"If those lives are faked, how can there be possessions?" And it stood to reason that their real possessions had to be somewhere. He missed nothing except his clothes and hair ribbon. Armand shone the light down that way. "Other than the name, do you know who you're supposed to be?"
Javert snorted slightly. "I suspect they're placed there to make us think we're mad. Most things in this place seem to exist for that purpose alone. Presumably our real possessions are kept somewhere; the institute turns patients against other patients some nights, and they always seem to receive their belongings - for that night, at least."
He rounded the corner, and by then, it was impossible to ignore for any longer. It wasn't the running that made his breath come in shuddering gulps - what was that feeling? That feeling of utter, all-besieging futility that could drown a person from the inside out, as though all the blood in one's veins should turn to ice and splinter all at once. Rather than leaning into it, it was more like he fell into the wall, jarring his suddenly agonized shoulder and forcing a weak exclamation of pain.
What was that - why did it hurt - like it was growing -
But he couldn't drop the girl. He wasn't so graceless as to drop a girl. Slumping down onto the balls of his feet, and finally onto his knees, he forced himself to put her on the ground. "We'll stop here for a minute," he said at length, clutching at his shoulder with his free hand, as thought that would make everything just stop.
What the hell had that been? While Bella couldn’t see much without her flashlight, she had been able to see the faint blue glow of what appeared to be a woman moving slowly towards the two of them, hand outstretched. Taking in a deep breath and clamping her eyes shut, she hid her face against Aidou’s chest. Feeling him twist to get her out of the way of the woman - or whatever it was - Bella looked up just in time to hear what sounded like a shuddered breath.
By this time, they had run past the glowing woman and the others in the hallway, and were in yet another dark corridor. A concerned expression crossed her face as the boy set her down onto the floor. While it was still pitch black, she could figure out where he was, or at least she knew because of the sound of his voice. Turning her head in that direction, Bella chewed on her lip, wishing she could at least move her hand or something. “Are you okay?”
Staying here wasn't going to do any one any good... they had to do something. Go somewhere. He let go of his shoulder and rubbed at his eyes, harshly, trying to think. It was like fighting the tide - alien swells of emotion threatened to overturn his objectivity, and that upset him more than what he'd seen - a ghost woman - or how she'd touched him - painful, dead fingers - or what she could have done to him - how easily all the doubts tied down and left for later came clawing to the surface.
Or maybe it all upset him, and he just couldn't tell anymore. It could be his weakness. Now isn't the time, is what his voice said, but there it was again, whispering, I promised to protect him, but he never lets me in. Maybe it's not that he can't trust me. It's that I'm not worth trusting.Pulling down the collar of the grey Landel's uniform, he took one look at the indigo markings on his fair skin and blanched, not daring to breathe. A serpent and a flowering plant: holly. Gods, it really did hurt. It was expanding from a small point on his
( ... )
If only she could see the torment that the boy was currently going through, or the frightening tattoo that had suddenly appeared on his pale skin. If she had seen it, she was sure she would have at least tried to do some kind of act of comfort, at least offer a hug. Sadly, because she could not move her limbs, that wouldn’t be happening any time soon
( ... )
It had most probably been a janitor's closet, not that Aya stopped to look too carefully. He considered the hallway for a moment and then decided to just continue on his way, there was more doors to check. He wanted to get around tonight.
Aya had made a quick peek to the last hallway leading up towards the place where they had been last night with Yohji but it had seemed silent there too. If the upstairs wasn't what the intercom post had meant, it had to be somewhere downstairs. But where?
And what had it meant anyhow?
Sighing he decided that if he'd see Omi on his way back, he'd ask if the boy knew anything. Even if the awkwardness would drop all his teeth and threaten him with choking on his own tongue, he'd do it. Damn it!
That decided, he stompedstepped silently towards the stairwell at the end of the hallway.
Max led the way down to the other end of the corridor, glancing around at the quiet hall. There were voices nearby, but nowhere too close that they had to worry about stumbling on something dangerous. She hoped.
She turned to face the two corridors opposite them before glancing over at Valyn or Keman.
"Which will it be? Hall Number One with all the little doors, or Hall Number Two with the rooms more spread out? Two seems more likely, unless they're trying to throw us off."
There was a small movement near the end of the hall, soft footsteps approaching. A moment later a dark-haired young man, familiar to two of the party, edged cautiously into the light that Valyn's globe cast. He squinted, shielding his eyes; he'd been wandering in the dark for a long time. There was a brief expression of confusion on his face, quickly changing to something much happier, much more relieved. "Val?" he said. "What's going on? Where are we?"
"I'd agree with two..." Valyn began to say, glancing down the hallway.
But then his attention was snapped away completely from his two companions. He turned towards the too-familiar voice, his heart leaping up into his chest. He recognized that voice, that pet-name. And he recognized those bright green eyes, the fall of that dark hair, that slight build.... And that perplexed and almost frightened expression that had flashed for a moment.
"Shadow!" Valyn felt his throat thicken, a surge of emotions he couldn't put name to crashing over him when he saw his cousin. His cousin here, in this horrible place. They'd taken Shadow!
That was unforgivable.
"Ancestors, Shadow... I'm so sorry." He didn't think twice about approaching his cousin, only concerned for Shadow's safety.
Comments 73
Reply
He continued down the hallway.
[To here.]
Reply
He rounded the corner, and by then, it was impossible to ignore for any longer. It wasn't the running that made his breath come in shuddering gulps - what was that feeling? That feeling of utter, all-besieging futility that could drown a person from the inside out, as though all the blood in one's veins should turn to ice and splinter all at once. Rather than leaning into it, it was more like he fell into the wall, jarring his suddenly agonized shoulder and forcing a weak exclamation of pain.
What was that - why did it hurt - like it was growing -
But he couldn't drop the girl. He wasn't so graceless as to drop a girl. Slumping down onto the balls of his feet, and finally onto his knees, he forced himself to put her on the ground. "We'll stop here for a minute," he said at length, clutching at his shoulder with his free hand, as thought that would make everything just stop.
Reply
By this time, they had run past the glowing woman and the others in the hallway, and were in yet another dark corridor. A concerned expression crossed her face as the boy set her down onto the floor. While it was still pitch black, she could figure out where he was, or at least she knew because of the sound of his voice. Turning her head in that direction, Bella chewed on her lip, wishing she could at least move her hand or something. “Are you okay?”
Reply
Or maybe it all upset him, and he just couldn't tell anymore. It could be his weakness. Now isn't the time, is what his voice said, but there it was again, whispering, I promised to protect him, but he never lets me in. Maybe it's not that he can't trust me. It's that I'm not worth trusting.Pulling down the collar of the grey Landel's uniform, he took one look at the indigo markings on his fair skin and blanched, not daring to breathe. A serpent and a flowering plant: holly. Gods, it really did hurt. It was expanding from a small point on his ( ... )
Reply
Reply
It had most probably been a janitor's closet, not that Aya stopped to look too carefully. He considered the hallway for a moment and then decided to just continue on his way, there was more doors to check. He wanted to get around tonight.
[to here]
Reply
Aya had made a quick peek to the last hallway leading up towards the place where they had been last night with Yohji but it had seemed silent there too. If the upstairs wasn't what the intercom post had meant, it had to be somewhere downstairs. But where?
And what had it meant anyhow?
Sighing he decided that if he'd see Omi on his way back, he'd ask if the boy knew anything. Even if the awkwardness would drop all his teeth and threaten him with choking on his own tongue, he'd do it. Damn it!
That decided, he stompedstepped silently towards the stairwell at the end of the hallway.
Reply
Reply
Max led the way down to the other end of the corridor, glancing around at the quiet hall. There were voices nearby, but nowhere too close that they had to worry about stumbling on something dangerous. She hoped.
She turned to face the two corridors opposite them before glancing over at Valyn or Keman.
"Which will it be? Hall Number One with all the little doors, or Hall Number Two with the rooms more spread out? Two seems more likely, unless they're trying to throw us off."
Reply
Reply
But then his attention was snapped away completely from his two companions. He turned towards the too-familiar voice, his heart leaping up into his chest. He recognized that voice, that pet-name. And he recognized those bright green eyes, the fall of that dark hair, that slight build.... And that perplexed and almost frightened expression that had flashed for a moment.
"Shadow!" Valyn felt his throat thicken, a surge of emotions he couldn't put name to crashing over him when he saw his cousin. His cousin here, in this horrible place. They'd taken Shadow!
That was unforgivable.
"Ancestors, Shadow... I'm so sorry." He didn't think twice about approaching his cousin, only concerned for Shadow's safety.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Leave a comment