The Enchanted Realm: Contrasting Forces

Chamber of Misery

 "At least in here there are torches." Cory remarked. Orion looked down at his badly-bandaged hand. It stung to even lay his eyes on it. It was painful to even think about. But it was all he could think about. He couldn't stop himself from all the bad in his life. From the mental breakdown to the pain he had suffered in the Enchanted Realm. Was this place right for him? This place felt like home mentally, but was it home physically? He was victim to a shadow infection, he nearly died the last time he came to the Enchanted isles, he got shot in the shoulder, and now his hand was bleeding. What more could Orion take? But then another thought entered his mind. Was this place testing him? Were these thoughts being summoned back just to test Orion? He couldn't decide. Orion was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely had the time to stop himself from walking into a wall.

"Four forks in the road." Izzylyn stated. She let out a short-lived sigh. "If we want to find this key, we should do it fast. Everyone, pick a route." Izzylyn began to jog down the tunnel on the far right. Cory picked the one on the far left, and Cassidy picked the one to the direct right of Cory. There was only one option left. Orion walked into the final tunnel to choose. There was a strange calm sensation emanating from his core. Was it perhaps the fact that he wasn't the only one going into a tunnel alone? Orion shook away any questions and began to pick up the pace. The tunnel opened up into a bigger room, supported with lone, beautiful stone pillars. Orion found his hand running down it, its swirls and carvings serving as texture to the otherwise smooth pillar. Then came the whispers. At first, they were happy. They were memories of the past. The good aspects of his life. Like the moments Orion and Moonlight had shared; Orion's family and the many places they traveled; the professional inventions he observed throughout the apartment complex in Detroit, the list went on.

"Maybe this place isn't as frightening as I thought." Orion spoke aloud. Almost like a reply, the whispering memories slowly turned darker and darker. From subtly off-putting settings he had explored, to the sparks of arguments between him and Jared, although most of them were mainly funny, looking back. Things only went downhill. An unwavering memory of Orion slowly repeating "I'm fine... I'm fine..." as he cradled himself in a ball formation had pushed out everything else. Orion put his hands to his ears. "Stop!" He yelled out. But it didn't.

"I'm fine..." The voice began to grow louder.

No you aren't! Orion couldn't speak. His own voice was imprisoned in his mind.

"I'm fine." The voice was now at a talking level.

Just ask for help! The little mind-voice in Orion's head urged.

"I'm fine!" And that was the turning point for Orion. He shoved the lies down his throat and finally broke out.

"I'M NOT FINE!" The voices stopped. Orion breathed heavily, tears beginning to roll down his face. "I'm not fine..." He whispered, sitting on his knees as he wiped away the tears with his injured arm. His head dropped as the doorway rattled out of existence, but Orion didn't care about that. He finally knew what we could do. He could tell them. They can help. Right? The boy planned his next actions as his cries slowly became more and more subtle.

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Cory's eyes scanned across the shadowy room. Only two torches were lit in the room. A whisper echoed through the room as the shadows whirled around freely. "Face it..." They whispered.

Face what? Cory thought. He walked around the room searching for a hidden pressure plate or button or something.

"Face the fear..." They whispered again, their breathless voices echoing.

"I'm not afraid of the end." Cory admitted. The shadows chuckled.

"Sign the contract..." Their breathless command echoed.