Through The Veil Of Dreams

Chapter 1

It started with a dream. Well, more of a nightmare, really. You see, I was trapped. I can't remember my name at this point, I just knew I was human, and I was in, way over my head. So anyway, I was blindfolded and tied to a chair. It was extremely hot, and I could hear screams continue on and on in the distance. The smell of burning flesh and sulphur permeated the area, and it was hard to breathe. I then heard a voice, though it wasn't with my ears. It was in my mind. "What are you? It asked. It kept asking me this over and over, and I'd give the same response every time. "I don't know what you mean!" Eventually, whatever kept on asking me got fed up with the answer and smacked me hard, into the floor.

When I fell, my hand erupted in pain. I felt at the source, and a jagged rock had pierced my skin. It felt odd though. It was smooth and limber for the most part, but jagged on one side, kind of like it was snapped. With difficulty, I pulled it from my hand, and started sawing at my bindings. After sawing for a few minutes, I cut through my bindings, and freed my wrists. I pulled my blindfold off, and stopped. The area was lit with braziers, bones and bloods splatters on the floor. I looked to my hand, the "rock" I had used to cut my bindings was a shattered bone shard. I grabbed a torch, and opened the door on the far side of the room, opening to a long, dark hallway.

As I was walking, I saw someone up ahead. I started calling to them, then stopped as I noticed the oddities. This... Thing was a pale, sickly shade of blue, with purple veins crossing it's head. It's limbs we're long and spindly, and as it turned, I saw its face. Where there should have been a jaw was a mass of writhing tentacles, it's eyes, large and bulbous, the coloring pitch black. Hatred was gleaming from them. Then I heard the voice in my mind again. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING FREE?!?!" As it said this, a piercing sound started going off in my skull, forcing me to drop, holding my ears in agony. The beast started walking towards me, and bent down to grab me. As it did so, I pulled it's arm down, and jammed the fire from the torch into it eye, and the sound stopped, replaced with agonized screeching coming from the creature. It stayed down, holding the charred remains of it's ruined eye, as I got up and darted down the hall, into the darkness.

After running for a while, I finally found where I could leave, and stood shocked as I opened the door. I really was in Hell. Fire burned in the distance, Ash blew on the wind. Pillars of glowing hot magma fell from the sky, and screams could be heard from everywhere. As I look around in fear, I hear a kind, raspy voice behind me. "Hello, young man." When I turn to see who spoke to me, I was surprised to see an elderly gentleman carrying a birch staff and wearing a white robe with black trim. "You don't really belong here, do you?" I look back guarded, and respond. "I don't know where 'here' is, sir. I am guessing it is very inhospitable though." The man laughs heartily, and smiles. "A partial truth, young man. It indeed not hospitable,at least not to our kind. Would you like to leave this area?" I look up, surprised to hear this from the ancient man in front of me. "How would you be able to help me, sir? No offense, but you are ancient and look severely disabled." The old man nods softly, and offers out and old, gnarled hand. "I can take you to a safer place, child. Allow me to do so, and to fund you for the journey home." I hesitantly take his hand, and he looks to me. "If you value your life, don't let go." Then we disappeared.