GOMEN NASAI MINNA-SAN! ::hangs head in shame:: I'm SO SORRY I haven't updated in a million years! I'll do thank you's in a bit (need to go through some things) and I swear, right now, on my computer, I've written two paragraphs in chapter 10! I'm so sorry! I'm quite proud of this chapter, and I hope it makes up for being gone so long! WAAAA I'm so sorry!

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Darkness. Whirling darkness was engulfing me, covering me in a blanket of midnight threads. It surrounded me in all directions, like a fabric or a liquid, twisting and twirling fluidly around my body. It felt cool, not cold, but not warm either, and seemed more like cool water than anything else. The darkness covered me, much like a shroud, and felt protective against my skin. I couldn't feel any fear.

There was a sudden scratched feeling in my throat. It hurt. Why? I strained to remember what had happened before the darkness. Fractions of my memory filtered through my mind. I recalled screaming in utter, pure terror at... something that had been... revealed... screaming until my voice grew weak and my throat raw... screaming at what?

"The walls," a voice somewhere in the depths of my mind replied. Walls? Suddenly, a flash of memory echoed through my mind. Pain... fear... anguish... the walls. Oh God, the walls... They were... fragments, shattered remnants of what they had been, but they still carried that horrid black power reverberating through them. Black, generated from the darkest obsidian, but not nearly as dark as the heart that had created them.

The emotions and senses continued resurfacing from the recesses of my mind. Screaming... fear... pain... screaming, then... darkness. Darkness as black as pitch... so dark... then, here. There was protection, safety here. The darkness wasn't as cold, wasn't as binding. More like a blanket, a soft covering.

Tentatively, I reached out with my hand. It had been gripping my upper body, along with the other, and I had curled up my body, my knees to my chest. When I held out my hand, I was half surprised to see it; my grasp on concrete images had long faded, though how long ago it had been I was uncertain of. Everything felt fuzzy and jumbled inside my head. Memories and sensations had gaping holes in them, trying to piece themselves together into conscious thoughts. The more I tried to make sense of it, the more my head throbbed, so I stopped thinking about it.

Reaching forward, I passed my hand through the surrounding swirls of darkness, watching with a bewildered curiosity as the black threads slid smoothly across my fingers, the texture like a velvety liquid against my skin. Fascinated, I did it again, gazing at the soft, dark threads.

Very quietly at first, but steadily growing louder, I began to hear sounds. Soft voices, like whispers, silkily played over my ears. The voices, as quiet as the padding of a cat's feet, surrounded me, calling to me from all directions. They spoke to me of urgings, of orders, of temptations.

"Rest, little one."

"You needn't be frightened of us."

"We will not hurt you."

"Uncurl yourself. Allow your body and mind to drift."

"Wh-who are you? What is it you want?" I asked, my voice cracking from the pain in my throat and echoing in the black abyss. The lulling, hissing whispers continued.

"Do not hide from us, little one. Lower your defenses."

"Give yourself to the darkness."

"Embrace it."

"You will feel no pain; we shall help you."

My mind felt clouded by their confusing statements. They both made sense and didn't at the same time. However, the prospect of rest was inviting; both my mind and body were exhausted. I continued to listen to the voices' promises, letting the ideas and temptations permeate and weave into my mind. As I began believing their promises, I felt my defenses weaken.

"Good, good."

"Just allow us to pass into your mind."

"No more pain; no more hurt."

"Only darkness."

I felt tired, like some unseen force was slowly draining me of energy. It was getting difficult to resist what the voices had to offer. As my resistance was being worn down and the energy in my body was depleting, I was slipping down into the darkness. Deeper and deeper I fell, and as I did so, the whisperings began to take on forms. Small wisps at first, but gradually they got bigger, until they formed many long, black tendrils, different from the surrounding darkness only by a deep purple sheen.

"That's it, little one."

"Give in to us."

"You will not be vulnerable; we will be with you."

"You will not feel any pain. Just darkness."

The feelings of exhaustion outweighed all reason in my mind, and I stopped fighting the voices. I relaxed, letting my overly tense body loosen and slowly uncurl.

As I unfolded into an almost standing position, I was suddenly floating above a pool of black and indigo water, which I deduced as such from the ripples forming on the surface. My bare feet were hovering mere centimeters above the dark water. I blinked as I stared at the pool, its mirror-like surface interrupted only by the small ripples.

"What is...?"

"Touch it; it will not harm you."

"You will truly be at peace."

"No more pain."

"Merely touch the water."

Cautiously, still slightly untrusting of the voices, I stretched my leg until my foot touched the surface of the dark water.

It was cold. Not the protective, cool sensation that had been surrounding me, but a horrible iciness in its place. The comfort I had been experiencing was torn away by an icy wind, the air turning frigid. I instantly recoiled, hugging myself tightly, trying to retain some warmth in my body; I couldn't stop shaking. The voices came again.

"Why do you oppose us, little one?"

"You are resisting what we have given you."

"I-I... it's so... cold," I stuttered, disturbed and frightened by the amount of vehemence and anger the voices held. Why would they be so angry? Unless... unless they weren't going to help me, and instead cause me more pain, more suffering. No. No more pain. I didn't want more pain.

The more I thought, the more my wariness built. I could feel how outraged the voices became, how full of anger and spite they were at my resistance. I was winning, beating back their web of lies.

"You are resisting us."

"Why do you do such futile things?"

The long, black, snake-like forms of the voices shot out at me and coiled around my arms, legs, waist, neck. They squeezed and wrapped tightly around me, holding me still and vulnerable. A whimper came from my aching throat, very tiny and frightened. Cold, cold, so cold. Cold and dark. The darkness, blacker than before, was clawing around me, covering me in a midnight shroud so different from before. Not kind and welcome. The grip on my body was powerful and painful. I didn't want this. I wanted to escape it, but I couldn't, I couldn't.

My eyes widened in fear as something began rising out of the pool of water, many liquid-like black tendrils splashing and rising up to compound into a single wavering form. It was humanoid, though pure black and not completely solid. It lashed out and gripped my arms, its hands solidifying to keep a powerful hold on me. Its touch to my bare skin was so cold, felt so evil. Upon contact, I began fiercely struggling, trying desperately to break free. The voices spoke angrily.

"We shall not let you go, little one."

"Escape is impossible."

"You will remain here."

"Immersed in darkness."

I continued thrashing. I had to escape. The darkness had lured me into its trap with false promises and I, like a fool, had believed it. Now that I was in its clutches, it had not intention of letting me go.

As I fought against my bindings, more inky black threads twined themselves around my body, tightly gripping me. I continued to struggle, until I felt a sharp pain in my skull, like a sudden electric shock. I cried out weakly in pain.

"Do not make us hurt you."

"Just give in."

"You cannot win."

"Become one with the darkness."

"No! Let go of me!"

Again, the pain shot through me, though this time with more intensity. I heard an audible growl of frustration and anger from the thing holding my arms and, suddenly, a new wave of pain crashed over my body. Small threads of darkness had risen out of the water and sliced into me like tiny blades.

Lacerations covering my body, I tried to scream, but felt my voice violently ripped from my throat. I could only open my mouth in a silent cry of agony as blood, hot and red, trickled down my skin.

"It will do you no good to oppose me, little one." The voice, commanding, frightening, and disturbingly familiar, came from the thing of darkness gripping my arms. I tried to break its vice-like hold, desperately.

"Struggle is useless. I will kill all trace of what is, and replace it with what lurks."

It was cold, so cold. It hurt, everything hurt so much.

"You will be alone, trapped, caged, and useless. You cannot resist me forever."

The tendril encircling my neck tightened, cutting off all the air to my lungs. Couldn't breathe... couldn't breathe... so dark... cold... hurt so much... stop... make it all stop... couldn't breathe... pain... cold... dark.

"You will be covered in darkness."