The Among

Chapter 3

The nocturne of the earth's shadow fell over the dark and ominous forest. Soft footsteps echoed through the dreamscape as Flamour stepped cautiously. Her feet hit the earth's crust—or rather what was left of the earth. Her breathing slowed to a soft shallow rasps as felt something was not right. Very dim light illuminated the path as she continued to walk through the endless forest. The light that lit a path seemed to be radiating from her own skin. She looked down at an outstretched hand and waved it in front of her, subtle hues of dark pink and green flowed together as a wave of foreboding energy clung to her skin. Was this hell? It couldn't be, stories she were told included a lake of fire, demons, torment. If it was the afterlife then why could she still be aware of her senses? Usually the human body shuts down the five major senses before death. It didn't any sense to her. She continued to look around as she frantically looked for a way out.

You're not dead if that's what you are wondering a voice rang from the shadows. That voice was familiar!

"Shilah?" Flamour asked, "Shilah where are you!"

I am all over, Sokw. I am everywhere you need me to be!

"Shilah, I am scared, where am I?"

You are what our tribe calls Abyss. It's a state of mind where the Spirit Guides channel your soul in order to awaken a greater sense of power. This can be overcome by fulfilling a task you have been battling within yourself for a long time. Don't worry, when you return to the surface, time will resume again, but for now everything is frozen in place so that you may fulfill your task.

"So, I am in a coma?"

To put in perspective, yes.

"Why can't you get me out of here, can't you come get me?"

It is against my customs as a Hania. I am only able to help guide you through your journey, saving or altering another person's adventure is strictly forbidden and can lead to dire consequences.

"You've mentioned that word before, so am I right to assume that you are some sort of Spirit Guide?"

You catch on quickly, Sokw. I must go for now, keep following the forest until you find something of importance!

"Something of importance? Shilah? SHILAH!" Flamour quieted her voice to something of a whimper as she looked around the dark forest. 

"Well, shit," she mumbled. The words of the Native American echoed through her mind. "Follow the forest until you find something of importance."   Flamour huffed a sigh as she looked around. Everything in the forest looked the same, how was she supposed to know which way to go? She looked down at her hand and saw a very faint marking glow on her palm. the marking represented a moon. 

Flamour over turned her hand and placed her palm facing up, the moon insignia faintly glowing in the center of her palm as she pointed from various spots of the dim forest. Each time she moved her palm to a different location, the moon glowed either a little more or little less depending where she was pointing. The insignia on her palm lit up brightly as she pointed her palm North-West direct and walked towards the forest entrance. Curved branches created an arch as she walked slowly into the abyssal terrain. Every step that Flamour took the moon on her palm grew brighter as she carefully stepped on black dirt. There seemed to be no other life forms around and the eerie of the dark atmosphere grew damp and colder with each pace she made. Flamour looked around the once flourished terrain as she bend down to survey a wilted flower that was covered in a black fog. 

Flamour sighed as she looked around still unsure of where exactly where she was going, but still she had to trust her instincts, not having much of a choice. She stood up and continued on her journey, the forest seemingly to be never ending.