Seasons of Ferne, Colors of the Fall

Questions in the dark

Darkness and pain were her only companions as she awoke with a deep, desperate breath. For several moments her mind struggled to pull itself from the thick fog of dreamless sleep while her body cried out in agony. Her arms and legs were contorted behind her back, held fast with thick, rough bindings. The unseen floor beneath felt warm, alive somehow. Yet also hard and unmerciful, its unyielding touch only adding to the pain of her already screaming joints. The air was warm and sweet against her tongue, but also stagnant. Its lack of circulation caused her struggling body to heat up quickly, brining droplets of stinging sweat down the side of her face and into her eyes

"Hello?"

She received no answer. Her own voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper in the dark. A darkness that engulfed her body and senses as completely as death's shroud. She tried to kick out with her legs, tried to pull her wrists free of the restraints, but the more she struggled against their grip the tighter they became, until at last the pain became unbearable. The moment she stopped struggling the bindings ceased their movement, loosening just enough to allow blood to flow once more into her hands and feet.

Mind still in a fog, she allowed her body what little rest it could get. Somehow she had to figure this out, had to fight against the panic building in her chest like a bomb ready to explode. At the moment she had no memory of who she was or what had happened to bring her to a place where she was bound in darkness. Underneath her body she felt the sensation of movement, as if she were being carried, but that was all.

A groan escaped her lips as a fresh wave of pain emanated from her burning shoulders. She did what she could to swallow the pain, blinking a salty mixture of sweat and tears from her eyes. Looking around, she desperately searched for even the smallest trace of light or hint of her surroundings. She found nothing. No light; and no sound save for her own rapid breathing and the pounding of her heart.

"Somebody help me please!" she cried out, voice breaking.

"Silence, child. Do you desire to have the tongue cut from your mouth?"

The question was barely audible, no more than a hiss in the dark, but it was enough. For an instant the pain in her body vanished as hope and gratitude filled her chest. She wasn't alone. "Who are you? Where are you? Where are we? Why can't I see anything?"

The questions came out as a flurry of words, earning a soft chuckle from her invisible companion. A moment later a mechanical hiss filled the air, accompanied by dull thud of metal on wood as the creature moved closer. Although it was far too dark for her to make out its shape, she could smell it as it dropped heavily to the floor beside her, a strange mixture of smoke, metal, and grease. Between shallow breaths she could hear a faint hissing, like steam escaping a tiny tea kettle. After what felt like an eternity the creature let out a small sigh and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"I'm took, child. Just as you. We be on our way to her home, or what lies beneath her home. Have you memory child?"

She groaned at the tightening of her bindings as she tried to slide her body closer to the voice. "No, I can't remember anything. Who's home are we going to, and why can't I see you?"

"Her home. Only home we can be took to. 'Tis a spell, child. Light as fog, black as scholar's ink. But I see through, yes. I see you clear as a jewel in water. No memory, blessing. Far worse memory returns. Body pain goes away, but heart pain a much deeper cut. Pretty thing. Bath houses. 'Tis a blessing, child. Far better the bath houses than the mines."

"Can you get me out of these? Please?" her voice cracked again as she fought back terror and tears, but the voice held sympathy for her and she had to take a chance.