I don't remember my true identity, or how I got here. When my eyes popped open for the first time in, well...come to think of it, I had no idea how long it had been. I just remember I was in a dark room, illuminated only by what faint light was peeking in through the stained glass window, courtesy of the approaching dawn on the horizon. I couldn't make out much except that the walls seemed to be painted a light dandelion color and the floor was wooden, no doubt a dark wood. I was also able to faintly identify two staircases of the same wood on either side of me, and a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the impressively high ceiling. But among the scenery, the most distinct part of my "awakening" was that as I gazed around trying to familiarize myself with my surroundings, I noticed that several pairs of beady, unfamiliar purple stares were slowly moving toward me from all directions.
For the first few minutes, all I could manage to do was lay on the floor, paralyzed from head to toe with a fear I had never so intensely experienced while these unidentified beings lingered over me. I tried with all the strength I could muster to twitch a finger or bat an eyelash to make sure that I was alive, but even simple tasks such as these were impossible at the time.
After a bit more time had passed and I started to come to, shrill shrieks began to escape my parched throat. They actually sounded more like gasping, but eventually they turned into coughing.I could taste an overwhelming amount of iron in my mouth, and upon further inspection of the hand that I coughed into, I noticed it had a giant crimson splotch splattered across it. My eyes grew wide with fear for several reasons: one, I had no idea where I was, two, I didn't know who I was, and three, I was coughing up blood for reasons unbeknownst to me
"Don't worry kid, it'll stop eventually," said what appeared to be a man in women's clothing. His voice was angry and scratchy, and he wore a malicious grin upon his face beneath his surprisingly long and thick brown locks. "It happens to all of us when we are first born".
First born? I couldn't have just been born. I didn't know much at this point, but I was certain that when someone was born that they were much smaller and more feeble than someone of my stature. In fact, other than my bloody coughing spells, I felt powerful.
"Envy, there's no need to frighten her as soon as she wakes up. Give her some time to gain consciousness, she'll learn soon enough," replied a tall man with an eye patch. He was an older gentleman, but his hair was still jet black, not a strand of gray in sight. His voice was much calmer, much gentler than that of the man he called Envy. This same man then extended his hand to me. "Need some help?" he asked with a friendly smile.
I was entirely confused at this point. All I could do was blankly stare at his hand for what felt like ages, but he continued to reach out to me, smiling all the while. After so long, I finally found the courage to grasp his hand and pull myself up. There was something about this strange pirate-looking man that instilled a sense of trust in me from the get go. He seemed benevolent in nature, like he genuinely meant to do me no harm.
"Young lady, if you would like a place to collect yourself and think for a bit, there is a bedroom and a bathroom up the right-hand staircase just for you. Just go up, and walk to the very end of the hallway. Take as much time as you need, we're in no hurry. Please don't hesitate to ask me personally if you need anything or even if you find that something is not to your liking." The man gestured towards the stairs, and I began to ascend them.
I stopped mid climb to turn around and look at my captors (it was the only description that I could generate at the time). Upon counting, I came to the conclusion that there were seven of them. They were all so different, yet they all seemed to have something in common. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Clearly it was not something that could be seen physically, but it could definitely be felt. It seemed that none of them were really paying any attention to me; they were all involved in their own conversations amongst themselves, concerning what, I wasn't sure. I still wasn't really able to able to recognize anything other than silhouettes from this far away, so I turned back around and made my way up to the top of the staircase