“Ok.” He said holding up his hands. “If you want to turn back now then go ahead but I’m going. I can’t let Legion cross over, I can’t let him…” He shook his head, shaking the words out of his mouth. He threw his lighter satchel over his shoulder and started climbing the wall. Jake followed soon behind him. We were all on this quest for one reason, and that became apparent. Danger was a part of that and we had to deal with it.
Edmund was the last to start climbing; he protested the most but didn’t want to be left behind. I was in front of him and Eli ahead of me. I had to wrestle his bag off him. He wanted to keep all of the sweets and chocolate he had saved for the journey, an unfortunate sacrifice he had to make. The crevasses in the walls made it possible, my hands gripping tightly to the jagged handles. Now and again my foot would slip. The cliff was crumbling; we had to get across quick the weight of all of us was too much for the thin outer layer of the wall. The gap was getting cramped; I could feel the other wall closing in. We were close to becoming a rock sandwich. A sharp pain split through my chest. Shooting sensations went through my arm.
“Not now, not now.” I said. The hunter’s blood was being unfair.
“Why have you stopped?” Edmund said. I couldn’t shimmy across and hold on tight. All my energy went into holding onto the rock. The others were unaware of the attack, and carried on ahead. Edmund was panting heavily. “What are you doing? Get moving.”
“Wait, just wait.” I said, tensing my muscles trying to defend myself against it. “It should pass.” I said. It was getting worse and I don’t think waiting is the answer. The vial was inside my front pocket. I might not be able to hold on with just one hand. But I had to try if I waited any longer I might not be able to hold on with both. I cautiously raised my hand off of the ledge, pulling myself up with the other hand, compensating for the extra weight.
“Come on.” Edmund said getting impatient. I opened the flap and pulled out the vial. Its golden aura lighting up my face. I bit down on the small cork in the top, yanking it out. I poured the liquid down my top. It burnt its way through, eating at my clothes. It felt hotter than before, I let out a yelp from the pain. The lip of the wall that my hand was holding onto started to flake off. I was losing my grip; the acid ripping into me. Fighting the infection was taking all my energy. The wall gave way; I dropped the vial and flailed my other hand towards the wall, trying to find leverage. Edmund pushed up against me, helping me find my footing. I clasped onto another crack, digging my feet in, making sure I was stable. I was breathing heavily, catching my breath.
“Thanks.” I murmured in between breaths.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You almost got us both killed.” He said.
“Sorry.” After gaining my confidence I carried on sliding across the wall to the others. I dropped it, I bloody dropped it! The thing trying to save my life almost got me killed. And now it is gone, into the depths never to be seen again. Damn it!
The rock face was becoming harder to climb but we managed to catch up with the others.
“Stop!” Alistair shouted. Everyone halted. My head was against the wall not looking down or around, only bobbing up to see the next ledge. “It’s a dead end.” He said.
“We’re going to have to blow it open.” Jake said. They said it as if it was going to be easy. Edmund and I were right at the back, we were going to have to climb fast to get to the end.
“Is it definitely the end wall?” Ingram said.
“Yes, I can see light coming from the other side through one of the cracks.” Alistair said.
“What are you waiting for do it?” I said. I could sense they were hesitating on my behalf.
“Everyone hold on tight and when the light breaks through climb as fast as you can, when I blow this open the walls won’t hold out for very long.” Alistair said. Everyone braced themselves, cuddling the wall. “1.” He said. I closed my eyes ready to dash across, making a break for the opening. “2.” It wasn’t too far, it wasn’t too far. I can do this. “3!” He shouted. A green burst of energy lit the cavern, the rock barrier exploding outwards. The cliff faces started to rumble above and beneath us, chunks of wall collapsed around us. “Move!” He shouted. I grabbed the next ledge and then the next. Forgetting about the debris falling around me, concentrating on the wall, just the wall. Left hand, left foot, right hand, right foot. Saying the words over and over in my head. The moonlight showered over me, the others managed to get across but the wall was decaying. Every piece I let go of fell into the darkness. The panel of stone ahead of me fell apart. I pulled back from the next crack. There was nothing to grab on to, the wall falling away.
“Atlas!” Eli yelled. He had made it across to the other side; I couldn’t see the others they must have climbed down. “You’re going to have to jump.” He said reaching out his hand.
“What! Are you crazy?” I protested.
“Come on its giving way.” I couldn’t argue anymore. I leant back onto my side, squeezing myself together like a spring. I pushed off the wall, nothing guiding me across except the cold night air. The ledge was too high. I flung my hands forwards, reaching out towards it. I missed it by an inch. I dug my finger nails hard into the end wall. My hand clipping a grip. My whole body jerking downwards as it catches up with itself. My arm felt like it had been ripped out of its socket. Eli grabbed my hand, keeping me above the empty cavern.
“Edmund come on.” I said dangling over the pit. I hold out my one free hand. He was further back than I was and I couldn’t even make it. He had to leap for me. His face was contorted the fear exploding through his features. He let out a screech as he jumped off the wall. His arms were swinging too wildly, I couldn’t focus on one. I chucked my hand out randomly, clenching my fist, hoping to grab hold of him. Gotcha! The force made Eli stumble, but he gained his footing. He wasn’t going to be able to pull us both up without help. “Edmund hold on.” I said I could feel my grip loosening. He was slipping through my fingers.
“I can’t.” He said his words echoing off the disintegrating walls around us. He threw up his other hand trying to get a better hold on me. But it didn’t help; the climbing took its toll on our hands and body. He was weak and tired. “Don’t let go, don’t let go.” He said.
“I won’t.” I said. His palm began to slip through my fingers. I clutched tighter but that made it worse.
“Eli pull us up!” I said.
“I’m trying.” He panted. I looked into Edmunds eyes, I hardly knew him and his life was in my hands. He took such a dislike to me without even knowing me, threatening me. But he didn’t deserve this. No one deserves this. I was holding onto him by the tip of his fingers now.
“Help” He said looking up at me. His weight was too much. My hands separated from his.
“Noooo!” I shouted. He fell. Falling into the void, it devouring him. I could see him scream, but his voice was missing. It dissolved into the emptiness. Then he was gone. Eli picked me up, saving me from the same fate as Edmund. I dived onto my back, all the strained muscles relaxing. The ledge was small, the others had to climb down so that Eli could help us. Help me. I wanted more than anything to swap places with Edmund. I didn’t want to have to face his father and tell him that his son had perished, falling forever. It will crush him.
17 –WATERS OF REGRET-
He didn’t take it well. Why would he? His only son was just killed and he wasn’t there to save him. The news swept over him, like a bad flu. He didn’t know whether to feel sad or angry, they combined together into something much worse. He tackled Alistair to the floor, strangling him, screaming at him.
“It was your fault, you blew the cavern open, you caused this.” He screamed. Alistair didn’t retaliate; he had the guilt on his shoulders weighing him down. He wanted to be punished for his actions; we had to travel that way there was no way around that decision. He knew that but it didn’t help. After being pulled off Alistair, Gillian left the camp; he wanted to be alone for a while. We all did. I had a bitter taste in my mouth, images of him falling flash into view over and over. I sat on the sand that’s cradled around the lake. It was dark now, the night sky flying over our heads. The stars were brighter than I had ever seen, and they seem closer than usual. Fireflies flutter about the camp, keeping the place lit, bright enough to walk around without falling over each other. The nights are opaque here, the moon shines its light down but somehow it doesn't make it all the way through, leaving the world. Betraying it, letting it fight for its life from the creatures and beasts that roam the wilderness, waiting, lurking.
The pain in my shoulder was getting worse. I tried to hide it, pretending that there wasn't a chunk out of my torso. But there was and it was spreading. My left hand had started to tremble, the disease pushing through my veins. Pumping my hand full of toxins, the skin was turning a grey colour. The curse hadn't reached my lower body yet but it still made it hard to walk at times. Crippling me, forcing me to breathe heavy and relax. It almost got me killed in the cavern, I can’t keep this up. The vial was gone, I was on borrowed time and I had to use it wisely. My heart was working double time just to get the blood around my body. As much as I've tried to feign being healthy, Farro can see it in me. He can see it slowly kill me and I know it makes him sick. His eyes flicker with regret and sorrow. I want to give up and just lie down, forgetting all this ever happened, but I can’t. Its real and I can’t escape it. I need to push on; the concoction the doctor gave me wasn’t working anyway. I need to carry on and finish this. I can’t stop this evil from winning but perhaps I can stop another. The only option is to move forward, and hope that Highwell Manor hasn’t been overrun with demons. Otherwise it’s going to get a whole lot harder.
The water on this side of the cliff was different. It felt alive as if it was listening to everyone, waiting for them to come in. It was the way it flowed or didn’t. The water was dead still; it sent a shiver up my spine. I didn’t like it. I picked up the flattest stones that I could find and skimmed them across the water. The stones would disappear through a thin vale of mist that lied on top of the water’s surface. I couldn’t even hear the splashing of the stones; it’s as if the rocks vanish into the depths of the water. I raised my arm to throw a larger stone in to hear the splash. But before I could my arm was grabbed from behind me.
“Don’t!” A voice cried. I turned around to see Farro; he was shocked as if I was throwing cats or something. “Dark evils slumber in these waters.” He said taking the stone off me.
“Is there nothing safe to do?” I said sitting down on the bank. Farro sighed and plumped down beside me.
“This used to be a mining town.” He said
“I don’t see any buildings, it’s just the lake.” I said, looking around trying to find any sort of evidence of a settlement.
“This was long, long ago; the buildings have been worn and destroyed by the years of weather and human abuse.” He said. “They mined deep into the caves.” He said pointing to the open cavern in the distance across the lake. “They became greedy, digging too far into mother nature, destroying its beauty.” He said. I imagined the skies clouded with soot and smoke from the miners, fires burning within its belly.
“What happened to them?” I said.
“No one really knows, but rumour has it that they found something down there, in the caverns. Something evil.” Farro said. I regret the decision to chuck stones into the lake now. It’s always something evil, they never find something nice, something that doesn’t want to kill them the first chance they get. “Travellers avoid this road whenever possible. Strange things lie on the waters floor. Blackmoor Lake is cursed.” He said. There was an eerie feel to the water, as if it was breathing, goading me in until I’m helpless in the water as it devours me. Drowning me in the dark muddy water. Leaving no trace that I ever existed. I rolled my ring around my finger. So much power within such a small thing. I held it up to the light, the moons bright aura bouncing off it, creating a whirlpool of coloured light that reflected off the stone embedded ring. ‘Atlas.’ It was the woman’s voice from before, the woman that never was. She sounded more urgent this time.
“Who are you? Why won’t you leave me alone?” I said. ‘Leave this place.’ “I’m not listening to you, you don’t exist. You are some sort of figment of my imagination.” I said.
“What?” Farro said. I forgot he was here. I shook the thoughts of this mysterious voice. Everything was getting to me, the death that surrounds this world. “Why did you lie to me?” I said to Farro. I hadn’t wanted to ask this for a long time now. I could be dead tomorrow; I don’t want to die in regret and false hope.
“What?” He said confused.
“Why did you lie to me? You took me away from my home, promising wonders and magic. All I’ve seen is death and blood.” I said. I wanted to look away from him but I held strong and kept my gaze. He didn’t answer straight away, the words jumbled in his mouth, not ready to come out.
“I know it hasn’t been that great so far…”
“Not great! You’re telling me. I have been mortally wounded, half of my body is falling to pieces and there’s no end to it in sight.”
“Where’s that vial the doctor gave you?” He said.
“I dropped it in the cavern, just before I watched Edmund plummet to his death.” The words were like arrows I was shooting at him, I know it wasn’t his entire fault and he has tried his best but I needed, I wanted to let out some frustration. “You know what hurts me the most, not the monsters or the constant travelling, it’s you. You stole me away from my dad’s funeral; I let him be buried on his own. I wasn’t there with him and that’s your fault.” I said, the guilt was rising up inside of me, I was trying to give it all away to Farro, but that was impossible, as much as I wanted to blame him, I was to blame to. I couldn’t sit there anymore I had to get away. Before Farro could speak I got up and began walking away.