"Just a bit further."
Eric felt a sudden sense of apprehension. Something in the tone of the statement seemed off. It didn't have the snide feeling of the little man's earlier comments. The little man sounded almost nervous.
Despite this he continued following. The memory of the beach was still fresh in his mind. Sucking tendrils, angry waves trying to devour him, monstrosity after monstrosity.
Shock filtered and softened these thoughts around the edges. If he was forced to look deeply at them he was sure to collapse in a gibbering heap.
Distracted as he was by these thoughts, several other warning signs passed by without him noticing. By the time he grew truly afraid, it was too late.
The trees had thinned out until finally the horizon was completely barren. An eerie unnatural silence surrounded them. The sounds of crashing and violent yelling that he had been filtering were suddenly just gone.
Something was wrong with the air. That was ultimately what made him stop. It was unnatural, unmoving. Worst of all, there were no smells. He had never realized how much smell contributed to his experience of the world until that moment.
Ahead of him the little man stopped, then turned. His face was grim, mouth set in a firm line.
Fear poured into him, making him shake. The sound had completely gone out of the world. What he had taken for silence before was a cacophony. Neither the rasping of his quick breaths or the panicked shuffling of his feet made any impression on it.
"What have you done?" He thought at the little man, "What is this place?"
"Null. The complete antithesis of existence" Came the simple answer.
"Why?" Terror flooded him as he realized that he could no longer feel the ground beneath him, "Why save me to destroy me like this?"
"You are as dangerous as she is. Maybe more so. I cannot unleash you on the world as you are."
"Please!" He screamed it into the void, making no sound, trying to hold onto the feeling of his mouth making the words. "Not like this. I beg you!"
"You must make me a promise."
"Anything!" The light was fading. What came in its place was not darkness. It was far worse. He could feel it pulling at him like a hungry mouth.
"Promise you will maintain the balance of the worlds. Promise you will fight the
Eric felt a sudden sense of apprehension. Something in the tone of the statement seemed off. It didn't have the snide feeling of the little man's earlier comments. The little man sounded almost nervous.
Despite this he continued following. The memory of the beach was still fresh in his mind. Sucking tendrils, angry waves trying to devour him, monstrosity after monstrosity.
Shock filtered and softened these thoughts around the edges. If he was forced to look deeply at them he was sure to collapse in a gibbering heap.
Distracted as he was by these thoughts, several other warning signs passed by without him noticing. By the time he grew truly afraid, it was too late.
The trees had thinned out until finally the horizon was completely barren. An eerie unnatural silence surrounded them. The sounds of crashing and violent yelling that he had been filtering were suddenly just gone.
Something was wrong with the air. That was ultimately what made him stop. It was unnatural, unmoving. Worst of all, there were no smells. He had never realized how much smell contributed to his experience of the world until that moment.
Ahead of him the little man stopped, then turned. His face was grim, mouth set in a firm line.
Fear poured into him, making him shake. The sound had completely gone out of the world. What he had taken for silence before was a cacophony. Neither the rasping of his quick breaths or the panicked shuffling of his feet made any impression on it.
"What have you done?" He thought at the little man, "What is this place?"
"Null. The complete antithesis of existence" Came the simple answer.
"Why?" Terror flooded him as he realized that he could no longer feel the ground beneath him, "Why save me to destroy me like this?"
"You are as dangerous as she is. Maybe more so. I cannot unleash you on the world as you are."
"Please!" He screamed it into the void, making no sound, trying to hold onto the feeling of his mouth making the words. "Not like this. I beg you!"
"You must make me a promise."
"Anything!" The light was fading. What came in its place was not darkness. It was far worse. He could feel it pulling at him like a hungry mouth.
"Promise you will maintain the balance of the worlds. Promise you will fight the
