Turpentine & Vetiver

8. Void Vision -the oldest & strongest fear is fear of the unknown-Lovecraft

   The daunting realization that the Red Void was indeed making itself present, combined with his sense of self-preservation and spatial awareness, made Thorn want to run. However- something in the back of his mind forced him to stay- he couldn't very well leave Inky to battle the demons alone. The dense atmospheric pressure felt immensely unstable, and a thick, red rain had started to fall from the gaping maw in the sky. He watched as Inky staggered upright, eyes open but unaware of his presence, seeing nothing except the calamity surrounding them. Unwillingly, it was as if the two of them were cast into their own personal hell.
   Inky looked simultaneously terrified and dissociative, a look of shock and denial frozen on her features. She looked impossibly pale; eyes glassy, lifeless. The figure of the abomination floated maliciously beyond the deep rend in reality, and Thorn heard a sound like splintering bone, buzzing of thousands of vicious, mandibled insects chewing and forcing their way through flesh. He heard a scream, and turned towards Inky. She looked to be on the precipice of insanity, and he wanted to make this whole thing end. Her pale hands were shaking in sheer terror as she reached toward the thick, red curtain- decaying velvet crumbling to dust beneath her fingertips. Thorn wished that he'd never seen the aberrations that lurked beyond this decrepit veil- all forms of depravities and monstrous entities were visible, chaos on full display.
   He helplessly watched as Inky stared into the void, covered in the red rain that fell from the sky at an alarming rate. Just the sight of these figures was equivalent to a violation, a desecration of sorts. This was the most appalling version of the Red Void he'd witnessed thus far- the beings within almost humanoid until further inspection. Inky was frozen in a state of delirium, tears running down her face, eyes fixed on the grotesque carnage in front of her. I have to do something- she has no idea that this is real, he thought in desperation.
   A tentacle-like appendage came writhing out from the red haze, covered in eyes that blinked at her; leering and ponderous. Thorn was absolutely disgusted, and watched as Inky forced her eyes away from the beast, only to encounter a limbless torso that levitated through the choking red air with a vile, predatory deliberation. Its demented facade was repulsive to behold, a vulgar abomination that defied the laws of nature. It opened its mouth, spewing black sludge that reeked of putrid decay, and Inky screamed back at it in defiance. "Is this what I have created? I will destroy it- I will destroy you ALL!" Her focused rage was exquisite to witness, and Thorn stared at her, taken aback. You want to destroy them- yet I am destruction. Is it possible that we truly do need each other, to rid the world of the Red Void's very existence?
   The ground tilted violently sideways, shifting like continental plates in an earthquake, and Thorn saw the revolting creatures disappear as they were abruptly sucked back into the void. Inky fell backwards to the ground, scraping both hands on the rough concrete. The crushing pressure around them was similar to being trapped in an underwater cave, intensely claustrophobic and unrelenting. The Red Void was slowly sealing itself shut, and Thorn saw Inky staring at her ink-stained hands, sitting on the ground, a single black feather stuck to her face from her own tears. She looked so alone, utterly terrified, and Thorn slowly walked over to her, staring down at her. Inky's eyes were closed again, and her entire body was trembling in fear.
   He reached down slowly, fingers barely brushing against her wrist. Inky- I want to help you. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. She did not react to his touch, and her skin felt cold beneath his hand. Carefully, Thorn wrapped his fingers around her wrist, trying to anchor her to reality- as she seemed to be on the verge of complete loss of mental function. Perhaps she wasn't even aware that this was reality- and was locked in her own head, in a state of brutal denial. Wake up, Inky... Then, she abruptly stared up at him, meeting his eyes briefly, shock and disbelief etched on her features. Her grey eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, staring wildly at nothing in particular. Then she froze in an almost-paralyzed state, eyes blinking to adjust to reality again. Her eyes stared back at him cautiously, searching for signs of recognition.
   Thorn thought that she seemed panicked, and slowly let go of her wrist, not wanting her to feel trapped or frightened, despite their terrible circumstances. This was definitely not how I planned for us to meet, he thought calmly. He saw Inky glance at the bloodstains on his clothes, noticing her shiver slightly in fear. He didn't quite know what to say that wouldn't make him sound insane, so he looked back into her grey eyes, searching her expression. "Where were you? It looked like a bad dream- but where did you go?" Thorn stared at her; trying to remain calm, reassuring, and most importantly- non-threatening. He tried to speak quietly, not wanting to startle her, traumatizing her further.
   She shook her head in confusion, averting her eyes, staring at the concrete floor for a few minutes. Thorn couldn't quite tell how she was feeling- she was hard to read, and the only emotion he sensed was the fear coming off of her in waves; fear that was tangible- almost visible. He didn't want her to fear him as well, especially since their Red Void experience had been shared this time- somehow intimate despite its dark circumstances. He tried not to stare at her too long, but even in her fear and panic, with ink and tears marking her face, Thorn still found her quite beautiful. In fact, this was the closest he'd been to her- being in her presence was strangely intoxicating, and it took all of his willpower to look away.
   Damn you, he told himself, mentally fighting the urge to touch her again. Stop being a creep- you have to help her now, especially in this vulnerable state. He stared down at the hand that had been holding her wrist, still feeling the imprint of her skin against his, the blood he felt rushing through her veins. He watched as Inky stood up tentatively, walking to the edge of the railing, looking out at the city lights below. Thorn slowly stood up from his awkward crouched position, walking towards her quietly. She turned her gaze back to him, hesitantly making eye contact.
   "What do you want?" she questioned in a sad, defeated tone. He just stared back at her wordlessly at first, collecting his disorganized thoughts. "I know how to stop them," he replied quietly, voice serious and solemn. Inky regarded him in confusion, a look of bewilderment in her grey eyes. "I think I need to leave," she said softly, staring down at her feet. "I can't go back home right now, but I can't stay up here in this damn loft forever." She turned away from Thorn, and he watched as she attempted to remove herself from the situation- though he desperately wanted to help her. She began to climb down the rusty fire escape ladder, and Thorn couldn't stand to watch her leave, especially in this fragile state of mind.
   Anything terrible could happen to her, and after all- if she wasn't going back to her apartment- where the hell did she plan to go? You can come stay with me tonight, he thought. I won't try anything- I'll even stay awake to make sure nothing happens to you, I'll stay awake and talk to you if that's what you need... Thorn stared down the ladder; she'd already made it halfway down the side of the brick building. "Inky- wait! Where are you going?" he called after her, suddenly realizing he'd made a mistake by using her name. Fuck. We were never properly introduced. Now I've ruined everything and she'll never want to see me again, he thought in despair.
   Inky froze on the ladder, eyes wide and staring up at him, one foot hanging off the rung of the ladder. Thorn prayed that she wouldn't slip and fall- from this height, a fall would most likely prove fatal. "How do you know my name?" she whispered, an expression of renewed fear in her eyes. She quickly scrambled down the ladder, not bothering to wait for his explanation. Thorn thought for sure she was going to hurt herself, she wasn't thinking straight, wasn't aware of her surroundings. If anything were to happen to you- I'd never forgive myself, he thought, watching as she neared the ground below.
   With no further hesitation, Thorn followed her down the ladder, again cursing himself for wearing this damn suit- it was not exactly the best attire for making a hasty exit, but he had no other option. I didn't expect you to run away from me- why did I have to screw things up so royally? All I want is to help you, make you feel safe around me. He awkwardly scaled down the ladder, flakes of rust embedding themselves in his hands uncomfortably as he descended after her. Inky reached the pavement below, and without sparing him a backward glance, began to run quickly towards the docks. Thorn was worried that she would injure herself in the shipyard at night- his mind filling with terrible visions of what could happen to her at night; all the dreadful possibilities.
   He hoped that the Red Void was done tormenting them for the time being; but there could be other sinister figures lurking near the dark waters, predatory things that tried to pass themselves off as human beings, as he did. Inky was an incredibly fast runner, and Thorn didn't want to lose sight of her- as she could end up anywhere at the pace she was going. He dropped the remaining several feet to the pavement, stumbling a bit, quickly scanning the street for Inky's departing figure. She had nearly made it all the way down the street, and Thorn ran after her, following her down to the shipyard docks. The strong salt air assaulted his senses- rotting seaweed, decaying marine life that had been pickled in brine and cooked in the sun all day. Thorn ignored the rotting aquatic aroma, and followed Inky as she ran through the shipyard, continuing his pursuit.
   He knew that she was aware of his presence, as she looked behind her in panic, face flushed from the exertion of running. She leaped over the thick nautical rope barrier, falling awkwardly in the sand, getting up again and resuming her rapid escape. Thorn could sense she was running out of energy, she might have possibly injured herself during her fall. He didn't want to have to chase her like this, it felt wrong. I don't intend on hurting you, dammit- please stop running from me, Inky. Thorn watched as she ran down the dark beach, splashing through the mossy tidal pools, boots crunching through seashells and broken glass debris.
   The ocean was as black as the skies overhead, the moonlight illuminating the pillars of driftwood and rock; nature's obelisks. He was sure that Inky couldn't see him through the darkness, and followed her quietly, stepping out onto the wet, sandy beach. The cold ocean breeze stirred the air around him, coming from the East. He observed her looking around the beach, trying to see if he'd followed her out here, which indeed, he had. Thorn waited for her patiently, hidden in darkness.