This is only a part of a bigger story and none of this will make sense. Please ignore this post.
You struggle in the battle against the thick bushes of this strange... forest. The bushes- they feel sentient; always stabbing your with their sharp leaves and pushing you out of their territory. It is no wonder how quickly you came to dislike this place. With your teeth, you gnaw and tear away the irritating obstacles, all to reach a den just beyond the field of a fur lover’s nightmare.
You hear it again. The sound of something lashing against the ground. It rattles and bangs, making a piercing screech like iron scraping on a surface. The birds seem to have abandoned their branches as well for the melodious chirps dwindled and eventually the dark sky became once again a hungry void, swallowing one’s fragment of hope. The noise from within that den rises to a crescendo. Higher, higher, higher, then a sudden halt. The birds did not return, but curiosity takes you by the neck, choking you with their tight hold until you fulfill its request to be probed.
Curiosity killed the cat, but you are no feline. Curiosity will certainly not lead you to your demise. Though, a feline’s nine lives would come handy. Losing only one to foolishness would not be an unreasonable trade.
You shake your head, swiftly dissipating the rouge thoughts before moving your paws forward, striding through the bushes like a bloodied blade to the heart. Sole dew-donned grass nuzzles softly against your paws. You have left the confines of the bushes. A cave stands before you. It reeks of a vulgar stench similar to that of decaying flesh, and pools of scarlet dripped from shredded bodies of the mauled.
It is clear that this is not where you are supposed to be, but wasting breath to return is a option you’ve dismissed. Your interest has been greatly piqued and the thought of what lies inside haunts you. It would not hurt to take a peek. You take a step in. Frigid cold dirt slides between the small gaps of your paw. The ground feels soft and damp to the touch.
You feel your heart churn and tumble, as though something is watching, waiting for your next move. That is when you notice- it is not a thing. You could barely see the inside of the cave, but those storm-grey eyes were distinguishable in a sea of void. And the soundreturns. It screeches ever clearer, rattling like a lion trying to break free from an iron cage. You back away paw by paw as thundering stomps traps your hearing. The pace of your steps did not match with what you’ve heard. It is not your footsteps.
“And here I thought you were gone,” a voice appears with a honey-coated tone. You remember who it belongs to. The lantern that hangs on her neck is an unneeded reminder. A lupin donned in pure white fur passes you with her chest puffed. A scowl runs across your face. Egotistical as always. You do not care if she ends up torn into pieces by the hands of that creature. In her mouth, you spot a worn wooden plate with only a few measly cookies on it. You watch as the lupin dips her neck an places it on the ground.
Under the lantern’s flickering light, that is when you could see what it the creature was- another lupin, shackled with corroding chains binding him. Crimson and deep cuts taint the walls behind him. There is a set of discarded chains beside the bounded lupin. Was there once another one? “Your fill,” she says as she turns her back towards him and strides away. The lupin wearily bares his teeth, a display of aggression, but he remains laying down as though a fresh corpse.
You find yourself unable to guide your gaze away. Is this the life of the bounded? “Chat with him if it is what you desire, but know he speaks lies.” Ah, it is her again. You meet her dull blue eyes and let out a soft grunt. Why trust her when she too, lies? Your legs take you towards the prisoner, each step filled with caution. The lupin, of course, hears this. He tilts his head upwards and gifts you with a wry smile. His black coat ruffles when he shuffles backwards. An invitation. Hesitance has never been shedded off quicker.
“Nightstone. You gave into your desires, didn’t you? The forest does not simply let anyone in.” He knows of your situation. Did he meet others who met the same fate as yours or is the lupin a victim himself? Nightstone- that is his name. He has said it. You have no need to call him ‘the lupin’ anymore.
“How long have you been here?” speaks Nightstone as he claws the stone beneath. There is no return of day and night, only a perpetual dark sky with a crimson moon that hangs above. Maybe it is not a moon at all. So how long has it been? Days? Weeks? Months? “Ah, I am afraid that it is far too late then,” he continues, noticing the absence of a reply. Nightstone averts his eyes away, preferring to stare at the soulless ground.
Drops of water fall from the cave’s ceiling, splashing onto your head. The constant annoyance encourages you to move aside. As you do so, something cold presses against your stomach. You shift your head- Oh, it is the broken chains that is laid bare and tossed to the side to be forgotten. A heavy breath erupts from the canine beside you.
“There used to be another lupin here, but he has been placed into a different cell, I suppose. We were shackled in here for such a long time.” Nightstone’s voice carries a forlorn tune. “I am growing old, but the persistence for freedom is still within me. I wonder if he is the same. We have been apart for... right, days do not pass in this realm.” Pity gathers on your face, what had he committed to be locked away into eternal solitude? You open your mouth, and ask. You should not have done that.
His brows furrow and worry becomes evident. “As much as I like for the truth to be told, sheis here. She is constantlywatching. I dare not to. Now run off; leave before she decides that enough words have been spilled.” You swiftly turn your head to face the entrance. Only a weak lantern stands at the cave’s mouth. Where did she go? Perhaps it is best to leave for now. You bid a farewell to Nightstone and step away.
“And if you see him, pass on a message for me, will you?” It echoes throughout the cave. Him. The other prisoner. You nod your head, but you doubt he will see it. “Donec mors nos separaverit.”
