12When will we learn? That no matter what the suffering-
It can always grow worse.
And this thesis of life saturated Tran's mind. He was numb. Why is fate so cruel?
The pun made him sick.
No human attacked him, but a demonic perversion of what once was.
His night mares come to life.
Silently, Tran begged someone to help him as he was reduced to whimpering and screaming when old scars ripped apart to form new. Things being torn and shredded in ways he didn't think about.
"This is getting old. I tire of your constant crying. Just tell me and get your pathetic play over with. By any decent sense, you should be dead by now, I mean look at all this blood! It's starting to smell. Oh look I see a lump of organ. Come on now love, before you die." Fyuna rolled her body lazily, pacing slowly to view the damage.
"ah uselessness. You're going to die, you know that right? I suppose that I should take into account that you really might not know. But I can bet that you can coax one of your comrades into saying for note. But all with a price dear. Since I lost my temper and you are as good as dog meat, you have to turn in order to go on. Ralph stop." She's continued, and the look a like monster begrudgingly obeying letting Tran fall to the ground.
Shuddering at the throbbing itch of dirt and grim from the ground in his open wounds, he merely let his eye stay open, dizzily taking in the pasty mix of blood and tatters of cloth on the floor.
"It was fun while it lasted. I actually had a nice little erotic high from watching him raid you senseless. Only I'll have to get someone to clean this mess. Night, young one! Hope you're nightmares are more pleasant then the previous one!"
"Nuff…mnmph….pie." Harpy chuckled in her slumber, her body propped up against a sleeping Ebony, who was dribbling muttered curses at some dream person.
"Morning. Should a peel you off the door, or are you normally this paranoid?" The guard said dryly, nudging the two figures with his boot.
"Tran, damn y' boy! I can't even get a decent sleep, without yer crazy ass bitchin' n'" remembering that Tran was gone, she caught glimpse of the guard and decided to just close her eyes for sleep again.
"EEK! Harpy didn't do it! it was…was…" Harpy jolted awake, knocking Ebony over in the process as she jumped to her feet.
"Relax. Sleeping outside a door is hardly making trouble. Now your friend, I have to keep an eye on." The guard finished with a flirtatious smirk as Ebony scowled from her spot on the floor and turned away.
"There are fresh cloths in your rooms. If you don't like to sleep in them, you might as well take advantage of the tub at least." The guard began to laugh, walking away. He never teased girls normally- not even when he was young. But if this girl was going blatantly bring chaos, he might as well counter act it.
What a horrible nightmare….strange too. Phenet sleepily rose to a sitting position.
Comfy.
Which was odd for him.
Wait.
Slowly turning to the other side of the bed sat that blasted form on neatly tucked bedding.
"Have a pleasant rest?" HE said, gently rubbing a thumb over Phenets bite wound, admiring the bruise's colors.
"No thanks to you. Stop touching me. I mean it." Pulling away and climbing out of the bed, Phenet coldly showed his point.
"Alright. I surrender." Taking the, soap from the previous night, he tossed it over to the younger.
"come. Here is the perfect opportunity to kill me with that soap."
Gaping in surprise, Phenet looked at the soap and than glared at Alex.
"Oh, don't look at me like that," Alex grinned, bearing sharp fangs in amusement. " all about you isn't it? well now you get to wash me. The water's ready. Want me to strip here or in there? I mean, either way it's just under clothing."
"I-I will not! Leave me be!" Phenet screamed, startled fear making him drop the soap.
"What? You afraid you might like it? I'll even let you scrub however you deem fit." Alex teased, nursing his light mood. Backing away, the boy continued to shake his head in defiance until he was dragged back to the bed by a retreating arm.
"my sweet little play thing; must I remind you that I can most certainly force you in other more violent ways. But you're pretty and I'd rather not scar you too badly." Was he playing, or serious?
Phenet couldn't decide. He also couldn't decide whether being beaten wasn't worth not being trapped in the bathroom with him again or not.
"Ah, never thought I'd wear nice clothes again. Now back ta business. Open th'door ya dirty son of a bitc-" Ebony began, her worry, as usual, getting the better of her. timidly Phennet emerged from the opening door, a slight blush tingeing his cheeks and relief flooding his features upon noting Ebony's signature scowl.
"ya moron! Don't 'ver scare me like that again, ya hear? Your okay right? What did that old bitch hole do t'ya? Don't be shy boy, tell me." Ebony coaxed, curiosity and a thirst for vengeance goading her on.
"oh by all means precious, don't be shy. Tell her." Alex smirked folding his arms smugly across his chest.
"Nothing. I am feeling better, and that is the end of it. Let us be on our way so we can find our way out of this mess." Phenet stuttered vehemently, suddenly pausing at the slight thickening of the atmosphere.
"SOUND THE ALARM! INTRUDOR!" a distant voice hollered.
"…ah shit. Why'n th' hell'd ya let us in for if ya knew we weren't welcome, ya damn idi'ts!" Ebony scowled at the commotion.
Bodies skittered hopelessly in a sea of frenzy, like frightened bugs. Every mouth ajar for screaming.
"…Shit." The guard paled, stepping outside to see the horror of his people whisked to and fro with violent waters, choking to their watery graves below.
"Hurry! The dock! Hit the docks! Deekil! Grab the newcomers and hurry!" A bulky man with a long beard shouted as he ran past them.
"What's going on with the city?!" Harpy yelped, but the guard named Deekil ignored the question to save time.
"Quickly follow me! Anyone who falls behind gets left behind."
"Well this is an interesting turn of events." Alex muttered casually, watching the destruction tear down powerful structures in its wake.
"What th' hell 's goin' on!" Ebony screamed as she failed in resisting the urge to look back, and saw something blindingly bright explode from the water.
Deekil saw the path the exit door, starting to give way to the forces of the violent waters and tried to keep thinking straight…
Who could keep thinking straight trying to wade through corpses that looked wild eyed and empty? But he still kept on, determined to at least a few people from death; even if he didn't know them.
So much hurt; the memories swirled and whirled around not wanting to be caught. No of them made sense now either. Were they comoing or going? Staying or leaving? What could be held on to? Familiar voices names…was death near? The images melted into burning light…and all was gone. Everything…gone.
"Hurry! Before the support beams give!" Deekil shouted to his group and sprinkle of survivors that he could see trying to get on the only partially stable ground that he could see. The escape route had not really been practical; the city counsel thought that the city itself was invincible. Yes, probably to military attacks; but not a blind shot had been given to natural disaster. Every one had thought the buildings were tough enough to withstand anything natural…
Was this kind of storm even natural?
The building could take on a lot…even a fire. So what the hell kind of water anything took down that?
Maybe he was thinking to much. Maybe he should stop thinking.
The small area of ground was near its end, crumbling into the water pronounce the end fo any of the survivors if Deekil didn't get the door open quickly. But no one had thought to give him the key, so he had to pick it. Tough shit if you asked him.
Damn Atlantis and its stupid lack of escape drills. They were not even close to invincible.
His best bet was they were going to die soon…
But that wasn't very positive now, was it?
Finally the door gave as the bright light consumed everything they could see.
The heat was unbearable it felt like his skin was melting everyone was screaming for pain.
Flames and seering pain was all he knew…
For an instant. Then nothing.
"Phen! Phen!" Ebony screamed trying to protect her eyes from the heat. Harpy flew past her squealing, trying to shake off burning feathers. Phenet was right behind Harpy, trying to clam her and get the small fire out. A disgruntled Alex sat in the shadows, like he had a bad taste in his mouth. The walk looked the same as if they had never left it, with its cold damp stones, stinking of mildew, stagnant water and old blood. The stairs continued in desending fall to dark depths of what appeared to be nothing. The only change was the burnt crater in the wall and the broken stones and rubble surrounding it. Phenet rubbed his arms nervously, Harpy breathing shakily and checking for any other mishaps on her person.
"What th' hell…." Ebony whispered, approach the crater, having just noticed it. She thought they had made it out the door in time. They did, so the ball of light and fire should have hit outside the door or else they would have been dead.
"I don't like the smell of it." Alex growled, somehow getting right behind her from his perch in the shadow with out her notice.
"Git away from'e ya twit." Ebony hissed pushing him back- with no results. He didn't even flinch. His attention was consumed with the smoking crater in the wall.
Phenet approached them, worried of what Ebony might do at the spur of the moment. A sharp coughing sound began from the darkness of the hole, and Phenet began to worry that there had been survivor that they overlooked.
"Are you alright?" Phenet found himself saying to the darkness, earning a hateful glare and shocked stare from Ebony and Alex.
"Shut up, are you insane-" Alex started toward him making Phenet back up in the wrong direction in the frenzy.
"Phenet stop!" Harpy yelped, jumping up to stop the inevitable. A dark hand shot out of the dark pit and snatched Phenet by the sleeve, so quickly, he couldn't even scream.
"Phen, please, j'st hold still." A weary voice sighed, thick with pain.
Immediately Phenet stopped struggling, Ebony yelling and Alex's expression gone extremely dark.
"…Tran?" Phenet tried, hoping that it was.
"Didja miss me?" Tran smiled wearily, not bothering to enclose him in a hug.
"D-did I miss you? Tran…that was you? I mean yes I missed you! I thought you were dead. I thought you were not going to come back. Tran I-" Phenet sputtered, forgetting about Alex's deadly glare.
"Oh, you're back now, are you?" Alex sneered, jealousy twisting his face. If Tran was going to die then let him be dead. What was that bitch trying to pull?
"Yeah, I'm back ya sononabitch." Tran growled, unconsciously showcasing a pair of fangs that flashed as he spoke.
Phenet jerked back at the sight of them, caught offgaurd. Pushing Tran away he began to back away.
"Who are…who are you?" Phenet asked warily just wanting Tran to be real, but knowing that this world they were in was two faced. Ebony, who had been cursing incoherently the whole time stopped, and stared, grasping the question and what it implied.
"It's me Phen. If y' can't believe that, then I might 's well be pushin' daisies." Tran sighed once more stepping out of the crater, naked as the day he was born and covered in soot. " I dunno what th' bitch did ta me. All I know 's you'n Ebony 's here. That's m' story 'n I'm goin' with it." Tran gave another tired smile, hoping Phen would to.
"Tran is different. Smells different." Harpy spoke from behind as she started to circle him.
"Don't bother'm with it. Let's j'st g't otta here." Ebony grumbled angry at the unknown pain her brother had been through. Hadn't he been through enough shit
A tired chapter if I do say so myself.
Still getting into the swing of things. Forgive me, if there is anybody still reading this.