When Shadows Fall
Prologue: Escape
It was dark. As he lay there, huddled in the corner, eyes desperately trying to find something, anything in the darkness that could help him he wondered what he would do if he did find something. If he did indeed find a way to escape his prison where would he go? If he went back to the place of his birth then they would find him. No matter how bright the light the shadows would track him down and drag him back to this place of death and despair. He could never be free of the darkness.
A cough wracked his small frame and a sticky substance trickled down his jaw. Somehow he knew that if could see the liquid it would be a bright vibrant red, so very different from this place of darkness until it too eventually faded and joined the blackness. He vaguely remembered that his shirt had once been white (he thought it had at least) but that had been so long ago that perhaps he had imagined it just as he had once imagined the brightness of the moon and the voice that had come with it…the only voices he heard these days either belonged to him (and it was a rusty, pathetic sound) or it came from the deepest, darkest shadows near the big shapeless object that he knew was the door. There was a hole in the top half of the door with iron bars. He had looked through them many times but never saw anything, only more blackness.
So you can imagine his surprise when he saw…gold coming through the bars. He sat up straight in alarm, momentarily forgetting all about his broken ribs and collapsed lung only to quickly remember them. The sand flew through the room and stopped in front of him. After his eyes had adjusted he could see that they had formed marvelous fish with fins on their backs yet looking very different from sharks.
"What are you?" he whispered, his voice rusty from weeks of disuse. "Where did you come from?"
The sand didn't reply but began dancing until he slowly stood up then led him to the door. He pulled back and shook his head.
"He won't like it if I leave," he said.
But the sand continued dancing until he slowly, reluctantly reached out and pushed the door open. To his surprise it didn't creak but then he saw the grains of sand on the hinges and nodded in understanding. Not needing to be told to be quiet he tiptoed through the winding mazes and followed the sand wherever it went. As they were passing one of the many rooms he spotted a wooden staff leaning against the wall.
"Wait!" he hissed. "I need my staff."
He darted into the room and quickly grabbed it, the stick frosting over and glowing a slight blue. His own blue eyes widened in surprise then he tucked the staff closer to his body. He had been led through so many mazes that he was feeling dizzy now, his bruises and broken bones and internal injuries making it difficult for him to both breathe and walk.
"How much further?" he wheezed, muffling his cough just in time.
The sand fish didn't respond but continued flying through the air and so he trudged after it. Had it been any other situation he would have felt foolish for what he was doing but as it was could only feel relief that it seemed to be helping him. The shadows never would have let him near his staff; it was the only thing that could fend them off besides the light of course. They feared the luminescent light that the moon gave off which was another reason why he longed to see it again. Another was because he wanted to hear that voice again; the voice that had whispered his name so long ago. He was brought out of his internal musings by the sight of yet another door; this one covered in heavy lead with no iron bars in it. This must be the door that led to the moon. Cautiously he opened it then ran through, closing it softly behind him.
He then turned around and was forced to shield his eyes. A second later he managed to pry them open again and stared. It was the moon. The big, beautiful, bright moon was high in the sky. Nearby stars twinkled and he felt himself smiling. It had been so long since he had done so that the sensation felt foreign to him then he felt wetness on his cheeks. He raised a long, slender finger and touched the wetness then licked his finger. He was…crying. But why was he crying? Wasn't he happy about being free? Then he noticed that the sand animals were disappearing.
"No!" he cried. "Don't go!" then sank to his knees and began to cry even harder. A strange sound caught his ear and he rapidly turned his head just in time to jump out of the way of the shadow. "Leave me alone!" he shouted but the shadow kept coming until he was forced to take to the air to escape. As he hovered in the air he realized something; he could never be free of the darkness…
A/N: Sorry I took so long but I was sick and then had to go visit my sick aunt…hope you guys liked and please review!