hurried to elude the group of workers.
“Stay calm,” Matthew reminded her. “We belong here. So long as you act as if we belong here, they won’t suspect you.”
She slowed the legs that were itching to run and glanced back at the crew of workers. They seemed oblivious to the passing of the janitorial crew. Consumed by their coffees, doughnuts and talk of the gory evening, they didn’t even look up at the pair.
The doors to
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