The Rapture *VLD ff*

Survival

Day in and day out. The same every time. Tedium is the worst. Defending your life at a constant weighs a life down. The question remains: is this pain worth it?

Today felt different. Somehow a feeling of grim hopefulness filled Lady Luck.

****

The entirety of the day passed ordinarily, everything had been self-same. Earlier in the day, the notion from the morning was cast aside. It was now dusk; time to go home. Any confrontations with the heretics were void, a pleasant bewilderment. The subtle comfort from four wooden walls withered away when that strange feeling from before resurfaced. Something was bound to happen, the certainty came with the suspicion.
This was not something Lady Luck could ignore any longer. So terribly did she want to rest, but the racing of her mind prevented it. That night there was no unwinding, no peace, no nothing but a slight anxiousness that settled at the bottom of the stomach. She almost craved for something to happen, she was so tired.

Soon, Lady Luck's unwanted want was granted. Ominous chanting barely reached the edge of the human ear, happenings like this had never occurred before. What was one supposed to do, it was too late to run without being spotted. Hiding was an option, although it felt like a spear through her pride. Pushing dignity aside, Lady Luck hurries to her bedroom; the only place even worth hiding was under the bed. It was a risky bet, but it was the best option decked out. Standing in plain sight was a suicide wish that would most likely be granted.

Under her bed, Lady Luck could only wait. The cacophony of the front door bursting open sounded throughout the small home, suddenly realization hit that closing the bedroom door was neglected. She cursed under her breath as a multitude of footsteps came near the room, but faded away as the possessors past by. Lady Luck knew it was too dangerous to try and escape, unfortunately staying hidden was the safest choice. "She's not here."  A raspy voice uttered, who sounded terribly close to the bedroom. "A sacrifice must be offered, burn the house. Josiah stay behind. Let God accept you with open arms for your holy deed. She shall know there will be no refuge from Heaven."  Lady Luck knew that voice, a sense of foreboding grasped her body as she listened to the spit gurgle in their throat as they spoke.

Soon a severe heat penetrated the bedroom along with heavy smoke and heretic rambling. "Let this messiah know the message from the holy lord and accept the inexorable fate that lord ahead to the gates,"  the praying continued as the fire spread throughout the house. She had to get out, with a surge of courage Lady Luck scrambled from under the bed and made no hesitation to dash for the front of the house. It wasn't until she came through the bedroom's door frame that a man lept in front of her. "My lord grant me strength for the desirable stands before me, take this gift from the ashes,"  Lady Luck was repulsed that the man could still speak as flames stuck to his charred skin, or what was still clinging to his body. He charged towards her too swift for her to evade; burning hands gripped her biceps sending a searing pain throughout her entire arm. Her hands began to blister as she pushed against his shoulders, finally she felt his grip release her but not before they ripped at her skin. Both individuals fell back, Lady Luck let out a cry as her head collided with a scorching bookshelf. Quicker than she could recover, the man had launched himself onto her and wrapped his hands around her neck. From not only the blooming flames but also the agony of searing and suffocation sent tears to her burning eyes. With all the remaining strength she could muster, her legs pulled back to her chest as she rammed her feet into the man's abdomen. He flung back into the spreading fire that began to lick at her skin, now that the man was dead she was free to retreat from the house inferno. Stumbling towards the front door, Lady Luck wrapped her hand around the handle but recoiled as her skin burned. Pulling her hands close to her face to assess the damage, acidic bile climbed up her blistered neck as she saw that when she touched the man's shoulders his skin had clung onto her own. In fear, she wiped her hands against her thighs in a panic.
The door was not an option, but the window was. Lady Luck quickly came to the window above her couch and slammed her fist against the glass. Anger pounded against her chest as she failed to break the barrier that teasingly showed the safety she so desperately wanted. Finally with a frustrated scream, she beat both her fists onto the window and the glass shattered; music to her ears, she shoved her way through the small frame ignoring the glass that solicited themselves into her flesh.
Her body hit the splintered porch, but she could not worry about the pieces of small wood that punctured her hands and legs. She needed to get to the sand, even if it killed her. A sudden rush of determination coursed through her blood and she flung herself down the steps, body hitting the soft ground that molded around her figure. Relief came as a ragged sigh that escaped her cracked lips painted in a crimson liquid.
She let out a sobbing laugh as she placed her arm across her eyes. She survived.

****

Allura's eyes flung open as she stumbled back from her podium. A cry left her throat as her backside met the cool metal below her, "Princess!" She deafly heard her advisor call out. He began questioning why she had fallen or if she had hurt herself, but she couldn't keep the images from flashing in front of her eyes. Allura had been trying to open a wormhole before she was struck with a vision full of flames and agony. A lone woman was desperately fighting for her life, the last image she had seen was her figure splayed out onto the sand with a sob at her lips. Had the woman somehow subconsciously contacted Allura, had the woman somehow projected her pain and suffering so astronomically that it reached far galaxies. Through her confusion, determination settled in the pit of Allura's stomach. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let this unknown woman suffer such a horrible fate. With the help of her advisor, she regained her footing and quickly called for the paladins.