To describe ethereal as beautiful is an insult.

The truth

It was unnerving. Where the fuck was she? What the fuck was this place? She had wandered around in the caves to find this. It was a horrid place. She wanted to go back but... she was lost. Lin was lost. For the first time in forever, the living compass was lost. She hated to admit it but... now what? Was she going to die and starve to death? Was she going to come back or... were these her last days? She wanted to spend her days surrounded by friends and family, not this. 

She was a pitiful sight indeed. Her mask was flooded by her tears. She didn't cry anymore. The water was too precious and what would crying do? Waste her time. Crying wasn't worth the loss.

It was cold and damp. The darkness overpowered her senses and she felt something all around her. She wouldn't know what it was. Her candlelight only cleared the path ahead- and even that was ever so slightly. She walked on, and on, and on, and on... It was her only solace.  Her cape energy had long since dwindled. Nothing to recharge her anymore. Curse her for doing this...

The peace that came with her repetitive steps brought her ease of mind. Despite that, on the peculiar note, she had found that there was a path and she could follow it quite clearly. The darkness pooled around her and it stuck to her skin. It burnt permanent marks into her soles as she traversed the barren lands of... the surroundings.

She wanted to go home. She wanted to hug Denise. She wanted to play in Prairie with Callie. She wanted to candle run with Sammi. She wanted to go home. She wanted to not have to deal with the overpowering feelings that took over her body. She wondered if anyone missed her. They probably didn't. She was only a nuisance after all...

She began setting up a note again. It felt like it had been ages since she had written anything for anyone as foolish as her that would come after her.

"It's cold... You probably noticed too, if you're reading this. I wanna traverse back and go home. I was right, the home shrine doesn't work here. Does that mean I'll die? I don't wanna die... Will I be reborn? I don't want to leave yet..."

Lin was at death's doorstep. That much was obvious. She was going to have to wait for it to come back home from a long day at work. What shall she do today... maybe a note? But she just did that... earlier. Was it even a new day? She hadn't kept track. Her watch had been out of commission for so long, even before she had left. The early stages of starvation were setting in now. She hadn't eaten much wax- there was none. Her eating hormones were going batshit. She wanted some time without herself.

It had been too long. Lin missed the spirits. She missed the elders. She missed her friends in her constellations. Heck, she even missed candle running. She missed relaxing at the geyser. She missed eating wax with Grandma. She missed it all. If she ever got back, she'd never leave again. Curse the sky Gods.

"I hear voices. I don't know if it's the insanity kicking in or if something's actually there. I'm scared. I want my momma. Why did I do this? It was a mistake. If I ever get back, I promise to never go out of sight again."

Lin could feel what was happening. Her head and heart were denying everything, but her body lead her towards... something. Maybe she should let go and disappear in the relative quiet of her thoughts. The voices were still there. Sometimes, just sometimes, they went away. Lin didn't know if this was good or not. If anything mattered anymore, she liked them. They broke the engulfing silence. They were loud but... better than utter silence. 

***

Lin wasn't strong. She was stubborn and persevering but not strong. Never strong. Always weak. But now every ounce of anything she had was gone. Her life, her love and her will to continue. She had noticed the puddles around her that were obviously darkness. She wanted to jump in and lose her light. She wanted to let go but... she was scared. In the end, she always will be. Lin Denot, the coward that almost had it all. Life was just unfair sometimes but she tried. And her attempts led up to this- this torture.

***

Lin was not feeling good. She felt like shit. Probably smelt like shit as well. She didn't move anymore. She was too hungry. Anything to keep her energy in. She had accepted death but she wasn't going to embrace it. It was late to collect one of its lost souls. Maybe Lin's end would be peaceful. She doubted that at her current rate. Starvation wasn't very fun, she'd found.
It had been a while. Lin had grown irritated from the mindless walking. Torture was the only way she could describe this. One day she'd die. Lin hoped that day came soon.

***

"Tonight is for the four of us. Tomorrow there'll be more of us. Telling the story of tonight..." Lin sang as she walked. The path had evolved from a narrow line to a developed, distinct walkway. She hoped there would be light soon. Or maybe she didn't. Who knew what lay beyond her dim candlelight? Maybe she was going crazy and the path hadn't evolved. That theory was plausible.
"I feel better. I think I might make it out of here. I hope I'm not killed as soon as I make it out of here. I don't want to be killed as soon as I'm met with civilization."

***

Lin'd be fine. She was going to be alright. All she needed to do was to get out. Now there came the problem of actually getting out. It was the ugly truth that maybe she wasn't going to win this game tonight. But it's alright. She could listen to her thoughts all night. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, as they say.

***

It had been so long but she was so close. She was so close. There was a light. She could recharge. She could heal all her troubles. It was taunting her with the small distance but she kept crawling on. Months. It had definitely been months since she had left sky island. Lin had a feeling that though she'd found a light it wouldn't get any better. Just a little closer...

***

She had reached it. Lin had reached it. She had saved herself from death and starvation. She had regrown herself. The skin that had ripped apart came back as if she were a newborn. Lin was alive and that was a miracle. Her cape had recharged and she had stayed there for a few days to feed. She was so hungry that it was only deserved! She was safe for the first time in a long while.
She was safe. An oasis in the desert had found itself on her path. And Lin had survived to meet it. She should write a note.

"And so the day has come where I have reached light after months of darkness. Did I deserve it? Probably. I do think I am quite awful. Maybe I should have been better. But for now, I rest. It has been a while since I have fed on light. It is truly a satisfaction beyond belief. I may even find my friends at this very point."

And so, Lin's note was done. Her hopes were up once more and she was alive. She had not mistook this gift as temporary, however. It was a recharge point. She would have to go and venture for her friends soon, but for now, she would rest. Lin would rest as if tomorrow were a chance and not a curse.

And for once in months, Lin had slept with a dream, not a terror waiting to unfold. Life, despite her horrid conditions, was shining brightly at her. She smiled as she succumbed to the quest of sleep; safe from the monsters and even herself. A true break from the whole world crumbling on her doorstep.

And to that, Lin slept.

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"To be alive, wouldn't that be enough?" - anonymus.

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A/N: I'M BACK AT IT! I love this fic more than the other 4 drafts LMFAO. I hope you do to and also remember to interact with this fic! (isn't it painfully obvious that I'm not used to Wattpad? But hey, I learned Italics..?) Anyhow, have a great time because I'm tired and I deserve rest! Once again, 3:33 AM whilst writing this. God fuck me. And I still haven't planned this fic. Damn, I should get to that-