Round 10

Chapter 7

A/n
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I'm just curious, did I surprise you all with the sudden angst in the last chapter?

(Luke's p.o.v)

I was in the forest. The sun was hidden behind thick clouds.

"How did I get here?" I asked into the silence.

There was no answer, just the sound of animals scampering. 

I could feel the cold, damp air pang the bare skin on my arms.

I began walking.

The forest had this dense feel to it. As though it held a secret.

The wind blew through the tree. It sounded like a faint whisper.

"Don't go there."

Yet, I kept walking.

Further...

And further...

And further.

Until I could see, in the near distance, an abandoned house.

I sped up, then broke out in a run. Then tripped and fell at the doorstep.

"Ugh," I grumbled.

I looked up at the house. The walls were black with soot and the door had scratch marks on it. Many scratch marks.

I could almost hear the penetrating sound of nails scratching at it.

I shivered, not from the cold, but out of fear.

I picked myself up and reluctantly opened the door.

The inside was no better than the outside.

All the furniture was black and dusty. There was a picture on the wall, but I couldn't make out the face.

At the center of the room, was a stack of logs. Placed in a way that it could hold a fire.

But they looked like they had been burned too. Only half of each remained.

"Hello?" I asked.

No answer.

At the back, I spotted another door.

I walked over and opened it. I was met with a staircase, which also was covered in soot and burned.

I reached one of my feet forward and placed a bit of weight on the stairs. It was still solid, I'd have to be careful. But I could still use it.

I climbed the staircase. One step at a time, cautiously trying to evenly distribute my weight.

I reached the top and saw two rooms. One door had been burned halfway, the other had a hole in it.

I opened the one with the hole. I saw a few bags. Two. Both, just like everything else, covered in soot.

I walked over to the bags. They looked old, maybe early 19's old.

In the first bag, there were clothes and a bit of food. In the other, there was all the same stuff. Except, I saw a familiar tie. It was black, and there was a small gold circle on the back. It looked like there was a symbol on it. But I couldn't make it out.

I put the tie back in the bag and stood up.

"Where have I seen that before?" I crossed my arms and looked down, trying to think. "Wait, Shio wears a black tie. But it might not have that little circle on the back."

I decided to think more about it later, so I shook my head and walked out of the room.

I walked I've to the other door. I stepped over the half-burned door and looked around.