The candlelight shivered and flicked as she made her way slowly up the stairs. The house simply grew in more a state or ruin with each room she entered. Claw marks lined the wall, stuffing torn from cushions and papers scattered upon the floor.
Her knuckles had turned white as she held quite firmly to the candlestick and the paperweight she carried as a makeshift weapon. The woman looked towards the third set of stairs, leading up to the final part of the house: her bedroom and study. Straightening her shoulders and raising her source of light upwards, she journeyed on, slowly and tentatively. Her lips drew back into a grimace as the smell that had greeted her at the door had only grown stronger.
The smell itself reminded her of a corpse. One that had begun to rot and enter the later states of decay.
Her feet carried her up each step, slowly but surely she emerged on the third floor landing. Taking a small breath, she pushed forward, entering into her study. The place was as big of a mess as the rest of the house. Her desk overturned, ink splattered upon torn papers that were scattered upon the floor.
"Spirit help me what did all of this?" Her voice barely above a whisper and in her native tongue of D'Ithanie. The woman set her candle down along with the paper weight, moving to gather up the fallen papers in an attempt to see what could be salvaged. Letting out a small sigh, she balled up a few of the destroyed and ink covered pages, tossing them into the wastebasket that she straightened.
A sort of chittering sound followed by a dragging noise caused her to straighten up and turn her head slowly around, towards the door that led into her bedroom. The woman held her breath as she stepped slowly towards the ajar door.
Reaching out a hand, she grasped the door knob, slowly pulling the door wide open. The stench hit her in a full force and she raised her dress clad arm up in attempt to ward off the awful smell.
Tears pricked at her eyes as she backpedaled, her hand moving to grab the candlestick. The flame flickered and shifted as she lifted the light upwards.
She waited, staring into the pitch blackness of her room, attempting not to heave from the stench. Slowly… A form emerged, it's body wide and slouched. The creature let out the same chittering noise that she had heard before and pushed off it's hind legs, springing into the air to attack.
A scream ripped from her throat as she raised the candlestick in attempt to protect herself. But just as the creature's weight connected with hers and she felt the bite of it's large jaws…
Her eyes opened and she smelt the sharp fresh smell of peppermint, a better scent, a calming one.
Darcie lay curled upon the loveseat in her sitting room. A stick of peppermint incense lay still lightly burning in the bowl upon the table.
"I dozed off then…" She spoke softly, watching as wisps of smoke came off the end of the incense stick. The woman rose slowly, her bare feet meeting the cool wooden floor causing her to wrinkle nose in irritation.
Her muscles ached and throbbed, as she maneuvered her way over to her slightly open window. Pressing her right shoulder to the window frame, she splayed her fingers very lightly over the bandages the covered her left shoulder and arm.
Lifting her fingers away after a pang of pain shifted up her arm and into her shoulder, the woman pushed the window open further, allowing the gentle, yet frigid breeze glide across her uncovered skin of her upper shoulders, neck and face. Closing her eyes and baring her skin further to the breeze, she grit her teeth slightly as the memory of her dream slithered into her thoughts.
The eyes were what bothered her most. Soulless, yet hungry eyes that looked at her as nothing but a meal. A creature from the darkest depths of the Void and it had attacked her in her very home. Her one for sure safe place in the bustling metropolis that was the Holy City.
Darcie opened her eyes and let out a noise that was a mix between a sigh and whimper. She would not be able to rest easily until the creature that haunted her dreams was dead.
Her knuckles had turned white as she held quite firmly to the candlestick and the paperweight she carried as a makeshift weapon. The woman looked towards the third set of stairs, leading up to the final part of the house: her bedroom and study. Straightening her shoulders and raising her source of light upwards, she journeyed on, slowly and tentatively. Her lips drew back into a grimace as the smell that had greeted her at the door had only grown stronger.
The smell itself reminded her of a corpse. One that had begun to rot and enter the later states of decay.
Her feet carried her up each step, slowly but surely she emerged on the third floor landing. Taking a small breath, she pushed forward, entering into her study. The place was as big of a mess as the rest of the house. Her desk overturned, ink splattered upon torn papers that were scattered upon the floor.
"Spirit help me what did all of this?" Her voice barely above a whisper and in her native tongue of D'Ithanie. The woman set her candle down along with the paper weight, moving to gather up the fallen papers in an attempt to see what could be salvaged. Letting out a small sigh, she balled up a few of the destroyed and ink covered pages, tossing them into the wastebasket that she straightened.
A sort of chittering sound followed by a dragging noise caused her to straighten up and turn her head slowly around, towards the door that led into her bedroom. The woman held her breath as she stepped slowly towards the ajar door.
Reaching out a hand, she grasped the door knob, slowly pulling the door wide open. The stench hit her in a full force and she raised her dress clad arm up in attempt to ward off the awful smell.
Tears pricked at her eyes as she backpedaled, her hand moving to grab the candlestick. The flame flickered and shifted as she lifted the light upwards.
She waited, staring into the pitch blackness of her room, attempting not to heave from the stench. Slowly… A form emerged, it's body wide and slouched. The creature let out the same chittering noise that she had heard before and pushed off it's hind legs, springing into the air to attack.
A scream ripped from her throat as she raised the candlestick in attempt to protect herself. But just as the creature's weight connected with hers and she felt the bite of it's large jaws…
Her eyes opened and she smelt the sharp fresh smell of peppermint, a better scent, a calming one.
Darcie lay curled upon the loveseat in her sitting room. A stick of peppermint incense lay still lightly burning in the bowl upon the table.
"I dozed off then…" She spoke softly, watching as wisps of smoke came off the end of the incense stick. The woman rose slowly, her bare feet meeting the cool wooden floor causing her to wrinkle nose in irritation.
Her muscles ached and throbbed, as she maneuvered her way over to her slightly open window. Pressing her right shoulder to the window frame, she splayed her fingers very lightly over the bandages the covered her left shoulder and arm.
Lifting her fingers away after a pang of pain shifted up her arm and into her shoulder, the woman pushed the window open further, allowing the gentle, yet frigid breeze glide across her uncovered skin of her upper shoulders, neck and face. Closing her eyes and baring her skin further to the breeze, she grit her teeth slightly as the memory of her dream slithered into her thoughts.
The eyes were what bothered her most. Soulless, yet hungry eyes that looked at her as nothing but a meal. A creature from the darkest depths of the Void and it had attacked her in her very home. Her one for sure safe place in the bustling metropolis that was the Holy City.
Darcie opened her eyes and let out a noise that was a mix between a sigh and whimper. She would not be able to rest easily until the creature that haunted her dreams was dead.
