Secrets and small fears

Chapter 2

Soft footsteps echoed through the dark landscape. A figure was running as fast as he could, obviously in some kind of panic. Panting, he tried to run faster, pushing himself to the limit.

But suddenly his foot bended and with a yelp he tripped forward, rolling further before coming to a stop. As he tried to push himself up he almost choked, unable to draw enough breath. His arms trembled and his legs felt like lead.

Suddenly a mocking kind of laughter came from the dark. “Ahahaha! Thought you could run away from me, did you? Too bad, but that's impossible.” A rushing kind of sound was heard, like a wind current brushing against something. It’s next words sounded even closer. “I commend your efforts though. The fact you tried says a lot about you. But here it won’t be of any use.”

The figure looked around in panic. He turned his head from where he thought the sound was coming from. He re-newed his efforts to stand up bit only managed to get on his knees, leaning on his arms as he still tried to catch his breath. His ears and fingers twitched as the echo-y voice sounded even closer, his heart pounding even harder. “It’s a pity though. Your determination could be used in better ways.”

Shaking his head, he tried to stand up again and managed to balance to his legs that still felt like lead but fell backwards, landing on his but. The voice was louder than before. “It weird how somehow you are able to be loose and free yet at the same time you let be weighed down so much. Why do you do this to yourself? Is it pleasurable? Is it fun? Does it help you in any way?” The questions were asked is a genuinely curious tone, but it also sounded skeptical.

The figure growled, his features still hidden by the dark even as he trembled in fear and exhaustion. “No it isn’t pleasurable.” He grunted. “No it isn’t fun. But it does help me.” He panted still and one hand was raised to his chest where his heart was beating.

“And how, may I ask, does it help you? Isn’t it only weighing you down? I can tell you know, it’s tearing you apart. Your circumstances don’t help either.” The voice seemed to have stopped moving, but he knew better than to think that. But he still was unable to move and even staying in a sitting position was difficult.

“It makes sure that I’m still grounded. I-” He was cut off as he started coughing, his body shaking. “I don’t expect you to understand. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to.” He breathed heavily as he finished his sentence. Even talking was tiring him out, but he couldn’t do anything else.

It was silent for a while. Too silent. As the figure sat there, panting, nothing else but his breathing was heard. He briefly entertained the idea that the voice had left, probably off to find an other toy to play with. ‘Yeah, that must be it.’ He thought as he tried to look around in the darkness. He couldn’t even see himself, save for his own faint outline. ‘Maybe it left me alone.’

Even as the silence and his uneasy feeling told him not to, he still felt himself relax. His breathing began to even out and he was able to think more clearly. ‘Where am I anyway? What is this place? How did I get here?’ He asked himself. There was no way that he was voicing these thought aloud, incase the voice was still there.

He shifted a little and soft rustling of clothes could be heard besides his breathing. All was calm.

“You can’t run away from your problems forever, Ben” The voice whispered in his ear, suddenly right behind him. A green light suddenly lit up and he felt a hand roughly grip his shoulder. It glowed a dark green.

Ben’s breathing stopped and he felt his heart fall. He was completely  as he realised that he was caught by what he had been trying to escape from. “Besides, saying you don’t expect me to understand is a very mean thing to do. I have feelings too you know.” The voice said with a pout. It’s pouting could be clearly heard.