BS: Chapter 01 Part 03

Mikeal finds himself in a tunnel, but is it real? What is really going on with him? He is going mad, or is there a curse on him?

Black.  The world was black, and spelled of sulfur.  Coughing, Mikeal woke up.  It was difficult for him to tell he was awake - it was just as dark with his eyes open as it was with them closed.  He felt something move next to him.  Trying to move away from whatever it was, Mikeal felt a sharp pain lace up his side.  White dots exploded in his eyes as the pain overwhelmed him.  Letting out a stifled cry, he fell into the thing behind him.

            “Don’t move, Mikeal!  Your ribs,” a strangely familiar voice whispered harshly.  “They are close,” Mikeal felt the figures hot breathe on his ear.  Fear overwhelmed him.  He needed to escape.  Attempting to sit up, Mikeal quickly regretted the movement as pain shot even stronger through his body.  Letting out a scream of pain, Mikeal slumped into the figure behind him, and felt arms grab him.  “Now you’ve done it!  We’ve got to move now!” the voice rasped as he pulled Mikeal behind him.  Almost tenderly, the arms hefted Mikeal off the ground and down into something that was somehow darker.  Fighting the daze the pain was putting him in, Mikeal looked forward �" well, what he thought was forward.  The tunnel, for that’s what it was, in front of them slowly lit up with red and orange light.  Fire light?  Why am I in a tunnel? Mikeal thought as the figure dragged him further into the dwindling dark.  He felt fear wash over him, but he also felt as if he had the power to stand and fight and win.  Mikeal pushed slightly against the figure hauling him off �" he was determined to take a stand and battle the yet unseen foes.

            “Stop that,” the figure whispered harshly, “They’ll kill us if we don’t move now!”

            “You can run,” Mikeal whispered just as harshly, “I will fight.”

            “Damn” the figure said as it wrestled with Mikeal.  “I thought you had gotten control over your gift,” it said as one arm let go of Mikeal.  Before Mikeal had time to steady himself on his shaky feet, his world went pitch black.

 

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Mikeal awoke to the smell of cooked potatoes and roast beef.  He groaned slightly as he rolled onto his side.  Sniffing the air slightly, his eyes fluttered without really opening.

“I thought you would sleep forever,” a strangely familiar voice said.  Groggily opening his eyes, Mikeal saw it was Roathe who had spoken to him.  Roathe was again on the stool by the fire.  However, this time he was eating from a plate kept by the fire.  “I’ve got some dinner here for you.  If you want any, you better say so now before I eat it all,” Roathe joked as he speared a piece of roast beef with his knife.

“I think I’ll take some,” Mikeal replied with a slight smile as he tried to raise himself into a sitting position.  Moving with ease, Roathe came over and helped prop Mikeal up.  “Augh, I feel as if I’ve been dumped off a horse than trod all over.  Now bring me some food, and tell me I haven’t been out for another week,” Mikeal said half joking, half serious.  He did feel terrible.  The dream pain in his ribs was still there.  Not quite as strong as it was in the dream, but enough that he felt as if had been real and was about half way healed.  He gingerly touched his side as Roathe returned with his dinner.

“What’s wrong, kid?  Hunger pains hit?” Roathe joked with a touch of seriousness as he sat by Mikeal.

Sniffing at the food, Mikeal felt his stomach vibrate.  “Yeah, I’m hungrier than I thought.  Now, where is my food?” he replied as he turned to give Roathe a stern look.  Noticing that Roathe was not at all amused, Mikeal felt the hunger pains turn into a different sort of pain.  “So…how long was I out this time?”

Laying the tray of food in Mikeal’s lap, Roathe sat down on the edge of the bed.  “You were only out for a day this time.   How are you feeling?”

“I’m…okay.  I had a strange dream though,” he replied as he picked at his food.

Coughing, Roathe admitted; “You did growl in your sleep.  I must admit that it was pretty good timing.  Right as Mother started to cry over you, you growled at her.  She nearly fainted right over you.  Now, eat your food and tell me about this dream of yours,” Roathe said as he mussed Mikeal’s hair.

Taking a bite of roast beef, he looked at Roathe.  The food made him feel more comfortable.  “Well…I think I was in a tunnel.  Not anyplace around here, though.  It was pitch black and reeked of sulfur.  I was with some guy…I’m not sure who he was, but he seemed familiar.  I was scared out of my mind because I didn’t know who he was, so I tried to move, only to find out that my ribs were broken.  Then that guy grabbed me and started to flee.  Only, by then I felt like I could take on whatever was coming my way.  Whatever was chasing us got closer and I decided to take a stand.  Then the guy said something weird…something like ‘I thought you had gotten control over your gift,’ and then I got knocked out and woke up to the smells of potatoes and roast beef and your smiling face,” Mikeal managed to say between bites and Roathe’s slight amusement at the thought of Mikeal taking a stand.

“’Your gift,’ eh.  What do you think that means?”

“I have no idea.  It was just a dream though �" nothing to worry over,” Mikeal said as he finished his dinner.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that when you grabbed your ribs a few minutes ago that wasn’t from hunger pains, right? Roathe said dead seriously to Mikeal.

Pushing the tray away slightly, Mikeal answered, “Right…”

“So, the pain was from that dream.  Maybe there is something to that dream,” Roathe tried to say encouragingly as he reached for Mikeal’s hands.

Feeling a little more excited than worried about the prospect of actually having a gift, Mikeal gave Roathe a small smile.  “Now, if you don’t mind, I need my beauty sleep.  You may take the tray away,” Mikeal said jokingly at Roathe.

Lifting the tray, Roathe got off of Mikeal’s bed and headed towards the door.  “Is there anything else that young master would like?” Roathe moked as he bowed before the door.

“No, just some peace and quiet, if old jester wouldn’t mind,” Mikeal said with a smile as he settled into bed.

“Old jester can do that.  But, be forewarned, next swordsmanship practice old jester won’t go easy on young master.”

“Young master understands and plans on being sick that day.  Good night, Roathe.”

“G’night, Mikeal.  Don’t sleep for too long,” Roathe said as he slowly closed the door.

That night Mikeal dreamed not of shapes or figures, but of colors and emotions.  All the differing emotions seemed to be represented by a color �" each one taking him for a ride that left him feeling the after affects of the pure emotions.  He woke in the morning to the sun shining in and remembered not the dreams of the night before.

Reviews

[Sseoni]

Another well written chapter! Things are starting to get even more interesting now! I wonder what they mean by "gift"? I can't wait to read more, but I'll be patient. :D