Chapter 26

ESCAPE

I've been fighting the process

A constant struggle for progress

No reason to digest

The definition of this sick mess

But I still carry this burden

And all I feel is this hurting

I need a diversion I am the product of this sick mess

- Execution Day

I

He slammed Seth forcefully into the ground, causing pain to surge through Seth's body. As Seth lay there, his gaze locked with Sarah's blood-soaked foot, inches from his face. "Let me try that again," still holding his throat Butch bends down closer, "where is my fucking money."

The room seemed to spin, with shadows flickering on Butch's smirking face as more and more people crowded around Seth, gripping every accessible part of his body.

"You did this to me," Sarah whispered into his ear.

"No, stop," Seth pleaded, doing everything in his power to move away from her severed foot as the pool of blood started to connect and flow under his face. He could taste the metallic liquid as it washed over him.

"This is your fault!" she screamed louder as the feeling of more hands gripped and pulled on him, the smell of her decaying flesh taking over his senses.

"Let go of me," Seth begged even louder.

"What are you going to do about it?" Butch's voice came in as his weight and stench replaced the crawling hands.

"Daddy!" Erin's faint cry was heard from outside the diner doors.

"Get off me!" Seth roared, finally breaking free of Butch's grip. He made a desperate break for the door, ripping it open. The door flung across the diner, crashing into the wall and splintering on impact.

Butch had Erin by the throat, pinning him down on the hard road. As his cries filled the empty street, he squirmed desperately, the rough concrete tearing at his flesh with each rash and frantic movement.

"You can't save him," his wife's voice came from behind him, emanating from the decaying body on the diner floor.

"NO!" Erin's body hit the ground as his father thrashed out. The dark room briefly illuminated as Vulpix shot a small burst of fire, revealing Emily jolting up from the second bed. Erin's cries reverberated off the walls.

"Erin, I'm sorry, buddy, come here," Seth requested, holding out his arms over the bed and picking up Erin, who was extremely disoriented.

"They're getting worse, aren't they?" Emily asked, sitting on the bed next to him and running her hand on the back of Erin's head in an attempt to console him.

"Yeah," Seth answered simply, holding his son tight and trying to push his nightmare out of his head.

II

The Team Rocket walls of Fuchsia City began to recede behind them as they headed north along the peninsula, keeping close to the coast in their quest to find someone who could ferry them across the Kanto Gulf. Just as the imposing wall disappeared behind the blooming hills, a colossal structure came into view. The bridge, elegantly simple in design, stretched over the water, vanishing into the distant horizon. Massive steel beams jutted out of the water on either side of the road, with tight netting suspended between each beam.

"It's enormous," Emily exclaimed in disbelief. "I've heard about this bridge, but damn, I can't even see the end of it." A train car sped toward the land, disappearing behind the hills ahead.

"It's a shame we can't use it; it leads us right into Celadon City," Seth remarked, standing next to his son, who was perched atop Torterra and clinging to the tree growing on its back, his gaze filled with wonder just like Emily's.

"I wonder if Team Rocket ever gained control of the city," Emily pondered, walking slower than usual, unable to tear her eyes away from the massive structure.

"I sure hope not," Seth replied. They continued their walk, the rhythmic crashing of waves creating a soothing backdrop to their stroll. Eventually, they stopped and ate with their Pokémon, savoring the sight of the lush trees in full bloom around them. Noivern enjoyed diving into the ocean, pulling out Wishiwashi for the others to dine on. While the food was good, Seth couldn't help but miss Brian's cooking, which had almost rivaled Sarah's culinary skills.

After a leisurely half-hour walk following their meal, they reached a sign that read "Ferry" in large letters, with an arrow pointing toward a rickety house on the beach and a dock extending into the ocean, where several aged and weathered boats were moored.

"Daddy, I don't want to go on another boat," Erin began, his voice soft as he held his father's hand, gripping it firmly and refusing to move any closer to the boats.

"Erin, we need to get to Vermilion," Seth said, crouching down to his son's eye level. He was surprised by how much less he needed to squat to be at Erin's height, and even more so when he realized that his son was nearly five years old.

"We can walk or take Noivern!" Erin declared, his tone becoming more demanding.

"Emily doesn't have a Pokémon that can fly, and walking would take weeks. Can we please try to get on the boat?" Seth requested.

"No!" Erin exclaimed even louder, stomping his feet on the ground.

"A little help here?" Seth asked, looking up at Emily.

"Honestly, we're batting zero for two with boat rides. I'm with Erin," she replied.

"Fine," he said with aggravation filling his voice. They walked past the ferry and, by the time they were under the shadow of Cycling Road Bridge, Seth's hopes of an easy journey had vanished behind the rolling hills.

Over the course of the next two weeks, the group followed the coastline, embarking on a journey that took them east, then northeast, and ultimately north towards Vermillion. Seth found it a bit uncomfortable squeezing back into the tents, but he couldn't deny the importance of resuming his training. He and Erin engaged in constant sparring and training sessions with each other. One such fight Seth actually lost to his son while trying when Noivern bested Primeape. Erin made sure to continue to taunt Primeape and his dad respectively for the next few days.

However, what was even more crucial was taking charge of Brian's Pokémon and continuing their training. While Ampharos adapted well, the other two Pokémon, Fraxure and Ceruledge, posed particular challenges. Building trust and fostering quick reactions were essential for them to perform at their best. Emily surprisingly had more success with these Pokémon than Seth did. As the days passed and they drew closer to Vermillion, these Pokémon began to adapt to Emily's highly offensive battling style. Even though Vaporeon seemed more interested in the ocean, the rigorous training regimen was paying off as their teamwork and responsiveness improved day by day.

III

"Hey, birthday boy, we need firewood. Want to take Vulpix and go get some?" Seth's voice called out to Erin as he played with Vulpix near the treeline. The wind was strong, and the branches of the trees rustled vigorously.

"Yupporini!" Erin shouted, excitedly, and dashed into the greenery, Vulpix's golden fur vanishing right after. He followed a path among the trees, picking up one branch and then spotting an even bigger one, so he dropped the one he was carrying and grabbed the larger one. After a while, his arms were full with the four branches he had collected, and Vulpix was playfully dragging the fifth one along.

"Vulpix, I think we got it!" Erin said happily, the branches swaying above him as beams of sunlight streamed through the leaves overhead washing over his brown skin. "Let’s Roll!" He began to run back awkwardly, trying to step on all the scattered leaves on the ground, looking like he was incredibly drunk.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud bang erupted just a few dozen yards from them, as if a tree had just collapsed. Vulpix grew tense in front of Erin, her eyes fixed on the source of the sound. "What was that?" Erin muttered, standing next to Vulpix and casually petting her before wandering deeper into the woods, dropping all of the firewood.

Vulpix followed closely behind him, catching up as he stood still, staring towards the fallen tree. Erin was frozen, not from fear, but from sheer amazement. A large Pokémon, around the same size as his dad, was sitting with its back against the tree. The first thing Erin noticed was its eyes—there was so much pain and anger in them, and a flash of his father's eyes came into his head. Then he saw its pale purple skin, overshadowed by its large, deep purple tail that seemed to sway on its own accord. A large gash was cut into its chest, with fresh red blood trickling down.

Erin took a step forward but was soon blocked by Vulpix, who had her six tails upright. Her fur on the back of her neck was standing almost as straight, with a constant growl emanating from her. Erin took another step, getting around her. "It's okay, Vulpix, look, he is hurt."

Vulpix stood in front of Erin the whole time, growling even louder as he slowly took more steps towards the Pokémon. "Are you okay?" Erin asked softly as he outstretched his hand towards it. Its eyes were still harsh, but Erin thought they seemed to be kinder, even if just a bit. "It's okay, I can make you feel better," Erin said, taking his jacket off and now standing maybe ten feet from the Pokémon, holding it outstretched to help clean up the blood.

Then a sense of urgency flooded Erin's mind, compelling him to stop his feet and not move another inch. It was like the desire to help that Pokémon had fled his mind and was replaced by the Pokémon's desperate plea for him not to move any further towards it.

"I just want to help you," Erin said, still not moving. Erin noticed Vulpix wasn't moving either and wondered if she was experiencing the same foreign thought taking over her senses.

The Pokémon lifted its three-fingered hand that had small balls at the ends of its fingertips and held it against its chest, most likely trying to stop the pain. .

"Please," Erin pleaded. "Let me help. I know it hurts, but Daddy said the pain goes away soon." The light filtered down upon Erin, seeming to reflect every aspect of warmth that he provided. His smile stretched from ear to ear, and his dimples deepened, causing the pain and hatred in the Pokémon's eyes to lose even more of its intensity.

Erin, feeling the foreign thought finally leave him, took another step forward. He wanted so badly to help this Pokémon, to make it smile, but as soon as his foot touched the ground after his first step, images of old men in lab coats flooded his mind. It was as if he was looking through a window with water all on the inside, trapping him in this container. Rage and anger seemed to well up inside Erin like he had never felt, as if he would do anything to punch a hole in the glass container. One of the old men was Mr. Fuji, and this made him angrier somehow—not that seeing Mr. Fuji was some kind of betrayal, but as if he was the cause of all the pain he had ever experienced.

The woods finally flooded back into Erin's vision as the intrusive thought faded away from his mind. Vulpix's growls, while still present, quieted slightly. Erin took another step on the soft forest ground. "I am sorry, they were mean to you. But you can come with us. I’m not meanie, well sometimes I cry and yell when I am sad. But I am not a meanie!" Erin said meanderingly while reaching out with the hand holding the jacket, further indicating for the Pokémon to grab it.

The mysterious Pokémon, still sitting upright and holding its chest in pain, but with all the anger gone from its eyes and its facial expression relaxed, reached out and grabbed Erin's jacket, placing it firmly on the spot where the cut was still slowly seeping blood.

A feeling of happiness flooded into Erin and Vulpix both, and he immediately smiled where the fur on Vulpix's back laid flat and her tails wagged back and forth. The intrusive thought made it seem even being sad was an impossibility.

Just then, a branch snapped behind them, drawing all their attention from the quiet moment as they looked towards the treeline behind them.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Erin, there you are. Where is the firewood?" Seth emerged from the thicket.

"Daddy, can he come with us?" Erin said excitedly.

"Who?" Erin looked back towards the fallen tree, but the Pokémon was gone. "Stop being a weirdo. Come on, Emily needs firewood for lunch."

"Okie Dokie," Erin responded, taking his father's hand to resume his job.

"And where is your jacket?" Erin just shrugged in response to his father's question.

IV

"Well, there it fucking is, guys," Emily yelled out as they reached the top of the hill that looked down onto Vermilion City, surrounded by the Team Rocket wall just like all the other gym cities. Part of the city seemed to extend over the ocean, replacing the beach with stone and concrete, with buildings scattered throughout. One particular building with a thunderbolt over the front doors was significantly larger than the others, stretching outwards with a half-circle roof that towered over the surrounding houses, which were in turn dwarfed by the few skyscrapers in the city. Another pier, similar to the others they had seen, had ships weaving in and out of the docks into the Kanto Gulf, reflecting the evening sunlight.

Seth pointed towards a small town on the outskirts of the wall. "You want to try going there for the night? I'd rather not sleep in the tent."

"Let's go!" Erin yelled, playing with his Flapple toy on top of Rhydon's shoulders.

The town lost its grandeur as they entered the desolate streets. Seth didn't know if it was the golden sunset that made it seem pleasant from afar, but every face, whether human or Pokémon, seemed depressed and broken. It was as if Vermilion City was sucking the life out of anyone unfortunate enough to live within it.

A storefront near the edge of the town had its front window shattered, and the front door was completely missing. "Are you sure you don't want to camp out?" Emily asked as she and her Vaporeon looked back and forth at the destroyed homes and businesses.

"Let's just find somewhere to eat and a hotel," Seth answered, determined to find someplace other than a campsite. Over the last two weeks of walking, he had woken Erin up at some point from his nightmares. If he could just get his own bed, possibly his own room, he could have a break from the torment he knew he was causing his son.

After ten minutes of searching, they found possibly the only open restaurant in the broken town. The light outside flickered, revealing chipped paint before obscuring it in the nearly night sky. Luckily, the inside was not as ominous as the outside, but not by much. The booths had ripped and worn leather, and the floors looked like they hadn't been cleaned since before the war. Whoever was cooking in the back was working overtime because although the place gave off the vibe of a nasty, moldy smell, the only scent was a pleasant aroma from the kitchen.

The food was even more surprising as it tasted incredible. Seth was unsure of what they were eating, as it seemed to be a "we're serving the special and that's it" menu, much like he had to do during the last year of his diner. But he found he didn't care or worry about what kind of dirt from the restaurant was also cooked into it because it was like a bomb of flavor exploding in their mouths.

"Since Aggron evolved for me, does that mean he is mine?" Erin said, standing on his seat across from Emily, smiling.

"Keep making jokes, asshole. Let's see how far it gets you." She stabbed a piece of mystery meat on her plate and held the fork pointing at him, with juices falling off it and dripping onto the plate. "But no!"

"I bet Torterra could beat your Aggron," Erin said under his breath, crossing his arms as he slumped back into his seat.

"YOU WANNA GO, PUNK?" Emily said playfully, fighting to hold back a smile on her freckled face.

"Dad, do you think I can beat Emily, right?" Seth said, looking up to his father.

Seth didn't hear him; he didn't hear anything after the front door opened, and Butch Miller, clad in his Team Rocket uniform, entered the restaurant, taking his seat on the other side of the room facing away from him.

"Dad!" Erin said louder, tugging on his shirt, with Emily looking at him concerningly.

"Huh, sorry, what's that?" He said, trying to put his rage, hatred, and the taunting of his wife inches from him, with a giant hole in her stomach pouring blood onto the floor, aside.

"I could beat Emily in a Pokémon battle, right?" he asked, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yup," Seth answered dismissively, staring at the other end of the restaurant.

"Seth, what's wrong?" Emily asked, stiffening up, looking at the Team Rocket members he was staring at. "They aren't looking for us, just ignore them, okay?"

"It's him," Seth answered bluntly, without any context or explanation.

"Who?" she asked, desperately seeking clarification.

"Him," Seth responded, refusing to give any more. Why would he need to? This was the man that took everything from him, who taunts him every night. Who raped and killed his wife. The reason her corpse won't stop taunting him every moment of every day. She now had her head removed from her shoulders, blood squirting up and onto the floor, reflecting Michael Young's corpse. Even without a head, her voice still seemed to push every other sound away like a physical barrier.

"Would you shut up!" Seth demanded in hushed tones, causing Erin to recoil.

"We are not fucking doing this, come on, let's go," Emily said curtly, taking Erin from across the table and holding her hand out to Seth for him to take. "We are leaving; let's go before I kick your ass."

Seth took it begrudgingly and cowered away out of the restaurant with his head down, not wanting to get caught by him. Butch's laughter started to fill up the dimly lit room, with him talking about whomever his victim was and how she was a screamer.

The restaurant started to recede behind them as they turned the corner, with a sign protruding from the faded blue building reading 'vacancy.' Emily walked with Erin inside, but Seth couldn't step inside. He wanted to; he watched the light pour over Emily and Erin, illuminating everything good he had in his life as if that light was showing what was important, but he felt as if the shadows were dragging him back, refusing to let him take a step inside. Sarah's body laid on the road behind him, chanting "You can't save him" over and over again, with the decaying wound from her neck now touching every aspect of her face and naked body.

Emily put down Erin on a couch near the entrance of the hotel lobby and walked back outside. "Come on, Seth, this isn't funny."

"He is right there, Emily," Seth responded, not looking her in the eyes.

"And so was Devin when we were at Pewter City, remember," Emily looked down to see Vulpix sitting beside Seth rather than with Erin, with a fierce hatred in her eyes. "Please, we're not doing this."

"He has to pay for what he did," Seth found it impossible to look into her eyes, for the hypocrisy he was committing.

"Seth, look who you are talking to. No, it won't. It's just a hollow pit you can't escape from. Erin is the only reason I am out. Please, come inside; we are three badges away from the Pokémon League and his freedom. Come inside and protect him," the ending of her pleas fell short of reaching him. He was being pulled by Sarah's body, her never-ending screams; he had to end it.

The door to the hotel opened, with Erin rubbing his eyes. "Can we go to bed, Daddy? I am tired." Seth didn't answer him and turned away from the light of his life to the vacant, dark streets of the town outside Vermilion. He heard him asking Emily where Dad was going, and then he and Vulpix turned the corner to finally bring their vengeance.

V

Seth and Vulpix stood outside in an alley that was a block away from the dingy restaurant, watching the filth pour out of the establishment. Sarah's head and the left section of her body laid in the street next to them, repeating the phrase, "You can't save him," over and over again. Butch's maniacal laughter echoed down the street, followed by three other Team Rocket members dressed in black, making it hard to see in the faint light provided by street lamps. They turned down the road and continued past the broken buildings, pedestrians crossing to the other side of the street upon seeing their presence. Seth hung back a good block, trying to stay as hidden as possible without moving too far away, so he could still hear them.

"How long are you staying here, sir?" one of them asked as they neared the edge of town, and the Team Rocket wall loomed larger.

"Until I can get this town to generate as much as Cerulean, who knows? But if I can continue to have as much fun as I did with that woman, I might make it permanent!" He said, each word growing louder, his pride unmistakable.

“But how is killing one woman going to generate profit, we didn't even get anything from her?” another more bold grunt asked.

“Oh on the contrary I got plenty from her.” His laughs began to fill the town once more. “But it's not about collecting one person's taxes, it's about striking fear into everyone around to ensure they pay up. Fucking her in the open street, while everyone watched hidden in their imaginary safety hearing her scream. No, we won't have to be traveling to the forsaken shithole for quite some time.”

The road to the Team Rocket checkpoint was short and had no way for Seth to hide. It was out in the open, a straight path toward Vermilion. There was no hiding from Sarah, her charred body mirroring Liam's, the tongue hanging out of her head moving as she continued to chant. As they got a few hundred yards away, Seth looked down at Vulpix, who refused to take her hate-filled eyes away from the group ahead. "Vulpix, don't lose his scent when we stop here, got it?" Vulpix made no noise but brought her nose closer to the ground without tearing her gaze away from him.

"Welcome back, sir!" a watchwoman on the wall said, standing up tall, but the group ignored him and walked undeterred into the city.

The wall had never seemed so large before. Seth wouldn't have been surprised if it was actually larger, but at this moment, it appeared as a giant barrier that not only encircled Vermilion but towered over it as Butch disappeared to the left.

"Identification," the same Team Rocket member asked Seth, without the same obsequious, kiss ass, tone she used with Butch. Seth didn't say anything, just stared at the spot Butch had left while handing over his paperwork. "You can't save him!" Sarah repeated in his ear, her head snapped, leaning on his shoulder. She came back, seemingly longer than usual, but the impatience and worry of losing Butch played a significant role in this delay.

"You're clear to go, but be warned, you only have a few weeks until your taxes are due." Seth didn't even look at her, barely even heard her, overwhelmed by Sarah's growing voice. He and Vulpix walked past the wall, and she immediately put her nose down to the ground.

"You got him," Vulpix shot a quick burst of flames in acknowledgment and began walking. Even in the dead of night, the city appeared brighter and more cheerful than the town just outside. Friendly faces passed by Seth and Vulpix as they continued onward. A few pedestrians briefly morphed into Sarah as they passed, but finally breaking free from the illusion, Butch's booming laughter drifted over them as they stood at the end of a residential area of the city. Unlike the cluttered apartment complexes that dominated the Vermillion, this street was adorned with massive homes, each featuring a red 'R' over its front door.

"Come on," Seth said, hunching down and walking up the empty street toward the source of Butch's laughter. He finally spotted him, his grotesque gut and red beard attempting to conceal his massive chest. Both Seth and Vulpix took cover behind a tree.

"Good work today, boys," Butch yelled out as the three Team Rocket members continued up the street, and Butch disappeared inside.

Seth's heart raced as he inched toward the door. Once in his yard, Seth released Primeape, who exhaled steam from his nostrils.

"Do you want revenge for that?" Seth asked, pointing toward the scar over Primeape's left eye. "As soon as that door opens, I need you to crush his windpipe, but don't kill him!" Primeape clashed his fists together forcefully and took a step toward the house.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound echoed through the dark, quiet streets, only interrupted by Butch's yelling, "You guys are so useless that you can't even get to the barracks without me, utterly fucking useless." His footsteps grew louder as Sarah's voice, repeating, "You can't save him," intensified in Seth's ears. The deadbolt unlocked, and the door handle began to jiggle in front of Seth. His heart was now pounding in his chest, and a ringing in his ears began to drown out Sarah's voice.

The door creaked open as light flooded the front porch, and Butch's expression shifted from anger to confusion and then to a smile, like it was some twisted joke. In the next moment, Primeape lunged, wrapping his hand around Butch's throat, squeezing and lifting his massive body off the ground. They stepped into the house and closed the door behind them. Butch's face turned purple as Primeape squeezed even harder. Butch clawed desperately at Primeape's enormous arms, but he couldn't budge them. His eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"Let him go," Seth commanded. Butch's body hit the ground hard in response to Seth's order, and Primeape now towered over Butch as he tried to get to his feet.

"What the fuck?" Seth thought he heard, but it only came out as wheezes and coughs as color slowly returned to Butch's face. Seth's foot whipped through the air, making contact with Butch's front tooth as he staggered to get up. Butch's body fell with another thud, and the tooth skipped across the living room floor, landing inches from Sarah's taunting corpse.

"Finally, she'll stop. Tonight you pay, not just for Sarah, but for everyone you've killed, you pathetic sack of shit!" Seth said in hush tones that escaped like a hiss. "Primeape, he shouldn't be able to speak, but if he makes even the slightest noise, you shut him the fuck up. Lift his head toward me." Primeape grasped the top of Butch's head, lifting it while Butch's knees still touched the ground but supported no weight.

"Vulpix, use Extrasensory." Vulpix stared into Butch's eyes, causing his pupils to dilate as every sense heightened.

"Ember," Seth commanded. A burst of flames connected with Butch's groin, igniting his pants. His screams emerged as more wheezes and coughs, now muffled through Primeape's hand covering his mouth.

"Ember," Seth ordered again. Vulpix's eyes flickered and shone white for a moment before returning to normal as she unleashed another burst of flames, this time targeting Butch's chest, scorching his flesh. His wheezes and muffled screams persisted for hours, blending with Sarah's continuous chants.

VI

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Who the fuck is knocking on our door at this hour?" Darren thought as he lay in his bed. The move to Vermilion wasn't as bad as he would have thought. Butch was busy as always, coming in late and slamming every door in the house, but other than his soft bed in Goldenrod City, this city wasn't half bad. For a place in Kanto, that is.

On the floor below, Darren heard what sounded like a giant thud, as if Butch had belly-flopped onto the hardwood on the first floor. Enough was enough. Darren didn't care if Butch was his boss. He didn't care that he was treated well as his second-in-command and even scored this upstairs room in his house instead of living in the barracks. He would go downstairs and tell him to shut up, that he was sleeping.

He jolted out of bed and opened his door, making his way to the stairwell. Wheezy coughs drifted up from downstairs, as a glow of orangish-red illuminated the bottom of the staircases from the far side of the room. He took a step down as the orange light faded, and as if malevolence had manifested behind him, it gripped him, preventing him from moving any further. But that was insane; they were in the heart of a Johto-controlled city. How on earth could he be in trouble? How could they be under attack? He pushed the thought out of his head as he heard a soft but firm voice command "Ember" once more, and again the first floor ignited in a glow of orange.

He got on his stomach and peeked just enough through the stairs to get a glimpse of Butch being restrained by a Primeape. His chest and beard were ignited in flames as a Vulpix and a man stood with their backs towards him, but the side of the man's face was revealed. He wasn't looking at Butch, who was still ignited in a small fire, but towards the side of the room at nothing. First fear jolted him back up to the safety of the second floor, trying everything in his power not to make a sound. Then a wave of familiarity washed over him. He had seen that person before. Who was he?

Darren gripped his Pokéball that held Seismitoad and clutched it tightly, his finger hovering over the button. Butch was his friend; he had the element of surprise. Why couldn't he move? Muffled screams, barely audible, floated up to the second floor, and still, Darren sat stuck to the ground like he was melded into it. He knew that man; who was he? Moving incredibly slowly, Darren inched closer to the opening again, as if this took every inch of courage he had just to peek and eye at his dying friend. He noticed the Primeape again, holding Butch’s head tightly as the stranger's fist thudded repeatedly against his bleeding face. The light flickered over Primeape's scar, which shined in the light over his left eye. Darren now, with understanding washing over him, scrambled back to his room, listening to the hours of Butch’s slow, painful death, stuck in the house with his only exit blocked and his fear locking his legs. The only words he repeated were “Seth Conklin.”