[Nov 4] [Original] Look, and Be Afraid
Title: Look, and Be Afraid
Day/Theme: four. I can see it all too clear; the time has come to face my fear
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: Biker, Soldier
Rating: PG
Lamia saw her prey, the healer-warrior she had been sent to consume. He had resisted her, run through the wooden halls of this ship-on-land to seek shelter with another stranded sailor. Now she had two.
The healer-warrior glowed with fear. Every energy in his body was stretched tight as wires with it, and his pounding heart made them vibrate out a siren song of weakness. The other one was afraid too, but his lights were out, as if covering the windows could fool her into thinking the candle was no longer lit.
She took another step and stopped. The darkness wasn’t just inside the second man anymore. It took shape between her and her prey, like a shadow cast from a different light, another predator manifesting to defend its own territory.
The black dog stood, bigger than a wolf, smaller than a bear, black as tar. Its eyes gleamed as red as distant brake lights and when it raised its lips to snarl, had teeth like broken glass. It growled like brewing thunder and took a step toward her and for the first time in countless years, Lamia grew wary.
Now, the crippled man’s fear flared bright, and that thought didn’t help. He who had controlled his fear of her could not control his fear of this creature. It looked like a dog. It was not a dog. It took another step forward and Lamia stepped back. She saw the muscles ripple under its scarred hide and knew it was about to charge. Those teeth could catch and tear her and she was more familiar with the pain of others than her own, but remembered it well enough to know she didn’t want it. She took another step back and the dog lunged.
She turned and ran, what choice was there? The dog followed hard on her heels, leaving the two men on the floor.
“Thank God,” the soldier said after a moment of silence as neither apparition reappeared. “Thank you, God.” He struggled out from under the Biker and shut the door. He fastened the chain, which the Biker couldn’t reach, and then turned around.
“What was that?” asked the Biker. The soldier twitched.
“There was a puddle,” he said. “A trail of water through the apartment, like a, ghn, like a giant wet snake had crawled through, and I, I thought it was a leak or something right? But she was there and she wanted, I think she wanted to- God. Thank God for your dog, man.”
He suddenly noticed the wheelchair on its back and the man on the floor, braced up on his elbows.
“Oh, man, I’m sorry! Are you hurt? Here, let me-“
“You saw the Dog,” the Biker said. They stared at each other for a moment.
“Please say you have a dog,” the soldier finally said.
“Not a living one,” said the Biker. Outside, something howled.
(title from the cobra’s line in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi)
Day/Theme: four. I can see it all too clear; the time has come to face my fear
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: Biker, Soldier
Rating: PG
Lamia saw her prey, the healer-warrior she had been sent to consume. He had resisted her, run through the wooden halls of this ship-on-land to seek shelter with another stranded sailor. Now she had two.
The healer-warrior glowed with fear. Every energy in his body was stretched tight as wires with it, and his pounding heart made them vibrate out a siren song of weakness. The other one was afraid too, but his lights were out, as if covering the windows could fool her into thinking the candle was no longer lit.
She took another step and stopped. The darkness wasn’t just inside the second man anymore. It took shape between her and her prey, like a shadow cast from a different light, another predator manifesting to defend its own territory.
The black dog stood, bigger than a wolf, smaller than a bear, black as tar. Its eyes gleamed as red as distant brake lights and when it raised its lips to snarl, had teeth like broken glass. It growled like brewing thunder and took a step toward her and for the first time in countless years, Lamia grew wary.
Now, the crippled man’s fear flared bright, and that thought didn’t help. He who had controlled his fear of her could not control his fear of this creature. It looked like a dog. It was not a dog. It took another step forward and Lamia stepped back. She saw the muscles ripple under its scarred hide and knew it was about to charge. Those teeth could catch and tear her and she was more familiar with the pain of others than her own, but remembered it well enough to know she didn’t want it. She took another step back and the dog lunged.
She turned and ran, what choice was there? The dog followed hard on her heels, leaving the two men on the floor.
“Thank God,” the soldier said after a moment of silence as neither apparition reappeared. “Thank you, God.” He struggled out from under the Biker and shut the door. He fastened the chain, which the Biker couldn’t reach, and then turned around.
“What was that?” asked the Biker. The soldier twitched.
“There was a puddle,” he said. “A trail of water through the apartment, like a, ghn, like a giant wet snake had crawled through, and I, I thought it was a leak or something right? But she was there and she wanted, I think she wanted to- God. Thank God for your dog, man.”
He suddenly noticed the wheelchair on its back and the man on the floor, braced up on his elbows.
“Oh, man, I’m sorry! Are you hurt? Here, let me-“
“You saw the Dog,” the Biker said. They stared at each other for a moment.
“Please say you have a dog,” the soldier finally said.
“Not a living one,” said the Biker. Outside, something howled.
(title from the cobra’s line in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi)