Venom

12: The Darkest Wishing Well

There is beauty in standing still, being frozen and unmoved by all that goes on around you. The tranquility, the feeling of time brushing up against you, but never truly being able to grasp onto you. 

There is danger in standing still, being frozen and unmoved by all that goes on around you. Unseeing of all that pass you by and unable to comprehend the words that people throw your way, swept up in time as it speeds by you uncaring if you are ready or not.

There is uncertainty and pain in the unknown, but there is also a reason behind moving forward. I simply need to find that reason.

To regain my will.

For the first time since I had awoken as myself, I was alone. As much as I could be in my room in the middle of the night, but awake and alone which was all that mattered to me. If I were to go outside I knew Venom would find his way to me, if I wandered the house Viper would creep out and during the sun's reign Harper followed me with questions and weary eyes.

I hadn't meant to awaken, but it was one of those moments where my body had felt finished, rest no longer necessary and my mind was startling clear. The ceiling, so tall and far away seemed further than usual in the darkness of the night. My fingertips moved side to side slowly, feeling the texture of the blanket, my hands were dry, making everything rougher. Or maybe I was the rough one and everything else was soft. I rolled over and slowly brought my arms around myself, my shoulders were cold. I pressed my fingertips closer to my skin until I was digging my nails into my shoulders. 

I stopped and let out a breath. And then another and another.

Through the cream curtain, nothing could be seen, but even so, I watched.

I watched until my eyes saw sunlight peeking through them and only then did I fall back asleep into a rest of memories. Of a moment when all I wanted to do was rest, to stop and sleep until I woke up elsewhere.

It was almost cruel that I would do just that.

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Washaway G.C (Great Capital) 1817

The sounds of weapons clashing and grunts rang out through the training arena. All around the dull color of mud and pale sand-colored the world, occasionally a spring of red here and there.

"If you fall, what shall you do?" Madam Vert called out, the normal drill of the day. The normal chant.

"Get back up." We called out in unison. 

"If you lose a limb or two, then what?" Marion kicked out, catching me in the shoulder sending me to the ground. The impact made me blink, but I rolled to the left, an ache starting on my shoulder as my weight agitated the new bruise.

"Get back up." There was a thud sound off where my head had just been moments ago, opening my legs I kicked out my left behind his knee, bringing in my right I aimed at his head.

"What if you lose your life?"  The bastard grinned as my boot connected to his face, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Faster than I could lift my arm to cover my head he dragged the staff up and with a flick smacked me with the end.