A hot wind blew across Pretty's face, over her closed eyes. This was not the first time she'd been in this place. The sky swirled red and black around her, she knew this without looking. Crushed gravel pressed into the soles of her boots, and she shifted her weight slightly front and back. She exhaled and opened her eyes, feeling the acrid breeze moving against the back of her neck. The road she stood on reached to the cardinal points, seeming to stretch forever each way. Burnt scrub grass was the only vegetation, save for a withered, blackened tree at the southwest corner. Neither the sun or the moon seemed to be in attendance, but there was a grim, ambient glow, red shifting in temperature as the sky rolled. Pretty stood in the middle, facing south and slowly turned automatically to face the tree. Everything felt muted, even the sound of the gravel crunching as she moved. The air was thick and heavy, an invisible weight against her face and chest. It tasted bitter, somehow, and wrong.

A flicker.

Did it actually happen?

She whirled around, facing north, eyes darting around.

Nothing.

Her heart beat faster. There was nothing out here but Pretty and the tree. She was sure of it. Slowly, she turned again.

West. Another flicker.

She could feel her heart beating in her ears. It's never been like this, before. The thought slid through her head and was gone. This is not real. Her mind struggled to hold on to that statement, though it slipped away and left her alone.

Laughter, like someone switching channels on a stereo, moved around her. First close, then far, then close again, coming at her from different angles. Pretty's tail twitched involuntarily, betraying her as her control slipped.

A flicker, longer this time.

A man, standing to the north. No, he's not real. She didn't know which of her senses to trust, if any.

Gone again.

Turning again, more frantic this time, she looked around. Her blood rushed as adrenaline coursed through her body. Sweating palms, shallow breathing and her tail lashing betrayed her agitation. She felt rooted to the spot, only able to turn and not run.

Run? Run where, exactly? The thought skittered through and vanished. There is nowhere to run to.

Laughter again. Closer this time.

The vortex in the sky moved faster, the air growing heavier. A flicker, he let Pretty see him this time. Shoulder length black hair, black leather jacket and jeans, black boots. She could see tattoos snaking on to his hands and neck.

It was the eyes that broke her. Solid black. Endless. She was falling into them.

He laughed, mouth opening but no sound coming directly from it. It echoed, louder this time. Pretty put her hands over her ears and cried out, dropping to her knees. It wasn't the volume, it was the resonance.

Why do you keep bringing me here? Her mind screamed out, lips unmoving. No response.

What do you want from me?

Nothing. Just silence.

She continued to kneel, gasping for air, her red hair falling forward and dragging on the ground. Slowly she removed her hands from over her ears and hugged her arms around herself, afraid to look around. The sky felt near, looming too close.

Still nothing.

Pretty sank down completely, raking her tangled hair out of her eyes and looked, finally.

She was alone.

_________________
don't run away... it's only me.

[Team] Lobotomies: Note to self, get scissors.
[Team] Cheeseman: Just don't run with them
[Team] Lobotomies: But that's the best part!
[Team] Cheeseman: But you'll put someone's eye ou- oh I see



@Pretty Hate

((Oooooooooo chilling! ))

_________________


Del "DJ Nexus" Sawyer
Champions Online: @gyronnygeek | The Secret World: DJ-Nexus (game) gyronnygeek (forums)
Gtalk/Email: gyronnygeek@gmail.com | YIM/AIM/Skype: gyronnygeek | Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr: gyronnygeek

(( Oh yay! As I told you before - spooky! Like fingers-down-my-spine spooky. ^_^ Wonderful as always. ))

_________________
"Do your best and let the rest work itself out."
Doctor Void - Dr. Wretched - Impact Tower - Jackie Bones - MerryGoRound - Bella Facade - Dark Anima - Choose - many others.

((sorry for the belated response, but thank you guys! you're so kind about my writing <3))

_________________
don't run away... it's only me.

[Team] Lobotomies: Note to self, get scissors.
[Team] Cheeseman: Just don't run with them
[Team] Lobotomies: But that's the best part!
[Team] Cheeseman: But you'll put someone's eye ou- oh I see



@Pretty Hate