A Calamitous Halloween: Strife

~ Strife ~

As the quiet night looms over the Terrarian's town. At least, that is what the Brimstone witch called it. The gentle breeze blew across the cobbled streets, people strolling left and right on them, rowdy as they usually were.

She never really looked for a name or thought about one, for that matter. Rolling her eyes at the thought, she was unattentive when it came to these simple things.

The brimstone witch wore her scarlet red robe, designed with golden patterns, as well as her hood, covering her face and concealing her identity. One might think she was cosplaying due to the time of the season. However, the reason for her concealment was much more complicated than such measly matters.

Calamitas yawned, visibly tired from a long day of unproductivity. Restless nights had befallen her. As well as her visions... that she could never quite avoid no matter what. Her golden eyes traced the streets once again to make sure she was walking in the right direction, or at least the road she usually used. The witch did not want to alert others to her attention.

Doubt gnawed at her as she moved through the streets. She caught glimpses of herself in the shop windows. It was a unique time for the townsfolk. Decorations hung from windows, painted pumpkins lined the streets, and children whispered stories of the night's creatures.

Calamitas finally made it to the gates and left the town behind, wanting nothing more than to return home and rest. She did not understand what this feeling of fatigue was—this weight over her body. She felt absolutely terrible on top of all of what she had to deal with. She wanted to be away from everyone, away from all this noise. She could not handle it. 

To her, the shame was too great. How could she seek asylum in a town that houses those who she once spurned? What made her accept at all? Out of desparation? Perhaps she wanted to be normal again after all this time. She laughed at the delirious thought, at her own illusions of 'peace' and 'forgivness.'

She knew best that there was no forgiveness, no sense of normalcy for her. She kept walking in the forest; the only sounds she could hear were the critters and the grass below, as well as the crunch of sticks beneath her boots. Calamitas let out a sigh as she felt her shoulders drop and her muscles relax from their contraction. She closed her eyes and abruptly stopped walking, enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest under the clean night sky, taking in a breath of the cool air.

Opening her eyes to the beautiful sight of uncountable stars, galaxies, and nebulas, lighting up the heavens with many cascading colours like glitter. However, that moment of peace would not last long. In the silence, her senses betrayed her. She saw shadows moving, forming shapes in the vast darkness ahead of her. 

As the witch's eyes search her surroundings for more of them, she moves instinctively backwards and raises her hand at the manifesting being, ready to cast a spell. The shadows start to solidify, forming into a humanoid shape. As her eyelids suddenly became heavy, she noticed that with every breath she took, a stream of water vapour exited her mouth.

Glancing down at herself, she looks up once more to a completely different atmosphere. Through her hazy vision and icy breath, she can see snow falling in the shape of stars from the heavens, covering the trees and forest.

Her head instantly whipped towards the figure, who had just finished manifesting. Calamitas instantly felt her heart drop to her stomach as she was rendered speechless; a gust of wind knocked her hood away from her face, dropping it entirely before she began to back up slightly. The witch's breathing immediately began to grow heavier, feeling her chest be twisted from the inside.

She simply could not believe the sight of the person that stood before her. It was Permafrost, her former caretaker... and father figure. The rest of his body was hidden by the his blue robes, but he was charred and schorched, with a burn scar visible from the right side of his face, enclosing his eye and nose, down to his neck.