Chapter 2: Bind you with chains…
It is blank.
Blank like me.
For this, I find it to be enigmatic.
(And these are the things that plague my mind,
In the dark,
At night,
In the most solemn spots of space.)
I take it to be menacing in its glory
And, by extension of these things,
Empty in its beauty,
Infinite in its depth,
It is—rather simply, it exists.
(And I am confused)
The stars are nothing now.
(And I feel my mouth open, screaming, "What the Hell is going on here?" )
There really were no diamonds in the sky after all…
By Anon.
The sky pelted thick tears of rain, as darkness seemed to possess the air. Stumbling through the cobblestone streets she soon found herself at the withered door of an old tavern near the docks, Swinging open the door that was nothing short of semi soft rotting wood that sponged her hands with the thick humidity of the sea. She went inside if only not the icy chill that seemed to entrap the cruel night's air. She knew she would eventually be tossed with the other scrawny piles of gutter filth but she had to remain by the docks at least until dawn broke. Her thin and famished frame, a skeleton of what it once was, had lost nearly all the feminine curves and what little meat had managed to cling to her, had been easily concealed by her clothing. She had long ago ventured in search of for the folly of every child's fantasies and thrills. Soon enough as she had left did she find herself scrounging alley ways for bitter morsels, quite fortuitously, had she overheard some men talking about the newest archeological expedition in Africa. If London had anything it was definitely the morsels not found in the decrypt old bins but oozing out in the form of gossip. She now found herself in the flawless ideal that she could pass as a boy on the ship, better then starving to death.
She made her way through groups of groggy, drunken sailors and malicious thugs. She scurried off to a dark corner in the back next to a flimsy nicked up table and made her own hiding spot taking off her soaked hood. The room's smog hit her nose from all the hee-hawing men as they sweated from the food, intoxication, and the undeniable scent of burning tobacco. Not to mention the fire which sent of ripple of warmth slipping through her veins like snakes and swaddling her in a blanket.
For a long time she seemed to not be prone to being caught and as her muscles relaxed from her devastating journey she silently fell into the longing embrace of sleep.
He remembered her, that day so vividly. He could remember if only the memory had not been cleansed from his mind. The wet rain beat down on his being and the ultimate desire to get out of the dark gave him goose bumps. He despised the dark, the abyss, the void. He had found himself getting a room with his coin he had been given for travel funds by the university for being Professor Herbert's assistant in this. He had done much in his research and Herbert had seen his curious cat like nature and knack for putting one and two together without Herbert guiding him along. He had finally found himself in a position of probably, if they could find something, of becoming: a famous scientist, scholar, and archeologist. To think if his sister could see him now; the thought sent such a twang of pain to him he shook himself of his happy demeanor. If she could see that was. She had been long gone.
He paid for his room and before his stomach spoke and made him look foolish he made his way to a corner in the back as he waited for the cook to finish making his meal. A roasted duck glazed in honey and clover and biscuits made from cheap flour but slathered in butter. The area though buzzing and teaming with life still felt empty. The lingering darkness that only seemed to engulf his corner, it didn't take him long to strike a match and make use of the candle that had been burned nearly halfway through when he jerked in momentary surprise at a figure drooping on the floor next to him in his corner… in the dark. It was thin and emaciated, and most of all void.
He was soon stirred from his thoughts as a large plate of steaming duck was thrown on the table jostling it as he could hear the booming holler of a large women, "Aha, that's where ya' went you dirty rat."
He watched as she grabbed the poor creature by the hair violently jerking it back into thought and motion. "Time to throw ya' out like the rest of the dead beats," she started to drag what seemed to be a girl out. Of course the girl fought back against such, "Wait! Wait, I'm meeting someone here. I was just waiting for someone in the corner and fell asleep." She pleaded but the tavern wench showed no sliverof mercy and shed no sympathy, only the strong hint of wanting nothing to do with it.
"Fine, when you and your friend come in and are willing to pay for something then you're welcome. Until then, OUT!" He could see the room shift on either side rather enjoying both of the women's scuffle and the audible bang of their fists and mugs cheered on the wench's name. "Go Aggy!", "Show the brat what for Agatha!" He could only remember the chants of children and peer pressure when he was young before…
"Wait!" Daniel yelled as loud as his voice nearly cracking with all the strength he could muster. Everyone stopped and turned to him as he felt the pressure of so many stares.
"What?" said Agatha red faced as even the girl tilted her head back a bit curious.
"I'm the one… th-the one she is meeting with." He cursed himself and the sudden unwelcomed shyness for stuttering. It just made it look all the more obvious that he was playing a devious hand.
"You?" said the wench eyeing him up and down looking at his hand tailored clothes. Especially that warm looking green, velvet coat with glittering, golden thread. "I am expected to believe you, Sir, are affiliated with this street trash." She said yanking the girl by the hair again.
"Yes! And do well to know that I am a good paying customer as well. Now if you could let my friend go so we can enjoy one of your nice meals, Madam, I would be very grateful for the hospitality." Agatha looked to the bar tender and he shrugged before slowly nodding his head his eyes big and ghost whispered, "Let go."
She unleashed the girl and watched as she fumbled her way up to Daniel hiding like a scared animal behind him. "Fine, but damned that wench. I feel like I need to wash more than my hands now." As the words left her greasy sweat soaked face, laughter erupted amongst the tavern and everyone went back to what they were previously doing.
Daniel turned away and came face to face with the girl and brought her over to the table. "Here, sit and eat," his didn't suggest so much as ask as it had ordered, not being able to stomach the look of her hollowed cheeks and eyes. However there was no arguing or even eye contact as she dug in the moment he said she could have it, poor wretched thing. He went back up and got himself a new plate and made his way back to his seat with two warm mugs of tea. One, of which, was eagerly snatched from his thin fingers before he even sat down. "Why the nerve…" He thought as he looked at her almost completely devoured plate as she sucked and nibbled on bones even devouring cartilage. He observed the hard grit under her fingernails and pushed up against her cuticles that looked nearly crammed in. Her hair was surprisingly dry as though it had been overly washed and her clothes were no less then disheveled but from being damp and a few light stains looked clean. However that did not dismiss the fact that this woman was an absolute mess.
He sat down and ate as she breathed in the aroma of the tea noting as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Curious he grabbed his mug and took a sip noting the sudden warmth, and tasted that it was as watered down as he had expected it to be. As he turned his attention back to his meal and he stopped all together stopped when he saw her practically licking her plate while the roll laid off to the side.
"Excuse me," he said offended by her manners. "Not to say this is not probably the first meal you have had in a long time given your looks but do you have to be so… so… rude." He couldn't quite think of a strong enough word to describe it.
"You know what they say about a man's last meal, don't you?" She said looking at him with her hollow eyes.
"You think this is your last meal?" He said with no disbelieving tone.
"You saw what they did, didn't you?" she said looking at him with anger in her eyes. "Humans are not hard to come by, it's a little humanity that's hard to find. Besides I have only me and me alone and it's hard for a woman to get a job that isn't at all… degrading."
The rest of the meal was silent when she scrapping her plate for what it was worth he found himself having a better time choking down the better part of his meal. When all was done and he had brought the dishes back to the bar he watched as the girl with the cloak from the corner of the room started to make her way past him.
"Wait," he said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't tell me you're going back out there?" He had no idea when he had started to become so noble but he fondly recollected a memory about his talks with Herbert as he enthusiastically explained different cultures and their ideals about how one good deed was replaced with another.
"The bar maid will just kick me out anyhow. She had been watching me ever since you helped me." He had no doubt the bar wench was looking at them with daggers as he could feel her sharp, unwavering stare stab gash marks through his psyche."Keep safe," he said as she made her way out.
His last memories of the night were walking up the stairs listening to barely audible creaks, as he made his way to his room slowly muffling the sound from down stairs with the slight thump of the door. He couldn't get the starved girl out of his mind, even as he tried desperately to sleep; perhaps it was her eyes, that obvious void in deep silvery blue eyes. He willed it away knowing he would have to wake up early and make preparations for tomorrow for his trip. "Come to think of it, I don't think I ever got her name." His murmur was the last noise he made before slumber took hold.
A/N: Hey guys. I know Amnesia isn't the biggest game out there these days but a kind review is always nice. It even helps me get more people to read the story. One of the reasons why I am writing an OC, though I know it is tacky, is because well I don't like Alexander/Daniel pairings… Alexander is OLD! In my mind it is kind of gross but everyone has their faults and quirks it's just my opinion. Any-who, I am keeping this story as cannon as I possibly can. I am serious. I would like to tell you but that ruins the climax… sorry.
READ, RATE, REAVIEW…
