Starset The Book

Halo

Starvation, deprivation, sadness.
These all have very negative connotation to them do they not?
...
Mr. Dust... Mr Dust!"
I awake with a big jump.
"Do they not?" Asks a stern voice coming from the figure in front of me.
My eyes are slowly adjusting to the bright light in the room.
"Mr Alan Dust! I asked you a question!"
I look at the figure with confusion. Now that my eyes have adjusted I can see that it is a woman.
The light is not bright but rather the color of the coat the woman is wearing. The light around the room is rather dark and unable to see into.
"I'm only going to ask one more time Mr. Dust." I can feel the threat and malice in the woman's voice.
"Do they not?"
I try to answer but find that I cannot. For one I have no clue what this woman is talking about and two I can't speak at all.
"I see. Bad attitude gets you nowhere here Mr. Dust." She turns to the darkness.
I peer out at the darkness with her to see a corner of the room has brightened dramatically. Almost as if a searchlight or spotlight has been aimed at the spot.
I see a figure now sitting there quietly.
"Timothy." The woman says. "Do these words have negative connotation."
"Why yes, ma'am."
"Good Timothy."
The woman turns to me. "You see Timothy has good attitude but Alan over here must be punished."
She is grinning now.
I feel movement and watch in horror as the woman's mouth opens up to enormous size. The gaping maw coming closer. Before she swallows me I see a great big halo ring around her head.
I swim through saliva, to the back of the throat. I pass a figure that resembles Bethany and Bill, and lastly Andrew. It's not till I fall through the stomach that I see Eric smiling eerily at me. I'm heading straight for the acid.
I fall in and swim towards the top feeling my body melting. I'm going to die here. Then I see my salvation. A small rock looking outcrop.
I swim quickly to it throwing my body against it and I climb it. The acid is rising. I see another platform.
I jump to the platform and it crumbles, I fall back into the acid and sink towards the bottom. I close my eyes as I feel my body melt.
I open them again to see i am engulfed in fire. I scream soundlessly. I jump around and roll but I'm rolling through the air. It's no use I'm going to burn up.
Then everything freezes. I'm surrounded by many stars. I'm moving at high speeds, through the star and then I see the sun. I soar through the sun burning once more. I burn into a planet, I finally notice has sand.
Red sand. Many faces peer at me, all having devilish grins. Blood pouring from their eyes. All of them have a bright shining ring above them.
A halo.