The Sound of Death

05

Aquamarine.

The color was so full and brilliant and choking. It filled me. Rolling through me in a hurry, through my bloodied nostrils and my ears and my violet tipped fingernails, slipping past the crevice like corners of my mouth and fell into the black hollowness inside my chest. The hole was an abyss, a goblet with no bottom, cursed with a thirst that even the bright water could not quench.

The water was clear, cruel and killing. I was drowning and breathing. I could feel yet un-feel. There was rage and panic and fear roiling through my veins, tumbling and rushing to be ahead of the other.

I thrashed against the strong currents flowing like death itself, tried to fight it and failed. I couldn't swim ashore. I was going to die. So soon. Too soon.

But another color intervened; dark, beautiful crimson blended with the peaceful hues of the color of the horizon. It stained the water around me, stained me, and yet, it didn't flow through me. I realized it was mine. My own blood was responding to the waking call of death. It continued to stain the sky flecked light of the water until I saw and breathed nothing but onyx.

Phantom hands swirled like a whirlpool, gripping my arms and legs and waist. It pulled me down further. I thrashed in its grip, but every attempt was fruitless; it tightened harder in response. It gave me a final, hard tug and then I jerked awake.

I took one large breath, letting the air fight against the constriction bubbling through my throat. Air to breathe, air to fight away the water. I was on land.

"Wake up, girl." The voice was cold, brutal just like the sweet wakening from my nightmare.

It was a nightmare.

I was not drowning.

I was not dead yet.

I let out a shuddering breath through my mouth and it clouded around me. My clothes were soaked from my own slick sweat that also dampened my face and palms.

A faint light slipped through the slightly ajar door of my cell, three fully white clad armed guards crammed inside it. With their seven feet something heights, bulky weight and every bulkier armaments, I wondered how they fitted in. One was crouched at my side, the one I assumed had woken me, and the other two stood on either sides of the door.

As if they knew what my next move would be.

He gave me a hard look before hurling me into a standing position. An involuntarily groan escaped from my throat at the sudden pain that exploded and spread through my quivering legs. If it was not for the guard's tight grip on my arm, I would've instantly melted to the floor and stayed a puddle of misery and weakness forever.

A low, warning growl emanated from the adjacent cell.

Despite the fancy weapons slung on their backs, the bulletproof vests beneath the pristine suits, and all the other weaponry concealed inside hidden pockets, I noted the stiffness in their once slouched shoulders, the fingers that gripped my arm too tight that it hurt.

"Lower your dramatics, monster," the guard holding me said in a low voice, "Unless you want to be our punching bag for the rest of your shitty life."

The other two companions sniggered.

Monster. Was that what he was?

The irrational part of my brain wanted to throttle the guard, or at least show a minute amount of anger. But I couldn't bring myself to even grit my teeth.

He dragged me out of the cell, holding me with a ten centimeter gap that oozed with disgust and scorn.

The corridors were poorly lit, with no more than a few grey lights fitted on the high ceilings every meter away. The walls were sturdy, ugly, and stained the color of dust and everything dull. From across it came various noises and growls that sent shivers oscillating up and down my spine. The low, hissing voices whispered to me of things I didn't want to imagine, much less see, and their mocking invitations as we passed their cells made me loose and taut all at once. It seemed that the human companionship down here was quite reduced. If the guards mirrored my fear, they put up a good job in not showing it. Or perhaps they had been down here too long to give a care about it.