Spirits: Waking Up Alone

Running Out of Time

     "HER SISTER?!!!!!!!" Hunter shouted in astonishment, his eyes wide in shock, "Why didn't you tell somebody? Does Kiara know?"

     Melody gave a sad, slow shake of her head, "No, I cannot tell her. It would hurt her too much. Each time she hears my name, her head aches with the memories she once had. Knowing that I was her sister in her former life... I don't know what would happen."

     "Oh...." Hunter dropped his gaze to the floor, his brow furrowed as he thought all of this over, "So... why did you become a ghost? What made you turn away a life in heaven to stay here?"

     "I stayed to find my sister, to protect her as I have always tried to. Hers was to simply find again what she couldn't recall. But as I came back, I was captured in a crystal of darkness, where you are now. And in that day, the moon of All Hallows Eve emerged from gray clouds, and I found myself in agony as my soul and essence got sucked away. But just before I died, it stopped. Carnirus had gotten what he needed, and he cast me away into the distance of his realm. That is why I am faded like I am now," Melody spread her arms to show that her fingers and feet did not exist, and her arms and legs simply faded into being the closer it got to her shoulder.

     "So I'm not gonna die?" Hunter asked hopefully.

     "No, you will," Melody told him, "Carnirus needs all of your being for what he plans to do tonight. But if you are planning on an escape, I advise you to do it now. We are running out of time."

     "What time is it?"

     "The sun has already passed its highest peak in your world, and is nearly at the horizon. We have mere hours... maybe hour... to escape."

     "We?" Hunter asked with a frown, "Are you trapped in here too?"

      Melody shook her head slowly from side to side, "No. Carnirus will take the crystal to the mortal world to collect the moonlight, and I wish to be taken out of his Shadow Kingdom. I came here in my own free will, so I can leave just as easily. Either way, we are still running out of time."

     Hunter sank down to the ground, flopping onto his back with a hand over his face, "But there's nothing I can do, right? The only was out is if Carnirus let's you out."

     "Or if the crystal is burned by dragon fire. It will deconstruct and you will be free."

    "Yeah, let me just hope a dragon will magically appear sometime soon," Hunter said sarcastically, "I know it's hopeless, Melody, you don't have to tell me that. At least I won't be alive to see what Carnirus does to the living."

     Melody fell quiet, sitting down beside him with a small sigh. She closed her eyes, then whispered, "You are who you are for a reason. And that reason is not to die so come one can rise. Things may seen hopeless, but there is always...a way out." And with that, she faded away.

     Hunter didn't bother calling out to her. He figured she was still somewhere in the crystal, but that didn't mean anything to him. He'd played right into Carnirus's hands, going to this dimension to save Kiara. He'd been too stupid to see the trap he had weaved around himself, and now the entire planet was going to pay for it.

    The crystal shuddered violently, and Hunter sat up quickly. Carnirus was striding towards him, and smirked as he saw Hunter, "We're now in the world of the living once again. The sun is setting and I'll be needing you soon."

     Hunter glared at him angrily, but Carnirus saw the faint flicker of fear in the boy's eyes, "You know what is coming for you, boy. I can see it. You're frightened of what is coming, and you should be. But you can't stop it. Not now. I'm afraid you're just out of time."

     "Even if there's nothing I can do, Kiara's still out there. She'll find some way to stop you," Hunter said, but with little conviction. How was she supposed to stop an army by herself?

     "You don't believe that yourself, so why should I?" Carnirus smirked, "Besides, I'm not here to listen to you ramble names of people you think can do something to stop me, I'm here to tell you that when your soul gets ripped slowly and painfully out of you, don't scream. It's horribly annoying, and this crystal isn't sound proof."

       "Sorry, but I don't really want to listen to you," Hunter growled, but the fear inside of him was only increasing. He didn't want to die. His father would kill him if he died.  His father was already going to kill him if he ever saw his dad again.

     "Your funeral," Carnirus shrugged, the smirked cruelly over his shoulder as he turned away, "Literally."

     Hunter glared at him again, but there was nothing he could do. Carnirus was right, he really had run out of time. 

    The Shadow King paused as a white light filtered in through the arched ceiling of the room, and he glanced up, allowing the silver light to wash over his face as he let out a sigh of contentment.

     "What is it?" Hunter asked edgily, his eyes glued to the ceiling.

      Carnirus smiled, "It's time." he said, striding away from Hunter confidentally, "All Hallow's Eve has begun."