Trial of Dreams
Once again, the same place, same chairs and same cuffs. You could see how the metal on them was already wearing out as some of them were slowly getting covered in rust.
Stains of blood, tears and piss could be seen all around the floor. Faint smell of vomit and other things that were still unknown were the only odour of this room.
Despite the difference, that now every boy was given personal treatment.
August was the first one to go to the next trial, he was one of the lucky ones with his name to be here right now. And be the one to open the count for the day and the batch of boys that will come later.
He was brought to the same room and once again cuffed with iron chains to the chair, but this time there was a holder for his head and eyes. Giving his no ability to move his head, neither close his eyes whatsoever . This was to ensure successful injection of the components.
Around, you could spot several men with graceful attires and others that wore rugs instead of any normal cloth. Their skin was stained in dirt and their bodies looked very fragile. Long white beard that was reaching their hips as their face that were covered in wrinkles didn't even twitch at sight of a cuffed child. They were empty of anything that could indicate even the slightest bit of humanity.
August eyes were running around, wildly seeing how the syringe with a liquid was getting closer and closer to his eyes. His eyes trembled , while his face was tensing, trying to run away from this procedure.
But there was no way out. He was already there, cuffed like a wild dog that refused to obey. He was there with no chances to escape, with no opinion to give.
Syringe went right inside of his eyes, injecting some liquid, before doing the same procedure with another eye. Almost instantly , his head went blank for a moment before turning into a bell that was repeatedly hit with a big metal stick.
His eyes turned blank as they looked into nothingness. His head could not process anything anymore. His head was a like a balloon that with every passing second felt like it was inflating and exploding into million pieces.
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
"Please, I'm done for now, it is your turn now, Druid" spoke the man with a syringe and looked at the man with a long white beard and rugs instead of cloth.
"Yes, indeed, you are right." Replied a man. He looked towards August with eyes devoid of any sympathy or regret. He said, "Let nature decide if he is worthy of walking this path" spoke old man before whispering, he chanted something in the language that only a few could speak, language of the ancient race that was once great, but in the end it went down the hill, falling into the lowest realm possible.
That continued for another hour before the old man stopped and nodded his head. Saying no more, he turned around and slowly walked towards the exit door.He left.
While that was happening on the outside, August's mind was foggy, without any ability to comprehend anything happening around him.
He mind drifted inside of empty space, devoid of any emotions, any light, anything but emptiness. No feelings, no sensations, no reality.
August though
'Who am I?
Why the pain?
Am I just a hollow container?
Is it actually worth to keep on living?'
Suddenly, the scenery changed, bringing him into a cold, empty space. Where ever your eyes look, there is nothing but an endless darkness. In the distance, somewhere far, you could see a small dot of light.
August's mind started to regain consciousness, slowly giving him some ability to think and comprehend his surrounding. His mind was still foggy, but he was able to slowly walk.
Step by step, he was going with no destination, without any aim inside of his head. The only important thing that was inside of his small head "I need to keep on going forward, not backwards."
Dust started to run around August, circling, not letting him see. Like a storm, his vision was blocked.
'What is happening?' wondered August languidly
Dust fell. Storm stopped. Surrounding changed.
Revealing a longing scenery, with one thing missing, with one part of the puzzle not being there.
Family of 3, with parents and a small girl.
Like older women, girl had blonde hair and eyes colour of sky.
Smile on the faces were blooming, as they embraced each other in a tight hug, but there was a place for one more. There was a place for someone smaller to fit there. To be beside, to embrace in warmth.
August knew their faces very well. And as soon as he saw them his body declined to move, froze like a statue, not moving, without taking a single breath.
His pupils were trembling as his shaking hand reached out to his face, wiping small trails of water, running down his cheeks.
His legs started to move, taking a step.
Another one.
Another one.
Slowly increasing the pace, slowly getting closer and closer to the family of 3.
But no matter for how long he was trying to reach them, the distance didn't shrink, but stayed constant.
He thought 'I just need to push a little bit more, just a tiny bit to reach for them. To feel them once again.'
He kept on running, never reaching his destination.
He saw them starting to fade away, as they slowly started to disappear into millions of fragments.
His hand reached out to them, trying to catch the last bits, but all he was able to reach were crumbling pieces of dust.
His hand went right though, leaving behind nothing, but an empty space.
He looked at the spot where they stayed, not noticing the change happening around. Without giving mind to the coldness approaching.
Limitless chill, desperation and loneliness.
Slowly, without him noticing, it was crouching right inside of his heart, poisoning it and staining. Targeting a single spot that was a vulnerable at the moment.
Temperature was getting lower, making it hard to bear or not to notice. Curling up on the endless darkness, he covered his face with his knees and swayed like in a baby crib.
Thinking to himself, 'Not again, not again' voice inside of his head was getting quiet. As he was losing it.
Suddenly.
Sensation of warmth.
Like a beaming sun, on the day it broke all the shackles and freed him from self imprisonment .
A soft palm landed on his shoulder. Passing even more warmth, more hope.
His head rose, looking at the owner of the palm.
In front of him, he saw a young lady with hair colour of ash, emerald eyes and a warm smile. She was beaming with light as a lighthouse, searing with warmth like a hot fire. However, it was not hurtful, quite the opposite. It was so calming and refreshing.
He looked at her and reached out for her hand.
Taking her palm in his, he looked up into her eyes.
She smiled.
With a whisper, so soft and beautiful, "Rise up"
He hesitated. His eyes went down and look at the black ground, whispering to himself "Is it… worth it?"
Getting stroked by her warm hand, she came closer to his ear saying, "Live is a miracle and disaster. You need to walk the path, to find out if it's worth it or not. Whatever it is, there will be obstacles that every one will have to climb, but unless you try, you can't give up. This is not what this world is asking from you."
"Right" said August.
He stopped crying. Wiping his face with a sleeve of his tunic he looked towards a lady and with a still slightly trembling limbs stood back.
"You are right" spoke August. He looked up, right inside of her eyes. Eyes that were warm and welcoming, but not like the ones of mother. "Will you…" started August, but didn't finish.
She placed her finger against his lips and said, "No, you will"
He took a sudden breath, rising his head "But I didn't…"
Not letting him finish, she said, "I know. But just trust me, you will"
August's eyes changed. They were not expressing any sadness anymore, instead, you could see how his eyes turned stern. He looked her in the eyes, observed every inch of her face, trying to remember, trying to engrave everything in her appearance. To never forget the one to support him in a time of a need.
*Wind howling*
With a strong impulse, a wave of chilling breeze washed over the place, bringing the temperature down once again.
Woman twitched, as a sword made of ice went right through her belly.
The smile she had didn't fade away, but blood started to pour out of her body through the wound. Corners of her mouth released a small trail of blood that painted her teeth in red.
August eyes expanded as he hurriedly caught her falling body in his small hands, falling along.
He laid her on his knees and started to mumbling , "Everything will be fine, everything will be fine"
With her weak hand she runs it by his cheek, with the same smile not fading away even for a fraction of a second.
"You are a key" with her last words said in barely a whisper, her eyes shut with her smile still being there.
It was still warming and welcoming, but not as much as it was before.
Frost slowly started to crouch from her toes, up to her head, slowly turning her into an ice sculpture. To forever be remembered the way she was.
*Neigh of the horse*
In the distance, you could hear a neighing of horses. With every passing second, they were getting closer and closer. A clatter of hooves was getting louder, echoing in sounds of drums in August ears.
August looked in the direction of sounds, but saw nothing but the dust rising.
But the sound was continuously increasing, making his heart uneasy.
Instead of running away from an unknown, he stood up and stood before the frozen body of a lady of which he didn't even know the name.
The sound was getting very close, when August saw a faint glint from a shadow and looked right into it.
Shadow looked back with cold and empty eyes. Eyes that knew no mercy, that knew no love.
Eyes that lost everything related to humanity. Eyes that were only burdened by it's target and nothing else.
With a push of a powerful wild impulse, August was sent flying, forcing him to move away from the frozen lady.
As soon as he did, he heard a crack.
Another one and another.
*Crush*
Body of a lady crushed into small pieces, leaving behind nothing but shards of ice.
"Weak" spoke shadow, looking towards August.
It disappeared.
Only echoes of the words were bouncing inside of August's head.
'Weak, weak, weak.'
….
Author note: I was on vacation, and took a break from doing anything. Anyway, internet there was total BS , so I highly doubt I could even load the page of logging into my account.
Hope you enjoyed.
Drop a comment or review, so I know that at least some people are still reading.