Post by ℜust ℜed ℜose on Oct 6, 2016 17:49:01 GMT -5
[Blood warning. Continue at your own risk.]
She’d sworn she’d never lose her mind again.
The crescent moon was beautiful tonight, hanging above the world below. Silver, glittering. It cast its dull glow on the cobblestone streets below, leaving long shadows stretching down the alleyways. The great pines swayed in winds to the North, standing proudly, as if protecting the city from any danger the outside could offer. As if it was the outside they had to fear. Arades knew better. It was truly a pity that such a view never lasted so long. The sun would be rising soon. Why, the faintest hints of gold had begun to appear on the horizon; she’d held herself off a little longer tonight, but barely. Anything other than the night would have been a relieving sight to see. But no, the only thing that stared back at her through the window was the moon. The very moon she swore she’d never see again, but here she was. Despite all the effort not to let it happen again, here she was.
Arades ran her hand along the smooth glass of the windowpane, producing a small squeak. She stared up at the dark sky with wide blue grey eyes, at the silver crescent looking down at her. A ghost of a smile touched her face for but an instant. The drizzle of rain outside made the glass cold to the touch, like ice under her hand. Only the faintest light of the burning oil lamps outside looked like they held any sort of warmth. The woman let her hands slide slowly down the window, her gaze locked on the sky. She couldn’t help herself. She’d tried, she really had. She’d locked the door and hidden in the bathroom, but yet she couldn’t stay away. She wanted to cry now, for the woman knew exactly what happened next. But she could not cry. No, she could hardly think sane thoughts at all.
Quietly, she stood, her hands curled into small fists at her side, the wet of the window still dripping off her palms. She walked slowly over to the great oak door, the same one she’d left locked all night, only to fail here, to fail now. But that was not what was on her mind. She gripped the handle on the door tightly, her knuckles went white. Shame it had to happen again. Shame she’d get more blood on her hands tonight. Arades opened the door and stepped out into the hall.
She walked down the stairs, across the room and out the front door. She stood on the front steps to the little house, the rain coming down. She surely looked odd, her long white hair loose down her back, her expression deadly calm. She wore a blue, white and gold dress that reached just to her ankles. On her feet were brown leather boots. The rain soaked through her clothes and left her drenched, but she did not seem to mind. The woman walked down the cobblestone streets, empty in the early morning. It was but minutes from dawn when Arades found herself heading towards the tavern.
Stopping at the doors, she stared down at the little bronze serpent the curled up the handle. It looked so real that she’d not be surprised if it bit her when she opened the door. She swung the door open violently, letting it slam loud against the wall. The few scattered patrons at the bar jumped at the sound. They all looked at the soaked woman standing the doorway. At first Arades’ expression was flat, void of emotion. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, staring everyone in the room down. Then the harshness of her face melted, the sky growing lighter with gold. As the sun rose over the hills, Arades froze. Her cold, cruel expression faded to a look of horror and realization. She stumbled back as if in a daze, letting the door slam in her shocked face. After a stunned moment, she turned around and ran down the cobblestone streets. Never again, never again! She couldn’t afford to be so… careless.
Her footsteps echoed on the empty streets. The lights glared down at her, the rain stopping. She did not stop running, her heartbeat rapid and pounding in her chest. She’d thought herself tame. Alas, she could not hold it in. Don’t look at it, don’t look at it, she’d said. As if repeating it a million times would make it so! Pah, she could have snapped another neck all because she hadn’t the guts left to… No.
She did not want to think that.
Arades shoved the door to her house open and flung herself on the floor. The carpet stung the skin off her arms, but she didn’t care. She lay face down, wallowing in her own self pity. The demoness clutched a tight fist, beating her hands soundlessly on the floor. She didn’t want to kill another man; who would?! She rubbed her eyes, her cheeks stinging and her face hot. There were better options. All she had to do was deal with this… The woman stared at her own reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall, crooked from her outburst. Her own grey eyes stared back at her. Those eyes that betrayed her, the eyes that could not bear the sight of the moon. She knew what she had to do. The hardest part was doing it.
Each step was harder than the next. She forced herself up the stairs and into the bedroom. She loomed over the washstand, looking at her own reflection. Hands shaking, she pulled out the handle of the drawer and removed a long knife from its resting place. She took a deep breath, holding the cold metal in her hands. It felt foreign. It felt so smooth, unnatural. It felt dead. Carefully, she lifted the blade with unsteady hands and let her vision run red.
She didn’t think it would hurt so much.
The blade slipped from her clattered loudly to the floor, the woman dropping to her knees and gasping for breath. Each breath felt ragged, her heart racing and insides twisted into a knot. The air was filled with the metallic tang of blood, the piercing pain tearing at the fresh gaping holes. Fighting back a whimper, Arades blindly patted the floor around her to find the hem of her dress. Her hands met soft velvet and she tore a long strip of fabric off the dress, tying it ‘round her head, hands still wet with blood. The moon would never betray her again, with no eyes left to see it.
She’d sworn she’d never lose her mind again.
The crescent moon was beautiful tonight, hanging above the world below. Silver, glittering. It cast its dull glow on the cobblestone streets below, leaving long shadows stretching down the alleyways. The great pines swayed in winds to the North, standing proudly, as if protecting the city from any danger the outside could offer. As if it was the outside they had to fear. Arades knew better. It was truly a pity that such a view never lasted so long. The sun would be rising soon. Why, the faintest hints of gold had begun to appear on the horizon; she’d held herself off a little longer tonight, but barely. Anything other than the night would have been a relieving sight to see. But no, the only thing that stared back at her through the window was the moon. The very moon she swore she’d never see again, but here she was. Despite all the effort not to let it happen again, here she was.
Arades ran her hand along the smooth glass of the windowpane, producing a small squeak. She stared up at the dark sky with wide blue grey eyes, at the silver crescent looking down at her. A ghost of a smile touched her face for but an instant. The drizzle of rain outside made the glass cold to the touch, like ice under her hand. Only the faintest light of the burning oil lamps outside looked like they held any sort of warmth. The woman let her hands slide slowly down the window, her gaze locked on the sky. She couldn’t help herself. She’d tried, she really had. She’d locked the door and hidden in the bathroom, but yet she couldn’t stay away. She wanted to cry now, for the woman knew exactly what happened next. But she could not cry. No, she could hardly think sane thoughts at all.
Quietly, she stood, her hands curled into small fists at her side, the wet of the window still dripping off her palms. She walked slowly over to the great oak door, the same one she’d left locked all night, only to fail here, to fail now. But that was not what was on her mind. She gripped the handle on the door tightly, her knuckles went white. Shame it had to happen again. Shame she’d get more blood on her hands tonight. Arades opened the door and stepped out into the hall.
She walked down the stairs, across the room and out the front door. She stood on the front steps to the little house, the rain coming down. She surely looked odd, her long white hair loose down her back, her expression deadly calm. She wore a blue, white and gold dress that reached just to her ankles. On her feet were brown leather boots. The rain soaked through her clothes and left her drenched, but she did not seem to mind. The woman walked down the cobblestone streets, empty in the early morning. It was but minutes from dawn when Arades found herself heading towards the tavern.
Stopping at the doors, she stared down at the little bronze serpent the curled up the handle. It looked so real that she’d not be surprised if it bit her when she opened the door. She swung the door open violently, letting it slam loud against the wall. The few scattered patrons at the bar jumped at the sound. They all looked at the soaked woman standing the doorway. At first Arades’ expression was flat, void of emotion. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, staring everyone in the room down. Then the harshness of her face melted, the sky growing lighter with gold. As the sun rose over the hills, Arades froze. Her cold, cruel expression faded to a look of horror and realization. She stumbled back as if in a daze, letting the door slam in her shocked face. After a stunned moment, she turned around and ran down the cobblestone streets. Never again, never again! She couldn’t afford to be so… careless.
Her footsteps echoed on the empty streets. The lights glared down at her, the rain stopping. She did not stop running, her heartbeat rapid and pounding in her chest. She’d thought herself tame. Alas, she could not hold it in. Don’t look at it, don’t look at it, she’d said. As if repeating it a million times would make it so! Pah, she could have snapped another neck all because she hadn’t the guts left to… No.
She did not want to think that.
Arades shoved the door to her house open and flung herself on the floor. The carpet stung the skin off her arms, but she didn’t care. She lay face down, wallowing in her own self pity. The demoness clutched a tight fist, beating her hands soundlessly on the floor. She didn’t want to kill another man; who would?! She rubbed her eyes, her cheeks stinging and her face hot. There were better options. All she had to do was deal with this… The woman stared at her own reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall, crooked from her outburst. Her own grey eyes stared back at her. Those eyes that betrayed her, the eyes that could not bear the sight of the moon. She knew what she had to do. The hardest part was doing it.
Each step was harder than the next. She forced herself up the stairs and into the bedroom. She loomed over the washstand, looking at her own reflection. Hands shaking, she pulled out the handle of the drawer and removed a long knife from its resting place. She took a deep breath, holding the cold metal in her hands. It felt foreign. It felt so smooth, unnatural. It felt dead. Carefully, she lifted the blade with unsteady hands and let her vision run red.
She didn’t think it would hurt so much.
The blade slipped from her clattered loudly to the floor, the woman dropping to her knees and gasping for breath. Each breath felt ragged, her heart racing and insides twisted into a knot. The air was filled with the metallic tang of blood, the piercing pain tearing at the fresh gaping holes. Fighting back a whimper, Arades blindly patted the floor around her to find the hem of her dress. Her hands met soft velvet and she tore a long strip of fabric off the dress, tying it ‘round her head, hands still wet with blood. The moon would never betray her again, with no eyes left to see it.
