The Unknown Feathers

Alone, I am alone.

Oh no, wait let me correct myself. I am not alone.

The dark valley that surrounds me creates this dark and heavy feeling of fear and realness. That itself is enough to make me get out of here, but I can't.

I can't get out of here or more like a have to be here, since there's someone I'm waiting for. But even though the fear shadowed in the mystery of what happened to that person's body my anger is fueled.

I can't take it, the more I'm here the more I think about it;

Who did it? Who did it? Who did it?

Who slaughtered this man into this shape? The more I look at it the more terrifying it gets. I can now see the broken legs that he's trying to cover while in a baby-like position.

Stripped naked is the withered body. The only thing giving the skin its color is the gruesome red dried blood under it.

Fully I can't comprehend everything. The situation feels too real, too raw, too truthful. Looking away from the body I see the main street. It's so shiny and beautiful giving me a warm welcome.

But the thing I'm waiting for isn't the main street. He has to be on his way, right? I mean it's been 10 minutes since he left. He must be getting here any moment. He must be? Please? Please Aalish, please get here as fast as possible.

Ah, AHH, AHHH

What I'm experiencing before my eyes, is making me gasp for air. What can I make up from this scene are answers mainly based on horrifying and gruesome things, that probably happened in this room.

My muscles get stiff while I still grasp for air.

The shock from the scene is the only thing keeping me awake.

Just as the scene he's witnessing settles in, he thinks of every single scenario and possibility that can happen.

Is Ovia okay? Did something happen to her as well now that I'm away?

Where's Yota? Was he taken, hostage? Is he hurt?

Messy, disgusting, and scary thoughts turn to imaginary images.

Withered corpse.

Ovia.

Wither Corpse.

Ovia.

Ovia's withered corpse.

Slaughter.

Yota.

Slaughter

Yota.

Slaughtered Yota.

The atmosphere is dark and gritty. The smell is awful as well.

After being on his knees for a while he stands up. Looking at the sank blood in the bed and the walls, his gaze goes toward the kicked-down door.

The door was in the most gruesome part, stained in the pool of blood with pieces of organs swimming in it, but next to the pieces there's something shining like gold. His gaze one last time looks toward the fresh blood-stained walls. Before doing anything irrational, he stops fidgeting and closes his eyes to take a breath and look away from the scene before him.

The cold air that I'm inhaling has left the smell and taste of blood in my mouth. Pictures from before fly through my head again. I know that they're fake, full of my fear and pessimism. Imaginary, nightmarish, and full of lies.

The pictures won't disappear, but that's okay. Even if the pictures are full of unwanted events, the possibility of them happening isn't impossible.

Rather than hide and ignore them, I'll just accept the possible outcome.

Opening my eyes, the room is still the same, but…

The thing that changed isn't easy to notice. My eyes are still not focused enough to make it out.

But there. There it was in the middle of the room in that pool of blood.

Feathers, a buck of feathers slowly floating towards the ground. Seconds pass while I stare at the thing that appeared before while my eyes were closed.

Crouching down while covering its whole body with wings. Wings have dark black feathers the same feathers that are floating in the air. I can see, I can't see its face or body, just the wings trying to cover it.

The moonlight is shining through the window just briefly making the figure before me is cloaked in the darkness.

The emotions in me are all over the place, surprise, fear, and a sense of danger are all present. What can I do? Fight? What even is in front of me?

Ten seconds have passed since it got here. Arna is still on my back can I take it fast enough before it attacks me? I can't tell whether it's hostile or not. Not knowing the answer my hand goes toward Arna that's currently invisible on my back. And just as I grab the invisible handle.

A loud deep horrifying scream reaches my ears. Spreading its wings and spinning them to let out more of the dark feathers. While not showing its face or body it creates a wave of air through the whole room making the feathers fly with no direction. The wave is strong enough to push me out of the apartment, the last thing I see is it throwing itself out of the broken windows like a sandbag.

With no time to waste I run back into that death-smelling apartment. As soon as I get in, I run toward the window that he jumped out of.

Traces of feathers remain, with nothing else. Looking at the building tops to my left my eyes stop at the church's top. Looking at it, my eyes move to the moon right above it. The moon is clear, shining white while being as calm.

Knowing that I spent too much time being here I turn around to take my leave. Just as I'm about to step over the pool of blood I notice.

I notice that the gold-like necklace from before is gone.