((CHAPTER 003: Nightmare Fiction))
Rolling hills of gore laid bare a blackened, desiccated landscape where there was nothing left but bone and ash. Blood rained from the sky as shrieks and explosions tore through the ears of those trapped within. The place known only as the compound had been in part absorbed into the madness of the Dreamer's angst. Yet the Dreamer herself was nowhere to be found within.
Her Companion was lost in a maze of vile, incomprehensible imagery that assaulted both his eyes and ears. Yet, despite nothing stopping him from doing so, he did not leave, instead searching for her all the while. Perhaps to end the madness, or at least find a point of stability. Yet, despite not moving an inch from where she fell, he was not able to find her, his senses instead betraying him and leading him astray, leaving him trapped in an abyss between oblivions.
Then the night came, and all slowly became still and quiet.
When the Companion gave up, his tired eyes no longer letting him stay awake, he allowed sleep to fall over him, assured that the madness uncoiling around him was as good a defense as any. Once the announcements came, true reality briefly perforating through the illusion, he awoke to nothing but pure and utter darkness. A void not of his making, but instead born of uttermost despair.
Kyle found himself in front of the white outline of a door, cutting through the blackness like a knife through one's heart.
Paint It Black
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
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Everything was red.
Nothing made sense, and everything was red.
It could barely see. It was like seeing the world during an eclipse. The faint color that made it through was red.
Everything was red.
The sounds of the damned surrounded it.
A familiar gasping noise reverberated through the labyrinth made of the death and suffering of others.
It, on a level, wanted to add to it. It wanted to scream, but all it could do was high-pitched whistling. Another betrayal of its body that had been betraying it since birth.
It was an all-encompassing assault on the senses. It tried to cover its ears and eyes, curl in on itself with its folded limbs but it would slip past as if they didn't exist.
It wanted its bag back. To hide away in that sleeping bag until this was over. It had been a mistake to step out. It wanted its comfort back.
Why did everything have to go so wrong?
Why couldn't its friends find it? Where were they? Where was anyone? All it could find was hurt and confusion and sights that were not meant for these eyes.
Damn these eyes. All they allowed it to see were horrible things.
And red.
Everything was red.
The sounds died down, slow. First, the screams that left the gasps and moans behind. The moans left after ringing next to its ears. All that was left was a slow wheeze that sputtered and spat and got closer and closer before it too was gone.
It did not know if time had passed, if at all. It could barely see. It might have blinked, but it couldn't tell if its eyes were closed or not.
It could only sense when its eyes were closed were the muscles in its forehead constraining. It shook where it lay on the gore-ridden ground, fetal on its side. Limbs constraining together.
Tears bubbled in their frame as it grew restless before sleep overtook it.
---
He usually could not describe his dreams. Not in exact detail mind you. He was too busy enjoying the freedom away from responsibilities and allowing the calm to inhabit. But this one was different.
It’s weird and kind of hard to explain, dreams tend to be like that, but it was them. He had a voice and it was nice, he liked to think. Sort of deep, but in a youngish way.
It was the two of them. They were here and arguing, just, back and forth at each other. Neither letting up about their points, whatever those were. Anyway, they were just letting loose until both of us were standing there, breathless and starin’ at the other as if that would fix the issue of us being here.
The rain had started pouring on us, he could hear lightning across the sky, and yet we stood there. Should have been the big hint that something was up, but he welcomed it at that moment. Something away from the heat.
Her eyes bugged out as if she had just made a sudden discovery.
“We’ll just fly away,” she said, and when he started to argue with her that you can’t just do that, she grabbed his hand and they flew.
He could remember clinging to that hand as if life depended on it. He remembered looking down and seeing all these places pass them by while she went full steam ahead. At some points, she would twirl and he could swear it would make him sick, but it never did. It scared him to his core where he was, hundreds of feet in the air.
And yet, he had never felt more free in his life.
Flyin’ halfway across the world as far as they could go, away from here, away from anybody that would hurt them, from anybody that would remind them of all this. And when they eventually landed, so far away in distant lands they ran, as far as they could. Past houses, past people, past whatever would stand in their way.
Past that? Blank, couldn't tell.
He had years worth of these, though, usually it was fulfilling his destiny. The one inside his head told him that one day it would be fine for him to reach the skies above. Spread his wings and fly away.
It was the first time he had someone else doing it for him.
Dreams were confounding, elusive in the sense that it would require him examining himself to see any meaning beyond the surface. He was a birdman that wanted to fly was always the gist of it, bottom line, something that he would live with till the day he would die.
But he guessed what his head was trying to get at is that he wanted to get out of here, with the two of them.
No matter what.
---
A voice had cut through the vast blackness. It echoed its message into the void. Familiar names spoken of in an unfamiliar context that was becoming all-too familiar. Some pomp was played that was unnerving on the level of the cursed and condemned. It crackled away and disappeared.
Everything was dark now.
But there was a faint outline of a door out here in the darkness. The shining light peaked through the twilight, and in that twilight one could see the shape of an eagle slowly rise, a hand alongside held slightly above where its eyes would be. It exposed the area around. The level of gore and carnage that encompassed the landscape.
He rose with shaky legs before it. He kicked out a bit before he approached the handle. His hands found their comfort zone in his jacket until he was up close to the thing. They both left their reassuring home, his right placed above his eyes. The other, a fierce grip reached across and tried to turn it.
Nothing made sense, and everything was red.
It could barely see. It was like seeing the world during an eclipse. The faint color that made it through was red.
Everything was red.
The sounds of the damned surrounded it.
A familiar gasping noise reverberated through the labyrinth made of the death and suffering of others.
It, on a level, wanted to add to it. It wanted to scream, but all it could do was high-pitched whistling. Another betrayal of its body that had been betraying it since birth.
It was an all-encompassing assault on the senses. It tried to cover its ears and eyes, curl in on itself with its folded limbs but it would slip past as if they didn't exist.
It wanted its bag back. To hide away in that sleeping bag until this was over. It had been a mistake to step out. It wanted its comfort back.
Why did everything have to go so wrong?
Why couldn't its friends find it? Where were they? Where was anyone? All it could find was hurt and confusion and sights that were not meant for these eyes.
Damn these eyes. All they allowed it to see were horrible things.
And red.
Everything was red.
The sounds died down, slow. First, the screams that left the gasps and moans behind. The moans left after ringing next to its ears. All that was left was a slow wheeze that sputtered and spat and got closer and closer before it too was gone.
It did not know if time had passed, if at all. It could barely see. It might have blinked, but it couldn't tell if its eyes were closed or not.
It could only sense when its eyes were closed were the muscles in its forehead constraining. It shook where it lay on the gore-ridden ground, fetal on its side. Limbs constraining together.
Tears bubbled in their frame as it grew restless before sleep overtook it.
---
He usually could not describe his dreams. Not in exact detail mind you. He was too busy enjoying the freedom away from responsibilities and allowing the calm to inhabit. But this one was different.
It’s weird and kind of hard to explain, dreams tend to be like that, but it was them. He had a voice and it was nice, he liked to think. Sort of deep, but in a youngish way.
It was the two of them. They were here and arguing, just, back and forth at each other. Neither letting up about their points, whatever those were. Anyway, they were just letting loose until both of us were standing there, breathless and starin’ at the other as if that would fix the issue of us being here.
The rain had started pouring on us, he could hear lightning across the sky, and yet we stood there. Should have been the big hint that something was up, but he welcomed it at that moment. Something away from the heat.
Her eyes bugged out as if she had just made a sudden discovery.
“We’ll just fly away,” she said, and when he started to argue with her that you can’t just do that, she grabbed his hand and they flew.
He could remember clinging to that hand as if life depended on it. He remembered looking down and seeing all these places pass them by while she went full steam ahead. At some points, she would twirl and he could swear it would make him sick, but it never did. It scared him to his core where he was, hundreds of feet in the air.
And yet, he had never felt more free in his life.
Flyin’ halfway across the world as far as they could go, away from here, away from anybody that would hurt them, from anybody that would remind them of all this. And when they eventually landed, so far away in distant lands they ran, as far as they could. Past houses, past people, past whatever would stand in their way.
Past that? Blank, couldn't tell.
He had years worth of these, though, usually it was fulfilling his destiny. The one inside his head told him that one day it would be fine for him to reach the skies above. Spread his wings and fly away.
It was the first time he had someone else doing it for him.
Dreams were confounding, elusive in the sense that it would require him examining himself to see any meaning beyond the surface. He was a birdman that wanted to fly was always the gist of it, bottom line, something that he would live with till the day he would die.
But he guessed what his head was trying to get at is that he wanted to get out of here, with the two of them.
No matter what.
---
A voice had cut through the vast blackness. It echoed its message into the void. Familiar names spoken of in an unfamiliar context that was becoming all-too familiar. Some pomp was played that was unnerving on the level of the cursed and condemned. It crackled away and disappeared.
Everything was dark now.
But there was a faint outline of a door out here in the darkness. The shining light peaked through the twilight, and in that twilight one could see the shape of an eagle slowly rise, a hand alongside held slightly above where its eyes would be. It exposed the area around. The level of gore and carnage that encompassed the landscape.
He rose with shaky legs before it. He kicked out a bit before he approached the handle. His hands found their comfort zone in his jacket until he was up close to the thing. They both left their reassuring home, his right placed above his eyes. The other, a fierce grip reached across and tried to turn it.
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DerArknight
- Posts: 686
- Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:47 pm
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
((Gary Greer-Wheatly continued from You Are Still In A Birdcage))
Unsuprisingly, the hallways in this part of the compound were eerily similar to the parts that Gary had already searched. A few less beds and a few more broken medical equipment, but overall it became obvious that in order to find some new stuff, he would have to descend the stairwell into the basement.
The basement that was most likely Isabella's hive.
Without any context, Gary refused to write her fully off as a killer. For all he knew, Raja could have attacked her. The woman behind the owl mask had been pretty vague about everything except the names of the victims and killers.
This has to be on purpose. To make us doubt each other.
Gary hoped it didn't work on anyone.
As he went around just another corner, the dim light of the day was replaced with pitch darkness. It happened so suddenly that he almost stumbled over his feet and fell down.
"What the-"
Blinking didn't return his vision. Next he managed to grab the flashlight out of his backpack and turned it on, but despite the clicking noise announcing its activation, there was no light.
Getting an idea, Gary made two large steps backwards.
And there the day returned, as if it had never left.
He knew which one of classmates had a gift possible of such a feat.
But he was not sure if it would be wise to approach her. The two of them were not really on good terms after what had happened during the rockfight, and the darkness was a sign that she wanted to stay hidden.
Bullshit! If I want to get anything done, I need to approach people. Especially people who would be very helpful.
With her gift, Lily could create a illusion to fool the cameras. The terrorists would see and hear us talking about random shit while we openly get to work on the damn collars. That would help a lot. Or she could use the illusions to help the others find us so we can all team up.
After deactivating and pocketing his flashlight, Gary took both his courage and a step forward, back into the darkness. From what he knew, Lily's gift had a pretty wide range, so he had to get a little bit in to contact her. With his hands outstretched, he found the wall and started his trek deeper.
She had to be somehwere in the middle of her AOE. It was just a matter of finding her.
Unsuprisingly, the hallways in this part of the compound were eerily similar to the parts that Gary had already searched. A few less beds and a few more broken medical equipment, but overall it became obvious that in order to find some new stuff, he would have to descend the stairwell into the basement.
The basement that was most likely Isabella's hive.
Without any context, Gary refused to write her fully off as a killer. For all he knew, Raja could have attacked her. The woman behind the owl mask had been pretty vague about everything except the names of the victims and killers.
This has to be on purpose. To make us doubt each other.
Gary hoped it didn't work on anyone.
As he went around just another corner, the dim light of the day was replaced with pitch darkness. It happened so suddenly that he almost stumbled over his feet and fell down.
"What the-"
Blinking didn't return his vision. Next he managed to grab the flashlight out of his backpack and turned it on, but despite the clicking noise announcing its activation, there was no light.
Getting an idea, Gary made two large steps backwards.
And there the day returned, as if it had never left.
He knew which one of classmates had a gift possible of such a feat.
But he was not sure if it would be wise to approach her. The two of them were not really on good terms after what had happened during the rockfight, and the darkness was a sign that she wanted to stay hidden.
Bullshit! If I want to get anything done, I need to approach people. Especially people who would be very helpful.
With her gift, Lily could create a illusion to fool the cameras. The terrorists would see and hear us talking about random shit while we openly get to work on the damn collars. That would help a lot. Or she could use the illusions to help the others find us so we can all team up.
After deactivating and pocketing his flashlight, Gary took both his courage and a step forward, back into the darkness. From what he knew, Lily's gift had a pretty wide range, so he had to get a little bit in to contact her. With his hands outstretched, he found the wall and started his trek deeper.
She had to be somehwere in the middle of her AOE. It was just a matter of finding her.
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:41 am
The companion's hand passed right through the door's handle, but nonetheless it slowly creaked open, briefly unleashing a blinding light, and revealing what was on the other side. Beyond the door were a set of red curtains that quickly parted to reveal a stage facing an empty theater. Only the rows and rows of seats stretched off into infinity, climbing ever upwards to maddening heights beyond the limits of even the companion's enhanced vision.
Then, one by one the seats began to be filled, faces both familiar and unfamiliar, real and fictional, coming to occupy each and every one of the chairs. There were sounds of chatter among the crowd, until a spotlight came down just in front of the door, one that quietly, but audibly begged the companion to step into it. The chatter of the crowd subsided into hushed, incomprehensible murmurs, infinite eyes now falling on the door and the spotlight in front of it.
--
The intruder, meanwhile, did not receive any answers from the darkness. He was surrounded on all sides by walls of black, and although he marched towards his destination, he found himself no closer or further away to anything he could make out. The darkness disoriented as much as it concealed, and as the intruder felt his way along the still-there walls of the compound he began to see pinpricks of light staring at him from the inky depths.
There was no sound for him, except the hissing.
Then, one by one the seats began to be filled, faces both familiar and unfamiliar, real and fictional, coming to occupy each and every one of the chairs. There were sounds of chatter among the crowd, until a spotlight came down just in front of the door, one that quietly, but audibly begged the companion to step into it. The chatter of the crowd subsided into hushed, incomprehensible murmurs, infinite eyes now falling on the door and the spotlight in front of it.
--
The intruder, meanwhile, did not receive any answers from the darkness. He was surrounded on all sides by walls of black, and although he marched towards his destination, he found himself no closer or further away to anything he could make out. The darkness disoriented as much as it concealed, and as the intruder felt his way along the still-there walls of the compound he began to see pinpricks of light staring at him from the inky depths.
There was no sound for him, except the hissing.
Everyone was being so private.
Astrid hates her. She knows it. Jenelle hated her, too. Yvette didn't really say much.
They all died, in incrimental steps. Physically? Symbolically?
She was the master of her own room, of her own dark halls, her own flesh. Then she stepped into the sun and it all melted away. Her control, wrestled. Her focus, never truly there in the first place. Her agency, a facade her whole life.
She could feel, the moment she stepped in this zone, that she wasn't the playwrite. She had to follow the script. She wasn't allowed to step under the spotlight of this theater stage.
Astrid hates her. She knows it. Jenelle hated her, too. Yvette didn't really say much.
They all died, in incrimental steps. Physically? Symbolically?
She was the master of her own room, of her own dark halls, her own flesh. Then she stepped into the sun and it all melted away. Her control, wrestled. Her focus, never truly there in the first place. Her agency, a facade her whole life.
She could feel, the moment she stepped in this zone, that she wasn't the playwrite. She had to follow the script. She wasn't allowed to step under the spotlight of this theater stage.
His hand phased through the door handle, and yet it opened to a blinding light. His right hand shot up to his eyes, only lowering once he peeked through his fingers and saw that the overwhelming light had its fill. Curtains in front in an all too familiar color parted to a large room with empty seats that faced him, he peeked inside to see that the rows to his eyes were infinite, or if they were finite, too long for his eagle eyes to catch the end of.
There was a silence to the procedure. Until it was cut by murmurs, faces that filled seats. He could recognize a few. Friends of his, classmates, figures from media, and so many more that he could not place. Hushed tones all around until a spotlight before him. It all became muffled after that.
Expectant eyes were on him, and yet when he looked at the faces. He could not help but think they were all blank. With reluctant footsteps and his hands finding cover once more in his pockets, the birdman walked through the door into the light.
There was a silence to the procedure. Until it was cut by murmurs, faces that filled seats. He could recognize a few. Friends of his, classmates, figures from media, and so many more that he could not place. Hushed tones all around until a spotlight before him. It all became muffled after that.
Expectant eyes were on him, and yet when he looked at the faces. He could not help but think they were all blank. With reluctant footsteps and his hands finding cover once more in his pockets, the birdman walked through the door into the light.
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DerArknight
- Posts: 686
- Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:47 pm
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Entering the darkness, Gary found... even more darkness.
Well, that was to be expected.
With nothing but the walls to guide him, he adventured forth into the depths. Sometimes he stumbled over rubble or other stuff, which one time costed him his connection to the wall. But he quickly found what he believed was his earlier position and resumed walking slowly.
And then the darkness gave way to...
... the corridor he had just left behind, because Gary had somehow managed to get lost and do a 180° in the dark.
"Crap."
Well, that was to be expected.
With nothing but the walls to guide him, he adventured forth into the depths. Sometimes he stumbled over rubble or other stuff, which one time costed him his connection to the wall. But he quickly found what he believed was his earlier position and resumed walking slowly.
And then the darkness gave way to...
... the corridor he had just left behind, because Gary had somehow managed to get lost and do a 180° in the dark.
"Crap."
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Frozen Smoke
- Posts: 375
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:25 pm
The plaster underneath his eye itched.
Jacob pulled his legs closer to his chest as his head rocked on the wadded mass of bandages and used gauze which served as his makeshift pillow. The inky blackness of the night met his eyes as they cracked open a fraction, before fluttering closed once again.
Something was moving out there. Scraping glass and rubble against the floor.
It was the wind. Had to be.
In. Pause. Out.
Jacob pulled his legs closer to his chest as his head rocked on the wadded mass of bandages and used gauze which served as his makeshift pillow. The inky blackness of the night met his eyes as they cracked open a fraction, before fluttering closed once again.
Something was moving out there. Scraping glass and rubble against the floor.
It was the wind. Had to be.
In. Pause. Out.
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:41 am
The door disappeared behind Kyle. The spotlight was now upon him, the hushed crowd awaiting a show.
Only he said nothing, for he had no voice with which to speak. He could not perform for them, for he did not know the motions.
Yet nonetheless, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, they applauded. Then the seats split down the middle, as though the auditorium had been torn apart by the spindly claws of a great beast. An inky black void leaked through the rift, revealing a long highway path, lit only by streetlamps peeking out of the dark.
But nothing harmed the companion, the nightmare carried no malice for him.
It was not so merciful to the intruders.
--
Ash billowed into the air around Melodie's feet. It was merely a trickle at first, but in few moments it grew impossibly vast, obscuring everything around her. Faster and faster it blew, whipping itself into a frenzy, the ash encircling her as the rumbling of tornado-force winds tore at her from every direction.
Yet, despite the violence of the whirlwind around her, she remained untouched and unharmed. Shadowy, humanoid figures darted through the mist around her, as if they were watching her, accessing her movements.
A new door appeared to her side, hidden by the mist and winds.
--
"Turn back," a small voice whispered to Gary.
Then another, smaller voice whispered it again in his ear.
Soon it was a crowd of voices, all saying it in harmony to him. Over and over again.
Far ahead of him, another door appeared, cutting through the blackness, a landmark in the dark.
--
Poor Jacob saw and heard all of the above unfolding from the distance, as though the walls of the compound weren't there.
He could not see the hapless victims themselves, only hear what they were hearing and see what they were seeing.
The space around him twisted and contorted, one view bleeding into another in impossible, artificial ways. The blackness beneath him made it looked as though he and everything else were falling, forever.
All the while something approached him from the dark. Something he could not see, through the madness. The heavy claws adorning its feet scraped at the floor.
So appeared another door, beneath him. Underneath the floor, and out of his reach.
--
Deep within, at the beating heart of the chaos, something stirred.
Only he said nothing, for he had no voice with which to speak. He could not perform for them, for he did not know the motions.
Yet nonetheless, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, they applauded. Then the seats split down the middle, as though the auditorium had been torn apart by the spindly claws of a great beast. An inky black void leaked through the rift, revealing a long highway path, lit only by streetlamps peeking out of the dark.
But nothing harmed the companion, the nightmare carried no malice for him.
It was not so merciful to the intruders.
--
Ash billowed into the air around Melodie's feet. It was merely a trickle at first, but in few moments it grew impossibly vast, obscuring everything around her. Faster and faster it blew, whipping itself into a frenzy, the ash encircling her as the rumbling of tornado-force winds tore at her from every direction.
Yet, despite the violence of the whirlwind around her, she remained untouched and unharmed. Shadowy, humanoid figures darted through the mist around her, as if they were watching her, accessing her movements.
A new door appeared to her side, hidden by the mist and winds.
--
"Turn back," a small voice whispered to Gary.
Then another, smaller voice whispered it again in his ear.
Soon it was a crowd of voices, all saying it in harmony to him. Over and over again.
Far ahead of him, another door appeared, cutting through the blackness, a landmark in the dark.
--
Poor Jacob saw and heard all of the above unfolding from the distance, as though the walls of the compound weren't there.
He could not see the hapless victims themselves, only hear what they were hearing and see what they were seeing.
The space around him twisted and contorted, one view bleeding into another in impossible, artificial ways. The blackness beneath him made it looked as though he and everything else were falling, forever.
All the while something approached him from the dark. Something he could not see, through the madness. The heavy claws adorning its feet scraped at the floor.
So appeared another door, beneath him. Underneath the floor, and out of his reach.
--
Deep within, at the beating heart of the chaos, something stirred.
He stood perfectly still in the light, in front of the blank vastness of the seats and their occupants. His only movements were his chest heaving from the heavy breathing he was doing, eyes darting along from one neverending edge to the other, and looking behind if only briefly to see if there was an escape route from the unnerving situation he had just walked into, only to find the door gone. His head turned back, his hands securely in his pockets, fidgeting in place. Otherwise, they would have hung limply at his sides and people could see... how panicked he really was.
All of this elicited bad memories and memories of bad dreams, standing in front of people expectant of something, anything, and he had nothing. He could remember the times when he was younger and other children would force his mouth open to try and make him talk, only to laugh as all that would come out was small squawks. He could remember nightmares of teachers forcing him to hold a presentation, and doing a running commentary as he tried and failed to make the words come to life.
Did they want him to speak? He had no voice. Did they want him to dance? He did not know how to. He couldn't even do a puppet show using the lights. Whatever it is the audience in front of him wanted he could not do. Yet, they continued staring at him hoping for something, and he stared back at them hoping for it all to end.
Suddenly, the applause was in the air. The far-reaching hollow crowd clapped and clapped before being ripped in half by darkness invading. It happened so fast that his eyes almost couldn't comprehend what just happened. He could see light come from lamps from above, his eyes straining to keep track of it through the dark.
Tentatively, he moved towards the rift that had been opened, and followed the light, quickening his pace as he passed through it and into the hallway. He did not afford himself the luxury of looking around, instead, he had to keep his eyes on the light. He could not see well during the dark, least of all this kind of emptiness.
All of this elicited bad memories and memories of bad dreams, standing in front of people expectant of something, anything, and he had nothing. He could remember the times when he was younger and other children would force his mouth open to try and make him talk, only to laugh as all that would come out was small squawks. He could remember nightmares of teachers forcing him to hold a presentation, and doing a running commentary as he tried and failed to make the words come to life.
Did they want him to speak? He had no voice. Did they want him to dance? He did not know how to. He couldn't even do a puppet show using the lights. Whatever it is the audience in front of him wanted he could not do. Yet, they continued staring at him hoping for something, and he stared back at them hoping for it all to end.
Suddenly, the applause was in the air. The far-reaching hollow crowd clapped and clapped before being ripped in half by darkness invading. It happened so fast that his eyes almost couldn't comprehend what just happened. He could see light come from lamps from above, his eyes straining to keep track of it through the dark.
Tentatively, he moved towards the rift that had been opened, and followed the light, quickening his pace as he passed through it and into the hallway. He did not afford himself the luxury of looking around, instead, he had to keep his eyes on the light. He could not see well during the dark, least of all this kind of emptiness.
Underneath the blanket of ash, the cloak of the figures, Melodie felt comforted by the unreality.
Nobody could hear her footsteps.
Nobody could see her face.
Nobody could hear her footsteps.
Nobody could see her face.
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DerArknight
- Posts: 686
- Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:47 pm
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
At first, Gary didn't hear the voices addressing him. After all, he had stepped out of Lily's range. That was why it hit him all at once when he made his way back into the darkness.
"Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn..."
Overwhelmed by the sudden chaos in his head, Gary let out a scream, instinctively covering his ears. Which of course did nothing, since the voices were all in his head.
"Dammit, Lily." He cursed.
But he didn't turn back.
This might be his only chance to talk to Lily in any way. She was clearly in some form of distress, and he doubted her state would improve on its own in a situation like this one.
It was then that he noticed the door in front of him, shining in the darkness.
Seemed like Lily was willing to talk after all. With this hope in mind, Gary slowly ventured forwards.
Turn back.
The voices became louder. Too loud. If he didn't found Lily fast, he might actually get tinnitus.
His steps accelerated.
The door shone in front of him, slowly getting bigger. Judging from his speed, he should have reached it by now.
No surprises here. The door was an illusion, so it wasn't bound by physical laws.
The wall Gary crashed right into on the other hand was undoubtedly real.
"Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn..."
Overwhelmed by the sudden chaos in his head, Gary let out a scream, instinctively covering his ears. Which of course did nothing, since the voices were all in his head.
"Dammit, Lily." He cursed.
But he didn't turn back.
This might be his only chance to talk to Lily in any way. She was clearly in some form of distress, and he doubted her state would improve on its own in a situation like this one.
It was then that he noticed the door in front of him, shining in the darkness.
Seemed like Lily was willing to talk after all. With this hope in mind, Gary slowly ventured forwards.
Turn back.
The voices became louder. Too loud. If he didn't found Lily fast, he might actually get tinnitus.
His steps accelerated.
The door shone in front of him, slowly getting bigger. Judging from his speed, he should have reached it by now.
No surprises here. The door was an illusion, so it wasn't bound by physical laws.
The wall Gary crashed right into on the other hand was undoubtedly real.
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Frozen Smoke
- Posts: 375
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:25 pm
The only thing Jacob could hear was his own screaming ringing in his ears.
His outstretched hand scrabbled for purchase on the wall that wasn't there. His eyes spun in circles as they tried to trace the winding hallways that pulsed in the darkness around him, failing to connect the dots and lead him to a door, a window, anything.
Jacob's skin glowed brighter as he looked over his shoulder.
His fingers pressed desperately against the cold, hard substance that coated the door, his nails chipping as he dragged them against the cracks he could feel in it.
His outstretched hand scrabbled for purchase on the wall that wasn't there. His eyes spun in circles as they tried to trace the winding hallways that pulsed in the darkness around him, failing to connect the dots and lead him to a door, a window, anything.Jacob's skin glowed brighter as he looked over his shoulder.
His fingers pressed desperately against the cold, hard substance that coated the door, his nails chipping as he dragged them against the cracks he could feel in it.
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:41 am
The companion passed under street lamp after street lamp, following the endless highway, darkness swallowing the highway behind him, only to reveal more and more new path ahead.
Then, suddenly, the path forked.
One went to the left. Its asphalt was cracked, and its lights flickered.
The other went to the right. Its asphalt was pristine, and its lamp were fully operational, just like the highway up to this point.
A bright green road sign pointed to the right, white text painted on its face, reading "A BETTER CHANCE".
--
The shadowy figures in the ash reached out to touch Melodie, their spindly fingers stretching towards her from all sides, but never quite making contact before pulling away again. The whirlwind picked up, but at the same time the noise it made died down, and the shadowy figures ducked back inside.
"You are a mystery," the ash whispered to her.
The door creaked closer to her, scraping along the ground until it was visible.
--
Gary hit the ground, and the voices collectively gasped.
They were quiet for a while, only for a meek, high pitched one to speak up and break the silence.
"Why do you stay? What do you want?"
--
The creature emerged from the darkness in front of Jacob, a twisted, writhing mass of limbs and hatred. Its claws and teeth dripped with blood, and as Jacob came into view, it roared.
At the same time, the door responded to Jacob's clawing desperation, abruptly flying open and up, engulfing him and transporting him somewhere else. Darkness gave away to blinding light. Jacob was high in the sky above the desert now, clouds flying through the air all around him, and the ground far, far below.
Immediately, Jacob started falling, clouds racing past his head, the ground growing closer, the roar of wind rushing by his ears.
The compound twisted and contorted itself into a message.
"RUN."
--
There were heavy breathing and whimpers, and a quiet plea muttered in hushed tones.
Then, suddenly, the path forked.
One went to the left. Its asphalt was cracked, and its lights flickered.
The other went to the right. Its asphalt was pristine, and its lamp were fully operational, just like the highway up to this point.
A bright green road sign pointed to the right, white text painted on its face, reading "A BETTER CHANCE".
--
The shadowy figures in the ash reached out to touch Melodie, their spindly fingers stretching towards her from all sides, but never quite making contact before pulling away again. The whirlwind picked up, but at the same time the noise it made died down, and the shadowy figures ducked back inside.
"You are a mystery," the ash whispered to her.
The door creaked closer to her, scraping along the ground until it was visible.
--
Gary hit the ground, and the voices collectively gasped.
They were quiet for a while, only for a meek, high pitched one to speak up and break the silence.
"Why do you stay? What do you want?"
--
The creature emerged from the darkness in front of Jacob, a twisted, writhing mass of limbs and hatred. Its claws and teeth dripped with blood, and as Jacob came into view, it roared.
At the same time, the door responded to Jacob's clawing desperation, abruptly flying open and up, engulfing him and transporting him somewhere else. Darkness gave away to blinding light. Jacob was high in the sky above the desert now, clouds flying through the air all around him, and the ground far, far below.
Immediately, Jacob started falling, clouds racing past his head, the ground growing closer, the roar of wind rushing by his ears.
The compound twisted and contorted itself into a message.
"RUN."
--
There were heavy breathing and whimpers, and a quiet plea muttered in hushed tones.
"I know," she muttered.
"Even if you're just a manifestation of the unconscious..."
Red patches, real, bloody, physical, sprung up behind her shoes, marking her own territory. It clung to the grains of the walls, studded. She walked through the door, without bothering to open it. The fog seemed to part before her footsteps.
"Do you really want to wake up? Are the dreams sweet, Lily? Or are you shifting and awake?"
Her neurons touched the sinuous web, laid out before her. She walked through a space made for her, and smiled.
"Even if you're just a manifestation of the unconscious..."
Red patches, real, bloody, physical, sprung up behind her shoes, marking her own territory. It clung to the grains of the walls, studded. She walked through the door, without bothering to open it. The fog seemed to part before her footsteps.
"Do you really want to wake up? Are the dreams sweet, Lily? Or are you shifting and awake?"
Her neurons touched the sinuous web, laid out before her. She walked through a space made for her, and smiled.