Vinculum

The birds cried, as if they were warning me.

I made my escape out of the compound, locking it behind myself as I ran. Sirens howled as my feet pounded into the cold Earth, breaking the branches as if to leave a trail of sound. The feeling of numbness wrapped itself tightly around me as the cold air nipped my skin. Howls rang through the night as the forest accepted my plea for a safe haven.

The forest appeared to close behind me as I became one with it, my legs taking me deeper into its depths. Tearing the red ribbon as I went down a side path, I noticed how eerily silent the forest had become. The howls became silence as my body went slack against one of the old oak trees that stood guard of this place. It was impossible for me to be safe here, the witches would have grabbed onto my scent by now.

So I had to wonder, was I ever going to be truly safe from this purgatory. My breath was hot as I tried to warm up my hands. The sound of footsteps dissipated and the sounds of the swaying trees took hold of me. Thunderous winds shook the canopy, while the thunder lit up the sky in a beautiful array of lights. It was serene, even though the sounds of life were not there.

A branch snapped behind me and I scrambled out into the opening, and I looked to the fallen branch to see what was there, only to find nothing. My vision had been taken away from me, I could only hear the whistles of the wind. The snap happened again, but closer to me, right next to me. I let out a breath when I didn't hear it again.

A knife to my throat silenced my thoughts. My hair was pulled up and I felt a twinge of pain and warm liquid trickle down my throat. I stayed still, feeling the cold metal pressed against my heart, beginning to slice into my skin. Another snap sounded in front of me and I gulped.

"You've made it quite far child, I'm very proud of you." Hearing that made my heart swell at the thought of pleasing them.

"Sadly, now that you know, you can no longer be here," another voice chimed in.

My throat caught, they spoke that before to one of the children that lived in my hall. The knife pressed harder against me and I let out a soft wail. It was immediately gone, and I felt the presence behind me disappear. The dark cloth fell from my eyes and I looked at the animal that stood before me. It cocked its head at me and began to walk towards me.

"Magik is real my child, please come with me." The animal disappeared but snow began to melt away, showing me a path to safety.

I walked along the path, feeling warmth surround me like a blanket. Looking back, I only saw darkness, the forest became nothing. Flowers bloomed from where I walked, and I was glad that the light had shown itself to me. A paw stopped me in my wake as the animal from before laid down in front of me.

The path split in endless directions, making me spin in circles. I stood in a circle of flowers, while looking at the numerous roads and branches that could lead me somewhere new. The animal nudged my hand and started to walk to the path we had just walked. My eyes widened at the thought of going back to where I once belonged.

"It's okay, you're safe now. This will take you to a town of love but many kept secrets. It is old and filled with mysteries and lies, but those you wish to seek will find you." The animal had disappeared once again and a trail of golden feathers led me.

Taking my first step, hands began to crawl up my leg. Joy left me, replaced with fear and rage of being betrayed again. They clutched like they were holding onto their last remnants of life. I felt cold and stiff, looking down I saw a soft glow coming from the hands.

I couldn't move, they wouldn't let me. The scrapes on my legs faded away, while the hands began fading to ash as they healed me. The ground crumbled from beneath me as the hands previously held the ground together. The sky spun a dark red as the cloud cover dissipated.

I was falling, I didn't understand what was going on. Closing my eyes, I felt myself floating through the layers of the Earth. It started to get hot and I opened my eyes, looking at the core of the Earth. My scream was silenced as I went through, only to stop completely as I saw the Elixous, where I came from, with spirits screaming, the empty Lizaire full of lost souls, the Arcadus where life lay, and the Paraciel in which only the pure find peace.

The animal was long gone and I sat in a field of black and red lilies. A drop of liquid landed on my hand. Blood flowed through the lilies and it tasted what I assumed is ambrosia as I touched it to my lips. It trickled down my cracked lips, sizzling as it touched my blood. I picked one of the black lillies, seeing my hand turn gray and begin to seize up. The magik was as beautiful as the voice said, this was a place I would only see once. There was no noise as I sat up, placing the black lily down onto the dead grass below me.

This was the place between life and death, it was the Lizarie. Nobody is supposed to be here, only the souls without a body. I would now be alone forever in a vast world of death.

I felt a sharp pain in my back and fell down to the ground, looking at the faint memory of my body on the cold Earth. Coughing blood into my hands, I looked to the sky, only to see the ground. My eyes widened as I saw myself falling into a forest.

"You're back." They spoke above me in unison with black lilies on their palms.

They were here to take me back to the Lizaire where I belonged. I had to be dead, I saw the blood covering my throat behind me, yet I was still here, on Earth. My body was behind me as I sat in front of the two. They only grinned and placed their four hands on my head.

"You're not dead, but you want to be, don't you?" My breath stopped as I heard sizzling.

Behind me, the other spoke, "it is time for you to become our eyes. Remember nothing, become nothing. We will see through your souls," the voices faded as a hand covered my eyes.

Someone was shaking me, I tried to reach up to push myself up. The person grabbed a coat and wrapped it around my torso. Cold metal joined my wrists as I sat on the forest floor. My gaze fell to the ground and I saw black lilies where I had once laid, dead, and surrounded by fallen leaves. A voice spoke from above me, and I looked up to see an angel in wolf's clothing.

"Who are you?"