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 Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:53 am
The statue had come to life. Mnezara realized with a start.
Why was she even surprised when it was, after all, a goddess, of all things, who had blessed them with hearts? She didn't know, but Mnezara wasn't going to question it, and simply bowed her head as she approached the yellow goddess.
She was surprised yet again when she received a gift.
And... third strike of the day. Surprise Number Three. There was nothing.
Mnezara simply stood there, slightly confused as the goddess explained herself, and beseeched her to carry out a task to fix this. Well, she thought privately, if you wanted an errand to be run, couldn't you have said so from the beginning? Still, she was silent as she accepted the scissors. Because why not? She was sort of curious to see these special labs anyway.
...She stared at the three doors before her, wondering if there was only one route. Shouldn't the goddess have said something? Maybe they all led to the same place, she supposed, and pulled open the third door.
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Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:28 am
Marzena.
That is the only thing she hears. It's almost as though someone has pronounced her name wrongly, and yet, it keeps repeating, over and over, and Mnezara thought that she would rather cut down a few monsters than have to listen to these annoying whispers.
But it was incredibly dark, and she found herself sighing in annoyance. Weapon out, she attempted to use it to find her way in the darkness, though she did take a few stumbles here and there--
Thunk.
Whoops. Her weapon (or more accurately in this situation, a walking stick) had collided with something and she found herself reaching out her free hand to try and discern exactly what it was. It was strange, she thought, eyeing the strange red substance that coated it, and retracted her hand immediately.
Tentatively, she sheathed her weapon and moved closer to whatever it was that was sticking out of the box. It looked strangely like an arm, and Mnezara held up her own arm to her eyes and squinted at it, comparing the two images with a scrunched up expression.
And without even knowing why, she reached out and grabbed the arm.
Ew, ew, ew! Mnezara wailed mentally, but gritted her teeth and slid her hand up the supposed arm. There was something else, something strangely soft, and she pushed at it with a huff.
Thump-thump.
Ears perked. That sounded a lot like the one in her own chest. It was the one she was looking for, right? She stared at whatever it was that hindered it, extracting the scissors from her pockets. "She didn't say we had to get our hands dirty." Mnezara grumbled. But it wasn't as though she had a choice.
She made the first cut and, surprise surprise; because she certainly didn't have enough surprises for the day, nails dug into her arm, and Mnezara bit back a scream.
"Radek!" That was the word the creature, or whatever it was, yelled out, and the hand that held the scissors retracted as goosebumps danced up her arms. She would have mulled further upon what it actually meant if she hadn't encountered multiple monsters uttering strange words that made no sense in the past day.
The scissors were soon put to work once again, and though it certainly was pretty messy; because it certainly wasn't easy to cut through, a hole soon formed, and Mnezara shoved her hand through without a second thought. It was there, it was so close, but...
She pulled her hand back out with a grimace, feeling some strange liquid gush out as well. There was something there, something obstructing her way to the heart, and she furiously jammed the scissors in, deftly snipping through the elastic pieces. Using both hands, Mnezara yanked the cavity open and strange stuff slid out and into the crate.
With the exception of the Heart.
"Finally." Mnezara said with a sigh, and pulled it out, the Heart ceasing to beat in her palm--
"You don't understand." She is crying, soft hiccups through each sob, tears falling down into the sand. "Papa doesn't understand either, Radek. None of you understand!"
A young boy looks at her with light blond hair standing straight up and eyes as blue as the ocean waves sweeping up to the tips of their toes. "Marzie... everyone's just confused."
"Mama's gone." She wails, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. "Mama's gone, Raddie, and I saw it, and Papa doesn't understand, and you don't and I thought you would because--" She is shuddering, swallowing her tears with each sob, tasting their saltiness. Her heart aches, her head hurts from crying, and she suddenly feels a warmth envelop her as Radek pulls her into his arms.
"I've never seen you like this, Marzie." He whispers, murmuring words of comfort into her ear. "Please don't cry, okay? I'm here. I swear. And I won't let them take you either."
Something in her heart has already hardened with what she had witnessed earlier, but she leans against him and wishes that she can believe in his words. "Raddie, I'm scared." She whimpers.
It is something she admits to only him.
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Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:48 am
"Why am I seeing kids..." Mnezara muttered with a sigh, placing the Heart into the bag the Goddess had given her under the ruse of a gift. It didn't matter. All she wanted was to get out of here, as soon as possible.
She strode forward, feet almost slipping because she hadn't realized how oddly wet the floor had become. It didn't matter. She repeated in her mind and quickened her steps.
She spun around as soon as she heard the footsteps behind her.
Nothing. Just her imagination, she supposed.
She walked forward, the water going up to her ankles, as a voice whispered, "Please give it back."
!! A hand immediately went to where her weapon was sheathed, glaring around the room even though she couldn't even see properly with the lack of light. "Who's there?"
No one responded, and Mnezara went on, the water rising up to her neck. Frantic attempts to move forward proved to be a failure, and Mnezara took a step backwards, and exhaled a sigh of frustration when she realized that worke--
"Please give me back my-"
"Stop tha--" A scream had barely escaped from her lips when two hands grabbed her and shoved her downwards, letting her sink deep into the water. Despite her best efforts; clawing at the arms, kicking at her attacker, it made no progress. Whoever it was, it was stronger than her, and Mnezara hated, no, despised that very thought.
"Give me back my heart." It hissed, and she found herself staring up at an eerily familiar face with spiky blond hair--
"You can't do this." He says, and then laughs bitterly as soon as the sentence leaves his lips. "But... I know very well there's no making you give up once you're determined." He sighs, arms drooping, as he pouts at her.
He is older now. They both are. She stands opposite him, back straight, as if that will make her taller than him, though he certainly is lankier and taller than she ever will be. She stares grimly into those ocean blue eyes, a backpack slung over her shoulder. "I don't matter here, Radek."
"You do." He says anxiously, grasping her hands. "After all, mom's back now, and Mira would pitch a fit and can you imagine what the rest would--"
"I don't want to sit here helplessly." Tears glint in her eyes, but she forces them back. "No. I can't sit here helplessly. I can't be a normal selkie girl like Dad wants. He doesn't want to teach me, Radek. This is the only way I can learn to be strong. I can't, you know I can't..."
His brow furrows. "Marzie, please... What am I going to tell everyone?"
"You're Dad's favorite." She says, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "You'll be fine."
"He'll know." He protests, his hands gripping hers tightly. She hates how his hands are bigger than hers, she hates how everything is a constant reminder that she is smaller than him, weaker than him, just because she's a girl, and this pelt is her life and she can't do anything...
But he is her twin brother, and despite all these comparisons she makes between them, and despite their father favoring his oldest son. He is bigger than her, yet younger, and she still worries for him. Worries why he is content in staying here, in encouraging a tradition they should start to mold and shape for a brighter future for their clan.
He is her twin brother, and no one will believe that he has no knowledge of her running away, not with how close they are despite their differences.
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Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:56 am
Twin... brother?
If she couldn't already breathe, she was sure she would have lost all breath upon this realization. No. Why was he trying to kill her? This wasn't right! He couldn't, he wouldn't...
It was probably just a sick illusion. She thought. It was the only logical explanation. The whole situation itself was confusing and she wanted to take time to clear her head and make some sense of it all... if she wasn't forced underwater by a corpse of her twin brother.
Hands closing around the scissors in her pocket, Mnezara plunged it into the accursed creature's chest with the last of her strength, and there was a scream.
It was not hers, for she was still breathless. There was only a slight twinge of remorse as she watched it fade away, which was soon replaced by anger, and a dash of relief as light seeped through the door.
The water was gone, and she spluttered the last of it out of her lungs, before shakily making her way to the exit.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mnezara saw the very same creature, staring at her mournfully, the scissors clutched in its hand. With a shudder, she strode through the door, leaving that horrible vision behind.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:31 pm
TASK 2
When did she fall asleep? Mnezara wondered, rubbing her eyes as she awoke. It was cold too, despite the furs she was dressed in. She found herself sitting up on a cold metal table, surrounded by bright white walls that hurt her eyes.
Mnezara squeezed her eyes shut.
When she opened them again, the white still blinded her, but she saw a door. Eyes squinting, she shakily descended from the table, and made her way towards it.
Ow.
It wasn't any better beyond the door. But all she could do was walk on, and suddenly, a door slammed shut.
...But it was not the door behind her. How curious. And the table was... gone...?
She sighed, and walked on. There was no point in staying in that room, even if the way before her stretched on for miles and miles. There was an exit at the very end, she was sure.
Thud.
But there was nothing!
Thud.
She turned again out of frustration, but her heart stopped at what she saw. There. A black figure with white eyes, coming towards her, scissors in hand...
She ran.
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:32 pm
Distance: 50 -5 = 45
It was behind her. And the door was locked, despite how hard she kicked.
...A passcode was needed. What? Why now?
"Little seal..." The figure crooned, and Mnezara looked wildly around, only spotting a paper on her left that read A=0, B=1, C=2. What? What did it mean????
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:34 pm
Distance: 45-5 = 40
She needed to get out! In the midst of looking frantically around, she stumbled, and pushed at the doors.
"You're just a weak little girl." The figure behind her hissed. "You let your mother go."
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:35 pm
Distance: 40-5=35
She didn't understand what the paper meant. Did it have to do with the passcode??
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:37 pm
Distance: 35-5 = 30
"She was there before you and you let her go. You couldn't do anything." The figure laughed.
Desperate, she pounded her fists on the door.
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:38 pm
Distance: 30-5=25
"So pathetic." The figure crooned. "So pathetic that you had to come to me, and you didn't even know it was a curse until you were done."
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:40 pm
Distance: 25-5=20
Mnezara started jabbing random codes into the door, hand clutched around the paper.
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:42 pm
Distance: 20-5=15
"So sad." The figure laughed. "So sad and utterly pathetic, little girl."
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:43 pm
Distance: 15-5=10
"And you defied your father too! Then again, he never really approved of you, did he, darling?"
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:44 pm
Distance: 10
In the midst of all the panic, Mnezara finally spotted a piece of red-stained paper.
A C E G.
"That's it." She murmured, wide eyed, entering the code, 0, 2, 4, 5. The door slid open and she ran through it. Ran away from the monster.
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Melodine Cantus rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:46 pm
Distance: 30
She ran. Ran and ran without looking back, even as the figure laughed and taunted her. "I'll take your Heart, my dear. I'll take everything from you."
She stopped, at the bridge, breathing heavily. Even if it looked unsafe, there was only one way forward. Mnezara started forward, without any hesitation, though that emotion grew as she stumbled through the steps. Her gaze flickered down, and Mnezara felt herself freeze in fear.
And then suddenly, the footsteps drew closer, and closer, and she turned around, and screamed.
She couldn't move. She found herself staring up at the blackened creature, as it reached out to her with a malevolent grin. Her heart is thudding loudly, beating, increasing in a crescendo...
"Don't worry," the voice cooed, "It only hurts once."
And then there was a snip, accompanied by a sharp pain that soon disappeared. The figure stood, and walked away, her Heart in one hand, and the scissors in another.
"No." She thought. "No, please..."
And then there was nothing.
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