Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Revelations ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Prologue

She ran. Without thought, without destination. It was the mindless flight of a terrified animal, all abrupt action. The world flew by her in a dizzying swirl of lights and shadows, colors and blackness, shouts and echoes. Formless shapes moved about her, cursing as they shrank out of her path. The clap of her feet against wet pavement rang loudly in her ears, maddening her. Her eyes were held wide, but they did not see what was in front of her, did not make sense of the images. She only ran, her breath coming in ripping gasps, her lungs feeling as though they were being shredded by thousands of tiny knives. She tripped, fell to her knees, did not feel the pain. Only the horror that they would catch her, and she wailed mindlessly, scrabbling forward until she was again on her feet, running, running. She slammed into something, grunting as the air flew from her lungs. Whirling, she was falling backward, the world spinning crazily. Strange sounds groaned through the air, but meant nothing.

...crazy.... running like a... hit me.... something wrong with her...? ... you all right...?

A hold on her arm, pulling at her. She screamed, wrenching backwards, staggering blindly. Her feet carried her away from it, she didn't know where. Only had to get away.

Run.

Pain was shooting through her, making strange cries come from her mouth. Her chest was burning, must have flames in it. She coughed, doubling over, hands scrapping across black ground. Her body was wracked, she would heave up her burning lungs, she thought. Wetness burned her eyes as the coughs clawed at her throat, leaving raw trails of hurt. Liquid spurted from her mouth, hit her hands. It tasted strange, coppery, left dark streaks on her skin.

Gasping, she straightened, stumbled forward, toward a darker space between dark walls, away from the bright, swirling lights. She lurched inside, it was cooler, quieter. Her breath was painfully loud in her ears, rasping. Her knuckles dragged along the rough wall, skin scrapping away. Brick, she noted vaguely.

Something in the way, she tripped over it, falling again. It clattered loudly, must have been metal. She tried to crawl forward, couldn't, was too tired. Stopped, would rest for a moment, just a moment. There was a strange rushing in her head as she tried to breath. The air was cold, she thought. It made the heat in her lungs hotter, made the fire bigger. A sound reached her ears, high-pitched and soft, coming in short spurts, like the crying of an animal. Held her breath to listen; the noise was gone. She frowned, puzzled.

A clatter, behind her. She started, her eyes widening, wouldn't blink. She scrambled forward on her hands and knees, away from the noise. They were coming, coming for her, would bring her back. Up, get up, onto her feet, run again. She headed for the end, the space at the other side, sobbing loudly. They would take her back where there were white, hard lights. People with white coats, white tables, white floors. All whiteness. Strange sounds; whirring, beeps. Pain, always pain. Sharp things, they poked her, dipping into her. She couldn't move, hardness across her knees, arms, held her down. Voices, low, distorted, speaking to her, asking her... something.

She ran toward the end, had to get away. Wouldn't go back, couldn't. The fire in her chest burned hotter, tearing her apart. Wetness in her eyes again, slipping down her face from the pain. Her muscles were shaking, protesting, failing her. She couldn't stop, had to get away. Stumbled, almost fell, didn't. She had to run. Run, run...

Hands grabbed her, pulled her backward. She screamed, clawing, scrabbling at the ground. She screamed and screamed, until her mouth was covered. She threw herself wildly to the side, using all her weight, struggling with manic energy. Wrenched herself in all directions, tossed her head back.

She was pressed to the ground, a knee at her back, but the hand fell away from her mouth. She shrieked again, feeling more spatters on her lips. She was flipped over, held down. The hand came back, silencing her. Sounds, again, but she didn't understand.

...target secured... ...been heavily drugged... ...the professor, we'll bring... ...stop screaming...? ...bother... ...isn't lucid...

Back. They would take her back. No, no! She opened her mouth, bit down, through something soft, a glove. A scream; loud, shrill, angry. The hand was wrenched away. A blow connected with her head, hard, and she gasped. The world darkened for a moment, then swam back, still unfocused. Dark shapes above her, two of them, angry voices. She shivered, couldn't stop, her teeth chattered together and her body trembled. She was cold, icy, but her lungs still burned. The fire must kill her soon, she thought.

...take her back...

She bucked violently against the hold on her, tried to scream again, couldn't. Her voice wouldn't work. The fire had eaten her throat. She collapsed, back against the pavement, shaking, the hot wetness in her eyes. She stared up, blinking, trying to see.

Hands reached toward her again. No, please, no, no. Not again. She cowered back, away, but the ground held her in place, wouldn't help her escape. She closed her eyes, breathing loudly.

A noise like a gunshot made her snap them open. Loud, cracking. It came twice. The shape bending over her jerked strangely. Liquid splattered over her face, hot and sticky. Blood. A crazed moaning filled the air, her own voice. The man collapsed, his body fell on hers. Blood, dark and wet, trickled down, over her skin. Death. Death was laying with her. She screamed, harshly, making her fire-scorched throat work. Clawing, pulling, she tried to move away.

Hands, again, taking her arm, pulling her up. She jerked backward, hit something, the wall. The world was dancing and twisting. Darkness in front of her, stepped toward her. A low voice, low words, but she didn't know them. Looked around wildly. The hand, there was a gun in it. She was shaking, the terror eating away at her mind. She searched for a face. So hard to see. Eyes; cold, shining. Eyes like blood, like the blood on her face. Eyes like a demon's, the eyes of evil, filled with blood. They looked at her.

She moaned again, her eyes rolled back. She was falling.

And then there was nothing.