Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow Play ❯ Shadow Play 00 ( Prologue )

Shadow Play

Can't stop. Gatta keep moving. Faster. Faster. Whimpering from exhaustion he forced his limbs into motion, pushing away from the tree he had been leaning against, running as fast as his shaky legs could carry him, desperately gasping around the gag that filled his mouth for air.

He could hear her behind him, screaming, cussing, promising more pain as she crashed through the brush. Faster. Faster. His eyes darted erratically, the slightest movement sending tendrils of terror running through him, sweat, tears and blood matted hair hindered his vision, aiding the blackness of night, dense woods and heavy curtain of icy rain in their conspiration to keep him here.

The ground, slick from rain, gave way underneath him and he skidded briefly before his foot catched on something, snapping bones and sending him crashing to the cold damp earth. The pain of his newly broken ankle joined that of previously broken and cracked ribs, before both were drowned out by the intense pain that rushed from his nose to crash into the back of his skull as he hit the ground, the air rushing out of his nearly already empty lungs.

Sobbing quietly he turned his head to the side, the warm feeling of fresh blood running from his nose a stark contrast to the freezing water that poured around him. Choking he dazedly blinked his eyes before flexing his blood slicked fingers, the small movement causing the ropes that bound his wrists behind him to tighten, digging deeper into the raw, infected flesh.

Vision unfocused he continued to lie there, the pain a dull throb in the back of his mind, his senses dulling with every tear that fell from his eyes, mixing with blood and rain as it fell to the damp earth. He knew he should get up, he knew he had to get up, to move, but he didn't know why... Couldn't remember why he was here, how he got here to this place...

As a blinding flash of lightening raced across the dark treetops a bone-chilling screech filled the air. A horrible sound that penetrated his clouded thoughts and suddenly he remembered. As blind panic filled him he lurched to his feet only to crash back down as his ankle gave way beneath him, his scream of pain muffled by the soiled cloth that still covered his mouth.

Then suddenly hands were on him, clawing at his flesh as they gripped him, turning him to lie on his back. New found terror joined the panic that already filled him as he tried to scream, desperately trying to get away from his assailant as she continued to claw at him, ignoring the agony that filled his being as he struggled.

Stop! Stop! Stop! He wasn't sure any longer who he was directing his thoughts at. Her or himself for making her more angry with his struggling.

Bucking up against the weight that straddled his waist he tried to scream in rage and anger. A brilliant flash of lightening revealed her grotesque face, twisted in hatred, the arch of her upraised hand and the object it held as it came rushing towards him the last things he saw before a loud cracking sound filled his skull and unimaginable pain burst from the left side of his head.

Stunned he lay still as his vision swam from complete darkness to fuzzy shades of gray. Vaguely he could feel claws cutting into his flesh as hands racked up and down his body, could feel the utter coldness of the night seep into him, heightening and dulling all sensation at the same time. Pulling him, tugging at his mind, pulling him to the darkness.

Shivering at the cold he let himself start to drift when suddenly the cold became too real, cutting icily into his bare flesh as his clothes were torn from him.

Whimpering he started to struggle vainly, his body too abused and tired to follow his half formed thoughts. Why? Why couldn't he think clearly? Why was this happening?

Arching in pleasure or pain, or perhaps even both, he started to shake, his mind fixing momentarily on her clawed hands and what she was doing before drifting into darkness and back again. He could feel himself reacting and he didn't want to. He didn't want to feel this, to feel her flesh against his own, her breath washing over him...

It's not supposed to be like this... It's not...

Closing his eyes he gasped desperately around the gag as his body succumbed to the monster that restrained him, making her moan and laugh at the pleasure she ripped from his desecrated flesh.

Blinking away the tears that fell uncontrollably from his eyes, mixing with the cold of the rain and the warmth of his own blood he dredged up the last of his energy and fought against her, cursing her and himself, the world and God. Even as she screamed in rage he fought beneath her, even as she fought back, sending jolt after jolt of pure agony racing through his skull, he struggled. He struggled until the pain went away and the world faded as the darkness of night finally succeeded in dragging him into oblivion.