Kiro and Raven: Chosen Hero

Chapter Seven- Kiro

"The pain.... Please... the pain!" A voice whispers faintly in my ear, over and over again a broken record on repeat. I remember the voice, it's so very familiar like hearing the voice of a close friend. But it's not a friend, more like a haunting because it's the voice that plagues my dreams. I try to remember the voice once I wake up, but it floats away from my memory locked away with the key tossed.

Head hurting I rub the bridge of my nose to try and calm it down. It doesn't leave me, instead the pressure building and building like hands squeezing my brain. I take several deep breaths to control the pain and look around me.

I'm stuck in a glossy black room without any doors or windows. A cold mist wafts around me, reflecting my image right back at me. I reach for my face, fingers brushing freezing cold icy blocks. I flinch back, holding close to my chest burning fingers. Letting out a whimper I scramble to the middle of the room.

Where am I? What is all this? How did I get here? Is this really a dream? I've heard that there's lucid dreams, but I've never had one before. Is this it? It feels real, like I really am here. Pinching my cheeks, nothing happens. I thought pain would wake you up... Guess not.

The pressure in my skull swells, as the voice calls out echoing throughout the room, "Help! The pain... Please! Help! Someone!" I don't know the language that's being spoken, and yet I understand them. It's oddly beautiful, a singing voice of a bird deep as rocks and thick like sap.

Standing up, I bang on the ceiling, "Hello?! Where am I? Who are you?"

My questions do not receive an answer, instead the person repeats over and over again about their pain.

"Hey! Who are you? Talk to me, where are you? How can I help?!"

Banging and banging, suddenly the ceiling splashes, water dripping down like tears against my face.

Instinctively I scream, falling back down cowering. Water spills softly at first, like a drip in a faucet. But someone pushes it all the way over water spilling.

Shivering I grab my knees. I'm going to drown! Drown!... Panic builds and builds, a pressure not only in my head but in my chest. Words of panic come tumbling down pounding against my frail shoulders until I'm hunched over.

The water is halfway up my legs when the ground moves, and flings me upwards before I find myself falling face first.

A scream shrills past my lips, scaring my throat until I hit the ground hard. There's no real pain, just this phantom feeling of pain as I tumble and turn until I suddenly stop in a puddle of water. Wheezing I curl up in a ball.

After a while, I'm dry and the freezing fear dissipates slowly. I can move slowly at first. A twitch of the finger, then movement in my foot. I gather myself together, enough so I can look around.

I'm no longer in the shiny obsidian room, but in complete utter darkness. I can't see my fingers, but I feel them in the darkness. Crawling forwards forever, I see a light up ahead. Fumbling over to it I reach for the light. It doesn't vanish but instead widen and spread enough I am sitting under this warmth. I'm not alone, there's this shiny thing beneath me. Picking it up, it reflects the light. What is this?

It's metal, old and slightly rusty, with this long chain disappearing into the darkness ahead. I think it's a chain, like those used on TV to hold villains. But I don't see a keyhole, let alone a line where it should open up. It's just this round slab of metal, more like a bracelet...

My gut quivers, ice sliding up my spine to the base of my neck where my hair rose in shock. There's a futter of thoughts, like someone is whispering in my ear warning me. Saying that this chain is not a bracelet... but a collar. Shivering, I lift it up trying to find the seam. Nothing, it only glints and sharkles these blue hieroglyphics. It's like Lord of the Rings, strange glowing symbols.