*Mumbling*
Goddess me, what an annoying sound!
*Louder mumbling*
A voice, a familiar voice at that. Do I really know people with such an annoying voice?
"WAKE UP!"
The shouting cut straight through the fog and mumbling and yanked me out, leaving me confused and annoyed at the same time. My eyes were soar and dry, making me blink several times before managing to make sense of the scenery around me. Still, it was so dark, and it all felt so strange. Surreal. The air was neither cold nor warm; it just kind of was there. No wind, but no wind still. No fresh air, no dense old air, heck, I'm not even sure there is air here. However, I am still breathing, not struggling. I feel no pain, no relief, just an immense void inside of me.
"You took your time! Hello? Do you hear me?"
His voice was too loud, too close, and sounded so irritated and impatient that it rubbed off on me. Blinking desperately now, I tried to see him, remember him, but my head worked so slowly. Damned, did I drink last night? I must stop doing that, or I'll end up like my mother! I didn't see him, didn't feel him, but I felt someone move close by, and I clenched my eyes shut. Oh god, who did I follow home this time?
"Wake up, you drowsy monster!"
"Shut up!"
I snapped back, annoyed and starting to get angry. I mean, how hard is it to understand that a girl needs some time to wake up? Calm down and shut up; it is that easy sometimes! God, men can be so stupid and slow at times!
"Mean much?! Enough fooling around; we don't have all day!"
"I'm not fucking you, so shut up and fix yourself somewhere far away from me!"
At least he stopped speaking, if only for a second. I knew this attitude could be a double-edged sword; horny men and their unholy belief that sex was something they deserved just by being born could be incredibly unpredictable. God, I really need to stop this drinking before I get myself killed one day.
"Like you ever had a chance with me. Suck it up and let us go!"
"Go without me, I'm tired, and I feel awful! I'll find my own way later!"
I reached for the duvet and turned to the side. But there was no duvet, and there wasn't even a pillow or bed. Opening my eyes, I blinked again, squeezing my eyes shut before opening them again. With a deep frown, I sat right up and stared right ahead. What is this? Black rocks and stones covered the black ground, some trees here and there that looked like they burned halfway down or broke like little twigs. No leaves, no grass. Just different shades of black and grey. The sizzling and crackling sound of the fire was the only sound breaking the massive room of black nothing. Smoldering fire by a fallen log, a tiny fire that seemed to burn just for the fun of it on the empty ground here and there.
"Eir? "
He had the decency to sound a little worried, but it didn't help much when he called me the wrong name! Finally, my head worked enough for me to turn in his direction, and my eyes widened in shock before crawling backward to get away from the nightmare of a man right next to me!
"What tha... stay away from me! No, stop! Who... what the hell are you!?"
"Eir, now you are scaring me!"
He walked up and reached down to help me up. But it was like my body acted on its own, crawling further back like a demon-possessed girl taken straight out of a horror movie from the 80s. The man was tall and built like a gym freak or something, but that is not what scared me! With long dark hair, metallic black armor pieces around his wrists and ankles, bare-chested and wearing what looked like a freaking leather skirt! But the scary part was his glowing eyes! They glowed like fire, and the black curved horns on his head did not make it any better! Did he drug me? This can't just be the alcohol!
"Stop it, Eir, it is me! Hades! What's wrong with you, girl?! "
"I have no idea who you think I am, but I'm not her! My name is Elisabeth!"
I could feel how my voice vibrated up my throat and over my tongue as I spoke, tasted the rushing blood my raging heart forced through me, and felt the thud of my heart between my lips.
"What did you do to me? Drug me? I... I can't remember."
I started mumbling, ranting to myself as I realized I really didn't remember!
"Don't remember. I have to stop drinking. But I didn't do drugs. I would never! I never do! You did this to me!!"
The allegation was shouted straight at him as the frustration grew. I felt helpless and vulnerable. Sure, I drink too much sometimes... but never drugs, never! I swore not to become my mother, not even to resemble her the slightest, and would not even touch that kind of stuff. I knew deep down it was because I was afraid. Afraid I would like it too much, find comfort and peace in the substance that was the main reason my entire childhood was a cruel joke. No. Someone drugged me, someone did this to me, and I hated this feeling!
"Elisabeth... "
A shiver went down my spine as my name passed over his lips like he tasted it full of confusion and interest. What kind of sick bastard is this?
"What is the last thing you remember? What about Drifta? "
"I... I don't know... I think I had work earlier today! Who? "
His face changed as he straightened up, tightened like a mask of stone died on his face, but at least he walked away. Stared, pacing back and forth, looking up to the pitch-black sky as he searched for the answer to everything up there. However, seeing that strange creature of a man react this way, it calmed me down. Maybe it is not just me? Maybe he doesn't remember either?
"You don't feel her at all? Maybe she just needed some healing? Pulled away? But you should still feel her!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
I started looking around,
"Who am I supposed to feel? There is nobody else here, wherever here is..."
"fuck Eir! You better not be fucking with me! This is serious! "
"Well, excuse me! At least I'm not the one dressed up like a freaking Satanist worshipper with BDSM tendencies and daddy issues!"
I spat back.
"Heey! Not cool! And what is wrong wit..."
He stopped himself mid-sentence looking down at himself before rolling his eyes and mumbling,
"Never mind..."
"What about Tew? Maya? That piece of shit, Toke?"
"have no idea what kind of cookies you are talking about.. but yeah, I would also assume one with that name would be a piece of shit. "
"Come, we need to go. "
He stated all of a sudden, all while muttering profanities beneath his breath, and I just scoffed.
"Yeah, no thanks! Just point me towards the closest bus station."
" Up there! Come, we can't stay here much longer..."
Staring up at the black sky, I'm no longer sure if he´s kidding with me or as lost as I am..
"Fine! Be like that! I can find my own way."
To my surprise, I didn't feel a hangover, stiff, or soar at all when I got up on my feet and started brushing my clothes off. With a deep sigh, I looked down at myself; what the hell am I wearing? Leather and fur?
"Elisabeth, Eir, whatever floats your ego, we need to go! You don't need many brain cells to understand we are not exactly in a populated area! And we need to go before dark; not even I can protect you then."
"And what is that supposed to mean? It is dark already, and so far, the only one I might need protection from is you. "
"Oh, for goddess sake! Were you always still stubborn and unpleasant? Look around you! Welcome to Hell, the never-ending death realm! If you really want to see what darkness is and what roams the ground in the dark, be my guest. I am not staying! "
Taking in a sharp breath, I was about to snap right back at him, but my heart almost jumped right out of my mouth instead as a loud and bone-chilling screeching sound cut me off. Crunching down an inch, I started looking around, up, and eventually at the disco demon beside me. I saw it the moment he started dragging me away, and now I don't remember how to breathe. I don't feel drugged, I don't feel drunk, but this can't be real!
"Fuck, come! We need to get to the mountain! Believe me, you do not want to meet her!"
Oh, I do believe him with my entire heart and soul! Like a massive shadow drawn against the dark sky, a silver-white skeleton-like dragon flew up on the horizon. Again, that awful sound scraped inside my ears and made every single hair left on my body stand straight up!
He ran, and I ran like I had never done before after him, and it felt like a lifetime before we saw a mountain rise ahead. The massive beast was still there, circling the sky behind us, coming closer way too fast. I stopped thinking, stopped existing; I'm not even sure I remember how to breathe the final stretch. The mountain grew before us, and the closer we came, a little cave entrance became the only thing I saw. The only thing I focused on. I tried not to listen, tried not to notice all the strange sounds cutting through the vast black land behind us. Tried not to picture skeletons and monsters breathing down my neck. I don't want to look, can't look, can't even take time to blink. Just run.
With all my muscles in tension, I took the jump of my life and literally dived headfirst into the cave. It didn't help my fear that he did exactly the same, making us slide on the roughed, moist ground inside on our stomachs and quickly crawling on all fours to get further in before we stopped and heaved for air.
"What the hell was that!"
"Come! We are not safe yet!"
"WHAT IS THAT!?"
"Anja, that is Anja!"
"Run!"