90th Vhalar 719¤
It was dark. So dark. And cold. The air smelled musty, like sweat and dirt. Underfoot the ground was soggy, each step sank into the ground a little more than the last. She was running naked, sweat droplets cascading down her body shimmering like diamonds across her skin. Terror was the only thing her eyes read as she powered forward, not wanting to look back.
But she had to.
Her eyes locked with the form of a man, if he could even be called that. His face was wrinkled, leathery skin stretched across a skeleton, mouth turned up in perpetual laughter. That ugly sneer of a grin made her want to scream but she couldn’t find her voice, nothing came out. Dula ran faster, the man closing the gap between them.
In his hands he held a purple bag. The contents of it sounded like coins, she could tell because as he ran after her he shook the bag with fervor; taunting her with it. His shrill laughter mingled with the rattling bag was all she could hear as she tore through the jungle. In her desperation she ran headlong through the brush. All over her face and body was raw skin from the assault of branches whipping her, gashes to be seen covering her bare skin.
Dula was sobbing now. As a hand brushed against her shoulder she knew he was almost here. Changing directions she tore off to the left, trying to lose him. In one last ditch effort she leaped through the thick brambles and vines of the jungle trying to get away, blinded by fear and feeling the night closing in on her. This last ditch effort lead her only to fall into a pit of mire.
Coughing, crying, all snotty tears she tried her hardest to free herself from the mud. But it sucked her in, wet bubbling noises coming from the pit around her. The coin bag could still be heard but the laughter had stopped. He was here. Dula screamed but nothing came out.
Then, a voice.
The door beneath the mud.
It hit her like a tidal wave and with a deep breath she dove in deeper. A hand roughly grabbed her by the arm for a split second but she wrenched free, escaping his grasp with a fervent thrash before kicking her legs and going downwards. Reaching the bottom she found a door. Even though she tried her hardest to open the door, it was locked. Eventually her lungs gave out and she drowned in the mud of the bog….
The blonde woman sat straight up and screamed, waking herself in the process. It had been so long since she had that haunting dream. Shaking, she knew what she had to do. Putting on her warmest clothes she wasted no time and headed for the gwalos.
But she had to.
Her eyes locked with the form of a man, if he could even be called that. His face was wrinkled, leathery skin stretched across a skeleton, mouth turned up in perpetual laughter. That ugly sneer of a grin made her want to scream but she couldn’t find her voice, nothing came out. Dula ran faster, the man closing the gap between them.
In his hands he held a purple bag. The contents of it sounded like coins, she could tell because as he ran after her he shook the bag with fervor; taunting her with it. His shrill laughter mingled with the rattling bag was all she could hear as she tore through the jungle. In her desperation she ran headlong through the brush. All over her face and body was raw skin from the assault of branches whipping her, gashes to be seen covering her bare skin.
Dula was sobbing now. As a hand brushed against her shoulder she knew he was almost here. Changing directions she tore off to the left, trying to lose him. In one last ditch effort she leaped through the thick brambles and vines of the jungle trying to get away, blinded by fear and feeling the night closing in on her. This last ditch effort lead her only to fall into a pit of mire.
Coughing, crying, all snotty tears she tried her hardest to free herself from the mud. But it sucked her in, wet bubbling noises coming from the pit around her. The coin bag could still be heard but the laughter had stopped. He was here. Dula screamed but nothing came out.
Then, a voice.
The door beneath the mud.
It hit her like a tidal wave and with a deep breath she dove in deeper. A hand roughly grabbed her by the arm for a split second but she wrenched free, escaping his grasp with a fervent thrash before kicking her legs and going downwards. Reaching the bottom she found a door. Even though she tried her hardest to open the door, it was locked. Eventually her lungs gave out and she drowned in the mud of the bog….
The blonde woman sat straight up and screamed, waking herself in the process. It had been so long since she had that haunting dream. Shaking, she knew what she had to do. Putting on her warmest clothes she wasted no time and headed for the gwalos.