TaLi63372
Adventurer
A deafening crack of thunder reverberated throughout the sandstone house. The girl awoke with a start at the sound. Like the clang of a metal door shutting, its boom echoed in the room as she sat there wild-eyed. A flash of bright light from the window spilled into the room as the girl pulled the loaf of bread tightly to her chest. Less than a minute later, another echoing boom.
'They come'
It was more of a concept than spoken words in the girl's mind. She began to visibly panic at the severe anxiety that accompanied that thought. She looked around the room as it was illuminated in a flickering strobe light as lightning danced between the storm clouds outside. Another booming crash and the girl was on her feet and running out the bedroom door. She paused in the hallway for a moment as another flash caused her to freeze. She looked at the hallway of doors. She couldn't remember which was which or whose was whose. What if she chose wrong? What if They were on the other side? The next crack of thunder made the choice for her. It spurred the frightened girl towards the stairs and out the front door and into the stormy night.
She dashed past the courtyard and pushed against the front gate. She shoved the gate hard and shook it before her mind caught up to the ordeal. She fumbled with the contraption in her panic as the thunder was even louder without the dampening effect of the thick sandstone walls. She crying and breathing heavy now, almost to the point of hyper-ventilating. She finally managed to get the gate unlocked and open. She half-screamed and gurgled as ran out into the night. The gate swung in the wind.
There was no specific direction in her flight except away from Their sounds. She went right. She went left. She dodged tree trunks and rocks. She fled from suspicious shadows and illuminated horrors. She screamed when one of her leg rings snagged on the thin branch of a bush. Despite her extreme panic, she immediately stopped in place with the pain. She dropped the now-soggy loaf of bread and reached down and frantically tried to untwist the offending branch as she sobbed. Her hands were shaking violently as she screamed with a heart-wrenching guttural wail. The rain became a downpour as she pulled at the branch until it finally gave way. A flash of light illuminated a broken stump near her and she bolted even before the thunder detonated. She stumbled and fell in the mud as she ran through the wilderness until she came to a man-made road. She immediately chose that bushless path and ran full-tilt down it.
In the distance she could see the outlying shapes of a gate and buildings. The sandstone of the massive wall was illuminated by torches and nearby guard fires. That color was what she associated now with safety, food and shelter. She ran for it as fast as her tiny legs would allow her.
The guards were startled awake from their late night routine as a child came tearing through the gate, screaming a blood-curdling wail. The girl didn't stop, but ran straight through in her blind panic. Her near constant wail began to fade as quickly as it had came as the child continued to run. Shouted orders were called out as the night guards immediately went to their posts ready to defend the City of Trinsic against whatever had elicited such terror. No horror came. No enemy seen.
The girl dashed down the streets and around corners. Her still-compromised lungs wheezing as she failed to turn quick enough and bumped against the wall of a building. The jolt was enough to freeze her in place and cork the wail from her throat. She gasped for air as she stood there hunched over. The storm was moving past and the thunder was drifting westward into the jungles of the southern wildlands. She stood there, gulping air as she struggled to catch her breath. One more gulp and her stomach turned and emptied its contents onto the grass along the sandstone street. She wretched and her tiny body heaved as she attempted to grab air after each somersault of her stomach. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her muddy arm. The rain had turned into a steady drizzle as she began to cautiously search for shelter.
It was cold and wet. Her stomach was upset. She didn't have her loaf.
She found a small area behind a shop building and the outer guard wall of the city. She curled up on the ground and against the sandstone surface. Exhaustion claimed the girl's mind as she shivered against the offending night.
'They come'
It was more of a concept than spoken words in the girl's mind. She began to visibly panic at the severe anxiety that accompanied that thought. She looked around the room as it was illuminated in a flickering strobe light as lightning danced between the storm clouds outside. Another booming crash and the girl was on her feet and running out the bedroom door. She paused in the hallway for a moment as another flash caused her to freeze. She looked at the hallway of doors. She couldn't remember which was which or whose was whose. What if she chose wrong? What if They were on the other side? The next crack of thunder made the choice for her. It spurred the frightened girl towards the stairs and out the front door and into the stormy night.
She dashed past the courtyard and pushed against the front gate. She shoved the gate hard and shook it before her mind caught up to the ordeal. She fumbled with the contraption in her panic as the thunder was even louder without the dampening effect of the thick sandstone walls. She crying and breathing heavy now, almost to the point of hyper-ventilating. She finally managed to get the gate unlocked and open. She half-screamed and gurgled as ran out into the night. The gate swung in the wind.
There was no specific direction in her flight except away from Their sounds. She went right. She went left. She dodged tree trunks and rocks. She fled from suspicious shadows and illuminated horrors. She screamed when one of her leg rings snagged on the thin branch of a bush. Despite her extreme panic, she immediately stopped in place with the pain. She dropped the now-soggy loaf of bread and reached down and frantically tried to untwist the offending branch as she sobbed. Her hands were shaking violently as she screamed with a heart-wrenching guttural wail. The rain became a downpour as she pulled at the branch until it finally gave way. A flash of light illuminated a broken stump near her and she bolted even before the thunder detonated. She stumbled and fell in the mud as she ran through the wilderness until she came to a man-made road. She immediately chose that bushless path and ran full-tilt down it.
In the distance she could see the outlying shapes of a gate and buildings. The sandstone of the massive wall was illuminated by torches and nearby guard fires. That color was what she associated now with safety, food and shelter. She ran for it as fast as her tiny legs would allow her.
The guards were startled awake from their late night routine as a child came tearing through the gate, screaming a blood-curdling wail. The girl didn't stop, but ran straight through in her blind panic. Her near constant wail began to fade as quickly as it had came as the child continued to run. Shouted orders were called out as the night guards immediately went to their posts ready to defend the City of Trinsic against whatever had elicited such terror. No horror came. No enemy seen.
The girl dashed down the streets and around corners. Her still-compromised lungs wheezing as she failed to turn quick enough and bumped against the wall of a building. The jolt was enough to freeze her in place and cork the wail from her throat. She gasped for air as she stood there hunched over. The storm was moving past and the thunder was drifting westward into the jungles of the southern wildlands. She stood there, gulping air as she struggled to catch her breath. One more gulp and her stomach turned and emptied its contents onto the grass along the sandstone street. She wretched and her tiny body heaved as she attempted to grab air after each somersault of her stomach. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her muddy arm. The rain had turned into a steady drizzle as she began to cautiously search for shelter.
It was cold and wet. Her stomach was upset. She didn't have her loaf.
She found a small area behind a shop building and the outer guard wall of the city. She curled up on the ground and against the sandstone surface. Exhaustion claimed the girl's mind as she shivered against the offending night.
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