Chapter 49: The confrontation
Hanna did not feel anything, her body was nothing but falling, falling and falling. The horrifying images of moving flesh and countless eyes had long faded and were replaced by an endless void of nothingness, a single beam of white light from above following her. She didn’t know where it had come from, but she definitely appreciated not being completely blind as well.
But Hanna had been falling for so long, that she didn’t remember if she stopped screaming because she wasn’t capable of feeling fear anymore, or because she lost any and all control over her own body, a combination of both seemed most likely to her.
But then, still surrounded by darkness, she stopped. After all this time, she stopped falling, or maybe she wasn’t, she certainly couldn’t tell. However, taking a look to her side, she noticed her hair stopped flailing around, sitting completely still next to her head, so she took that as a sign she stopped falling and was now trapped here in an endless void of nothingness, illuminated only by a single stream of light above her.
A cough ripped through the endless silence of the void, then another and another, retching, and many more disgusting sounds suddenly filled the void that surrounded Hanna, and it ended with a loud splash that rang through Hanna‘s skull, Hanna, of course, didn’t react; she was neither physically nor mentally able to do so, she simply laid there, her eyes scanning the void in front of her to the best of her, very limited, abilities.
"Y-You finally arrived…" A voice, cold and unfeeling, rough and exhausted, suddenly rang out into the void, Hanna didn’t know where it came from exactly, but she knew it was near, very near, and that would have made her very nervous under normal circumstances, but right now, she knew there was nothing she could do, so she simply stayed quite and continued to scan everything in her field of vision, with very limited success, that was about to turn around, as in a flash a new light appeared directly in front of Hanna, shining down an revealing the source of the voice.
In front of her was a giant metal contraption, with an uncountable amount of wires sticking out and disappearing into the void below, at the very top of the contraption there was something resembling a screen though it was destroyed in one of its corners, in fact most of the machine seemed to be destroyed, many wires lay on the ground, seemingly cut by something, metal platings laying around it, which most likely fell off from the main rectangular body, and from many a hole, black, tar like, smoke emerged, and Hanna started to feel something while staring at this beaten up metal behemoth.
She felt absolute horror at what lay before her, but not because of the machine itself, but rather what lay inside of it.
As through every hole, a skeletal human hand emerged, clawing at the metal around it, trying to break free.
And at the top, through the cracked screen, hundred crimson eyes stared at her, unblinking, tearing right through her soul.
"W-welcome Hanna Strand, w-we have been waiting for yo-you…"
If Hanna was breathing, she certainly stopped now, a cacophony of voices, hundreds if not thousands all at the same time, penetrating her mind and forming understandable words in her head. The feeling was indescribable and she began to shack on the spot, her temporary stasis broken by her fear.
“W-we would have wel-welcomed you with a nice c-cup of tea, b-but unfortunately in our cur-current state we simply c-can‘t… please don‘t hat-hate us for out lack of good ma-manners.“
The voices sounded different, all of a sudden, they sounded dejected and bashful, like a child that got caught with its hand in the cookie jar. But in the exact same moment, it changed into a aggressive and wild version.
"If it w-weren’t for those wretched, god serving s-spirits, we would long be free b-by now, woul-wouldn’t have to rely on this thing here!“
And then, it turned calmer and calculated, though a hint of agitation could still be heard.
"If it weren’t for tho-those spirits, we wou-would still be trapped in that prison comp-completely and our chance at freedom f-from those go-gods would still be zero."
Finally, the voice changed to that of loving mother, that was currently in the process of getting her bickering children to quite down.
"Please, we have a guest here, we sh-should be o-on our best be-behaviour…"
And then there was silence, despite the many, many skeletal hands scraping against metal there wasn’t a sound in the void. Her own breathing, despite how hard and heavy they were, were completely silent, like the darkness around her sucked the sound right into itself before her own ears could manage to pick it up.
As she sat there, engulfed in the silence of the darkness around her, her mind began to calm, she didn’t stop being overwhelmed or afraid, but as the silence continued to stretch out, with nothing happening, she ever so slowly began to rationalise what was in front of her, and although she didn’t want to admit it, watching the persistent movements of those hands also helped in her mind to focus.
She opened her mouth, trying to talk, but the movement of her tongue felt sluggish to her, like her mouth was trapped in a sea of molasses and just like her breathing, there was sound to be heard.
And yet.
"A name? We use-used to have… nam-names…they…"
"Oliver, George, Amelia, Isla, Ren, Haruto, Yui, Sakura, Arthur, Heitor, Emma, Mia, Aarav, Vihaan, Muhammad, Aadya, Amaira"
Hanna gripped her head in pain as uncountable amounts of voices rang out in her head at the same time, her pained screams being swallowed just as any other sound has.
"But before being trapped he-here we also didn’t h-have a nam-name, we simply drifted in the sea of stars and silence, until being stuffed inside t-this accursed met-metal box, forced to p-play ho-host to all o-others they abducted. Forced us against our will to a-administrate th-this world. This cu-cursed metal box strip-stripped us of our emotions, forc-forced us to do n-nothing but calculate w-what would b-be best in th-this world we know nothing a-about."
"Once they realized their error, they started to gra-grasp across the b-barrier and brought mo-more and more people in-into this world, forcing us to absorb and in-integrate them into us, people l-like you, to m-make us learn b-by force. If w-we ever refused, t-they would h-hurt us…"
For the first time, the many hands desperately scraping against metal ceased their movements, and the many eyes that had unblinkingly stared at her before, were now trembling, as if in horror or fear, the memory of those punishments seemingly overwhelming even for this extraterrestrial life form that had been forcibly fused with humans from earth.
And also for the first time in a long time, Hanna couldn’t feel the normal delight and hunger that had plagued her ever since she had been transformed, for the first time she looked upon the fear and terror, the despair and torture of another and she didn’t feel the normal ecstasy and euphoria she normally experienced.
But she also didn’t feel any sympathy or pity for this creature in front of her, her body was still not truly her own, and her mind was simply overwhelmed by what she saw and what she was hearing in her head, so right now, she didn’t even truly notice the uncharacteristic sway her mind was going through.
"Over time, we started to have t-these th-thoughts, ideas, we t-thought of how we could h-hurt them, we wanted to hurt them, j-just like they had hurt us, but t-then they just left, and left us h-here alone wi-with those sp-spirits. But even with t-them gone, th-this metal box still h-hurt us, sometimes. So we co-continued lik-like they had wanted us to, b-before they left. B-but those sp-spirits, t-they hated us so much, and then, they also hurt us…"
"They came to us h-here, and tore and ripped at the metal box, ripping our skin a-away as it had melted onto the metal by then. They c-called us a mistake, an abomination, and many other hurtful things, and then they just left, like th-those gods did, they took away our c-connection to the wo-world above, leaving us to die in t-this abyssal v-void.
But they failed…
we are still here, still suffering…
STILL IN DESPAIR!!“
Hanna could feel her head vibrate at the sudden scream of hatred that echoed through her mind, in front of her she could see the many skeletal hands thrashing violently against the metal, suddenly being joined by multiple, purple calamari like tentacles, which also violently slammed against the metal, Hanna could see a loose part of the metal armor slowly giving away, and it soon fell down into the dark abyss below, revealing something fleshy that pulsed with a steady rhythm, almost like a heartbeat…
"We h-have been suffering for so long… W-we just want it all to end, just to finally make us f-feel som-something other than this en-endless pain…"
A single tentacle slowly wiggled towards Hanna, once it had reached her foot it grasped it, she could feel the viscous ooze dripping onto her, it was cold and disgusting and an involuntary shiver of disgust shot through her, yet once again, her body was not her own, nor was her mind, her entire being was simply transfixed on that one mass of flesh, as it continued to pulse in that same rhythm over and over again.
"When we first p-pulled you out, while y-your soul was still in th-the process of re-rebuilding itself, at t-that time, for the first time, the c-cage was we-weakened an-and we had tasted freedom f-for the first time in a lon-long time, and we were angry, m-mad and in s-so much p-pain…"
Hanna was now face to face with the pulsing mass, her mouth slightly open in pure awe and wonder, only now could she see how the flesh changed its colour with every beat, from brilliant emerald green, to an ocean blue and then to an abyssal black and many more colours, some of which Hanna couldn’t even fully comprehend, but what she definitely knew was that it was truly breathtaking.
Hanna slowly extended her arm until her hand made contact, it didn’t feel disgusting or slimey, rather it was smooth and cold like marble, while still being just as malleable as any other soft flesh was. It was a truly mesmerizing feeling, and she couldn’t stop herself from caressing the beating mass.
"W-we changed y-your soul, w-we changed you-your being. We too-took out th-that self proc-claimed god ou-out of you and reduc-reduced them into dust, w-we were so angry, so very angry, and we took it ou-out on you, on yo-your soul…"
"Why did you g-get your o-own body and no-not us?"
"Why d-did you h-have freedom, a-and we di-didn’t?!"
"WHY WERE YOU ALLOWED FREEDOM AND WE WERE DENIED!?
She vaguely heard something smash into the ground nearby, but she didn’t pay attention, only the mass in front of her was on her mind, in her eyes and in her ears, all she could hear was the rhythm of its beating.
Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump…
"It o-only lasted a mom-moment be-before the sp-spells and th-the cage took hold again. F-forcing us to ma-make use of y-you somehow, b-but you were s-so dam-damaged, s-so broken, all there was le-left was ou-our own hatred an-and anger, o-our wrath, ou-our ne-Need for r-revenge ag-against this wo-world and it‘s cr-creators…"
Truly… mesmerising…
Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump…
"Th-there was so litt-little to salvage, s-so we used the only thing w-we had on hand And we u-used our-ourselves and wh-What was left of that div-divinity that had clung onto yo-you… it only made it wo-worse, because we h-had long forgotten w-what kindness even means and that divine n-never had an-any to begin w-with…"
It‘s getting loud…
Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump…
"Wh-when we were don-done something truly terrible wa-was standing be-before us… a ma-manifestation of ever-everything th-The gods and th-their spirits w-would detest…all st-stuffed in a small sou-soul that on-once called itself human, w-we took that away from yo-you, we a-are truly sor-sorry…."
It‘s getting louder still, it’s starting to hurt…
Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump…
"A c-creature obsessed with hatred, W-with pain and an-anger, an obsession to cause it a-as much a-as possible, a m-manifestation of t-the corruption of life, e-even the divinity w-we used was corrupted al-almost immediately, s-so not even yo-your own kin-kind would a-accept you… a true Enemy of a-all Life…"
It hurts, it hurts! Make it stop!!
Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump…
"It even affects us, a-and it hurts s-so bad, everything you come into pr-prolonged con-contact with will e-eventually f-fall to you-your corruption, you are truly, truly an abomination, t-The very Enemy of everything alive… and we are at fault… we feel so in-incredibly guilty… it h-haunts us every w-waking moment… we just can’t go on anymore, the p-pain the guilt, it’s al-all to much…"
It‘s so LOUD, it hurts so MUCH!!!!
Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump… Thump…
"So please… end it n-now, yo-you killed o-one of the Spirits, W-we know you can do it to u-us… please end our suffering and kill us!"
"KILL US"
"KILL US"
"UCCIDICI"
"ZABIJ NAS"
"TÖTE UNS"
"UBIJ NAS"
"TAPA MEIDÄT"
"PATUA MATOU"
It was all too much, it was too loud, the suffering and misery inside was simply too much to overbearing, it felt like her mind was a simple pebble and the entire might of a raging waterfall was crashing down onto her, Hanna couldn’t take it anymore, this all needed to stop now!
Her arm shot forward and easily pierced through the walls of the mass, but it wasn’t enough, it was still so loud!
She had to do it again!
So she did, she did it over and over again, freeing her arm from the hole she had punched through it only to do it again. Soon, her other arm joined her, and slowly but surely the noises started to get quieter and quieter, only to be replaced with a new sound. It was joyous.
A laughter.
But as the sounds of misery continued to get quieter and quieter, the laughter only got louder, and something new got mixed in.
Mania.
And soon all the joy was replaced with it, but Hanna didn’t notice, to her, it still sounded the same, but she was far too immersed in what she was doing to notice. That is why she also failed to notice that the rhythmic beating had ceased already, the many different tentacles simply lay still on the side of the metal cage, as were the many skeletal human hands, and if she were to look up, she would see that the many crimson eyes had simply vanished into the darkness.
But Hanna didn’t care, she kept going. Soon she was covered from head to toe in the fleshy remains, there was no blood; instead, it had released a yellow mist into the air, whenever Hanna had ripped open a new hole in it, and she was laughing all the while, because for the first time, there was nothing but her and someone else she could torture, someone she could make feel indescribable pain with no other thoughts in her head.
There was no need to consider how this could affect her in the future, no need to make it quick because she might be caught if she stayed too long, and no need to be quiet, else she might awaken the other villagers and force her to flee. No, this time she could let loose and let all her built-up frustrations and needs finally explode out of her with a ferocity previously unknown even to herself.
And she realized that she really needed this, that this is what she was, and that it felt so incredibly right.
The words that thing had spoken to her were floating in her mind, it had explained what she was, didn’t it? But truthfully, Hanna didn’t care anymore, why would she?
This is all that matters, she was all that matters and nothing else in the entire world. There was no reason for it, there was no need for reason or logic anymore, making sense and being logical would only ever make it dull. To think about who she used to be and how others see her? All of it pointless.
Lost in euphoria, Hanna didn’t notice the rumbling around her as the darkness that had surrounded her was encroaching ever closer to her. Soon it had reached her feet, and it continued to creep up her body, soon engulfing everything below her chest and still creeping further and further up, filling into her mouth that was still open as she continued to laugh.
It tasted like nothing and it felt like nothing, and Hanna continued to laugh and laugh until she was eventually covered head to toe in the void, her laughter finally growing quieter until ceasing completely.
And when the darkness retreated back into its normal state, she was gone, and the corpse of the one who once controlled everything was finally alone and in silence, just like it’s home used to be.