Where The Sleeping Mind Wanders

1- Completed- Running

        We were running. Everything seemed larger than life, unrealistically clear and bright. We kept running, even as our chests ached and breathing seemed impossible. Clothes sticking to our skin like glue from sweat. I don't know how long we'd been running, seems like it had been a while though. I remember looking at the people around me as our feet hit the pavement, then I remember looking at the person pulling me a long. They were just so damned determined to get us all away from whatever we were fleeing from. Whenever they looked back there was a determination on their face, but also panic, it filled their eyes. We didn't want to admit it, but I knew we were both aware of a look of hopelessness in our eyes as well. We'd been running so long. How much longer could we run? Everything bright and sharp detailed like a stones edge, my chest ached like I'd received a punch to the gut and fire was being fed to my lungs. The air hot, light bright, made my eyes burn as the light reflected off the pavement.

        The pavement, it was the most normal thing, the most untarnished. The buildings we ran past were ruined, raized. From fire or creature, they all looked the same, desolate and unforgiving or merciful to our running and plights. I hated those buildings. I wanted to get away but I also wanted to stop and hide in one, stop running, stop dying. All this running made me feel close to death, it's a bad way to explain how I felt, but the most accurate, for I had never felt closer to the shadowed Lord. The pavement stones were cracked, weeds crawling and trying to cover them in some places. They were worn and green in some spots. My brain wondered why, but my brain also screamed to run. Run damnit, run! I remember they looked back at me one last time before looking forward and we were wading through a small river. The water was muddy and murky and greenish brown. We didn't even have to disturb the ground for it to turn into that disgusting color. We lost some of our own in the water. I don't know how many, I just know they're gone. When I looked back after crawling out of the water our numbers were less, I'm not sure what we'd lost them to but if it was the water I was relieved to be free from it.

        We'd cleared the town, cleared the river and everything in our path as we ran. Only ever stopping briefly, never longer than necessary. If we slept we were on guard, and was never as restful as we needed. So day by day we got slower. It wasn't til we thought we were far enough and stumbling in front of a house by a river that we finally stopped. My brain screamed to keep going but my body overruled my mind, exhausted, starving. We stared at the door, our numbers having dwindled to almost zero. Five, our number was five. We should have left then. The person that opened the door was a short stout man, his smile made my stomach turn even worse than it already was doing. He welcomed us in, fed us, let us rest and sleep. He had this... aura to him, it was unnerving. I told our leader, the one who'd pulled me along when hopelessness filled my eyes and he refused to let it take hold, what I saw and felt. He took it to heart, told the man our group would be leaving. The group was used to this, getting up and leaving, but not with civilized people. They didn't like any of this, naturally, they were still human, still had their humanity and civility, common sense and sense of respect. But they didn't question him, or me, I'd been the one who'd gotten us to all run in the beginning, he'd just been the one to take lead. He told the strange man we'd be leaving, and the man offered a smile, that smile that was so unnerving. So deceptively kind. He told us we couldn't leave, not when we'd taken sustenance and rest. He said he was supposed to be given something for his kindness, but we had nothing to give. He laughed, it was a normal laugh in sound but in body, from his body, it was cruel, mocking. 

        "What did we have to offer?" I asked, he laughed for a brief moment longer before looking to me. He told us that by eating and sleeping here that we had much to offer but that he would take nothing. One of our group started cursing and headed for the door, it was dark out, when had it gotten so dark? His hand reached out and turned the door handle, but the second his foot stepped outside, and shadowy figure wrapped around him, enveloped him, and he was gone. Four, there was four of us. Me, the leader and two others. Our leader grew angry, demanding to know why we couldn't leave. The man just smiled and said that it was because we had partaken in hosted food, by doing that we the owed the man. He wouldn't take, he repeated, but we couldn't leave, and now we knew what would happen if we tried. I called him a liar, and there was a shrill cry. I turned and saw a shadow envelope another of our group. The man said they didn't take kindly to insults, especially from guests. I was quiet after that. Who was they? Him and the shadow at the door? I didn't trust my tongue to not disobey me. What were we to do now? We couldn't leave. Our leader had another idea it seemed. We pulled me towards the door. I wanted to go but also didn't want to all at the same time. He asked if I trusted him and I nodded, I had done so, so far. He smiled and stepped through the open door. Still smiling even as he was pulled into a black abyss and I with him. I would think this would be death. Death greeting us with arms open.