I walk through the endless darkness, my feet damp below me. I'm exhausted and I try and keep a steady breath. What happened? How did I get here. Where is here?Huffing, I try and continue onward, my legs shaking in protest. I feel cold and if there were any light, I bet I could see my breath.
One more step, I keep telling myself, just one more step. One after another I keep a shaky and steadily declining pace. I know I might not make it to wherever I am going, whatever my destination is. All I know is that I need to make it out of this endless darkness. I don't know how long I've been walking, but it couldn't have been more than just a little bit ago, still, I feel almost timeless, like I have been wandering forever. That time knows no bounds.
Who? Where am I from? What happened to me and why? These are the questions I need answered, but who can answer them? I don't know how I got here and I don't know how I came to such a state.
Smack! I hit my shoulder against what feels like a cold stone wall. "Where am I? What do I do?" I mutter to myself painfully. I wrap my arms around myself and put my back to the icy stone wall. Hot tears start racing down my face and I don't know how to stop it. It almost feels completely relieving to let it all out if only I didn't feel almost too tired to cry.
I slide down the wall and sit on the cold, damp, uneven stone floor. By now my cheeks are hot and wet, dampening my arms as I rest them on my knees and bury my face in them. I don't know what to do!
Some time passes and throughout it I cry to myself on and off; most of this time I don't because I only cry when I get enough energy to do so. I let it all out until I can't anymore; when I can't cry from being cold, being scared, being alone. All the warmth feels completely faded from sitting against the cold, wet stone. I have a shaky breath and I shiver, sitting alone in the emptiness. I hurt on my left side for some reason; ever since the beginning when I woke up and started wandering around this dark labyrinth. I feel it every once in a while and the feel burns from my fingers when I touch around the crusty feel.
Screeeeeeecccchhhhh! A high pitch, screech-like noise rings through the area, making me jump up into a painful ready position. "What the hell..." I start but don't finish when it rings through again, leaving a slight echo, only closer, eerie. I feel my heart begin to race and without thinking I begin to run aimlessly. I hold out my hands in front of me for just in case so I can feel ahead of myself as to not run into anything. I can't slow down anymore.
I turn a corner when wrapping my hand around and I finally see. Light is poking through at a turn on the right, illuminating the end of the hallway but just barely.
As I keep running down, another ear piercing shriek sounds not too far behind me. My feet hurt from small pebbles I land on, the hallway looking ruined. I stumble and land hard on my right side, scraping my knees in the process, ripping at what I barely notice as a once-was dress by the way it feels. I quickly try to get up, scratching noises burrowing closer to me. I'm noticing so many things at once; I'm scared and overwhelmed; what if I die here? I'm so close to the light!
I will myself to get up, despite the aching and sharp pains I feel on my side. I finally make it upwards, barely taking anytime to notice the blood on my hands. I run again, ignoring all the pain and the sticky feeling I feel run down my knees and on my side. New blood is seeping out my side; I must have reopened a healing wound. That would explain the pain and the crusty feel.
I clear all my thoughts except making it towards the light, out of the tunnels and away from what is making me so afraid.
I'm about three meters from the corner showing off the light I have so helplessly been searching for. My body protests each step I take but still, I intend with my whole being to make it outside the tunnels; almost as if something is driving me towards the light, I almost feel safe.
Two meters left to go, my brains processing a hundred thoughts a minute. The stone floor is getting slightly warmer and I see small vines and grass peaking through parts of it ahead of me. I'm breathing heavily now and I'm starting to feel dizzy.
Just a little more! I nearly slam into the wall and turn right, a creature right at my heels that I see in a glance from the side of me as I head into the light, making many of its split second horrific features unable to be clear, due to a sun haze. A final zapping noise is all I hear when I fall from the impact and land easier than expected. The light blinds me for a second as I stumble in a daze, allowing my vision to slowly become clear. The smell of rotting flesh and smoke fills my lungs mixed with pollen and mildew. I crawl away from the tunnel where the creature had been. I look towards the direction of where the creature had previously been and all I see is a pile of ash, small embers illuminating a distinct circular crack in the ruined floor, symbols edged roughly into the stone as well. The distinct crack in the stone is the only clue that must have killed it, because the creature has honestly been disintegrated. I finally feel my nerves relax, my breathing becomes regular and the adrenaline is gone.
Shuffle-shuffle. I turn around and look at my surroundings: stone ruins are around me, mossed over from probably centuries of isolation, vines weaving up the stone rocks and walls; butterflies roam around, a purple-blue one landing on my nose and flies up towards the light, making me squint. The haze fades and there is a man, dark blue eyes gazing at me. Most of his figure is shadowed from the overhanging, arching ruins above us. The light makes the outline of his vest-like coat visible enough to know that the color is of a deep purple-magenta; butterfly coincidence maybe? They both make me think of something or someone who's beautiful and free, however, the colors remind me to still be cautious, just as if something may be poisonous.
Somehow I feel compelled to get up, despite being tired and in pain; it somehow soothes me that I am no longer alone even if I do not know this strange man. I stand completely and face him, more of his shape made out, being at a different angle. I see half his face and he looks at me with a warm yet curious expression, it almost feels familiar. My head feels like it's pounding the more I study him.
I take a step towards him, going slowly, studying him as he keeps his eyes locked on mine; he doesn't even blink. I ball my hands at my sides from nervousness; my insides feel like they're fluttering the more I look at him. I take a few more steps, my breathing increases in pace as I slowly etch towards him.
Before I can ask him who he is, he takes a single step and opens his arms, bringing me into an embrace. I'm too tired and too shocked to move away, however I let out a surprised squeak when I make contact with his chest. He rests his cheek on the side of my head and runs his right hand through my hair. "My dear, Sheina. How I've missed you..." he lifts his head to replace it with a kiss and hugs me more, completely against his taller frame. He's gentle, but he doesn't allow me to try and free myself, not that I'm trying too hard, but enough to be noticed.
"You don't have to worry now, we're in the light," he says softly in my ear to earn my attention, "Ill protect you." He removes himself from me slightly as our eyes lock; his briefly flash a bright magenta when he speaks. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks, but he embraces me again. We end up staying like this.
I want to ask him so many questions, but I feel too tired to talk, too tired to ask him anything. The embrace brings me a feeling of safety, relief, and ease. I don't ever want this to end. So I allow this. I take in his musky scent, breathing it in. It smells familiar to me but I can't seem to think, my head pounding slightly the more I try and think about it.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOjpgz4E2X
"My Sheina," he starts but doesn't continue. I begin to close my eyes, his warmth and the bright lights making me feel almost at home if that even counts for anything. I feel like I'm fading and he mutters something, but it's all mumbled, and soon, all the pain, all my emotions leave me, and it feels so free... his smile and dark blue eyes being the last thing I see before there's nothing.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauruUR6G4L
