waking nightmares [z/k | day 7]
Jul 26, 2020 2:18:22 GMT -5
Post by pup on Jul 26, 2020 2:18:22 GMT -5
Our night went by slowly as we stared at the doors of the catacombs, willing the doors to open once again and for Jade to exit reborn, alive. But as the night mixed with the sun, turning the sky a blazing orange, it became ever more apparent that she was not going to make a reappearance until at least tomorrow.
Pisces was back at least, his uniform transformed into a blood-stained white, just like mine. The contrast between our outfits and Dominic's was clear. We were simply ghosts, remnants of our past selves the gamemakers had shoddily stitched back together.
"She's gone, then?" Pisces had asked me, to which I simply nodded. I had spent so much time just waiting for her death, for me to no longer be in fear of her slitting my throat since she thought I was simply a mutt. But instead, I only find solace from a never ceasing dread in remember that Pisces and I had both made it out alive, and she was stronger than the two of us combined.
"I hope she gets out of there alive, too, then. It's rough in there."
No kidding.
Dom had complained about a broken arm Kahinta had given him. That must be that girl's name, the one who had turned from the battered, broken Jade to strike at Dom.
Dom makes a joke about Pisces' missing thumb, and I wince at Dom's attempt to play off the insanity of our situation. Pisces hadn't gotten out of the catacombs as scar-free as I had. Instead, he had looked like he was about meet death once more.
"Rule of thumb, Pisces, try not to die again." I had said, trying to force a grin onto my face.
Leaning against the tombstones, it felt like even a hint of sleep would bring about our untimely demise.
As the anthem plays, it's tune searing into my brain as I hum along quietly, my eyes searching the sky for a familiar face. The only one who I recognize is Meredith, her kind eyes contorted by the image into that of anger.
I didn't want the pang in my chest to be there when I saw her face. She had a death wish and came to the right place to get what she wanted, but it still hurt.
A new face came up into the sky, and from besides me, Pisces lifted a finger to point at the boy. That's who he had to kill to get out of the catacombs, he told us, and a silence falls over us.
We'll all die, eventually.
Two of us within the next day or so, probably.
After a few moments, I break the silence, pushing myself upwards to lean against the tombstone. Settling myself down, I clear my throat of whatever emotions have been caught in it over the past few days.
"Come on, let's not be so depressing, let's think about something else."
I look on at them as I place a grin onto my face, trying to take on a more lighthearted tone. We'll die soon enough, but we could at least try having fun in our lives.
"You guys want to hear a horror story? Hold up-"
I turn, grabbing my satchel from the ground besides me and begin rummaging through it before I bring out my glowing knife. The liquid from the serpent I had killed from just a few days prior was still a gentle light as it prickles against my face.
It reminds me of my subjects following me in the night, and I take a look at them. Per usual, they were staring me down. Even if Pisces and Dom didn't want to listen to me, I had an audience.
Bringing the knife beneath my face so it gently illuminated my features in the dark, I grin again before lowering my voice.
It was a story from my past, back when I still had friends. It was from a time of flashlights in bedrooms late at night, giggles and ducking under covers at the sound of footsteps down the hall. It was from a time before my parents' rage turned into pain. It was a time that was nearly all but forgotten.
"This is a story right from District Three," I began, the light under me casting a dark shadow against my face.
"This is the story of Anna Karing." My voice is soft, quiet, as if I was at a funeral paying my respects to the departed.
"There was this girl, just a bit younger than me. Her name was Anna Karing. In district three, most of us are thrown into factories when we're young to find a way to get food on the table. She was no different. Her parents sent her off each day to work at a doll factory. Anna did what she was told, but there was a rumor going around among the workers that children were disappearing from this particular factory, but she never questioned it much. All she needed was to make that little bit of extra money her family needed.
One day, she was called into the manager's office. He was a capitolite, but not like the ones who you saw when we went to the Capitol. He was kind.
As he spoke to her, her eye caught a little doll on the shelf behind his desk. It was different, more intricate than the other dolls. The Capitolite saw her looking at the doll and smiled, asking if her she wants to take it home. She nodded, Yes, please. Is that ok?
She don't know what drew her to it, but the Capitolite handed it down to her, telling her that the doll had a defect and so it wasn't going to a store. He told her the doll's name, Meredith."
I grin, the girl's name rolling off my tongue. The doll's name didn't matter, but it added a nice touch to the story. It'll be my tribute to the girl who died too soon.
"Anna took Meredith home with her and played with the doll a bit, before putting her to the side when night fell.
She walked upstairs and fell asleep, comfortably in her bed.
When she woke up, it was still dark out. Looking at her clock, she saw that it was 3am.
She was about to drift off to sleep when she froze. A soft pittering of footsteps seemed to be coming from downstairs.
Confused, she drew her covers close to her as she waited to hear something else.
A small, lilting laugh, that of a child reached her ears.
'Anna' the high-pitched voice called from a distance, accompanied with a giggle, 'Anna, I'm in the kitchen.'"
I mimic the voice Anna heard, my tone lilting upwards in a singsongy voice, just like the doll.
"Anna, pulled the covers up over her, and then there was silence.
A few moments later, more small footsteps. The creak of her staircase reaching her ears.
'Anna, Anna, I'm on the staircase.'
She desperately pulled her covers tighter as more soft footsteps grew louder.
'Anna, Anna, I'm in the hallway.'
Anna closed her eyes, and then there was silence.
A few minutes pass and all the sound she could hear was her breathing under the covers. There was nothing, no footsteps, no laugh, no lilting, musical voice. And it stayed like that for another few minutes, and another few. And as her breathing steadied...
'Anna, Anna, I'm in your parents' room.'
Bolting up, Anna swung her door open, running into her parents room to wake them up. They could do something. They were meant to protect her.
But when she flung open her parents' door, she found her parents' mangled bodies strewn across the room. Her breath caught in her throat as she ran back out into the hallway and into her room, slamming her door shut. She ran and threw herself under the bed.
'Anna, Anna, I'm outside your room.'
She was on her side, staring out one side of her bed, her eyes wide.
Her door slowly creaks open.
'Anna, Anna, I'm in your room.'
Small footsteps approach her, and then her bed groans gently.
'Anna, Anna, I'm on your bed.'
She covers her mouth with her hand as a small thump lands on the ground.
'Anna, Anna, I'm right behind you.'
The next day, a new little girl enters the manager's office.
As the manager speaks to her, she feels herself drawn to a little doll in the corner of the room.
'Want to take it home?' He asks, his voice kind.
She nods.
'Take good care of her,' he says as he hands it to her, 'her name's Anna.'"
I finish my story, my face dark as I tell the tale. It was simply a story meant to scare us away from Capitolites, to tell us that they're all dangerous, even the ones we think are kind. But it was better than thinking about our impending deaths.
We continue around our triangle, each of us telling a story.
As our soft, weary voices grew ever more tired and yawns were exchanged, we finally made our way to sleep.
This was my first night here without a nightmare.
When my eyes finally drift open, there's nothing there. At first, I thought that heaven had finally claimed me, but that can't be right.
The devil doesn't live among the clouds.
The air is thick, the clouds covering everything. I try to look down at my hands, but they are merely shadows in the wisps of fog.
I push myself up. Next to me, I only hear whispers of my snake posse following my every movement with their hisses.
"Dom?" I call out into the mist.
"Pisces?"
I feel the emotions begin to clog up my throat again. I was alone, afraid, trapped from all side. Back in the crypt or somewhere worse. Someone must have killed us all in the night, separating us from each other.
I can't fear now. I just need to find my way out of this fog.
Pulling my knife coated in the glowing substance from the snake, I let it gently illuminate my path so I could see a little bit in front of me.
So I set my face, and begin to walk, calling out their names every few minutes, searching for them.
I can't tell what direction I'm moving in, but when the red water begins to lap at my feet, I know where I've made it to.
I call out again.
"Pisces? Dom?"
And instead of a response, I hear some gentle splashing in the water.
Someone was nearby.
Tensing, I hold the knife in front of me, both to guide my way and to protect me.
And then, she emerges from the mist, her clothes dirtied from something.
One of Jade's murderers.
Kahinta. Pisces had said.
"Good to see you again, Kahinta." I say, grimacing, my voice cold through the miss as I ready my weapon.
"Guess where you're going." I pull my knife upwards.
"Let me give you a Kahint, you'll be seeing Jade soon enough."
[attacks kahinta with glowing twisted dagger]
lYmg3_s35Jknife
[block lmao]
accuracy day 7
knife
table by tom <3