Madison, her stomach aching with pain, slowly rose up, getting little glimpses of her surroundings. Everything was so dark as if her eyes were still shut. Stretching, she squinted her eyes, trying to see if she could make out anything. Why was it so dark? Had the power gone out after she chanted the spell? But surely the sun's rays would have provided some assistance to her eye sight!
Madison, can you hear me?
Her ears instantly perked up, her gaze drifting back and forth. Whoever called out to her could not be seen as well.
Madison, you can hear me?
Not knowing what else she could do, she nodded.
Good. In order to help you, I'm going to guide you.
There are two problems that persist however.
It is your location, and the two people who were mistakenly brought down here.
You also wield no weapon at this time.
There are countless confused monsters down here; ones you have seen and met before.
Do not let the fear they wish to drown you with control you.
Bravery is a must. Shake if you understand.
Still perplexed, she gave another nod.
Excellent! Now, you must find a way to get out of where you crashed.
The debris will not hesitate on collapsing down on you.
But, you also need to be careful, otherwise it will crash down faster.
"H-How…" She started, but ended up in a series of dry, cracked-sounding coughs.
You've injured yourself greatly.
Speak with your mind, child, not your mouth.
"OK…" She began. "How do I get out exactly? Where am I?"
The same library you were in before.
Except, this one is in ruins. You crashed through the ceiling upon arriving here.
Above you is a chandelier, and it will not hesitate to crash on you. So, you must crawl out with care, understand that.
She slowly nodded, beginning to slowly crawl through the mess of books and other fallen debris. More fear crawled into her as she heard creaking noises. Her body also ached, so moving quickly was not an option. The creaking noises became louder and more consistent. Completely afraid, she burst out as quick as she could, collapsing down onto the ground.
She turned behind her to see not only the chandelier fall, but an avalanche of rocks that were above her previous location. Her heart pounded, realizing that if she hadn't fled, she would have been crushed.
…Madison, that was not very careful of you, but at least you made it.
Now, we have many important tasks to do.
If you want to escape with your father out of here alive, you must do everything I tell you. Understood?
Another nod.
Good. First, the very location you are in is your home.
"Home…?" She asked, bewildered. "Why's everything wrecked? Where's Mom and Agodea?"
You have many questions. Understandable.
I can only answer one of those questions, otherwise, you will only hurt yourself.
Your mother and so called brother, are not here. Remember that hole? Unless they were in it, they remain safe.
Madison shuttered. She had so many questions to ask the voice in her head. Where was she? Why was everything in her home in ruins? If Agodea and Mid Knight were safe, then where were they exactly?
She had no choice but to let the questions spiral around like a tornado inside her head.
First, you will need a weapon.
Your staff, Kaspius, correct? It is not here with you.
Such weapons cannot make the journey down here, otherwise, you wield too much power.
"If I can't use Kaspius, what can I use?"
Search this house. If you can remember, you can remember what and where to find the item you desire.
"You aren't all great with giving advice you know…"
If you received everything you ever wanted the moment you wanted it, what is the point of living?
She paused, flattening her ears beside her head.
Exactly. Get to searching child.
She stretched, her body still in massive amounts of pain, and actually looked around. She could see, the room still dark, but at least it was visible. The voice in her head was right, this place was the library she was in before.
Books were either torn apart or covered in dust. The floors and ceilings were cracked, the once nice wallpaper torn or removed completely. Spiders made webs from book shelves to the ground. Her father's once beautiful library was now in ruins.
I understand. You are worried. Do not be. You must continue forth.
Nodding, sadness in her chest, she started towards the door. As soon as her hand made contact with the knob, the door fell, the hinges not even connected.
Shaking a bit, Madison continued out, looking back once more at the fallen library. Stepping into her parent's room, she heard a static noise. Immediately, she froze.
Be careful Madison. The static noise is a warning. There is a monster in here.
"A monster!? B-But I have nothing to fight against it…"
There are multiple ways of fighting without using a weapon, child. Be strategic.
Taking a deep breath, she began to walk again, the static noise growing louder and louder as got closer to her parent's bed. Was that where the monster lay?
Carefully, she got closer to the bed. A soft growl could be heard, making her flinch. Part of her wanted to lift the covers, just to get a peek of what lay underneath, but another part of her knew doing so would awake the monster. Without knowing what it was, she could never beat it.
She fought over her curiosity, and headed towards the door. Just like the library, this door crumbled before collapsing. Scared, she turned to face the bed. The covers rippled, and an agonizing cry could be heard.
Not good Madison. You are not ready, but you must try. Do not show fear to this confused creature. It feeds off of your fear. Be brave, bravery is what frees it from pain.
Madison didn't listen, she let fear consume her as she saw the beast rise. It was round, just like her, and covered in a black sludge-like substance. Its eyes were covered by a white bandage, and its mouth revealed dozens of tiny with fangs. On one arm, a shoulder pad with star could be seen. It was slightly ripped with red stains. Its body color was a dully gray, and bones were visible in different areas.
The creature let out a distorted scream; a scream that hit Madison right in the heart. Instinctively, she ran out of the room, leaving the monster to follow. However, it seemed to bump into every little obstacle trying to give chase.
Madison, do not run. You are doing the same actions my previous owner did. You must help it! It is a confused being that wishes to be free.
Skidding to a halt, Madison turned to see that the book was right. The monster's cries were cries of pain, not anger or hatred. It collapsed, wriggling around as if it were suffocating. Slowly, Madison walked over to it. It sensed her presence and lunged at her, viciously snapping its jaw on her hand.
She let out a screech of pain, toppling backwards with creature. Unfortunately, the floor was quite weak and couldn't carry the two, causing it break. The two fell down onto hard, solid concrete. The creature, its fangs still stuck in her hand, began to wail. Madison, still in pain, did everything she could to pull her hand out, but the monster refused to let her have it back.
Madison stared at it, seeing how distressed it was. The book was right again, it didn't want to cause harm, but if her hand wasn't lodged in its fangs, she would have escaped. Thinking, she gently stroked the upset monster, trying to calm it down.
"I-It's okay…" She began, her voice still a bit cracked from earlier. "I…I'll try to help you…"
The monster's wailing stopped, and it released her bloodied hand. Madison let out a hiss through clenched teeth, but continued to stroke the monster until both had settled down. The monster stared obediently at her, slightly moving its head up and down.
She stared at it, only more confused than before.
"Hey Book, how do I help this thing? I-It can't talk…"
Do not think of a way to help it. Think of the monster's problem. Why is it like this way? Then you will get your solution.
She observed it once more: broken shoulder pad, a big white bandage across its face, holes in the skin with visible bones, jagged fangs, one twisted foot, and claw-like hands.
"Of course! I see now! You want to be able to see…you want to be able to see a clear, painless life so you don't have to hurt yourself anymore…but because of that bandage, your obstacle, you cannot see a clear, happy life. All you see if pain, more reasons to beat yourself. But you have to realize, err-Mr. Monster, that you can't just see everything and have it how you want it! Disasters will happen, but that's just a part of life…"
Very well said, Madison. Look, the monster is finally healing.
The voice was right, a faint white light glowed around the monster, the bandage slowly fading away. The creature's eyes were closed, but it felt as if it could see again. It felt that a brand new life awaited it as its bruises and scars were healed. The jagged fangs soon turned into regular teeth, both shoulder pads restored like new. Before the creature disappeared, it spoke in a soft, gentle voice, "Thank you…"
Like dust in the wind, she was gone. Madison gulped, feeling a patch of fear fade away. She let out a sigh of relief, but hissed when she remembered the pain in her hand again.
Madison, you are hurt very badly. We need a bandage of sorts to stop that blood from flowing out. Do you know your current location?
She shook her head saying, "No…I don't remember there being a room under the living room…"
Though this is your house, do not think of it as an exact replica of it. There are many rooms here, many that you have not seen before.
She nodded, observing her surroundings. The room was very empty; the only part of the house that wasn't in ruins. The floor was actually quite clean, though hard as a rock. There were a couple of book shelves that leaned against the wall, a small green couch, and another door. She headed towards the door, opened it, revealing a bathroom.
Right above the sink was a cabinet. It had a lock on it however.
I have a feeling the supplies you need is in that cabinet. Go back out. Perhaps there is a key somewhere close by.
Obeying, she headed out, clutching her now red hand tightly. Though she felt bad for the creature before, she wished it hadn't bit her so hard. Her hand began to feel numb, as if it weren't even there. Trying to ignore the pain, she leaped onto the couch, digging through the cushions with her good hand. No results. Her only other option was the books on the shelves, but there wasn't enough to time to flip through all of them!
"Book, what do I do? My hand…I feel like it's not even there!" She whimpered.
Of course it is not in the bookshelf. Why would anyone hide a key there? Why would anyone hide a key here? Only you know where the key is.
"What…!? But you said-"
I know what I said. Even I make mistakes. I now realize that this is your house, and though it is a bit different that its former self, only you can find said key.
This didn't help her at all. What key? She had never used a key for anything before. By key, did the book refer to something else? That's when it hit her. She really did know where the key was.
She ran back to the bathroom, inserting her good hand into the lock. It made a click sound, a soft glow vibrating around it. She pulled her hand out, opened it, and sighed in relief as she saw all sorts of medical supplies.
Wonderful. Looks like you have everything you need. But, there is something I must tell you, and I must tell y-you right away.
Madison twitched an ear while she applied some gauze to her hand.
"Okay, what is it?"
The way I am able to talk to you; it runs on magic.
U-Unfortunately, that m-magic is almost out.
I will not be able to escort you f-forever which is why you must r-remember every step I tell you.
She nodded, wrapping her hand with a strong, white cloth. Her heart sank, fear slowly crawling back. She wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for the book. She frightened herself as she imagined being crushed by the debris.
F-First…find a weapon…u-use it only f-for defense.
Next, f-find a bag…of s-some s-sort. Y-You will n-need to find…s-some way t-to carry…t-things.
Lastly, y-you w-will n-need…t-to find y-your….f-father…
A-And make sure….y-you d-defeat the S-Spindle Fiber…with…b-bravery…
"W-Wait! What about Serena?" She asked, panic flooding in. "She fell down here too!"
N-No…s-
Madison sat there, awaiting the book's reply, but nothing was heard. For once, she actually felt lonely. She felt unsafe, vulnerable to any debris or monster that lurked around in the house. She felt without the books guidance, there was nothing she could do.
Her heart ached, and she dragged herself to the couch outside. Collapsing on it, she felt herself burst into tears.
"Agodea, Mom…Dad…why didn't I just listen to you!?" She wailed. "Why did I take that stupid book!? I wish…I wish I never had…!"
Gripping the couch tightly, she continued to cry, desperately wanting to go home. Not the dark, destroyed home she was in now, but her real home, where everyone would be safe, no monsters lurked by, and everything was normal.