one of the many chapters

…a quiet evening at the fortress [part 3] in which Aaniah tries to remember the last thing that happened to her. Again, she visits the oracle.

Close your eyes.

I close my eyes, and I feel the evening breeze caresses my skin, my bare feet touch the cooling ground, the leaves, and the soothing grass. I breathe the air and there I know, blindfolded, that the night is yet to come. But not long now.
I am in the forest, following an unknown path. In my hand, there is something, and I wish to see what it is, but I know that I am not allowed to open my eyes. The object I hold is small and seems to be of perfect shape, but I can’t decipher it, but holding it feels so forbidden and yet necessary.
What do you feel?

I feel… there is blood on my hands, and I realize, I am running. I have been running away for a while now, and must have been lost in the woods. Scared, I am clenching my hand, it hurts. I have cuts all over me. Please, let me open my eyes and see!
No, not yet. Tell me, do you know where you are heading?

Yes. to the waterfall. And there… there’s something behind me, I feel them watching. Someone has been following me for a while, how could I not notice?
I stop now from running, as I know I reached the edge of the cliff. Down there, everything gets buried in the deepness. Trough my blindfolds I can see the object in my hand shining, and now I know why I am there, or so I seem to think
What have you been running from? Why are you there?

I… I can’t seem to remember. Only if…Wait! There’s something behind me. Please, I must see who it is. Let me see!
No! I’m sure if you concentrate hard enough, you can tell me without looking. After all, you have already seen who it is, haven’t you?

I see a shade, tall and somewhat shapeless, it’d presence feels so familiar yet disturbing. He is the one that followed me.
Who is he?

He… I fear him. Now he has me, I have no escape, or so he thinks. As he approaches, he reaches for me, calling my name, but I can’t see his face. I only feel his eyes burning my skin.
What does he say?

He calls my name.
What is it?

I don’t remember.
Please, try to.

No, he won’t let me! I… I am drowning! Let me out, let me open my eyes, I am drowning…
Open you eyes now, Aaniah.