Ray of hope || by Elin Moon

Chapter 6: A safe place

My eyes slid open, immediately met with darkness, choking darkness. My body shivers, and I immediately sit up with strength I thought was lost to me. My head snaps from one side to another, trying to analyze my surroundings. It's the darkness once more, coming back with its icy air and infinite walls to taunt me and my misery. My breath starts to quiver and shake, and I can't find it in me to breathe in. My lungs beg for air, but there is no air for me to inhale. My knees feel wobbly, and my head pounds with pain. I try to call for help, but my voice won't leave my throat. Instead, the only thing I hear come from my lips is a loud and demonic shriek that shakes me to my core. I try to touch my hands against my throat, but all I feel is a sharp sting, followed by my own violent coughs. I look at my own hands, but something is wrong.

They're not hands at all. They're claws, claws with sharp edges that are soaked in my blood. Blood drips from my mouth, from my throat, from my very insides. My stomach churns, and I completely collapse to the floor, forcing my own eyes to close. I can hear the laughter, it rings in my ears and makes them bleed. I try to scream, but the shrieks are all I hear, like some sort of mockery of my own voice. I hear the footsteps echo, I know it's above me, but I refuse to open my eyes or to even glance in its direction.

"Help..." I try to plead, but my voice comes out croaky and strained, and causes more blood to splatter over the floor. I feel a touch on my head, which is freezing cold, almost like a million icicles being stabbed into me.

"Can you hear me?" it says, its voice scratchy and in some way glitchy. I could barely understand what it's saying, and I'm not sure I want to listen to it. Why would I want to? "Listen to me."

"No..." I try to say back with some sort of strength, but I just make my throat burn painfully. "No, no, please..." I continue to beg, ignoring the fire lacing my throat.

"Laa Laa!" the thing roars, and I can dramatically feel the warmth of my tears dripping down my icy cheeks. I try not to listen to it, and start praying it will be over soon. I can still hear it screaming, it won't stop. Why won't it stop? I just want it to stop! PLEASE, STO-

What is that? Someone's calling my name. But, it isn't the thing in front of me. The voice is rough and hoarse, but smooth and gentle, but urgent sounding. I try to rack my brain for who it could be, but come up empty. However, the voice is much more comforting, and at this point I prefer anything over the thing in front of me. The pain starts to numb and all the noise around me disappears and I try to listen out for the voice. The deep tone and accent of it is different, and it almost seems to be dragging me out of the dark. I can no longer hear the thing's voice. I try to open my eyes, try to sit up, and I'm almost immediately assaulted by light.

I open my eyes and I'm immediately assaulted by light. I squint my eyes, trying to see through the burning of my eyes. I stand up from my lying down position, putting a hand against my aching head. I use my other hand to poke at my throat, hoping to not feel any stinging feeling or warm liquid. To my relief, I feel nothing but the fluff of my fur. I open my eyes fully once they've finally adjusted my eyes and find myself in the exact same place I fell asleep in. I'm still sitting in the flying machine, although the thing doesn't seem to be flying anymore. I looked up to see Dutch staring at me, his strange mask removed, revealing his dark tan skin and his dark eyes, which were looking at me in concern. I look back up at him, confused out of my mind. Why is he looking at me like that? Did something happen or...?

"Laa Laa, are you okay? You were mumbling and twitching in your sleep." he says, slowly turning her head to the side to examine with the back of his hand. I raise my eyebrow in confusion. Since when did I mumble in my sleep? I've never talked in my sleep before. Strange.