Vanilla #17: Where There Be Monsters
Author: Lumelle
Title: Where There Be Monsters
'Verse: Mythical Lore 101
Challenge: Vanilla #17: stranded
Toppings/Extras: -
Word Count: 1,107
Rating: PG
Summary: Something is chasing them. One of them can't get away.
Notes: Because every story needs a villain. =|
"...I feel sick." Ansa's feet staggered a bit. Otso's hands shot out, grasping her just before she managed to actually fall.
"Yeah, well, we all do." He did, at least, a terrible, ominous feeling filling him, as though the air itself was trying to crawl inside his body, seeping through the pores of his skin as he momentarily paused his breath. Okay, not getting any relief that way, either. Better just breathe it in and at least avoid outright suffocating. "We can't exactly stop, though. It's getting closer."
"But what is it?" Elina asked, looking over her shoulder even as she sneaked an arm under Ansa's, helping the smaller woman stay up. "I've never felt anything like that before…"
"I'm not sure, but I sure as Hell don't want to fight it here," Otso grunted. The catacombs were crowded at best, just about broad enough to allow one person through at a time at worst. He wasn't about to face anything potentially dangerous in such a place. "Don't look back. Just watch where you step and keep going."
He pushed the others ahead of himself even as he shouted the directions to the ones running ahead. The maze of tunnels seemed like it would never end. Without his ability, they probably would have been inevitably lost.
As much as he kept telling the others to watch their step, he rather forgot to do so, himself. Rushing around a corner, he only managed to take a few steps as his foot fell on something that twisted out of the way. A sharp pain shot right through his ankle.
"...You all right?" The others turned around as he cursed in pain, looking worried. Idiots. He should have been the least of their concerns.
"Yes. No. Think I twisted my ankle." He tried to take a few steps, but the pain was too intense. Well, damn it. "...You. Listen." He looked seriously at Elina. The girl had the best memory from what he could tell. "Starting from the next crossing path, go right, straight, left, straight, then left again. Then two rights, and you should be at a stairway. Go up, take the door to left, and you'll be in the hallway near the Chemistry labs."
Elina nodded seriously. "Right, straight, left, straight, left, right, right, up. Got it," she repeated.
Ansa, though, looked rather distraught. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. "We can't just leave you here!"
"I'm not about to stay here," Otso replied, "but I also can't run right now. So, unless one of you has suddenly developed healing powers, I'll have to fall behind for now. You run on ahead, I'll be right behind you."
"If you think we're going to leave you behind -" Jouko started, only for Otso to cut him off.
"That's exactly what you're going to do," he said sharply. "Every moment we spend arguing is another moment that... thing is getting closer. I can get out of here myself. Better yet, I can probably lose it in the maze and find my way out once my ankle feels better. You lot just get out of here as fast as you can, got it?"
Ansa looked rather pale but nodded anyway. "You'd better follow us, though," she said as firmly as she could ever manage before turning around, this time the one to drag her girlfriend along. "Or else!"
"I know, I know. Or else, you'll make me regret it." He smirked as he saw them disappearing behind a corner. Right. They were on the right path for now.
Forcing himself to stand up despite the pain in his ankle, he leant against the wall, starting to hobble his way along. He'd take a different route to distract whatever was following them from the others.
Only, as it appeared, he wouldn't have the time. He doubled over in nausea as terrifying sounds filled his head, inhumane screams that echoed just beyond his hearing. Trying to regain control, he struck his fist against the rough stone wall. The pain, coupled with the busted ankle, allowed him to break free of the cloud of fear that seemed to envelope him. Just a bit further... a bit further...
The bleak light cast a flickering shadow on the wall. His back falling against the wall, he stared towards the end of the tunnel, waiting to see what kind of a hideous monster would appear. The shadow seemed human-like, but there was nothing human about the feelings that wormed their way through him.
For all that he had prepared himself for just about anything, the sight of a familiar face was rather more surprising than any twisted, inhuman monster could have been. "You," he sighed, allowing himself to relax for a moment. "What the Hell are you -" Then, however, he froze, suddenly realizing something.
That terrible feeling... the overwhelming fear and pain and nausea... it was coming from this man.
"I think," said his supposed friend, smiling most pleasantly, "that you know perfectly well." However, despite the warm smile on his face, his eyes were cold, making the whole expression appear oddly twisted.
Otso tried to push himself off the wall, tried to force himself away, but was stopped by the sudden feeling of pain that shot through his entire body. It wasn't from his twisted ankle, that much was sure. That alone couldn't have caused this much pain. With a cry, he fell on the floor, scraping his hands as they sought to stop his fall before his head hit the stone floor.
"My, my. Where are you trying to go, my dear?" The sickeningly sweet voice alone would have been enough to make him nauseous. "I thought you were always happy to see me. Weren't you?" The smile turned into a smirk. "...Or... were you?"
"If this is your true self," Otso growled, glaring up at the other man even as a hand reached down to lift his chin up, "can't really blame you for messing with others so they'd tolerate you."
"Oh, but you can, can't you? You can always blame me. And you will, for what little time you will have to do so. Just think about it... anything you've ever felt since I first laid eyes on you... it could all be a lie." The other crouched down next to him. Otso tried to move away, but the pain paralyzed him again. "Shhh... no struggling, now. That wouldn't end well at all... not well at all."
As his mouth was covered by the others' rough lips, Otso realized he could not keep his promise to Ansa.
Title: Where There Be Monsters
'Verse: Mythical Lore 101
Challenge: Vanilla #17: stranded
Toppings/Extras: -
Word Count: 1,107
Rating: PG
Summary: Something is chasing them. One of them can't get away.
Notes: Because every story needs a villain. =|
"...I feel sick." Ansa's feet staggered a bit. Otso's hands shot out, grasping her just before she managed to actually fall.
"Yeah, well, we all do." He did, at least, a terrible, ominous feeling filling him, as though the air itself was trying to crawl inside his body, seeping through the pores of his skin as he momentarily paused his breath. Okay, not getting any relief that way, either. Better just breathe it in and at least avoid outright suffocating. "We can't exactly stop, though. It's getting closer."
"But what is it?" Elina asked, looking over her shoulder even as she sneaked an arm under Ansa's, helping the smaller woman stay up. "I've never felt anything like that before…"
"I'm not sure, but I sure as Hell don't want to fight it here," Otso grunted. The catacombs were crowded at best, just about broad enough to allow one person through at a time at worst. He wasn't about to face anything potentially dangerous in such a place. "Don't look back. Just watch where you step and keep going."
He pushed the others ahead of himself even as he shouted the directions to the ones running ahead. The maze of tunnels seemed like it would never end. Without his ability, they probably would have been inevitably lost.
As much as he kept telling the others to watch their step, he rather forgot to do so, himself. Rushing around a corner, he only managed to take a few steps as his foot fell on something that twisted out of the way. A sharp pain shot right through his ankle.
"...You all right?" The others turned around as he cursed in pain, looking worried. Idiots. He should have been the least of their concerns.
"Yes. No. Think I twisted my ankle." He tried to take a few steps, but the pain was too intense. Well, damn it. "...You. Listen." He looked seriously at Elina. The girl had the best memory from what he could tell. "Starting from the next crossing path, go right, straight, left, straight, then left again. Then two rights, and you should be at a stairway. Go up, take the door to left, and you'll be in the hallway near the Chemistry labs."
Elina nodded seriously. "Right, straight, left, straight, left, right, right, up. Got it," she repeated.
Ansa, though, looked rather distraught. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. "We can't just leave you here!"
"I'm not about to stay here," Otso replied, "but I also can't run right now. So, unless one of you has suddenly developed healing powers, I'll have to fall behind for now. You run on ahead, I'll be right behind you."
"If you think we're going to leave you behind -" Jouko started, only for Otso to cut him off.
"That's exactly what you're going to do," he said sharply. "Every moment we spend arguing is another moment that... thing is getting closer. I can get out of here myself. Better yet, I can probably lose it in the maze and find my way out once my ankle feels better. You lot just get out of here as fast as you can, got it?"
Ansa looked rather pale but nodded anyway. "You'd better follow us, though," she said as firmly as she could ever manage before turning around, this time the one to drag her girlfriend along. "Or else!"
"I know, I know. Or else, you'll make me regret it." He smirked as he saw them disappearing behind a corner. Right. They were on the right path for now.
Forcing himself to stand up despite the pain in his ankle, he leant against the wall, starting to hobble his way along. He'd take a different route to distract whatever was following them from the others.
Only, as it appeared, he wouldn't have the time. He doubled over in nausea as terrifying sounds filled his head, inhumane screams that echoed just beyond his hearing. Trying to regain control, he struck his fist against the rough stone wall. The pain, coupled with the busted ankle, allowed him to break free of the cloud of fear that seemed to envelope him. Just a bit further... a bit further...
The bleak light cast a flickering shadow on the wall. His back falling against the wall, he stared towards the end of the tunnel, waiting to see what kind of a hideous monster would appear. The shadow seemed human-like, but there was nothing human about the feelings that wormed their way through him.
For all that he had prepared himself for just about anything, the sight of a familiar face was rather more surprising than any twisted, inhuman monster could have been. "You," he sighed, allowing himself to relax for a moment. "What the Hell are you -" Then, however, he froze, suddenly realizing something.
That terrible feeling... the overwhelming fear and pain and nausea... it was coming from this man.
"I think," said his supposed friend, smiling most pleasantly, "that you know perfectly well." However, despite the warm smile on his face, his eyes were cold, making the whole expression appear oddly twisted.
Otso tried to push himself off the wall, tried to force himself away, but was stopped by the sudden feeling of pain that shot through his entire body. It wasn't from his twisted ankle, that much was sure. That alone couldn't have caused this much pain. With a cry, he fell on the floor, scraping his hands as they sought to stop his fall before his head hit the stone floor.
"My, my. Where are you trying to go, my dear?" The sickeningly sweet voice alone would have been enough to make him nauseous. "I thought you were always happy to see me. Weren't you?" The smile turned into a smirk. "...Or... were you?"
"If this is your true self," Otso growled, glaring up at the other man even as a hand reached down to lift his chin up, "can't really blame you for messing with others so they'd tolerate you."
"Oh, but you can, can't you? You can always blame me. And you will, for what little time you will have to do so. Just think about it... anything you've ever felt since I first laid eyes on you... it could all be a lie." The other crouched down next to him. Otso tried to move away, but the pain paralyzed him again. "Shhh... no struggling, now. That wouldn't end well at all... not well at all."
As his mouth was covered by the others' rough lips, Otso realized he could not keep his promise to Ansa.