Hymns of Struggle

1- A Death Wish

Author's Note: This series is being reposted and published on this site. As of 4/28/2019, it's almost done and has been up to date on AO3 and FF.net. I promised myself I'd finish posting to Wattpad someday, and that's that day! You can contact me on either of those other sites or at pipesflowforeverandever.tumblr.com

This story has undergone edits to the first few chapters since posting here, so I recommend starting from the beginning again if you read this at the original posting in 2017. Additionally, I have found overwhelming support and have received tons of fanart. I'll try to add some art as I go, if Wattpad allows. Otherwise, you can find them under my tumblr tag "hymns art". The art for this chapter is by Startistdoodles, a very good friend of mine. 

This story is about empathy in a world of isolation, faith both religious and nonreligious, and what it means to love the people you care about. 

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"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall never perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

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Her skin clammed up as she reached for the dim, glistening light at the end of the dark hallway, the only doorknob that seemed to work in this godforsaken place. She trembled with anxiety and excitement, not finding what she was looking for but ready as hell to get out since she knew that now. The last thought she had was "the door can't be locked, I was just-"

And then she fell.

The floorboards cracked like thunder and splintered and cut all over her legs as they gave way, leading the way down to whatever waited below. Another loud crack followed, as she had landed on her abdomen. And almost immediately after, a primal, guttural scream. So much noise, but it seemed to echo into nothing, to no one.

A spotlight from the broken roof shined over the writhing figure. The world it touched was a sickly yellow, aged paper, but it didn't stray far from her. She started to lift herself from her ribs to her side, spasming as if she was moving her stomach out of her mouth. Her hand reached out and it attempted to lift her upright, the other unwilling to stop from holding herself. She had to leave. She knew no one was here to help, close enough to hear her call. She would soon wish for that to be the truth.

Another scream rang out and she lost her breath as something gripped her ankle and began to drag her, a thud sounding out as she fell back on her broken ribs. Her fingers scratched into the wood with their nails. She didn't know what was happening, but she needed it to stop; she was already fighting the siren call of unconsciousness. Being lead out of the light, her hand blindly hit a table leg and she held on for dear life. It dragged with her a little...and then hesitation. That cold, inhuman touch left finally her leg. She breathed in relief, but didn't let go, in case the machinery started up again. It must be some sort of abandoned production line, since there were all those strange, giant pipes above.

Just as she started to heave herself away from whatever was taking her, she saw something come for her hand and violently begin to pry her fingers off the table leg. It felt like- oh God, there's no way.

Other fingers.

Something came out of her mouth- she couldn't tell what- and she slammed the thing with her fist as hard as she could. It...squished in her touch, but did not waver and eventually was victorious. Feeling her palm in its' grasp, she was lifted up by the wrist and came face to face with what had to be another nightmare.

It dropped her from this height to the floor just as suddenly- almost as if it was a punishment for staring- and she felt her hands being forced behind her once she doubled over in pain. She felt rope graze her skin. She didn't know why, but she was fighting for her life and by God this wasn't going to be how it ends. There was a swift, almost instinctive reaction as she kicked it as hard as she could muster. A voice- a soft "ugh!" of surprise, and it sent her flying back.

The spotlight was over her yet again as it began to approach, looming over, its' skin glimmering like a puddle near a streetlamp in the early morning. She scrambled up to her feet and backwards, clutching a broken piece of wood that had joined her earlier plummet.

"Please!" she begged. It had never taken so much effort to heave a single word out of her throat. The figure stood still in the dark, soundless.

"Please!"

She was sobbing and shrieking by the time it started to approach once again, all her strength necessary to keep from dropping to the ground in hysteria. She knew it meant to kill her, she knew, and she knew she'd need to do anything to get out alive. Mucus filled her throat and nose as tears dripped from her cheeks, falling into her mouth and on the floor.

"PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!" The plea came without any forethought and she abruptly collapsed to her knees, making noises of agony and terror that went beyond words.

It strode into the light, a tall man with an inhuman smile- even through her burning tears she could see this was a monster- a tower of ink with pants and an unmoving expression, a stiff mask of a face she surely never wanted to see again.

Then it stood there, tilting its head. She didn't consciously think, but a shiver of agony pierced her, unknowing of what this moment meant, what this moment would lead to.

There was a long pause, every second of silence cutting into her soul.

And it just knelt down and picked her up.

She thrust her arms at him, begging for her life, beating into something that leaked a reeking liquid onto her hands no matter where she hit. There seemed to be no affect, but one could have noticed she was weakening in fervor and strength with every swing. The cries started to quiet as they left further and further down into the shadows and away from her only hope.