A Shell of Fetus (Working title)

Prologue

The sky that ought to stand proud against the Alps of Frethar was now sweltering with doubts as the vast mountains vanished deep within the bands of thick mist. Sun ducked down and left the lilac stars to gleam over the vast river that stood calm against the even calmer swamps.

But then something flickered, or perhaps it was the drumming clouds that made the mirror-like water to ripple, to make it lose its peace and composure downright to the source of bubbles that started forming into a deadly eruption. Squirrels resided all over the lush forest of Karbar that never dared to touch the feet of the mountains. They come and go, drink and bath in river's water with every right the mystics has given them. Yet today, they screeched and leaped back into their holes as if to dare not to come out again.

Something quite bulbous began rising from the face of the river. Its edge was curved and pointy like an egg, though it lacked the faded paleness you would expect to find in one. The edges slanting down from the tip were even flatter, more so bumped inside altogether with dents. It floated still for a moment, then began to move towards any nearby land that it could find. It was moving all around the vast river with a sense of extreme urgency. It finally did found a land, after sauntering underwater for an eternity. It gazed at the sky that was being lashed by the blazing thunders of the clouds.

A head finally rose from the water. It had a face similar to men, but lacked anything close to be considered as a body. Sometimes it hovered, sometimes it tried to drag itself without limbs, but most of the times it rolled like a solid sphere moulded by a pathetic sot of a potter.

But someone better darn showering praises at him, especially since he was the one dragging his head out of the river along with someone else's, someone whose arm he clutched tightly between his toothless jaws, giving away his apparently dubious energy to drag out a drowned body.

It was of a woman, neither a child nor fully-grown. Her dark sodden hair had clasped her naked chest and upper back like the limbs of a gargantuan spider. Her body was curled over her knees, face dunking down inside her lap. She shone pale against the night like a pearl. Only that he didn't remembered pearls striking anyone inside the water like a falling star. Nonetheless, he had been away from this world for a long time, and would have preferred it that way. If only he wasn't forced his way by a shell like body. Curled like a fetus. A shell of fetus, perhaps?

But he dragged, nonetheless, dragged her out from nothing. He had no tooth, but was well aware of his gums being far edged than the fleet stones Mischyas were using back during the 'Era of Stringency'. While yanking the woman out of water, he clutched her fingers a bit too tightly and his gums were soaked with her blood. Not that he was concerned by this, he was way past his prime of delighting himself with human blood. Although his faced drew a sympathetic smirk as the sparkly water lost its true sheen.

He eventually managed to drag the body out in its entirety. He slumped and rolled over the land of silky mud and petite shrubs. He couldn't feel anything passing through his worrying mouth and nose, but for once the strain was as bad as having your skinned alive from the inside.

What sort of a thing is that even to remember?

But he remembers a lot of things as well he doesn't. He does remember what is a needle and thread and how his memories were conjoined together like an array of torn clothes, and that when he tries to find the exact reason for it, the thread snaps and lets all the torn pieces run loose. He tries really hard...but wait, what was he doing up here? Why did he dragged?

He rolled back towards the body that lay lifeless on the ground. The limbs like hair had begun drying to show a face without the rosy blush on the cheeks. But of course, dead people cannot blush, glad he remembers that.

Soon he noticed noises growing. Noises of chirping, of leaves getting into hoards of unwanted wrestling. First a few, and then many, the sound was becoming intense as moments were passing. And for what?

A bunch of darn rodents who came with balls but no nuts. They came at the time when they should be well tucked in trunks, when the thunders were at the feistiest of mood.

But they were there, looking at him and the body. The naked lifeless lady.

That body was indeed lifeless. He let himself topple at the backside, head dangling right to left, then right, then left. Gazing at the sky, at the mysteries, the wonders...the dangers.

The squirrels lost their balls again, because they assured to keep themselves away from the strange absurdity as far as possible. Well, some did managed to stay almost till the end. But they had senses, strong enough to detect the presence of animosity stronger than their own. Why shouldn't they? Why do they have to witness a head expanding in a girl's mouth? So wide, in fact, that the head began to push himself inside her mouth. Her neck extended and constricted, like the body of a serpent near the verge of losing her life in her valiant effort of hatching a new one. Passing through the chest, the mouth coughed out something thick. And then she puked blood all over the face. It was much darker than the one seeping through her fingers.

There was a smile on her face, but then there was a scream. The body twisted and flailed, groaned and giggled. Pushing itself for and against some force, as the clouds despised with raging thumping. Veins contracted, but then again her bones extended...

Droplets came from the sky, reddening her abruptly opened eyes.