Splendor

Chapter 1: Into The Dark

*Reader's POV*

I wake up, with a huge hand gently shaking me. "Good morning, friend." I open my eyes and smile. Splendy looks down into my eyes, his huge grin still existent.  "Are you hungry?" We fly down some stairs which lead back to the room from last night. I see a huge plate filled with eggs, sausage, bacon, and waffles topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Gasping in joy, I run to the table and sit. Taking two steps towards me, he waves his hand above the plate and silverware appears. "Eat up, friend, for I have big plans for us." I wolf down my waffles and eggs, and as I eat my sausages and bacon, Splendy looks at me. "Do you like snowmen?" I stop my chewing, look at him, and nod no. "And why not?"

"They freak me out," I respond, "Their noses are too long and orange."

Thoughtfully, he responds, "What if they had no nose?" I look at him confused, my feasting continued. "What if we built the snowman to be how we like it, not how they're normally made?" I nod in agreement, and we stop conversing for a while. Finishing my plate, he says, "Come come, friend, for shall we begin."

"Begin what?" I say. He widens his smile.

"Our snowmen."

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{3 Hours Later}

I step back and examine our creations. Unable to see Splendy anywhere, I just focus on my snowman. What is missing, what is missing... Oh. I think. There is no head. I slowly roll up snow, and as I stand up to place it on, Splendy's head is on the snowman. "Well, I really like yours!" He says in his lightly British accent. He sticks his arms out from the sides. "It fits me perfectly!" I giggle as he waves his arms around, but this soon stops as we crackling nearby. Our heads turn in a flash as the noise grows louder, and our eyes stare at a tree's trunk, crunching and tilting farther and farther, as the snow weighs heavy on its branches. It comes tumbling down towards me, and I scream, clenching my eyes shut. I expect an impact from the tree to crush me, but I feel nothing. I slightly open my right eye lid, and I see Splendy's massive body in front of me. But something's off... His clothes are tattered and ripped, and his white gloves missing, showing grey, reptilian looking hands. But the weirdest thing of all, the tentacles stretching out from his back. The tree, grasped by his tentacles, is thrown across the forest until a THUD!  noise reaches my ears. I tremble, as Splendy's tentacles have orange bells at the bottom of each, showing snapping mouths, biting the air. I stumble backwards, and slip on the slick and snowy ground. The tentacles shrink into his back, and his overcoat slowly repairs itself. He replaces his gloves, then turns back around. His face shows an annoyed, frustrated attitude. "Apologies, friend, these trees have mites." His usual smile slowly grows back, and he looks at me confusedly. "Have you fallen?" He reaches his hand toward me, but I deny his help, terrified by what just happened. "It's ok. The big ol' mean tree is gone."

"W-what the hell... did you j-just turn into?" I stutter. He plays dumb.

"Why, I am unsure what you mean." I point at the location the tree was flung.

"You just had tentacles and they threw the tree across the forest."

"Oh! You mean my bells?" I hear a jingle, and Splendy snickers a little. "Yes, it is ok to come out now, bells." More than 20 orange bells attached to thin, black tentacles, shyly creep out from behind him, jingling and chiming. "These little guys are my friends." They all seem to nod in agreement, looking at Splendy.

"Y-you control them?" I shiver in the cold, and the bells freak me out.

"Why, no, they have minds of their own. And they're crazy strong. Isn't that right?" They all nod again.

"Friends... ok." Still scared, I take his hand and I get lifted up. I approach carefully, and one of the bells comes closer, jingling happily. I nervously put out my hand, and it rubs up against it, as if a cat that wanted scratching. "It's kinda cute..."

"Come, friend, let us do indoor activities now that our snowmen are finished."

"But my--" I glance at my snowman, and notice it's head now existent. "Huh. Alright." We reenter Splendy's warm, instantly comfortable cabin. I sit down at the table, and I see the rusty door again. Pointing at it, I question, "What is in there?"

Without even looking, he says, "Scary things. Unnecessary things." 

Curiosity peaking, I ask, "Can I see?"

He looks at me as if I did something stupid, "Why would you ever want to do that?" I shrug, and set my head down on the table. "Now, now, friend. Drink up. It'll help you sleep." He gives me hot chocolate, and I drink. The only thing on my mind as of right now is: I must see what behind that door. Why is it human sized instead of Splendy sized? So many questions, yet only way to find out. I drink only two cups of hot chocolate, then act as if I lazily fall asleep. Splendy carries me up the stairs and sets me on the bed, turning off the light of the room. When I can no longer sense his presence, I crawl out of the bed, and sneak downstairs. He is nowhere to be seen, so I approach the rusty door.

"What are you hiding, door?" I picklock the padlock using a bobby pin, and it pops open. I creak the door open, and the smell of rot rushes into my nostrils, making me tear up, and reminding me of sickness. Cautiously, I open the loud and squeaky door, and what I see terrifies me. My heart beats hard, like bombs going off in my chest. Ka-BOOM ka-BOOM ka-BOOM. Goose skin spreads on my arms and neck, and a large, reptilian hand is gently placed on my shoulder.

 A raspy, angry voice behind me says, "Why didn't you just listen?" And I am thrown into the room, the rusty door slamming shut behind me.