Infernos (ManxMan)

Chapter VI

Blaine

We had walked through this forest for miles, passing what appeared to be the exact same trees every couple of steps. It felt as though we were walking in circles, and that emotion was driving me insane. Even Rowan and Luca were too tired to bother bickering with each other.

I finally stopped walking, and they turned to me with eerily identical questioning faces. "Let's rest for a while," I said. "I'm tired of walking."

They nodded and Luca slumped onto the ground, instantly asleep. Rowan lightly touched my arm. "Let's go look for some water," he suggested, and I shook my head.

"We can't leave Luca here asleep. You stay here, and I'll go," I said, and he frowned.

"I'd rather leave him behind so he can die than to let the one who has that amulet thing get in trouble," he argued.

I shrugged. "I kind of want some solitude right now."

He studied my face and sighed. "Fine, suit yourself. But if you die I'm going to kill you."

I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't even make sense. Besides, it's not as if this is the first time I've died."

I turned around and made my way through the dense greenery, ears pricked and eyes straining to see ahead of me.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

My head whipped to the side, and I searched amongst the trees to see where the sound originated. Just as I began to think I had imagined it, I heard it again.

"Excuse me? Can you hear me?"

It had a lilting sound to it, as though they had some form of an accent. Their voice was one I could never have imagined, but as sweet as the tone was it sent freezing goosebumps up my arm.

"Hello? Yes, I can hear you. Who are you?" I whispered/called, nervous and curious at the same time.

All sound hushed, and the hairs rose on the back of my neck. I knew what this feeling was; I felt it the day I died the first time.

I whirled around, mid sprint, when the ground blossomed underneath my feet and a vacuum of air sucked me down, so far down it felt as though I was rushing all the way back to hell.

You know what? I probably was.

I landed on the ground with a loud thud, but it was still a softer landing than it should have been after I fell from such a height.

I rubbed my ass and looked around with squinted eyes, trying to blink dust away as I peered through the darkness. A low light appeared inches from my face and I leapt back, startled.

"Who's there?" I called quietly, voice cracking. A little louder, I yelled, "Who's there?"

A beautiful boy materialized from the shadows in front of me, his feet the first things to appear. His arms were crossed, and his nose was turned up. "Who do you think you are?" he demanded. His lip twisted in a sneer. "You come into someone's home, and you immediately start hollering?"

I shifted from foot to foot, focusing on his eyes. He was very, very, naked, and I tried my hardest not to notice. His face was a pale cream, probably from living in darkness, and his eyes were a blue so dark they could have been classified as black.

"My name is Blaine," I started. He raised a small hand and I instantly hushed.

"Well, Blaine, why are you here? You smell like a corpse." He wrinkled his nose as though to emphasize how poorly I smelled.