The Blessed Child

Part I: The Escape into Hell

The Blessed Child felt the wind tear through her skin. The rising ball of light was scorching her fragile skin. The water was rushing up faster and faster. The waves of torment seething to lap at her, to consume her. She winced as a splash of water hit her cheek. It had slashed through her skin like a cold, icy blade.

The tentacles of water seethed to grab her. Suddenly, all light was sucked away as the monstrous sea consumed her. 

She felt limp. Broken down. Her skull pounded in misery; her bones felt smashed. She lay under the terrible, foaming sea where it was calm. She let herself relax. The water pulsed around her. Slowly, like a heartbeat. Her own heart beating against its cage as if struggling to get out. Her lungs were bursting. With reluct abandon she swept herself to the surface.

The horrendous water crashed upon her. She gasped and fresh, reviving air slopped into her mouth. The waves crashed like mallets pounding. She hadn't realized just how cold or wet it all was until she was no longer in the water. Her body felt heavy, her limbs limp at her side, useless. The coldness chilled her so that even her thumping her heart could feel the freeze, squeezing upon its beating life.

She gasped again. Water burned her eyes. Her mouth opened in a scream, but the ocean forced itself down her throat. She disappeared under the crests of the waves once again.

The world underneath once again was blue. As she looked toward the sky, the top of the water was silver. But she had no time to admire it. Her heart was threatening to explode and her lungs rasped for the air that didn't exist. 

Sound reassaulted her as she rose above again. Then a wave swallowed her under, slamming her head against the hard brick of the tower. A gurgle surfaced. Then black swirled her vision and burned out reality.

***

She awoke. Her eyes flitted open. Her body felt heavy. The earth felt grainy and foreign. She couldn't feel her body. Her eyes were open, yet sight did not reach her yet. She blinked rapidly, but sight still alluded her. Then sound threw itself at her. She could hear the crashing of the waves. It roared in anger as its victim had landed away from its reach. The monster roared again. Sense flooded her. She felt wet. Very wet.

Something tickled her toe. Her head wouldn't lift and she still couldn't see. Using her remaining enegy, she wiggled her toe. It was water. The waves fingers still reached for her. She couldn't move though. She simply lay.

Still.

Then sight started fading in. A dull blue of a worn out book cover stretched over the sky. She did not dare move a muscle. Everything ached without moving. She was lying on her side but her head was snapped upwards. 

White clouds grew into the air, though they looked more like a gray splotch upon the dull sky.

Hiccups of air erupted around her and it took her a moment to realize it was she who was coughing. Snapping her eyes shut, she hoisted hereself up. Every part of her throbbed in agony. The pain surged through her, burning her insides. 

She opened her eyes. White grains surrounded her and her feet were being lapped by the tides. The monstrous waves screamed in her ears. The tower was far away, its height looming a great shadow over her. Her bones creaked as she readjusted herself. She blinked. Where was she? Great Maker. The Maker!

She'd never prayed before, but she figured the Maker was more likely to listen to her first prayer.

She closed her eyes and her mouth spoke the prayer,

"Great Maker. Your child asks for guidance. Without diluting the great Fate of the world, please offer her guidance. Aigi"

But nothing felt different. 

She opened her eyes. Nothing looked different. She felt her heart slip deeper into the hell that she sat upon. 

Move. What other choice did she have after all? There was nothing left to do. If even the Maker did not offer help. Nothing could. So she did the last thing that she could. Move.

She stood up, but unable to ignore the pain that shot though her legs. Her legs were being cleaved. She was sure of it. But she looked down and nothing. Her body was fine. Yet, it felt as if a large knife was slowly whittling away her being. Her skin first being peeled away revealing the red muscle underneath. Then that was ripped away from her. Her bones knocking away without flesh to hold it together. Finally, her heart would be all thats left, until the maddening waves drowned it unto its noise and malice.

She moved her foot forwards. Away from the waves. Away from the tower.

If that would be her fate in this pain...

Another step. Her foot could barely hold her weight. When had it ever been this hard to walk?

If that was all that was left for her....

Another step, her flesh burning anew with hurt. 

Then the escape...

Her eyes drifted towards the forest with its dark clawing shadows, beckoning. 

...was into hell.