Don't Get Away From Me

72|To Stay

[Edgar's pov]

"How do we get in the unlocked realm?"

The old woman smiled gently, "Would you mind passing the necklaces to me?"

Colette and I handed the necklaces to her and she put them on the grass. Her realm just made the whole thing more magical. I couldn't quite tell what she was mumbling, so I'd guess she's just casting a spell or something. After that, she put her hands in water to hold some of it, and splashed them onto the necklaces. The funny thing was that neither of them got wet. Instead, it kinda...sank in? The gems somehow absorbed the water.

"Now, take them." She said.

I saw Colette nodding, and we grabbed our necklaces.

"Good luck, young man."

It felt like I was losing my oxygen, and loud sound ringing in my ear. Before I could realize what happened, something knocked me on the head and I lost consciousness.

[Colette's pov]

I had no idea what time was it when I was awaken.

"Uhh...it's a bad fall, Ed...Ed? Edgar?" I looked around, and couldn't spot a single person here. I guess we were in the so-called "realm" now, but...? Did it mean the challenge had started already?

"Edgar?"

I started walking around. The ground was a bunch of broken stones. The sky was painted in dark red and I could smell some horrible scent, kinda like, a mixture of running-nose and spoiled milk. Ew, I guess it really understands what I hate. But um, I don't even know what I hate the most all my life? A sudden wind blew right into my face, and I sneezed immediately. Pinky promise I won't be sick when I leave here? "Well it's colder than I expect..."

As I walked a little further, all I could hear was still complete dreadful silence. The sound of my boots knocking on the floor was crystal clear. Somehow I felt like my forehead was burning up. Don't tell me... it just kept getting worse. I stopped to check my temperate as I put a hand onto my forehead. "Oh my. I'm burning up real bad." Is it over?

I know that the nightmares we were facing would be happening separately, but I didn't expect that Edgar actually would never appear. It's getting my nerves so well.

I stared at the ground nervously as I started hearing some weird noises around the empty place. Heavy breathing sound and crow screaming...wow, this unlocked realm is definitely tailor-made for me. I wanna throw up. I've never been feeling so unwell for a while.

Bang.

"Ouch! Uh...?" I looked up, and saw a wooden house. It looked pretty small, but perfect as a haunted house. Looking around, "What is happening..." thinking out loud, I looked around a little bit wider and...

"SERIOUSLY?" I couldn't help screaming as I saw bazillion flying cockroaches flying right to me. No no no no no it's so awful! It might be weird for me to say it, but yes, even me, I hate cockroaches! I put my eyes on the house again, and well, there wasn't a single window, so if I get in, no cockroaches would follow me.

They're getting closer.

Should I uh...get in? Run? Fight against them or-

Eeeeeek.

No way...

They bite.

"It's NOT cockroaches!" My breath got heavier and I immediately twisted the door knob.

Running inside, I slammed the door shut. All the noises disappeared and I couldn't see any more insect. Good...whew... Looking at my arm, I realized I was bleeding. Who in the world would believe it if I said I was bitten and bleeding because of a cockroach?