Odyssey of Feelings

As the rays of morning pierced through the thick fog and leaves, they cast a hazed reflection on my eyes, making me stirred from a fitful sleep. The night was filled with anxious thoughts and eerie silence, with the occasional rustle of leaves.

With a groan, I removed the blanket from over me and sat straight. My body is aching a lot. We used leaves as a layer on the rock so that it acts as a little bit of cushion. But still, it hurts a lot, as if there's cramping all over. I am already missing my home and bed. Anyway, we should resume our exploration as soon as possible without wasting any time.

"Marie, get up. It's morni—"

I called her, but she wasn't beside me anymore.

"HUHH!??" I turned my face around in panic, and I couldn't see her anywhere.

"Marie? Marie, where are you?"

I frantically scanned my surroundings, my heart racing with panic as I searched for her.

"Ohh God.." Where can she go? Did someone come here and take her? Or did she left back without notifying? No, she won't do that.

There was no sign of her amidst me yelling nonstop. Just as despair began to set in, I made a fast turn, and I found her standing behind me. Her gaze met mine, calm and composed, as she nonchalantly continued to dry her face and hair.

"What happened, Elea? Why are you screaming and looking so scared?" Said Marie.

I looked at her, very pissed. Probably my eyebrows are hard frowning now.

"Where the fuck did you go?" I asked.

"I got up early, so I thought I should go around and check the area a little bit."

"Are you an idiot!? Leaving without saying anything. I was looking for you all, worried everywhere."

"Ehh, but you were sleeping so soundly. I mean, at night we were talking till late, and then you weren't able to sleep properly because of anxiety and thinking over what happened at your house, so I thought I should let you sleep a little bit more."

"You cannot leave like this, Marie! Anything unpredictable can happen here. We don't know a shit about this place, and now you are the only one I—"

I turned my face away, holding words in my throat, as my emotions were about to flow out of my eyes.

"Hey Elea, I am sorry." Marie said it, holding my shoulders.

I looked at her with sheer frustration. I really want to punch her so badly.

"You can hit me once if you want. I won't stop you." said Marie, with her eyes closed.

It's obvious that she is forcing herself to say that.

"Ohh, sure thing." I replied. 

I walked to her, and hearing my footsteps closing in, Marie's expression got tensed. She was expecting a slap on her head, but obviously I didn't want to do that. I gently held her shoulders and pulled her close until our warmth was felt by each other. A warm hug, which I doubt she must be expecting in this situation.

Marie, surprised, opens her eyes on my shoulders.

"Sorry, I promise I won't do anything like that again." Marie said.

Compassionately, I caressed her hair, patting it smoothly and gliding my fingers in, holding her head with curled hairs around my fingers, and I pulled it hard behind.

"You better not!" I said.

"*Ouch *Ouch..I won't. I swear!" Marie said, begging for her life.

"Good."

"Ahh, that hurts."

*Sigh** All she does is make me worried or angry everywhere.

"So, where did you go? Found anything useful?" I asked.

"Yes, yes, about that. I found a river ahead here."

"Ohh, Wow!"

"Come, let me show."

We gathered our belongings, picked up our bags, and trudged in between the narrow lanes of trees. Surprisingly, the thickness of the fog here has been very much diluted, and we can see things more clearly and better now. Is it because it's morning? No, the fog at the gate never got better, no matter if it was day or night. Even after centuries, it remained unhinged.

We slid down a slippery, muddy terrain, and soon the gentle showering sound of flowing water started coming from ahead.

"Hooo!" With a cheer, I ran ahead and finally got to see a wide, open grassy field with rocks spread around where a stream of water was flowing smoothly.

I sat before the river. It's so clean and transparent. I pulled my sleeves up, took water in my hands, and splashed it on my face.

"Ahh, it's so refreshing."

"Hehe, I know." Marie replied.

All the fatigue seems to be going away with it. I took a sip from it, and I guess we won't be having a shortage of water here, at least. I unlaced my boots and let the clear currents caress my feet.

"Elea, Did you notice something?"

Marie called me. She had already washed herself earlier, so she was sitting behind me and watching me.

"What?"

"There are no fish in the water either."

"Oh yes, you are right." I look around the water with more proper attention. "No animal wants to live in this place, huh?"

"Except for two animals that are walking here." Marie answered with a quirky smile.

"Haha, yes, two weird animals who don't know what they are doing." I continued, and we both laughed together.

"Let's eat and move forward now." I said this while coming out of the stream. I wiped my face and laced up my boots.

"As you say, Mam."

We settled onto a patch of soft grass by the river and ate the sandwiches that we had bought from our kingdom. While having our conversation and sharing dreams. We planned carefully how we were going to take our decisions and do things from here and there.

We decided to follow the river and see where it'd lead us. We trailed the stream's calm flow for the next 28 hours before we finally halted on our tracks, reaching the river's surreal conclusion.

"What the fuck?" said Marie.

"That's why there were no fish in the water. They can't survive."

The river water that we thought might be connecting to some land or a bigger stream of water was flowing inside an enormous, big hole in the ground. The rivers from the other two sides were also going inside this hole, as if it were sucking them. The amount of water going inside, the depth that we cannot see from above, and the size of the hole are frightening.

"Where do you think it must be going? Inside the earth's core?" Marie said, peeking closely.

"There is no point in thinking; we are not coming out alive if we fall into it. Let's keep moving forward."

As our weary journey treaded through the Murk, this mysterious, uncharted land, each step led us deeper into the heart of a bizarre realm that we had never heard of or imagined about.

Weird landscapes unfolded before us; twisted trees entangled like ancient dancers were stuck together. Strange flowers that were moving up and down on their stems—their movements left us with both fascination and unsettlement. During such instances, it was hard to control Marie, as she was about to touch those weird plants that might be poisonous. Also, thanks to Marie, sometimes it was joyful and moments filled with laughter because of her comments and behaviour.

Just like that, days turned into nights and nights turned into days again, and still, our journey continued longer than we had imagined or expected.

Twenty-seven days passed; we had run out of the food that we had bought from our kingdom on the sixth day, but thankfully, even though there are no animals to hunt, we have enough trees with edible fruits and water sources around.

Through dense forests and rugged mountains, in between large rocks and bushes, across barren fields, and meandering rivers. We crossed them all yet encountered no sign of life so far except from us. In this dystopian land, nature seemed both alive and yet eerily silent, devoid of the bustling activity one would expect. The thing we learned about fog is that there's no specific timing for when it'll trigger, as if this land is cursed. Sometimes it'll be thin and wispy, other times thick and suffocating, blurring our surroundings and heightening our senses, and sometimes no fog at all.

Those nights, when there was no fog around, we got to see celestial spectacles beyond our imagination. Countless twinkling stars and, at times, planets felt vividly close to us. Their ethereal glow and unusual surface felt mesmerizing. One planet resembling Saturn had two distinctive rings crossing each other. Then meteor showers were leaving a trail of luminous blue flares behind as they were moving ahead. At those points, I and Marie were discussing what would happen if it hit us here.

Sometimes it was a scary and anxious-filled night. Sometimes I get nightmares and wake up screaming, remembering that night when my mom and dad got killed. During all those moments, Marie was always there, comforting me.

That evil woman, her horrendous smile, and then what Elyana did made me press on, driven by a relentless determination and an unhinged strength to keep moving forward.

—Autumn's gentle hush was turning cold,

And I was in solace, crushing leaves of gold.

Blankets on those fields had all been burned,

With the loss of valuables, all I had earned.

The ship of this winter was ready to sail,

And heartbeats dropped words, ready to fail.

Bidding adieu to another winter something I'd won't experience again,

With every passing snow on my heart, it left a stain.

It ached through my heart, heart being pierced with a dart,

Was something stolen, or was I being thwarted? 

I hold my coffee to rejoice in this feeling,

But all around me, it starts disintegrating. 

The bubble of the burden is starting to inflate,

Engulfed with sorrow, grief, and hate.

Corners of my heart turning into disaster,

Lost all those moments once perceived as laughter.

Bonds and bridges, all burnt and broken,

Heart frozen and echoes yet to awoken.

Heart plays every scenario it knit,

From every moment to every single bit.

Winter was arriving on my threshold,

And forging myself, I was ready to behold.

Scars on my heart not as visible as my knee,

Doesn't mean they don't exist if one can't see.

Conversations like milestones guided me the way,

One part of me wants them all to stay.

Nothing stays forever; nothing stays the same,

Sometimes it's just silence, and other times it's a blame game.

Scents lingering had turned back to dust,

But Marie's side was something I could trust.

Hearts and ships meant to turn titanic,

It's all a mixed gale of joy, affection, and panic.

Smiles on lips yet doesn't shy,

My somber eyes waiting to cry.

Raindrops fall when clouds can no longer bear the strain,

And teardrops fall when the heart can no longer bear the pain.

Another winter I can't seem to forget,

One of those is waiting at the gates,

Nothing was same, yet something had stayed,

Was it me or them? It's a debate.—

The serene voyage came to an end. The rain poured hard, and I and Marie finally got to witness a wildlife in front of us. Though that's not the only life we're facing now, with the circumstances and the place in front of me, tonnes of questions had engulfed me with only one emotion, knocking on my soul.

—FEAR.

An invisible creature who cannot see us, smell us, or sense us, but...it can HEAR us, laying its enormous-sized palms on the ground in front of us.

Muffled* Huffkp*

How many minutes has it been since we last took breathe?

Holding my palms tightly and covering my mouth, I turn towards Marie. It seems like she is on her limit. Her eyes have turned red due to a lack of oxygen.

Marie....No... 

That was the first time we met the guardian of the Murk.