Lost.

[Knifey Keith]

You awake to find yourself somewhere dark, cold and moist, the ground is hard, made of stone bricks. The air is stale and still, sounds of water dripping and odd rodent squeaking is all you can hear. Though it hasn't come to mind as of yet… Aside from your name, you have no idea who you are, where you are or why.

This current predicament is a shock to you. So what do you do next?

[Gadreille]

A woman woke to the sound of a wracking cough. The hack hack hack sound echoed off of nearby walls in the darkness beyond. It took her several minutes to realize the sound was coming from herself. She sat up, struggling to see in the darkness. She felt the rough stone beneath her. She shivered, bringing her legs to her. She was wearing a grey wool-spun dress, but even it's thickness could not warm her in this cold place. Where was she? How did she get here? Where was she last?

With a creeping panic, she realized that she couldn't remember where she last was. She couldn't remember who she was. She couldn't remember anything! She started to cry, a panicked, deep breath sob that came out of her without her permission. She threw her hands into the shoulder length, wavy mass of brown hair on her head and began rocking back and forth. Calm down, a voice in her mind said. Calm down, Arin.

Arin. Her name.

Arin shakily got to her feet. She shuffled forward, the slippers on her feet scraping loudly against the floor. She held her hands out, until she found the nearest wall. Arin turned toward the wall and began inching forward slowly, fearfully, but with determination.

[Knifey Keith]

As Arin stands against the wall and cautiously makes her way in her chosen direction… She will inevitably come to the top of a stone stairwell leading far down.

If Arin is careful enough she will be able to find and make her way down the flight of stairs without falling down. However due to the darkness and somewhat wet conditions of the stone floor… Theres a likely chance she will wall down stairs.

[Shekinah]

The darkness surrounding her was so thick, she thought she couldn't breathe. Her right hand reached out and touched solid, cold bricks.

Where am I?

She was lying on those same bricks her hand previously touched and slowly she placed her hand on her chest, feeling how her chest was going up and down. She could feel her heart beat. Her ears were filled with silence. But no... not really. The sound of dripping water was there, but it took her a while to identify it as such.

She brought herself into a sitting position and waved her hand before her eyes, not being able to see it, but she could feel the air  shift. Realising it didn't make a difference, she put her hand down again and stood up.

'Hello?'

The sound of her voice echoed lo lo lo o o o o o?, as if the room - if it was a room - she was in was saying the same thing. No response, aside from the sound of dripping water.

How did I get here? Wait... what is here? Where was I before? Questions to which she had no answer.

She put her arms around her waist, as the simple woolen dress she was wearing was uncovering her arms and she felt cold. Apparently the place she had been before this had not been as cold as this one.

When she stepped forward, the stepping sound of her slippers echoed as her voice had done before. She had no clue where she was supposed to go, if there was even a front and a back, a left and a right in this place.

Her chest was going up and down faster now and she could feel panic getting a hold of her. Shit Aya, how the hell did you get yourself in this place?

Well, she at least remembered her name. She pushed her long, straight, black hair over her shoulder and sighed. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said: 'Okay, whatever this place is, I'm going to get out. I'm going to.'

She held her hands out and started walking, slowly, until she reached a wall that she could follow with her hands as she walked.

[Gadreille]

Arin had travelled along the corridor for what seemed like an eternity when she suddenly began to feel a change in her surroundings. It was very dark, but what was ahead was pitch black. There was a coldness coming from below. She continued to creep forward when she suddenly found her foot slipping forward. She stepped back with a gasp, and squatted down. Sure enough, there was a step before her. A small whimper escaped her lips. She crossed the corridor, hoping that it continued to the right, but she was met with another stone wall. She could either go down...or go back.

Arin crossed back to the left wall, and began the slow decent. The dripping water sound became louder and she went further down the steps. Though she moved slowly, her foot still made a loud noise when she stepped into water running across the steps. Arin cried out as her foot slipped out from under her and she tumbled down the rest of the stairs. At the bottom, she rolled into a ball, holding her head. Blood dripped down her hands from her head smashing against the bottom step.

[Knifey Keith]

Arin
Through Arin had suffered an unfortunate but non fatal injury due to her fall down the stairs, her luck was about to get better. Only a few feet away from her was a bag, a leather satchel of sorts. Inside the satchel was a loaf and a half of bread, as well as a light folded up deep red blanket.

Aya

As Aya progresses along the wall she finds the pitch black darkness becoming less… Pitch black. Through it is still very dark, it becomes apparent that she is making her way through a hallway, as Aya progresses further she will notice a turn. Upon turning she will notice that it becomes a lot less dark; upon the other side of the corner a dim light in the distance will be visible.

It won't take a learned man to recognised it for what it is… A torch.

[Shekinah]

Her feet kept bringing her further down whatever it was she was following, until at some point it became apparant to Aya that it indeed was a hallway, not a room.

Though it was not so cold that her breath was visible, she was still shivering and if there had been light enough to see it, Aya would've seen the goosebumps on her bare arms. Now she could only feel it. But she was sure that had also something to do with the fact that she still felt scared, threatened even, maybe.

As she made progress, she slowly became aware of the fact that the darkness seemed less... thick. The pitch black she saw before traded places with a dark shade of gret. To say that she could see contours went too far, and she also still couldn't see the wall she was following with her hands, but her eye sight calmed down a bit with this new discovery.

After some time, her left hand fell into thin air. She gasped in surprise, as she hadn't seen this coming. She had been following the wall so long now, she had almost expected it to go on forever, but now it had stopped. Slowly she made a few more steps further, her toes against the wall, until her left foot too did touch the wall no longer. She reached out, but her hand didn't touch anything. Stepping a bit more forward still, she stepped as soon as she had let go of the wall entirely. Then she reached out both of her hands and started searching until she found that the wall had made a turn to the right.

With no other choice than to take the turn, she did so and found that the darkness became less dark still. She closed her eyes a bit, as to see through her wimpers, and noticed a.... light. It was still somewhat far away from where she was standing now, but the promise of having light to see again was so comforting, that her whole body seemed to scream at her to make a run for it. Yet she didn't. She had no idea what surprises the now lighter grey darkness had in store for her, so she made her way towards the light as cautious as she had reached the turn.

Then, finally, when she was near enough to make out that it was a torch she sighed, no, screamed even and walked faster and faster, until she could grab the torch.

The heat of the flame comforted her probably even more than the fact that she now could see.

[Gadreille]

Arin pulled herself along the floor to the safety of the wall, and her foot caught something along the floor. She gasped and pulled away, but didn't hear any movement. Tentatively, she reached her hand out and felt for what her foot had kicked. Her hand wrapped around soft leather, a strap that attached to a leather bag. Eagerly she grabbed it, opening it up an dumping it out. She was too afraid to reach inside of it.

The smell of bread, fresh bread, reached her nose. It was nestled in a dark blanket. She ripped a piece of bread off with her teeth and started chewing. Arin took two more bites before putting the bread back into the bag and wrapped the blanket around her, using a corner of it to clot the blood that was still dripping down her face.

The water that she had slipped on ran down the stairs and pooled a bit before disappearing in a crack in the ground. Arin crawled over to it, scooped a handful of the icy liquid and used it to wash off her hands. Then she took another scoopful and took a drink. When she finished, she stood back up, returned to the wall, and continued forward into the blackness.

[Knifey Keith]

Arin
The water tasted a little bit off, a slightly muddy/ rocky taste to it. Though the water was still clean enough and would present no effects of ill health or poisoning. What resided at the bottom of the stairs presented no alternative. The a long, dark passageway and unknowingly would make a left turn. Upon what would be seen around that leftward corner would be quite a shock and possible relief for Arin. Around the corner is a glowing beacon of light, as well as the person (Aya) holding that light.

Aya
Upon grabbing the long, brightly lit torch from the wall. The first thing that Aya would notice is it's length and decent weight. The torch it's self had a sturdy wooden shaft that made an effective club. It was light enough that Aya would be able to let off a couple of swings without it becoming unwieldy, yet heavy enough that if she were to strike a man square in the head with it… It would probably kill him.

The only way to go was forward, however unknown to Aya. Ahead in the far distance there were two routes to go; the right turn at the far off end of the hallway. Before that… A stairwell down a third of the way on her left- Neither of which Aya could see from where she was at this point in time.

[Shekinah]

The torch had a wooden, sturdy shaft and was much heavier than Aya had expected it to be. She swung it around a bit without the flame dying on her and discovered that it made a good weapon if she ever needed one. Even though she hoped it wasn't necessary, she was happy that she was holding something that could protect her. Happier still she was with the fact that she now had something that could show her where she was going.

The light now provided showed her walls, floors and ceilings. She touched the walls around her a few times, hoping that she would discover a hidden hallway, but not finding any. Of course not.

The flame from the torch also provided her with some heat and with new found hope, she walked further down the hallway. She was no longer as cold as she was before, but the dripping sound didn't change and she wondered where it came from. Maybe she would find it if she would walk long enough. But how far would that be?

'Hello?' she tried again, only to be met with the same echo as before, along with the never ending sound of dripping water. There was no other choice but to move forward, hoping that she would find some sort of clue as to where she was right now.

Keeping the torch in front of her, she moved on, faster than she had done before now that she had a light to guide her. Meters from where she found the torch, she found a stairwell to her left. She could walk down the stairs or move forward. Feeling that if she would move forward, she would only do the exact same thing she had been doing all this time now, she chose the stairs, not knowing what would await her down below. Her heart was pounding in her throat again. Nervous, she took the stairs cautious and when she was halfway, she wished she had chosen to walk along, but she pushed forward until she was at the end of the stairway.

[Knifey Keith]

AYA
As Aya proceeds down the stairs, a scream can be heard coming from the hallway above!

The scream is quickly followed by crying, clearly the voice of a woman. Though it sounds to be coming from some distance away, it's still somewhat close by. Simple deduction would suggest that the commotion is coming from the unexplored area down the hallway upstairs.

Does Aya proceed down the stairs with haste? Or investigate the horrific sounding event back upstairs, her "Club" possibly giving her a newfound sense of safety and confidence.

[Shekinah]

Just as she was wondering how long the torch would be her guidance in the dark, Aya heard a scream coming from a different direction. She froze instantly. With goosebumps all over her body, she slowly turned and face the steps she had just walked down, half expecting that someone would be standing there, even though she had felt no presence and the scream had sounded to far away to come from someone standing so close to her.

She didn't do anything for a second and the scream was followed by crying sounds, clearly coming from a woman.

'Hello?' she tried again. 'Is someone there?' Her voice was rased when she spoke the last word, but she instantly regretted that she had spoken so loud. Was it wise to let her own presence be known? She shivered and was indicisive. What was the best thing to do? What if there was something out there that had made the woman scream like that? But what if finding someone else would help her get out of here? Or at least help her understand where here was?

She turned to the steps below her again, but then turned back again as she was suddenly positive that even if there was something out there that had made the woman scream, she would've wanted someone to come for her too if she had been that woman. And in all honesty: she didn't want to be alone here anymore. The endless hallways, the endless dripping sound of water, time not having any meaning anymore, the disoriented feeling she experienced whenever she was walking; it all made her feel so alone, even if she had no idea how long she had been here now.

So instead of finishing the steps to whatever was down below, she started to make way back to where she came from. And when she started walking faster, she found herself gripping and holding on to the torch as if it was her guard.

[Knifey Keith]

AYA
A loud whimper came from the unexplored section of hallway around the corner, past the top of the staircase.

Aya had not yet ventured this far as she ignored it in favour of going down the stairwell. A few moments had passed and no more sounds of screaming, crying or whimpering could be herd.

Only the faint sound of sucking and gushing of fluids. A truly unsettling noise indeed...

[Syrena]

The smell of mold was sharp in her nose.  Almost suffocating.  Wet air clung to the ripped satin of her dress.  The fabric stuck to the sublet curves of her body and plastered her long, black hair against her face.  Old, stone bricks pricked patches of her exposed flesh.  And it was cold.  Horribly cold.

Faye stared at the dark shadows.  Her nails scrapped the stone bricks, cracking.  The jagged tips of her nails were wet; the ground was wet.  She could hear water dripping.  Somewhere.  But there was nothing else.

Her chest tightened.  She stopped thinking.  Panic slithered down her throat.  Nausea bubbled in her stomach, sloshing around uncomfortably.  Salty tears leaked out of her eyes.  And, suddenly, Faye couldn’t breathe.  The air in the room was gone.

She could feel her heart slamming against her ribcage.  Her vision was hazy.  The dark shadows were closer, heavier.  (Maybe even close enough and heavy enough to touch.)

Faye coughed abruptly.  Bile rose out of her stomach, hit the back of her throat, and splattered against the stone floor.  The pressure in her chest loosened.  Breathing was slightly easier.  She took a shuddering, shallow breath.  And another.

She leaned against the stone wall, and concentrated on breathing.  

Inhale, exhale.  Not too fast.  

Her heart stopped hitting her ribcage.  Everything was almost okay.  Then, she heard a high pitched squeak.  Faye scrambled to her feet.  The rough stone brick hurt her bare feet and her jewelry clanged loudly.  She lurched forward.  But wet satin fabric tangled around her feet, tripping her.

There was another squeak.  Faye screamed.

[Shekinah]

Just as she reached the top of the stairs and she started to make way for the corner, which she had discarded before, a loud whimper could be heard.

Aya startled, the flame of the torch in her hand followed her movement. For a moment she was afraid the fire would die, but it didn't. Someone was there, there had to be someone there. But why didn't she get an answer when she had shouted before? She was sure she had shouted hard enough, after all, she had heard the crying sounds too.

Silence followed the whimper. The crying had stopped too. Aya's heart started beating faster and her breathing followed suit. What had happened? Only a faint sound of sucking and gushing of fluids could be heard and for a moment, Aya started to think that she hadn't heard a crying sound at all, let alone a whimper.

She stood there, frozen to the ground, unsure what to do. Return to the staircase and follow it down again? Or try to find out who had cried?

She got her breathing under control and soon, her heart started beating normally too. Come on Aya, you can do this. But she wasn't all too sure of that. Someone had cried and she assumed that same person had whimpered, but that person was silent now. Why was she silent? Don't think about that, come on. One foot in front of the other. If you return to the staircase, you'll keep askiing yourself those questions and you will forever wonder if this person could've helped you. Because what if those steps will only lead you further into this... this... labyrinth?

She nodded to herself, switched the torch to her other hand, and walked towards the corner. Then she turned it.

[Knifey Keith]

AYA
Upon turning the corner the source of commotion is clear. The body of a young long haired, brunette woman sits cross legged in an awkward position… Her head sagging off to the side, her eyes seeming lifeless.

It's a bizzarre and terrifying sight, even more strange is what is noticed afterwards. Long crooked spokes protruding from behind her, a loud, fluidic sucking noise loudly emanating from the body.

The spokes twitch… The body eventually flopping from a partially upright position to lying sideways on the ground. Behind the body, is now the dreadful explanation of where the spokes came from. Looking Aya dead on is a big gangly black spider, it's thorax about the size of a soccer ball- It's abdomen a fair bit bigger and it's legs… Long and thin.

The foul creature clearly aware of Aya's presence. However the sight of the torches fire filled the creature with terror, keeping it from advancing on Aya. The spider quickly scuttled back from the corpse; trying to cloak it's self in darkness- No doubt that the creature would attempt to get it's fangs in Aya as soon as she turned her back.

[Shekinah]

She screamed. Loud enough for anyone else near by to hear her. Then she screamed again and she almost dropped the torch in terror. Her hands and knees were shaking and she thought that she would fall down, but she didn't. Her heart started racing and she started breathing heavily. That sight... The long haired woman was sitting cross legged in an awkward position, with her head sagging off to the side. Aya wasn't sure if she was still alive, but she didn't look like it. Should she check it? Did she even dare to do so?

Terrified, Aya took one small step forward and then another, but she stopped immediately when she noticed long, crooked spokes. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no,' she murmured, even though she had no idea what she was looking at. Then she heard the sound: as if someone or something was sucking fluid. The steps she had set forward, she now set back again as she was suddenly aware of the threat that the spokes showed to her.

To make matters worse, the spokes twitched and the body landed lying sideways on the ground. There was no chance that this woman was still alive. But the thing behind the body was all the more so. A spider so big that it was almost impossible to comprehend that it actually was a spider, was looking at Aya. It filled the hallway with its terrifying, horrible presence. And it was aware of her presence.

Aya stood there, frozen to the spot, terrified, her eyes filling up with tears of fright, holding her breath. The flame next to her was the only thing that saved her from the spider feeding off of her, like it apparently had done on the woman on the floor. It didn't come close to her, instead it tried to return to the darkness that still covered the rest of the hallway. It was only until it had fully returned into the darkness that Aya dared to breathe again.

But she was in a problematic situation: she understood that the torch kept the spider away, so as soon as she would turn her back towards it to flee - what her instincts told her to do - it would no doubt come after her and she would be dead in an instant. Or worse. What was left of the woman was proof of what the creature was capable of. But now that she was aware of its presence, she didn't dare to advance further down the hall. What if this creature was only a promise of what would be awaiting her? What if this creature wasn't the worst of all what could come?

She cried. She felt sorry for herself. She felt she didn't deserve this. She felt sorry for the woman on the ground. She was afraid. She hated this unknown place where the only thing that was steady and safe, was the torch in her hand of which she had no idea how long it would last.

She tried to control her breathing as she tried to listen if she could here the creature move. For all she knew, it had hidden a few metres into darkness, awaiting the perfect time to make a move on her. Aya swallowed and with he free hand, she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

'I can't,' she whispered to herself, her knees shaking again at the idea of having to follow the creature into darkness. Hoping the torch would outlast the spider, she took a shaky step forward into the darkness, followed by another, until she passed the corpse of the woman.

[Ghostlingx]

A boy awoke and slowly forced his eyes open, expecting a wave of light, but was instead greeted by empty pitch black surroundings. His entire body felt numb, his head felt woozy, his ears rung, and a sharp pain throbbed form his right toe. He sat up straight, feeling his back crack as he stretched. He squinted in attempt to see if he could find any sources of light, but only managed to waste a couple minutes, staring off into the void. Cautiously, he pushed against the cold hard ground, which was presumably made of cobblestone, and slowly rose. His legs trembled as he struggled to keep himself up. One foot after another, he began to shuffle forwards, but he was only able to reach a wall before he collapsed helplessly. He blinked out a few drops as his knees hit the ground, but only a couple more seconds passed before tears came at a consistent pace.

It was not the pain that caused those tears, but the sudden terror of realizing that he had no idea where he was. Where am I? he called out desperately, only to be answered by echoes of his own voice and a constant sound of dripping. What am I? Why can I not see? Panic surged through his mind. What now?

It took a while, but his panic finally receded, allowing his mind to function straight again. He took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks, and sat down without any purpose. Moments passed by as he sat around, trying to think of something to do.

Klink!

The boy squeaked at the metallic sound and looked down to where it came from. He sniffled in amusement as he reached for the first object he could see within the damned place. A small slightly luminescent silver amulet with a single word scratched into the center.

Kip. What an odd word. Wait... is this my name? Kip? How odd. I guess I'll call myself that for now.

For the first time, he looked down, realizing what he was wearing. Ugly. What am I wearing? Was all that came to his mind when he saw it. He wore tattered and brown robes that were most likely once white, and a stripped pink sash.

Kip sighed and decided to move on, not having anything else to do but admire his horrid taste in clothing. Slowly, but steadily, he edged further into the darkness.

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