The Early Hours

FORMING THREADS

"I was not hurt, my Void. The pain following was phantom, I had no actual nerves to feel the difference. It was just me, my ghost of a body, and my heavy head, for as long as I have lived. You are not the only one unable to comprehend me." Whisper assured them softly.

"Do you have any idea where it could be? If we can get it back?" He asked her.

Whisper chuckled, though the sound was weird to Void's ears. It was like a murmur, a different frequency from the sound itself, like it didn't belong.

"My body is long gone, torn to bits by the monsters it was fed to."

Void's eyebrows went high, "Is that how you became..."

"An Eater? No, that was another matter, I'm afraid. I will say, even I don't understand most of my existence. But I do not wish to talk about myself anymore... Before I was found by you, there was a different leader, a nameless spirit whom we all called the Abyss. What happened to it? And yourself? You do not smell like a born monster."

Void fixed his shocked face, an uncertain smile on its lips, "You'd probably not believe my tale either."

"There is no harm in telling," Whisper shrugged.

"Before I do, I must ask...how did you wind up in that town?"

Whisper looked reluctant to share.

"I won't ask anything more of your story after this." Void swore to her.

The monster thought it over for a bit, "I did just say I didn't wish to talk about myself anymore."

"Yes, I know, but there is just so much to understand about you. I would like to know how I'm supposed to be stronger than you, but you were almost able to eat me. Maybe this story can tell us?"

It wouldn't. She knew he simply wanted more of her background, perhaps happy to have someone to talk to after so long. In fact, that was the weakest argument Whisper had heard to get information from someone.

Nonetheless, she began, "I was traveling a lot in different realms, in search of a body, and a way to control myself. That town was not there when I arrived. Maybe a few struggling buildings, but nothing like it was when you arrived. At the time, no one saw me. I am made of shadows, the light in the sky hid me away when the Day Cycle came. At night I was a passing wind, still. Humans passed through so often, those who were awake during the Night Cycle never questioned my presence. By this point, I thought I had learned to control my strange hunger. I thought I knew all of the secrets to myself. I knew for certain that I had an appetite for weaker souls, as in some Moons, I cannot even feel the urges. I felt the less interaction I had with these souls, the safer it would be.

For a while, it seemed to work. Without a body, I didn't feel the pangs of hunger, only the thought of consuming. So, when I figured I'd finally controlled the thoughts, I befriended humans who were usually awake during the Night Cycle. This seemed like a logical decision to me.

I can't remember how exactly it happened...I just know one moment, I was learning human songs and laughing with them. The next...I was restrained by my cloak on the same old wall we'd all been by. All of them were angry and shouting at me, 'Give them back!' I was beaten in my head viciously. I guess in an act of self preservation, I'd reacted, swallowed all that were in front of me.

With further-away-witnesses seeing what I'd done, they kept me in that space, and built their growing community around me. They'd feed people to me during the night, when the shadows hid their crime. Outlaws, victims, debtors, they faced my growing shadowed space and never returned to the light. I felt awful. I think at some point, I became numb to it. It didn't matter who I was eating, as long as I was fed. But I never was full.