DIVERSE TALES

NEVER RETURNEES

The sky albeit spoke of an overwhelming darkness, split by lights that grazed the canvas of black that gushed out in many layers.  Darius faltered as another gust of wind blew against him. He shook, the white fog throwing up walls against his sight. The frigid temperature ripped talons against the clothing that hugged his body in thick layers, the scent of thick wool flooded their nostrils. The howling wind drew past them in the cold winter air. Another gust of wind carried the deadness that often came with winter's path. Darius raised his hand instinctively, shielding his eyes from the chilly wind that forced tears down his cheeks. A pull on the rope tied around his lanky waist told him of his companion's inclination to keep moving.

A frosty breath escaped his throat, adding to the fog that swirled around them as the pelting snow fell. Darius trudged on. His boots echoed against the snow white ground. His boots fell deeper and deeper as the storm grew thicker. With the help of his flashlights, he could dimly see the skeleton of tress that shrivelled away, dotting the barren landscape of white. Darius' heart hammered in his chest as his nose wrinkled under the nose mask. The weariness of all the hours before kept him staggering, boots falling in too deep, nose itching to get the mask off, back aches from the load and cold fingers staring back at him as he led the way past this Iceland.

His head thrummed with a head ache. His fingers twitched, numbness flooding down their length. Heavy breaths escaped his mouth, the shallow notes of death singing dimly before being overshadowed by the blizzard. It seemed endless as everything began to blur. The white of his surroundings drew Darius in, the cold tantalizing in its call and pursuits. The flickering torchlight trailed to its left, bringing to a light a tiny indication of life that they hadn't seen for the few hours they'd ventured here. Footsteps.

Darius'eyes widened. Darius changed direction, turning as he followed through with the footsteps. The abrupt change caused the rope to go taut for a second.  Darius walked as fast as he could, yellow light casting against a rhythmic waltz of footsteps that graced the snow with tight leather marks. Darius exhaled, willing himself to fight against the urge to fall down, to give in to the snow covered floor.

After some minutes of walking through fits of disorientation, Darius finally found the footsteps end at a ramshackle cabin. Its four walls looked as though they would close in on themselves. The dingy cabin had a wooden stairwell that looked far more vintage than normal and having one too many breaks, a wrap around garden that splayed across a large expanse towards the cabin's right was filled with dead plants, icicles waiting at the weather's beck and call.

Darius refocused, strutting up the rickety stairs for the door. As soon as he reached it, it slid back on its hinges, revealing warm orange light. The eerie silence that hovered above this place didn't sit well with Darius. A wooden hallway was laid out in front of him, bearing rows of doors, three at each side. Opposite of him was another staircase, fenced with faintly rusted railings entrenched with tiny marks. Darius squinted at it, confused.

I thought it only had one floor.

His eyes scaled up to the ceiling which looked to be in very good condition, furnished with dimly colored tarps hanging around in bundles of reds and greens. A chandelier stood at the centre, strands of diamond rings emblazoned with deep inscriptions entwined with the candles that burned with hollow golden flames. Surprised by the good condition in which Darius found this cabin in, his concentration was only broken by a stumble.

One of his two companions, Vesper was sprawled on the floor. His long blonde curls were wet and damp, almost thinner than the voluminous ones that he prided before. His knapsack lay right beside him. Alarm immediately seeped into Darius' veins as he rushed to him, his footsteps muted against the dark wooden floor. Cast opposite Vesper was Cali breathing heavily, just as shaken as his other companions. Darius immediately drew on the leather rope before loosening the tied ends from around his waist, allowing the rope to fall to the floor before repeating the same process on his companions.