Eric glanced up at Arop. Did he say something, he wondered.
As soon as the rush of wind finally disappeared he could hear again.
"Eric, hurry up."
He looked up and saw Arop waving towards him, before he jumped down into the mall.
So he's just gonna leave me here, he thought as he continued to crawl, all while feeling the chilling cold breeze tickle his skin, causing his arms and legs to shiver.
One wrong mistake and I might actually die, he thought as he was now slithering. Then all of a sudden gun shots rung in the distance, along with screeching tires. Eric flinched as he began to crawl faster to the broken window. Then gathering all of his courage, he jumped down into the mall.
"Was that gun shots."
Eric nodded.
All of a sudden a clanging noise erupted in the mall, echoing.
Eric flinched.
"What was that."
Arop pointed to a rat running across the lowest floor of the mall.
"Well that's good, where ever rats are there is food. Isn't there a saying like that?" Arop asked, as he turned towards Eric.
"I never heard of it."
"Oh. Really?"
Eric shrugged.
"I guess I made it up."
They descended the mall, all while hearing the low echoes of critines in the mall. With each of their steps, sounds of small concrete gets crushed under their feet. This only made Eric more nervous. But Arop seemed on bothered. I wonder, does anything really scare him, he thought as their feet touch the lowest floor.
At the center of the mall was a statue of a tall naked woman. It seemed as if she was floating mid air, as she reached out to touch the heavens. Above her was the glass ceiling, each one filtering the moon's light towards the goddess, revealing her smile of love for man. Surrounding her were statues of people from all different tribes kneeling before her and worshipping her. It looked as if she was blessing them with a rainny season.
"Orisha."
"What."
Arop turned to Eric, genturing to the statue.
"That is the goddess Orishun, one of the Orishas who help people. I only heard about them in stories. Do you know the song about them?
Eric shook his head.
"I think it goes something like this. Oh goddess Orishas, grant me joy, grant me wisdom. Give me your blessing to fight demons, or something like that."
Eric steared up at the statue, admiring it's beauty, but there was something off about her, about her smile.
"Hey, Arop. Don't you think that she's suffering."
"Haah, why.
Eric pointed up at her face.
"She's smiling, but is she really happy? If she had to constantly help people, and hear their cries and screams for help, is she really free."
Arop paused, thinking of a response.
"I don't know, maybe she loves doing what she does."
"Maybe."
Arop steared at Eric for a while before tapping him on the shoulder.
"C'mon, let's hurry up and get what we came for."
He nodded.
As they walked, what Arop said replayed in Eric's mind. Maybe she loves doing, what she does. Maybe that's exactly why she isn't free. In my eyes, she is the slave to the very people she tries to protect…. Wait, no no. I'm contradicting myself. She's a goddess, she can't be a slave for or to anything. So are people. Everyone is free in this world. We can dictate our future through our own efforts we make in life. And we have the freedom to choose anything we want to do in life. There, I proved it. The concept slavery does not exist. Everyone has freedom. That is the basic right given to all living things at birth. Yes, that's right, the concept slavery is not true, he thought.
They continued their walk, checking store after store, trying to find some way to break in. But the shops and windows were protected by security grills. But Arop still insisted on searching some more, he said if they don't find anything in the next 15 minutes they would leave. Eric nodded in response. He was beginning to feel signs of a rising headache, and he had a feeling it would get much worse. Eric's mind was a storm of thoughts and memories swirling around. From the strange dream to Arop's philosophy to the revolution. He was trying to unravel everything in his head. Wait, maybe Arop's ideology is right, no it can't be. But. Wait, could the revolution actually be right. But. Eric's mind was filled with thoughts constantly contradicting himself. As the seconds that seemed to be minutes went by, Eric's vision began to grow darker and blurry, and his feet were shaking, struggling to keep balance until Arop noticed.
"Eric. Are you ok?"
He didn't respond, he was afraid if he spoke he would vomit. Then he missed a step. Eric fell to the ground with a thud. His eyes were devoided of consciousness. He could hear Arop's voice but it was muffled, until he could neither hear nor see anything.
In Eric's world there was no light, there was darkness. But there were voices, voices he did not recognize. They sounded like they were in pain, like they were in anguish.
"My lord forgive me."
"Please, please don't die."
"My lord please save us."
"My lord… please bring us victory… for the sake of the soldiers we have lost… please… please don't let their deaths be meaningless."
"You're lord, you're king, you are a god. What do you mean you can't save her?"
"My lord, please end my torment."
"You led them all to their deaths."
"It… it was all… my fault."
"My… My Hero."
"Thank you, for being my hero."
"I'm sorry. I never got to keep my promise to you."
"I've sacrificed so much… for a dream that never really mattered… I see… I just can't win against you, now can I."
These voices began to grow louder and louder until he could feel his sanity escaping him. He wanted to scream, he wanted to yell out, thinking if he tried hard enough he might wake up from his awful nightmare. But not a peep escaped his mouth. He tried to move through the blackened void, but he had lost his sense of direction, so he wasn't sure if he was moving at all. Then all of a sudden he could feel himself falling and falling deeper and deeper into a abyss, until he could see a light, a red light, is that, before he could finish his thought he crashed into a sea of blood. He was sinking, he was drowning as he tried to fight his way up, but there was no use. He sunk, until he crashed in another layer of blood. As soon as he crashed through it, his entire world seemed to flip. He was once again falling, as the world seem to spun and flipped around him. He couldn't smell or feel anything, he couldn't feel anything except the fear stirring within him. Everywhere around him was a sea of blood, and ruins. Some were modern and some looked like it dated all the way back to medival times. In that world, there was no signs of life, the only life that existed was him. The blood that completely hid the ground had a strange black colour to it, it also seemed to be boiling, as steam hovered over it. But to Eric's further horror a hand emerged from the sea of blood, taking on the same colour as the blood. But there was something different, it had this black fire covering it's entire body as soon as the monsters full body emerged. It was tall, really tall, it was at least 10 feet tall, and seemed to take on a human shape. Eric could'nt see it's face, it was completely covered in black, but it's eyes were a glowing red. Then all of a sudden, it suddenly rose it's head, staring directly at him. Eric's fear was once again burning him on the inside, but try as he might he simply could not scream. Then one after the other, more and more monsters, began emerging from the blackened blood until Eric estimated their numbers to be at least a million. They all looked up at him, as he began to fall, then they let out a loud shrieking noise as they began to swim up to the sky, trying to seize him. Eric's eyes widened. They were just mere inches away from claiming him, but Eric fell through a wall of light, he braced himself for the further horrors, but there were none. He was standing up, his falling finally ended. Opening his eyes he saw planets and stars in the sky. He was standing, but there was no solid matter supporting him. He looked around, but there was nothing but infinite shining stars in the bright dark sky. He walked all while hearing the echoes of memories, both of joy and pain. Some of those memories were his, but most of them were unrecognizable to him. As he walked he could start seeing people. The memories were beginning to play out all around him. Little girls, running down a street, singing their favourite songs, but the next scene was of their corpse being viciously eaten by a group of monsters. Their lifeless eyes were wide open, staring directly at him, as if to say, why did we die, why did we have to die, why didn't you keep your promise to protect us. Eric backed away and ran with his mouth up, trying to release his grief, but still, not a sound came out.
The scene vanished, and the next scene played, it was of a swordsman, clad in armour swinging his sword even, as blood gushed out of his non-existent left arm. Eventually he was pierced by 10 spears, each one from different directions. Falling down to his knees he coughed blood, as blood flowed down from his wounds. Slowly, but shakily, he looked directly at the person who was about to take his life, with his murky dark purple eyes. Before he died, his mouth began to move. But Eric couldn't understand a word he said, because of the blood splattering out of his mouth as he spoke, and also because he was speaking a completely different language, a language Eric had never heard in his entire life. A couple seconds later, he was lit ablaze. He didn't scream nor did he even react to the pain. To Eric it looked like he accepted his death, in the corner of his mouth he could see a weak, trembling smirk, but simultaneously a single tear slid down his face as he eventually collapsed, his body and armour completely charred to ash. Eric continued to run, ignoring the scenes of a memory that was not his. Later as Eric continued to run to nowhere, Eric saw another scene, but it was different, it was a single person, standing ahead of him. The more he walked the more he saw what the person looked like, until he realised the person was a she, and she was naked. Her hair was long and took on the colour of black. It was divided by her neck as each part of her hair hung down on to her breasts, and her forehead was hidden behind her bangs. She had a weak, but beautiful smile, but it wavered, but she quickly fixed it to what it was. Tears began to fall from her eyes, cascading to the corners of her mouth, and down to the edges of her lips. She took a deep breath before speaking, but her voice could not reach his ears. More and more of her tears began to flow from her eyes as she closed them, but that did not ease her pain at all. Like a broken reservoir she let out a loud scream as a flood of tears fell down her face. She tried to run, but the shackles binding her wrist and ankles wouldn't allow that. As she finally fully came to terms with the fact she was going to die, she looked up one last time, before stretching her hand out. Eric witnessing the scene powerlessly, finally moved forward, he couldn't talk, he couldn't cry, he couldn't scream, and he had no authority over the hellish world he has been trapped in, but even so, he still had carried the faint flicker of his wish, a wish he dreamed he would achieve ever since he could remember, a dream to become larger than life, a dream to be loved by everyone, a dream not to be weak, a dream not to witness others pain and just watch powerlessly, his fairy tale like dream is to be the shining bright light that will eliminate all he deems as evil. Because deep down he hates being a weak witness to the suffering of others. To him there is no kind of person more disgusting than a weak person who refuses to do anything when faced with black.
Eric rushed to her, extending his arm for he to grab it, but when their hands were just inches away, the girl disappeared, before she did, their eyes locked, and although Eric could not hear her words he could have sworn she mouthed. "I love… you." Eric collapsed, banging his hands on his face again and again. He didn't understand, he never meant that girl or any of those people before, but whenever he sees them, whenever he thinks of them, he is overwhelmed by a strong sense of guilt and longing that tugs at his soul. But still, he could not scream, he could not cry, it is as if he has been punished to contain all his sins and regrets inside of him, until it slowly eats away at his sanity. The invisible pain of his sins began to grow louder and louder. "I'm sorry…. I'm sorry I couldn't save you." He thought as he began to bang his fists on the dark ground, trying with all his might to scream, but yet again to no avail. Then his entire world flipped, as he fell he didn't try to resist, nor did he try to scream. He gave in as he was falling in a bottomless abyss. The deeper he fell, the more Eric's sight was obscured by darkness. His mind was blank, he couldn't think or feel anything, he couldn't even remember his own name, it was like his very identity was being forgotten from existence. Then all of a sudden he was standing again, all around him were colourful threads woven together and separated, stretching to a place farther than his eyes can perceive. Both the sky and the ground was a black ocean filled with colourful spots, the ocean rippled morphing into tiny waves, but for some reason he wasn't sinking. Then he turned around and immediately froze, in front of him was a kneeling giant. Eric made a guess and assumed the giant was at least 7,5 in height. It had the palest of skin with long flowy white hair, some hanging down on its face, and some hanging down on its back. As Eric looked closer he noticed that the giant was imprisoned by the black chains, made from the fabric of the black ocean. The chains wrapped around its entire body, with its ends penetrating its body.
The giant twitched and the ocean tightened its hold on it. It struggled to lift its head, all while the chains began getting tighter and tighter. Eric stepped back. The giant looked up at Eric with its weary purple eyes. He couldn't look away, his whole body was frozen in place. Eric could see a portion of the giant's face and was mesmerized by its beauty. So mesmerized, he had trouble telling the gender of the giant. It's soft looking pale skin, as pale as snow was completely clear, it was just as clear as… A blurry image flashed in Eric's, it was the image of the girl from his dreams, he didn't remember much, but he did remember being mesmerized by the girl's beauty. He tried to remember more, but all of a sudden his mind went blank and the whole world changed. He was once again back at that hellish world. He was completely naked, standing still in the ocean of blackish blood. He could move again. He quickly looked around to see if there were any monsters in sight, but there were none. And in an instant, cities and the old cities appeared as corpses of their former beauty. Tall ruins of buildings and gothic buildings towered over him. Eric spun around unsure of what to do. He then instinctively decided to run, to run to nowhere. As he was running something grabbed onto his ankle. He looked down, instantly fear ran through his spine. He immediately tried to draw his foot back, but the grip was too strong. The thing that held on to his leg so tightly was a woman, she was nothing but skin and bones and only wore torn lingerie, with no bra, her cheeks were sunken and her eyes bulged. Her hair was unkept and her skin was unnoticeable, due to how skinny she was.
Eric began to fight, he stomped on her, he punched her, and began to poke her eyes, but her grip was firm. She was smiling, tears ran down her face, as she caressed his leg. Then she opened up her mouth and said,
"Oh, wolf… how I've longed for the opportunity for the honour of giving you my services. You have no idea how long I've waited for you to come back to me. And you finally did. I've waited so long for you to be with me, to see, to touch me… I want to give you my all, my body, my flesh, and… my soul. But this form of yours is not the wolf I fell in love with… throw this self away and let the blackest wolf be born… and carry us with you… to the day we can all be together forever." She said, as her jaws widened, tearing the side of her face. She began biting him, Eric tried to scream, but he could not. Blood sprayed out of his wound, and the woman drank it with the most unnerving expression on her face. Eric began kicking her as hard as he could, but her grip did not waver. She opened her jaws again to reveal her degraded black teeth. She bit into him again and again, then Eric felt another sharp pain, but it was coming from his hand. Eric looked to his right, only to see a living corpse of a soldier take chunk after chunk of his arm. Eric tried to withdraw his arm but the monster was just too strong. Then one after the other, corpse after corpse of women, children, men and soldiers arose from the blackish ocean of blood, feasting on his flesh, and getting drunk off of his blood. They smiled, and laughed, as if they were having the time of their lives.Their smiles exposed their degraded teeth painted by his blood. As they were laughing, his blood splurted from their mouths and onto his face. The only thing he could see was red now, and the only thing he could think was nothing but the pain…the unbearable pain burning across his body. The words he could muster in his mind were, why me…. Why ME GOD DAMN IT. I'm just a stupid naive kid… I just want to be strong,... why am I so powerless, why does this have to happen to me, to me of all the people in the world, why me. Why do I deserve this,... I don"t want to die, if there is a god, the only thing I have to say to you is,... go fuck yourself.