dawn of ancient fire

Chapter 7

Marlowe couldn't tell where she was. The world around her was blanketed in a dark haze, she rubbed at her eyes hoping to clear her vision. Her head still hurt and her vision still swam. Slowly she stood and began to walk, Slowly the haze faded revealing a lush, damp forest. In the distance a pond stood surrounded by aspen trees, the bark peeling away and rotting on the ground. She could hear faint sounds in the distance, the steady plink plink plink of water falling off leaves into the pond, a rustle through the underbrush, the distant caw of a crow. She could smell the decomposing foliage on the wet dirt and the cool breeze that shifted the leaves in the trees. The sounds faded as she moved, they seemed to switch directions, trailing behind her. She tried to call out for cadoc or Ryuu, only to feel a lump form in her stomach, moving into her chest and up into her throat, cutting off her voice, slowly cutting off her airways. She began to panic in earnest, began running as fast as her legs could take her toward the lake, thinking to wash down the lump that was choking her with the still water. She pushed and pushed until she could no longer breathe and her legs gave out, she looked around and found she was no closer to the lake then when she started. She grabbed and scratched at her throat, ready to claw the thing out of her body if need be, blood dribbled down her throat, soaking the white cotton shirt she wore, dripping onto the leather of her pants. Her hands grew sticky with gore, she didn't care, all she could think about was getting rid of the horrible mass keeping her from taking in a breath. She hit tendons and sinews and cartilage before she stopped, flinging herself to her hand and knees and began to crawl. It felt like years of crawling before her fingertips hit water. Relief flooded through her, choking out a wet sob she lowered her head, A bitter cold set into her body the second her lips hit the surface, chilling her to the bone but pressure in her throat disappeared. Submerging her head into the water and opening her eyes, she watched as droplets of her blood mixed into the water, swirling and mixing in long tendrils.The pool was deeper than it appeared from the surface, no tapering to indicate a shore, just a rocky drop into black inky water. She tore her eyes from the blood in the water, focusing on the black depth in front of her.she kept her head under, scared of the pressure returning, until she felt sure it wouldn't. She attempted to lift her head and felt fingers trail up her torso and grip the sides of her face. bright yellow eyes opened before her, a face came into clarity, sunken in and skeletal, its mottled purple skin blended with the shadows in the water, tattered bits of fabric swirled around the creature, bits of flesh hung from its limbs. She was held in place by this creature and would likely drown as it dragged her to the bottom, but in that moment she felt calm, as if the beast that had her in its grasp was numbing her fear. Slowly, so slowly, it raised its head to hers, placing its forehead on hers. It moved its mouth to place a kiss on her forehead. She could feel its teeth through the skin of its lips, sharp and jagged, meant to latch on and tear. She felt the spot on her forehead grow warm, it released its grip, allowing her to pull from the water, following her through the surface. She leaned back on her heels and watched the thing emerge, a strange film stayed over its skin, like the surface tension of the water refused to break and release the creature, choosing instead to create a second shimmery skin over its body. It rose until it was nearly floating above the surface, reaching forward a hand for her to take. She stared at the creature, it stayed on the surface, marlowe couldn't help thinking it looked like the depictions of the dark god she'd seen in religious texts in the temple in kavan. When she didn't take its hand, the creature lunged, grabbing her ravaged throat and threw her into the center of the pond. She sank quickly, invisible weights were tied to her limbs, the sound of rushing water filled her ears and bubbles rushed past. Her back hit the bottom before she could orient herself enough to fight toward the surface that seemed like a tiny pin prick in the vast darkness. More boney fingers probed at her mouth, wriggling their way between her lips as her mouth was wrenched open, water rushed in filling her lungs, smothering any air in her body. She tried to scream, tried to get away. She felt the hands on her ankles and wrists and shoulders,Keeping her pinned in place. She thrashed and tore and fought but her limbs quickly grew too weak to fight, she could feel the life leaving her body. Right before she allowed the darkness to take her, she felt jagged flesh tearing teeth behind thin lips press to her forehead as something in her chest exploded in fire.