Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: ‘Vision in the dark...’
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The Elroys’ shared room was quiet. The three children hung around their father’s bed. Ramira was sleeping; Marcos looked like he was having a silent conversation with Shenado; and Emiliana--she was trying to read a book she’d grabbed off the shelf.
Trying and failing, unfortunately. She just couldn’t seem to focus on the words anymore. Things kept distracting her, things she couldn’t quite grasp. Fleeting sensations. A flicker in her eye. A twitch in one of her horns. And sweat--warm and then cold and then warm again. Even her own breathing was starting to play tricks on her. Easy and then erratic and then easy again. Over and over.
She didn’t know what was happening. Some kind of panic attack? She’d never had one before. Was this what they were like?
But for some reason, she wasn’t even concerned. Not about herself, at least. The only thing on her mind was to bottle it up. To not let anyone else find out. They’d just worry about her. Become scared for her. It made no sense, but right here and now, in the middle of whatever madness this was, not inconveniencing anyone seemed like the most important thing in the world.
At this point, the book in her hands was just a tool to help conceal herself. As long as she could look like she was reading it, everything could still be okay. The problem, whatever it was, could still pass. It could just go away. It could. It had to.
Then came Chergoa’s echoing voice, ruining everything. ‘Hey. Is that interesting?’
Interesting? What was she talking about? Oh, the book. Of course. Emiliana had to answer, though. What was this damn thing even about? She’d picked it off the shelf for a reason. She just had to remember.
Birds? No. Eyes. The book was about eyes. Bird vision was just one of the earlier parts. She’d picked it in hopes of learning more about ocular anatomy, but it wasn’t particularly helpful, as she already knew everything that she’d managed to read.
‘...Em? You awake?’
Emiliana’s hands twitched as she realized she’d taken too long to respond. ‘Y-yeah.’ Oh no, that was stupid. She could have just pretended to be asleep.
‘You okay?’ Chergoa asked, hovering in front of her. ‘Hey. You’re shaking. What’s the matter?’
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
She need to ask others for help.
ReplyDelete[but it wasn’t particular helpful]
ReplyDeleteParticularly
Em almost sounds like how some victims of rape react. Start closing themselves off from others...
ReplyDeleteFrom a certain perspective, she was "raped" by her powers, you know, the clawing-and-horning-stuff her powers did to her...
ReplyDeleteNot a very good idea, trying to hide something wrong from a reaper. Its likely either stress, in which case a truly ancient being like most reapers would likely have some good advice, or its something relating to her power, in which case someone who has a very strong interest in learning how servant powers work and has had so much time to do so would certainly have some useful information.
ReplyDelete/sigh
ReplyDeleteWhy do you have to jump to rape? That's really, /really/, annoying.
From a certain perspective literally everyone ever has been raped
ReplyDeleteHmm. The comparison I made could go for victims of anya whole host of different traumatic experiences, yes. I said rape because I have friends and family that have had it happen to them. The parallel was rather unavoidable in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know why it annoys you?
Now you're outright exaggerating.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? PTSD and/or anxiety doesn't need rape to happen. -_- Losing your mother, home, self-image, life and seeing violence break out around you is cause enough to trigger panic attacks that, if not dealt with quickly, will become more entrenched. :/
ReplyDeleteNot if your perspective is from the original term
ReplyDeleteOrigin Expand 1250-1300; (v.) Middle English rapen < Anglo-French raper < Latin rapere to seize, carry off by force, plunder; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French ra(a)p(e), derivative of raper
We've all had something taken from us. However small.
ReplyDeleteIt's annoying, to me, because it's an extreme that didn't need to be brought here, I don't support it, I'm sorry for your family, but it doesn't need to be brought here.
ReplyDeleteI believe the perspective in question is that of extreme personal violation, which is what the term is used for now. No one likes an etymology pedant, dude.
ReplyDeleteAu contraire Milord Eric, for I, Punctuation Man(!), loves both the most deluded of pedants to the loosest of those who refer to the urban dictionary as their first line of definition. As for I, well he first stated it was on perspective, I was merely respecting his POV with a little more perspective. Surprisingly enough, my opinion has been the recipient of countless cyber attacks (case in point: blaed and you) and innumerable threats to my very person and family, I beg of you, to your human side, spare me the vitriol of an angered internet mob. Think of the children.
ReplyDelete...where did I say that PTSD doesn't happen to victims of any trauma? (o_O)
ReplyDeleteSee my conversation with the other commentator. As I said to ,',',',',',', I was only making an observation. One that I couldn't help.
I was just making an observation. I really don't see why you have to support it or not.
ReplyDeleteFrom that perspective, I've never been raped
ReplyDeleteWhat? Where have I attacked you?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of cyber attacks did we launch against you? Denial-of-service? Man-in-the-middle? Fork bomb trojan? I can't remember what I did, and I don't know Blaed's habit in these things...
ReplyDelete...Or wait, were you just using a ludicrously melodramatic term to describe people arguing with you online? I remember doing that.