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Sacrifice & Reward
by
William S. Moore

Chapter Twenty-Four

The ladies walked on, not sure for how long as time did not seem to actually exist within the confines of Daniel’s mind. There was no sun, moon, or stars to help guide them and keep them on track. The only way that they knew they were heading in the right direction was the intensity of the cold. As they grew closer to the center of the forest where Daniel was supposed to be, the colder it got. Several times they had to stop and huddle together for several minutes to be able to get rid of the numbness that was seeping into their tired limbs.

It was Anise that first found where they surmised Daniel would be when she actually walked face into a wall. The wall seemed to be made of some smooth stone, completely black in color…so black that it melded perfectly with the surroundings. Using their hands to help distinguish differences in the wall, all three women slowly started walking the length of the wall to try and discover an opening. After walking in an almost complete circle, Sam felt a tiny crack. As she used her fingers to follow the line of the crack up and down, she found that it made a door-size rectangle in the stone-like substance.

Sam attempted to push the doorway open, but it did not seem to move. Getting the help of the other two women, they all pushed again resulting in not even a budge.

“Look for some kind of trigger, something like would be in a pyramid or tomb.” Sam told the others. “Knowing how Daniel is, that is what will open this door.”

The ladies searched and searched, but did not find anything. There were no glyphs or any kind of indention anywhere that they could see or feel. Sighing in frustration, Freya threw her self down on the ground with he back against a tree that was just to the front and a little to the side of the door. As she leaned back, her head came into contact with a wood-knot on the tree and it moved. The sound of stone grinding on stone echoed into the quiet of the air. Jumping up and spinning to look at what could have been the door’s release, it was Anise that spoke first.

“I have heard of using your head to fix a problem, but that is a first for me.” Anise quipped.

The other two women gave soft giggles to this statement, but were more drawn to the opening in the wall. Was it their imagination, or was it darker in there than out here they pondered. The pondering did not last for long as the sounds of someone being tortured echoed from deep within. Spurred into action, Sam, Anise, and Freya dashed into the opening without regard to safety.

“That has got to be Daniel.” Sam screeched. “But, who could be torturing him in here?”

“I do not know, but it sounds horrid.” Freya yelled ahead towards Sam.

“It is becoming lighter ahead.” Anise called back to her two companions.

In only a few dozen strides, all three ladies came barreling out of the corridor they had been in to emerge into a room lit with red light. After having been in so much darkness for so long, it took all three several minutes for their eyes to adjust to the sudden light.

“Holy Hannah!” Sam gasped.

Standing in the middle of a hexagon shaped room was Daniel, dressed in an all black robe and wielding a metal-looking whip. Locked in a stockade and down on his knees with his back ripped apart in long gashes. His once white robes were shredded from his shoulders down to his waist, and it was all stained with blood.

Not even having noticed the introduction of the new combers, the black-clad Daniel swung the whip down against the white-clad Daniel’s back once again. The shriek of agony barely drowned out the menacing words the torturer was yelling.

“You are responsible for all of their deaths; mom, dad, Janet, and so many others. You caused them to be killed by your very existence. You should have been the one to die under the capstone instead of mom and dad; it would have stopped so many from being killed by your still living.”

“YES!” the imprisoned Daniel screamed. “I should have died instead of them. I tried to get to them when the capstone started to fall, but I was not able to move. I should have been able to move.”

“Exactly!” the torturer said as he brought the whip down once more. “You were too cowardly to move. You cared nothing for anyone but yourself.”

“No…” the imprisoned cried out. “I loved them more than myself; mom and dad where everything to me. Janet was so dear to me. I tried to stop others from being killed. But I could not stop the Gould. They were too strong.”

“You mean your were too weak!” the torturer growled as he brought the whip down again and a again in quick succession.

“Stop!” Freya screamed as she ran towards the Dark Daniel.

Before she was even halfway across the room, the Dark Daniel spun around and brought the whip down across Freya’s outstretched hands. Screaming in pain, Freya stopped where she was and looked at the blood oozing from her palms.

With his eyes flashing gold, a dual-voice echoed across the room from the Daniel with a whip. “You will not interfere. This one is getting one he deserves and you will follow suit if you do not go away.”

To emphasize his point, that mean Daniel brought the whip down again, this time grazing across the Freya’s cheek.

Outside of Daniel’s mind in the real world, two of the nurses that had been checking on Daniel witnessed Freya’s body jerk as if it had been hit and then the blood that started coming from her hands as she held Daniels. What terrified them even more was when they saw a gash form across her cheek for no apparent reason. As one of the nurses ran to the Dr. Warner’s office for help, the other stood and watched the blood trickled from the cheek wound.

Rushing forward and grabbing Freya by the arms, Anise and Sam drug her back out of the range of the whip that was being wielded so masterfully. They were too much in shock at what was going on to think of what else to do. How could the Daniel they know and love so much, act to cruelly?

To everyone’s astonishment, the Daniel that was being help in the stockade started trying to stand up.

“NO! You will not hurt them. You will not hurt anyone.” he bellowed with rage.

“What are you going to do about it you pathetic excuse.” the evil Daniel sneered. “You cannot even protect yourself, how are you going to protect them! You gave up the only way you will ever have the ability to protect those you care for, now they will be mine to do as I please.” he cackled.

With great effort, the imprisoned Daniel finally made it onto his feet and began to struggle with his bonds. Tugging and pulling at the restraints pinning his hands behind him, Daniel struggled on while the evil version of him self laughed and laughed.

“Foolish, you are utterly foolish. Do you think that you can undo the bonds that I have placed on you? Do you think you have what it takes to get out of your guilt and challenge me?” the evil one hissed.

“To stop you from hurting others, to keep those I love safe from evil like you…I damn well will!” the imprisoned Daniel roared.

With surprising strength, the good Daniel broke the bindings on his hands and grabbed at the chains holding the stockade bolted to the ground. Pulling with all of his might, Daniel jerked the chains straight out of the ground and brandished them as weapons towards the evil version of him self.

“Now, let us see who the weaker one is!” the good Daniel pronounced.

Evil Daniel swung the whip just as Good Daniel struck out using a chain as a whip. Evil Daniel’s swipe hit first, grazing across Good Daniel’s abdomen and cutting it open. Good Daniel’s swipe slashed across the Evil Daniel’s eyes, leaving a deep gash from temple to temple. Both screamed out in pain!

Dr. Warner came running into the room to find that what the nurse had told him was correct. Trying to pull Freya/Anise’s hands apart from Daniel’s was impossible, so he grabbed some gauze and wrapped their joined hands as one. As he was just finishing the wrapping, Daniel’s body jerked violently as simultaneously deep gashes appeared across his face from temple to temple, as well as his abdomen. From the rapidness of the hospital Johnny turning red, he knew that the wound on the abdomen was severe.

“One of you get over here and tend to the gash on Freya’s cheek. The other of you, get a hold of an abdomen wound kit and get over her now!” Dr. Warner yelled.

Both nurses were spurred into action, quickly doing as the doctor had ordered. Just as the nurse finished placing a bandage on Freya/Anise’s cheek, she looked over and saw the gash across Daniel’s eyes and nose. Grabbing more gauze, she ran over and started blotting at the blood to see how bad it was. From all appearances, the eyes were completely cut into through the eyelids…all she knew to do was apply pressure to the wounds until what the cause was could be figured out.

End Chapter Twenty-Four of
Sacrifice & Reward
by Will
Go To
Chapter Twenty-Five

This story along with all original characters and situations were created for entertainment purposes only. All stories remain the property of their respective authors and have been donated to the Daniel Jackson Library by Will and may not be transferred outside of this URL without his consent.