The chasm of darkness, deep and unknown, lay
untouched by light.
There, shadows trembled and jagged stones wept unseen.
On the cold floor lay endless stains marked by blood, both fresh and old.
The echo of dripping water filled the cavern.
In a corner, where the droplets fell shorter than the rest,
a fog of warm breath rose into the cold air, before being swallowed by the dark.
***
Drip
Drip
Drip
The rythmic tap stirred a resting child until a pang of hunger and thirst forced him upright. His eyes remained closed; they served no purpose in this lightless expanse.
His wild hair, masking his face, resembled that of a wild beast.
His toes curled, cold blood seeping through the gaps. His lips blue and peeling from the biting chill.
Beneath him, the corpse he had rested on had rotted, robbed of the warmth it once provided. Maggots squirmed within, not even half a day after its death.
His hands felt around the corpse eventually finding purchase. He tore what he could, flesh and maggots alike, and forced It down with a grinace, each bite more revolting than the last.
Wasting no time the child departed in reluctance to the temporary shelter he secured, with no choice in matter.
It was coming.
If it had not yet caught the corpse's scent, it soon would.
The moment his feet met the smooth stone floor, a cold shock traveled through his spine, the floor's surface clinging to the skin of his feet.
He did not stop.
the floor's grip stronger than his body's will ripped the skin off his heel, leaving a patch of blood at every step, despite all his pain, his body littered in wounds, and the biting floor, an instinctive fear overwhelmed all luxury, driving him forward.
***
Skrttt!
Not far away, a vile creature shot through the darkness. Its twisted body maneuvering with disturbing ease, its grotesque claws chipping and carving away at the ground as it moved. its nose burning ravenously.
Its movements slowed as it neared a familiar cavern, its hideous claws spreading outward until at last it brushed against a body long dead.
In an instant, it closed the gap scooping the remains into its monstrous maw, its protruding fangs carving the walls.
The child's presence was long gone,
But not his trail.
Another scent lingered, this one fresher.
A strip of dead skin and faint bloody prints marked the stone.
TK-TK-TK-TK-
The creature's teeth clattered in anticipation. a vile tongue extended from its body.
It licked the fresh blood off stone before it shot off.
***
The child traversed the lightless maze of his world, navigating with his hands and feet stretched before him. His endless search for food and water was still at an impasse.
His throat was unbearably parched, his tongue bore cracks, and his dry skin thin against the cool air.
The endless wander continued.
If he stopped now, it would be the last time.
When his hope began to wane and his legs began to falter, the faint trickle of water reached his ears.
His body reacted before his mind, rushing towards the source with renewed urgency, only to collide with an insurmountable wall.
he felt around in desperation, up, down, left, right. There was no way forward, the splash of water behind the wall seemed to mock him.
The surge of energy faded from his muscles causing his body to slump against the wall, listening to the stream beyond reach.
He imagined cupping the water in his hands, lifting it to his lips and taking a deep gulp. The thought made him bite his lip, drawing blood.
Why do I live?
A sharp rhythmic scrape echoed from behind.
The sound bringing with it dread.
At once, it felt as if a cruel hand took hostage of the child's heart threatening to drag it to the depths of the void. Perhaps it already had.
He stood frozen in place, a primal fear creeping through his mind, his hairs standing on end.
Despite all his efforts his hand began to shake.
All attempts in thought growing blank.
The deafening impact of the wild beast's claw with the walls gradually grew louder, its malformed body dragging across the floor. It listened for the slightest sound it could pick up on.
The prey was near.
The smell stronger.
The child still stood frozen, muscles locked. Hoping for the moment to pass, for the creature to eventually lose interest and leave, but, as if fate sought his death, the blood pooling on his lips formed into a drop falling and splattering hard on the stone floor.
The noise didn't remain unnoticed.
Snapping its head towards the child, the creature's teeth clicked against each other, its body forced the surroundings to groan as it lunged towards its next meal.
A deep vibrating rumble swelled all throughout.
Its speed more terrifying than before, it crossed the vast distance in less than a second, its grotesque jaw snapping at the child.
The child losing all hope gave in to exhaustion, his legs buckling. The ground rose to meet him.
By a hair's breadth, the creature missed him, its own momentum carrying it forward, crashing into the wall.
Stone exploded, debris flying everywhere.
A torrent of rocks raining down on the child.
Then—
Light.
As if a gate had been opened to the sun itself, an ocean of light poured into the lightless space, tearing past the impenetrable darkness, ending its long reign.
The creature thrust into the world of light, shrieked a silent scream,
Light seized its flesh, rejecting its very existence. Its body convulsed and thrashed before dissolving under the burning light.
"Ah—!"
The child, who once forgot how to use his voice, tore free.
Among the many rocks that pelted his body one particularly heavy brick snapped his left leg.
For a few minutes he writhed in agony, his body now covered in new cuts and bruises all over.
After calming down, he chose to remain still, hoping to avoid the creatures attention. Only when a warmth of light shined down upon him did he move.
This warmth felt unfamilar, it felt... comforting.
The sensation settled over him.
It pressed lightly against his eyelids.
His brows twitched.
A memory surfaced of an action long unused.
Slowly, he opened his eyes beholding the world of light.
At first he winced turning away in pain, light stinging his untrained eye, hands went up as though to defend himself. Everything was a blur.
But the pain did not restrict him.
He forced his eyes open again.
What greeted his sight wasn't the oppressive darkness he had lived with all his life
But a new world, filled with color and warmth.
Towering mountains lined the horizon, beneath an expansive blue sky. Below then, a green forest veiled by the clouds, and a crystal clear stream running down the mountainside.
The child admired the scenery in awe.
So this is why I live.
His jaw hung wide open uncontrolled.
Without any recollection, he found himself already standing, leaning on the wall for support.
With a limp, he dragged his tired body to the outside, past the darkness, past the wall, and into the lights.
He, afraid the world might vanish, reached his hand out trying to grasp the mountains, the sky, the light.
In the sky a flock of birds caught his attention.
And higher.
A radiant white sphere that burned so bright it lit the world. He tried to get a better look, not understanding why it caused his eyes to tear up, eventually he was forced to turn away.
The light…
unforgiving—
didn't discriminate…