*I present to you, another chapter! I felt bad putting poor Charlie through this, but it had to be done. My chapters will be MUCH longer after this one. So prepare to be doing some lengthy reading.*
*For Joel*
Fading to Nothing
Charles took in a deep breath. He called out desperately, "Help…me…"
His eyes became heavy and suddenly, felt unpleasant pressure building on his feet and finger tips. He clenched his fists, trying to fight this unnerving feeling.
"What the hell…?" he asked himself. He tried walking it off, but stumbled and fell to the ground, unable to move his legs.
His eyes widened in panic. "No…"
A sudden realization came over him. No one could hear him, and no could help him. Therefore, no one was thinking of him. He wasn't even a thought in anyone's mind. He gritted his teeth. Ever so slowly, the pieces were slowly falling into place. He was literally fading to nothingness.
He felt the feeling in his legs grow numb until he felt nothing there at all. "…Raven…help me…" he choked. He clawed his fingers into the floor, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Something was growing inside him, something he had been avoiding since he arrived in this void; fear.
That was when something hit him, hard. It was painful, but he bit his tongue to prevent from crying out. He felt the feeling return to his legs, but it felt like flames were licking up and down his body. It was unbearable. It felt as if he were being pulled apart, his legs unraveling into pieces of string.
It was slow, but steady. Charles gritted his teeth and tried to move, but his legs unraveled until there was nothing left of them. His eyes looked up to the blackness surrounding him. "…Help…" he begged.
His fingers started unraveling up to his wrists. He could no longer feel the floor he had been digging into previously. His face hit the ground hard and he had just enough strength to turn towards the black backdrop surrounding his world.
Is this really how it ends for me, he thought to himself. The burning and unraveling sensation made its perilous journey toward his heart. He felt his vision fading slowly and his breathing slow. A great pressure was building over his heart. He concluded that he was only seconds away from death. He sighed silently and prepared himself for what was to come.
At that moment, a bright light shown above him. He closed his eyes to the surprising light. Suddenly, a voice, far away and feminine, made its way to him. "Who's there?"
Charles' eyes lit up with hope, and the effects of being forgotten started to reverse. Instead of a burning, it was a cooling feeling traveling backwards over the parts it ate away. He flexed his fingers and touched his face, unable to believe what was happening.
Slowly, he felt the feeling return to his legs. He took in a shaky breath and cautiously stood up.
Charles looked up and shielded his eyes at the bright light. He was unable to speak, as he was still in shock.
That feminine voice called out again, "Who's there?"
Charles smiled broadly, for he had a feeling that he knew who it was calling out to him. He was about to respond, but the light vanished just as quickly as it had come, leaving him alone in the dark once more. He looked down at his hands and blinked.
Someone had heard him.
Someone was thinking about him.
He wasn't alone, and he just might be able to survive.
His eyes looked up once more where the light was. "…Raven…help me," he called out.
There wasn't a light, or anything else proving that it was, indeed, Raven answering, but he heard a strangled rasp of a voice answer back, "I can't…I need help…"
Charles was caught off guard. He had called Raven, after all, but it was surreal to hear a real voice answer him back.
His eyes narrowed as he learned that Raven needed his help, probably just has much as he needed hers. "I'll find a way," he promised. "I'll find a way."