Chapter 5- Just A Bit Wet
(Authors Note- As the little boy screamed for his mother he saw her become consumed in darkness. The mother was being dragged away through the dark corridor and she screamed, “Run!” The little boy obeyed and started running. But not fast enough to block out the shrill screams of pain and her last words yelling, “I love you…”)
What am I supposed to do getting all upset over this? My life has already turned around for the worst. Going deeper into the dark I try and find the light. But where was it? Life is now a mystery to me… I might as well give up-
‘Don’t you dare give up Twilight, don’t give up on me! Don’t give up on myself!’
The voice sounded faded and hazy as if it was a lost memory.
It’s funny… I hear myself but I’m not thinking about myself. What killed me? Why can’t I just fall?
‘Just listen to yourself! The entire world rests in your hooves Twilight. You’re me, and I’m you. If you give up on me that means I’m giving up. All my efforts will be lost!’
My old self, we’re totally different dimensions. What can I do? Tell me what I have to do!
The voice inside my mind goes silent… Was I only dreaming?
‘Listen carefully…’ the voice continued.
‘I can’t last long in your mind. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not even supposed to exist but never mind that now! The questions will be answered later but listen to me! You must be brave… I don’t know what your tasks are at hoof, but all I know is that you have to get down to the Inner Sanctum. That’s all I can tell you. I am sorry that I can’t do much for you, but things will be more difficult with the Shadow of Chaos. The longer I stay in your mind, the weaker your mind will become.’
“But I want you in my mind! Don’t leave me, please come back!” I said out loud.
This time the entire line went dead. My conscious might be no more, or could be only hiding in the safety/dangers of my mind. I realized my former self is right, I have to move forward.
Getting up and wiping the tears away from my eyes I stood up and stayed strong holding both my front and hind legs firmly on the ground. As I took a small step forward the entire room started to shake violently.
I let out a small gasp when my horn suddenly started glowing, blinking a small ball of light as if it were a bomb. Like a firefly flashing its shine to attract a mate or in a horrible case, to create a warning…
My surroundings began to change. The bright torches were blown away and the walls were becoming covered with moss and slime. A shivering chill ran up my spine and my legs gave away. Next thing I knew, I fell face first onto the stone paved ground. Cracks started to appear and slowly, water trickled upward like small geysers. After a few seconds I was floating on shallow water.
I got back up and stomped my hooves, creating a small ripple on the murky pool. There was an odd splashing noise, and surly it couldn’t have been mine. I stopped stomping my hooves and listened with my ears. The sound of trickling water stopped, and I felt the floor shift as if the cracks were being shut like valves. The sounds of impacting water became faster, first distant, than deadly close.
I didn’t dare look behind me but I jumped, landing on a box which wobbled underneath my hooves. The hairs on my back were screaming with chills as I heard the splash’s stop. Somehow I knew that if I didn’t jump at the moment I would’ve been a dead mare. I looked at the flood of water. It was shallow enough for me to jump but to murky for me to run and after that experience I didn’t even want to set foot on the bog. There were boxes and chests scattered in the water and I just gave myself a reason to feel relieved.
Taking my time I jumped from one box to another. On my fifth jump, I slipped and fell flank first in the water.
I looked behind to see that something was coming for me. Even if it was too dark to see I scrambled for the safety of the boxes and chests, I panted as I hustled to get up. I was deeply troubled, was I being paranoid? Yet I still didn’t know what it was, the darkness still wrapped around me as I cautiously proceeded.
‘One box, two box, three boxes, four…’ I thought to myself as I hopped from one to another.
‘Five boxes, six boxes, seven boxes more…’
As I landed on another wooden crate, the entire thing shook and crashed underneath my hooves. The burst of water only grew louder and I started to dash forward. I couldn’t determine if the noise was getting closer or further away, my own hoof steps exploded underneath me. I forced my way through the bog like water and felt my hooves become entangled against what I thought might’ve been a brush. I looked forward and saw the ripples becoming closer and the sound of garnishing teeth erupted against the walls. I looked at my hooves and pulled to get away. I felt the hairs on my front legs tingle with anticipation and the sudden ringing in my ears didn’t help.
With all my strength I pulled one last time, swinging my leg back as if I was about to buck somepony. I heard a satisfying SNAP and felt my leg become free but I knew that it wasn’t the time to celebrate.
The sound of rippling water got louder and faster, the rhythm was like a steady drum beat, faster and faster it went. I pumped all my energy into my hooves pushing myself forward! I stumbled and fell, only to get up against my own exhausted bodies will.
After what seemed like ages I saw what was at the end of the corridor. I quickened my pace once more and I flung my entire body at the gate.
The sounds of pounding water behind me got louder and louder, with a sudden growl echoing inside my ear. I tugged, pulled, and even tried to lift the gate open but it was locked fast. I felt my eyes dart back and forth, trying to find a lever and if by magic I found a rusted wheel. I turned it and with every passing second, it was agony trying to get away from whatever was chasing me.
Every second was like waiting to see if you got shot playing ‘Russian Roulette’; trying to get the gate open was a pain! I thought to myself for the hundredth time, ‘I don’t want to die!’
I closed my eyes, just waiting to be killed but there was a sudden loud click. I pried open my eyes and without hesitation, I launched myself through the gate and on top of another bundle of boxes. Behind me, the gate slammed shut with another growl that echoed through the water covered chambers.
I swallowed gallons of air even if there was a lite stench in the air. As the monster left, the now concealed stone room seemed even colder. I was tempted to tread on the water, but was even more afraid that something lingered. My throat rasped, quizzing as I breathed in and out. My heart continued to race. The danger wasn’t over yet, I heard another splash in the room.
‘By Celestia’ I thought to myself as my eyes started to adjust to the darkness again, “Why can’t they leave me alone!?”
Looking at the dark shadows I saw the same ripples like the invisible creature from before.
“That can’t be right…” I said to myself, “The thing was trapped behind that metal gate unless…”
The realization finally dawned on me as there was one last splash and it stopped. The monster was just waiting for me, sitting in the water just ready to bite my leg and eat me alive. There were more of them… More of those evil invisible creatures were roaming within the shallow waters of death.
Only the boxes that were placed, or more like scattered, were the boundary’s to my death in the damp darkness. The room was partly covered in moss with a handful of broken debris on the far left side of the watered space. It was a little hard to see but I managed to read a few of the titles on the boxes. Some were labeled, ‘Wonder Bolts’ with faded pictures of a golden tipped arrow flashing with fire. Others had little labels with food drawn near the surface which I figured was making the rotten aroma.
As I looked and observed my surroundings I saw another gate similar to the last. How was I going to get to the other side?
I felt my heart settling down and I started to think. There seemed no other way to get to the other gate. I tried lifting the boxes but they were much too heavy. Shuffling my hooves around I felt something bump against my legs. I flinched letting out a small scream. I bucked my hooves and saw sail across the room.
There was a small eruption of water…
Without hesitation I saw large ripples of water charging toward whatever I’ve bucked. Looking down, I wanted to jump but held fast.
Chopped up pieces of a pony laid all over the box, it was a wonder I never noticed it until now. The figure was too dismembered to tell if it was from a mare or a stallion. The water vibrated once again and I saw the creature coming back at the base of the box. For a minute I gasped, than allowed myself to let out a heavy sigh. I looked at the body parts and then back at the water, an idea formed in my mind…
Taking a severed leg I threw it far across the room, as predicted the invisible creature dashed for the limb. The sounds of it eating, ripping at the blood filled leg greedily echoed through the room. Blood pooled around the area where the limb disappeared, and the monster started coming back.
Sucking up whatever remaining courage I had, I grabbed another dismembered leg and tossed it across the room with all my might. It hit the far side of the left wall and landed with a heavy splash.
Leaping off the box I charged for the gate. I listened to the monster chew and rip at the flesh. I felt my heart pound with madness as I fumbled with the wheel like lever. I heard the growling stop, and the next thing I knew the splashes became louder. The ripples touched my hind legs which egged me on as I turned and turned the wheel even though the rust cut through my hooves.
Finally with all my efforts there was a heavy clink and I hurried through the gate, and finally opening a door which I slammed shut behind me.
Not even caring about what the room looked like I climbed over more boxes and started to stumble.
There were sounds of something banging and finally a crash, I looked behind me to see the door explode in a shower of sharp splinters. The shallow ripples became an explosive tyrant of water that showered the bog water like heavy rain.
A rumble shook the room along with a hollow scream, the same deep ancient cry that yelled in anger. Blood like tissue started to cover the walls and underneath the water. I started to run…
Opening another door, I came upon two paths, left and right, not even choosing I hurried for the left. The enigmatic cry continued to roar in my ears. My eyes widened as I saw blood drip from the walls. I turned my head to look behind me.
Like a bomb exploding in front of my face, a blast of water propelled me forward as I landed head first into the shallow pool of now blood stained liquid. Starting to have the credence that I was going to die I quickened my pace. Up ahead I spotted some debris, I leaped over the pile of trashed items and threw a chair in pure desperation. Another shower of splinters erupted and mixed with the shower of water.
After making a right turn I saw a metallic door just up ahead! The sounds of bricks being toppled down and the tittering of the corridor reenacted like a bridge about to break apart. Blood started to drip down faster and faster, dust started to fill the stained air.
The invisible monster still didn’t let down. I jumped toward the door, opened it and closed it with all my might.
I placed my back against the iron slab and listened to my own heavy breathing accompanied by the beating of my heart. I risked my life once again to save my own flank, and whatever the creature was it was gone…
Just as I let out a sigh of relief a heavy force encountered the door and propelled me away. The gate was heavily indented. Red crimson liquid oozed out from underneath the door.
I felt my head start to cram inside my mind, stress and tiredness over whelmed me and I collapsed on the floor. Before I knew it, I drifted off to deep sleep. Despite the sweat and uncomfortable floor I felt at ease. The room was pitch dark, nothing but the color black surrounded me.
Finally, letting out a moan of relaxation I laid to rest… I was so tired that I didn’t even notice that there was a moving figure slowly making its way toward me.
“Oh well…” I thought to myself.
I dozed off as the figure came to my face with a smile. I felt its claws come in contact with my forehead and that was it…
That’s when I knew the darkness has won…