The Fear You Know

The Sheer

 Eli grabbed his bag with one hand and threw it over his shoulder scooping his satchel from the ground with his other hand.

"There they are!"

The voice was distant, and rattled like the wheeze of a dying man, but it was strong enough to carry over the open plain.

The Outbreak broke into an ungainly run.

Eli and Peter were already sprinting, their bags bouncing wildly against their backs as they raced over the dried gray earth leaving their tent and small encampment behind in a cloud of dust. Eli was trying desperately to close his satchel as the books rattled around inside, but was unable to catch one as it bounced out of his hands and onto the ground. He cried out as his mother's hand drawn Atlas hit the dirt kicking up a small puff of dust as it settled into the ground. He turned to go back for it, but the Outbreak was now easily within sprinting distance, and with a cry of anguish he turned away and sprinted to catch up to Peter who was running ahead of him. Leaving the book behind felt like a piece of him had been torn away.

Overhead the sky was rapidly slipping into inky blackness,

Stars blinked slowly into existence like the opening of a thousand bleary eyes. The darker it grew the more glittering became the sky above, and the stronger the torchlight behind them glowed.

They were faster than the Outbreak and drew ahead with every step. It seemed as if they might lose them, but then Peter came to a skidding halt and Eli did the same, the toes of their boots touching the edge of Mirror Lake. Before them the universe stretched into infinity above and below them.

Eli's eyes widened and he felt his body beginning to spin as if he was going to tip forward and into its surface, falling forever.

"ELI!" Wink shouted, and Eli jerked back into himself, turning as he heard the footsteps growing closer still. Peter stood fixedly entranced at the sight before him. With a hard hand, Eli grabbed Peter's arm while jabbing him painfully in the ribs. Peter cried out in pain, but it did the trick in breaking him from his trance..

"We have to go now," Eli shouted, "and stay focused!" He knew the instructions were next to useless, but there was nothing else he could do. He grabbed Peter by the hand and tugged him forward.

Their feet splashed through the shallow water below, kicking up little tidal waves, and activating ripples across the universe as they charged onto the lake's surface.

Behind him he could hear a voice crying out.

"Come brothers and sisters, keep your faith strong. With faith in Affliction shall no harm come to us!"

A few of the Outbreak had stopped at the water's edge looking doubtfully across stars before them. The ones that had stopped looked the most human, with most of their skin still intact. Those that raced across the surface without so much as a hesitation barely resemble humans anymore.

Eli stayed beside Peter as they raced onto the surface of the lake continuing to disturb the order of the universe. Before them there was nothing but sky. Below their feet the illusion was finally broken as the blackened water simply churned and glittered in the firelight behind. Eli was forced to keep his head down to avoid staring at the horizon ahead.

Peter began to flag just then. Tilting back his head to catch his breath his eyes widened as he stared at the stars.

They stumbled to a halt and Peter swayed on his feet..

With a cry of frustration Eli grabbed Peter by the front of the jacket and shook him. There was no response. He looked over Peter's shoulder and saw, behind him, the Affliction still coming. A few of their party, those that had hesitated at the edge of the lake, had slowed as well. They dragged their feet and then stopped, allowing the water around them to grow glassy and still, and as it grew still they stared up into the sky.