Hope

"The Cold Dark."

You awoke slowly, however you couldn't see anything. It was like staring in a large black void, with a grunt you slowly sat up, gritting your teeth to the intense pain that decorated your nose and forehead. Pressing a hand to the area, you felt the pain increase. Your nose felt like it was now swollen, possibly broken. Taking a few breaths you stood up, blinking once or twice you needed to see. Leaning on the wall, you took slow quiet steps forward. A distant sound, something walking. Slow methodical steps like yours, slowly echoing in the pitch black area you were in. Your eyes darted left, then right, then left, then right, trying to spot anything. The steps were far off, but close enough to worry you. They stopped. The silence was back to greet you. You took another few steps when you heard the sound of something awful. You felt the cold liquid touch your foot in an instant and the sound of your foot touching the water nearly made you jump out of your skin as you scrambled back with a loud thud as you landed on the cold rocky floor. You felt the cool stone and took off your shoes. Shoes were bad and loud against rock you reasoned. Taking a few steps forward again you felt the cold waters edge. Kneeling down at the edge you tested the depth, had to be at least two feet deep. your The small pond extended a small ways. Stepping into the water gave a shudder from you, however you continued slowly. The water was so cold against your feet and ankles, your steps continued, slow and quiet as possible. You stopped dead in your tracks. The slight sound of something entering the water with you. You stood there quietly, eyes racing around to see where it was, thoughts racing through your mind, your heart beating so loud you thought whatever was in the water with you could hear it. The new steps practically in your ear and they paused. You could feel the new presence right next to you, eyes widened you stood there trying to stay calm, shaking, cold, trying to control your breath, you slowly turned your head and saw a pair of eyes that weren't looking at you. Like it was the side of someone's face. The eyes glowed a soft blue. Standing right next to you, was a fallen soldier. About the height of a Dreg. It stood there then slowly moved on.

You stood there for ages and didn't move until you were sure it was gone. As you moved you let out a breath and had to resist letting out a cheer of joy. You heard a lot more steps in the distant, big, heavy. Two that were softer but with purpose. You felt the as best you could and found a crevice you could slide through, looking left you saw a pair of twelve eyes that were slowly coming closer, but they showed no sign of having seen you. You quickly slid into the crevice and stayed there. The steps coming closer and closer, in your ears they were practically roaring, and you heard the quiet chatter from their language, you pushed yourself deeper and deeper into the crevice until suddenly it felt like you reached another hole? Barely able to turn your head you saw indeed the exit to the crevice. You kept going and going and popped free on the other side, looking around you let your jaw drop as you saw in the blackness, a lot of glowing Fallen technology. You saw something on the ground and picked it up, your eyes adjusted enough to see it was a blade. Tilting your head you measured it and placed it in your hand a bit too rough, it dig into your palm and you winced dropping the blade, you then realized your error and went to quickly grab it, but all too late, it clattered to the ground, the sound was louder than a gunshot and it echoed through the cave. Slowly raising your head you looked around and saw so many eyes on you that you couldn't even begin to count them. Quickly you ran back to the wall and felt for the crevice, you felt that opening and slid right in quickly going to the other side, then going for a full on sprint. You felt the cold water suddenly slowing you down, but you had to keep going! Quickly leaving the small pond you continued running, it didn't matter how tired you felt right now, you had to escape. In your adrenaline fueled sprint you didn't notice how close you were to a wall, you slammed right into the wall. Stumbling back you took a breath and felt the dull pain in your chest, looking left you saw the mouth of the cave, and heard the steps racing after you. You bolted for the exit, forcing your eyes to remain open you kept going and slid right out of the cave, the sun blinding you for a moment but you kept going, laughter erupting from you as you had escaped! You opened your eyes and stopped in the middle of a forest. "Oh man...Oh man that feels good." You quickly went to go further but paused. Right in front of you was that same Fallen Captain that decked you in the face. It aimed its Shrapnel Launcher right at you and you stumbled back and looked left and right seeing how quickly Vandals and dregs surrounded you. You gulped and blinked feeling your pocket, raising a brow you felt the pocket knife you still had! You had a plan that was crazy enough to work. The Captain was slowly backing you into a wall. Suddenly you paused and looked at the captain. You remember adding that Captain to the Library. Standing in front of you was Baroness Asilvar, she had killed at least two hundred civilians, and eighty-two guardians. You watched the vandals slowly move in, grinning you put the plan into action and drew your pocket knife, burying it into the Vandals chest, it screamed and writhed, then went limp. The second Vandal whipped over and aim, however it was all too late as you had taken the Vandals Wire-Rifle and used the body as a shield, charging the wire-rifle quickly you head-shot the second Vandal. Asilvar was clearly in shock of your actions as she didn't react for a good few seconds, by then you were already sprinting to the tree-line with a bloody pocket knife, occasionally ducking down from wire-rifle and shock pistol shots hitting the trees around you, and grazing your person. It burnt when they did. You kept running and running, listening the fallen roar after you.

It had been hours since you escaped. You were tired, and out of energy. Stumbling to a halt you groaned and fell to your side. "Okay. Resting." you said aloud. Slowly closing your eyes and welcoming the sleep that was slowly coming on. You heard some steps and wanted so desperately to open your eyes, but it was too late. Just before the lights went out, you heard that voice.

"Hey, kid. Guess the whole camera thing didn't work out...now where's my gun?"