dimensions | original

Nevermore Prison

Once upon a time...

A furious, howling shard storm raged across the indigo colored ocean, the sharp pieces of glass dipping into the sea and cutting through the sky. Far from human civilization, a young teenage girl clung to a large, bobbing log, her dark green eyes reflecting the swirling storm of glass. Her once silky hair spun out behind her in waves of tangled red. She was not as nearly scared as she felt she should be, but perhaps that was because she believed this was the end. In fact, she could feel Life's hold slip away, nearly swept away in the storm.

The girl's name was Lumara Wish. She was 13 years old.

While she was still alive, things were not looking good. She had been swept far out to sea, accompanied by several branches the large tree log she was desperately clinging to. A particularly large wave tipped and tree, and Luma let out a surprised yelp before falling back into the cold, clinging ocean waters.

Barely alive, Luma grabbed the tree, and hauled herself up. With freezing fingers, she tied herself to the log with a hair ribbon that miraculously hadn't blown away.

The poor girl was quite near Death, and he hovered over her, his eyes searching her. After a long, tense, moment, he sighed and shook his head. She wasn't ready, and the last time he took a living spirit from Life, she released several hundred spirits. It was very hard to cover up, but that is another story, and not important to this one. Perhaps another day I shall tell you of it, but today is not the day.

But before we continue, I must explain something. The first star people took on names, and became known as gods and goddesses. In fact, many became adopted by young human civilizations. The Greek, Roman, and Egyption- and those are just a few. More gods were born as well, many, many, minor gods and goddesses. A complicated mess of deities and magic. All those 'myths' that you learned about in school? They're based around truth.

***

Luma woke on a strange island, with sand of dark midnight, with pieces of glass swirled in from the receding shard storm. The beach, she thought, looked like the night sky. Unbeknownst to the girl, the beach was the border of Nevermore, the land of fear and hurt. It was never a happy place.

Luma shuddered with the cold, wrapping her pale arms around her knees, which were pulled to her chest. She felt awfully tired and confused. "Where am I?" She couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"The place where all tired souls come to." Luma whipped her head around to where the voice had come from. A boy had emerged from a burnt forest with a sad, almost angry look on his face.

The boy moved away from the forest with a slight frown, his oddly red eyes dark. In the second they made eye contact strange things danced through her mind. Terrible things. The boy collapsed in a plain steel cell. And then a scene of him in front a looming shadow creature...

Luma raised an eyebrow as she got a better look at him. He had mussed-up golden brown hair, and dark scarlet eyes. They weren't scary looking, but an aura of power resided in them. His ears were pinched like an elf's and he had a look about him that would make teachers yell "Oh no you don't" and then plop him in the front row. He had on a green camouflage shirt and worn jeans. Luma couldn't help but notice that he reminded her of an old friend, with an almost wolfish look to his face as well.

"Who are you?" asked Luma boldly. She felt that this was an adventure, and if she was by any chance the hero, she ought to be brave.

"Depends who you ask." He answered, a slight smirk appearing on his face. "But you can call me Mark." Luma felt oddly fearful for a second, but tried to ignore it.

"What's your name?" Mark asked, the arrogance gone from his voice. He tilted his head at her with a sweet, curious look, and she was reminded of a small puppy.

"I'm Lumara Wish, but you can call me Luma." she answered, smiling hesitantly.

He looked at her again, up and down, and she got the feeling that she was nothing but an item, a tool for sale. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Luma."

The temperature seemed to get suddenly and stiflingly warm. Mark stared at her, his dark crimson eyes seemed to be turning to stone. In front of him, darkness began to seep out of the air. The smoke in the air became thicker. The dark mist formed into a vaguely human figure. As it condensed, Luma saw the most terrifying thing she had ever seen (and hopefully will ever see.)

If I explained him, you would have nightmares for a very long time (Not to mention that I, the narrator, would be moved from middles school fantasy to adult horror.)

"I AM FEAR!" he screamed, loud enough that Luma's ears hurt and the dark beach trembled as if an earthquake was taking place. "TREMBLE BEFORE ME!"

Luma stumbled back, and grabbed Mark's arm to steady herself. Luma glanced at Mark, her cheeks flaming red with both fear and the physical contact, but he had his eyes on the figure. Luma quickly slid her hand off his wrist, still blushing.

Luma heard some words imprint into her mind very clearly. Sorry for bringing him. She flinched. It was Mark, she knew from the feel to the message, though she didn't know how he did it. It was probably some sort of magic.

The horrid man who had proclaimed himself Fear, spoke once again, saying "I care not who you are, but you have trespassed into my territory." His voice was full of energy, a dark flow of anger and pain.

"I thought it was his." said Luma bluntly, jabbing a thumb at Mark. She realized her mistake a second after she said it, and her hand flew up to her mouth. She had questioned his authority, and she hadn't even meant to. Mark's crimson eyes widened in terror and gave her a look that of disbelief. He thought she did it on purpose. Luma had spoken without meaning to, and so the beat, Fear, was going to hurt Mark. Her mind was racing, but she began to talk. Luma wasn't sure how the beastly man would react to flattery, but it was worth a try. She didn't know Mark very well, but she didn't want him to get hurt.

"But I was wrong, silly me, you're so much bigger and stronger that it's obviously yours. I should have known" Fear stopped walking towards Mark, and Mark gave her a thankful look.

Once more Luma felt a word being projected into her brain, and was able to sense it coming. Thanks. She smiled inwardly, and clutched the skirt of her summer dress. Her hands were so cold they felt frozen.

When Luma glanced over at Mark, he was staring straight at her, completely serious and giving no hints to this silent communication..

She swirled her eyes back to Fear, who was watching her movements like a cat would watch a mouse. He smiled devilishly, and Luma was struck with terror. "Do you know where you are, little cherry child?"

Luma hesitated. "Y-yes, I- I mean, yes, yes I do?" she stammered, her voice sliding up at the end.

"Where are you?" he whispered.

A voice slide into her head, one that sounded like Mark's. Majick, say Majick.

Luma frowned... and shook her head. It didn't seem right. "I say Nevermore." she said mindlessly as though someone had grasped control of her thoughts for a moment, not knowing what she was saying until she had spoken. The words had flown from her mouth before she could think, and her head throbbed with the sudden onslaught of a headache.

What in the world was happening?

A/N: yay!