The World Which Is

Chapter 06

"Rich? Please come back!"

I look around. Outside the circle of light, it all darkness. Vast and terrifying dark—

No.

I sit and cross my legs. Rich is going to come back for me.

He has to.

"Rich?"

Silence.

"I'll..." the memory of him pressing against me, his breath against my ear, doesn't make me react the way it did. It's no longer a promise of the things he could make me feel. Now, it's a hint of... "I'll do whatever you want, Rich."

* * * * *

I pull my knees to me to get my feet back into the light and dry my eyes.

He left me here.

I can't convince myself otherwise anymore.

It's been long enough that if I don't move, the darkness is going to reach me. It's going to swallow me whole and there isn't going to be anything left.

The asshole left me here to die!

I'm on my feet.

Fuck that! I'm not some crybaby who feels sorry for himself because he got taken in by a pretty face and hot body. If he thinks I'm going to sit here and wait for someone to come rescue me, he's got something else coming. I must have close to a treen before my Choosing day starts. Thirteen hours is plenty to get myself out of here and back to Court. Dad's going to be pissed, and I'm going to be grounded until the system leaves, but I'll be home. I'll be safe.

I stare into the darkness. You don't scare me.

I stand there.

Much.

Okay, maybe more than that. But Grandmother said something about fear.

"I don't care if your afraid. Fear's a good thing. It tells you when you're about to step into something you aren't ready for. That's normal, and that's healthy. It's when you get to decide if you turn around and go home, or press forward and find out what you're made of."

Okay, this might work better if I had the option to turn around and go home. I would.

Okay. If I stand here, nothing changes.

It's scary, but in the darkness, I have options.

I take a step out of the light.

I take another, and another. With the fourth, it's dark enough that I pull a chemical light out of inventory.

I wish Rich had told me how to turn this thing on.

I shake it, then do it again close to my ear. There might be something in it.

I close my eyes and hold it in my open palm. I take slow breath to prepare myself. Then I open my eyes and focus on it.

Chemical light, 2.5 hours

Perception Check: Failed

I sigh.

When I have a class, whatever it is my dad lets me have at his point, I'm maxing my perception.

I look up from the chemical light. The only option I have is to cut it open and hope that's—

I squint. Is that light in the distance? It's faint, but there's something there. I must have been out of the light long enough my eyes adjusted and now I can make it out.

I can't make out anything between here and that, but... at least that's something to go toward.

The ground becomes firmer close to the halfway point. No longer moss, but... I can't see it. It's cold to the touch. Smooth and flat. I continue, and soon enough I make out the light coming through a rip in the ceiling. It reminds me of a metal sheet that's been ripped into two by an ax, the edges all jagged.