C!Joy stories

First week without Aries

"Keep running, keep running, keep running." is all that kept repeating in my head. 

Don't you dare stop.

I was getting so tired, my 6 year old body barely able to keep up with me. All I could think about - and all that kept me going - was thinking about running into Aries. She would've come back for me. She wouldn't have left me here by myself. I would run into her arms, feeling safe once again. She would tell me she would never leave me again. I would cry, and so would she. We'd be Aries and Joy, the best sister duo there is! Even if she wasn't my real sister... She found me, when I was just a baby. She took care of me, even though she was struggling to find food for herself. She always made sure I would have food to eat. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Aries was my whole world, and the day she left me - which was 8 days ago - was the saddest day of my life. I knew why she left. I knew she was going to find a better place for the both of us. But that doesn't make it hurt any less.

My face hit the floor, my foot stuck under the root of a tree. "Please please please please." I pleaded while trying to get away from the roots grip, that seemed to tighten around my ankle. "What is this-" I complained to myself, seeing the tree turn black from the lowest roots, to the highest leaf. It wasn't the first shadow I had seen, but it was for sure the scariest one. 

It was always just a dream. When the shadow catches up with me, consumes me until I am stuck in nothingness, that is when I wake up.

The adrenaline stopped me from thinking straight. I wanted to get away, even if I knew this nightmare would always end the same way. I still wanted to get away. I wanted it to be over. To wake up and never fall asleep ever again.

"Please Aries, safe me." I whispered under my breathe, seeing the creature that always follows me appear in the distance. 'Umbric Shrieker' is what a Joel called it when I explained my dream to him. A creature that hates light, and would do anything to destroy it and bring darkness to the world.

It didn't make sense why it was in my dream. I have never heard of it, never seen it, and as a ginger - I can't go into the sun too much.

Either way, it was following me in my dreams and it wouldn't. Go . Away.

I closed my eyes, hoping I would wake up before I could feel the cold of its grip around me. It was no use. Before I knew it, it was around me.

I kept my eyes closed, not daring to look.

Why wasn't it waking me up? Why was I still trapped in this cold grip? Did I wake up already?

I opened my eyes just the smallest amount before screaming, being met with his face inches from me. 

As I screamed, the Shrieker mirrored it back. It's yell so loud it could've deafened me on the spot.

Kicking my feet in that moment is to this day my second biggest regret. Out of reflex, I tried to distance it from myself. This caused the creature to respond in the worse way possible...

My leg never looked the same after that.

I'm able to hide the scar that the monster gave me, even walking straight without anyone ever noticing that there is anything wrong with my leg.

I don't know what I will do if anyone finds out about this secret of mine..

I'm disgusting.