Post by laura25 on Jan 21, 2012 16:40:05 GMT -5
Tenebrae
When my eyes were open once again, I could not see at first. Pain filled my body, and fear had overcome my mind. Yet somehow even in that moment, the image of the man on throne lingered in my memory. Slowly, my mind made out the images before me. People were walking all around, and all was still covered in darkness.
I was not laying on the black grass that surrounded me, but instead felt that I was lying on cold, hard ground. I then came to realize that I was laying in a glass cage in the middle of their village. I slowly sat up, and saw that it was just big enough for my body.
I panicked, but was frozen still. The sound of drums began to burst into my ear. People came close around my cage and stared at me with haunting, yellow eyes. I felt dizzy, weak, but alert. None of them spoke, or made any little noise. They just stood there. Even the little boy who had first seen me on the path at the beach was there. I shrunk away from them all, terrified.
Suddenly loud, steady footsteps parted the crowd, and the eyes of the man on the throne met mine. Pain shot through my body, and my eyes went blind. However this time, I could see again within seconds. I dared not look at him again. His shoes were made of a dark metal that I did not recognize.
Soon, I found that I was released from my cage, and thrown face down into the ground before him. I heard him ask a question, but could not make out what it was. Silence followed, and he bent down. I shut my eyes so I did not see his face.
“Ariadne.”
My name. How did he know my name?
“Ariadne answer me. Did you kill him?”
His voice was smooth and perfect. It seemed almost luring, as the lights had been.
“Ariadne. Answer me.”
He place his hand on my shoulder, and I screamed in pain. A cold wave of pain shot down my arm, so that it seemed to be frozen solid.
“NO! NO!,” I cried, “PLEASE! NO!”
He took his hand off my arm, and the warmth slowing returned. He quickly turned and stormed away. Strangely, the people turned away as well. I felt surely I would have died then, but they just left me. Did he believe me, or did he care? Who were they? I lay there in the middle of the village for hours, in too much pain to get up. The sun never rose, however the night remained.
I felt so vulnerable lying there alone in the middle of such a dark place. Black huts were scattered among the ground, and when people were to be seen, often times they would fight with each other. Hostility and angered was as abundant as the pain that ached within my body. The things I saw that day have haunted since. Countless women were pushed around by men and raped right in the opening in the village. Several men argued until only one of them was left standing with their bodies lying at his feet.
My concern for Robert grew as I did not where he had been taken. I assumed they had already killed him.
Much later, a young woman came, bringing me water. I tried my best to crawl away from her, but as soon as I moved my lungs constricted and I could not breath. I did not drink the water she had brought as I did not know what it was capable of doing to me. Everything here seemed poisoned, and I was not ready to lose my life.
She gently set down the water, and whispered, “Meet me when they go to sleep behind that hut there, or they will kill you.”
Before I could say anything, she was gone. I looked around, longing to run, but too weak to even stand. I had no idea if she could be trusted, but had not choice but to meet her. My life was on the line.
One by one, people began to disappear, and soon I was alone. I slowly, quietly crawled to the hut. A shadow emerged from behind, and picked me up. I felt no pain this time, but I was so exhausted. Everything was a haze. Inside, there was a fire, and a bed that I was laid upon. I looked up and to my relief I saw Robert’s face. Blood trickled down his forehead, and he looked dreadful.
The young woman sat beside me, and tended to my wounds. She was dressed in their clothes, and had the same black hair, however her stare was not deadly. It was instead kind, and full of sympathy. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
“Where am I?” I choked.
“Tenebrae”, she said sadly.
“Who? Who are you?”
“My name is Filia”, she said gently, “but do not talk, we do not have time. They will know you are gone soon. We must escape.”
I was too weak to argue. Robert sat there unable to take his eyes off the fire. Filia went to him, and they seemed to argue, but they whispered so I could not hear. Finally she turned to me and knelt down.
“Robert will carry you, but you will need to run when we pass the lights. Do no look at them. I will lead us, but you cannot look upon them. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Drink water please. It will heal your wounds.”
I took the water she gave me, and something strange started to take place. My feet felt as if they were beginning to heal, along with my shoulder and all my other wounds. I looked up and saw that Robert too had taken the water. His head stopped bleeding. It was curious, but I did not have the strength to wonder why.
Moments later, Robert was carrying me through the forest. The lights were all around us, but I dared not look up. Robert too kept his eyes down. For a while we walked, however soon Filia told Robert to put me down.
“Ariadne, Robert”, she breathed, “Run”.
Trees and plants were difficult to see as the shot past us. Drums were beating behind us, waking up those who chased us through the dark jungle. Filia paved the way for us, and I could barely keep up. However the angry screams and shouts behind us propelled me forward. So many questions filled my mind, and I was full of panic.
Filia knew the way of the jungle and lead us to safety in no time, although the screaming was still audible where we were. She led us to a high place above the ground, explaining that the people were not our only thing to fear. Animals roamed the jungle looking for prey to attack. However, she said we were safe at the time being.
When my eyes were open once again, I could not see at first. Pain filled my body, and fear had overcome my mind. Yet somehow even in that moment, the image of the man on throne lingered in my memory. Slowly, my mind made out the images before me. People were walking all around, and all was still covered in darkness.
I was not laying on the black grass that surrounded me, but instead felt that I was lying on cold, hard ground. I then came to realize that I was laying in a glass cage in the middle of their village. I slowly sat up, and saw that it was just big enough for my body.
I panicked, but was frozen still. The sound of drums began to burst into my ear. People came close around my cage and stared at me with haunting, yellow eyes. I felt dizzy, weak, but alert. None of them spoke, or made any little noise. They just stood there. Even the little boy who had first seen me on the path at the beach was there. I shrunk away from them all, terrified.
Suddenly loud, steady footsteps parted the crowd, and the eyes of the man on the throne met mine. Pain shot through my body, and my eyes went blind. However this time, I could see again within seconds. I dared not look at him again. His shoes were made of a dark metal that I did not recognize.
Soon, I found that I was released from my cage, and thrown face down into the ground before him. I heard him ask a question, but could not make out what it was. Silence followed, and he bent down. I shut my eyes so I did not see his face.
“Ariadne.”
My name. How did he know my name?
“Ariadne answer me. Did you kill him?”
His voice was smooth and perfect. It seemed almost luring, as the lights had been.
“Ariadne. Answer me.”
He place his hand on my shoulder, and I screamed in pain. A cold wave of pain shot down my arm, so that it seemed to be frozen solid.
“NO! NO!,” I cried, “PLEASE! NO!”
He took his hand off my arm, and the warmth slowing returned. He quickly turned and stormed away. Strangely, the people turned away as well. I felt surely I would have died then, but they just left me. Did he believe me, or did he care? Who were they? I lay there in the middle of the village for hours, in too much pain to get up. The sun never rose, however the night remained.
I felt so vulnerable lying there alone in the middle of such a dark place. Black huts were scattered among the ground, and when people were to be seen, often times they would fight with each other. Hostility and angered was as abundant as the pain that ached within my body. The things I saw that day have haunted since. Countless women were pushed around by men and raped right in the opening in the village. Several men argued until only one of them was left standing with their bodies lying at his feet.
My concern for Robert grew as I did not where he had been taken. I assumed they had already killed him.
Much later, a young woman came, bringing me water. I tried my best to crawl away from her, but as soon as I moved my lungs constricted and I could not breath. I did not drink the water she had brought as I did not know what it was capable of doing to me. Everything here seemed poisoned, and I was not ready to lose my life.
She gently set down the water, and whispered, “Meet me when they go to sleep behind that hut there, or they will kill you.”
Before I could say anything, she was gone. I looked around, longing to run, but too weak to even stand. I had no idea if she could be trusted, but had not choice but to meet her. My life was on the line.
One by one, people began to disappear, and soon I was alone. I slowly, quietly crawled to the hut. A shadow emerged from behind, and picked me up. I felt no pain this time, but I was so exhausted. Everything was a haze. Inside, there was a fire, and a bed that I was laid upon. I looked up and to my relief I saw Robert’s face. Blood trickled down his forehead, and he looked dreadful.
The young woman sat beside me, and tended to my wounds. She was dressed in their clothes, and had the same black hair, however her stare was not deadly. It was instead kind, and full of sympathy. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
“Where am I?” I choked.
“Tenebrae”, she said sadly.
“Who? Who are you?”
“My name is Filia”, she said gently, “but do not talk, we do not have time. They will know you are gone soon. We must escape.”
I was too weak to argue. Robert sat there unable to take his eyes off the fire. Filia went to him, and they seemed to argue, but they whispered so I could not hear. Finally she turned to me and knelt down.
“Robert will carry you, but you will need to run when we pass the lights. Do no look at them. I will lead us, but you cannot look upon them. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Drink water please. It will heal your wounds.”
I took the water she gave me, and something strange started to take place. My feet felt as if they were beginning to heal, along with my shoulder and all my other wounds. I looked up and saw that Robert too had taken the water. His head stopped bleeding. It was curious, but I did not have the strength to wonder why.
Moments later, Robert was carrying me through the forest. The lights were all around us, but I dared not look up. Robert too kept his eyes down. For a while we walked, however soon Filia told Robert to put me down.
“Ariadne, Robert”, she breathed, “Run”.
Trees and plants were difficult to see as the shot past us. Drums were beating behind us, waking up those who chased us through the dark jungle. Filia paved the way for us, and I could barely keep up. However the angry screams and shouts behind us propelled me forward. So many questions filled my mind, and I was full of panic.
Filia knew the way of the jungle and lead us to safety in no time, although the screaming was still audible where we were. She led us to a high place above the ground, explaining that the people were not our only thing to fear. Animals roamed the jungle looking for prey to attack. However, she said we were safe at the time being.