Errant Souls •Gratsu• (Older Version)

Helpless

(Third person's P.O.V)

Natsu's eyes flicked open with a start, jumping to his feet. Fear ran down his back and gathered tightly in his throat. He felt dizzy with the urge run, but he knew that there was nowhere to go. His eyes darted to the metal gates that blocked his way.

He could smell and feel the other humans grew on the air, their terrified yells combined with their fear scents. Natsu shook himself, trying to get rid of the contagious scents that was trying to get the better of him. He knew this place...

The asylum!

Why was he at the metal gates? He twisted to walk back to where he had left his camera, only to find his both feet attached firmly onto the ground. He was stuck to the ground like glue to a paper. His nose caught onto a scent very familiar... he stiffened in shock.

It couldn't be...?

"Lucy! Lucy! Help! I'm stuck!"

He saw his sister rush past him, wind howling in the near distance. She zoomed past Natsu without sparing him a single glance. It's as though he's invisible.

Natsu tried to lift up his feet, attempting to throw himself off, but to no avail. Whimpers of unfamiliar voices rose along the walls of the Asylum. It's just like before--- they were all trapped.

"Lucy!" His voice cracked. "Can you hear me? What's going on?!"

Natsu could hear her shuffling closely, squeezing into the metal wall that trapped them to freedom. "But it's over already...it can't possibly happen again!"

His heart picked up speed. "What are you talking about?" He winced at how afraid his sister looked, afraid of something that was never really there. Despite the dread in her voice, he could feel reassurance. It's happened, but it can't happen again, can it? She doesn't need to worry about it now --- it's just a bad reminder.

The ground began trembling, and he could hear the crack and hiss of splitting floor below him. He stumbled a little, but remain upright. Unlike his sister which tumbled badly around. The fear scents rose in sickening waves.

Natsu barked over the yelping voices. "What is happening? Can someone please explain what 'It' is?" His voice was heavy with tension, and he felt a pang of nervousness starting to overwhelm him.

With another sickening crack, billows of dust blew out from the ceiling like snowflakes. Natsu blinked furiously. He could hardly see anything all.

"Something is different this time," Lucy whimpered.

Natsu bit his lip, and his skin started to rise bumps. She's right... the floor now is shaking more badly, and he heard a long distance of pounding footsteps. In all the times that he had dreamt of nightmares, Natsu knew it wouldn't end a happy end. This time--

He didn't have a chance to finish his spilling thoughts. The ground shook like a violent monster, and he nearly lost his footing, planting his feet firmly on the ground just in time. He heard a screech of ripping metal, and a breaking thud of ground. Humans howled in terror, and Lucy joined her shrill voice together with them as one. Natsu wanted to flung himself and save all of those scared humans, it's like a instinct chewing harshly on his guts to do it. But he couldn't do anything. He had never felt so uncertain before.

"Someone! Help me!" His sister yelled, her nails scratching against the metal gates.

Natsu pressed forward at the sound of her voice, his hand throwing itself out a gesture which meant "I'll help". He paused, scolding himself for wasting time that his sister might never had. But as he tried another attempt to run to her, chills of doubt ran down his back.