The Fear You Know

17. Like Clockwork

"What in Affliction's name was that." Peter whispered to Eli as the light from the entrance shrunk to a pinpoint behind them.

Eli glanced over his shoulder, dim bluish lighting glowing from the strange luminous rocks that lined the walkway around them. The light from the entrance was nearly gone and the racing of his heart slowly began to relax as well.

"That was probably one of the Merged, though I daresay he was old."

Peter just shook his head "So he is one of the Bind's acolytes?"

Eli nodded, "Yes." He grimaced, "I know I have said this before, and I know I will say this again, but it is not a fate that I would wish on anyone. The bound feeds upon our fears of being trapped, restricted or controlled, and so the greatest example of this fear would have to be a person who is controlled in every way. Nothing is their own, not their thoughts or their movements or their bodies. The Merged are an extension of Kurshing city, they will never leave. They gave up everything for the chase to be completely free of choice."

Peter crossed his arms, "That isn't freedom.'

Eli shrugged, "Some people don't want freedom, some people find it easier to be controlled by an entity, to have the ability to blame all of their faults and mistakes on something else. Consider it from their standpoint. They don't have to make hard decisions, they don't require opinions or aspirations for the future, they don't even need to control their own bodies. In this way they can just give themselves over and never have to make a decision ever again, they never have to worry about social embarrassment or losing a loved one. All they have to do is sit there in their own heads and drift."

The Tunnel before tem was narrowing, and where once they had walked side by side, they were now forced to walk one after the other as Eli squeezed himself through the opening, "Make sure not to mess up your clothes. The Merged are everywhere, and if they get the chance, they will use any minor infraction of the rules as an excuse to add a link to your collar." he reached inside his coat and grabbed out a faded silver pocket watch. It was scratched on one side, but the inscription below the little dial was still legible.

Adrian Lucasson.

"It's half past the hour, so we should make sure to take no more than two hundred steps, and avoid speaking too loudly."

Peter opened his mouth to speak and then paused making the executive decision not to say anything at all, which Eli thought was more than prudent. The hall narrowed further forcing them to turn sideways to fit through. Eli could feel the crushing weight of the mountain pressing up against his back and chest. As he scooted sideways, the mountain shifted expanding as if the Bind was sighing deeply. The crushing weight bore down on him from both front and back and for one horrible moment he was trapped, pinned against walls of flesh.

A spark of panic shot through him for a single moment before the walls relaxed, and a sudden waft of air rushed past him.

He hurried the rest of the way of the tunnel trying not to think about the Dread all around him, likely revling in his slight moment of panic.

Coming out the other side, he quickly turned to Peter to help him adjust his clothing, before reaching into his bag again to retrieve his father's journal of rules and regulations. They were alone for the moment, though the small cavern they stood in echoed with the sound of distant voices.

Wink peered up at him from inside the bag lifting up so his eye could swivel around the room, blinking slowly, "Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'in the bowels of the city.' doesn't it."

Eli opened the book glancing over his shoulder before, "Not to be semantic, but I think we would be in its airway."

"Then I would hate to know what its bowels are like."