Wretched

Desert Lullaby

     My feet touched the ground, the cracks in the desert heating my tender toes. But strangely, I had no idea how I'd even gotten to the center of this dry and barren desert. I stepped carefully, stepping over the the cracks in the earth and just staring at the ground to keep the garish light of the sun from my eyes. The heat started beads of sweat down my face and I cringed in pain as the sweat ran in my eyes. Tears streamed down my face from the pain. And I just stopped in the center of the desert when I came to a partially buried flag of some sort. My legs had almost given out on me when I finally knelt to the ground to try and unearth it. 

     Rocks, pebbles and sand slid off the big cross-like flag. I held it in my hands, periodically dusting it off to read the strange writing.

"The Rebels?" I asked myself, looking above me to notice vultures beginning to circle. I stood up and dusted myself off and watched as the vultures scurried off.

"Who are these Rebels?" I asked again, staring at the flag in awe. 

I held the flag above my head as it almost instantly cooled me. I stood in the sun, not caring how long I stood there because of the coolness of the shade. I continued my walk, dropping the flag the darker it had gotten outside.

"I should probably find somewhere to sleep, and something to eat. I'm starving." I said holding my gut.

I had walked for nearly an hour into the night, listening to the coyote's sing their mystical song. I walked, until I had spotted at a building, a very large building, it was as white as the sand and had a strange symbol on the front of it. I dropped the flag and ran towards it, my face stuck in a grimace of pain.

"H-hello?" I asked, opening the overly large door and stepping into the cold building.

The door closed mysteriously behind me, as I stepped further and further into this so-called forbidden castle.  The chill in the air caused my breath to be shown into the room, taking up space in front of me. I stood silently, admiring the doorway in front of me, when I began to hear off tune piano. I stepped through the doorway and looked up and down the dark hallways, when I noticed a flickering light from possibly a fireplace or an array of candles. 

I found myself tiptoeing through the hallway, listening as the playing got louder and louder. Until I reached the room down the never ending wall of darkness. I reached the doorway to find a man, wearing a top hat, sitting at a piano all the way across the room. Playing slowly, as if he didn't know what he was doing, he had begun to raise his hands and I waited intently for the music to begin again. But, he just closed the piano.

"Hello there." he said creepily, not even turning to look at me.

"H-hi." I stuttered.

"I'm guessing your not so sure why you're here are you?" he asked turning his head to the side to get at least a peripheral view of me.

I stood there silently as he removed the hat from the top of his head and set it on the piano. He was so Mysterious and quiet, it made me nervous. I hadn't any clue where I was and there was just another human out here. I kept quiet and waited for him to turn around.

"What are you called?" he asked me, not even turning anymore than he already had.

"Rebekah... I think..." I said softly.

"You think?" he asked.

"Yeah..." I said.

He turned from the shadows, revealing to me his sweet and compassionate face. " What a lovely name... it means beautiful right?" he asked sweetly.

 I tucked a small strand of hair behind my ear and grinned shyly. "I-I'm not sure." I said.

After looking up from the ground I noticed the man standing right in front of me, running a piece of my hair throught his fingers. I turned away shyly, and held out my hand. He grinned and excepted it willingly, shaking it gently.

"Who are you, or what's your name?" I asked wrapping my hands around me.

"I'm Jeremy, but I'm called Jinxx by my friends." he said tilting up my head allowing me to see his face clearly.

He was beautiful, but then a sharp pain in my neck caused me to fall to the floor rather suddenly. "Oh my god, are you okay?" he asked, his voice fading as I fell into a deep sleep.