NOVEL FROG Chapter 19: Isolation.
POV: Jerome
A claw reached for me, a perfect cut forming on my face, almost at my eyes but not quite. Blood flows, yet it doesn't hurt; Blood flows, yet it tortures me.
I woke up with a gasp of terror, the strange nightmare partially forgotten, though its impact felt. I look around wildly, that beast isn't there is it? It feels like it's there... but it isn't. But I can feel something is wrong, a missing piece. Oh... I can't hear anything; I can't hear any sounds.
The lack of sound makes me paranoid; After all, what if the beast was right there, just behind me? I took a deep breath, and let it out. It only made me feel worse, the lack of sound from the exhale scaring me, torturing me.
I stood up shakily, legs trembling and screaming at me; Clearly, that run had taken a lot out of me. I looked forward, and an endless hallway made itself known to me. I almost gave into the temptation of crumbling to the ground, but I knew that I'd die if I did such a thing. And so I started walking, unsure and doubting myself at every movement. Limping forward again and again. I now knew what Hell feels like.
POV: Certe
I looked attentively at the man in the corridor, I had debated on whether or not to kill him but decided not to. I wanted to see the effect of this room on a mortal. It's interesting.
Though I was impressed by the man's determination, it was clear it was hollow; It wasn't there, it was simply the will to live but not to continue. I reveled in watching the man look around in wild paranoia, clearly expecting me to come forward and kill him in one singular strike. It really was interesting, to find such joy in the suffering of others. When I got the chance, I'd make that look appear on my brother's face.
Watching from within the walls got boring after some time, and I decided to fuel his paranoia by letting him catch glimpses of my elegant body from the corners of his eyes. I'd never felt such joy before, making that man suffer wasn't enough. I had to make sure he stayed, and he would suffer for my enjoyment.
A satisfied purr left my form, I wondered when to strike...
POV: Jerome
I don't know when, but after a while, I started to hear my own heart. The rhythmic sound of it beating only reminded me of my mortality and fragileness...
Even worse, was the glimpse of the beast. I knew not whether it was my own mind playing tricks on me, or the actual thing. I pondered quite a lot why I was still alive, after all, all the others died... so why me? Why am I alive when they all died? I wanted to fall down, but couldn't find in myself the strength to do so.
POV: Lor
I watched in distant interest as that strange cat chased a few fish away from the singular soldier left in my dungeon. Maybe the cat had taken a liking to the man?
"Hey... Lor?" I heard the call of Lethe sitting next to my core.
"Yes, Lethe? What is it?" I asked with as much gentleness I could put into my voice.
Lethe, seemingly embarrassed, responded. "I- Uh, well... I finished the puzzle. I- I wanted to know if I could get something new to do... It's getting a bit boring doing those. No- Not that I don't like them or anything, if you want I can just go back to them!"
I mentally sighed in my head, What had happened to the girl I had first met? From what I had seen, she was a bit more... put together before. But it was probably that the shock of her situation hadn't registered through...
In any case, I thought for a little bit before talking once more to Lethe, "Hmm, well, I do have an idea for you. Here take this." I gave her a stack of paper and a few crayons, "How about you try to design rooms I could put in the dungeon later? Wouldn't that be nice?" Hopefully, this activity will make her feel a bit more like her old self, designing rooms for a dungeon.
Lethe's eyes visibly brightened, her furry tail moving a bit more than normal. "Ye- Yes! I'll make the best rooms I can!"
I sent the feeling of a smile over to her before going back to my current project, how is it that I haven't been able to find out how to make runes yet!?
POV: Jerome
I walked again, time meaningless in a place where the feeling of time never once brushed his senses. What did brush his senses though, was that beast; It was still there, watching, waiting. Why hadn't it killed him yet? Did it decide to let him live for some sick joke? A small laugh escaped my throat, yet it wasn't heard. The laugh devolved into whimpers and then sobbing.
He walked on.
He was glad that he remembered the special army forces techniques, the ability to feed oneself off of the Mana in the air was a literal life saver; Even if it tasted a little bit like leather.
At one point, he encountered a pillar with darkness covering both of its sides. It was clear that I had to choose between the two paths, but the doubt it gave me ate at my very being. 'What if I died?' I told myself, 'It wouldn't be much worse than what I have right now though' I responded.
I went to choose one of the sides, but a glimpse of the beast stopped me. I chose the other side, and I fell.
If only I knew how long I would fall.
POV: Certe
I gleefully stared at the form of the man falling down into the dark abyss, I knew that he would find himself back at the start in a few day's time. My insides squirmed in delight at the fact that I would be able to make him suffer even longer.
Now what to do while waiting for him to appear at the start...
A voice appeared at the edge of my hearing, "Hey! Where are you? Our game of hide and seek is over! Where are you..."
I stiffened in fear at the only being I would fear more than any others, Almond. His eyes could become so round and shiny that I often found myself doing things I would have considered below me when I wasn't put in this body. I had to make him think he won the game! I won't be able to survive his crying face!
I quickly ran over to an obvious spot for him to find me. Hopefully, he won't cry. I really hope he doesn't.
