05-29-2017, 05:12 PM
Existentialist questions were the least of her worries, or were they, if one’s last thoughts defined them the most? Perhaps it was just a pragmatic college-tuned habit. Perhaps not. She remembered her house, high on the hill, full of rooms full of tiny things, mementos of distant memories where her and her parents had gone to places like Florida, Hawaii, the Bahamas, on extravagant vacations, but they’d never bonded. There was no love in their family, it was almost like a business relationship between her two parents, and for their work and colleagues and bosses, it looked better with a little baby in the picture. That was her. Trisha, over there in the corner of the frame, plastered on her face was a fake smile while her model-sculpted parents posed for the shot.
Trisha was the child in the corner. She always had been, even in school. Mother had always said if she didn’t get all A’s, her college would never be paid for. Her job as the corner child was to keep up appearances. If there was aven an ounce of fat on her stomach, her mother would personally escort her to the gym, or take her to her personal trainer. Success, to them, had meant everything. Ever since middle school her struggle was genuine and her efforts paid off, at the sacrifice of a childhood and fundamental happiness. The definition of her life had shifted. Was she serving her purpose and being successful? Or was there more to life? More to that girl in the picture? More to what a smile meant?
There was a beautiful quote that she remembered hearing once, so beautiful, that though she demanded it come to mind, it would not be summoned. Tch. What good was her mind if she could not remember a fragment of beauty to mourn in this tragedy? Death would soon come, and perhaps she would be reminded when the reaper sliced away..
The tears streaked along the peach colored blush she’d patted on her cheeks just prior to stepping in the door of the professor’s classroom. Today had started out bright and hopeful, the first day back from winter break, an escape that hadn’t been much of one but instead, it was in ruin and so was her dripping mascara.
Everything smelled pungent and gross, there wasn’t one word that she could think of to describe the exact flavor, other than maybe vomit or stomach acid. It had made her already tearing eyes burn and sting. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t right, no, there was nothing right in this world and path which they’d dared to cross was now seeking revenge.
She exhaled a breath, realigning her thoughts to focus on what could be changed. What she saw was a canvas of pure white. When she looked down at her feet, they squished ankle-deep into a dark muddy sponge. This could be one of the greatest challenges she ever faced.
Something told her, something in her gut, that word “intuition” became tangible. Her survival instincts shivered in her body, rattling like a bell and chiming fight or flight. It was the swamp, of that, she was sure. The swamp itself was alive, it was going to eat her alive, not to mention the others. It made her feel alone, time had surely stilled the moment it forgot about her. It was time she move on, her phone would never get service, she’d never call for help, and she’d never go home again, somehow, it didn’t seem possible that her whole world could end in just a split second.
But it had, this was a world of monsters, after all.
Meanwhile...
“The swamp! It’s gonna eat us! Run!” Merrel shouted at Alex, who was now within sight.
Alex was facedown in the damp dirt as though having a mud bath treatment for his skin, though it was quite serious, for in an instant, he came up gasping for air. All his effort passed into his muscles, driven by fear and adrenaline as he attempted to claw his way out while the swamp’s ground became more liquidy, and like quicksand, it began to start swallowing. Rocks and trees were the first victims, a loud gurgling noise erupted as though from its belly, and the swamp itself began sucking everything around Alex and Merrel in.
Alex looked over his shoulder and was wasted no time as he saw the smaller rocks, shrubs, and leafless trees rolling in behind him like a landslide. Kicking up his feet, he jumped to a stand, splattering mud all behind him from the speedy lift in his tracks, much like a car’s wheels as it revved up trying to get out of a muddy ditch. The spray was one foot after another. He lifted his feet with haste and the mud tossed up from his heels. Fear coursed through his bones, and his heart had a tough time keeping up.
As another tree passed him and he dodged it on this terrifying treadmill-like trap, he thought even the trees aren’t safe and wondered if he would ever be able to outrun his fate. Merrel was ahead of him, running just as he was. A huge boulder was pulled toward him with the mud.
WHAM!
No, not the band, the rock’s flat face nearly steamrolled Merrel nearly into the ground and it was en-route for Alex as well. He had had enough time to take a few steps to the left and dodge it, but now, he was worried about his unconscious friend, he’d have to grab his arm, grab any part of him that he could manage before the gurgling stomach ate him alive.
“Merrel! Come on! Wake up!” Alex tried calling his name out, as though that would rouse him more than the great moving rock had.
The boulder was slowly gaining and Alex had a chance to extend his hand, “Grab on!” he said, hoping Merrel would come to life and fight for the both of them. But it was an uphill battle. It was destined that someone fall today. Alex had grabbed his friend’s arm and dug his feet into the moving sludge below him, using his weight and the traction he was able to pull Merrel out of the rock’s way before it was swallowed into the gaping swirl of destruction.
“Come… On! Wake up, we can both get through this,” Alex was slowed down by a guy who was double his weight and was trying to carry him off the side of his shoulder. He shook him off to the side, though with a firm grip so as not to see him fall into the swamp’s vacuuming mouth.
“Tch.. What happened?” Merrel asked as his head bobbled.
“You were hit in the face with a huge boulder, it nearly buried you alive, but come on, I’m glad you’re awake, now we can get through th-” Alex’s expression turned grim as Merrel began to shake his head from side to side.
“No, this one’s gonna be all on you buddy,” Merrel was wincing, they were ten feet from the turbulent whirlpool of debris and siphoning mud, “It completely pumbled my leg, I’m a gonner.”
“Don’t be like that, we can do this, together!” Alex growled and feeling Merrel’s pull backward, dug his feet in again and started to drag the guy forward, aiming to be like Santa, toting all his weight on one shoulder.
“Alex, man, there’s no way I’m crawling out of this with only one of my legs, I’m weighing you down. This is over for me, I can’t make it. You need to go.” Merrel shoved Alex off of him and in a blink was a few yards behind him.
Alex narrowed his eyes and changed directions, in a world where anything could happen, that meant truly anything, that meant the impossible.
Trisha was the child in the corner. She always had been, even in school. Mother had always said if she didn’t get all A’s, her college would never be paid for. Her job as the corner child was to keep up appearances. If there was aven an ounce of fat on her stomach, her mother would personally escort her to the gym, or take her to her personal trainer. Success, to them, had meant everything. Ever since middle school her struggle was genuine and her efforts paid off, at the sacrifice of a childhood and fundamental happiness. The definition of her life had shifted. Was she serving her purpose and being successful? Or was there more to life? More to that girl in the picture? More to what a smile meant?
There was a beautiful quote that she remembered hearing once, so beautiful, that though she demanded it come to mind, it would not be summoned. Tch. What good was her mind if she could not remember a fragment of beauty to mourn in this tragedy? Death would soon come, and perhaps she would be reminded when the reaper sliced away..
The tears streaked along the peach colored blush she’d patted on her cheeks just prior to stepping in the door of the professor’s classroom. Today had started out bright and hopeful, the first day back from winter break, an escape that hadn’t been much of one but instead, it was in ruin and so was her dripping mascara.
Everything smelled pungent and gross, there wasn’t one word that she could think of to describe the exact flavor, other than maybe vomit or stomach acid. It had made her already tearing eyes burn and sting. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t right, no, there was nothing right in this world and path which they’d dared to cross was now seeking revenge.
She exhaled a breath, realigning her thoughts to focus on what could be changed. What she saw was a canvas of pure white. When she looked down at her feet, they squished ankle-deep into a dark muddy sponge. This could be one of the greatest challenges she ever faced.
Something told her, something in her gut, that word “intuition” became tangible. Her survival instincts shivered in her body, rattling like a bell and chiming fight or flight. It was the swamp, of that, she was sure. The swamp itself was alive, it was going to eat her alive, not to mention the others. It made her feel alone, time had surely stilled the moment it forgot about her. It was time she move on, her phone would never get service, she’d never call for help, and she’d never go home again, somehow, it didn’t seem possible that her whole world could end in just a split second.
But it had, this was a world of monsters, after all.
Meanwhile...
“The swamp! It’s gonna eat us! Run!” Merrel shouted at Alex, who was now within sight.
Alex was facedown in the damp dirt as though having a mud bath treatment for his skin, though it was quite serious, for in an instant, he came up gasping for air. All his effort passed into his muscles, driven by fear and adrenaline as he attempted to claw his way out while the swamp’s ground became more liquidy, and like quicksand, it began to start swallowing. Rocks and trees were the first victims, a loud gurgling noise erupted as though from its belly, and the swamp itself began sucking everything around Alex and Merrel in.
Alex looked over his shoulder and was wasted no time as he saw the smaller rocks, shrubs, and leafless trees rolling in behind him like a landslide. Kicking up his feet, he jumped to a stand, splattering mud all behind him from the speedy lift in his tracks, much like a car’s wheels as it revved up trying to get out of a muddy ditch. The spray was one foot after another. He lifted his feet with haste and the mud tossed up from his heels. Fear coursed through his bones, and his heart had a tough time keeping up.
As another tree passed him and he dodged it on this terrifying treadmill-like trap, he thought even the trees aren’t safe and wondered if he would ever be able to outrun his fate. Merrel was ahead of him, running just as he was. A huge boulder was pulled toward him with the mud.
WHAM!
No, not the band, the rock’s flat face nearly steamrolled Merrel nearly into the ground and it was en-route for Alex as well. He had had enough time to take a few steps to the left and dodge it, but now, he was worried about his unconscious friend, he’d have to grab his arm, grab any part of him that he could manage before the gurgling stomach ate him alive.
“Merrel! Come on! Wake up!” Alex tried calling his name out, as though that would rouse him more than the great moving rock had.
The boulder was slowly gaining and Alex had a chance to extend his hand, “Grab on!” he said, hoping Merrel would come to life and fight for the both of them. But it was an uphill battle. It was destined that someone fall today. Alex had grabbed his friend’s arm and dug his feet into the moving sludge below him, using his weight and the traction he was able to pull Merrel out of the rock’s way before it was swallowed into the gaping swirl of destruction.
“Come… On! Wake up, we can both get through this,” Alex was slowed down by a guy who was double his weight and was trying to carry him off the side of his shoulder. He shook him off to the side, though with a firm grip so as not to see him fall into the swamp’s vacuuming mouth.
“Tch.. What happened?” Merrel asked as his head bobbled.
“You were hit in the face with a huge boulder, it nearly buried you alive, but come on, I’m glad you’re awake, now we can get through th-” Alex’s expression turned grim as Merrel began to shake his head from side to side.
“No, this one’s gonna be all on you buddy,” Merrel was wincing, they were ten feet from the turbulent whirlpool of debris and siphoning mud, “It completely pumbled my leg, I’m a gonner.”
“Don’t be like that, we can do this, together!” Alex growled and feeling Merrel’s pull backward, dug his feet in again and started to drag the guy forward, aiming to be like Santa, toting all his weight on one shoulder.
“Alex, man, there’s no way I’m crawling out of this with only one of my legs, I’m weighing you down. This is over for me, I can’t make it. You need to go.” Merrel shoved Alex off of him and in a blink was a few yards behind him.
Alex narrowed his eyes and changed directions, in a world where anything could happen, that meant truly anything, that meant the impossible.
![[Image: -Gildarts-fairy-tail-35651033-300-180.gif]](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/35600000/-Gildarts-fairy-tail-35651033-300-180.gif)
"I have never met a strong person with an easy past." -Atticus