Page 9 of Dark Rapture
A normal person would scream at this point, that much I am sure of, but there is only the warmth spreading through me with every steady breath. I feel as though I am sinking through the ground beneath my feet, slipping deeper into a dark pool.
My stomach drops as a new sensation hits me, the air becoming suffocating as I am submerged in something I cannot see. The flame in front of my eyes dims so low I fear the flame will give out while my lungs struggle to draw in a full breath.
In an instant, I breach an invisible surface, the flame popping back to life as the air surrounding me returns to normal. I draw one long, deep breath into my lungs as my breathing quickly regulates. The silhouette in the distance moves, the frightening shadow figure stepping to the side.
A disembodied voice, deep like the darkest of ocean depths, breaks through the fog in a soothing whisper. So low and deep, it sounds entirely inhuman, as though whatever is here in this room with me is trying to mimic a human’s voice.
“Little witch.”
Lightning sparks across my nerve endings, every single hair on my body rising. I begin to tremble, goosebumps erupting across every inch of my skin as the voice brushes across my senses. The terror surges from the pit of my stomach, my intuition ringing like an alarm, but the calming waves radiating from the sinister entity beat my emotions back down.
The shadow moves, but all I can see is the ghastly outline of it. What looks like thick, black smoke clings to its ethereal form.
It speaks again.
“What do you seek?” The disembodied voice is horrific, the tone and pitch so unnatural that I can barely stand to hear it as it infiltrates my senses. The darkness surrounding me is heavy, oppressive, and threatening to bring me to my knees. My body suddenly feels sapped of strength, my bare feet rooted to the wooden floor beneath me.
I watch it with my eyes, but my body is frozen. I cannot move. I cannot turn my head.
The entity’s question bounces around inside my head, demanding my answer. What do I seek? The only thing I’ve been looking for is protection.
I finally find my words through the heavy fog that has descended over me, the calming waves still washing over me and keeping my hysteria at bay.
“I-I needed p-pr-protection,” I stutter, trying my hardest to force myself to move, desperate to regain control of my own body. All I want is to keep the entity in front of me, but I am helpless as it shifts closer to a position behind my back.
“I can give you protection,” it promises, its voice shifting until it sounds distinctly masculine, although still quite inhuman.
“W-who are you?”
Faint laughter is the response to my question, low and ominous, shifting through the darkness. The entity keeps moving, and still I cannot turn to face it. Once it takes up position to the right of me, it speaks again, the voice entering exclusively through my right ear.
“I am the teacher,” it says, barely audible. “The protector.” Louder now.
The disembodied voice echoes around me, repeating three times, the sound so haunting that it makes me want to crawl out of my skin.
There is whispering now, rising all around me. Words that I cannot comprehend, a cacophony of voices, maddening and disorienting. I struggle to focus as the legions of voices speak to me. The sound crescendos and then everything suddenly falls silent. It is so silent that the sudden absence of noise makes my ears ring.
The silence stretches between us as the entity disappears on the periphery of my vision. Dread swells inside of me as I lose sight of it, feeling the malevolent presence standing behind me now.
Lips brush against my ear, and warm breath trails along my sensitive skin. I shudder as tears gather at the corner of my eyes, frustration and fear beneath the calm being forced upon me. I can’t turn to face it. I can’t escape.
The silence is too intense. A tear slips free and glides down my cheek.
“A Prince of Hell,” the entity’s grim voice echoes, finally answering the question trapped behind my trembling lips. More tears fall, and a scream gets caught in my throat. A dark hand, as black as a starless night sky, moves in from the left of me to settle over my mouth.
“Shhhh,” the entity soothes, his unsettling voice sounding more and more human with every word, distinctly masculine and less disorienting. It is as though he is making an effort not to give me a heart attack from the fear and dread threatening to break free from his control.
The scream dies inside of me, and I moan my defeat as my shoulders slump and my head drops.
I called for my ancestors during that ritual, no one else. I did not intentionally summon the demon trapping me here now. I am nobody. I am nothing. Why would a Prince of Hell, and all else it claims to be, give a shit about me? I’m just a newly awakened witch with barely any experience.
The hand slips away from my mouth, and I inhale sharply to draw air deep into my lungs.
“Please let me go. Please don’t kill me,” I beg as the entity steps closer, his big body pressing against my back. My voice and body are trembling so violently I think I may faint. I don’t know what else to do, what more could I possibly say to whatever thing is here trapping me?
Without warning, warmth spreads around me and engulfs me, reminding me of those steamy candlelit baths I used to take all the time when I was stressed out and in need of comfort. Those baths are always so soothing and warm… and they always make me feel safe.
Safe. The demon is trying to make me feel safe. That disturbs me just as much as the rest of this nightmare, if not more.
