A wooden cabin sat in the middle of wide sweeping fields with several groupings of crops laid out before it. The earth was brown and dusty, trees were few and far apart, yet plants grew in relative prosperity. The house didn't sit alone however. In front of it was a small, wire fenced pen housing a chicken coop, several of the little white birds strutting about in the early morning sun. At its side stood a sturdy lean-to.
A beam of sunlight cast down into a bedroom as the light clink of steel rang out. A pair of green eyes fluttered open, blond hair hanging over them. A quiet yawn escaped the young woman as she began to rise from her bed, the sheets draped over her shoulders. "Uhh... Dang it Griffith, you at it already?" she grumbled, a thick twang in her voice.
She buried her freckled face in her pillow and attempted to shut out the noise but with no success. With a sigh of resignation she pulled away the covers and got to her feet. As she stood up her long aurulent locks hung down to the small of her back in a stray, loose wave. "Hnyahhhh!" she yawned, stretching out her limbs and scratching the back of her head, quickly adopting an irritated expression.
She stood with great confidence and possessed a strong, healthy figure. Getting dressed quickly the young woman retrieved a pair of loose, drab green trousers. Pulling them up and fastening them about her hips with a thick leather belt she then moved towards the door of her chamber. Hanging by the door were two garments. The first was a tan blouse which she promptly pulled on over her white tank top and buttoned up, fitting snugly about her torso. The second article was a brown, wide brimmed cowboy hat which she placed upon her head as she stepped out into the hall.
As she made her way down the hall the floorboards creaked under her feet. Passing through a small sitting room she came to the front door where she stepped into her boots and then out onto the deck. "Griffith!" She barked as she moved around to the side of the house.
Sitting at a bench with tools in his hands was a young man. Tall and muscular he might have looked imposing if not for the docile, almost blank look on his face.
Scruffy blond hair hung to his shoulders, kept off his eyes by a pair of goggles strapped around his forehead. He shared many characteristics with the young woman, his eyes were almost identical and his cheeks were freckled, just like hers. He was dressed in a white, short sleeved shirt and brown cargo pants, both stained with dirt and oil. He donned a leather harness on his torso and a red bandana around his neck. His hands were covered by thick leather work gloves and tattered boots covered his feet. "Cammie," he muttered, his accent as thick as hers.
"What are you doin' out here tinkerin' this early?" Cammie asked in frustration, arms crossed over her chest.
He didn't bother to look away from his work as he replied, his tone mindful and relaxed. "Fixin' your gun."
"Well thank ya kindly brother but last time Ah checked mah gun worked just fine."
Giffith didn't respond, not vocally anyway. Slowly getting to his feet he grabbed the double barreled shotgun off the bench and opened the break. He then took a single shell from the bench. Sliding it into place he flicked the weapon back and closed the break then swung it forward with one hand, aiming it off into the distance. With a loud crack it fired and buckshot exploded from the barrel, whipping past Cammie and scattering across the field.
"What in the-!" she exclaimed throwing herself to the side, eyes wide and teeth clenched together. "Why would you pull the dang trigger?"
Griffith simply opened the gun, the empty shell popping out and skipping across the ground. "Ah didn't."
The response left Cammie with an embarrassed expression on her face. "Well... Guess y'all made yer point then," her tone was awkward and her face turned red. "You just keep on playin' with yer fancy tools, Ah've got work to do." Turning away she began to march out toward the fields, snatching up a rubber band from a nearby bench. As she made her way away from the house she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, letting it hang to her shoulders before she tightened it with the band. "That's better," Cammie said to herself as she adjusted her hat.
Walking out in the crop fields Cammie pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes, blocking out the powerful beams of the rising sun. As she marched forward she spotted something on the edge of her vision. It was difficult to make it out due to glare of the sunlight in her eyes but there was definitely something there. "What in the-? Some kind of critter in the fields again?" she muttered, gradually increasing her pace as she made her way toward it.
As she closed in the nature of the thing became clearer, it was a person. "Wha-!?" Cammie stopped for a moment, scratching her head in confusion as she stared. It was definitely a person, a girl. She lay in the middle of the field, covered in dirt and completely motionless. "Oh mah! Griffith git over here! Ah'm gonna need yer help!" Cammie yelled back to Griffith before dashing off toward the girl, sprinting as fast as she could.
She came to a sliding stop in front of the unconscious young woman, kicking up dirt as she did and immediately dropping to one knee. Cammie's face was filled with visible concern as she reached down and gently brushed some of the dark hair away from the girl's face to reveal pale white skin. "Poor girl looks like she ain't never seen the light of day before," Cammie remarked, softly placing a hand against the girl's forehead. It was burning hot and her skin was wet with sweat.
No more than a few seconds later Cammie heard Griffith coming up behind her. Getting to her feet she turned to her brother. Tipping her hat back she saw him approaching with a large sledgehammer slung over his shoulder, though with that same blank expression. "Now why would ya bring that thang?" Cammie asked, narrowing her gaze at him.
"You said ya needed mah help," Griffith replied with a shrug.
"Not that kind of help! Ah need you to use those muscles of yers to carry this poor thang back to the house, and hurry."
Griffith complied, placing the hammer in a slip on his harness and dropping to one knee. As he got down he scooped up the dark haired girl and placed her upon his shoulders, her weight seemingly nothing to him as he rose up without so much as a slight strain.
"C'mon Griff, let's git a move on." The two hurried back across the field toward the house, moving at a brisk pace. As they reached the door Cammie lead the way in, moving into the main room.
Upon entering they immediately met three others. Two female children who shared the same blond hair and green eyes as Cammie and Griffith and a tall grey haired man with a thick mustache and stubble. The two young girls sat at a large round table at the other end of the room and the man stood at the counter, preparing the morning meal. All three looked on with confusion, the girls remaining silent but the man stepping forward and speaking up. "What are you two doin'!? Who is that?" the man asked, brushing his hair back and adopting a very stern expression.
"Ah'd tell ya if Ah could papa but we just found her lyin' out in the field. She doesn't look too good," Cammie replied, shuffling her feet a bit nervously.
The older man took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes somewhat nervously. "Ahlright, ahlright. Griffth give'er to me and go fill up the tub. Cammie when he gets back you take her into the washroom and git her cleaned up. Amy, Maria you girls go outside and occupy yerselves for a bit."
Griffith stepped forward, handing the girl off to his father. The older man had a sturdy build but he couldn't carry her with the same ease that his son did.
The children appeared more than a little confused but they did as directed nonetheless, filing out of the house. "Ahlright papa," the older girl added. Griffith followed them shortly after.
Cammie and her father then hurried into the washroom, just down the hall. "There we go." The man muttered as he placed the girl down on the floor, propping her up against the wall. Getting up to his feet he left Cammie alone with the mysterious young woman for the time being.
Moments later Griffith returned with a large metal basin, filled up with water.
"Thanks Griff, now git. It ain't exactly gentlemanly to watch while a girl washes," Cammie said as she began to dip a towel into the basin, letting it soak for a moment.
"Mhm," Griffith muttered, cheeks reddening slightly before he turned and took his leave, closing the door behind him as he went.
"Ahlright now to get you uhm... undressed ah guess," Cammie stammered, biting down on her lower lip. Ringing out the cloth she began to dab the cool, moist fabric against the girl's forehead and wiped away some of the dirt and grime from her face. As she worked something odd caught her eye, something on the girl's skin.
Reaching down Cammie took hold of the girl's wrist and lifted it up. Pulling back the sleeve of the girl's sweater she spotted a series of strange black marks. "Now what's this?" It was a symbol she didn't recognize, a group of inch long, vertical black bars, spaced rather close together. Cammie attempted to rub them off with the cloth but to no avail, it wasn't going away. "Well ain't that interestin'... She don't look like the type to have a tattoo."
A short time later Cammie and Griffith sat at a small, rectangular table in the sitting room. A little yellow satchel sat atop the wooden surface with its contents strewn out. An old metal lantern, a book, some matches and a round metal case with the words 'For Mel', scrawled across the surface.
"Ah don't know if we should've gone through her things but it's probably the only way we're gonna figure out anything about her."
Griffith nodded in agreement. "Where is she?" he asked.
"I put her to bed in mah room, dressed her up in some of mah old clothes. She's a bit small for em' but they'll do for now. So this tin thang here says 'For Mel', you think that could be her name?"
Griffith replied with a simple shrug.
"Boy you're a real help ain't ya Griff?" Cammie retorted sarcastically, but as usual Griffith's reply was minimal in nature.
Meanwhile Mel lay in Cammie's bed, the sheets tucked up to her shoulders. Slowly she began to stir. Her vision was hazy and her head spun as she returned to waking world. She felt warm, comfortable, safe. She yawned for a moment her eye's slowly drifting open as she reached up and felt the damp cloth laying on her forehead. She scanned the room, noticing strange, brown walls. It was just unnecessarily bright. She wondered how anyone could tolerate this?
Pausing briefly to regain her senses and then she panicked as her memories flooded back to her, whipping the cloth against the wall and throwing off the covers. She looked down to find herself dressed in clothes she didn't recognize. "Wha-?" She stammered, looking from left to right, eyes taking in everything around her. The bed, the sheets, the walls, everything was different. Mel shuffled back against the corner, pulling her knees up to her chest and watching the door, her body shaking all over.
She stared at it for several minutes, her body motionless. She kept her face hidden behind her knees but her eyes peered out over them to keep a close, constant watch on the door. After what felt like hours the knob turned and the door pushed inwards.
Slowly stepping into the room Cammie came forward, a tray in her hands supporting a bowl of steaming stew and two slices of fluffy white bread. She peered in with a curious look on her face, smiling calmly as she noticed Mel was awake.
Mel was far less welcoming as she pressed herself tighter against the wall and remained dead silent.
"Well hi there darlin'," Cammie said quietly as she moved forward.
Mel looked away nervously, refusing to make eye contact.
"Ah thought Ah heard ya movin' around in here so Ah got ya some food. Figured you'd be hungry," as she spoke she held out the tray but Mel was still largely unresponsive.
Mel tried to speak but, to ask where she was or how she'd gotten there, but all she could muster was a quiet squeak.
"Oh my, you're a shy one ain't ya? Don't worry I ain't gonna hurt ya," Cammie continued, drawing closer and placing the tray on the foot of the bed.
Mel squeaked once more, attempting to make words but she couldn't quite manage it.
"Ah understand, if ya don't wanna talk about it then ya don't gotta talk about. You just sit tight in here until yer ready to come out. Until then Ah'm Cammie, Cammie Jones and if Ah'm not mistaken yer name is Mel, right?" Cammie got down on one knee in front of the bed and spoke softly.
Mel stalled for a long moment and then slowly nodded.
"Well it's mighty nice to meet you Mel. We're washin' yer clothes for ya and we'll give em' back as soon as they're clean. Just rest here and I'll see whenever yer ready." Getting to her feet Cammie turned and exited the room, leaving Mel alone once more.
The young woman remained pressed against the wall. A pleasant scent tickled Mel's nose and she let out a quiet groan, a sharp pain striking her stomach. She couldn't help but steal a glance toward the tray of food the young woman had left. "...Cammie," Mel muttered, contemplating the nature of the word in her mind.
She couldn't resist it, she was hungry and the warm meal smelled rather inviting. She started to shift toward it, getting closer and closer, sliding along the surface of the bed until she was within arm's reach. At that point she couldn't hold back at all. Getting to her knees she grasped the spoon in one hand, the bowl in the other. Her method of eating reflected her hunger as she practically drank the entire dish, tipping it back and shovling it into her mouth.
The door was opened a crack, a green eye peering in. Cammie stood outside peeking through the small opening and watching with a satisfied smile as Mel ate. "That's a good girl, eat up," she whispered to herself before breathing a sigh of relief and relaxing against the wall.
It was only then that she noticed Griffith standing behind her and she immediately jumped back, eyes widening and her hand grasping her chest. "Wha-? Dang it Griff what're you doin'!? You scared me… Ya know for such a big fella you're awfully quiet," Cammie muttered, regaining her composure and taking a deep breath.
Griffith nodded quietly and took a spot next to Cammie, leaning against the wall beside her.
"Ah tell ya she's... she's a bit different," Cammie said. "Ah get it, she's probably confused but the way she was actin' well. Well Ah don't think she just got sick and collapsed. Somethin' happened to her Griff, somethin' bad, Ah can tell. She was downright terrified of me." Cammie's eyes drifted toward her feet as she spoke. "We should probably get back to work Griff, those crops need harvestin'."
Night came and went, sleep taking Mel as after some time she was unable to resist. Once more she awoke in the same strange bed, in the same strange room, in the same strange clothes, in the same strange house, in the same strange world. She was still unused to the sunlight but at least it didn't blind her as it did before and in fact she could now appreciate its warmth.
Drawing up to a sitting position she immediately noticed three things. She was tucked under the covers when the night prior she had passed out on top of them. Her familiar attire sat at the foot of the bed, along with her satchel and there was a small note on the table next to the bed.
Reaching over cautiously she lifted the note up to her eyes. "G-good mor-morning… Mel?" she read aloud, her voice ringing with curiosity. She stared at it a moment, her brow rising. "Good morning Mel?" she repeated, confused as to what the purpose of the note might possibly be.
She got out of bed, rising up to stand unsteadily in the middle of the room. She felt strange, she wasn't afraid anymore but she still didn't know what to think, she'd never been away from home for this long, or ever.
She could hear voices, unfamiliar save for Cammie's. They echoed from outside the door. Mel changed clothes quickly, donning her old overalls and white sweater, then creeped towards the door. She pulled it open slightly and peered out, the voices growing louder. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly she pulled the door open and stepped into the hall. Her gait was weak and staggering but she managed to make her way out into the sitting room.
As she stepped into the room everyone fell silent. Cammie sat on the sofa along with four unfamiliar people, all scattered about the room. Mel stared at her feet and tried to speak, stalling for several long moments. Nobody said a word, nobody moved, they just watched. "I.. Uhm... Uh... Th-thank you," she breathed.
Still nobody spoke for a short time until a quiet laugh cut through the silence. "You're welcome darlin'," Cammie replied with a smile, prompting a similar expression to slowly spread across Mel's face.
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Chapter Two: Ac Felis
Mel was huddled in her room sitting on her bed, her back to the corner. Propped on her knees sat the dusty old book her father had left her, only a few pages in. Her eyes narrowed as she strained to read the little words, her mouth moving silently, sounding out each syllable.
Every now and then she would begin to mumble the words in a barely audible voice. "Not a t-tree nor," she paused, staring at the page, her face growing perplexed. "Nor?" she repeated. "Nooorrrr?" The word felt unfamiliar in her mouth but she continued anyway. "Nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat co-? coh-untry? Country!" She smiled to herself as she got the word right. Her smile soon faded however as she lowered the book and looked up at ceiling, the only fixture to draw her attention was the flickering bulb that dangled from an old cable.
"Come back daddy," Mel breathed with a long sigh before turning her eyes back to the pages.
Mel stayed hidden away in her room for over a half an hour, eyes flitting across the page and lips mouthing the words the whole way through until finally she seemed to pause. "In s-spite of the swaying of the howse and the wah?-wahh?-wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon c-closed her eh-... eyes and fell fast asleep."
The words came to an end and Mel stared at the page in disbelief, blinking at it curiously. "Did I-Did I finish the first chapter?" she asked herself, a slow smile spreading across her face and a giggle appearing on her lips. "I finished it all by myself! Hahahah! Oh Daddy's gonna be so happy, I did it, I did it all on my own!" As she spoke her feet began to kick rapidly and she beamed with pride.
"Huh, What now?" The thought stuck in Mel's head, she had finished a chapter and supposed it was time to take break from reading. So, hugging the book to her chest, Mel hopped down from her bed, dropping to the floor with a quiet 'ding'. She then began pacing about and stepped out into the main room. Humming tunelessly, she wandered out into the middle of the room, her eyes scanning about for something to catch her attention.
After a moment something stuck out to her, her satchel. A small yellow bag with two straps hanging from a hook near the kitchen. It was an item she only took out for one thing. "Hah! Exploring," she cried out with a bit of excitement. Hurriedly she ran over to the bag, pulling it down from the hook and dropping to her knees.
Finding ways to entertain oneself could be difficult but Mel kept busy. One of her common activities was to explore the lost reaches of the old facility she called home.
Pulling the bag open she immediately reached in and drew out a rounded, rusty old lantern with a square base. Along with it she retrieved a book of matches and then proceeded to stuff the novel her father had left her into the bag. "Alright, just remember to be careful, I promised daddy I wouldn't get hurt," Mel muttered to herself as she worked.
Striking the match a red flame burst up at the end. Lighting the lantern she took care not to burn her fingers. Sticking the matches into the pocket of her overalls she then slung the pack over her shoulder and made for the kitchen.
Gripping the strap of her satchel with her left hand and carrying the lantern in her right she skipped past the threshold and found herself in front of a large steel door. It was sealed, with a metal wheel mounted on the front serving as the opening mechanism.
Placing the lantern upon the floor Mel gripped it tightly with both hands. She groaned loudly as she twisted with all her might. Adjusting her grip, she turned her body and braced a foot against the wall. Heaving back there was a moment of straining and the door gave way, popping open a crack. "Huh, good," the girl breathed.
Scooping up the lantern Mel stepped through the door. Immediately the need for the lantern became apparent, darkness settling around her. The lantern created a sphere of pale light but nearly everything beyond it was an impenetrable black mass. Standing in the room it was clear, even in the dim light, exactly how small it was, barely larger than a closet. However sitting at Mel's feet was a hole in the ground that lead down into the depths of the facility.
Placing the handle of the lantern between her teeth she bit down, freeing her hands for the time being. Slowly she lowered herself into the hole, grasping onto a set of rungs. She made a quick descent and came to stand in the middle of a room far darker than that above her. She raised her arm and cast the lantern's glow about the area, revealing countless tables and damaged equipment, all easily beyond her comprehension. It took her some time to retrace her steps but eventually she managed to locate a passage she had yet to explore.
Following the passage she found herself traversing a long hallway, eyes scanning the area as she moved. It was old and battered, far more than the area above. Rust coated nearly half of the surfaces, torn wires and damaged pipes dangled from the ceiling and objects were strewn about the floor in a haphazard manner.
Eventually she came to the end of the corridor, a wide threshold opening up before her. As Mel held up the lantern to get a better glimpse it revealed the remnants of what was once a door, but the steel had been melted and peeled back. She blinked at the state of the door for a moment, curious as to what could have caused such damage before disregarding it and stepping through.
As Mel entered the she took a moment to look about, searching for something, anything of interest. The first thing she spotted was a long table piled with strange little objects. She immediately set off toward it, setting the lantern down on its surface. Sifting through the various items in front of her she examined each one with a childish enthusiasm.
"Maybe I'll find a present for daddy," she said to herself. Upon closer inspection she found little of interest, a glass tube, a scorched book, a few strange metal objects with unclear purposes, tongs, scalpels. Overall she found nothing she would have any use for. "Too bad," she sighed, turning around and leaning against the table, eyes cast down toward her feet.
As she raised her head she caught sight of something in the darkness, something rather interesting to her. It sat at the other side of the room but she could barely make it out in the low light. From what she could see of it, it was a large, roughly cylindrical object. As hard as she concentrated upon it she couldn't quite make it out. So, reaching behind her she retrieved the lantern, grasping it by the handle and taking a step forward. Holding it out at arm's length she moved closer, the object becoming clearer. It was roughly the size of a person and the front was made of glass, though it was all caked in a thick layer of dust.
A creak sounded beneath her, ringing out through the room."Wha-?" Mel started to speak but as her foot next met the ground there was something amiss. The floor beneath her began to crumble giving way and eliciting a rather loud reaction from the young woman. She screamed as she lost her footing and crashed through the floor.
In the commotion she failed to retain her grasp upon the lantern, her arms flinging forward and sending the object flying from her hands. She didn't see it connect with floor, she only heard it clink and skip across the ground, though that was quickly drowned out by the thud of her body collapsing against the hard metal ground.
"Uh!" Mel hit the ground back first, her eyes growing wide as she rolled over groaning. It was a strange feeling, that gasping for air, that inability to catch your breath after the wind had been knocked from your lungs. She coughed hard, her arms wrapping about her stomach as she rolled over onto her side, her groans growing louder and louder.
To Mel it felt like she lied on the floor for hours, though in truth it could not have been more than a few minutes. There was something about that state of pain that made it seem so much longer than it was. After a short time Mel cleared the dizziness from her eyes and raised her head, immediately looking straight up toward the hole in the roof where she had come from. She could spot the faint glow of her lantern still ablaze above but it did not penetrate into the darkness that surrounded her.
With a staggering motion Mel got to her feet, wincing but managing to draw up without much trouble. She needed to get her bearings so she took a look around, eyes unable to properly adjust to the darkness. "Oh, oh no. It's d-dark, it's too dark!" Mel began to sputter, her heart beating hard in her chest. Her eyes began to dart around, jumping from left to right, attempting to spot something, anything that might get her out of this mess.
The pace of her breathing picked up exponentially, inhaling and exhaling in rapid succession, the girl incapable of calming her nerves. Then something caught her eye, a few stray beams of light coming from the corner. It was the oddest thing but there they were. They were little cracks of light that seemed to be coming in at a diagonal from the wall. Mel immediately made toward them, her steps uneven and shaky.
Her ambling pace came to an abrupt stop as her hands met the cold metal walls, bracing hard and just barely keeping herself from slamming into it, face first. Her hands travelled frantically up the wall until they reached the source of the light. It felt different, solid but not quite the same as the metal; almost like glass. She pushed against the surface and found to her surprise that it was loose. "Does it, open?"
She tried again, pushing up with greater force and the surface shifted once more. It wasn't enough so she tried again and again and finally with one last push the surface gave way. It split and opened right down the middle, coming apart and Mel found herself washed over with light. It was bright, brighter than her lantern, brighter than any of the bulbs in the facility. It almost burned her eyes it was so bright, her arm shooting up to cover her face.
This strange light, it was different than anything she had felt before. She could feel it radiating a warmth upon her skin. "Whuh? Where?" she stuttered, eyes squinting as the light refused to subside. "Why is the light so, so b-bright?" It wasn't just the light, there was more. She couldn't see much through the glare but what she saw was all so green and open, so different from anything she'd ever witnessed before.
Then there was that breeze, that cool air brushing against her skin. It was all so refreshing and unfamiliar. With curiosity in her heart and a look of awe on her face Mel grasped the edge of the earth and pulled herself up out through the aperture and crawled out on her hands and knees.
It was now clear to her what that glass surface was. It was a window layered with moss so thick only a few stray beams of light could break through.
"Whooaaaa," Mel breathed as she looked around her at this strange new world. As she stood up she could feel the grass between her toes, massive trees rising up before her in a forest of green. "I-I... Hahah!" Mel couldn't help but laugh, excitement like she had never felt before began to well up inside her. She couldn't control herself and soon enough she dashed off into the trees, hopping forward with glee and giggling the whole way.
She was so overwhelmed by this new sensation that she seemed to lose all concern for where she was or how she got there. She ran and ran, she ran until she was out of breath but still she smiled ear to ear and giggled uncontrollably. Eventually she came to a stop as she neared a stream. The trickling little brook bubbled before her. She dropped to her knees and stared into the creek, the tip of her nose only inches from the surface. Little fish darted past her eyes, causing her grin to widen.
Mel dropped to the ground, rolling onto her back and letting herself collapse in the grass beside the stream. As she lied stretched out upon the ground she stared up at the sky for the first time in her life. Fluffy white clouds and the bright orange of the sun, all new sights to her and so glorious. It was then that she finally had to time to think and her mind raced faster than it ever had before.
She the sun as it travelled across the sky. For hours she played in the trees and splashed her feet in the stream. After a time she began to feel faint, her energy abandoning her.
Never had she felt so stimulated, seeing what she'd seen today. Completely drained of she dropped down next to the stream for what had to be an hour until suddenly it hit her. She'd seen this, she knew where she was. Pictures of the outside world in books she'd seen, books her father had shown her. She had been too excited until just now to realize it but it finally clicked. She was outside. She had left the facility, the one thing her father had always told her not to do.
Mel shot up in shock, letting out a loud panicked scream, her eyes wide and sweat forming on her brow. She scampered to her feet, kicking up grass and making a dash back toward the facility. "Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no!" she cried as she ran, her face distraught and her voice shaking with guilt. "Can't stay, can't stay outside!" she exclaimed.
Hurrying back, Mel moved as rapidly as she could, dropping back through the window from which she'd first exited the facility. Using the light granted by sun she managed to climb back up through the hole that she had crashed through on her initial entry. All it took was a discarded chair to give her the few extra feet of height she lacked and it was an easy enough task. Snatching up her lantern she made her way back to the safety and comfort of home.
As Mel made it to the top of the ladder and crawled out of the hole she found herself growing weary. She stepped out into the kitchen, her movements sluggish and her eyes tired. She groaned quietly, setting the lantern down on the table and breathing hard. Dousing the flame she tucked it back into her bag, though the motions of her hands had become clumsy.
"I think I need to r-rest," Mel muttered, unsure of why her body was reacting this way. Her cheeks were starting to turn red and she was growing dizzy. She soon made her way into the sitting room and after only a few steps needed to stop and lean against a chair, bracing her arm against it and bowing her head.
"I-I'll just, I'll sit down here. Just rest, rest here until daddy gets home." With those words Mel dropped off to the left, her body landing on the sofa with a flop. Nestling in she tucked her knees up to her chest and her consciousness started to fade. She continued to breathe heavily, unable to maintain consciousness.
At first there was nothing, not a sight to be seen, only a sound. A constant pounding against the roof, endlessly raining down and occasionally accompanied by an ear shattering boom. Every time that boom sounded Mel winced. It vibrated unpleasantly in her ears. Her vision was limited, fuzzy and incomplete.
Slowly her eyes pulled themselves open to stare up at the shadowed figments that surrounded her. Mel was in her home, that much she could tell, but it felt different. There was a darkness, not a physical darkness, but an emotional darkness and it overwhelmed her. It was like an inexplicable negative energy and it was almost as if it was heavy, like a great pressure was bearing down on her.
She tried to speak but she couldn't will herself the energy to move her lips or to produce a sound. Her face was hot, it burned and her head was wracked with an almost uncontrollable pain. Her cheeks were wet as if she'd been crying. How long had she been asleep, she wondered.
It took her several minutes to gather herself and finally she managed to identify that horrible noise. It was a thunderstorm, but that didn't justify this feeling inside of her. There was terror in her heart but that didn't make sense. Mel hadn't been afraid of thunder since she was a child.
In just a moment none of it made a difference. With a crack of lightning the glass dome that formed the roof of the facility shattered in one violent burst. Mel's face flashed with fear and her body reacted despite the pressure she felt crushing her. Rolling to the right she dropped off the sofa, hiding herself under a nearby table. The shards of glass came raining down, scattering across the room and creating a raucous symphony of shattering noise accompanied by the drumming of rain. Mel curled herself up and covered her head, her body shaking.
Footsteps touched down, the clang of metal meeting metal rang out. She wasn't alone. The dark energy increased violently and in an instant the table had been whipped across the room, crashing against the wall. Mel shivered and slowly brought her eyes up from her hands, glimpsing a foot, armoured in bronze with a toe pointed into a spear like shape.
Slowly her gaze travelled up the figure to reveal something she had never in all her years imagined could be so threatening. She tried to scream but couldn't make a sound, simply sliding back against the sofa and putting as much distance between herself and this monster as she could.
Standing in the middle of the room was a humanoid figure, vaguely male though it was hard to be too sure with such a being. Its head was masked by a low hanging red hood, a bronze, featureless mask with two empty eyes, covering its face. Its boots travelled up to the knees and likewise a similar pair of bronze gauntlets travelled down to its elbows, with claws extending from the tip of each finger. It was built slender and gangly; its entire body was wrapped in torn crimson scarves.
Mel's eyes were transfixed, staring on in a state of shock.
"Where is Alistair Remus?" the being queried, its voice a monotonous echo, devoid of emotion and lacking either masculinity, or femininity. When it spoke its voice wasn't so much as heard by the ears but in the mind.
Mel couldn't manage a reply, when attempted she found herself choking on her own words.
"Where is Alistair Remus?" the being repeated.
Mel's instincts took over and despite the weakness that plagued her body she moved, jumping to her feet and dashing for the exit.
As Mel ran she almost immediately stumbled, dropping to her hands and knees in the threshold. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed, incapable of thinking straight and barely able to move.
The being stood its ground, not taking a single step forward but drawing its arm back and holding it at its hip, extending its clawed gauntlet. Almost instantaneously energy began to build in its palm. The area around its hand began to undulate, unsteady as if it were being viewed through a smoky filter. The air began to flicker like a flame, though it did not burn.
Thrusting its arm forward the being unleashed the energy and it expanded, bursting forth like a wave. Shards of glass flew in every direction and the entire facility shook, the creature's power exploding forth and bearing down on Mel.
She tried to climb back to her feet but stumbled and dropped to the ground once more. Letting out a cry of fear she covered her face.
She felt the force travel around her, but it did not make contact, merely passing over. Slowly she pulled her arms away from her face, body shaking and ears ringing. Standing between her and the malevolent being was her father, sword drawn and arm outstretched.
Slowly he lowered his hand, eyes remaining firmly locked upon the attacker. "Mel run!" he commanded, an urgency and anger in his voice that she had never heard before.
"D-daddy?" Mel stammered.
"Mel I need you to do as I say. You have to run now!"
Mel ran, getting to her feet and dashing down the corridor. Her movements were weak and laboured, she could barely muster the strength to move her body but fear had motivated her to push herself far beyond her normal limitations.
The thing cloaked in red stood across from Mel's father, staring him down from the other side of the room. "You have arrived. I am pleased," it said.
There was no reply from the man, he simply readied himself, his sword held out in front, tip pointed squarely at the freakish creature.
It drew its arm back and then flung it forward and, the sofa lifting from the floor and soaring across the room toward Mel's father.
He stood his ground, only lifting his left arm and swatting away the incoming object as if it were weightless. As his hand made contact a pulse of energy burst forth and the sofa launched back past the strange being, crashing against the far wall.
Silently glaring toward its opponent it repeated the motion, both hands extending out to the sides and flying forward. As if at his command the table and the armchair took flight.
Effortlessly he deflected them once more, his left hand deftly knocking the table to the right and then thrusting forward, causing the chair to hurl back toward the being.
A loud crack echoed through the room as it smashed into the being, colliding with his right shoulder and then bouncing across the floor. The blow staggered it, the being sliding back a few paces.
"Foolish Harlequin! You will find I have not weakened in my old age!" Mel's father roared and thrust his left hand into the air. His fingers stretched the sky, his hand began to vibrate. At first it seemed there was little reaction but then the glass scattered upon the floor began to shake and rattle. Slowly it started to levitate, lifting off the ground the countless shards floated about the Harlequin, surrounding it like a wall of blades. Clenching his hand into a tight fist the shards enclosed with the speed of a striking snake, barraging the Harlequin with icy daggers. One by one the hundreds of shards scored, digging into it and disappearing beneath its attire.
There was no blood, the Harlequin remaining board stiff and motionless as his body was bloated with glass. A long moment of silence ensued, neither of the combatants moving a muscles. Sand began to pour out of the Harlequin in waves, dropping like water-falls from every opening. The seams in its greaves and gauntlets, the eyes of its mask and the various incisions left by the glass shards all spewed swaths of sand.
"Incredible," Mel's father breathed with a wide eyed expression.
As the last grain hit the floor, the sand having formed a ring about the being, the Harlequin reared its head back and once again locked eyes with Mel's father. It brought its feet together and straightened out its entire body, arms stretched out to either side, claws spreading outward. "I expected more from you," the Harlequin said as energy began to form in its palms. Flinging both hands forward in one quick motion it launched an attack, flickering power exploding outward.
He couldn't avoid it; its size consumed the entire width of the room. Crushing him like a wave, his body was hurled back with great force, feet lifting off the ground he sailed down the corridor. His body hit the ground after flying nearly twenty feet, hitting it hard and rolling like a ragdoll. His hat had been taken off in a single sweep and he had just barely kept a grasp on his sword. Even as he was pushing himself up, using his blade like a crutch, the Harlequin was in pursuit.
Its feet lifted from the ground and it hovered inches above the floor. Floating forward it darted ahead, moving down the hallway and closing in on its prey.
The older man took sharp breaths through clenched teeth, desperately attempting to regain his stance. He knew that he needed to gain the advantage or his foe would simply keep pressing its own position. Slamming his palm against the wall a pale light flickered from his fingertips and travelled along the metal. It moved faster than the eye could follow and came to an abrupt halt as it reached the Harlequin. In a bright flash a section of the wall exploded and shrapnel burst forth.
Several chunks of superheated metal ripped through sections of the Harlequin's attire, a few bouncing off of its mask. Nonetheless Harlequin seemed unfazed continued to press forward. "This is very inefficient. Tell me of the Grimoire, it will expedite the process."
Mel's father was silent and readied his blade, teeth grit in frustration.
"... Resistance will only result in physical harm." As it spoke it stretched its hands out to either side and then slammed them together. As it moved the walls reacted, two sections ripping free and smashing together in an attempt to crush their target.
As they closed in on Mel's father he barely managed a motion before he was wrapped in metal, throwing his hand up and then all was silenced by the clang of steel.
For a moment nothing occurred, the Harlequin standing with his claws linked together, eyeing the mass of metal in the middle of the corridor.
The reaction happened all at once as the wall fragments burst into liquid. The molten steel sprang forward and splashed upon the Harlequin, coating it in dripping, metallic slime. It didn't recoil or react, it merely stood its ground as it was enveloped and pinned.
Mel's father stood looking as alive as he had only moments ago, an intense glare on his face. With a single deft motion his hand weaved to the left and the slime hardened, locking the Harlequin in place, its arms and legs pinned close to its body.
Mel's father continued his assault, dropping to one knee and slamming both hands into the floor. He let out a shout and the entire facility began to shake. The area around the Harlequin started rumbling and in an instant hundreds of massive spikes shot forth from the floor, walls and ceiling, the countless spines collapsing in on one another, creating a mass of unrecognizable chaos.
Mel's father panted loudly, head hanging and hand clutching his chest. Harsh groans of pain came in short bursts, his body reacting to some tremendous physical stress. With a quiet grunt he got to his feet, swaying from left to right. "How did he find her?" Before he could even begin to contemplate the answer he felt cold metal slam into his face.
The Harlequin stood at his left, its palm pressed violently against his cheek and its claws wrapped about his head. The wall behind it had been melted away.
"How!?" he exclaimed as he felt his head slam against the wall with great force. His senses quickly abandoned him, the Harlequin slowly applying pressure, grinding his face into the steel of the wall.
He yelled in pained and struggled against the Harlequin but it was useless, he was being crushed by the sheer strength of his foe. He did everything he could to resist; drawing his sword back and swinging with all his might but the Harlequin's free hand shot up and grasped the blade.
As it closed its gauntlet about the sword, steam began to issue forth from its grasp with a loud hiss. The blade melted beneath its grip, eventually crumbling into useless shards of steel. Nonetheless Mel's father kept a tight grip on the hilt.
"Why do you insist upon wasting my time? Tell me about the Grimoire."
Mel's father endured, clenching his teeth together and muffling his screams, not speaking a word.
The Harlequin was evidently unsatisfied with the answer, as it proceeded to whirl around, hurling its opponent against the opposite wall.
The collision was harsh as he hit the metal panel and stumbled back into the center of the corridor. His clothes were torn and his body seemed only inches from its breaking point.
"Your body can sustain a very minimal level of physical battering. Continued resistance will result in a terminal failure of your functions."
While the Harlequin spoke something came to the attention of Mel's father. It was a crackle, a spark. Bringing his head up to gaze upon the ceiling he saw it, though his vision was dazed and uneven. Dangling wires, hanging only metres away and live with electricity.
The Harlequin stepped forward and drew its arm back, claws spreading apart and energy beginning to gather in its palm. The cables at its back began to move. At first it was only a twitch and then shake. As the red cloaked being prepared to launch its next attack its arm was entangled by a series of wires. Then another group of wires wrapped about its torso, pinning its free arm to its side and in a flash its body began to writhe and shake.
Dropping to its knees it vibrated as the electric charge wracked its body, sparks travelling up and down its limbs. The charge ignited a flame, catching on the thing's attire. It didn't make sound, its form falling completely still smoke rising up from the flames engulfing it.
Once the smoke licked the ceiling a high pitched squeal broke out, sounding all through the hall. Water began to rain down from the ceiling soaking the entire facility. Mel's father stood, watching as the flames were doused and the Harlequin went still.
He paused for a moment, watching for movement and when none occurred he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ineffective," it muttered, the sparks subsiding and the Harlequin hovered into the air, still trussed up in wires. "You have failed, you will continue to fail. Your efforts are pointless, why do you continue?"
Mel's father steeled himself, wearing a stony, emotionless expression.
It ripped its arm free, torn cables still dangling from the bronze gauntlet. Plasma bolts travelled along its clawed fingertips and in a flash of azure light a bolt of energy shot forth.
The bolt blasted Mel's father directly in the chest, immediately causing his body to go limp and take off down the hall. He hit the ground with a resounding smack, landing at the other end of the corridor and lying flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "No... I can't.. I need to," his voice was weak, he could barely summon the energy to move his lips.
"Daddy!" Mel's voice rang in his ears and suddenly he felt her presence next to him. She to his side, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Daddy no, wake up, please daddy, please!" she cried, gently shaking him.
"M-Mel? Mel why are you still here!? I told you to leave!" he yelled, the growing urgency bringing him back from the brink of unconsciousness.
"I-I... I won't leave! I won't leave without you daddy!"
"Mel you don't understand!"
Suddenly his body was ripped from her grasp and slammed back first against the wall The Harlequin floated in front of Mel, its arm held up over its head. "Remain." As it spoke the steel of the wall where Mel's father was pinned began to react, glowing softly for a moment and then coming to life. Several strands came forth and wrapped about his frame, then growing solid once more.
Standing before the Harlequin her limbs felt like rubber, she couldn't move or protest or even scream. She could only stare, whimpering and shaking.
"Melanie Remus?" it queried. Floated forward its motions were like a coiling snake. "You will be instrumental, necessary." It continued, moving closer.
"She doesn't know anything, let her go!" Mel's father yelled.
Mel was incapable of mustering a reply, as it got closer she froze in place, terror overtaking her, tears streaming down her face.
"Do not resist," it said as it slowly reached a hand toward Mel.
"No!" Mel's father exclaimed, struggling with all his might. His arm began to shake and vibrate with power, a pale light forming on his palms. "Mel!" The bar that kept his right arm pinned burst away and with a great sweep his hand swung forward. A blinding flash filled the room and as it dissipated Mel was gone.
A bright scintillation burst out over a small field and sent a bright light surging across the dark landscape. The moon hung high in the sky and cast down its pale illumination. There in the field lay the young girl, curled up in the dirt. Her head was aching and her eyes stung from crying. She had never felt this way, not in all her life had she been so distraught and the worst part was that she couldn't do anything to stop it.
There was a voice in her head, murmuring to her in a hushed tone. "Find the Grimoire and I will return you to your father."
She shuddered at the sound of the voice, the words imprinted in her mind. Curling up tighter she felt herself beginning to fade. "Daddy. It's all my fault." Sick, wet, cold, tired, hungry and heartbroken she remained on the ground whimpering until consciousness left her.
Every now and then she would begin to mumble the words in a barely audible voice. "Not a t-tree nor," she paused, staring at the page, her face growing perplexed. "Nor?" she repeated. "Nooorrrr?" The word felt unfamiliar in her mouth but she continued anyway. "Nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat co-? coh-untry? Country!" She smiled to herself as she got the word right. Her smile soon faded however as she lowered the book and looked up at ceiling, the only fixture to draw her attention was the flickering bulb that dangled from an old cable.
"Come back daddy," Mel breathed with a long sigh before turning her eyes back to the pages.
Mel stayed hidden away in her room for over a half an hour, eyes flitting across the page and lips mouthing the words the whole way through until finally she seemed to pause. "In s-spite of the swaying of the howse and the wah?-wahh?-wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon c-closed her eh-... eyes and fell fast asleep."
The words came to an end and Mel stared at the page in disbelief, blinking at it curiously. "Did I-Did I finish the first chapter?" she asked herself, a slow smile spreading across her face and a giggle appearing on her lips. "I finished it all by myself! Hahahah! Oh Daddy's gonna be so happy, I did it, I did it all on my own!" As she spoke her feet began to kick rapidly and she beamed with pride.
"Huh, What now?" The thought stuck in Mel's head, she had finished a chapter and supposed it was time to take break from reading. So, hugging the book to her chest, Mel hopped down from her bed, dropping to the floor with a quiet 'ding'. She then began pacing about and stepped out into the main room. Humming tunelessly, she wandered out into the middle of the room, her eyes scanning about for something to catch her attention.
After a moment something stuck out to her, her satchel. A small yellow bag with two straps hanging from a hook near the kitchen. It was an item she only took out for one thing. "Hah! Exploring," she cried out with a bit of excitement. Hurriedly she ran over to the bag, pulling it down from the hook and dropping to her knees.
Finding ways to entertain oneself could be difficult but Mel kept busy. One of her common activities was to explore the lost reaches of the old facility she called home.
Pulling the bag open she immediately reached in and drew out a rounded, rusty old lantern with a square base. Along with it she retrieved a book of matches and then proceeded to stuff the novel her father had left her into the bag. "Alright, just remember to be careful, I promised daddy I wouldn't get hurt," Mel muttered to herself as she worked.
Striking the match a red flame burst up at the end. Lighting the lantern she took care not to burn her fingers. Sticking the matches into the pocket of her overalls she then slung the pack over her shoulder and made for the kitchen.
Gripping the strap of her satchel with her left hand and carrying the lantern in her right she skipped past the threshold and found herself in front of a large steel door. It was sealed, with a metal wheel mounted on the front serving as the opening mechanism.
Placing the lantern upon the floor Mel gripped it tightly with both hands. She groaned loudly as she twisted with all her might. Adjusting her grip, she turned her body and braced a foot against the wall. Heaving back there was a moment of straining and the door gave way, popping open a crack. "Huh, good," the girl breathed.
Scooping up the lantern Mel stepped through the door. Immediately the need for the lantern became apparent, darkness settling around her. The lantern created a sphere of pale light but nearly everything beyond it was an impenetrable black mass. Standing in the room it was clear, even in the dim light, exactly how small it was, barely larger than a closet. However sitting at Mel's feet was a hole in the ground that lead down into the depths of the facility.
Placing the handle of the lantern between her teeth she bit down, freeing her hands for the time being. Slowly she lowered herself into the hole, grasping onto a set of rungs. She made a quick descent and came to stand in the middle of a room far darker than that above her. She raised her arm and cast the lantern's glow about the area, revealing countless tables and damaged equipment, all easily beyond her comprehension. It took her some time to retrace her steps but eventually she managed to locate a passage she had yet to explore.
Following the passage she found herself traversing a long hallway, eyes scanning the area as she moved. It was old and battered, far more than the area above. Rust coated nearly half of the surfaces, torn wires and damaged pipes dangled from the ceiling and objects were strewn about the floor in a haphazard manner.
Eventually she came to the end of the corridor, a wide threshold opening up before her. As Mel held up the lantern to get a better glimpse it revealed the remnants of what was once a door, but the steel had been melted and peeled back. She blinked at the state of the door for a moment, curious as to what could have caused such damage before disregarding it and stepping through.
As Mel entered the she took a moment to look about, searching for something, anything of interest. The first thing she spotted was a long table piled with strange little objects. She immediately set off toward it, setting the lantern down on its surface. Sifting through the various items in front of her she examined each one with a childish enthusiasm.
"Maybe I'll find a present for daddy," she said to herself. Upon closer inspection she found little of interest, a glass tube, a scorched book, a few strange metal objects with unclear purposes, tongs, scalpels. Overall she found nothing she would have any use for. "Too bad," she sighed, turning around and leaning against the table, eyes cast down toward her feet.
As she raised her head she caught sight of something in the darkness, something rather interesting to her. It sat at the other side of the room but she could barely make it out in the low light. From what she could see of it, it was a large, roughly cylindrical object. As hard as she concentrated upon it she couldn't quite make it out. So, reaching behind her she retrieved the lantern, grasping it by the handle and taking a step forward. Holding it out at arm's length she moved closer, the object becoming clearer. It was roughly the size of a person and the front was made of glass, though it was all caked in a thick layer of dust.
A creak sounded beneath her, ringing out through the room."Wha-?" Mel started to speak but as her foot next met the ground there was something amiss. The floor beneath her began to crumble giving way and eliciting a rather loud reaction from the young woman. She screamed as she lost her footing and crashed through the floor.
In the commotion she failed to retain her grasp upon the lantern, her arms flinging forward and sending the object flying from her hands. She didn't see it connect with floor, she only heard it clink and skip across the ground, though that was quickly drowned out by the thud of her body collapsing against the hard metal ground.
"Uh!" Mel hit the ground back first, her eyes growing wide as she rolled over groaning. It was a strange feeling, that gasping for air, that inability to catch your breath after the wind had been knocked from your lungs. She coughed hard, her arms wrapping about her stomach as she rolled over onto her side, her groans growing louder and louder.
To Mel it felt like she lied on the floor for hours, though in truth it could not have been more than a few minutes. There was something about that state of pain that made it seem so much longer than it was. After a short time Mel cleared the dizziness from her eyes and raised her head, immediately looking straight up toward the hole in the roof where she had come from. She could spot the faint glow of her lantern still ablaze above but it did not penetrate into the darkness that surrounded her.
With a staggering motion Mel got to her feet, wincing but managing to draw up without much trouble. She needed to get her bearings so she took a look around, eyes unable to properly adjust to the darkness. "Oh, oh no. It's d-dark, it's too dark!" Mel began to sputter, her heart beating hard in her chest. Her eyes began to dart around, jumping from left to right, attempting to spot something, anything that might get her out of this mess.
The pace of her breathing picked up exponentially, inhaling and exhaling in rapid succession, the girl incapable of calming her nerves. Then something caught her eye, a few stray beams of light coming from the corner. It was the oddest thing but there they were. They were little cracks of light that seemed to be coming in at a diagonal from the wall. Mel immediately made toward them, her steps uneven and shaky.
Her ambling pace came to an abrupt stop as her hands met the cold metal walls, bracing hard and just barely keeping herself from slamming into it, face first. Her hands travelled frantically up the wall until they reached the source of the light. It felt different, solid but not quite the same as the metal; almost like glass. She pushed against the surface and found to her surprise that it was loose. "Does it, open?"
She tried again, pushing up with greater force and the surface shifted once more. It wasn't enough so she tried again and again and finally with one last push the surface gave way. It split and opened right down the middle, coming apart and Mel found herself washed over with light. It was bright, brighter than her lantern, brighter than any of the bulbs in the facility. It almost burned her eyes it was so bright, her arm shooting up to cover her face.
This strange light, it was different than anything she had felt before. She could feel it radiating a warmth upon her skin. "Whuh? Where?" she stuttered, eyes squinting as the light refused to subside. "Why is the light so, so b-bright?" It wasn't just the light, there was more. She couldn't see much through the glare but what she saw was all so green and open, so different from anything she'd ever witnessed before.
Then there was that breeze, that cool air brushing against her skin. It was all so refreshing and unfamiliar. With curiosity in her heart and a look of awe on her face Mel grasped the edge of the earth and pulled herself up out through the aperture and crawled out on her hands and knees.
It was now clear to her what that glass surface was. It was a window layered with moss so thick only a few stray beams of light could break through.
"Whooaaaa," Mel breathed as she looked around her at this strange new world. As she stood up she could feel the grass between her toes, massive trees rising up before her in a forest of green. "I-I... Hahah!" Mel couldn't help but laugh, excitement like she had never felt before began to well up inside her. She couldn't control herself and soon enough she dashed off into the trees, hopping forward with glee and giggling the whole way.
She was so overwhelmed by this new sensation that she seemed to lose all concern for where she was or how she got there. She ran and ran, she ran until she was out of breath but still she smiled ear to ear and giggled uncontrollably. Eventually she came to a stop as she neared a stream. The trickling little brook bubbled before her. She dropped to her knees and stared into the creek, the tip of her nose only inches from the surface. Little fish darted past her eyes, causing her grin to widen.
Mel dropped to the ground, rolling onto her back and letting herself collapse in the grass beside the stream. As she lied stretched out upon the ground she stared up at the sky for the first time in her life. Fluffy white clouds and the bright orange of the sun, all new sights to her and so glorious. It was then that she finally had to time to think and her mind raced faster than it ever had before.
She the sun as it travelled across the sky. For hours she played in the trees and splashed her feet in the stream. After a time she began to feel faint, her energy abandoning her.
Never had she felt so stimulated, seeing what she'd seen today. Completely drained of she dropped down next to the stream for what had to be an hour until suddenly it hit her. She'd seen this, she knew where she was. Pictures of the outside world in books she'd seen, books her father had shown her. She had been too excited until just now to realize it but it finally clicked. She was outside. She had left the facility, the one thing her father had always told her not to do.
Mel shot up in shock, letting out a loud panicked scream, her eyes wide and sweat forming on her brow. She scampered to her feet, kicking up grass and making a dash back toward the facility. "Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no!" she cried as she ran, her face distraught and her voice shaking with guilt. "Can't stay, can't stay outside!" she exclaimed.
Hurrying back, Mel moved as rapidly as she could, dropping back through the window from which she'd first exited the facility. Using the light granted by sun she managed to climb back up through the hole that she had crashed through on her initial entry. All it took was a discarded chair to give her the few extra feet of height she lacked and it was an easy enough task. Snatching up her lantern she made her way back to the safety and comfort of home.
As Mel made it to the top of the ladder and crawled out of the hole she found herself growing weary. She stepped out into the kitchen, her movements sluggish and her eyes tired. She groaned quietly, setting the lantern down on the table and breathing hard. Dousing the flame she tucked it back into her bag, though the motions of her hands had become clumsy.
"I think I need to r-rest," Mel muttered, unsure of why her body was reacting this way. Her cheeks were starting to turn red and she was growing dizzy. She soon made her way into the sitting room and after only a few steps needed to stop and lean against a chair, bracing her arm against it and bowing her head.
"I-I'll just, I'll sit down here. Just rest, rest here until daddy gets home." With those words Mel dropped off to the left, her body landing on the sofa with a flop. Nestling in she tucked her knees up to her chest and her consciousness started to fade. She continued to breathe heavily, unable to maintain consciousness.
At first there was nothing, not a sight to be seen, only a sound. A constant pounding against the roof, endlessly raining down and occasionally accompanied by an ear shattering boom. Every time that boom sounded Mel winced. It vibrated unpleasantly in her ears. Her vision was limited, fuzzy and incomplete.
Slowly her eyes pulled themselves open to stare up at the shadowed figments that surrounded her. Mel was in her home, that much she could tell, but it felt different. There was a darkness, not a physical darkness, but an emotional darkness and it overwhelmed her. It was like an inexplicable negative energy and it was almost as if it was heavy, like a great pressure was bearing down on her.
She tried to speak but she couldn't will herself the energy to move her lips or to produce a sound. Her face was hot, it burned and her head was wracked with an almost uncontrollable pain. Her cheeks were wet as if she'd been crying. How long had she been asleep, she wondered.
It took her several minutes to gather herself and finally she managed to identify that horrible noise. It was a thunderstorm, but that didn't justify this feeling inside of her. There was terror in her heart but that didn't make sense. Mel hadn't been afraid of thunder since she was a child.
In just a moment none of it made a difference. With a crack of lightning the glass dome that formed the roof of the facility shattered in one violent burst. Mel's face flashed with fear and her body reacted despite the pressure she felt crushing her. Rolling to the right she dropped off the sofa, hiding herself under a nearby table. The shards of glass came raining down, scattering across the room and creating a raucous symphony of shattering noise accompanied by the drumming of rain. Mel curled herself up and covered her head, her body shaking.
Footsteps touched down, the clang of metal meeting metal rang out. She wasn't alone. The dark energy increased violently and in an instant the table had been whipped across the room, crashing against the wall. Mel shivered and slowly brought her eyes up from her hands, glimpsing a foot, armoured in bronze with a toe pointed into a spear like shape.
Slowly her gaze travelled up the figure to reveal something she had never in all her years imagined could be so threatening. She tried to scream but couldn't make a sound, simply sliding back against the sofa and putting as much distance between herself and this monster as she could.
Standing in the middle of the room was a humanoid figure, vaguely male though it was hard to be too sure with such a being. Its head was masked by a low hanging red hood, a bronze, featureless mask with two empty eyes, covering its face. Its boots travelled up to the knees and likewise a similar pair of bronze gauntlets travelled down to its elbows, with claws extending from the tip of each finger. It was built slender and gangly; its entire body was wrapped in torn crimson scarves.
Mel's eyes were transfixed, staring on in a state of shock.
"Where is Alistair Remus?" the being queried, its voice a monotonous echo, devoid of emotion and lacking either masculinity, or femininity. When it spoke its voice wasn't so much as heard by the ears but in the mind.
Mel couldn't manage a reply, when attempted she found herself choking on her own words.
"Where is Alistair Remus?" the being repeated.
Mel's instincts took over and despite the weakness that plagued her body she moved, jumping to her feet and dashing for the exit.
As Mel ran she almost immediately stumbled, dropping to her hands and knees in the threshold. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed, incapable of thinking straight and barely able to move.
The being stood its ground, not taking a single step forward but drawing its arm back and holding it at its hip, extending its clawed gauntlet. Almost instantaneously energy began to build in its palm. The area around its hand began to undulate, unsteady as if it were being viewed through a smoky filter. The air began to flicker like a flame, though it did not burn.
Thrusting its arm forward the being unleashed the energy and it expanded, bursting forth like a wave. Shards of glass flew in every direction and the entire facility shook, the creature's power exploding forth and bearing down on Mel.
She tried to climb back to her feet but stumbled and dropped to the ground once more. Letting out a cry of fear she covered her face.
She felt the force travel around her, but it did not make contact, merely passing over. Slowly she pulled her arms away from her face, body shaking and ears ringing. Standing between her and the malevolent being was her father, sword drawn and arm outstretched.
Slowly he lowered his hand, eyes remaining firmly locked upon the attacker. "Mel run!" he commanded, an urgency and anger in his voice that she had never heard before.
"D-daddy?" Mel stammered.
"Mel I need you to do as I say. You have to run now!"
Mel ran, getting to her feet and dashing down the corridor. Her movements were weak and laboured, she could barely muster the strength to move her body but fear had motivated her to push herself far beyond her normal limitations.
The thing cloaked in red stood across from Mel's father, staring him down from the other side of the room. "You have arrived. I am pleased," it said.
There was no reply from the man, he simply readied himself, his sword held out in front, tip pointed squarely at the freakish creature.
It drew its arm back and then flung it forward and, the sofa lifting from the floor and soaring across the room toward Mel's father.
He stood his ground, only lifting his left arm and swatting away the incoming object as if it were weightless. As his hand made contact a pulse of energy burst forth and the sofa launched back past the strange being, crashing against the far wall.
Silently glaring toward its opponent it repeated the motion, both hands extending out to the sides and flying forward. As if at his command the table and the armchair took flight.
Effortlessly he deflected them once more, his left hand deftly knocking the table to the right and then thrusting forward, causing the chair to hurl back toward the being.
A loud crack echoed through the room as it smashed into the being, colliding with his right shoulder and then bouncing across the floor. The blow staggered it, the being sliding back a few paces.
"Foolish Harlequin! You will find I have not weakened in my old age!" Mel's father roared and thrust his left hand into the air. His fingers stretched the sky, his hand began to vibrate. At first it seemed there was little reaction but then the glass scattered upon the floor began to shake and rattle. Slowly it started to levitate, lifting off the ground the countless shards floated about the Harlequin, surrounding it like a wall of blades. Clenching his hand into a tight fist the shards enclosed with the speed of a striking snake, barraging the Harlequin with icy daggers. One by one the hundreds of shards scored, digging into it and disappearing beneath its attire.
There was no blood, the Harlequin remaining board stiff and motionless as his body was bloated with glass. A long moment of silence ensued, neither of the combatants moving a muscles. Sand began to pour out of the Harlequin in waves, dropping like water-falls from every opening. The seams in its greaves and gauntlets, the eyes of its mask and the various incisions left by the glass shards all spewed swaths of sand.
"Incredible," Mel's father breathed with a wide eyed expression.
As the last grain hit the floor, the sand having formed a ring about the being, the Harlequin reared its head back and once again locked eyes with Mel's father. It brought its feet together and straightened out its entire body, arms stretched out to either side, claws spreading outward. "I expected more from you," the Harlequin said as energy began to form in its palms. Flinging both hands forward in one quick motion it launched an attack, flickering power exploding outward.
He couldn't avoid it; its size consumed the entire width of the room. Crushing him like a wave, his body was hurled back with great force, feet lifting off the ground he sailed down the corridor. His body hit the ground after flying nearly twenty feet, hitting it hard and rolling like a ragdoll. His hat had been taken off in a single sweep and he had just barely kept a grasp on his sword. Even as he was pushing himself up, using his blade like a crutch, the Harlequin was in pursuit.
Its feet lifted from the ground and it hovered inches above the floor. Floating forward it darted ahead, moving down the hallway and closing in on its prey.
The older man took sharp breaths through clenched teeth, desperately attempting to regain his stance. He knew that he needed to gain the advantage or his foe would simply keep pressing its own position. Slamming his palm against the wall a pale light flickered from his fingertips and travelled along the metal. It moved faster than the eye could follow and came to an abrupt halt as it reached the Harlequin. In a bright flash a section of the wall exploded and shrapnel burst forth.
Several chunks of superheated metal ripped through sections of the Harlequin's attire, a few bouncing off of its mask. Nonetheless Harlequin seemed unfazed continued to press forward. "This is very inefficient. Tell me of the Grimoire, it will expedite the process."
Mel's father was silent and readied his blade, teeth grit in frustration.
"... Resistance will only result in physical harm." As it spoke it stretched its hands out to either side and then slammed them together. As it moved the walls reacted, two sections ripping free and smashing together in an attempt to crush their target.
As they closed in on Mel's father he barely managed a motion before he was wrapped in metal, throwing his hand up and then all was silenced by the clang of steel.
For a moment nothing occurred, the Harlequin standing with his claws linked together, eyeing the mass of metal in the middle of the corridor.
The reaction happened all at once as the wall fragments burst into liquid. The molten steel sprang forward and splashed upon the Harlequin, coating it in dripping, metallic slime. It didn't recoil or react, it merely stood its ground as it was enveloped and pinned.
Mel's father stood looking as alive as he had only moments ago, an intense glare on his face. With a single deft motion his hand weaved to the left and the slime hardened, locking the Harlequin in place, its arms and legs pinned close to its body.
Mel's father continued his assault, dropping to one knee and slamming both hands into the floor. He let out a shout and the entire facility began to shake. The area around the Harlequin started rumbling and in an instant hundreds of massive spikes shot forth from the floor, walls and ceiling, the countless spines collapsing in on one another, creating a mass of unrecognizable chaos.
Mel's father panted loudly, head hanging and hand clutching his chest. Harsh groans of pain came in short bursts, his body reacting to some tremendous physical stress. With a quiet grunt he got to his feet, swaying from left to right. "How did he find her?" Before he could even begin to contemplate the answer he felt cold metal slam into his face.
The Harlequin stood at his left, its palm pressed violently against his cheek and its claws wrapped about his head. The wall behind it had been melted away.
"How!?" he exclaimed as he felt his head slam against the wall with great force. His senses quickly abandoned him, the Harlequin slowly applying pressure, grinding his face into the steel of the wall.
He yelled in pained and struggled against the Harlequin but it was useless, he was being crushed by the sheer strength of his foe. He did everything he could to resist; drawing his sword back and swinging with all his might but the Harlequin's free hand shot up and grasped the blade.
As it closed its gauntlet about the sword, steam began to issue forth from its grasp with a loud hiss. The blade melted beneath its grip, eventually crumbling into useless shards of steel. Nonetheless Mel's father kept a tight grip on the hilt.
"Why do you insist upon wasting my time? Tell me about the Grimoire."
Mel's father endured, clenching his teeth together and muffling his screams, not speaking a word.
The Harlequin was evidently unsatisfied with the answer, as it proceeded to whirl around, hurling its opponent against the opposite wall.
The collision was harsh as he hit the metal panel and stumbled back into the center of the corridor. His clothes were torn and his body seemed only inches from its breaking point.
"Your body can sustain a very minimal level of physical battering. Continued resistance will result in a terminal failure of your functions."
While the Harlequin spoke something came to the attention of Mel's father. It was a crackle, a spark. Bringing his head up to gaze upon the ceiling he saw it, though his vision was dazed and uneven. Dangling wires, hanging only metres away and live with electricity.
The Harlequin stepped forward and drew its arm back, claws spreading apart and energy beginning to gather in its palm. The cables at its back began to move. At first it was only a twitch and then shake. As the red cloaked being prepared to launch its next attack its arm was entangled by a series of wires. Then another group of wires wrapped about its torso, pinning its free arm to its side and in a flash its body began to writhe and shake.
Dropping to its knees it vibrated as the electric charge wracked its body, sparks travelling up and down its limbs. The charge ignited a flame, catching on the thing's attire. It didn't make sound, its form falling completely still smoke rising up from the flames engulfing it.
Once the smoke licked the ceiling a high pitched squeal broke out, sounding all through the hall. Water began to rain down from the ceiling soaking the entire facility. Mel's father stood, watching as the flames were doused and the Harlequin went still.
He paused for a moment, watching for movement and when none occurred he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ineffective," it muttered, the sparks subsiding and the Harlequin hovered into the air, still trussed up in wires. "You have failed, you will continue to fail. Your efforts are pointless, why do you continue?"
Mel's father steeled himself, wearing a stony, emotionless expression.
It ripped its arm free, torn cables still dangling from the bronze gauntlet. Plasma bolts travelled along its clawed fingertips and in a flash of azure light a bolt of energy shot forth.
The bolt blasted Mel's father directly in the chest, immediately causing his body to go limp and take off down the hall. He hit the ground with a resounding smack, landing at the other end of the corridor and lying flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "No... I can't.. I need to," his voice was weak, he could barely summon the energy to move his lips.
"Daddy!" Mel's voice rang in his ears and suddenly he felt her presence next to him. She to his side, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Daddy no, wake up, please daddy, please!" she cried, gently shaking him.
"M-Mel? Mel why are you still here!? I told you to leave!" he yelled, the growing urgency bringing him back from the brink of unconsciousness.
"I-I... I won't leave! I won't leave without you daddy!"
"Mel you don't understand!"
Suddenly his body was ripped from her grasp and slammed back first against the wall The Harlequin floated in front of Mel, its arm held up over its head. "Remain." As it spoke the steel of the wall where Mel's father was pinned began to react, glowing softly for a moment and then coming to life. Several strands came forth and wrapped about his frame, then growing solid once more.
Standing before the Harlequin her limbs felt like rubber, she couldn't move or protest or even scream. She could only stare, whimpering and shaking.
"Melanie Remus?" it queried. Floated forward its motions were like a coiling snake. "You will be instrumental, necessary." It continued, moving closer.
"She doesn't know anything, let her go!" Mel's father yelled.
Mel was incapable of mustering a reply, as it got closer she froze in place, terror overtaking her, tears streaming down her face.
"Do not resist," it said as it slowly reached a hand toward Mel.
"No!" Mel's father exclaimed, struggling with all his might. His arm began to shake and vibrate with power, a pale light forming on his palms. "Mel!" The bar that kept his right arm pinned burst away and with a great sweep his hand swung forward. A blinding flash filled the room and as it dissipated Mel was gone.
A bright scintillation burst out over a small field and sent a bright light surging across the dark landscape. The moon hung high in the sky and cast down its pale illumination. There in the field lay the young girl, curled up in the dirt. Her head was aching and her eyes stung from crying. She had never felt this way, not in all her life had she been so distraught and the worst part was that she couldn't do anything to stop it.
There was a voice in her head, murmuring to her in a hushed tone. "Find the Grimoire and I will return you to your father."
She shuddered at the sound of the voice, the words imprinted in her mind. Curling up tighter she felt herself beginning to fade. "Daddy. It's all my fault." Sick, wet, cold, tired, hungry and heartbroken she remained on the ground whimpering until consciousness left her.
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