My eyes shoot open to the sound of rusted tal, hinges sounding like they've never been oiled in their life as a door loudly protests its way open sowhere nearby. I gasp as I take in the space around , a small flickering oil lamp hanging off a snarled hook barely illuminating the several dangling chains and sickles that fall to from the ceiling like icicles off a roof in winter. The floor below is old and rotten, planks of damp wood and the sll of decay perating the stale, iron-tinted air as I shakily stand up, my head colliding painfully with one of the clawed ends of tal lying in wait for .
I hiss and rub my head, finding a wet splotch where the throbbing pain now waves from, like a dull and present beat of a drum that only adds to my harried emotions and mind. I move closer to the light, noticing a similarly water-rotted closed door to the side of the stationary light, and start to inspect myself, to try and figure out what the hell is going on. I look down, my body present in the light just enough to notice worn and tattered jeans, old sneakers with fraying threads of fabric laces barely holding firm as they secure them to my feet. A ripped in the middle band t-shirt, though the na is rcurial and faded, the exposed skin of my stomach chilling in the growingly cold sensation that I am lost in more ways than one right now.
My heartbeat rapidly increases in my chest as I examine my arms, noticing scratch marks and freshly healed lines of dried blood from this point or that, the implication heavy and foreign to as my mory offers no salvation. No indication of how those marks got there or where I am. Another witch's cry of an opening door echoes into the dead atmosphere of the room - closer this ti - before sound again retreats into silence, my breath coming in quick as the fear of discovery settles into . I don't know why I would be scared to be found, I sure as shit need help right now, but sothing deep and primal in screams to not let whoever is trapsing the world outside this door to find here. At least, not without a weapon.
With shaky and sweaty palms, I do my best to remain silent as I pluck ancient lighting tool from its gnarled resting place, easing it off the flaky tal as I begin to bob and weave my fragile steps through the tentacles of chains around . I barely notice the discoloration underneath every drooping tal stalactite, dark and seeping into every fibrous beam of the boards below them. Blood. I feel my chest tighten, eyes going stark wide as I nearly fumble the only source of protection from the encroaching darkness, my mind reeling and screaming in untold dangerous and scenarios as I hear another signal of life outside my own twisted entrapnt.
The shrill whine of yet another complaining barrier being opened, silence, and then... footsteps. Slow, plodding. Dragging and off kilter. Several of them. Dozens. Low groans start to bleed their way through the cacophony of their stilted march, off tune, guttural, and raspy. Like they are in constant pain, moaning out the injustice of their fates. Or simply too far gone to still the trembling breath in their lungs. With renewed purpose, the creeping claws of fear gripping my heart and lungs in a vice, I turn back to my growingly suffocating enclosure, desperation filling as I search for any ans to defend myself from... whoever is outside. Whatever is outside...
My eyes finally land upon a table at the end of the room, just underneath a pane of fogged glass that seems to be just too small for to try and escape through going by my large chest and wide hips. Cursing my bountiful anatomy, I rush over as quietly as I can, dodging the sure to give away alarms of the chains before I finally reach my destination, relief flooding through at my discovery. A machete, simple and hand crafted by the looks of things, but still tal and sharp.
I pick it up, the slight scratching of its blade against the table as I do so making stop dead in my tracks. I close my eyes and listen, facing away from the door as my blood pounds its rushing pace in my ears, heart flooding icy cold liquid through my veins. But, again to my relief, I don't hear anything coming from outside the room... Wait...
Just when I turn to look back towards the door, dozens of grasping, decayed hands showing bone and falling tendons of flesh pierce through its flimsy structure in a crash of violence, lting faces of flesh behind them snarl with gnashing teeth, screaming out in a mindless concert of animalistic anger. And hunger.
I can't help but scream, dropping the oil lantern to the floor in a panic as I grip the machete with both hands, my body shaking just as violently as these... these... Zombies. In an instant, I recognize the word, my fear flipping on itself and then compounding as I realize I am locked in a room, my only exit now completely ripped from like my flesh will soon be as the horde finally finishes breaching the barrier of the entry way. They spill out over themselves, the first few to make it through the threshold toppling down and getting trampled by the dozens more that seek to feast upon my life.
Paralyzed by fear, holding the machete in front of like my last hope of salvation, I scream into the rotted halls wordlessly, the first of the walking dead having nearly reached my position as rattling chains sway behind it while I was lost in a panic at their terrifying sight. Just when it looks like the lead zombie will take its first bite, my shaking arms failing to follow the commands of my brain to raise the weapon and kill it as its yellowed and hollowed out teeth are revealed by its ever-widening maw, a new sound breaks into the chaos.
The rapid and loud series of pop-pop-pop-pops that are utterly familiar to , their sound arresting the zombies' attentions as the back line gets mowed down in sprays of clotted and already dead ichor. Feral screams sound into the space as the majority of them turn to face this new threat, but the closest one to rely turns back around and lunges again with outstretched hands and hungry, faded eyes. I scream again as I do the only thing I can think of and kick the monster square in its hollowed-out chest, the force of my impact sending it flying and exploding through the warped wood of the walls as well as a few of its other risen counterparts.
I stare bewildered at the sight, until sothing clicks in my mind once again, and I realize who and what I am. I'm Alia "Aims" Dufort, and I won't take no shit from so B-list Hollywood monsters!! The machete turns into my favored weapon, the dual winged spear, as I charge the freshly turned around zombies with a yell of defiance. I cleave six in half with a single swipe of the spear, the echoing gunfire hailing down its fury from the other side of the massed monsters as I twirl and devote myself to dispatching the rest of these goopy undead fucks.
The room becos painted in fresh carnage to match the old I had found, entrails and body parts strewn in a chaotic dley as I twist and stab. Twirl and hook. Punch and kick. Mutilated body parts wetly slapping the ground until finally, the agonized groans of these poor mother fuckers are silent once and for all. With a few recovering breaths, my adrenaline still spiking like crazy, I hear the sound of footsteps yet again. But this ti, they are uniform, and seemingly from a singular person. Soone wearing boots or so other heavy footwear, as the steps are loud and determined as they echo along the haunted halls of the building we're in.
On principle, I flip the spear up into a neutral stance, tip pointed directly toward whoever is going to co through the door. Even if they are my savior, I've seen enough horror movies through covered eyes to know you never to trust the first person who offers you help. Either they're about to get ganked, or they're going to gank you in act three, and I'm not getting ganked, got it!?!
Rambling mania aside, I lie in wait for the newcor / savior, my heartbeat thudding loudly in my chest before a single, feminine hand waves briefly in the empty space of the destroyed doorway. "Hey~! If you're still alive in there, don't like, shoot or stab ~! I'm friendly I swear! Okay, I'm coming in now!"
The voice is as familiar as it is heavenly, my spear clanging to the ground in a loud report of tal and wood as I fall to my knees, my clothes splooshing into the still wet floorboards curtesy of my recent dismbering campaign. The most radiant being of my life, even if I didn't understand it fully when we were together, walks slowly into view, her chestnut brown hair curling softly in a high ponytail, her eyes made of the deepest pools of honey scanning the room before landing on my own, widening as they do. Her curvy figure hemd in by a tight, white shirt which shows off her breasts underneath a large, spiked leather jacket, red woolen armbands adorning her wrists as her waist holds up a pair of faded navy blue jeans with a spiked belt from Hot Topic. Boots, heavy in make and black in color, also are adorned in spikes along the sides, as well as the tips of the toe, the laces equally midnight and tightly secured and fastened to her shin.
I look back up to take in the finer details of my sister, the smudges of dirt on her face mixed with camo paint - two heavy black bars, roughly two fingers wide, underneath her eyes on her cheeks - the wrap of cloth around one of her pale yet muscled arms that holds a fading yet unmistakable blotch of red where a wound lies underneath, a pair of thick biker goggles resting atop her head, the strap underneath her ponytail securing the lenses. She holds a rifle, an M4 Carbine if my brain is working correctly, and saddled at her hip is a machete like I had found as well as a Beretta M9 in a pistol holder.
She seems to reach the sa realization as , rushing to my side as she jumps and maneuvers her way past the rotting corpses of the undead, their putrid stench all waving away as she kneels down and wraps in the warst, most crushing hug I've ever had in my life. "Sandra..." I whisper out against the side of her face, half in disbelief and half in awe, my heart screaming and bounding with joy as my soul spins in a prismatic kaleidoscope light. Her sweaty and gun smoked but still unique to her scent filling my mind, her charming laugh as she nestles next to my ear, her easy strength that keeps my growingly limp body vertical, all of it threatening to overwhelm as we lock in rapturous embrace.
I nearly break down and cry, the tangible, real weight of my lost sister pressing into once again, the constant toll of having her broken inside of , desperate to try and fix. The plaguing mories and monts of realization that she was trying to show sothing more, trying to tell how she felt, yet I could not see, crashing into . The fucked-up situation we're in being the only thing keeping grounded enough to just bask in all of those feelings, all of her heavenly body as she presses into , without devolving to a blubbering, needy ss.
We stay joined for a few monts more, Sandy gently waving our connected forms as she giggles and hums happily against my flowing red hair. I can't help but do the sa between choked sobs, tears spilling unbidden as I nuzzle and rub my face to every square inch I can reach, my hands flying to her back to dig in violently against her protective jacket. Eventually, the perfect woman leans back and gives a wide smile before she says joyously, "Alia~!! You're here! I was just trying out how to make video gas while I've been adrift, since it got kind of boring to just replay the sa broken mories over, and over, and over again! Do you like it?! I made a mix of the Resident Evil gas and Chainsaw Massacre~! I thought the elents blended well, the suspense that then bleeds into chaotic panic and action really amplifying each other in the best way~! Hehe~!"
My eyes go into spirals at the deluge of rapid words, all spoken in a deific voice that makes my heart swell even if the speed at which they were spoken makes lose the plot sowhat. And I thought I was bad at rambling... I forget how much of a chaos goblin Sandy can be when she's excited~! I laugh as I raise a hand to her cheek, shaking my head as I gather my thoughts, "W-Well, I think if you were going for traumatizing fear, you really hit the nail on the head, you adrenaline junkie!! I just about pissed my pants before I "woke up" so to speak!! I was gonna get nomd by a zombie!" I give her a playful shove to which her smile only widens, eyes sparkling in mischief as she gives a wink.
"I'd never let that happen to my precious sister~. I was right there at the door, ready to co in and save... well, whoever was here. To be fair, I didn't know it was you until I saw you. Oh!! Great job on laying the hurt down on these bozos by the way~! You're such a kickass bitch with that spear of yours~!" Sandy praises, her arms wrapping in a hug once more as she wiggles us this way and that.
The instant and extre blush that washes over my face after she calls her precious sister is only beaten by the surprised, then cheeky grin on Sandra as she notices. "Aw~. You're always so weird with complints, baby girl, but I know why. It's cute regardless though~. Now then, wanna get out of this yucky pile of blood and gore and go play so more? Or did you want to talk like last ti?"
I huff as she stands, offer a hand to which I take as she helps up. "Well, we probably should talk. And honestly... I'm not good with scary stuff still. Not to say you didn't do a great job of it!! I was terrified, top marks! But yeah, can we go to a quieter place? I... I think I know what we need to do to start healing those broken mories you've been having."
Sandy nods as the entire space fizzles out of existence, replaced with a dark night sky as we are laying down in a field of grass out in the country. I recognize this imdiately as the ti Sandy snuck out of the house with a few beers to go look at the stars after I had gone back to live with our parents. A beer bottle floats into view, the brown glass of its neck shimring in the moon light as Sandra offers it to . I smile, taking the chilly beverage and raising it to my lips, scowling at the bitter and unpleasant taste as she laughs to my side.
"Ugh! Why did we ever drink this shit?? The stuff on Mara is so much better than... whatever this is." I huff out as I set the bottle in the grass beside .
"Well~..." Sandy says as she turns to face and smiles, head supported by the crook of an arm, "We didn't really have a lot of options back here, at ho. The nearest real liquor store was like, 30 miles away so we had to just get the cheapo shit from the gas station down the road. I agree though, it is trash."
I hum back indifferently, laying back on the grass as I stare up at the similar yet still slightly off sparkling constellations above us. After a few beats of silence, I ask out to her, "So... you rember the last ti? Where we talked and apparently hugged and stuff?"
It's her turn to hum, the rumble of her voice echoing inside of , the lovely sound making my heart skip a beat before she replies, "I do. I thought I wouldn't, but I rember all of it. Sounds like you don't though?"
I turn my head toward her again, blue waves of sadness thrumming from the phrasing of her words even if her tone held no animosity or concern. "I... I don't. I'm sorry. When I woke up, I tried to... journal it or sothing, but by the ti I got to a pen and paper, the dream had already slipped from my mind. I just rember feeling loved, accepted, and at peace."
She reaches out to touch my face, her warm and soft hand stroking my cheek softly as she just gives a smile. "Hey, hey. It's okay, Aims. You can't control everything, alright? Sotis things like that happen, things that are outside of your influence, and you just have to roll with it. You're always looking for the perfect answer, to be the best person you can be to everyone, but that only drives you into madness as you try, cope, and fight to maintain yourself in a sea of what you think people think of you. Always desperate to please everyone, never wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, but losing yourself in the process..."
I choke out a sob as she hits the nail on the head, my eyes glistening in tears as she opens her arms toward . I scoot and wiggle my way into her embrace, soft shudders of breath escaping as her hands co up to send lightning bolts through my body while she strokes my hair. "It's okay, baby girl. I know you just want everyone around you to be happy, and that you've only ever wanted to feel that happiness and love in return. You're such a good, sweet girl, and I am so proud to have you as my sister. I love you, Alia."
"I love you too, Sandra." I say between sobs, my heart aching and singing in both the release of pure unfiltered emotion and the joy at having her beside like this again. "I... I don't know how long you've felt more than just like sisters. I know that I would do anything for you, and that it breaks my heart that I didn't see those feelings back on Earth. I'm sorry I left you all alone like that, that you didn't think or feel safe enough to co to with those thoughts while I was so broken and barely functioning."
I raise up from her embrace, my tears plodding onto the earthen ground below us, sotis dancing on top of her arms first as I stare down with conviction, "I will never be that weak again. I won't ever be in such a state that you can't tell what you feel, even if its sothing we might disagree on. I love you, more than anything ever in the world or worlds or whatever!! I will bring you back to , and nothingis going to tear us apart like this ever again."
Sandra looks to with surprise, the space around us rippling with the certainty of my words before she widens her smile in a way that steals all of my breath, her hands stroking my cheeks as she says, "You were neverweak, Alia. You've always been the strongest person in my life. I love you more than existence itself. If I didn't have you in my life, I wouldn't have a life at all. I promise to tell you anything and everything about why and how I feel that way, after I'm... back to normal. You deserve to know every little detail, every emotion, and I want to give that to you, more than anything I've ever wanted." I nod as I lean down, my fury subsiding as she holds to her chest. "Now then, what did you want to try to help get so of those mories back?"
"Right," I sniff as I cuddle into her breasts, my voice slightly muffled by her pleasant and soft flesh, "We need to start going through our mories while I'm dreaming, or I guess you could start up again too instead of making the next triple A horror ga that no-one's ever going to play~." She leans my head back slightly to flick my forehead, my pained cry loud and exaggerated as she sticks her tongue out at .
"Jerk!" I huff out in indignation before I return the facial gesture, then nuzzle back into her cleavage. "But yeah, that's the plan. Your personality and stuff got hurt when we got here, or maybe before? We're not really sure. Ios and I, I an. She's the-"
"I know who Ios is, silly." Sandra chides playfully above , her hand still stroking my hair as she laughs.
"R-right, sorry. Well, anyways, that's what we need to do. Go on a lovely stroll through mory lane, letting you see as much of my rembrance of you to hopefully kickstart your recovery, let you regain so of your soul's structure. It's complicated and simple all at the sa ti, and annoyingas shit that I have to be asleep to do it..."
Sandra moves back enough to unplug from her breasts, my legs still locked around her waist as I whine from the lack of comforting grounding as she looks at with a serious expression, "Aims, do not stop living your life to bring back. I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here. We will absolutely spend all of your nights doing exactly what you said, but I will be upset at you if you abandon everyone and everything to bring back. Do you understand ?"
"How..." I gasp out, my eyes becoming downcast as she catches thinking exactly that, "How did you know..."
"Pfft." Sandra laughs out, her smile returning, "You're a very complex, lovely, and romantic person. You would absolutely give up everything to rush and bring back, and I can feel it in my heart that you still want to. I love you, and that is only growing stronger from your pure desire to do that, but you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be with people who love you too. Like I said, I'm not going anywhere, okay? Let ti pass through instead of thinking its passing you by."
I sigh as I look up to her, my burning soul screaming at to just ignore what she's said and do nothing but sleep for the next month, year, however long it takes to bring her back... But those eyes. Those wells of honey boring into , breaking through straight to my core makes tear up, the fleeting ambition dying before it began as I just cuddle into her once again, my tears dampening her chest. "O-okay... I just... I miss you so much. I want you beside everysecond of every day, especially after all I've learned about us, about this world. It's so amazing, Sandy. We can do anything, be anyone, and we already have people that love us to bits and want us to thrive. I... I want you with for all of that..."
"I know, baby girl~. And I want to be there, trust . But not at the expense of your growth and recovery, and your happiness. I'll keep focusing on going through those old mories while you're living your life, you co back and find whenever you go to rest." She begins to stand up, my heartbeat rapidly increasing as the surroundings begin to fade and dim, darkness encroaching in a slow and permanent march as I cling to her tightly, raising up with her.
"Shh... It's okay Aims. We're just going to be apart for a little bit; you'll be back here with before you know it." I cry loudly as I cling to her, my words fumbling and incomplete as my hands tear against her naked skin now, too lost in the sudden collapsing dream to notice before she holds my face in her hands. "It's okay, honey. I love you."
With firm grip, fingers splayed across my cheeks, she lifts my head to hers, my heart thudding violently in my chest as I close my eyes, the soft press of pliant lips on mine the last thing I feel before my eyes open in alarm, the pleasure dungeon ceiling in fra once again.
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