Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 24- Rivet in depths

I never knew skies could be a shade of immoral purple, streaked by blood red.

This was definitely a weird dream because such places simply never existed— yet. My feet were on soil, the color of gold with black trees and silver flowers blooming overhead where the bluest moon I had ever seen shone. There was no wind but there was a strange presence, a croon of inexplicable energy which oscillated all around. It felt intimate, similar— almost known and unknown. The energy....it felt— as if I had felt it before...long time ago which I had no recollection of. But that scene was witnessed by many as my hands worked to save somebody. And that strange energy was humming from perseverance in front which watched me.

Remembrance didn't last long as I began walking in the strange dreamscape. This was surely a dream...or imagination? Or a hallucination just like the way I did in the supply closet. Wait...was that supply closet incident a hallucination in the first place? Surely my mind wasn't poetic enough to shove a blissful oblivion of rotten trees and silver flowers!

And just like that...the sky changed. To the color of sapphire blue. Another familiar color.

The moon disappeared behind looming thunderclouds which materialized like a change of frame, announcing the approaching storm still a distance away. I tried to make a run towards the trees but my legs slipped in the yellow sand and I fell. And my breath hitched when the soil under my body changed its pigmentation as well. Became darker— dangerous— deeper until the barren landscape was graced by color of black. I heaved myself up and dashed under the shelter of black trees— just as rain struck.

Wind came with it as well. Chilling. Arctic. Icy. Cold like never before.

I shivered, immediately wrapping my hands around me as the wind hit with a force of thousands Gs. My back slammed into the tree and much to my horror, it began to deter. I moved away from it but dark vines slithered forward until their coarse cortex wrapped around my skin. I squirmed, kicked and flailed— trying to get free but to no avail! There was no sound of thunder but red lightning flashed in the skies. The color of blue was gone...and now, only the umbra lurked.

The storm was only a few acres away and for the first time since I woke up here, I realized I couldn't see what was in the storm. Because it was bringing eternal darkness with it.

Darkness seemed to ripple along the storm wall, waves of foggy and lighter darkness floating like the calm sea, irrespective of hurricanic winds. It moved slowly, like lava meandering from a mountain. I was frozen in my spot, captured. Enmeshed.

Comprehension was beyond scoop. There was no point of doing anything except trying to wake up and get rid of this nightmare. So I just tried to pull myself out of this place but as you know— nightmares don't exactly allow you to escape without bringing their consternation upon you. So, neither would I wake up nor storm would stop coming. And the worst part? I could actually feel.

Everything.

As if this was my reality.

The darkness hit me ever so gently. Unlike the storm. It was like the eye, the calmest horizon of such unforeseen power that everything around was simply drawn to its surmountable strength. And in the middle of it— darker than the darkest nights blazed. As in simply blazed. Like the darkest flames...like the energy of darkest dreams...of darkest deeds. A familiar energy. A familiar power. Coming from a frontier so familiar that my knees simply buckled.

All I could see were two orbs the shade of sky as huge drops of blood red rain began crushing to the ground, ruby splashes spreading underfoot. The power inspected me, making me flinch under its scrutinizing eyes. The vines slithered painfully, choking around my throat. I gasped and thrashed, unable to free myself from the hold. I felt the pressure of vines around.