Devil to the Damned (Prequel #2 )

2|16 - The Orphan: Part One

All that existed before me was analog nothingness rushing by faster than I could comprehend. I was. . . frightened, to say the least. Feeling so small and at the mercy of whatever cosmic properties the dimensional split held. So frivolous, thin as paper, a whisper. The sizzling of my skin, the curl of my eyelashes, and the tug at every one of my fingernails started to drive me mad by the time I hit the dirt, and the pale was pushed to the edges of my perception.

My hands flattened and embedded into the dry soil; twitching and faltering between each support. I managed to hold myself up this time as his voice was reassembled piece by piece. I could hear a few broken syllables and tones, like a radio in a tornado while I reside in the center waiting to be found. Each breath shot through my system like a rampaging bull, and exhaling left me lightheaded.

At last, he reached me, poking with concern.

"Hey man talk to me."

I tried swallowing but nothing went down, "Not so bad," my voice quaked. I attempted to stand to prove my words and surprisingly got up on both feet. I wobbled and had to catch myself on the closest tree, but I stood. "Easy," My teeth chittered.

"Catch your breath, let everything settle."

"It was a lot more bearable than last time," I replied, gazing up to the sky.

It was a starless night; the moon was merely a crescent, and the lack of natural wind brought an eerie stillness to this place. I turned halfway and looked behind, feet shuffling discarded leaves and twigs. The forest was colorless and bleak; no danger as far as I could tell. Turning, I observed the rear of the house and noted the upstairs window was dark. Directly below was the parent's room and a little light was leaking out the glass. I could tell by the hue that it was the light of a flashing television igniting the living room and seeping through the door.

"Magcrow, remind me to get a watch," I said.

"Noted." He said coolly. "How long are we staying this time?"

My hand gravitated to the backpack strap slung over my shoulder. I looped it off and set it on the ground, unzipping and taking stock. "I brought enough food and water for two days I think. I plan on filling this entire notebook with anything I can so she won't have any complaints."

"She seemed content with what we handed over last month."

"Yeah, but. . . I wanna make her smile, y'know?" I moved the items around my back, tucking the bread against the side with a spare shirt to guard.

"Psh, don't hold your breath."

"C'mon, M. I know you don't care for her but if we can get on her good side just imagine what else we could learn. Not to mention having someone as strong as her owe us a favor could go far."

"We are not exploiting Crism."

"No-no-no, that's not what I mean." I shook my head and zipped the bag. "Forget it, let's just get into position."

I threw the bag over my shoulder and stood straight. My balance had returned and Magcrow's senses expanded wide; reaching like curious fingers gliding across every notch of wood. I sensed her inside next to her dad and pushed my mind further. A few deer a couple hundred feet past the road were stomping through the forest, an owl perched somewhere behind me and a moving car just left my field of view towards town. I swallowed, this time saliva was generated.

I stepped out of the tree line onto the little footpath going nowhere, emerging a short distance from the house. A rusted red bulkhead door lay closed before me, a window directly above with the aforementioned television light, and her darkened bedroom above that. There were a few toys left outside; plastic shovels, a frisbee, one single shoe, and large sticks with chipped bark. I got the sense that they might've been used for play sword fighting.