| abstract
| - A sleepy Stephanie Barmms feels the weight of her eyes growing. A grown woman lying on top of her bed, all she can think about is the great time she had with Hemsworth. The food, the fun day at the park, and the growing romantic feeling for them. She lays her hands on her stomach and breathes slowly. As the woman drifts asleep, something creeps in the shadows. Dark, crooked fingers sweep across a hardwood floor. Disfigured toes connected to the eerie chasm they came from break from the shadow and show they can survive without the darkness it disconnected from. In contrast to the darkness of this figure is a light green mask, with green engravings of pictish symbols. The eyes of the mask is nothing but two bright lights. A permanent slight smile was carved on the mask, along with a thin nose. It was almost like a phantom. And then, from the shadowy cloud the creature fathomed as it’s left hand, a rope extends, and ties itself. And then, more silent than the blackest and emptiest spot in space, he lunges at the woman and brings the rope to constrict around her thin neck. She begins to choke. She tries to crystallize her neck, but even that isn’t an easy job. As her eyes open wide and the adrenaline flows in a cold chill along her spin up to her neck, she sees a face of the attacker. Stephanie: J-JACOB?! He simply smiles as he pulls the rope tighter. Jacob: Hello Steph. Stephanie stops her struggle. She simply succumbs to the pain and the lack of air. She chokes and, with one more pull, the ginger-haired woman goes unconscious. Jacob checks the body, inspecting it. As he discovers she is completely asleep, he picks her body up and takes her through the shadows he had arrived in. ~~ “Ms. Barmms?” Stephanie’s eyes explode open, and her head, as fast as a bullet, looks to the side. She’s not at home anymore. In fact, she’s not ANYWHERE anymore. All she can see is pure darkness. She can’t even see herself. “Good, you are awake. I would have hoped you were.” Bright, jade eyes shine through the cloud of blank. “Or maybe yourself, Stephanie.” The eyes are complemented by a face. Her face, to be exact. The figure who attacked her suddenly had the body of a female, and it’s armor shaped to it. It removes the hood and reveals a deep orange hair. She shakes it around. ???: You’re a beautiful woman, Stephanie. You should be proud you were bless'd with such fascinatin' traits. Stephanie: What happened to Jacob? Or… Are you Jacob? ???: Is Jacob ev'n real? That’s my question to ya, lassy. Are any of us real? Stephanie: Yes! I know I am real. ???: How do ya know that? Stephanie paused to think. The armored Stephanie holds up a light and brings it close to Stephanie. Stephanie realizes her entire body is GONE. Stephanie: Wha-? ???: What? Yes, what? What does this mean? Keep asking yourself, but the answer will never come, dontchaknow! Stephanie is in peril, or, at least, what the consciousness thought it was. All the consciousness thought it could be identified as was “Stephanie.” But what did those words even mean? What in the world is a “Stephanie?” Words have no meaning. The ordering of these words means nothing, Stephanie. Understand that you, me, and EVERYTHING have no reason to exist. Everything you do, even trying to establish relationships and help others. There’s no reason. The false Stephanie’s face starts to fade away and become a skull. YOU SEE!? We will ALL PERISH! There is no MEANIN'! NOTHIN'! YOU DON’T EVEN DESERVE ANY OF THIS! No. You’re wrong. There is meaning. To thrive. To live. So, then, what are we to live for? What reason? Reason? Rsun … … … These illusions. I won’t fall for them. You think this is a game? It’s just the truth. Then what is truth? … Answer me. You live in the darkness. You see no light. How can you, of all people, determine what is TRUTH? What is RIGHT in your eyes? No response. Stephanie looks around, but all she can feel is a dark hand wrapping around her neck. She tries to struggle, but it gets too tight. ???: In me realm, you will disappear forever. A light lost in the darkness. Death is the only outcome. Stephanie: NO! Death is not the only outcome! You never answered me. That means… There are loopholes! Stephanie, with all her strength, removes the shadowy arm and thinks fast. Her crystal necklace begins to light up. Fetch: NO! The dark creature tries to grab it to stop it from spreading, but it burns his hand. The shadows disappear, and Stephanie finds herself in a lab. Fetch begins to cough, and lies in agony. His mask is off his face, but he has covered his face with a hood. Stephanie inspects the lab. Then it hits her. Stephanie: We’re in Johnson Tech, aren’t we? Stephanie sees the glass tube where Ms. Matter was once held. It’s empty. Stephanie: Mataline is gone. What… Have you been doing with it? Fetch begins to laugh. Fetch: Oh, wouldn’t YOU like to know lassie? Stephanie comes over to a weakened Fetch and tries to remove his hood, but as she does so, she’s shocked by the brightness of his green eyes. She jumps backs to the shadows and disappears. Stephanie sees the mask, and tries to pick it up. However, as she touches it, a flash of the mask and a dark background covers her sight, frightening her. As she blinks, however, the image disappears. Stephanie: (Oh my… What am I even dealing with here? Dark magic?) Stephanie takes a glove and grabs the mask. This time, nothing appears. Then, taking a empty bag found at the lab, she places the mask in there. She leaves the room, taking the evidence with her. ~~ 558 AD. Ireland. Servants surround Muirgein as she sits on a throne, with much jewelry and a fascinating crown. She had been eating and drinking with different men and women bringing her goods. Meanwhile, historians struck the records of the existence of her former self while in her court. A giant stained glass mirror hangs over her head on a wall as she sits on her throne. She had become a queen. Muirgein: You peasants are fine workers! Keep me satisfied and I’ll keep all your famines away forever. Maybe even flooding will stop! The peasants chant with glee. However, a woman steps through the crowds of peasants, dressed in a dark scarlet robe and with dark hair. She steps in front of the Queen. Muirgein: Did I order you to be in my presence, peasant? ???: You… You shouldn’t be the one ordering me around, you filthy mortal. Muirgein: Mortal!? This is heresy! The hooded figure looks up and removes her hood. The woman’s eyes are pure black and her skin is semi-transparent and very fair. Dark bird wings spring out of her back, and she begins to talk with three voices all at once. ???: YOU ARE A MORTAL. BOW, LI BAN, FOR YOUR PRIDE WILL BE THY DOWNFALL. Li Ban doesn’t budge. She simply closes her eyes. Muirgein: I’ve been purified of my sins, and yet I retained my powers. I have proven to be invincible. I am just as immortal as you, fool. I am a goddess like you, MORRIGAN! Morrigan: YOU CHALLENGE MY RULE OVER THESE LANDS? The clan that worships me is coming to attack you. They shall win. Muirgein: Hahahaha! You’ll see, Morrigan. Morrigan grows infuriated, and starts to argue with itself. To resolve this, it splits into three, winged beings. The biggest and most terrifying of them, Macha, floats down to Muirgein. Macha: We will kill all your people. They will beg for mercy, and I will find pleasure in doing it. My crow shall go out in the battle, and it will be determined your people will be dead. That is how it should be. Muirgein: Hmm… I don’t find that fair. Macha: Fair?! Muirgein: Let’s make a better deal. If your men don’t come to battle, I win, and I take dominion over these lands. Or, if your men DO come to battle, we shall fight fairly. If you win that fight, we surrender. That is, if the enemy clan is brave enough to confront me to begin with. Macha: Ha. (The odds are in my favor!) Sisters, join again. We shall be leaving. The sisters combined again, and then, Morrigan nods. She flies away from the palace Muirgein stayed in, and doesn’t come back. Muirgein simply smiles. Muirgein (to a guard): Summon a horse. I must make my way to the enemy clan. Muirgein arrives at the outside of the camp of the enemy clan, and looks at the soil. It’s rather good for producing food and overall living easily. This gives Muirgein a good idea. She removes the water from the grass and the ground in one swift stroke, and starts to flood the camp. Animals, crops and people die from the catastrophe. Muirgein simply smiles. Days later, the Morrigan return, furious with the woman of the waters. Morrigan: You… You cheat! Muirgein: You’re the fool! You trusted the deal of a merrow! Such a simple mistake for a presumed goddess. Now, then, off my land! Morrigan: No. We were cheated. Now, we are going to cheat you! Morrigan wraps it’s dark hands around Muirgein. Muirgein begins to scream in terror. Her merrow face appears briefly, and then it disappears. Muirgein starts to feel light-headed. Morrigan: Your family is cursed, forever! When you bear children, they will take your terrifying merrow form! Everybody will look upon them, in fear! This will be their fate, and your fate! Muirgein looks upon her hands. They flux back in forth from her merrow self, to her human self. The woman is terrified. Morrigan: And to think Brigid gifted you these powers to survive after the death of your family! And after hundreds of years, you use them for your own selfish reasons. Tricking these people and us! You’re no goddess, you are but a mere mortal. Your sin will stay with you forever, despite being baptized! The transformation to Muirgein’s old self begins, this time, she can’t change back to her human form. She breaks down to her knees and begins to cry, bowing down to the Morrigan. The Morrigan simply laugh. Morrigan: Your elaborate plan is quashed, Li Ban. You have only brought this terrible misery to yourself! Morrigan looks up at the stained glass window above Li Ban. Picking up a rock, they hurl the stone at the window and shatter it to a million pieces. The shards do not hurt Li Ban, however. Morrigan picks up one of the shards and puts it over her eyes. She is unimpressed, and tosses it back on the ground. She flies away into the sky and disappears. Li Ban looks up from her bowing position, with her yellow eyes glowing. The ruined queen stands up and looks at the shattered glass around herself. The piece of glass Morrigan had tosses takes Li Ban’s attention. Li Ban: I… Need to make a sacrifice. The ruined creature carefully walks over the shattered glass and leaves her throne, ordering her servants to clean up the mess. They’re afraid of her look, and immediately obey.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)