Locked In, Lights Out

The moon shone high as Paddy and Balloon crept along the narrow dirt road leading toward the noble’s manor. The forest pressed in around them, branches whispering overhead, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and night-blooming flowers.

The manor loomed like a pale stone fortress, rising from the trees and ringed by tall wrought-iron fences topped with sharp spikes. A few lazy torches flickered near the gates, but otherwise the estate was silent.

Paddy crouched in the shadows of a hedge, scratching his bearded chin.

Paddy: "Well… I wasn’t expecting this."

Balloon peered through the bars, tilting her head.

Balloon: "We could just… climb?"

Paddy squinted up at the tall, spike-tipped fence.

Paddy: "Could. And we end up impaled halfway. No, we’re doing this smart."

He rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing in thought.

Paddy: "Brains over brawn. Or both! Olympic high-jump, but with your... magic stuff."

Balloon gave him a blank look.

Balloon: "…A what now?"

Paddy: "Pole vaulting. You make a big stick, out of ice. I grab on to you and you run. We jump the fence together like champions! Mostly..."

Balloon chewed her lip, clearly unconvinced.

Balloon: "I can make the pole… but what if it breaks?"

Paddy: "Then we improvise on the way down."

He clapped her shoulder with a grin.

Paddy: "You’re strong as a... whatever to you is the strongest, Balloon."

She sighed, muttering under her breath.

Balloon: "This is gonna end stupidly…"

She extended her hand, and mist swirled around her fingers. A long, glistening ice pole formed, smooth and sturdy, catching the moonlight in a cold shimmer.

Paddy: "Right! Now charge, woman!"

Before she could argue, Paddy yanked her close. Balloon stumbled, then broke into a run. Her boots pounded the dirt, the ice pole angled forward.

Paddy: "Faster! Faster!"

Balloon: "I’m TRYING-"

The pole hit the ground. Balloon vaulted, muscles straining, and the pair soared up and over the spiked fence.

For a glorious moment, Paddy felt weightless. Free.

Paddy: "Alright, Balloon, stick the landing! I didn’t know you could jump this high-"

He glanced up just in time to see her eyes suddenly close, her body going limp mid-air.

Paddy: "Oh no, not now...!"

The moment her grip weakened, the ice pole cracked sharply beneath their combined weight, splintering down the middle.

For a heartbeat, they fell tangled, arms and legs flailing, before the broken pole snapped apart, sending them hurtling in opposite directions.

Balloon twisted through the air in a graceless arc, landing face-first in a bed of soft, fragrant flowers, dirt smearing her entire face.

Meanwhile, Paddy was propelled forward like a cartoon, crashing spectacularly through an upstairs window. Glass shattered as he tumbled inside like a ragdoll.

He blinked, disoriented, pushing himself up from the splintered floorboards. His head throbbed, and the crunch of glass underfoot reminded him of the spectacular nature of his entrance.

He peered through dust and shadows of the dimly lit room, a study, by the stacks of dusty books and scrolls lining the shelves. A heavy scent of old paper and candle wax lingered in the air. The shattered window behind him offered a great view of the starry night sky.

Paddy’s gaze flicked towards the door of the hallway where he could hear curtains rustling softly, a distant creak suggesting someone was nearby. Time was short.

Paddy: "So much for a quiet entrance! Shit!"

Outside, Balloon lay face-down in the flowerbed, utterly still. Dirt clung to her cheek and clothes. A faint, slow, and steady rise and fall beneath her confirmed she was merely knocked out by her narcolepsy, not worse.

Paddy leaned out the window, whispering hoarsely.

Paddy: "Wake up... damn it, Balloon. I can’t jump down there without breaking every bone in me."

His heart jumped as footsteps echoed down the hall.

Paddy: "Oh, for the love of-"

He scrambled toward the broken window frame.

With a grunt, he hoisted himself halfway out, swinging his legs over the sill. Fingers clenched the wood’s edge, face flushed with effort.

Paddy: "Not now, not now..."

The door creaked open, and a soft voice called from the hallway.

???: "Hello? Is someone there?"

Paddy froze. A shadow slipped into the doorway, a servant, likely the butler or a guard on patrol, his lantern casting long, jittery shadows on the floor.

???: "What the HELL happened here?! I don’t get paid enough for this!"

Paddy’s eyes darted. No other escape.

Slowly, Balloon stirred. Her fingers twitched as she groaned, rolling onto her back. Her eyes fluttered open, just as Paddy’s grip gave way.

He fell hard on top of her, the impact knocking Balloon out again while Paddy groaned from the fall.

Paddy: "Thank god for me you didn't have your armour on... or it would've been a hard landing."

She snored softly, dirt still smudging her face. Paddy, sprawled atop her, blinked at the faint orange glow of the lantern moving inside.

Paddy: "Ah, hell. They’re coming this way."

He glanced toward the spiked fence they’d vaulted. Going back wasn’t an option. His eyes darted across the manicured grounds: hedges, flowerbeds, a fountain glimmering in moonlight… nowhere safe in plain sight.

Paddy: "…Let’s get out of here!"

He grabbed her by the boots, dragging her limp body across the soil, leaving a clear trail through the flowers. His muscles burned, but he pressed on.

Maybe the one thing he had over everyone in this world was pure survival instinct, the adrenaline surge when life’s on the line. Back home, it was fight or flight. Here, people were stronger, faster, tougher… but they didn’t have that desperate, panic-fuelled jolt. That was his edge.

Paddy: "Come on, legs, don’t fail me now!"

Lantern light suddenly swept the garden, bouncing off flowers and iron fence. Voices, sharp and suspicious.

Guard #1: "I heard glass shatter!"

Guard #2: "Over there! By the flowers! Someone’s been here!"

Paddy’s grip on Balloon’s boots tightened as he dragged her toward the manor wall’s shadow, heart pounding.

He spotted cellar doors half-hidden beneath ivy and weeds. Perfect.

Paddy: "Come on, come on, come on…"

He reached the doors, crouching low. The old wood was damp, the heavy iron padlock caked in rust.

Paddy: "Easy. One hit. Clean break. Easy."

He raised his trusty lamp like a hammer and swung.

CLANG!

The padlock snapped clean off, clattering onto the stone step.

Paddy froze, then broke into a wild grin.

Paddy: "Ha! Who’s the genius now-"

FWOOMP!

The lamp sputtered, bursting into that same unnatural glow from the cave incident, flaring bright gold like a lighthouse beacon.

Paddy: "…oh, shit."

The garden lit like midday.

Guards: "There! By the cellar!"

Paddy’s fight-or-flight screamed flight, but his body had other ideas. He half-lifted, half-shoved Balloon into the open cellar door, then dove in after her. They tumbled into darkness, the lamp clattering beside them.

They barely hit the stone floor before two shadows loomed.

WHAM!

Doors slammed shut, metal rattling as a bar dropped.

Guard #1: "Got ‘em!"

Guard #2: "What do we do with ‘em?"

Guard #1: "I say we hold ‘em in the cellar ‘til morning. Then we figure it out."

Paddy groaned, blinking in the dark while still aching from the fall. Balloon was still unconscious, her drool pooling on the stone floor.

The cellar smelled of damp stone, mildew, and something… human.

From the darkness, eyes glinted. Dozens of them. Shackled figures crouched along walls, thin and hollow-eyed. Chains rattled softly.

Paddy said nothing as a soft voice came from the shadows.

Slave: "…Who are you?"

As Paddy pushed himself up, he froze. His heart skipped. Like an idea just formed in his head.

Then, in his best deep, heroic voice, he thrust out his chest and declared:

Paddy: "Fear not… for we… are here to rescue you!”

He held the pose a beat too long, realizing the silence was less awe and more confusion.

A heavy silence hung. The slaves exchanged confused glances, clearly unimpressed.