Chapter 2--HUGH!

Jackson awoke; he KNEW that "he" was coming! 1

He could "feel" him coming...darkness...grey "smoke"...slowly filling the dungeon hall...a sudden terrifying fear gripping his heart. "He's coming down the stairs...right now" he anxiously whispered to himself. He slowly got off his bed and looked out the cell window--yes; the vision of the smoky hallway was true. By now, though, the darkness was so thick he couldn't see the walls or anything outside of his cell.2

He felt "others" with "him"; "He brought his tormentors with him too!" he screamed to himself inwardly. 3

Instantly, Mo-vet appeared--and with him, his ghostly-looking torturers. The torturers slapped him around, pricked at him with their "knives", and after what seemed like an eternity, Mo-vet looked at the hideous beast who had a 3 foot iron rod in his hand; Jackson began screaming with all his might and the torturers began smiling gruesomely and chuckling amongst themselves--THIS was their FAVORITE part of the torture! The gruesomely, hideous beast grasped the sharp tip of the iron rod with his right hand and angrily stared at Jackson the rest of the time; the tip of the rod began to smoke, billowing off the top of the rod where his right hand was grasping it; after a time, the tip of it turned red--then white! With a lifeless grin on his face, the beast approached Jackson--and Jackson started screaming in anticipation of the pain that he would feel. 4

He suddenly fainted...and awoke. 5

He quickly pulled up his shirt to see where the beast had stabbed him--and found a massive scar over the tatoo of a skull and bones inside of a circle on his left chest area! He began sobbing and groaning tearlessly, dropping to the floor and rolling over onto his back. His whole body began shaking with sorrow and his mouth was wide open, making hollow sobbing sounds; he felt so much pain in his heart that he couldn't scream or talk or cry; he just lay there, writhing in pain and sobbing tearlessly at the realization of the truth.6

That tatoo had always been there--even when he was born! His parents had it, THEIR parents had it, and even THEIR relatives had it! He didn't know of one person that he had seen or met who didn't have it on them. It was a sign that they were slaves to Mo-vet and could do nothing about it. The mere thought of this would at times put him into the emotional condition described earlier. After a time, it wore off; and Jackson went back to being his normal self, anxiously awaiting the day that he would be freed. As he pondered on Mo-vet's promise to free him, he heard footsteps coming down the dungeon hallway and looking out the cell window, he noticed two men coming rather quickly toward his cell. He recognized Michael--but who was the other man? As they got closer, Jackson gasped--"HUGH! Is that YOU???" Hugh looked up at him and joyfully exclaimed, "Jackson! It's SO good to see you!" 7

"I thought you were dead!"8

"No, Jackson; I am very fortunate to be alive though. I don't have much time to talk but I did come here to speak with you about something very important. You see, Jackson, I used to be in this same dungeon--and when Michael came to speak to me, I was very skeptical of his offer at first; but when I called for help, Michael came, unlocked the cell door, and freed me--and as we were escaping, I heard a conversation that Mo-vet was having with one of his torturers and he basically stated that no one who entered this dungeon was to EVER be freed and that the "freedom" he was promising his slaves was really only MORE life of torture--TWICE as brutal!!"9

Jackson paused in thought--and then said, "What kind of torture could be WORSE then the torture in THIS place?" "I don't know Jackson and I don't intend in finding out either! I just came to tell you that--but now, I MUST be going! Duty calls; I MUST warn others!" 10

"Will you be back?" Jackson inquired anxiously.11

"We'll see, Jackson".12

With that, Michael whisked Hugh away--leaving Jackson to his thoughts. "I DON'T want this kind of life anymore! Why did I EVER put up with Mo-vet's torture for so long? I AM getting out and no matter how stupid I'll look or feel in doing it, I'm gonna DO it!" Jackson pondered on this and other thoughts flying through his mind. 13

"There is NO WAY that I can get out of this cell by myself--and there's NO WAY Mo-vet will set me free b/c I know how he is; many times he'll make promises that he never keeps. His promise of freedom is DEFINATELY not worth staking my own life on! I gotta trust Michael to get me out--after all, he has the key!" 14

With that, Jackson went to the cell window--and with all his might, he cried out, "MIIIICHAEL! HELP MEEEEEEEE!! HEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" 15


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"O turn, and be thou turned! the selfish tear,
In bitter thoughts of low-born care begun,
Let it flow on, but flow refined and clear,
The turbid waters brightening as they run.17

O lost and found! all gentle souls below
Their dearest welcome shall prepare, and prove
Such joy o'er thee, as raptured seraphs know,
Who learn their lesson at the Throne of Love.18

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