The Torn World

Chapter Six

Judging from my twisting and turning, it was going to result in a restless night. The news about The Darks' revenge wouldn't isolate me for even a few minutes. Even so late at night, my brain was alert, my racing heart, boosting the speed of my pulse.

I pressed my face into the pillow, trying to recollect and organise my chaotic thoughts. Like my many previous attempts of calming the proactive energy, which had suddenly attacked me, I failed. URGHHH!! The Sun or The Moon? The Blessed or The Darks? The True Truth or The Modified Truth?

Why did Aiden require my opinion, I didn't even know it myself.

Mother always said, "the most confused we ever get is when we try to convince our brains of something our hearts know is a lie."

When the jumbled mess in my brain finally consented me to sleep, a dream interrupted my wistful yearning of peaceful slumber.

A blinding light prevented my vision to just a bit further than a few inches. I squinted, motivating creases to form on the skin surrounding my eyes. I could distinguish the silhouette of scarcely a human. A laugh of mock glee escaped the figure's mouth, it had a blood-chilling effect on me. The outline of the human glided graciously towards me. I froze, allowing petrification to seep into my already fearful self. The figure emerged from the shadowy pool of darkness. My eyes refocused.

The honey pigment of its eyes caught mine, locking its intimidating gaze with my own sapphire irises. It reached forward, veins prominent on its tan skin, the hand hovered centimetres from me. Waves of heat emitted from the outstretched hand. Unsteadily I took a step back, my reflexes finally kicking in, only to discover myself chained to a wooden pole. My whole body trembled, my spine chilled, the warm gale whispered at the nape of my neck, the terror visible in my eyes. The one word, describing my situation popped into my head, TRAPPED!

There was no escape and the appalling creature standing before me knew it. A grotesque grin stretched across the span of my pursuant's face, revealing crooked teeth. Strangely, the yellowish tinge on the white of its teeth didn't appear to be disgusting, more like it had been dyed, by choice.

Suddenly I felt myself being pulled towards the creature, like all gravity resided within it. I stumbled over my own feet, I tripped over a plank of wood, sending a jolt of pain up my calf. The searing pain was unbearable, red spots danced across my vision, but the creature showed no sign of mercy, instead the gravitational pull was strengthening.

I screamed Aiden's name repetitively. The creature released another laugh of delight, this time not mocking. For the first time he parted his lips to speak. "You really think your petty little friend can save you from me?" another burst of laughter, "Not a chance, girl. No one dares challenge ME! The world fears me, in fact the place where you come from, they even WORSHIP me, that's how worthy I am. I AM THE SUN!" A spasm of resentment formed inside me. This was the horrible creature who had awakened the vengeance in The Darks. It had planted the seed of revenge in The Darks' mind. It had forced us to experience their wrath. The resentment reinvigorated my strength.

I was powerful enough to stand against The Sun. I had the durability to stand my ground. I was not going bow my head in front of this thing.

Charged with the ferocity I had seen in mother's eyes, I glared into the honey-yellow depths of its eyes. My unfaltering gaze never left the creature, as I stood still, the gravity unable to pull me. Where this unknown power had arose from, I had no idea... but I was grateful for it.

Maybe it was my mother's genetics inside me or my father's or maybe it was my own power, just it had been buried, gathering itself for this moment in time.

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My eyes snapped open.