merchant of the abyss

chapter 5

If there was one thing Mariana wasn't good at it was listening. So that's why she was laying awake in the makeshift bed that was more of a nest if anything, now she just had to figure out how to slip out without Ates noticing.

'well that was easier than I thought' Mariana thought as she slipped away from the nest like bed that Ates was also sleeping in like a bear in hibernation.
'well than let's see what this guy is hiding' Mariana thought as set out into the cavern like hallways but not without leaving a trail of small pebbles she got while she was outside.

As she went deeper and deeper it was getting harder to see but she pushed forward that was, until she ran out of pebbles, she contemplated going back but she already came so far and she didn't want to go back without finding anything, after all she was sure that there was something amiss with how he didn't even tell her why she's not allowed to even be awake once night hits,
So she pressed further.

Now navigating the hallways blindly and without pebbles she tried to carve every little detail into her mind but none of that would prove useful when she heard... Groaning? No it sounded more like weak moans and wheezing.
She wanted to go towards it but her whole body was screaming not to something was terribly off and then she realised why, the sounds were repeating everything moan and groan was timed perfectly. Before she knew it she was running through the hallways blindly, the creature making those noises heard her loud footsteps and she could feel  the vibrations of its footsteps running right after her.

She was running and trying to find her way back but it was no use, she couldn't find any pebbles, she was loosing stamina quickly and that thing  was gaining on her quickly. But as she turn another corner she slipped and pain shot through her leg, "fuck" she cursed under her breath immediately trying to get up and keep running but the pain was to much. Just as she turned around she saw the thing that had been chasing her, it was a gaunt figure walking on all fours, the claw like fingers were covered in dry and cracked blood the worst of all is that it had no eyes, well not anymore the eyes seemed to have been clawed out.

The creature was stalking closer and closer, it's tongue swiping over it's cerated teeth.  It was a disgusting heaving mess and as the creature stalking closer and closer she crawled away as fast as she could earning cuts and scrapes on her fingers and her stomach from the rough floor. She almost gave up as the thing was toying with her, but she heard fast and almost silent footfalls and just as she lifted her head to look up Ates run passed towards the creature and she heard sickening gurgles and splattering on the floor and finally a thud.

Ragged breathing was all she heard and she didn't dare to turn her head to look at the potentially scarring scene behind her, "what the fuck are you doing out of bed?" She heard Ates speak as he knelt down Infront of her.
"I'm sorry" was all she managed to say and even then her voice was barely above a whisper, her whole body shaking as tears finally spilled.
Ates sighed and picked her up without another word, Mariana just cried as she let her head nestle in the crook of his neck.

Ates stayed silent even while disinfecting Mariana's cuts and scrapes, he only spoke when he started bandaging her ankle. "Why didn't you listen" he murmured "how was I supposed to know there were fucking monsters in this place?" She retorted shakily "that not what I asked" he said Sharply as he looked up at her.

"....." She turned her gaze away but he quickly grabbed her jaw and made her look at him. "Answer me Mariana" he said while staring at her with his yellow eyes "you didn't give me an actual reason as to why I'm not allowed so... I thought you were hiding something" tears welled up in her eyes again and she murmured apologies as she shook like a leaf.

"... I do admit I should've told you why, but the fact that I'm letting you stay here and that I'm even helping you? God it's like I'm the older one here.." he says grimly as he now kneels Infront of her wiping her tears away.
"If you want to survive here you have to trust everything I say, without hesitation." He murmurs before gently pushing her on the bed, "sleep." He simply said before crawling in bed right behind her and wrapped his hands firmly but still gently around her.

Every time Mariana sniffled or hiccuped Ates hugged her tighter and whisper reassuring words and slowly but surely Mariana fell into a dreamless sleep, the tears still staining her face, her nose red and her eyes slightly puffy, but Ates stayed awake for a good while before going to sleep himself. He had to make sure she wouldn't leave again or wake up, he couldn't have her wandering around
'if she had went any farther down the  corridor..' the thought trailed off from his mind as he also went to sleep, his arm still firmly around Mariana's waist.