Author Games: Brave New World

Quarterfinals: Sydney Morristan

She sat, head resting on her knees, letting her eyes flit from here to there emotionlessly as she waited. Waited for what, she didn't know - perhaps it was death, perhaps it was news of Lucia's demise or recovery, or perhaps it was another sign from the stars that she knew would never come. The stars had cheated her when it came to hearing the announcement that Lucia, her only friend, was possibly dying. Still, she clung onto the naïve hope that somehow, in some way, everything would be alright. That everything would end on a happily ever after

After all, what more could Sydney Morristan possibly do but hope?

Her fingers kneaded together with droplets of sweat, pinpricks of crimson appearing on her tender skin where her jagged nails pierced it. Outside, she could just make out the streams of vermillion-red filter through the fabric of the tent - a red sun rising, an early morning. In Sydney's mind, the sun was sewn into the heavens, with pale stretches of cloud stitched around it. Perhaps the last few stars of yesterday lay strewn around in the skies, their brilliant light that sparkled so brightly in the evening being outshone by Danu's sun. She wondered if the start of a new day meant a new hope was arising, and for the briefest second, she felt her heart flutter in her chest until the undeniable truth of reality came and slapped her in the face.

Grow up, she thought numbly, the harshness of the dark situation ever present in her mind. This isn't a fairytale, Sydney. There won't be any prince in shining armor to save the day.

Instead, she knew that the waters of insanity were rising, the tide reaching upwards to drown her alive.

Sydney Morristan was being pulled downwards into a deep spiral of madness, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

A warm scream filled her throat, but she choked it down, instead preferring to grip the side of her skull with her fingers and let her hands tear into her hair. The pain was almost welcoming, causing tears of anger and grief to blur her vision as Sydney began to chant underneath her breath, "Oh god, oh god, oh god..." She didn't know what else to say, but somehow those two words sufficed, because there were no words in the English language to describe the worry and agony and torment that afflicted her heart.

She had worked day and night to find a cure, to no avail.

She had pleaded to the stars to grant Lucia's safety, with no answer given.

And now, here she was - Sydney Morristan, twenty five old, heart In shatters from the terrors she had experienced.

The waters were rising with every passing second, she could see it. She wanted to escape the depths of the river, but her hands were tied to the stakes driven in the dirt. Was she a martyr then, going insane for her cause? No, she was merely a trapped woman, a helpless being, get cries muffled by the waves washing over her head.

Sydney Morristan was sinking down to the bottom of the river, and there was no one to hold her hand.