There's The Cat and Then There's Me [boyxboy]

Chapter Twenty-Three: When The World Faded To Black

Rolling, churning, tumbling, and falling helplessly into the deepest, darkest pit of nothingness I had ever experienced. There was no up or down, no noise, even the invisible ringing of silence was gone. It was just like being underwater, a stuffy feeling packing around my ears with no space for anything else. Panic roiled in waves and vivid curls inside my stomach as I felt myself drifting further away. Where was I? Where was this, this endless void? The darkness was so stifling and intrusive, every limb, every tiny millimetre of my being encased in the choking nothingness. I was helpless, completely and utterly still as my muscles felt like loose flabby tentacles that had ceased to function. It seemed to carry me, dragging me under, forcing me to stay away from any glimmer of hope of revival. Help! My mind screamed futilely. Someone… anyone… help me! The blackness seemed to press further, curving perfectly to my body, sinking into every pore. I didn’t feel as if I was breathing; only thick and inky black swallowed me, completely immersing me in its depths.

I was lost.

Am I dead? Is this death?

It can’t be… I’m still breathing… I think. I’m still thinking,

I could feel the satin silk of the blackness sliding smoothly over my fingertips, ensuring me I was in fact still alive. At least that was something. Rolling over my body in lulling waves and eddies the silence caressed my naked limbs with an ease that sent shivers of nervousness across my ‘body’. I couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear anything but still felt a stuffy sensation in my ears. The only assurance that I was even able to sense anything was the metallic taste on my tongue. Why was I here? What the hell was this place? Had something happened to me… something bad? I didn’t remember… only immeasurable pain, pain that crushed me from every angle, pinning me down only to twist and knife it’s way though every sane thought and every drop of blood bleeding through my veins; then this… nothingness. I didn’t know how long it had been, days, weeks, months… years? I was merely trapped in this dire excuse for existence, craving release, tears refusing to cast themselves from blind eyes. I wasn’t even sure if I was still sane… was this some trick my own mind was playing? Am I trapped inside my own head? Is this finally what has happened, I really have gone crazy? I wouldn’t doubt it.

I didn’t want this! I didn’t want to be stuck here like this, forced into an existence that could barely be classified as life, if it’s even what this was. I had no idea anymore…

Something suddenly glimmered in the distance… a tiny spark, like a glint of a mirror reflecting sunlight. Hey! Hey is somebody there? Hello! Can you hear me? My voice refused to work, lax muscles merely drifting hopelessly. As soon as it appeared it went, I almost thought imagining it, until it happened again, bigger, brighter. HELLO! Accel? Ace is that you? Someone tell me where I am! God, please! Please! Help me! HELLO! There has to be someone there… HAS to…I can’t be dead… I can’t be alone! It’s not fair… it’s not right…

 I’M NOT GOING TO DIE!

Blinding light speared through the shadows until they shrivelled and whirled in a panic to escape, smoky wisps thriving in desperation as they burned before my new found sight. Feeling returned to me, the black tendrils releasing me like they had been scorched with fire as light touched them. Breath slammed into my chest and I gasped, crying out in indescribable agony when pain tore through every cell in my being. I couldn’t think straight, could barely even focus on what I should be feeling; shocked, angry, hurt? The knifing pain was so overwhelming. Staining the bleach white, clouding it similar to coloured dye unfolding through water, a smoky element wisping the edges, deep scarlet slowly blossomed in front of my suddenly sharpened vision. The pain intensified, narrowing to a screaming burn on the right side of my chest. Glancing downwards with a strangled cry I watched as an invisible hand carved a rough line over my chest.