Florescent Dawn
By Lindsay R. Honosky
Prolouge:
So yes, I finally got back to my Pale Hope story...well, sort of. I thought it would be best if I started another story, since the other one was about 30+ chapters long. This is just a little bit (sorry it's so small) but if you guys like it, I'll make sure to update again. I've already got the first chapter started, so hopefully either by tonight or tomorrow I'll have it posted. Thank you for reading, and sorry for the wait!
The drip, drip, driping of a nearby waterboard sent chills up his spine. How long has it been? A day, a month, a year? It was hard to tell in the prison that he knew not of, this dark and deadly place where screams where his only company day and night. It hadn't started off badly at first; a few hot coals to the feet and a lash or two at the back. However, the man began to attack his mind, and that was the worst pain of all. By now he had forgotten most of who he was, only a lingering thought kept him to his sanity. The smell of crushed pine needles and silvery blue skales; they were important to him at one time in his life. The thought of those things would sometimes bring back a name, his name, or so he thought. Eragon the voice would say. His voice, assumingly, since it had gone a long time ago with the screaming. He liked this word, this name for himself, so he refered to himself as such. The man would often ask him for his true name, but how truer can a name get than the one your own mother gave you? Well, the man didn't like that answer, so he would just go back into his mind and drag himself around again, in every nook-and-cranny (if brains have nooks-and-crannies).
A gate opened; it was time for meals. He wondered if it would be the old man again who never wanted to speak with him, or the nasty woman with no teeth, who spat at him and called him a traitor. Luckily, it was neither, and the small girl with freckles all over her face waddled in. Her tiny hands could only carry so much food, but it was always fresher than anything that the other two gave him, and at least she tried to talk to him. She was smiling underneath a dirty, patch-covered hood, trying to reach as far as she could for his mouth (he was chained up to the wall, which he thought was silly, since he couldn't remember how they brought him here). She frowned, "Sir, you're up to high for me to reach again."
Tears were brimming her little eyes, I'm sorry, but there aren't anymore boxes in here for you to stand on. The mind talking thing was all he had left, since the barely gave him enough water as it was. He sent the soothing smell of his memory to her, There now, it's alright. I'm not even that hungry.
"But sir, I can see your bones!" She tried to reach again, this time finding a small hole in the wall. She scrabbled up it as best she could, but only ended up falling as the rock crumbled beneath her feet. She sat down and began to cry.
Hush now, or you'll bring those things back! The girl didn't listen, however, she only cried all the more. The things scared her witless, for they had eaten her mother and slain her father before her very eyes. The man began to hear the familiar clinks of the things' feet, and his heart began to race. They would hurt the girl again if she didn't stop! Hey now, hey now! It's all alright! I'm right here; you don't have to worry. Just please, stop your crying!
"What'ssssssss going on in there?" The hissing voice asked. Beyond the bars stood the hooded form of nightmares, the things that he could no longer remember but never forget. He could hear its beak click as hungry eyes rested on the girl, who had gone silent in fear.
The man scowled, and croaked a faint reply, but nothing sensible came out. He trashed in his chains, trying to protect the girl, but he could barely move. This seemed to amuse the creature, as he opened the cell door wider and stepped inside. A mangled hand reached out for the girl, and the man's heart skipped a beat. She let out a shrill yelp, but the hand only patted her on the head, "Go on now," it hissed, "I'll feed him." The girl's eyes looked like white orbs, and she held fast to the small meal in her hands. The thing hissed angrily, and smacked the girl so hard she flew a few feet away, "I sssssaid I will feed him." Reaching down for the bread, which had gotten dirty from being knocked to the floor, the thing picked the girl up by the scruf of her clock and tossed her out of the cell, locking the door behind him. It turned quickly on invisible feet and reached out towards the man, "Here, eat thisss." The man didn't open his mouth, but only continued to scowl. Walking closer, the thing put it up towards his mouth, but the man only clamped his jaws down harder. The thing's anger peaking, it threw it at the man, shrieking, "Fine then, you'll have no mealsss for a week. See how hungry you are then!" As it stormed out of the room, another shadow waited outside the door. The thing bowed quickly, then rushed off into the hallway.
The one who replaced him scared the man more than the thing. Cold black eyes stared at him in a mocking grin, his balding head covered by a richly decorated red cloak, a black dragon on the back. In a deadly sweet voice, the bad man said, "Eragon. . ."