Delirium

Prologue (Final Draft)

Everything was falling apart. All you could do was watch as your life shattered like glass, cutting you into a million, ruined shards. Your family turned away first, their rejection echoing within your recently attained hollowness. You barely had time to process this vexatious and detrimental loss, before your partner - of whom you had always seen as a soulmate - left too. All you could do was watch and listen, sitting numbly, trying to decipher a life which no longer felt like your own. The forfeit of love from your partner was the tipping point in a decision to seek refuge. Be free from the hauntings of the past and move. Move away. You could start a new life, elsewhere. A life where nobody knew who you were. A life where you could look forwards to the future, instead of dwelling on tormenting traumas of your past. The time you spent in Germany would be a shallow memory, a fictitious fever dream, and nothing more. The long night laments of pain and memories would end, and you could be happy again. 

Having finally decided upon the landscape in which you would now call home, and longing for a new beginning, you purchased a one-way train ticket to Louisiana. The expedition would be heavy, dire, prolonged. Or so you thought, and as you stumbled aboard the train, all you could think about was when you'd be free from the human enclosure. Though, as you departed and the journey began, you could feel the weight of your pain lifting, the further you rode, the lighter it felt - as though all of the stress and suffering which plagued you, was being locked within the walls of Aachen, your German hometown. A relieving, gratifying feeling overwhelmed you, as calm rushed through your body, seizing you, and sending a wave of happiness crashing over you; a long forgotten emotion, which had faded into obscurity over the course of a month's events. Though, regardless of the new flow of positive emotions, the memories of Aachen felt as though they would never leave, sitting and lingering in the back of your mind. You knew all too well that what had occurred in your birthplace would dwell within you eternally, and as you rested your head against the tan leather seat in which you had taken your place, you couldn't help but pray that the future memories made in Louisiana would be able to wash out the nightmares of the past. 

Despite the considerable stretch in which you had travelled, arriving at your destination, you thought only of the time ahead - temporarily forcing back those harrowing memories - and what you would do upon leaving the station.  You leapt out of your place as soon as the train steadily slowed to a halt, and ran rapidly for the door; A new beginning was within reach! As such, you cheerfully tranced outwards, to survey the new surroundings, in which you would find a new life, start afresh. Upon exiting the train, you were immediately hit by a wave of unrelenting, extreme heat; a stark comparison to the pale summers of Germany, and letting out a large breath of fresh air, before taking in another,  you immediately caught a lingering aroma that told its own story. The air was thick with humidity, intensifying the scent of aged wood from the still-active railroad ties. There's the unmistakable tang of steel tracks that hummed faintly, warmed by the southern sun. And gentle breeze stirred the sweet aroma of nearby magnolia blossoms, mixing with the earthy scent of damp leaves and moss that clung to the corners of the station. You stood on the platform rocking on the heels of your feet, staring into the distance, trying to catch a glimpse of your alluring life.  Your careless gazing caught the leers and glares of locals on the station, and you quickly bundled along, trying to divert their piercing eyes. Whilst in your mind, all you could think was; Louisiana, finally here.

As the swift departure of the train rung out in your ears - a wishful "good luck" - you watched it cruise into the distance, unaware of the first mistake you were about to make;  In your bewilderment, and lack of awareness, absorbed by the trains withdrawal, you bumped into a young man. A bold, charming and seemingly frail chap, who immediately recovered your fallen suitcase - the only luggage you had chosen to bring, so as not to reminisce over the past. He swiftly rebuked his carelessness, and calmly commented, "Apologies, my dear. Forgive my carelessness."

"Shit, sorry! It was my fault! Should've been looking where I was going." You exclaimed.

His smile was the first thing you noticed—wide, welcoming, with just the slightest curve at the corners that hinted at secrets held close to the chest. His eyes, a rich shade of amber, held a depth that invited you in, promising warmth and understanding, yet within their gleam was a flicker of something more—a playful mischief, perhaps, or a mystery waiting to be unraveled. His hair, a tousled mess of chestnut locks, added to his approachable charm, falling in a way that seemed effortless, as though he had just emerged from a gentle breeze. But beneath that charming exterior, there was something more—a hint of the unexpected, a suggestion that perhaps, just perhaps, there was more to him than met the eye.

Despite his sinister highlights, you were immediately charmed and drawn by his figure,  your heart racing. Mind working faster than you could control. Trying to grasp at something to keep the conversation alive. There was something about him that made you want to linger in this moment a little longer.

"I'm new around here," you said, the words tumbling out before she could second-guess them. "Actually, I just moved here. I... Well... Maybe, a quick tour? From you, I mean. Well, if you're not too busy."

The question hung between them for a beat. A flicker of something unreadable passed across his face before he chuckled softly.

"A tour, huh?" He glanced at the train timetable above them and then back at you, his smile widening just a little. "I've got some time. What do you want to see first? Oh! And I almost forgot, the name's Alastor."