Head hurting I rub the bridge of my nose to try and calm down. It doesn't leave me, instead the pressure building and building like hands squeezing my brain. I take several deep breaths to control the pain and look around me.
I'm stuck in a glossy black room without any doors or windows. A cold mist wafts around me, reflecting my image right back. I reach for my face, fingers brushing freezing cold icy blocks. I flinch back, holding my burning fingers close to my chest. Letting out a whimper I scramble to the middle of the room.
Where am I? What is all this? How did I get here? is this... a dream? I've heard that there are lucid dreams, but I've never had one before. Is this it? It feels real like I really am here. Pinching my cheeks, nothing happens. I thought the pain would wake me up... guess not.
The pressure in my skull swells, as the voice calls out echoing throughout the room, "Help! The pain... Please! Help! Someone!" I don't know the language that's being spoken, and yet I understand them. It's oddly beautiful, a singing voice of a bird deep as rocks and thick like sap.
Sanding up, I bang o the ceiling, "Hello!? Where am I? Who are you?"
My questions do not receive an answer, instead, the person repeats over and over again about their pain.
"Hey! Who are you? Talk to me, where are you? How can I help?!"
Banging and banging, suddenly the ceiling splashes, water dripping down like tears against my face.
Instinctively I scream, falling back down and cowering. Water spills softly at first, like a dripping faucet. But someone decided it was going too slow, and shoved it all the way, water sloshing forward.
Shivering I grab my knees, pulling them against me. I'm going to drown! Drown! Panic builds and builds, pressure not only in my head but in my chest. boulders of panic come tumbling down pounding against my frail shoulders until I'm hunched over.
The water is halfway up my legs when the ground moves, and fings me upwards, I spin falling face-first into the water.
A scream shrills past my lips, scaring my throat as I hit the ground hard. There's no real pain, just this phantom feeling of pain as I tumble and turn to a sudden stop in a puddle of water. Wheezing I curl up into a ball.
After a while, I'm dry and the freezing fear dissipates slowly. I can move slowly, a twitch of a finger, then a shake of my foot. I gather myself like a snail, lifting my head from my shell.
I'm no longer in the shiny obsidian room but in complete and utter darkness. I can't see my fingers, but I feel them in the darkness. Crawling forward forever, I see a light ahead. Fumbling over to it I reach for the light. It doesn't vanish, instead widening and spreading enough I can sit in its warmth. I'm not alone, there's this shiny thing beneath me. Picking it up, it reflects the light. What is this?
It's metal, old, and slightly rusty, with this long chain disappearing into the darkness ahead. I think it's a chain, like those used on TV to hold villains. but I don't see a keyhole, let alone a line where it should open up. it's just this round slab of metal, more like a bracelet...
My gut quivers, ice sliding up my spine to the base of my neck where my hair rose in shock. There's a flutter of thoughts, like someone is whispering in my ear warning me. Saying that this chain is not a bracelet, but a collar. Shivering, I lift it up trying to find the seam. Nothing, it only glints and sparkles these blue hieroglyphics. A bit Lord of the Rings-like.
Staring at them, words bubble deep from me, "I bind this soul to the soul of another. Hearts will beat as one, and minds connect. Until death do you part?"
This sounds like some morbid marriage proposal. Whoever came up with this was definitely inspired by Edgar Allen Poe.
It slips between my hands falling. I reach for it, grabbing the chain. Something sticky oozes between my cool fingers. I drop the chain, staring down at my red-speckled hands dripping wet. I shiver, scrambling backward away from the collar. The blood defies gravity, crawling up the chain and dripping onto the ceiling above. I didn't know there was a ceiling until a pool of red formed overhead.
There's this... gut feeling, deep in the pit of my belly. Telling me to follow the chain, I resist... but the temptation of curiosity is too much, and I find myself getting up on jelly-filled legs, slowly walking alongside the bloody chain until the darkness is too much and I can't go any further. I shiver sickened... I won't be able to continue unless... I stare at the chain, forcing back the initial rejection, and grab it.
Just, close your eyes and pretend you are not holding a blood-covered chain link. Several breaths later, I am calm enough to follow it to a dead end. The chain sharply lifts up to the ceiling where there's this low light beaming down at me. it's a hole, fresh blood dribbles down every few seconds.
I feel something grab my shoulders, dropping the chain I swing at my attacker, facing only thin air. The hands were still on my shoulder, and a low breath in my ear. Spinning I can't seem to get rid of the hand, or see the person with said hand.
The voice whispers, "You cannot see or feel me, child. Stop."
Gasing low I do so, shock and fear nearly freezing the soles of my feet. "Who are you?"
"Go and pick up the collar once more."
"The collar is..." My words fade away, right below me glinting in the ethereal light... the collar. I thought I left it back on the other side, when did it appear? How did it follow me back, like some eager curse? I squeak, "Who are you? Tell me?"
The voice whispers into my ear, their breath brushing my cheeks, "Who I am is not important." This person stinks of the scent of roses and lilies. I spin once more, seeing no one. She says again, "You must go and pick up the collar."
I shake my head frustrated, "Who are you? I won't just go picking up any random thing because you say so! Tell me, who are you?"
The voice is quiet then with a sigh they whisper, "I am..." Before she can tell me, a howl rushes through the dream, wind pushing against my body, and flinging me upwards. I scream, spinning in the tornado as it drags me away from it all.
I wake suddenly, like in those dreams where you fall. It's a quick jolt, and I'm entirely awake. No grogginess, but this heart-pumping fear rushes through my veins and leaves me bouncy. Sitting up I rub my eyes, finding them wet with tears. Why am I crying? I ponder it, but find no real reason as to why?
Next to me, Luna shuffles, groaning in her sleep, twisting herself in my spare blanket. I smile, she's so cute. Like a puppy being swaddled. I lightly brush her hair back, shaking her shoulders. "Hey, Luna. We got to go to school today. Wake up sleepy head."
Luna doesn't even hesitate, one eye open she closes it back her voice a mummer of sleepiness and exhaustion. "I know... five minutes."
I shake my head crawling over her to get down. The first thing I notice is how cold the room is, the window is open. I head over to it, closing it. I stop halfway, opening it back up to lean over. Whisper Woods, is glowing? I gap, leaning further out and reaching my hands over. it's so beautiful, with all the sparkling fireflies dancing around the leaves... it's a test of the will to back away from the window and close it completely.
I want to go into the woods... Mom and Dad won't let me outside without someone to watch me. Since the last time I got lost in the woods... shaking my head, I turn to see sparkling glass by my door. The mirror has been shattered into several large and small pieces. How did this happen? Did a bird fly out the window and hit it, or something? I cry out, "Luna, stay in bed."
Luna mutters something, rolling to her other side. She's never been a morning person, a great relief. I don't want her getting hurt.
Stuffing shoes on, I walk around the glass heading downstairs to go to the cleaning closet and grab a few supplies before rushing back upstairs to clean the mess up. I have to pick up the larger pieces of glass, they flash in my hands. I stare at the largest piece, mist swirling in it above my neck still dripping with blood. Swallowing my fear i stuff it back into the bag. Why am I still seeing these things?...
I glance at Luna and thought of our friends. They saw the tree too, which means I am not crazy, but no one has seen the blood on my neck. Is that... part of my craziness? Shaking my head I go back downstairs a bag of glass swinging a little dangerously by my hips.
I can hear Dad and Mom talking in the kitchen, but there's another person there too. I don't recognize it as any of my siblings... not that they'd be here... pushing open the door, I see it's Luna's mother. She's sipping tea, talking softly with my mom and dad who are drinking coffee. Luna's mother is pretty, dressed in simple-cut jeans and a loose brown shirt. She lightly clicks her ring finger against the wood of the table, her eyes narrowing deep in thought. They loosen up when I come in, leaning backward in a relaxed cool fashion.
Dad and Mom lose their own tension, their nervous eyes shifting to me.
What were they talking about?
Mom asks, "You up already?"
I lift my bag of glass, "I have to clean up a mess in my room. The mirror broke last night." I dump the bag into the trash, "it's all cleaned up."
I dance on over to the stove where all the pancakes are in bowls ready to be cooked. "Pancakes! This is the third time in a row Dad." I beam, "Not that I don't mind."
Dad chuckles, hugging me. "I'll start them now, you didn't get hurt did you?"
I shake my head, No, and neither is Luna." I add for her mother's sake, "I just don't know how it broke."
Dad ruffles my hair, "Things break, we'll just go to the store tonight to get it fixed as good as new. And something stronger this time."
"Thank you."
Dad, still hugging me asks Susie, "Would you like to stay for breakfast? I'll take both girls to school."
Luna's mother sips her tea slowly, "I'll gladly partake in your delicacies." She smiles tossing a bag at me, "For my Alxayx. She didn't bring any spare clothes."
That's why she's here. "I'll bring it to her."
Back in my room, Luna is still deep asleep. Shaking her she yawns, pushing me away. I shake her again, "It's time to get up."
She rolls away.
"Your mother is here, with clothes."
She grumbles, "Five more minutes."
"It's been longer than five minutes."
She forces herself up blinking tired eyes. "Mother brought my clothes?" I hand her the bag and she looks through it, "She always remembers what I forget." She lightly brushes my cheeks, "Are you alright? You look so pale?"
"Do I?"
"You do, tell me.."
I walk to my closest finding some clean clothes to try on. "I had... A nightmare I think." I settle on a cut light pink dress, with white socks and a cute blue blouse-like jacket to put over it. "I just don't remember a single thing about it. And that... makes it worse I think."
"You do not remember your nightmare?"
"No, I don't. But it had to be bad, I was crying when I woke up." I finish brushing my hair and handing it to Luna who silently thinks. "Not anything? No memory of it?"
"Nothing... but a feeling."
"What feeling?"
"That... I am forgetting something important."
She wraps her arms over my chest. Her head against my neck, rubbing her cheeks against mine. "Don't you worry about it? I will protect you from anything that will harm you."
I blush, smiling. "You really are my hero." I hug her back feeling better immediately. She truly is my ultimate best friend.
Luna sniffs the air, "I smell pancakes, best we head down to eat."
I do stop her first, "Wait... Can you... Explain this Sight to me?" My mind flashes to the creature on Bridget and the blood... Does this all have to do with some sight? And how is that even possible to begin with...? There are so many questions swirling in my head I have a hard time talking, "You never spoke of it when we were children..." Actually, I don't remember it ever being mentioned before, those creatures or this sight... Yet at the same time, all of this feels so familiar. Like... I know something about this... Am I going crazy?
Luna lightly pats my cheeks, holding me tight, "Now is not the time. You must be patient, and in due time you will learn everything. Do you trust me?"
"I do... I trust you, but... I want an answer soon."
"I understand how frustrating this must be, and I am glad you trust me. However, you must wait for the right time..." She kisses my cheek, "And remember this, do not trust anyone else about this matter but me. There is evil in the world, never." She taps my neck, "Listen to sweet honey-coated voices."
What does she mean by that?
She grabs my hand taking me downstairs to the kitchen.
Dad is busy making pancakes, and two lunch boxes, while Susie and Mom are in deep conversation. I can tell because adults get that serious look on their faces, leaning forward in their seats and holding their hands together. It's a look I've seen before. And I find my anxiety rising seeing this, and the silence that follows when we enter.
Luna and I sit down talking to one another about school and such. But I can't help but see the worried glances between the adults. However, I don't think it's about us this time. But something else. A worry for us, not about us.
Susie holds Luna tight when it's time for us to go to school. She whispers several words, kissing her cheeks and brushing her hair into a braid. Luna leans back into her mother, closing her eyes.
I hug my mom tight, leaving with Dad to the van. Luna grabs my hand, and we both giggle racing to the van. I stop, staring at the woods. is it possible for it to be glowing even brighter than this morning's sun? A wind rushes over me, the soft blue light swirling around in it. I take a step towards the woods, when Luna grabs my hand, "What's wrong?"
"Oh... Nothing is wrong..." I just... I want to get closer. I don't know how to explain the urge to Luna, but something in my gut wants me to keep going to it. Luna tugs on me, "We got to go to school."
I blink several times. She's right, we have school. Shaking my head, I shout shotgun heading into the seat. Luna sits right behind me, her eyes narrowed at something. I don't see what it is.
[To be continued]
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