inbox for inthenight

[sauntered_downward]

inbox \@freddie1967

This is Anthony Crowley. You know what to do, do it with style. ▶

Comments

CW: blood, gore, impending death; 28th of November

[featherknives]

She didn't even set a step properly over the porch when it happened.

It was a pain, all too familiar, never forgotten, always in the back of her mind. It returned, searing, piercing through her abdomen and surging up as the creature lifted her all too easily off the ground. Back then, she stared Zed dead in the eyes with burning hatred; now she stares into the cold, dark November sky as the creature drags her away from the Inn, leaving a trail of her blood along the way.

She couldn't move- she tried to get off, but the more she squirmed, the further the cut went up her torso. All she could hope for is for the creature to drop her somewhere on the path so she can try and crawl back. And the creature did drop her- but not where she hoped.

Her scream now rang through empty woods as the spikes pierced her- one through the already made wound, one through the shoulder and third one through her thigh. He coughed and choked up on her blood as she still tried to move and reach for her device. She was a fighter, she didn't want to go out like this, not like this-

Her fingers are slippery from the blood as she turned on the device- she didn't even try to type and instantly went to voice message.

"C...Crowly..." speaking was hard with all this blood in her mouth but she forced herself to cough and take a breath so she can speak. "c-come... f-find me... th..ey... got...me..." heavy coughing interrupts her speech and a sob rises up to her throat, "p-ple...ase... I...don't... don't wanna... don't wanna die... not- not like........ th...is..."

The sound that follows was her dropping the device down on the ground next to her, but the message is still recording. Soft gasps and coughs as the light in her lantern becomes weaker and weaker each second. The last thing the device records is a quiet "...it's...cold..."

video

[sauntered_downward]

"Xayah?" Crowley doesn't even hesitate. He steps away from everything, flipping his tablet to video. She's only on audio, but he taps at the screen, as if he can make it show him where she is.

"Xayah, where are you? Tell me where you are! I can come to you, I can find you."

What's happened? Has she been attacked? She was just at the Invincible, he just saw her. He turns and starts towards the woods, then turns and rushes back towards the Invincible. He needs light. He needs backup.

audio

[featherknives]

She wants to tell him, but she doesn't know. She has no idea where she is. Did they go to the west or east? North or south? Does it even matter?

Turning head to look around is impossible. Her neck is stiff, her hands, legs, face growing colder and colder every minute. She wants to speak- let her speak- but her voice fails her. All she can do is cough again. And again. And again.

Last time, she had Rakan next to her. She had his voice ringing in her ears. Now she has cold wind and sound of her own blood dripping everywhere, the rustle of the forest. She was cold for another few moments and then- it stopped. It stopped being cold, it stopped hurting. A numbness like no other overflowed her as she stared at the night sky.

He's not coming... no one is coming.

She's alone. She always was.

audio

[sauntered_downward]

"Xayah? Xayah?"

Crowley stands, staring at his tablet. She's not responding. She's not responding and he has no idea where she is. She could be anywhere. She could be absolutely anywhere. He looks out to the darkness of the woods, where all of the vicious monsters are. She was out there for some reason, and now she's---

Well, now she's----

And the last thing they did was fight. Crowley didn't even get a chance to buy her a drink and tell her she was probably wrong.

He turns his head and looks out to the Lighthouse. This has to stop. He's going to stop it.