Black Feather Falls (COMPLETE)

嘘についての真実 (18)

I blinked three times to adjust my eyes to the blinding light streaming down from the ceiling. As my eyes stabilized the figure of a female wandered out of my field of vision ostensibly in a hurry to leave. When it stabilized, a disconcerted Michael walked up towards me, blinding me further with the glimmer of his silver locket.

Before ascribing all my attention to the worrisome stares of my brother, I examined the room in which I was now in; a basement. It's dank and smelled of rotting garbage and death. Cobwebs strung across the ceilings from side to side like Christmas lights; intertwined in an almost poetic and riveting way. I held back sneezes as I eased myself forward out of the bed. Its midnight blue sheets shifted as I moved into the upright position. The bed's surface was smooth and clear; nothing but a pillow and a blanket were upon it.

"Daniel." He called and I ignored him, still scanning the room confused as to how I reached this place in the first place. My hair fell over my face but before I could shift it behind my ear, it was done for me. "Are you okay?" I could see my reflection in a slightly shattered window directly across from me. If not for the light, I wouldn't be able to see anything at all. My face was twisted into a morbid scowl for reasons I did not know.

His golden eyes and shoulder-length, curly golden hair shun brighter than the bulb above us. I shifted on the bed and hence did the dust descend upon me like the snow outside. There's a glimmer of light coming from behind the glass of one of the covered windows allowing me to see that snow was still falling. If not for that, I would not be able to tell given how warm inside the house was.

"How did I get here?" My voice was hoarse, but how?

"Israel attacked, you fainted in the crossfire and I brought you here to recover."

"And where are Zahra and Israel?"

"I don't know." He starts smoothing out my hair, moving questionably closer to me. "That matters not. Just rest yourself, at first light, we leave for Olympus." I smiled.

"Okay, I'll get some rest then. I miss home."

"I know you do." I returned my head to the pillow and turned away from him. I closed my eyes with the intent to fall asleep; It often took no time for me to sleep.

Minutes drifted on by and I still could not find slumber, as though it was in a hurry away from me. I turned to face my brother but he was gone. I recall a moment where I was half asleep and heard creaking noises in a chorus line. I guess Michael went upstairs. I moved my blanket to the side and explored the basement. I had a nagging feeling that something was not okay and I needed to know what.

I grazed my hand across the wood columns holding up the foundation of the room. I dodged hanging cobwebs and headed towards a box on the left side of the room. I stepped further with my eyes set on the box but I slipped and fell on the ground. It's soaking wet. I grabbed my loose hair and tied it up as best as I could before it soaked up any water. But that was the thing - I wasn't getting wet and neither was my hair nor my clothes. It was as if everyone attached to and on my person became non-absorbent. I felt the water on my skin but It ran off of me upon contact.

I emerged off the ground and walked carefully towards the box; unsure of why I was so drawn to it. Finally. As I stretched into the box a thought came to my mind. Why did that fall not hurt? I felt nothing, as though my body had fallen on cotton. Could this be Safe Haven? But the only creatures that can concoct such an illusion are ... No, let me see if I can figure out what's going on. The box was filled with all sorts of junk. I rummaged through it until I found something. It was a piece of the sharp object; one I had previously had in my possession. At least, I think I did. I grabbed the item and rested it in my pocket as I waltzed over to my bed.