Spoiler! :
Chapter 3
Delem
I slowly opened my eyes, and realised that I had no idea where I was. Moreover, I couldn’t move, as the strong ropes held my ankles and hands together, and my back was pushed against a wall. I took a deep breath, and had a coughing fit that very second - the air around me was full of ash, and cold mist. I shook my hair off my eyes and looked around. I couldn’t see further than ten metres because of the deep mist. But the thing that sent chills down my spine: everything was quiet. Too quiet. And I knew that if the soldiers were still here to execute me, I wouldn’t even be able to move. I tried pulling one of my hands through the rope to set myself free, but it was no use.
‘What is this place?’
It didn’t look like anything I knew before, but I couldn’t really judge, as everything drowned in the grey, heavy mist.
‘Will I be executed?’
That’s another question I couldn’t answer. I stopped trying to free my hand, and listened. If any soldiers were sitting in front of me, with their guns pointed at me, then why didn’t they shoot?
‘Am I dead?’
That thought shot through my head, but left as quickly as it came: the pain in my numb arms and feet was very much real, and, after a painful pinch, I also made sure I wasn’t asleep. Suddenly, I felt scared and helpless, and attempted to free my hand once again. My head was throbbing, and my hands aching, but after numerous attempt, I managed to slide my hand out of the rope. I shook my hands around, to get my blood to flow to fingers again, and untied my feet. Slowly, I stood up, leaning my shoulder against the cold wall, and looked around.
‘They couldn’t just leave me here, it makes no sense.’
I began to wonder if the soldiers wanted to kill me, but then showed mercy, and just left, telling the others I’m dead? That made no sense either.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me, no further than a couple of feet behind me. I swung around, and slowly looked around the wall. There was no one. A sudden stream of wind quavered my torn shirt, but stopped that very second. Goosebumps ran all over my body, my legs couldn’t support my weight, and I slipped back onto the ground. I was starting to panic. If I didn’t know where I was, I wouldn’t know where to go to get out.
‘Maybe, there was a battle, and they didn’t have time to deal with me...?’
They didn’t need time, one shot and I would have been gone! Anger was building up, not at the soldiers, of course, rather at that my head was throbbing so much that even thinking was difficult. Then, I heard footsteps once more, this time to my right. My eyes quickly turned to the source of the sound, but I could make out nothing in the mist.
‘Who are you?!’ - I screamed, but the mist kept silent, just hanging above me, covering me, smothering me...
And then I knew. I sprang to my feet, and frantically searched for anything in the mist. The cold, the fog, the ashes in the air... It all made sense now. Adrenaline rushed through my blood, I felt a drop of sweat running down my temple, I tried to at least see shelter, or anywhere I could escape to...
‘The spirits are here’.
That was worse than death, worse than all tortures in the world. The spirits. That’s why the soldiers left me here. My heart rate was speeding up, my feet were urging to run, to carry me to somewhere safe, anywhere but here...
I could hear the footsteps again. This time, along with the sound of shuffling of feet, as the spirits surrounded me. There, I knew I could not wait any longer. I didn’t know too much about the spirits, but I did know one thing: as soon as you’re trapped, there’s no way out. You had to keep moving to stay alive.
So I ran. I ran, faster and faster. I guess that’s the only thing I’m good at. I was flying past outlines of burnt trees, buildings, but I didn’t have the courage to look back, and realise that I was actually in the middle of a destroyed city. That I only understood when I stopped to get my breath back, inside a small shack, with walls covered in holes from bullets and grenades.
‘Where are you running again? It’s about time to accept that spirits can move faster than humans - if they’re after you, they’ll get to you’.
But I wasn’t willing to give up without a struggle. Not that I am a hero, or someone worth saving, rather out of my egosim - it was too early for me to die. I took a deep breath again and glanced at the ceiling. The roof was burnt through, but the fire has died out already. There was a battle here, but not a long time ago. I stood up and walked into what was meant to be the kitchen.
‘Where do people keep guns...’
In a drawer next to the sink, in this case. Having checked that the gun is loaded, I took a deep breath and stepped outside.
‘Don’t show emotions. No emotions. I might survive for longer’.
As soon as I was outside, I noticed that the mist got thicker. That could mean anything but good news, so I knew I had to keep going.
‘All settlements have to be connected, somehow... If I were a highway, where would I be?’
It wad extremely hard to make out anything at all in the grey darkness, so I was creeping through cracks between houses, trying to find out any kind of road, but still staying closer to houses. Finally, I could see something in the distance, resembling a barrier. Could that be it? Careless because of my excitement, I did not notice a rock underneath my feet, which in turn, sent me flying forward, and I hit the cold ground, lined with sharp stones - with my arm, which I thought was healed by now. I shut my own mouth not to let out a scream of agony, shut my eyes, and gently rolled from side to side on the ground, waiting for the initial pain to pass.
‘Are spirits like sharks, do they sense human blood? Can they see me?’
If it wasn’t for my fear of the spirits being nearby, I would have probably stayed on the ground for longer. But I knew I couldn’t, so I got up, but stumbled to the side.
‘Damnit, get up. This is far from over’.
Suddenly, I froze in place. Same sound. Same footsteps. I slowly pulled out the gun I ‘borrowed’, and started moving again, pushing my arm closer to my chest, as if trying to keep the pain inside, and stop my heart beating so fast. Finally, the barrier became clearer. Near it was a small booth in which guards would usually sit, and a plaque with something written on it. I sped up, eager to read what it said.
‘Lanetown?!’
I took a deep, painful breath.
‘I don’t even know where that is... Which only means I am too far away from anywhere I’d know...’
The pain from my arm was spreading, my legs became weaker by the second, my head was still throbbing, hands still sore from the itchy ropes, I felt heavy as if my body was full of metal... I was running out of hope, out of energy, out of will to carry on. As soon as I stumbled again, I couldn’t physically get up. All I could was to stand on my knees, in the beginning of a long tarmac road, and stare into the distance.
I breathed in, savoring the cold air, the warmth of my body. I closed my eyes and prepared for the world to end, for me to give up.
‘This is how spirits prey upon humans... they wait for them to be exhausted...’
I swept my tear away, from my dirty cheek, and breathed again. Of course, the footsteps didn’t keep me waiting. But now, I could finally see where they were coming from. In the distance, in maybe two or three miles, I could catch a glimpse of a figure. It was almost transparent, only the outline of its head and slim body were seen. It slowly turned its head towards me, and our eyes met. That is, if those holes in a white face could be recognised as eyes. It was a terrifying sight, even more now, that I knew that this is the sight people usually see last. I shut my eyes, but then, nothing happened.
The spirit suddenly moved towards me, and the breeze it created caused me to open my eyes again. I tried ever so hard to consume my fear, I kept repeating:
‘No emotions, no hope, no energy...’
I couldn’t resist looking into its empty eyes. The figure was a boy, not much older than I was, tall and slim, with very thin, straight hair, and huge eyes. He was staring right at me, as if wanting something from me. His body looked drained, thin and bony, his hands long but weak, his legs barely keeping him on the ground. He was slightly shining white, as if he had a visible aura around him. Though, it looked more like there was white smoke surrounding him, consuming him, as if the smoke became a part of him. Suddenly, his mouth opened, and out came the words that sent chills right down to my bones. I thought my blood froze for a moment, as I heard him say:
‘Can you see me? Can you... see me?’...
Gender:
Points: 333
Reviews: 80