Prologue
There is no logic in this world, no familiar forms. It looks like a dream, but the pain here is very real and there are many ways to die.
Chapter I
I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear anything, just pitch darkness. This is all I saw before waking up. I didn’t remember anything at all about myself or where I was. I didn’t even understand why I woke up and also missed the moment of my awakening. I, or rather my body, lay for about an hour on the cold, wooden floor; the boards of this floor were already rotten and creaked on their own, and moss and vegetation seemed to have grown inside them. The ceiling was the same wooden one and water was dripping from it. The sound of drops already seemed to sound in my head and echoed through my skull. There was no light and everything around seemed gray, as if it was cloudy twilight outside. From this, my eyes quickly adjusted and I began to see more. A I who is this? Such a loud and big I. And the name? No matter how long I think, I can’t remember my name, my age, or what I look like. What kind of place is this? Why does it look so abandoned and old? this is clearly not my home, but then how did I end up here? There are a lot of questions and no answers at all. My body began to tremble from fear and the cold warped around me. I finally felt my body and it made me calm down a little. Having gathered my strength, I was able to sit up, these movements seemed alien and incomprehensible; as if I even forgot how to do simple things, or maybe that’s true?
My head began to spin from the fact that I took a sitting position, but after a minute I was able to see the space around me, and not just the ceiling. The room I was in looked old, even a little ancient. Everything around was wet and a light wind blew between the boards. In the room where I was there was a bed in the corner and an old bedside table. There was only an old and dirty mattress on the bed, nothing more. There was also a window in the room with broken glass. I got up and went to it. The sky was gray, there was a large lake surrounded by trees and bushes. Everything was in thick fog. It all seemed unreal, and the picture in my eyes was slightly blurred, as if in a dream. I pinched myself to check it out. No, not a dream, I felt slight pain and didn’t wake up. Then where am I? Why does everything here seem so familiar, but at the same time so repulsive?
On weak legs, I walked to the exit of the room; the door had once stood on old hinges; Oh here it is, lying next to the passage, broken and almost black from the moisture absorbed into it… There were carpets on the floor. The pattern on them had faded, and stains of dirt complemented it. In the living room there was a sofa with torn fabric on it and a broken leg, which made it stand crooked. Walking further, I noticed the bathroom and went there. The tiles in the bathroom were covered in dirty stains and cracked in different places. There was nothing there except a dirty and old bathtub and washbasin; But for some reason the light was on there. The old light bulb crackled and flickers occasionally. Where does electricity come from in this abandoned place? There was also a mirror there. When I appeared in front of it, I didn’t even understand who it was. Who is it looking at me from the mirror, so scared and confused. Coming closer I began to look This.
Short, black and disheveled hair on the head, grayish skin, bright blue eyes and a flat nose. There are moving holes on the neck. They became wider when This was breathing. This thing had fins sticking out on its back, and it was naked. What an unusual and slightly ugly thing was in the mirror instead of me. I thought so before I raised my hand. This something repeated after me and then I realized that it was me. This strange creature in the reflection is me. What am I? I began to frantically touch myself and examine my body. There were semi-transparent membranes between my fingers, and my nails were uncharacteristically long. Same thing on the legs. My skin was thick and tough, like it was scaly. I felt even more scared. I didn’t know whether this body was an anomaly or the norm. But I felt this oppressive feeling, it was in the subcortex of my consciousness and seemed to scream about the abnormality of everything that was happening.
There were too many questions swirling around in my head and no answers at all. I still hoped that this was a dream, that this was all my sick fantasy and that now I would wake up. The air became tight and heavy, and it became harder for me to breathe. There was a fragment of ceramic tile on the floor. I need to wake up, I need to find out who I am, I need to. With a trembling hand, I took this sharp fragment. My eyes began to water, from primal fear and anticipation that now everything would end. I brought the cold shard of ceramic to my wrist. It was scary. Common sense struggled with the desire to simply wake up from a bad dream.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed and slashed the sharp shard across my skin. The feeling of cutting layers of skin quickly became pain; But I didn’t wake up. The pain was sharp and then aching. The room remained the same, but began to blur even more. But it was not from awakening, rather from pain and loss of blood. My head began to spin and I leaned against the sink. I needed to wash the wound and bandage it, but there was no tissue or clean water at hand, and the tap did not work. I looked in the mirror again, at my tear-stained face. The blue pupils of the eyes became brighter from tears, but the edges of the eyes were swollen. I tried to relieve the pain by biting a lip, but it only got worse. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a movement from the side, in the doorway. I thought it was just an optical illusion, in the dark it would seem like that. But looking to the side, I froze. Eyes looked at me from the dark doorway. The white parts in them glowed, and the pupils were black. Those eyes, they were empty and looked at me with such longing. Like a predator on prey. The black shadow began to slowly approach. It did not have clear outlines of its body, it was just an elongated black cloud that seemed to float above the ground. It moved very slowly, but with each approach I felt that it was harder for me to move and harder to breathe. I began to feel very tired and exhausted when it came close to me from behind. This shadow was about two meters tall, and its head almost touched the ceiling. It looked straight into my eyes, and it seemed that the pain from the cut began to go away. It was replaced by fatigue and dizziness. In the end, I fell exhausted on the floor, feeling like I was falling into sleep. I was calm; I thought it was just a nightmare and now I would wake up. But then a bright light illuminated the room and I completely passed out.
I opened my eyes again later. It was the same ceiling, the same living room, and I was lying on a hard sofa. I wanted to scream out of hopelessness and disappointment. Swallowing hard, I sat on the couch, trying to understand what happened. I was covered with a dirty blanket. Did someone save me?
- You woke up. How do you feel?
For the first time I heard someone’s voice, human and not sounding in my head. The voice was deliberately soft and childish; The last thing I expected was to hear such a voice here, in this strange and stunted place. I turned back to see who was talking to me. I jerked and pressed myself into the sofa when I saw what was standing in front of me. It was most likely a girl, short in stature. She was wearing a white dress, unusually clean for such a house. It seemed to sparkle in the fog that penetrated the house. The dress was completely white, white ruffles neatly bordered around the dress, white lace at the end of the sleeves and on the collar, white ribbons hanging from the hem of the dress. White tights, black shoes, and in her hands was a plush toy white lamb. But what shocked me most of all was that instead of a face she had a ram’s muzzle. I’m definitely asleep. It’s just a dream, but why do I have such creepy and abnormal dreams? A nervous laugh escaped my lips. The subconscious was simply screaming about the inadequacy of everything that was happening. That’s why I just didn’t want to believe that all this was reality. Just a dream, just a dream.
- Hee hee hee hee…
- What’s so funny?
The lamb asked, her voice became more serious, which made it funnier.
- What is this anyway? I’m in a dream, I’m probably just dreaming. This can’t be true.
My voice trembled, as did my body; cold and fear were the reason for this.
- Then why didn’t you wake up when you cut yourself?
The lamb’s words brought me out of my stream of thoughts, forcing me to think more. She’s right.
- You’re lucky I was there. Horm would have devoured your energy and wouldn’t have noticed.
- Horm? Is this that shadow?
- Yes. It feeds on your life energy.
My voice became quieter. The sheep seemed to understand more than me. I’m talking to a sheep, by God…
- Who are you anyway? I don’t understand where and what I am. Can you explain it to me, since you know so much?
This was starting to irritate me. I’m in some strange place, and I can also die from all sorts of creatures. What the hell?!
- Calm down.
The sheep said, putting her hand on my shoulder. A kind aura seemed to emanate from her, and her voice was soothing. The sudden anger passed, leaving only confusion. Wrapping myself in a blanket, I said quietly.
- Sorry.
- It’s okay, I understand you’re scared and don’t understand where you are. Apparently you are one of these.
These? Who are these?
- Which ones?
The lamb thought, looking at me with her horizontal pupils.
- foreigner.
- Who?
- Foreigner from another world. You’re not from here.
What? Is it a joke? What does she mean I’m not from this world?
- I understand this is difficult to understand.
She said as she sat down next to me. Her kind energy calmed me down again.
- How do you know about the foreigners?
The only question I could ask out of the hundreds that were still spinning in my head.
- There are a lot of people like you here. I help them and I will help you.
She said smiling. Her smile looked strange and creepy on her sheepish face.
- Why do you have such a face?
I asked quietly. This is really not normal, and why am I even talking to this creature?!
- It’s hard to explain, I was just born this way, here, it’s normal.
And the truth is, most likely this is not my world. It was in my head, it was in my chest – the feeling that something was wrong here. Inside my consciousness, something loudly whispered that this world was not mine, that there was nothing dear or familiar to me here. But at the same time, I don’t even remember what is normal and what is close to me. This creature evoked an unconscious feeling of mistrust, but at the same time her voice and words seemed pleasant and kind to me. She was the only creature I met here who spoke to me and even offered help. She saved me, I don’t know how, but she saved my life. Life is such a fragile thing in this world, so hostile and dangerous.
Should I go with her, take her hand and trust this unfamiliar, but at the same time kind and selfless creature.
– one question…
The lamb tilted her head to the side, looking at me with curious scarlet eyes.
- no… two questions, the first: how did you save me?
Lamb looked thoughtfully to the side, thinking about the answer. She slowly took something out of a very small pocket of her dress. Opening her palm, a diamond sparkled in her hand. It glowed with white rays, unnatural for a crystal if no light fell on it. But there was no trace of light in the room, even the time had not changed at all since twilight, and at least 3 hours had already passed, according to the sensations.
- What is this?
I asked quietly, looking at the diamond with fascination in my eyes. This crystal attracted me and I wanted to take it in my hands and put it to my chest. Like this will help me make sense of all this.
- This luminarium. This crystal repels those damned creatures. They don’t like its light and if you collect a lot of crystals you can even kill these creatures. Horm who attacked you ran away when he saw the luminarium in my hand.
I absorbed information like a sponge; it could be useful to me.
- Where can I get them?
I asked with flaring interest in my eyes. At some point I will have to survive on my own, which means I need to know where to get these luminaria to protect yourself.
- I’ll talk about this later. But you will definitely get yours – if you follow me.
Apparently I still have to go after her, oh well, I won’t stay with her long
- Okay, but one last question. Do you have a name?
I really shouldn’t call her Lamb.
- My name is Ivy, what’s yours?
- I…
I thought about it. But I don’t remember my name. I don’t remember anything, and it makes me so embarrassed. It’s also awkward because I’m naked, wrapped in a blanket.
- I don’t remember my name. I don’t remember anything at all
I said quietly, in a sad voice. It’s so ridiculous that I don’t remember anything, and I don’t even understand why this is so. Ivy smiled kindly and ran her hand along my back.
- Don’t worry. This feeling will pass and everything will get better. The main thing is that you met me and I will help you, I promise.
She said in the kindest voice I’ve ever heard. Again these conflicting feelings. The desire to trust and push away, fearing something will happen. Something is not good. But the desire to trust and the need for help forced me to say:
- Fine.
Uncertainly, I got up from the couch.
- Do you have clothes?
I asked quietly, looking away in shame.
- Certainly!
Her laugh was warm and soft. It was as if it was familiar, inside my head it sounded as if I had heard it before, so familiar and safe, probably.
We walked slowly along the corridor, which seemed too long, and even dragging. A feeling of trembling appeared in my chest and legs. I was afraid to leave the house, but it was also uncomfortable to stay in it. The wet wooden walls pressed down on me and narrowed at incredible speed as we approached the exit. Approaching the board, which had once been a door, it seemed to me as if Ivy was stalling for time and in no hurry to open it. As soon as the passage opened, I seemed to feel better. Outside, I saw the same twilight, trees in the fog that stood nearby and created a dark forest. Taking a deep breath, I left the house. A pleasant chill settled on my body, as did the moisture, making me shiver. The sky was covered with dark purple clouds, and the forest in front of me seemed almost black.
I looked at Ivy for approval and she nodded. Approaching me, Ivy took my hand, which made me feel better and we headed into the forest. I was confused but I wasn’t so scared anymore.
