28: What’s Yours Is…

Water separated the nightmare I had escaped from and an imposing new challenge. Rocky terrain slowly climbed upward to form an impressive snow-capped range of terrible mountains. They scraped against the sky and shredded any clouds that dared get too close. I'd seen them consume the sun every evening in the ruins, but they were more foreboding without the greenery at their base.

Where am I supposed to go now? I can't… No. I'm not really going to… climb that, am I?

The rushing water splashing against my face brought me back to reality. I was lucky I hadn't wound up in the stream. I definitely would have drowned in my current condition.

The cloak's conflicting scents, an oddly sweet smell and the foul stench of the drool, had mixed, mingled, and amplified an already mind-numbing headache. It reinforced a desire I couldn't deny: I had to wash it all off. Once the world finally stopped spinning, I dragged myself a little deeper into the shallows of the embankment.

A chill washed over me with a cool embrace. I waded deeper into the water when my returning strength allowed. Dunking my head, I washed away the disgusting events of the day, along with the heat and smells. When I was clean enough, I drank my fill, and sat in the streambed to just soak my weary body. I simply stayed in the moment, basking in the closest thing to heaven I could imagine, without bothering to think about what came next.

Tired, I must have lingered in the water for too long. Any bandages that hadn't ripped off in the forest loosened and unraveled. Some cloth strands clung to me while a weak current tugged at them. Finally standing up, I caught sight of my reflection on the water's slightly warped surface.

My hair drooped around my face like a pathetic, wet animal. I glared. It glared back.

"What are you looking at?"

A kick to the reflection shattered the loser staring at me. I didn't need the reminder of how miserable I was. The soothing calm from my soak dripped off me along with the water.

I wrung out the cloak and my pajamas as best I could, then tossed them to the ground, and spread everything out to dry in the sun.

My shirt's faded Wonder Saga logo was barely recognizable anymore. The shirt itself was almost non-existent from tears and burns. I ripped off the remaining sleeve, a new headband to keep my hair out of my face, and stripped the rest into bandages.

Though I was alone, I quickly slipped my pants back on when they were dry enough to be comfortable. I didn't want to get caught without them if someone miraculously found me.

Splash!

Still on alert, my eyes darted to the water. My sight cleared up after the soak, but nothing was there. Maybe it was a fish, or a frog splashing around. I honestly didn't care as long as I wasn't on the menu. I recalled the sweet smell of the pallumb cap's spores, finally able to think clearly and identify the cause of my twisted visions. I might have thought something was lurking in the water otherwise.

I sprawled out on the bank to finish drying off. The relaxing atmosphere of a lazy day in the sun was almost enough to take my mind off the residual throbbing in my chest and legs. I closed my eyes to embrace the peaceful moment.

A rock poked me in the side, but a moment earlier I was on my back. I must have fallen asleep. Still damp, I hadn't slept for long. Staying put to extend my impromptu nap would have been ideal, but the thought of something discovering me there in the open made me worry. I blinked the world back into focus and sat up.

Before going anywhere, my bandages needed tending to. I prepared the cloth scraps, my former shirt, for my hands and feet. Fabrienne's scowling face flashed through my mind while working on my left hand, along with the memory of her crushing a berry over the wound. An unavoidable pang of guilt swelled in my chest as I quickly finished the task.

"She… abandoned me first, so she can just… Don't even… She's capable of taking care of herself. I'm the one with no weapons or… food. Forget about—"

Crack!

The noise came from the direction of the forest. My eyes frantically scanned the treeline above me. I grabbed Fabrienne's cloak and threw it over my shoulders to make a quick escape.

"H-hello? Is… Um, is someone… there?" Silence. I was still alone. It had to be a lingering paranoia caused by those spores. "Keep it together, you jumpy…" The word made me think of the bandit and his dagger. "No. Not… jumpy, but still a… a coward. There's nothing out… Fabri… and that creature… They're both… gone, r-right? Right."

Regardless, staying put was a bad idea. I pushed it all out of my thoughts and took a step. I had to get moving.

"Ssss…"

"Wh-what?"

"Ssky…"

Oh, hell no.

I spun back around, fervently searching the trees again. A wispy tree did little to conceal a distorted shadow behind it that seemed to warp and shift. I rubbed my eyes and checked again. The shape solidified, but remained obscure and unrecognizable.

"Fabrienne? H-hey Fabri, um… is that you?"

"Ssky… ler, ya shh… shouldn't have… rrruh-runnn…" The voice was raspy, strained, and almost imperceptible, but no one else knew my name. It had to be her, hissing at me.

Lurching closer with clumsy movements, the shape acted like it hadn't quite mastered walking. There was no sign of Fabienne's graceful agility. It took another step towards me, and another, then something glinted in the sun—a blade.

I swallowed hard, leaving my mouth dry as my breathing sped up. A new fear settled in my chest.

"Sssky… lerrr…"

Fabrienne's voice distorted with an eerie growl. Hearing my name said that way caused a drop of sweat to tickle my spine. She took another step, but her leg jutted out sideways, bending in an impossible direction. Being double-jointed was one thing, but that sure wasn't it.

"Y-ya shouldn't… have run… little Skylerrr…"

Another step brought her into the light. She was definitely Fabrienne, but she looked wrong. Her stretched body looked mangled and broken. She was tall, thin, and an overall jumbled mess of proportions with arms and legs that were both too long and short at the same time. Then the same expression she flashed in the forest pulled at her face. She wore a devious grin full of more teeth than anyone should have, with empty eyes that were left blank and white. The feisty little dwelf, the blacksmith who shared her jerky with me, was replaced by a twisted caricature.

It can't… That's not really… her. Is it?

"Oh… H-hi there… Fabri? Y-you… What, uh… happ—" My voice petered out, and I forced a cough. "What happened? I-I thought I… lost, um… you? Are you… hurt? C-can I… Do you… need any… help?"

I wanted to play along with her act, but my voice was like a whisper in the wind. She might've heard me, though, if she actually was Fabrienne. My eyes darted to the blade she held. No. That wasn't right. The weapon wasn't in her hand. It connected to her arm where a hand should have been. She raised the blade, pointing it at me, and twitching with unnecessarily jagged movements.

"Fabri, I… I'm s-sorry if—"

My voice cut out again. Her expression stretched on her face like a rubber mask that didn't fit properly, disfiguring the already inhuman smirk into a freakish Cheshire cat's grin. The fear in my chest bloomed into terror.

I made a nearly involuntary and reactionary side-step, followed by another. My feet knew I had to get away, but her lumbering steps sped up. The chase began.

"Sh-shouldn't… run!"

Shit. Not again.

My body refused her demands. The peaceful rest on the shore helped, but not enough to fully recover. My stamina hadn't returned from my last fear-induced escapade. Every step became a labor of strength, moving legs that weighed me down.

I thought Fabrienne was fast before, but this 'Fake Fabri' now had legs longer than mine. Each exaggerated step carried her closer.

"Leave… Me… Alone!" Deep breaths interrupted every panicked word.

The soggy ground of the embankment pulled each of my steps deeper into the loose silt. Running so close to the water's edge was an obvious mistake, but turning to look back over my shoulder was worse. Yup. I tripped.

Dammit!

Splat!

My body twisted, and I fell to my back to watch the approaching terror with nowhere to go. I dug my heels and elbows into the ground to scramble away. Nevertheless, Fake Fabri stood over me within seconds. She loomed over me, staring, grinning, drooling, and growling.

"G-get away!"

My left hand shot out in front of me, as if commanding her to stop. Something in my palm pulsed with pain. I must have torn open my wound under the bandages.

Oddly, Fake Fabri paused and pulled her head back, as if expecting something to happen. It almost looked like she flinched, but that couldn't be right. It’s not possible to scare a living nightmare.

"Please…" I don't know why I bothered to plead with her.

Brilliant! What's next? Are you going to tell her to sit, or maybe she'll perform a little trick before claiming you as a treat?! Put your damn hand down before she bites it off!

She leaned in close and took a large sniff before savoring her next meal—me. I refused to look at her anymore and shut my eyes. Then she let out a cruel laugh.

What?! I squinted a peek at Fake Fabri. Is she really… laughing? Why? Is it… because of… me?

"This… game is over. No more running. No escaping this time. No… hope left. No. Not for… you."

Her form shrunk slightly and retracted. She paced around me, tilting her head and inspecting my quivering body as if there were something absurd about me. I watched, now unable to look away from her. Nothing made any sense. She could have been enjoying her meal, but it looked like my confusion and comical attempt to flee brought her too much joy.

"I… I see you, Skyler. I know you… Yes, I do, and I know what you are… but her? No. She… does not, and now? She is… gone. If only she knew the… power inside… that, but… she refused to let… Maybe she… suspected, yes?" Fake Fabri continued pacing about, then she paused and stared off to the side. Her amusement cracked, and she almost looked afraid. "No. Impossible." The fear vanished and her head abruptly turned at a sharp angle to focus back on me. "And you? You… I never thought I would encounter… another. It has been so long since the last time I… and he—IT… slipped… away… w-wounding… hurting… N-never the same! Not since… So w-weak now… No. I will not forgive… never, but ooh, yes… You?" She sounded gleeful. "Nothing. No power. None at all. You are but a… pale… imitation of… of HIM," she snarled.

"Please, I d-don't know what you're t-talking—"

"Pitiful little… You were chosen? To… replace…? After HE could not…? Even with… It matters not," she giggled. "Not anymore… Light. Darkness. The… In-between you serve…"

"I-I don't serve—"

"SILENCE!" she snapped. "I can…" She sniffed me again. "I smell it on you. I will not forget! That which once… and… and… Mmmhmm… Yes." She leaned back in, slowly dragging a finger upward from the base of my throat until she reached my chin, holding it there. "I suspect even an echo can be oh so… delicious." I flinched, and she grabbed my chin. "Aw, are you… afraid?" My breath caught in my throat. I stared at her, wide-eyed and silent. She brought her other hand in close, wiped a tear from the corner of my eye that had only just formed, and brought it to her lips. "Good." She licked the stolen tear drop from her finger. "Mmmm… How… wonderful. Yes. You… should be. You… deserve this." Fake Fabri squeezed my face. Her grip pursed my lips, and she brought her face in closer, inches from mine, to hold a stare. "Remember, Sweetie?" she whispered. When I didn't answer, she clicked her tongue with annoyance, then forced my head to nod before letting go and stepping away with a snicker. "Oh, how I have longed for the sweet taste of…" She paused again, her demeanor stiffening. "They will not be… satisfied, if… well, that will not be the case. Not… this time," she cooed. "No. Not this time… This time… This time, I… I will… be the one. I will HURT—!" Her wide, toothy grins returned. "You."

Additional rows of shark-like teeth emerged within her mouth as it opened wider until her chin split with a wet, ripping sound. The tear in her face continued down like a disgusting zipper as it reached her torso. The hideous gaping maw of teeth stole any will I had remaining. It paralyzed me, pinning me without the need of any physical force.

A familiar, putrid stench of rot and decal spilled forth with more drool. The monstrous form pulsed and covered me with oozing drool that burned my skin. Tears ran down my face. If it wasn't from the smell, it had to be from the inevitable end. There was no point in trying to be brave. I knew there was no chance of survival. It defeated the strongest person I knew. I closed my eyes again, but a full-bodied sob somehow broke through my petrifying fear.

First Fabri, and… and now me—I… I'm sorry I… abandoned you. You… you weren't a… You weren't… this.

I wished I hadn't seen this wretched form. Maybe then the guilt of running away wouldn't have been swallowing me whole before the creature had its share. I knew I couldn't have helped Fabrienne, but at least then she wouldn't have had to suffer alone.

The creature let out a thundering roar, covering me in its dank, humid breath. She had to be savoring the moment. What she said was right. All hope was gone. The last thing I managed was a pitiful whimper of defeat.

My ears rang from her bellow, but a whistle pierced the heavy air. A series of wet thwacks followed soon after, causing her to bellow an agonizing shriek. My eyes snapped open at the sudden change. Another whistle preceded a second flurry of arrows to match the cluster already stuck in the side of Fake Fabri. They all hit with the same sickening sound.

"No! Not this time! NO! He is mine!" Fake Fabri screamed. The emerging threat stole her attention away from me. She cried out another howl of pain that blended with her voice. "MINE!"

"Ya didn't win yet!"

My heart stopped.

It… can't be…

I only saw it for a fraction of a second. A blur, mid-air, rocketed towards the creature from above me. I blinked.

Gong!

The dull tone of the sword stopped short—muted. Everything was gone; the blur, the creature, the world. A dust cloud exploded somewhere ahead of me, swallowing everything.

"RREEEE—Rgh!!"

A sputtering gurgle cut her shriek short.

"Fa-Fab… ri?"