Author's Note: I've decided to try out another chapter story. This one is going to be long, and it might take a little while to get all the pieces together. However, if you like horror, this might be a good thing for you. So, enjoy, and if you wish, leave a review :)
The void was endless. That's all she could think about as she walked around the small enclosure with her guests spread out in front of her. Granted, they weren't awake yet, it would be harder for her to control them, but there would be a time for them to see the void as she did. Perhaps, it one of them showed a connection to it like she did, it might keep them. It had been a long time since she had any company. The tanks were doing their job, keeping the group sedated until it was ready to awake them.
Usually, she only got sent one or two people from the other world; when she awoke to find five people awaiting the magic, she had been elated. This had to be a sign, one of them must be destined to stay with her. She just had to figure it out. The void grew so lonely without any company, and the buildup of the magic tended to make the trials more and more bizarre at points. But, that wasn't her concern. The humans would experience the trials and make their own conclusions of it. She walked closer to inspect them better.
The first human in the tank was a girl. She was tall, and the long strands of hair, a color she couldn't remember, were suspended in the liquid. She was pretty, and once, long ago, she would have considered herself pretty too. But, it had been years since she saw herself; there were no reflections here. The girl looked strong, which would come in handy when it was time to start. But, the trials required different things, and there must be more hidden that she couldn't find. The girl didn't look like the ones that came way before her either.
Moving along, there was another girl. This one was completely different from the first one. Her hair was short, and a darker color. Again, the word for it failed her. You lost so much in the void. There was an odd stone in her forehead. Was it meant for anything? Did it hurt? She had so many questions, but she hardly got to answer all of them when new people came in. The trials always took so much time, and it was unpredictable if they would be awake after they came back. She liked hearing other voices besides her own.
There were three boys on the other side. The first was a normal looking one. There was fabric on his face and she couldn't help but admire the lithe body. Perhaps a slender frame would serve him well; she had no idea what types of levels the void would create this time around. He didn't have anything unnatural on him, but she wondered what he sounded like. Did he have an accent? Speak in a different language? She once had someone that only spoke in Spanish once. He didn't last long; the void took him quickly without giving her warning.
The second boy was huge. Large metal parts took up over half his body and it was clear that the fluid within the tank was having trouble with the weight. That was odd, since she hadn't encountered someone like this in many, many years. The last one she had seen was what she remembered as a knight. Was he a knight as well? His skin was darker than the rest, but she wondered what color his other eye was. The metal looked sleek, too, and she longer to feel the texture. Anything new was exciting to her in the void.
The last boy was the oddest of the group. The skin color was off, and she was certain the ears were wrong too. But, in a way, she liked it. There were so many normal looking people that came through, when the void felt like it needed more energy, so it was rare that she got to see people that didn't look human. Were any of these human? Deciding that she had seen enough for now, she wandering back towards the little cylinder in the front of the large, large room. An odd light emitted from it without any explanation.
The void was a hard thing to explain. Sometimes it spoke aloud to her, other times it was all in her head. She didn't know how it did it; that was another thing, the void wasn't male or female. If it was, she was never told. Once, a long time ago when she was fresh and new to the void, it told her that it had been human. But it didn't give any more information about that, even when she asked. By now she had grown used to the silences and those odd times that the void talked to her.
At first, the silence used to bug her. Now, the sounds of anything other than the silence scared her. Everything was louder when all you had in terms of sound were the echoes of footsteps and occasional sneezes and coughs. She talked aloud at points, to remember what her own voice sounded like. The void didn't have any tone when it spoke. She wished it did; it would make things more interesting, but the void didn't like taking orders from others, even if it was just from her. The cylinder was humming when she finally reached it. The light pulsed.
She didn't reach out and touch it, even if the light casted pretty shadows on her fingers. There was an undercurrent of energy on the outside of the cylinder and she still had burns on her hands from the first, and only, time she tried to touch it. She waited a few moments for something to happen, and when nothing did, she wasn't disappointed. The void was in charge, not her, so she got used to things being done on its own schedule. She sat down on the ground, wincing from the cold, and settled in to wait it out.
They look different, don't they? I thought we could do with a bit of a change here. The last ones were so normal looking, and then I found these.
"Where did you find them?" She didn't bother asking why the void was talking now. She wouldn't get an answer. The only information she got was what the void wanted her to know, no more no less.
There was a light strand of magic. I followed it, and then I observed them. I'm glad I did so, I have a strong feeling that we won't be disappointed in these this time.
"The last group didn't do that bad. They got several of the objectives before giving up." That group had been small, but one of the people, a girl, had been clever enough to last the longest. But, in the end, she failed as some many had done years before her.
I want something entertaining. Something that will leave me wanting a challenge. I think I can find that in them. But, I will need your help. I want to know what they are like. For that, you will need to talk to them. When it's time, I will awake them.
"Wake them up? I can meet them, and talk to them?" There was no time to hide the excitement in her voice. It had been such a long time since she had talked to anyone but the void, and while those conversations were always interesting, she longed for human contact. Someone she could see and touch and know was interacting with her. "When will you do it? Soon?" She realized the mistake after she had said it; the void didn't do well with taking demands.
I will wake them up when I see fit. Things are not quite ready yet.
The tone was like steel, unyielding, and she felt herself shrinking in a bit at it. The void was always going back between being calm and aloof, and hard and angry. There was no pattern, and every statement or question she asked had a 50/50 chance of being the wrong thing to say.
Have no worries, though, little bird. You will get all the time you need to talk with them. I am planning on only sending one at a time, to gauge how well they react to me. I wouldn't want them to have too much of an advantage.
"What kinds of advantages? Like them all working together? You've let that happen before." There was never a time when the void only selected one person to go to the trials. It always selected pairs or trios; it was also noted that there was always one person missing from those trials.
Each of them has…abilities. Their appearances aren't the only things odd about them. Do not ask me to explain. You will see for yourself when I start the trials.
"I knew they were hiding something! No one has ever come in looking like that before!" She was so thrilled.
True, but then again, none of them have had such a strong pull on magic. I'm not sure which one created it, or even if they knew they were doing it, but it doesn't make any difference. I found them, and now, I shall have my fill of entertainment. You shall as well.
There was nothing in the void when the trials weren't going on. So, when it was time, she took full advantage of watching and getting involved. Even if it made her feel extremely guilty later on. It was easier to deal with the guilt when she was alone.
Then again, the void never pressured her to take part in all of this. It had stated, back when she first arrived here, that she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to. At first, she hadn't agreed to anything the void had asked of her. Then, as time went on and she finally realized that she wasn't getting out of her anytime soon, she started taking a more active role. After that, saying yes to things asked of her got easier and easier until she barely had to think about it. It was a scary habit to develop.
"Will I have a chance to make a trial? Even a small one?" The whole process of getting a trial made was a mystery to her, like most things here, but this was one question she always asked even if the answer was always no. There was a long pause, and she was waiting for the scolding she usually got when she asked too much.
Perhaps. Most of them are already made, but I may need your assistance on some of the minor details. Obviously, I can't have you working on anything serious, but there is an opportunity here.
The void didn't elaborate on what that opportunity was, just that it was there, and when the void was ready she would know what it was. The void operated as it saw fit and nothing was revealed until it was necessary. She got up to her feet and walked back over to the tanks. All of them were floating still, perfectly unaware of what was awaiting them in the void. Or the trials. There was bound to be some new surprises this time around. The void didn't like reusing old things, which he had to do a few times before.
I must leave now, little bird. Now, keep an eye on the tanks. They shouldn't show signs of waking up just yet, but with their abilities, I can't be sure that the usual mixture will keep them down long enough. If it doesn't, and you see one of them move, alert me.
The void gave no advice on how to alert it, but she didn't think too hard about that. If it happened, she'd deal with it then. Besides, now she could think about other things instead of worrying whether or not her questions had been the wrong ones asked.
Inside, no one showed signs of waking up. She felt a little annoyed at that, since that would be something to see. Hardly anyone woke up inside of the tanks, only outside, and that was only for a few moments until they were transported to the trials. She sat back down in the middle, where she could see everyone, and started taking a mental catalogue for each person. The metal man was the biggest of the lot, but his metal might not be the right thing here. The green one was the tiniest, with the two girls and the other boy falling in the middle.
"I wonder what you sound like. Do you have accents? Maybe, the void likes to pick people who live far away. Then again, I don't know how far that is. I don't know where we are now, so it could be a few miles or a few thousand. I don't know. Are people looking for you? It seems likely. Everyone has someone that would miss them. I had someone too, but I can't remember. Being here for a long time makes you forget those kinds of things. The void calls it useless information to have."
There was a lot of useless information in her head, according to the void. Her name was the first to go, since it only called her girl or little bird, and it didn't have a name either. Then her memories started to fade, followed by everything else. She became what the void wanted, and now, in times of boredom, she often wondered if she could ever find those parts of herself again. It didn't seem feasible. The void was a perfectionist and wouldn't have left her with any loose strings that could trigger memories for her to fall back on.
"I don't think the void will take your memories. Though, if it likes you well enough, it might keep you here. I'm not sure how it works exactly. That was another bit that I lost. The void said, since I'm already here, why do I need the knowledge of how it happened. I do get curious though, but it sets me straight again. Perhaps you'd like to share your memories with me! That would be fun. And, since they aren't my own, I would get to keep them. I've done it before with other people that have come through here."
None of them reacted to her voice. She amused herself by watching them all float in the liquid, commenting on how pretty the girl's hair was, and wondering if the metal man would eventually sink to the bottom of the tank due to being so heavy. The void didn't speak, even after she call out, so she assumed it was off doing something. She wondered how the void got anything done. It didn't have a body, as far as she knew, and she heard it speak of how it got stuff done. Maybe it had other helpers to assist it.
"I bet you're dreaming right now. What are you dreaming of? I bet it's something wonderful. I don't dream anymore. That's because I don't sleep. The void says sleeping is for those who are human and weak. I am not a human anymore, according to the void. I haven't been for a long time. Sometimes, when I get bored, I shut my eyes and pretend that I can dream. It's not as fun as doing it for real, but it's as close as I can get. Maybe you can give me more ideas of things to dream of later on."
Thinking about dreams had her sad all of a sudden. She couldn't sleep, that was true, but the void believed in healthy doses of terror was a good way to show respect for their superiors. Thus, whenever the void decided, she would have panic attacks with horrible, unspeakable terrors filtering across her eyes. She was never sure how long these lasted. It could have been a few seconds, maybe a few days, who knew? She wondered if any of these people had a watch and if they would be willing to give it to her. She's be grateful for it.
"I know what I can do. I'll tell you a story. Everyone likes stories, right? Well, this one is about a little bird. The little bird got lost one day and was found by a fox. The fox told her that he knew the way home. So, the little bird followed the fox down into a dark cave. This wasn't where the little bird lived, but it was too late to escape. The fox blocked all the exits off and kept the little bird for himself. Now, the little bird tried to escape, but she couldn't. So, she remained there."
It wasn't a nice story, but it the same one she always told herself. The void resembled a fox, being all sly and crafting. Maybe it did kidnap her, or maybe she came here on her own. She didn't remember and she wished she did. Perhaps these people, when they woke up, could help her find out. The void said one of them had magic, if she asked nicely and explained why she needed the help, the magic caster might see her plight and assist her. It could be all for nothing; the void said that her memories were lost.
"That wasn't a nice story, was it? I'm sorry. I don't have a lot of happy ones. The void says that happy stories don't have a good message and that it's pointless to make life seem happy all the time. Do you have any better stories? I bet you have a bunch. We could share when you wake up. There's lot of time between each trial, especially since the void is only going to take each of you one by one. So we can get to know each other really well. It'll be fun, I think. Don't worry about it."
What have you been doing, little bird? Telling stories again? I hope that you haven't been trying to fill their heads with rubbish. I need them to have their brains with them.
"I haven't been telling them rubbish stories! I just like talking to them. Why can't they wake up now, it's so boring here."
Are you telling me what to do, girl? I hardly think you are in a position to be demanding things or giving orders. Those are meant for people who are capable of such things. You aren't able to handle the pressures of making hard decisions.
"N-no, not at all! I was just thinking that we could gain more insight to them if they were awake. Wouldn't that an easier option?"
I do not do easy, child. This is a critical period. The trials are almost finished, and I will not bring them back to consciousness until the right moment. If you find a fault with my reasoning, then I would advise you to remain quiet about it.
Feeling ashamed and belittled, she hung her head. Tears built, but she didn't dare let any of them fall. Weakness wasn't allowed in the void. It was punishable.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say you were wrong. I… I just get lonely sometimes. I thought it might be better to have someone to talk to."
Am I not enough for you? These people are not meant to stay long. Perhaps, one might, but that is not your concern. There is a strict process for taking residence in the void. Being lonely is weak, little bird. You would do best to rid yourself of it. Humans are meant to be alone.
"I wasn't alone once. I had people who cared for me. They could care for me, too."
These people have no reason to care for you. They have not looked after you as I have. They have not brought you here for your own safety as I have. If I haven't found you, you would be living in chaos, in a world with no morals. They have no morals. Don't associate these people with the word caring. You watch, the moment they know you work for me, they will leave you. It always happens, little bird, do you forget that? They might act like it, but it is only to save themselves that they pretend around you.
"That's a lie." Even as she said it, doubt was already invading her head. Everyone always acted concerned for her, thinking that she was a pawn just like them in the trials. Well, she was, but not like they were. She had never, and would never, see the inside of a trial. When they finally learned that she worked for the void, well, that ended things quickly. Many got angry at her, a few were curious as to why she helped it, but most were scared of her. Like she was the one who controlled things in this horror pit.
Isn't it though? You're thinking about how right I am this moment. I can see into your head. I know every thought that has appeared there. No use lying to me or yourself. Lying is pointless. In here, there is only the truth. And the truth is that none of these people will ever care for you. You are not human, little bird. They are. Thus, they are blind. Let the trials bring forth their true intentions and motivations. If they care, then that is where it will show. Now, go off into the shadows. It is almost time, child.
"Can't I just stay here? Why do I have to go into the dark?" Even after being here for so long, those dark corners on the void had frightened her, and she stayed in the soft rays of light coming from the tanks and the cylinder. She had never been asked to stay out of sight in a long time, not since the beginning of her time here. "Please, I'll be quiet, and I won't mess anything up. I just want to stay where I can see, please, I don't like the dark, it's scary, please, and I'll be good!"
You will do as you are told or I shall do it for you. I will not ask you a second time. Now, be quiet. I don't want any of them to be alerted to your presence.
Shaking, she walked over to the darkness, finding a spot near the cylinder where the light, unfortunately, didn't touch and slid down the wall until she was curled up. She hated the dark; anything she couldn't see was terrifying to her. Clamping her teeth together, and placing both hands over her mouth, she waited, anxiously, for something to happen. Slowly, they woke up.
