Into the Nothing Ch. 2

A letter from Charles to his deceased sister Shelley

Dearest Shelley,

It's been... probably a few months now. Days, and even weeks are hard to keep track of. I miss you. Abby misses you too. We don't really talk about it. We've had plenty to keep us busy since, I don't even know what happened. I guess this is me trying to get closure or something. I'm sorry. I got Abby, but not you. I know you hated when I tried to protect you. But I bet you hate it even more when I fail to do so. I think I'm failing Abby too.

Abby said she once told you nothing existed outside of the city of Domus. For awhile, I thought she was right. There was nothing but sand for days. The days were dry and hot. Not blistering like we read in the learning establishments about the deserts that used to be. It was the dryness that got us. The nights were the worst. Just like the stories of old times, the nights became colder than anything I had ever felt. The yellow desert sands that blow so carelessly during the day then froze to the ground at night. The world became a barren wasteland. The stars were brilliant though.

After awhile I had to carry Abby. She became weak from lack of food and water. She became delusional too. On the third day, she began spewing riddles of nonsense, “I sprinkle the pixie dust on the rain of mother's mighty milk.” That's all she would say all day. I'm sure you'd have understood her, you were good at that. I started to think we were going to die. I had no idea where I was going, if I was going anywhere. Thoughts of home would threaten to overturn my mind, but I fought them off. We no longer had a home, the fire, and the magi took it.

Captain had eyes and ear everywhere and he told me something was up. He's the one I got the special candy from in the beginning. I never really understood it, but it had something to do with a revolution. They usually kept junior members and lower ranks in the dark. We hadn't proved ourselves yet. Jeagar would loosen up though, when we were alone, eating candy. He said he had a good feeling about me. He never called the Magi the chosen, he scoffed at that idea. He'd say the Magi was using us, his toys, his pawns, not his people. Junior members were given orders to host parties that weekend, and if you couldn't host, then attend and bring your sect of lower ranks. Something was going down on Name Day. Jeagar told me that was the day everything would set in motion, and the day they would stop the Magi. But I guess they failed too.

We had all forgotten the Magi's power. I don't know how. He supplied the glow of the streets at night. He provided the ink that was sown into our hands during the DiNatus Celebration. He supplied the power to that ink that allowed us to tell time, communicate, store notes, messages, and who knows what else would have been permitted with age. But most of all, he protect us, each and every one man and child behind those walls. Behind the shield we dashed through to escape the fire. He was protecting us from that god-forsaken barren wasteland that exists beyond the city. He supplied our city with life. I don't think we forgot his power, he's practically a god. I think we just trusted it. We trusted him, and still, for some reason he attacked his own people. Summoning fire from the sky down on our heads to burn our homes, our families, our lives. Part of me wants to believe he had a greater purpose for all of this. But I can't forgive him for you. I can't forgive myself either. I should have known.

The morning after Abby began her ramblings, we saw a small pond a ways off, but the dry air was greedy with thirst. By time we had gotten to it, it had all evaporated away. I felt something inside me break. We were going to die. Abby must have felt it too, her ramblings stopped and she became unresponsive. It was like she just died inside and her body was waiting to follow suit. After that we came to a giant wall of dirt. I think we were inside a canyon. The cliff face hung over us a bit, so against the wall we found shade, and even a cool breeze, but no food. I heard death laughing at us. We could go left, or right. Up was not an option, and neither was doing nothing. Where I went though, I wasn't sure if it'd lead to salvation. Maybe it never would. I chose right. We only made it a day. Evening came in with icy fingers that wrapped gently around my body. We huddled together, but our bodies had given up. Chilly breezes claimed the air and stole the little warmth we could muster. A little ways off I could see a crevice in the wall. When we got there it was smaller than I thought, only Abby could fit, so I laid her down inside and sat at the entrance, as close as I could. My eyes closed as the night stole what little strength I had.

I never realized I could gain so much energy from fear. I woke to Abby crying, my heart was racing. I quickly pulled her close to me to find her clothes were wet, and her small body wouldn't stop shivering. My eyes were blind in the dark, but I felt the back of the crevice, also wet. A small stream of water was trickling down the wall. Fate had a funny sense of humor. The water that would save us was probably going to kill her. Her body was frozen, and her whimpers were getting weaker. I stripped her and wrapped her in my shirt, then held her close. She stopped shivering, but she wasn't waking either. I tried to pool water in my hand, but it trickled too slowly. I sat helplessly as I watched her dieing.

The sun began to rise, and the water began to dry up. I couldn't let it go; without water we would die. I tried licking it up, gathering water in my mouth. I wanted to share it with Abby, but her mouth was sealed shut. My body started swallowing the water and for a minute I panicked. The water had almost dried up and I swallowed our only reserve. I remembered a trick Mom used to use to get you two to drink as babies when you had Phyrexice, and grew to weak from fever, and unable to wake. So many children died.

I put my hand against the baby trickle then rubbed my wet finger over her lips. They parted slightly, I lapped up another mouthful and let it drip into her mouth. Her body tried to cough and I lifted her head to keep her from choking. When I ran ran out of water I turned to lap up more, but the greedy desert air had already claimed this little lifeline leaving the wall bone dry. Even though the day wasn't blistering, and we would have shade by noon, I wanted to get started back on our trek. I scooped her up in my arms and stood, but it was over. My head went light, and darkness clouded my vision as I crashed against the ground.

I dreamed of you. You had escaped with us, and mom and dad found us all. They found us in a desert oasis near the wall. They took us to a new city, but it felt like home. When I came to I was looking at the sky through a rock framed window. My body was weak, and feverish. It almost looked like I was in a cave, but the window was too small to be an exit. I could hear Abby's voice, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. It almost seemed to echo. I thought I saw someone walk in front of me, but my vision was leaving me with faint blurs and then nothing I couldn't even say anything. I woke up like that a few times. I don't remember a whole lot. Sometimes there would be someone there, washing my face with cool water, or giving me some to drink. Just taking care of me. Sometimes no one was there, or Abby was there.

Turns out these people saved Abby and I. They found us on a patrol. We were both half baked in the sun and delusional. There's a cave like entrance in the side of the cliff. It goes deep inside the cliff and up. They have some caverns far in the earth and some far up from the ground, nests in the sky, like my room, with long rectangles that match the horizon for windows. They're all connected by long orange-lit tunnels. This is what Abby tells me. I've been bedridden. My body has been left weak from fever. Abby and I were sick when they found us. They say I walked here with help, and refused to sleep for days. Abby wouldn't wake up, sometimes she cried out in her sleep. When I finally did sleep, it was for days at a time, until I woken up fitfully for a few hazy moments then back asleep.

When I started waking up everyday, and could hold a conversation, they came and told me about Abby. She hadn't slept nearly as long as I, she woke up weeks before I did. But her fever had been more intense. Although her body had shed the illness, her mind had been left to fight alone. She refused to speak to anyone for a long time, only lay and stare out her window. Sometimes, out of nowhere, she would laugh, or cry. Then on occasion she would turn a strange phrase or two, but in no real response to anyone. On one morning, she seemed to appear like a normal child, she had a bright sunny conversation with one of the other young girls, but the mood passed before too long. After I had been awake a couple of weeks I had seen these moods come and go. I'm failing her, Shelly, madness is cradling her in its arms.

You were in my dreams again last night, I saw you writing me a letter. I guess that's where I go the idea. Maybe I'll write you again. Goodbye. See ya.

Goodnight,

Charles.

Author's Note

So I had an idea to periodically switch the POV by having Charles write a letter and kind of sum up somethings that Abby (as a now somewhat insane young child) may not always be able to explain in a sensible way. I'd love to know if this worked or not, or any suggestions/opinions. Thank you

Reviews

[Remember Courage]

The details and story telling was really impressive and it made the story a enjyable read. Abbey is also a amazing unique character. The end was cute how the ending was crossed out and Charles put something different. This was a great chapter and i hope the next one is on it's way soon!
-Courage

[Craig2591]

I think it was a good idea, although it did confuse me a little at first. I figured it out quickly though. I like the letter format. It makes it more real.

This is an interesting story and I hope you continue it.

[V]

This is fantastic. Truly amazing. I love your writing style and your words choice is great. I like how you used a letter, It's unique and interesting. Abby is creepy, but i love her character.