Words In Anger (PART 3)

The sound of dripping and running water was the only sound around him. Mikey sniffed, holding his bruised arm against his body as he slowly walked through the sewer tunnel. He was alone…..exactly how he deserved to be. When he’d awoken in Leo’s bed he’d been alone; his oldest brother was gone. He’d lain in the bed feeling cold. Why hadn’t Leo stayed with him? why wasn't anyone there with him? The answer had made his heart clench in pain; because he was useless. Donnie had told him that, he’d shouted that he was useless before shoving him away. It was true. Out of all of them he was the most useless. Leo was their leader, Raph was the best fighter, Donnie was a genius, so then what was he? What did Mikey do for his family?

He sniffed softly, pausing for a moment to clutch his arms a little tighter as a chilly breeze blew through the tunnel making him shiver. He wished he could go back home. Wished he could go to Donnie and cuddle up to him for warmth. But he pushed that thought away as soon as he had it. Donnie had made it clear that he never wanted to see him again. His shoulders slumped a little more as he kept walking.

“They’ll…….be happier. They’re better off.”

It felt like a knife in his ribs but he knew it was true. His family was better off without him. Splinter wouldn’t have to waste his time trying to teach him martial arts and would instead be able to focus on his more talented children. Leo would have more time to meditate. Donnie would have more time to work on his experiments and research. And Raph………Raph would just be happier without him around. He tried to fight back the tears that trickled down his face as he forced himself to keep walking.

He wanted to turn around. To run back to the lair and beg his family to take him back. he’d do anything if it meant they would take him back. he’d do all their chores, clean their gear, he’d be their slave and sleep in the dirt, if it meant they’d let him stay with them. But he knew it was wrong. He knew if he did that he was being selfish; he’d be holding his family back, keeping them from reaching each of their true potential. So instead he kept walking, stopping only when he came to a fork in the tunnel. Slowly he looked down both of the tunnels in front of him.

Biting his lip he tried to decide which tunnel he should take. The tunnel on the left was the same size as the one he was in now. The tunnel on the right however had been boarded up with just enough space at the bottom to allow water to flow under the boards. Making up his mind Mikey moved and began tugging at the wooden boards that he been nailed over the right tunnel’s entrance. He grunted as he strained to pull the boards away. In the back of his mind he wished Raph was here, he’d be able to pull the boards away with no effort. A moment after he had that thought he felt bad. He was being selfish again. Raph had better things to do then help him.

He stopped pulling on the boards, instead leaning against the side of the tunnel to try and catch his breath. His arms ached slightly from the effort he’d given; especially the arm that he’d landed on when Donnie had pushed him. Looking at the boarded up entrance Mikey knelt down and did his best to examine the gap between the boards that allowed water to run through them. Although the gap was half underwater it looked as though it was large enough to allow him to slip through. He bit his lip again. There was only one problem with going through the gap; he didn’t know how to swim. Leo had been trying to teach him but……..

Mikey ground his teeth together in anger. Leo had spent so long trying to teach him how to swim. They’d gone to a shallow section of a nearby runoff tunnel where the current hadn’t been to strong. Leo would stand up to his waist in the water and do his best to teach him how to swim. But fear always got the best of him. He always ended up clinging to Leo’s arms terrified that his oldest brother would let him go and he’d float away. He steeled himself, mentally trying to work himself into a state where he could step into the water and do what he had to.

He took several deep breaths, willing his foot to move. A jolt of electricity shot through his body as his foot touched the water. His heart hammered painfully in his chest. He wanted to run back to his family, to fling himself into Donnie’s arms and never let go. But he forced himself to move, slowly lowering his leg into the cold water before forcing himself to step off the walkway he’d been on and into the water. Instantly he stumbled, the water’s current was strong. So strong that it pushed him against the boards that blocked the tunnel pinning him in place as the water rushed passed him. Slowly he shifted, turning to his chest was against the boards and his shell took most of the water’s force. He whimpered in fear, forcing himself to move downward, feeling the water slowly raise up passed his hips, then his stomach, then his chest; where he paused for a moment.

He was being pushed so hard against the boards that breathing was difficult; allowing him to only take half breaths. He gripped the boards tightly taking as deep a breath as he could. A moment later he forced his head under the water. Water rushed up his nose, making him cough and spluttered as he broke the surface of the water to gasp and whimper. His heart was beating frantically in his chest as he clung to the boards. His entire body was shaking partly out of the fear and partly because of how cold the water was. His legs and toes had gone numb from the cold and even as he stood there pinned to the boards he found his fingers were starting to go numb.

He whimpered more as he forced himself to close his eyes before reaching up to plug his nose. Taking as deep a breath as he could he dropped his head into the water and let go of the boards. Instantly the water’s current grabbed at him and shoved him against the gap between the boards. Forcing his body into an awkward position before shoving him between the boards and out the other side. As he passed through the gap pain lashed up his leg as he felt something cold and sharp slice through his flesh. Instinctively he opened his mouth to cry out, only to have water rush in; choking him and filling his lungs. He struggled against the current trying to get to the surface only to be dragged back down by the rolling current of the water. It took all of his strength to fight the current and after several moments of struggling managed to break the surface of the water. He frantically gasped for air, trying to fill his lungs as much as he could before the current grabbed him and pushed him sideways slamming him against the side of the tunnel.

His fingers worked, frantically scratching the side of the tunnel trying to find something, anything to grab onto the stop himself from being pulled further down the tunnel towards the unknown. But it was no good, the current was simply to strong as it pulled him down the tunnel continuously slamming him against debris and the side of the tunnel. His lungs ached with the need for air as he struggled to try and get to the surface again only to suck down a few seconds of air before being pulled under again. Something slammed against his head sending pain through his body. his voice echoed through the tunnel as he screamed in fear. The tears mixed with the water that clung to his face. He wanted to go home; he wanted to be with his family, and not here in this tunnel being swept away by the water.

He struggled with as much strength as he could muster, breaking the surface of the water while desperately searching for something to grab onto. Behind him he could hear a dull roaring growing louder and louder. He knew what that sound meant. His breathing became panicked as the roaring got louder and louder while his fingers scratched and clawed at the surface of the tunnel trying to stop himself from getting closer to the source of the roaring. All at once his stomach lurched as he was thrown out of the tunnel and into a sickening freefall. He screamed in fear as gravity gripped him and pulled him downwards. Above him the water of the tunnel poured over him, filling his mouth with water as he screamed.

Pain blasted through his body as his shell slammed against something hard and unmoving. He lay there on the cold stone the water crashed down somewhere to his right, narrowing missing him but still drenching him with the spray. Ever bone and muscle in his body ached as he coughed up the water from his lungs. He struggled to move managing to lift his head a few inches off the ground only to feel his stomach lurch and heave.

His sides shook as he vomited, his stomach ridding itself of its of the vile substance making him sob and heave. He struggled to draw breath he chest aching and wheezing as he did his best to  inhale. His vision swam, blurring and unblurring as he struggled to bring the world around him into focus. Lower on his body he could feel something sickly warm and sticky dripping from his leg; his own blood. He wanted to curl up, to cry, to wake up from this horrible HORRIBLE nightmare and find himself still in Leo’s bed. he clamped his eyes shut, he didn’t want to be here anymore; he wanted to be…..

Mikey’s eyes flew open as a sound just in front of him made him look up. his head pounded and ached as he tilted his head upwards to look at the source of the sound. He winced as his world seemed to pulse for a moment as his vision darkened for a split second before clearing. His eyes widened as he found himself staring at a large monster partially covered in shadow; which towered over him. he wanted to open his mouth; to voice the fear that clawed at his insides and turned them ice col. as he took in the creature’s claws and sharp teeth. But his scream died in his throat as again his vision blurred and swam. His head dropped forward slamming into the cold stone ground under him. The last thought he had was of his family…….he hoped they’d be happy now that he was gone.