Edul wakes up to the sound of wind rushing
past his ears in total darkness. The black
is so pervading that Edul wasn't sure if his
eyes were opened or not. The whispers of
a female voice wafts on the cold breeze surrounding him. The scraggly twisted branches of a leafless forest on the horizon begins to come into focus.
Another indistinguishable whisper floats
past Edul's ears.
"Who's there?" he inquires nervously trying
to mask the fear hidden within his words.
"Zell?" the female voice finally asks clearly
enough for Edul to understand what is
being said.
"No, I'm Edul." the blonde boy whispers in response.
"Zell, I can't hear you." the female voice continues. Edul leans forward and realizes
he's laying on his back in a pool of black
liquid and sticky mud. Above him the
forest floats in the air meter inches above
his head. Edul jumps up from his back
through the illusory cloud forest and it
disappears from view, only blackness remains.
"Zell, help me", the female voice pleads
incessantly first from behind Edul then
from over his right shoulder and finally
from his left shoulder.
"Who are you?" Edul requested fearfully
but his words fall upon deaf ears. A tiny
flash of flame on the edge of Edul's
peripheral vision piqued his attention. The
female voice continued to wail
relentlessly about 'Zell' but Edul's...