"Etana, I want you to know, after everything that you, your mom, and I have been through, we will still be here. We will always be here, but we can't help your future. This man promises that he will take care of you and make sure that your dreams are realized. We know you may not understand know, or even in the future, but we want you to know that we are doing this for you. They promised to take care of your mom's illness the best they can in return for you as well. We love you, so much Etana."
All around, the lights flashing rapidly and screams are heard throughout the facility as the two gods crash up the unending amount of floors. Both Atol and Etana still reeling from the experience during the experiment. As they start to process the situation, the ceilings of their rooms begin cracking, and falling apart.
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"Both watched in dread, as everything crashed down around them, but it wouldn't be their end."
"Of course, we would not allow it."
"And for the first time, both of their auras appear."
"So it would seem as if it's time..."
"For our game~"
"To begin."
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Constant ringing goes through her ears, making her feel like her head will split into two at any given moment. Pitch black darkness being the only thing she can see. 'I don't know what is going on... I'm so scared..' terrified, longing to go back to her mom and dad... "MOM!!.... DAD!!!", Etana cries out, seemingly trapped under the fallen rubble. She reaches her hand out, trying to grab ahold onto something, anything.
Tears begin to fall down her face, and as they do, she feels this sensation. This tingling sensation throughout her body. The pain she felt throughout her lower half of her body before, begins to fade away, as well as the ringing. Everything feels lighter, as she gains the ability to somehow stand even with the rubble that was on top of her. She begins to feel her surroundings, the rubble that was once on her, was pushed to the side. However she realizes that she heard no noise or felt nothing pull it off of her. Confused, she fumbles her way out the broken apart room, and into the second corridor. The corridor's lights only partially worked, yet still worked enough to allow her to find the emergency flight of stairs that she remembered passing throughout her time in the facility.
Making her way to the fourth floor of the facility, she notices where the medical wing was once before, was now a gapping hole, spreading to the very top of the facility. She continues making her way upward to reach the first floor. As she goes up, she notices the amount of death that this event left behind. "So many bodies... lifelessly laying there..." she mumbles to herself. She covers her hand over her mouth as she gags from the amount organs and blood that was everywhere. She quickly makes her way past the bodies and to the exit elevator, but stops as she realizes that it needs an access card. She slowly makes her way over to someone, anxiously going through the pockets of their blood stained uniform. "Yes! I found one!" She exclaims as she pulls the card out of one of the pockets.
More tears stream down her face as the sudden realization of how much pain seeing those lifeless bodies hit Etana mentally. She stands up and runs over to the elevator once more, as she finally makes her way out of the horrible place.
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Darkness, that pitch black darkness that he seen before when he was inside The Blight. He can't move but he hears the voice of his brother, telling him to "Get up..." repeatedly. He notices the voice that belongs to his brother fade away, fading into another voice. Comforting to assertive.
"Get. Up." "GET UP ATOL."
He shoots up, hearing those words ring throughout his head over and over. He looks down at himself, noticing he has injuries than he didn't seem to notice originally, just having a few scratches and cuts. He proceeds to fully get up, hearing this assertive voice that he doesn't seem to recognize but at the same time sounds so familiar to him. The voice than telling him to "Escape."
He manages to make it to the third corridor, before nearly collapsing and beginning to receive flashbacks from the experiment. That constant ringing of a voice in his head. That outline of a person he seen, next to another. Reality comes crashing back down on Atol, when cement comes crashing down from the ceiling. He begins to make his way to the emergency flight of stairs, slowly from the pain in his legs. Atol, however, can't feel the pain of his legs, just the fatigue and the weight of his body.
He finally makes it to the 6th floor, arriving to one of the medical wings of the facility. After digging through some drawers and cabinets, he covers his scratches and cuts to the best of his ability, a bit messy, but he couldn't do much. He slowly makes his way around the corridor, going through more cabinets and drawers along the way. He grabs a flashlight and an old survival book. He also grabs a pocket knife he found on floor, it looked as if it fell through from another floor.
He makes his way up the flight of stairs again, feeling satisfied with what he could find. Finally reaching the first floor of the facility, he slows a bit more, seeing what had transpired to the workers in the facility. That same familiar assertive voice that Atol can't quite figure out who it belongs too before, now saying the word "Accident" as he views the sight of people. Crushed bodied, dislocated limbs, even organs spilled out. Atol wanted to be disgusted by it, but he somehow couldn't. It felt too familiar to the boy that it just couldn't hurt him emotionally.
Walking up to a lifeless body, just before he could dig through the pockets of the blood soaked uniform, he notices the very key card he needed on the floor near the exit elevator. He knew of that very key card from a previous attempt of escape whenever he first arrived at the facility.
He takes one last glance at the corridor of death, and takes his leave from the facility.
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As Etana reaches the surface, she stands still for a moment, not knowing what she expected, but also not expecting a massive field. The field extends farther than her eyes could see. Not being able to stand anymore, Etana collapses from exhaustion and begins to dream. She dreams of the experiment, and the person she saw during her experience. She wonders throughout her dream, not being able to get over the feelings she had while seeing the person. The feelings of love and warmth but being just out of reach for them...
Flowers from the massive field flowing through the wind, brushing against her skin, and the wind blowing through Etana's hair, brings her back into reality. Taking another glance around her surroundings after she wakes up, she notices a forest. As she begins to get up, she notices the wind brushing past, in the direction of the forest as well, almost as a guide for Etana. A guide as if someone full of love and support for you, pushing you towards success.
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Being exhausted, Atol looks around at the massive field and noticing a possible forest. That same familiar assertive voice speaks up, yet again. "Follow the path that you desire." Atol then thinks to himself, looking at the forest and the massive field, back and forth as he thinks. Beginning to walk towards the forest, the words of advice repeats in his head, "Follow the path you desire." Almost as if the voice in his head was making sure that this was the path he truly desires. Atol pauses, glancing back at the field one more time over his shoulder. He begins thinking of a time a few years ago, him and his brother playing in a field. He thinks of the pure bliss he felt in that moment. Finally making up his mind, he turns fully and begins to walk towards the endless horizon, through the massive field, hoping to that same sense of bliss from before.
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YOU ARE READING
Heart of Animosity
Mystery / ThrillerA game, love and hate, a concept like "Yin and Yang". Our board game, with our game pieces that are equally significant, as well as equally unsignificant. Two beings. Two "players". Two people both equally selfish, as well as apathetic. ...
