JediMB
11-27-2003, 07:43 PM
Alright. It must've been at least a year since when I first announced that I was working on this fic. It took me quite a while to even start writing, and now I have about 1˝ chapters done. So I thought I'd post a promo to see if anyone's interested in reading this.
He felt the cold drops of water collide with his face, and it felt as if they were going to tear right through his skin… But he was not going to open his eyes. As long as he kept his eyes shut he was going to be safe from the world outside his own, inner, universe. This was the third time Matt had woken up, and he was determined to force himself back to sleep once again. Once again he would succeed. Once again…he would dream.
***
Two yellow butterflies twirled around each other, gliding on the wind that passed closely over the green fields. The sun shone brightly and not a cloud could be seen on the sky. On a far away hill, five stone pillars rose into the eternal blue, forming a circle. In the middle of that circle was a small shrine made of the same brown rock as the pillars. In front of the shrine’s entrance a small boy played. His hair was golden blonde, and he looked like he could have been 8, maybe 9 years old. On the shrine wall to the left of the entrance were six stone buttons shaping a circle with the sixth button resting in the middle -- each had its own pattern consisting of triangles and semicircles. The boy pushed the middle button, but it wouldn’t budge. He tried again, harder, yet nothing happened. Gathering strength, the boy pulled has hand backwards and smashed a small rock which he had just picked up into the button… It moved.
The entrance the shrine now shone brightly green. The world started moving in slow motion, and the swift butterflies moved through the air like stray balloons that were about to run out of gas. The sky darkened and thunder roared in the distance. A black hand with claws on all its three fingers reached out of the shrine’s shining entrance and, without giving the boy a moment to react, pulled him inside. The sound of lightning striking into the shrine echoed over the fields.
***
The rain had stopped but the sky was still dark. Just as he opened his eyes, the sky lit up by a flash of lightning, and thunder roared up in the clouds. Matt felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his body. As he laid there on the concrete rooftop, he could feel nothing of his surroundings. Neither the rain that had fallen during his time asleep, nor the freezing wind, that cut through the air like blades of ice. Lying on his back, Matt put his right hand to rest on his forehead as he closed his eyes and, again, tried to process the events of the last few days.
His eyes opened again. Looking at his hand, he saw that it was black as night, and that it looked like it was covered with a material that looked like some kind of rubber or latex. Pushing his elbows backwards, into the concrete that he lay on, Matt forced himself upwards into a sitting position, although still getting support from his arms. All of his body was covered in the same black material, and although it looked synthetic, Matt felt as if it was organic -- like an extra layer of skin. Although he did not feel the icy winds that blew at this altitude, he felt something… new, something… elusive.
He had almost completely forgotten about it when he looked down on his right and noticed that the gem coin was now located on the back -- and not the palm -- of his right hand. At the same moment it struck him that it was no longer black -- it was as clear as crystal or glass. Another detail that had changed about the gem was that it had a round shape: kind of expanding in the center. To get a better look at the gem, Matt got himself into a sitting position where he did not need his hands and arms for support. While gazing into the gem on his right hand, he began rubbing his left hand against his leg. Not many seconds passed until he realized that he had another gem of the same kind stuck to the palm of his left hand: except this one deepened, rather than expanded, in the middle, which gave it a shape opposite to the one of the right-hand gem.
A scream cut like razor blades through the cold air. Matt threw himself up on his feet and started scouting the rooftop area for the source of the scream. Nope. The scream had not come from any of the rooftops -- it had come from street-level: possibly from an alley somewhere in the area.
Once again a scream cut through the air -- from the alley behind him. Matt quickly turned around and leapt to the edge of the rooftop, and without a second of hesitation plunged himself into the air.
He felt the cold drops of water collide with his face, and it felt as if they were going to tear right through his skin… But he was not going to open his eyes. As long as he kept his eyes shut he was going to be safe from the world outside his own, inner, universe. This was the third time Matt had woken up, and he was determined to force himself back to sleep once again. Once again he would succeed. Once again…he would dream.
***
Two yellow butterflies twirled around each other, gliding on the wind that passed closely over the green fields. The sun shone brightly and not a cloud could be seen on the sky. On a far away hill, five stone pillars rose into the eternal blue, forming a circle. In the middle of that circle was a small shrine made of the same brown rock as the pillars. In front of the shrine’s entrance a small boy played. His hair was golden blonde, and he looked like he could have been 8, maybe 9 years old. On the shrine wall to the left of the entrance were six stone buttons shaping a circle with the sixth button resting in the middle -- each had its own pattern consisting of triangles and semicircles. The boy pushed the middle button, but it wouldn’t budge. He tried again, harder, yet nothing happened. Gathering strength, the boy pulled has hand backwards and smashed a small rock which he had just picked up into the button… It moved.
The entrance the shrine now shone brightly green. The world started moving in slow motion, and the swift butterflies moved through the air like stray balloons that were about to run out of gas. The sky darkened and thunder roared in the distance. A black hand with claws on all its three fingers reached out of the shrine’s shining entrance and, without giving the boy a moment to react, pulled him inside. The sound of lightning striking into the shrine echoed over the fields.
***
The rain had stopped but the sky was still dark. Just as he opened his eyes, the sky lit up by a flash of lightning, and thunder roared up in the clouds. Matt felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his body. As he laid there on the concrete rooftop, he could feel nothing of his surroundings. Neither the rain that had fallen during his time asleep, nor the freezing wind, that cut through the air like blades of ice. Lying on his back, Matt put his right hand to rest on his forehead as he closed his eyes and, again, tried to process the events of the last few days.
His eyes opened again. Looking at his hand, he saw that it was black as night, and that it looked like it was covered with a material that looked like some kind of rubber or latex. Pushing his elbows backwards, into the concrete that he lay on, Matt forced himself upwards into a sitting position, although still getting support from his arms. All of his body was covered in the same black material, and although it looked synthetic, Matt felt as if it was organic -- like an extra layer of skin. Although he did not feel the icy winds that blew at this altitude, he felt something… new, something… elusive.
He had almost completely forgotten about it when he looked down on his right and noticed that the gem coin was now located on the back -- and not the palm -- of his right hand. At the same moment it struck him that it was no longer black -- it was as clear as crystal or glass. Another detail that had changed about the gem was that it had a round shape: kind of expanding in the center. To get a better look at the gem, Matt got himself into a sitting position where he did not need his hands and arms for support. While gazing into the gem on his right hand, he began rubbing his left hand against his leg. Not many seconds passed until he realized that he had another gem of the same kind stuck to the palm of his left hand: except this one deepened, rather than expanded, in the middle, which gave it a shape opposite to the one of the right-hand gem.
A scream cut like razor blades through the cold air. Matt threw himself up on his feet and started scouting the rooftop area for the source of the scream. Nope. The scream had not come from any of the rooftops -- it had come from street-level: possibly from an alley somewhere in the area.
Once again a scream cut through the air -- from the alley behind him. Matt quickly turned around and leapt to the edge of the rooftop, and without a second of hesitation plunged himself into the air.