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Prologue~ Every week I take a trip to the local library. I’m not entirely obsessed with books, but I didn’t come for something to read. Truthfully, I came for a completely different reason. Lately I’ve been having this reoccurring dream. I’m sitting alone in the library with my favorite book in hand. When I open it, do I continue reading like I usually do? Or does something unimaginable happen? I never find out, since the dream ends whenever I open it. At first I thought nothing of it. That it was “just a dream, nothing more.” But eventually I came to find that that dream began to haunt me. I think that was the reason why I went that day, to end the dreams. It was a brisk afternoon on September 8th, 2013. I was just on my way home from school, or as I call it, torture. I had that dream again last night, so I figured I should pay the library a visit, just to see if it would solve anything. It was that possibility that drew me to go through its doors. Now on a normal basis, the library would be jam-packed like the local department store, with people eager to check out the newest copy of a popular book series. Except oddly enough, today it was the exact opposite. I even looked around the library for at least one person, but there was no one here. Just little old me. “This just keeps getting weirder and weirder…Guess the world works in mysterious ways.” Or was this just…a coincidence? I didn’t know. I heaved a heavy sigh, deciding to sit down at one of the tables and read. “Might as well take advantage of the silence,” I thought. I rummaged through my schoolbag for my favorite book. I never knew the name, since the book only has a sapphire-blue cover and ornate markings on its spine. But I didn’t care either way; I still read it over and over. In a way, In my own little way, I guess you can say I’m somewhat obsessed with it. As usual, I open the book to the first page. Only instead of opening it to the usual words, instead they were replaced by these: Be prepared. You’re about to experience something you’ll never believe. I reread the words over and over. Was it some type of warning? Is something supposed to happen? Before I even had a slight chance at deciphering the meaning of the words, more appeared below: You have one chance. If you fail, our world will cease to exist. Don’t fail us. Suddenly everything I ever knew disappeared around me. The only thing that remained of the real world was me and the book. “What’s going on?” I thought. All at once, the book began to levitate, floating inches from my face. Its pages began falling out one by one, encircling me. Before I knew it, I was falling into nothing but endless black. “Wait! I don’t want this! This can’t be…happening!” I cried. I realized later I was wrong. Chapter One~ Falling…Scared…Terrified…Confused. Four words to describe how my life at this exact moment. One minute, I’m just your average teenager on her way from school. Next, I’m falling into the world of my favorite book, unsure where I’ll end up, having no idea how to return to my world…Figures. The void seemed endless, since I’ve been falling for what felt like forever. At some point, I oddly began to feel relaxed…At least until gravity prevailed, making me plummet faster. I thrash about wildly, trying to see if I can hold on to something, anything, to stop from falling. But to my utmost dismay, there is nothing. There is only limitless obscurity, stretching out for vast distances. Eventually, I just gave up trying. Instead, since there is nothing better to do, I may as well sleep. I shut my eyes and just fell, deciding that if I’m going to die anyway, no point delaying the inevitable…until I heard something…a voice. “Hey.” I chose to ignore it. “Look, I think I’ve experienced enough as it is. For all I know, you’re just an apparition, here to torment me. So I must be dreaming,” I thought aloud. “You think you’re stuck in a dream, but I’m not an illusion. You’re here, I’m here, and from my perspective, you look like you’re in a bind,” said the voice. “I could perhaps show you the way out instead of letting you endlessly fall nowhere. But since I’m just a “hallucination,” I guess it can’t be helped. Oh well, your loss…” I slightly opened my left eye. I can’t quite make out the figure since my eyes haven’t yet adjusted to the darkness…but all I can tell is that my only chance out of here was drifting away from me. “Wait!” I cried, hoping the figure would return. Granted, probably not the best idea to trust a complete stranger…but what other choice do I have? Who knows when someone else will come along if anyone? “You called?” The figure floated back towards me. I couldn’t tell what it was, let alone if it was even human. All I could tell was that the figure was extremely tall and a hood obstructed its face. “Y-you said you could help me get out of here, can’t you?” I examined the figure even more, hoping to identify who, let alone what it was, but I still couldn’t make out its face. What I did know was that when the figure smiled, it sent a cold chill up my spine. “Heh, yes I can help you, but my help comes for a price. In exchange, you need to offer me something of yours. Not anything trivial like money…No. I need something of vital importance,” spoke the voice. “Like what exactly?” I spoke. “What would you take from me?” The figure thought about it carefully, and then said, “I usually take a person’s heart in exchange for my help. Although for you, I’m willing to make an exception. Instead of your heart, you could give me your voice. That would suffice.” “My voice? Why would you need that?” I replied. “I’m beginning to think you have ulterior motives behind this….” I looked at him questioningly. The figure stood there silently. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. Look, do you want the help or not? Because my time is short and I’m very busy. Better pick before I change my mind.” I have a bad feeling about this. Do I trust this figure and offer it my voice in exchange for freedom from this void? Or do I think about this rationally and ignore it? Both sound like a bad idea… “I’m still waiting…” The figure didn’t sound amused. I heaved a deep sigh. I need some time to think, but from the way it sounds, this figure isn’t going to give me the time of day. I don’t want to keep falling, but I don’t want to lose my voice either. I guess there is only one way out of this. “You can take my voice. Now get me out of here!” “Wise decision.” The figure went through its hood and fished out some type of amulet. “Speak to the amulet. Then the contract will be sealed and I’ll help you escape this place. Remember, once you let this amulet have your voice, you may never get it back. At least, not until you run into me again,” The figure explained, flashing me a devilish smile. “What do I say to this?” I spoke. No regrets, I chose this. But let’s hope I encounter this…whoever it is…again. I will want my voice back, even if I have to take it by force. “Recite these words to the amulet: I swear by the contract, release me from the void. Then I will help you,” said the figure. “But be warned, without your voice you cannot ask for help. No one will understand you. So if I were you, I could start by trying to find another way to communicate.” “Right…Here goes nothing…” I grabbed the amulet, held it to my chest, and recited the words. “I swear by the contract, release me from the void!” In a matter of seconds, the amulet opened and a ball of light escaped my lips, headed toward the amulet which then clamped shut with a click as my voice was locked inside it. “Heh…didn’t your parents ever tell you not to trust strangers, you foolish teenager? You should’ve known better than that. Now you voice is mine…forever.” The figure snatched the amulet from my grasp and struck me with some type of dagger. I could feel my warm blood trickle from the wound, and I continued my descent through the void. The figure played me…
-Himawari Hazuki- · Fri Sep 20, 2013 @ 01:03am · 0 Comments |
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