Sketch #3

Title: Venomous Calignosity

# Words: 552

Rating: K+

Notes:

This one took me way longer than I wanted it to. I've been working on it for a week because every time I leave it open for more than 10 minutes, my stupid MSWorks crashes my computer. I finally realized I could just work in Wordpad... Yes, I used a thesaurus for the title...

Disclaimer: You have no idea what I would give to own Dragon Knights. And Alfeegi would still be alive if I did.

Vaguely, she could remember someone once quoting something that sounded as if it were straight out of the tragedy of her life. A faceless, nameless voice, simply reciting a forgotten piece of poetry or prose. "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Well, from her experience or otherwise, its falsity was obtrusive. The anguish that filled her soul, that crept silently, smoothly, into her mind as she overheard the conversation between two unconcerned demons had been the most devastating experience of her life. She stood immobile, unable to think, unable to breathe, watching as a tainted reflection of herself took control of her physical self, pushing her back, suffocating her in the darkness of her own subconscious. She had never felt so helpless, so useless. The serpentine guilt slithered past all defenses and plunged its deadly fangs into her heart, spreading its poison effectively throughout her entire being. Numb, cold, terrified. Ashamed.

Instinctively, she began to hurl insults at her unfortunate rescuers. How could they be so careless? Had they no more power than to be captured almost immediately upon gaining entrance to the stronghold of the enemy? They were idiots. They were stupid. Her mind would have it no other way. It was all their own, dumb faults that they had allowed themselves to be taken hostage. Not hers. No--

But, struggle as she might, she could not deny that the rightful place of the burden of accountability was on her shoulders. If she hadn't ever met these kind people- these people who did not deserve the misfortune she seemed to solely bring- she wouldn't be here, imprisoned in the confines of her own mind. And they would not be out there, risking their lives for her. Rath would not be risking his life for her. Not that putting his life on the line was a new experience for the tortured Knight, but this time, she was at fault. Sure he had done so before, but this time, it sounded like none of them would set foot outside of this stony prison again. The poison crept further through her veins, paralyzing her. Or maybe it was just the fact that she was trapped in her own subconscious, unable to act, forced to be a spectator of her own existence. Whatever the cause of the agonizing immobility, she didn't know how much longer she could endure it before she lost her will to exist.

'You had your chance, Cinderella, and you blew it.' Here it was again, that overwhelming wave of guilt. This time, she presented no resistance. Forlornly, she allowed it to consume her.

'No!' The face in front of her smirked maliciously in mockery of her sudden rebellion

'Oh yes, it's my turn now.' A second wave composed of frustration and exhaustion swept over her, serving no purpose save to worsen her situation. She was drowning... And so tired. It would be so simple to just give in to this one sweet temptation; just to close her eyes and be done with the entire draining matter. After all, if she was unconscious, what control did she have? What blame could lawfully be placed on her? And so she let her eyes flutter silently shut, relenquishing her last this tie with the conscious world.