Last assignment and biggest writing challenge. Possibly it is just the cold I am nurturing talking..
Freedom
Suddenly there was quiet. Absolute darkness was bad enough, but the quiet didn’t bode well. He tried to make as little noise as possible. Quickly he rolled over onto his stomach, and pushed himself lightly onto his feet. He was close to panic. If he lost it now it would be over for all of them. He closed his eyes for a moment and went through the meditation. Three deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Calm the mind and spirit, relax the muscles. Feeling better he opened his eyes. Even though he wouldn’t be able to see anything, the mere act made him feel better. He knew that soon he would have to move otherwise they would find him. And the pain would start again. He was unsure of the direction he sought. If there were only some sound to guide him. He suspected that they knew the sound was what he needed and had purposefully cut it off.
Freedom
Suddenly there was quiet. Absolute darkness was bad enough, but the quiet didn’t bode well. He tried to make as little noise as possible. Quickly he rolled over onto his stomach, and pushed himself lightly onto his feet. He was close to panic. If he lost it now it would be over for all of them. He closed his eyes for a moment and went through the meditation. Three deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Calm the mind and spirit, relax the muscles. Feeling better he opened his eyes. Even though he wouldn’t be able to see anything, the mere act made him feel better. He knew that soon he would have to move otherwise they would find him. And the pain would start again. He was unsure of the direction he sought. If there were only some sound to guide him. He suspected that they knew the sound was what he needed and had purposefully cut it off.
He would have to remove his boots if he wanted to continue in the quiet. Unlacing and removing them took an eternity to accomplish. He tied the laces together and hung them around his neck. While removing them he had noticed something on the ground. Chevron patterned grooves in the floor! He knelt down and felt for the pattern. He counted the chevron repeats. Three. Two. One. It seemed to form an arrow. Could he dare hope that this wasn't an obvious trap? What choice did he have? He needed to go. Standing up he slowly made his way forward.
Every few steps he stopped to check if there were more patterns to indicate any changes. He adjusted his progress as he felt new ones. Eventually he reached an area where the air felt denser. He slowed further and held his hands out in front of him in case it was finally an exit of some sort. His fingertips touched something cold. Spreading his palms flat against the surface he searched for any indications that it was an exit. About halfway down he felt an indentation. Putting his fingers in it he pulled sideways and held his breath. Faint light appeared around the side of the door as it slid open.
His apprehension turned to relief when he saw the faint light of night. Boots laced and in place he turned to shake his fist in defiance at the entrance. He would return with help and save the other Titans. Coeus faced the hills and headed towards the last Sentinel. A line faithful to the Titans willing to sacrifice themselves if need be. Before long he found himself on the road. Faint glow strips embedded in the tar provided the only source of light. All was quiet with only the occasional howl of a jackal in the distance. The space and freedom to run invigorated him, his strides lengthened.
He found himself in front of a dismal little house on the outskirts of nowhere. Cautiously he approached the house, there would be safeguards in place. He sensed nothing however which was puzzling. Any self respecting sentinel had at least a guard dog but he couldn’t even sense a puppy here. He knocked on the door, the puzzle could be solved after he met with the Sentinel.
The woman that opened the door took one look at him and shrieked. The door was slammed in his face. With a silent roar he smashed the door in. He found her crouching behind a sofa.
Get up and face me!
“No no no! You aren’t here, this isn’t real! They promised, they promised you weren’t real!”
He reached down and yanked her upright. His eyes bored into her.
Look into my eyes and tell me I am not real!
She did as commanded and stood quivering in front of him.
“I see you but this impossible, you are impossible!”
He roared so loudly into her mind that she fell back onto the sofa.
I am real and impossible! Now believe in me so I can gain my voice!
“Argh, will you stop shouting if I do? You are making my head hurt!”
He dropped down next to her and pushed his head into the soft material of the couch. Even though it was dingy it was better than what he was used to.
I apologise Sentinel, I have just escaped and need your help in freeing the others. Please believe.
“I believe in you, I just don’t believe in gods in general you understand. It is difficult denying something that is sitting on your couch.”
Relief washed over him. He had a voice again, but what would it sound like after so long? Would years of bottled up screams of agony be the only sound to emanate?
“Thank you Sentinel. I need your assistance in freeing my brothers and sisters please.”
The urge, no, the need to scream lay waiting. Ready to pounce if he let it.
“I am no ‘sentinel’, just a crazy lady that sees goblins and ghosts. Sorry, no assistance here.”
“You are special and I need your help. You are the only one that can do this with me.”
“I see things, I don’t do things.”
Eyebrows raised, her resistance and disbelief was solid. A woman who didn’t believe in herself let alone gods.
“I will show you how to, come with me to the entrance of Tartarus and together we will break it down.”
Eyebrows raised even further, surely they would come off if raised any more. When they sank and furrowed he knew he had won her over.
“Okay, doing might be nice for a change. What do I need?”
“You have everything you need. Although a vehicle to convey us there would be useful.”
In an effort to maintain stealth they parked as far away as possible from the entrance and approached quietly. Once in front of the entrance they joined hands.
See what I see, do what I do
His instructions playing through her mind, she did as commanded. The power surged between them and showed up as a sparkling flame to her mind’s eye. Hands raised in unison she opened her eyes to focus on the door.
Klaxons sounded and the sparkling flame disappeared. Black shapes dropped down on them. Coeus roared and fought with all his might. An eternity of pain and anguish rushed out. One mighty pain laced roar stunned her. It was a physical force that pinned her to the ground. The shapes weren’t affected at all. They had experience in dealing with his kind. Eventually he had to succumb, power spent.
He realised then that he had never truly escaped in the first place. It was yet another torture, a punishment designed to stamp out all hope. They made one mistake though, they let him reach the Sentinel. A true believer made. He threw one last thought at her as they dragged him away.
Keep believing, find or make more! Please free us!
A true believer, as any god would tell you, is all that is needed to create an army. They had left her, a mere human was no threat to them after all. As she got up and limped off in search of her car she knew one thing…she might be crazy but the Titans were real and she truly believed…