//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Getting Warmer // Story: The Butler // by Immortan Joe //------------------------------// “What do you mean it’s Hearth's Warming Eve?” I asked Luna as we walked through the hall towards the dining. The name Hearth's Warming sounded vaguely familiar to me, I could slightly recall Celestia the day before mentioning it to me. “The twenty third, just a day away from the Hearth’s Warming Eve theatrical play.” That’s right. That was the moment in which I had learned that I had missed mine and Alice’s anniversary. I sighed deeply at the memory. I can’t believe I’d missed one of the most important days in the year, she must’ve been devastated. Then there was that gift, my bowtie! The tag it read: “Happy Hearth's Warming Eve.” Shimmering Grace gave it to me... I never once thanked her for it either. “You mean you don’t know?” I picked up on Luna’s voice, or more specifically my voice seeing that we had not actually switched with one another yet. “Of course I don’t know,” I replied quietly, my mind still set on my wife being alone. “I don’t live here remember?” Luna shrugged her shoulders and we rounded a corner that led to a set of stairs. I stopped immediately while she began to descend. “It’s like one of the most looked forward to holidays in all of Equestria!” Luna said enthusiastically, she clearly was one who looked forward to it herself. “It is a time in which all pony races come together and celebrate the day in which we all joined hooves to create such a fantastic...” She trailed off and stopped halfway down the steps. She turned and saw that I haven’t even taken a single step downwards. “Lee?” I paid no attention to Luna. Instead, my eyes remained locked on possibly one of the most unexpected, yet terrifying, foe. Stairs. And I at first glance thought that doorknobs were my number one enemy, and now looking at these stairs. I know why my Grandparent’s German Shepard was so afraid of them. If I take even a single step. I’ll break my neck, calling it now. Hundred dollars, going all in. Luna shook her head and sighed when she finally realized what was happening. “For tartartrus sake, Lee, I know it looks intimidating but it isn’t that bad.” I snorted. “You say that now, but I nearly died last time when heading to court,” I said recalling the past event. If Celestia hadn’t been there to catch me, surely I would’ve been carted off in a body bag. Luna scratched the side of her neck. “Well if I help guide you down would that make you feel any better?” “No.” “Come on, Lee I’ll be holding you.” “Yeah but if I fall and you happen to be in the way I’ll kill you.” “No you would–” “And then I’ll be stuck in this hideous body forever!” Luna frowned. “Okay, now that’s just rude.” “Eh, sorry. But it’s true.” I smirked at her, she shook her head. “Come on, Lee, now is not the time for jesting. We’re on a time limit now could you please get a move on it.” I gulped. “Well, I can try again,” I said and stuck my first leg forward. I made contact with the step and felt my body lurch slightly forward, I started to move the next and begin my ever so slowly descent down the castle steps. For what felt like almost an eternity of baby stepping my way down, was actually only a three minute trip. Halfway down I had begun to sweat like a pig, my mind constantly telling me. “You’re gonna fuck up, you’re gonna fuck up and get hurt. Don’t fuck up.” I tried shutting that part of my brain off by reminding myself that I was halfway down yet I couldn’t. The voice kept getting louder, and before I knew it. I was taking my first step onto the marble floor of the castle's western wing. I noticed Luna leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. “Took you long enough didn’t it?” I hadn’t realized but I was panting, my legs jiggled as if they were jelly. “How do you do it?” I asked my voice shaking like a leaf. Luna laughed out loud. “I lived my entire life in that body, Lee. It just sort of became second nature. Quite frankly, being in your body has revealed to me how easy your life is.” I flashed her a look, Luna held my hands up to her face. Then turned them to show me, she twiddled her thumbs. “Seriously, look at these things. They're so small, yet without them... just imagine how different your life would be.” She chuckled and pushed herself off the way. “We should get moving now, dinner is just a minute away.” :[-]: The heavenly smell of spices and already fixed meals wafted its way into my nose. Right away my stomach went on a roaring rampage and my mind was already screaming at me to just jump right into the meal. Doing my best though, I kept myself restrained. Instead I decided to take a casual gander around the hall; I sat at the edge of a long royal table that stretched a quarter of the way across the room, the dining hall I sat in was a lot different than yesterday's. The decor that was used made it feel a lot more, Christmassy, yet it wasn’t. Though the drapes along the windows and the rugs on the floor shared the same colors as Christmas. It wasn’t. Hearth’s Warming Eve I believe these horses called it. If I recall correctly Luna explained to me it was the time in which the three pony races came together in order to live in peace. Which is supposedly what the play is going to be about after dinner. However, I did not share the same excitement as I did with the ponies who were eating with me. It just so happens to turn out that tonight was supposed to be the night in which Celestia introduced me to her old student and friends. The same ponies who were going to be participating in said play. It just so happened to turn out that, I wasn’t there. Well, more specifically Luna was out trying to set up that spooky voodoo witchcraft shit she doesn’t want me to help her with. Which even to this point I still don’t understand why I’m unable to help. As of now my limbs are rattling like crazy, and I’m surprised no one has noticed me yet. Not only was I shaking because I was afraid of being caught, I was also shaking because for the past day now I couldn’t stop thinking of my family. I’ve been over this constantly with myself yet I can’t get them out of my fucking head! Right now I was thinking about what Alice and Grace were doing now. Assumably the time now was around eight o’clock-ish. I didn’t have a clock near me so I couldn’t check. Alice and her sister were most likely setting up the family table for dinner. Her Mom Janice and her Father Philip, were probably bickering at each other from across the table like they always did. My best friend Kurt Keyes was possibly hanging out with my cousin Barry and the other guys, while Grace and her cousins were hanging out in her bedroom like every year. We never had any big extravagant parties on Christmas Eve like I heard from a few of my co-workers. My family and I would have a small get together, eat, talk about football or how our year was going. Then we’d get out the presents and sit around the tree... and... give gifts to one another. I hadn’t noticed but my eyes were downcast and a single tear had appeared along the rim of one of my eyes. Would they still be keeping the tradition even though I’m not there? Well, sure they are. They have to be, right? Me not being there wouldn’t ruin such an important event, I sniffed. Sure it’d be different, a lot more... depressing yes. At least I kind of hope they’d be sad that I’m not there. Like if they weren’t, damn... low blow dude. “Luna?” Alice is probably worried sick, and Grace? What if she’s angry with me? She’s always been known to have a short temper, could she be blaming me for Alice being sad? I wouldn’t doubt it, quite frankly the two of them have a right to be angry. Hell, Christmas was just a few days away when I left! “Luna, is everything alright?” “Huh!” My eyes widened and looked up to see everyone was staring at me. I saw Celestia on the other far end of the table looking me in the eyes with a rather concerned look. To my left was another pink alicorn I have never seen before, she too was watching me with a worried look. Everyone else on the other hand just looked confused. “Is something bothering you?” The pink alicorn asked me. I looked at her and gulped, what should I say? “Uh... eh, yeah... um–I-I...” God dammit! Lee, clean yourself up! “I’m fine, why do you ask?” This only seemed to make everyone even more confused then they already where. “Because you were just crying, that’s why.” Crying? Was I really crying? I ran my left ankle across my cheeks and sure enough they were damp with fresh tears. My heart clenched. “Eh.... I.... ooooh....” I couldn’t think of anything to cover this up, what should I say? “I’m crying because I can’t spend one of the happiest days of the year with my family? Not to mention they’re probably all devastated at the fact I might be dead.” I said nothing and broke eye contact with the mare. What was I supposed to do? I could lie, which is the most likely option to do. Or, I could say nothing at all. That would just seem rather suspicious though. “You mean, you made a fool of me remember?” I remembered Luna telling me in her room. That’s it! I felt my heart flutter lightly. I swallowed once more and thought back to my high school acting career. “I-I’m just...” I sniffed and looked back at the pink alicorn. “A-ashamed at myself that i-is all.” The alicorn looked at me out of sympathy and raised a hoof out to me so that she could pat my shoulder. “There, there,” She said, “We all make mistakes.” I wiped a tear out from under my eye. “I knew Luna told me not to drink too much, but I just wanted a single taste. I wasn’t expecting it to be that strong,” I explained. I continued with my fake/slightly real tears, despite not realizing the alicorns patting had stopped. “I... I’m sorry what?” She asked. I raised my head and looked at her puzzled face, I immediately bit my lip. “I-I told myself to only have one drink.” I smiled sheepishly, I shot a glance over at Celestia. Thankfully her attention had broken away from me and she was now focused more on a strange curly maned, pink pony. The pink mare reached into her mane and pulled out a small pastry. “What the...?” I mumbled. “Oh sorry.” The Alicorn next to me laughed. “I thought I heard you say something else.’ The mare reached over and gave me a light pat, I flinched and refocused my attention onto her. “So what have you been up to, Luna?” I frowned. How am I supposed to answer this? “I um....” Come on, Lee think. Say you went for a walk in the park! “I.. eh...” The mare tilted her head slightly and smiled. “Celestia and I... had...” A tea party? Come one man it ain’t that hard. “An argument.” Well... at least you didn’t lie. The alicorn’s eyes widened and she leaned in with interest. “You and Celestia had a fight?” “Hey Cadence.” A male’s voice came from my right. I took this moment to break eye contact with her and saw a white unicorn with a blue mane and suit next to me. He was gorging himself in a large plate of mashed potatoes. He swallowed. “Can you hand me some of that gravy?” My stomach growled and I was instantly wracked by an insatiable wave of hunger. It’s been hours since I had eaten anything, not to mention the last time I ate, I was human. I don’t even know if Luna had eaten breakfast or not. “Sure thing, Shiney.” The mare, whose name was presumably Cadence, used her magic to levitate a small boat over to the stallion across from her. I took my attention to my own plate, before me was small dish of mashed potatoes with the smallest; most pitiful amount of gravy any man could ask for. (Then again I ain’t a man as of yet) Beside it was what looked to be a tablespoon of diced carrots and green beans, which was then all topped of with a bowl of tomato soup. “The fuck is this–” I quickly silenced myself with a hoof over my mouth. I glanced over at Cadence who had begun to enjoy what seemed to me as a plate of fettuccine alfredo covered in tomato sauce. I was suddenly wracked with jealousy. I swallowed some air and leaned towards Cadence. “Hey, Cadence?” “Hmm?” She hummed and slurped her noodles quietly. “What’s with my dinner?” I asked. Cadence gulped her food and looked at me. “What do you mean?” She took at look at my meal. “I see nothing wrong with it.” “No, no, I know it’s fine. But why is it so plain?” Cadence looked at me stupidly. “I don’t know, Luna. Didn’t you order it that way?” I sighed. This is pointless, we’re getting nowhere. “No, I didn’t. I was a minute late remember.” “Is something wrong Luna?” This question caught me off guard. My eyes widened with sudden fear. “Wha–no, no!” I straightened myself out, my heart had started to beat quickly. “I-I told you I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Cadence bit the bottom of her lip. “Well,” she started, “recently I’ve heard you’ve been acting rather brash.” I cocked an eyebrow at this. Whelp, Lee, so much for remaining in cover. “And from what I can see... eh.” She took a deep breath. “Please don’t take a offense to this, Princess. But those rumors seem to be valid.” My response was cut off by Celestia tapping a spoon against her glass, she called over the mass of chatting ponies. “Quiet down everyone I have important question to ask my sister.” I turned my head away from Cadence and towards Celestia. I cleared my throat and tried to play the part of a friendly sibling. “Y-yes Celestia?” Celestia gave me a soft smile. “Luna, have you happened to see Gun Rose on your way to the dinner? I was hoping to introduce him to Twilight and her friends.” Thank God Luna prepared for this. “Uh, yes. Yes I have,” I replied, “he... uh, I mean I just so happened to him when I was on my way here.” Celestia slowly nodded her head. “Do you have any idea where he maybe now? He was supposed to be here for dinner.” I nearly bit my tongue, a bit of sweat formed above my brow. I immediately became thirsty, I didn’t think I could keep this up for long. “He was in the re-restroom, sister. He told me to go on ahead.” Celestia pursed her lips. “Are you sure he knew his way around the castle?” What is this some form of cross-examination?! “I dunno, Celestia ” I sighed, “You’re the one who’s been constantly watching over him.” This seemed to silence her, a few of the other ponies looked at me strangely. An awkward silence hung over the room and I lowered my gaze and noticed a small glass of water not too far away from me. Laziness began to take over and at the same time I saw this moment to be the perfect spot to try out Luna’s magic. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the glass, suddenly I felt a wave of warmth above my forehead which was followed by crash and a startled cry that caught me by surprise. My eyes sprung open, the glass was gone! To my left was Cadence, her mane was drenched and her eyes were wide in shock. “C-cadence!” The stallion next to me shot up from his chair as he began to levitate stacks of napkins towards her. “Oh my god!” I too rose from my seat. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t paying attention–!” “Luna!” Celestia nearly shouted, I flinched, she sounded very angry. “What is the matter with you?” Celestia asked sternly. “I-I... please, Celestia I can–” “Outside now!” She demanded and my tail went straight between my legs like a dog. With ears folded down on their sides, I slowly nodded and went for the door. Way to go, Lee. Now how am I going to meet up with Luna? :[-]: “Luna... for Mother’s sake what has gotten into you recently?” Celestia asked when the dining room door closed behind us. She looked to the two guards by the door and motioned for them to go on break. “First you and Lee get into a fight–” My ears perked at the sound of this, how did she hear about that? “–you went and gotten intoxicated during court, and now this!” She motioned a hoof towards the door. “What’s wrong?” I bit my bottom lip. Okay, Lee. Don’t fuck this up. “I... I haven’t been having a good day, Tia.” She looked at me as if she hadn’t already noticed. “Really now?” I could literally feel the sarcasm in her tone. However, I didn’t let this bother me. “I’ve been under....” You’ve been under what? “A lot of stress since our... our previous argument.” Celestia groaned loudly and turned away from me briefly. “Luna, please.” She faced me again. “Don’t bring that up around here, who knows who’ll be walking by and might catch this.” If I knew I wouldn’t have gotten caught. I would have been smiling just then. Nice thinking, Lee. Instead, I left it on the inside. Lets see if we can get some subtle information now. “No, Celestia I’m being serious. What... eh–” My thoughts quickly flashed back to the dream and I quickly ran through it. “–saw down there... was not right.” Celestia snorted. “Luna, I told you I was sorry.” I decided to hop on that statement, even though I had no idea what I was talking about. “If you were sorry, you wouldn’t have done it.” For some reason this seemed to strike a blow into her demeanor and her features faltered. She didn’t reply. Matter of fact, she changed the subject. “Luna, have you told Lee anything recently?” This caught me off guard. “Eh, what do you mean?” “I mean, have you said anything relating to... you know.” I had no idea what she was hinting at, however, I chose to play along. “N-no, I haven’t.” I shook my head. “Why do you ask?” Celestia took a deep breath. “Nearly all day I haven’t seen him. Aside from his bedroom, even then he didn’t really say anything to me.” What did you expect me to give you a hug and a big ol kiss when I saw you? “It’s almost as if he’s been avoiding me.” I guess you could say that, but no, not intentionally. “But it’s not just that.” I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Earlier today when I was down in my study. I noticed that my book for the portal had vanished.” “My book for the portal.” “For the portal.” “Portal.” Immediately my curiosity took a hold of me. I wanted to swarm Celestia with questions about said portal, yet I tried my best to refrain from doing so. If Celestia is talking to me so casually about this, it clearly means that Luna herself already knows about this. Which also adds more to the fact that Celestia isn’t the only one keeping secrets about this. I’ll just have to question Luna later about this. “What do you mean it vanished?” I asked while trying to sound calm as best I could. “That’s just it, the spell book is gone.” I gulped, I had a feeling that I knew what book she was talking about. It must’ve been the book Luna said she could use to cure the two of us. “Well, sister, I don’t think books just wind up missing.” A trickle of sweat began to make its way down my forehead. Unfortunately, Celestia raised an eyebrow at this. “Are you certain you didn’t tell, Lee anything Luna? Because if you did, things will not end well for the both of us. If he takes that book to where I think he is he’ll learn that he can–” “Hey, Luna!” I heard an overly familiar voice shout. “Well speaking of Tartarus, there he is.” Celestia turned around to see Luna making her way down the hallway. She was wearing my old dress pants and the torn Lions jacket I left behind along with the watch Alice gave me. I raised an eyebrow at the sight of the watch, I can’t believe she actually found it, I thought. “How are you?” Luna asked, she sounded overly happy. I could tell just by the way she looked, she was overreacting. “I’m doing fine.” I smiled and looked at Celestia. She too smiled. “And so am I, Lee.” She coughed into her hoof. “If you don’t mind me asking, Lee. Where have you been?” “Well, funny a tale as it is.” I raised an eyebrow towards her and replayed what she had said in my mind. That is nowhere close as to how I speak. “I had gotten lost.” Celestia pursed her lips. “Really now?” “Mhmm.” She nodded her head. We’re fucked, is all I thought, we are absolutely fucked. Luna looked at me. “Princess, can I speak with you for a few minutes.” Luna turned her attention towards Celestia. “Privately,” She said sternly. Celestia looked at me as if she needed some form of confirmation. “S-sure, I don’t see that being much of an issue. What do you need?” Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. She then nodded and motioned for me to continue on without her. Celestia opened the dining room door and went in, leaving the two of us alone. The second the door clicked shut, Luna broke character and said to me in a hushed voice, “The spell is ready. The faster you come with me the sooner we can get this done and continue on with our very lives!” I snorted. “I’m perfectly fine with that and after you fix this. That won’t mean you’re going to get off scot free with those answers.” I reminded her. Luna shot a wave of hot air out of her nostrils. “Don’t you go thinking I’ve forgotten, Lee.” I frowned. “Trust me, I won’t.” :[-]: The path to wherever Luna had prepared the spell was somewhere I’ve never quite ventured down. Quite literally too. She led us down various stairwells that seemed to venture further down into the castle, every hallway we entered continued on with many twists and turns. The further we went, the walls around us changed. What was once a rather pristine white, became a crude and hideous grey. Even the white and red lights produced by the gas powered chandeliers and torches were replaced by another set of torches lit by nothing but a blue flame. “Okay, why the fuck does every castle need a haunted basement?” My question echoed down the eerie hall. Luna plucked one of the blue torches off of the wall and took lead. “These once great halls were once the castle’s interior before my sister and I expanded outwards. Now, they’re nothing but empty rooms or storage compartments.” I breathed in heavily and felt a cloud of dust enter my nostrils. My sinuses flared and I released an obnoxious sneeze. “Jesus, I bet you guys don’t even clean this place either.” “No not really.” Luna looked over her shoulder. “We’re not far.” We stopped outside an old archway door that extended upwards by at least ten feet. “Jesus, what do you got in there?” Luna smiled. “My old bedroom.” She reached out and pushed the old door open, a loud creepy creak echoed out from it. Luna stepped inside, leaving me in the darkness. I gulped and followed her in. “So why couldn’t we do this in your current room?” I asked, my hooves clopping eerily on the stone floor. “Well, I considered doing so. But then realized we’d easily be caught, not to mention that chalk on carpet doesn’t really work well.” Luna mounted the torch on the wall on the other end of the room and looked over at me. “Chalk? I don’t see any... oh.” I stopped and casted my gaze onto the floor, my eyes widened and I chuckled nervously. Right below me I found myself standing in the middle of what looked like a satanic worshiping circle. “What... the... fuck?” “Do not worry, Lee, this is just the starting of the spell.” Luna walked over to an old bed and bent down, and reached under it. She then pulled out an old dusty looking book. “Really? This looks more like the start to summoning Cthulhu.” I raised one of my hooves so that it was out of the way of one of the devilish marking. I didn’t even know where to begin when it came describing what these marks looked like. I looked back over at Luna and saw her flicking through page after page, trying to find where the spell took place. I was about to make my way over to her but the second I lifted a hoof towards her she glared at me. “Do not move a muscle, Lee, I need you right there.” She looked back down at the book. “Now where was I–ahha!” Her finger slammed down on a specific passage halfway down the page. “I found it, Lee! Now again, sit still while I begin the ritual.” I gulped. “I really don’t like where this is going. Are you sure you know what–” “Of course I do! Now shut up.” Luna stood up with the book resting on her left forearm, she made her way towards me. “Alha Movikeen!” My eyes widened in horror. “Wait what are you saying? That isn’t English!” “Dosevaheen no-kada!” Suddenly a bright flash of light outlined the ritual circle and I was forced to shield my eyes. I whimpered out of fear when I began to feel a strange tingling sensation engulf my entire body. A similar sensation that reminded me of when I first tried out one of those vibrating chairs at my local furniture store. However, the chair made me feel comfortable, this did not. The light continued to grow brighter and Luna’s satanic chanting grew louder. I could feel my legs beginning to quiver, and any second now I thought I was going to piss myself. The tingling started to spread throughout the rest of my body and I could feel my coat hairs beginning to stand on end. The light’s rays had soon gotten to the point in which I could no longer see outside of the circle, Luna had completely vanished from my sight yet I could still hear her voice. I wanted to bolt out of there but sadly I knew it was too late, if I opt out now who knows what the spell would– Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came down from out of nowhere and struck me, my vision completely obscured and an intense heat engulfed my body. I wanted to cry out but my voice wouldn’t come to me, I tried to run but I couldn’t feel my body. Instead I felt weightless, like my body has been plucked off the ground and levitated through the air. Almost like those dreams you have of falling. Yes. I felt like I was falling, but I couldn’t tell which way? All I could see was this bright blue void, was I falling down? Up? Sideways? Fuck I dunno. I couldn’t speak or so I thought I couldn’t. There was no more sound, Luna’s voice was gone, and so was my pathetic whimpering. Whatever that voodoo shit was it may have just killed me. Was this death? Did Luna kill me? If so is this really the afterlife? Or am I just in some sort of purgatory or limbo? If that’s the case, death is really boring. As I drifted through the blue void, I started to notice a light off in the distance. I couldn’t judge the distance on whether it was close or not, though it was starting to become bigger. God is that you? This white light I could see started to engulf the blue void and through this light I could start to hear what sounded like Luna’s chanting. Could she have resuscitated me? The light began to speed towards me at subsonic speeds and before I knew it the world was dark. :[-]: My gut lurched back and all the wind in my lungs was forced out of me. I crumpled to the floor gasping for breath, I brought a hand to my chest and clutched the newly bruised skin above my heart. I wheezed and coughed trying my best to catch my breath. I opened my eyes I looked around at my surroundings. I was back in Luna’s old bedroom, the blue torch light was dim and I could smell a tinge of sulphur in the air. I blinked and gazed down at myself. “Oh my God–holy shit my voice!” I gently cupped my throat. “My voice is back!” My felt the deep bass of my voice through my vocal cords. “My beautiful voice is back!” I gazed down at my body. “I’m back to my beautiful self! And so is my willy!” I laughed with joy as I attempted to pull myself back onto my feet. I used the old bed in the room as support and clambered back up, I gazed over at the now faded satanic circle. “How long was I out for?” I looked at the center of the circle and saw a dark lump lying in the center of it. “Luna?” I called out to the lump. “Is that you?” I heard a groan. “O-of course it’s me.” Luna clambered back onto her hooves each joint in her legs popping as she straightened herself out. She then unfolded her massive wings and stretched them outwards popping each and every joint. “Oh dear me, doesn’t it just feel great to be back in your regular body?” I snorted and rolled both my shoulders. “Sure does.” Luna looked at me and smiled before taking her first step towards me. She stumbled at first due to having four legs again but brushed it off with a chuckle. She walked towards me and stopped a foot away. I looked up at her and was again surprised at how short I actually was, she was at least half a head taller than me! “Well, Lee, I guess I should thank you for your cooperation. However, I must let you know that it is time we part ways–” “Wait a second there, Luna.” I raised a hand to cut her off. “You and I have a long way before we depart.” “Now whatever do you mean?” “I have some questions I want answered.” Luna rolled her eyes and buzzed her lips. “Lee, now is not the time.” She turned away from me, which only seemed to piss me off. “The fuck you don’t!” Luna started to make her way towards the door but I forced my way passed her and blocked off the exit. I jammed a finger at her. “Just earlier, what the fuck were you talking about when you said, ‘Celestia dropped everything just to watch over you!’.” Luna gave me a blank stare. “Lee, we can talk about this later. Right now I have a play I must attend to, now please. Step out the way.” “I ain’t moving a muscle until you answer my question,” I snarled. “I’ll say this once.” “And so will I.” “Step aside” “Answer me first.” Luna sighed and shook her head. “I do not have time for this,” She said as her horn suddenly came to life with a blue aura. “You better not use that fucking shit on me again!” Luna smirked. “I don’t plan to.” A brief light flashed before my eyes and next thing I knew she was gone. “What the–what?!” I gazed around the room, she was nowhere to be seen. I turned around and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, she wasn’t there either. “GOD. FUCKING. DAMMIT!” I roared and punched the nearest stone wall. Instantly, I regretted it as a pulsing pain shot up my arm. I brought my hand back and cupped a couple of my knuckles in my mouth and bit down to stop myself from screaming. “Gah! Fuck!” I groaned into my fist a few tears welled up around the corners of my eyes. A few seconds past and the pain decreased into nothing but an annoying ache. I popped my fist out of my mouth and left my hand at my side. I glanced around the dim, creepy hallway. From left to right I could see nothing but the faint blue light coming from the torches. “Ah shit.” I set forth down the right side of the hall. “I’m fucking lost,” I mumbled as I ripped the nearest blue torch off the wall and journied onward in my quest for the truth.