Wander

//Deluge by the Ocean//

The first thing that Wander noticed was the silence, save for the sounds of crashing waves in the distance. Granted the sun had barely risen above the horizon, but at least the streets should have had some activity in them.

He felt the weariness seep into his bones again. Almost without realizing, his footsteps became lighter and lighter, taking on more catlike qualities then human. His eyes darted from place to place, each shadow jumping out at him without even having to move.

Wander would have loved - absolutely loved - to chalk up his paranoia to the hell he had just endured, but something was not right. He paused at the very edge of the first building he came across, leaning on the sturdy wooden structure. Though most of the houses and buildings in the small town were made of wood, the styles ranged widely. For instance, the one that he was leaning on was long and rectangular, with a sloped roof coming to a sharp, uniform point that aimed for the sky.

He grit his teeth together, working his way along the edge of the house and to the front door, which stood slightly ajar. Pushing it ever so slightly it opened on squeaky hinges, revealing the darkness inside that stood in stark contrast to the morning sky. With a small frown, he turned around, looking at the town as a whole.

He didn't have to check the other houses to know that they would all be empty. His gaze drifted to the prison he had escaped from, it's large tower's jutting into the air in a marvelous silhouette reaching for the sky. A shiver made it's way down his spine, and he tore his gaze back to his surroundings.

He made his way through the village slowly, taking everything in. Besides being empty, it looked exactly how he could picture a morning like today. A cold wind blew in from the west, sending the few tree's branches swaying, rustling leaves adding their natural melody to the already eerie situation.

When Wander made it to the center of the village to the best that he could tell, he risked yelling out to no one in particular. "Hello? Can anyone here me?" He listened closely, the only responses coming from the wind that was picking up speed, bringing in dark clouds that now dotted the skyline.

With a small frown, he started to make his way through the village one more time to see if maybe he had missed something, when a shriek rang out from everywhere but nowhere at once. Wander whipped around, his breaths coming quicker and quicker, unsure of where the sound had come from.

Just as he went to call a response to see where the yell had come from, he heard more whispers on the wind. A voice that sounded like bell chimes, mumbling incoherent things with words that he couldn't quite make out clearly. He could have sworn he heard a "I love you" somewhere in there, but that wouldn't make sense...

None of this was making sense. From the moment that he had woken up in the damned castle, nothing had made sense. He had been terrorized by a demon that was relentless in it's pursuit. He had managed to both find and lose a mute child that was god knows where at this point. Hell, he had even managed to kick the shit out of himself pretty damn good - walking and breathing struggles since the fall aside, Wander's hands were still torn to shreds from the splinters that had gotten lodged at unfortunate angles.

None of it had made sense at first, and none of it made sense now. If anything, it was making less and less sense the longer the nightmare continued. Wander could feel his chest starting to heave quicker and quicker, breaking out into a cold sweat. The world began to swim, dipping and diving at odd angles that were starting to make him sick, his stomach lurching in time with his now pounding headache.

Unsure of exactly what he was thinking, Wander began to run. He simply ran wherever his feet were taking him. It felt as if the world was closing in on him, squeezing his chest to the point were it hurt to breathe. It felt like he had been plowed straight in the chest by a crazed bull, finding it hard to think without being in pain. The previously wide open spaces between the houses seemed cramped and crowded, closing in and trapping him.

Blindly going wherever his feet were taking him would only work for so long. The winds had really picked up, the dark storm clouds rolling in to cover the sky almost completely. Not paying attention where he was going, Wander went sprawling onto the ground, instinctively putting his hands out to break his fall. Crying out in agony, he could feel the clarity of though return to him at the same time that the rain began to fall.

In just a few moments Wander was soaked to the bone, shivering and chattering where he lay, rocking back and forth whilst holding his injured hands. Looking around for the first place to take shelter from the storm, his eyes landed on another deserted house that would do perfectly.

Exhausted and fatigued, Wander started to drag himself through the mud to get to the doorway which was but a few feet away. Just like many others, the door was wide open, and he dragged himself inside as fast as he could manage, his fingers fighting to find hold in the slippery mess of mud he lay in.

The moment that he was clear of the awful rainstorm, he went limp, bringing his feet to his chest in a shivering ball to conserve body heat.

And just when he thought that the situation couldn't get any worse, he heard something, something so faint he could have easily missed it. All was still for another moment, but then he heard it again, and could feel his stomach lurch in fear.

He heard it again.

A low hissing coming from the darkness all around him.