Damn That Bottle...

[MiaKane]

((SOLO))

The ice elf’s stomach wretched and knotted; the pain was nearly as unbearable as the taste of vomit in her mouth. Her head hurt beyond any blow she had ever taken in any fight. The vomiting stopped for a moment, allowing her to slowly move to the bathroom sink where she looked through her bangs at herself, seeing that the tips were covered with last nights binge.

Damn it Mia….

Her fist slammed weakly next to the mirror. Almost everything in her life had gone wrong by this point. She had lost Tera, she had lost Reveric, but now, worst of all she had lost her drive.

Her will to live…

It was late in the morning, her head still hammering when her stomach could bring up nothing more. She weakly slid into the bath she had started; the water was only Luke-warm from her carelessness in warming it. Her orange hair flowed out across the surface as she stared at a candles reflection on the surface. Her tears slowly mixed with the water until it grew cold.

She finally moved when the flame flickered out and the room grew dark. She hadn’t opened the curtains in close to three days, not that the inn keeper cared, Mia had paid through the week.

She rose from the bath and slowly made her way over to the bed, not even toweling off as she fell back onto her back upon the unmade sheets. Her hands felt around for a bottle of rum that she remembered waking up holding. Finding it, the ice elf brought it to her lips and tilted it back, letting the single drop touch her lips.

A moan escaped her as she held it up in the low light, finding it empty. With a careless drop she let it fall to the floor where it joining a number of other empty bottles. With a grunt she rolled off the bed and began to make her way towards a pile of her clothes that were left next to the tub.

Damn it all…

The thought was cut just short as her foot fell on an empty bottle she hadn’t seen.

The green bottle skittered across the floor as her feet left the floor. She saw the ceiling fly by as if in slow motion before she felt something touch a corner of her head.

Blackness followed as she landed, a small stream of blood creeping across the floor.

[MiaKane]

“I can’t believe it took this kind of thing happening for you to wake up….”

The voice was calm, almost amused as it pierced the darkness.

“Wha?” she replied in a half daze.

“My dear Mia…the things we have to put up with from you…” the voice cooed from the darkness again.

“Who are you?”

“I…”

“Hey, you’re not the only one here!” another voice chimed in with an agitated tone.

“Ahem, we are your spirit guides…”

The second voice began a strange “wOoooOOOOoOooo” sound.

A soft, but solid sound of a firm punch to the head resounded before the first voice muttered something.

“Well this is boring, lets just get on with it…” a third, deeper voice called as the darkness gave way to a feeling of falling. Mia landed with a solid thud, eliciting a moan of pain from her.

The ice elf stood, brushing her self off before rubbing her now sore butt.

“Where the bloody hell am….” She stopped mid sentence as she realized that she was in a green meadow with patches of flowers and a couple old crumbling walls that crested long rolling hills that gave way to a blue ocean and clear sky.

She let out a soft “wow” as she stared at it all, it was unlike anywhere she had ever been, yet strangely familiar at the same time.

“We’ve been waiting for you…” the first voice spoke behind her, making her whip around quickly.

Before the ice elf sat a huge white tiger; fur white like fresh snow and its stripes blacker than night.

Mia could only stand in awe as she stared at the furred voice.

“I told you she would have issues…” said the second voice, as a lone red fox walked up and climbed on top of the tigers head, reaching out a paw to her.

“Hi, my name is Kenji.” It spoke.

She blinked a few times and shook her head “this has got to be a dream…” she moaned.

“Well technically yes…but as you know…dreams are more than “just” dreams….” The third voice spoke from off to her left. She opened her eyes to see a long Asian dragon float up and sit in a half coil. Its scales were like the stars in the night sky, its eyes like black holes.

“But…I…erf!” she said as she just let herself fall on her butt.

“Oh calm down Mia…this is a lot better than the mess you’ve gotten yourself into…” the tiger said as it stood and moved forward, Kenji struggling to stay on its head but eventually falling off.

Mia nodded, the tiger was right. Here she felt calm, almost at peace.

[MiaKane]

A warm breeze grew across the field, making waves in the short grass and flowers. Mia closed her eyes for a moment and just let herself feel it across her skin.

“Well…I suppose that we should formally introduce ourselves…” the white tiger spoke softly, “I am the avatar of your center totem, but you can call me Serenity.”

“Hi I’m Kenji” the fox said as it bounced up and down before hoping onto Mia’s leg and hugging.

“He is the guide from your southern totem, otherwise known as your childhood.” The dragon said as it moved around to the Ice elf’s side “Halifax…I represent your northern totem…your dreams.”

Nodded “uh-huh…” Mia said, still somewhat disbelieving.

Serenity sighed softly as she lowered her head. “Mia…you of all people should know better.” she looked up, locking eyes with the ice elf “I mean come on…”

Mia sighed in defeat, her own mind rationalizing it as being wholly possible and there for likely true.

“So what am I supposed to do?” she asked softly, feeling the weight of fear press on her.

“You have to change….” Serenity replied.

“How? Change ones self isn’t easy you know…”

“You have to face what is causing all this trouble. You’ve let your hatred and sorrow drive you to extremes. I mean come on, what is with this crap about cutting yourself? Drinking yourself stupid so you don’t have to think? Every little bump in the road you turn into a mountain…”


Tears welled up in Mia’s eyes “I know…I just….”

“You just what? Run from it all? You can’t run from things like this.” Serenity spat with a hint of anger.

“I…” the tears erupted from her.

“Perhaps she is not truly ready for this…” Halifax whispered to Serenity

“No…It is time. But alas all we can do, is show her the way, she has to do the walking on her own.” The feline replied.

“Mia…” Kenji cooed, “It’s time for you to face your wall.”

She looked down into the innocent eyes of her childhood and nodded through the tears.

[MiaKane]

They walked for what seemed like an eternity, Kenji riding on her shoulders and head as they made their way across the endless hills of green. The ever present soft breeze and prism of scents made the ice elf feel at least gently at ease. It was the forest that they finally arrived at that gave her worry, Its dark, cavernous entrance so overwhelming with negativity that even she had to shiver.

The pure weight of the evil seemed to create an even greater wall than she could have imagined. Let alone that such a thing thrived somewhere deep inside her mind. Was this the test? To see if she could cross into such a frightening place? As if reading her mind, which for all known, he was, Serenity broke their traveling silence.

“This is just the entrance,” Her words were soft but firm.” The true danger resides deep within this forest of your nightmares.”

“You've got to be kidding me!” Mia responded as she slumped, a bead of metaphorical sweat brimming down her temple.

“Quite afraid that we are not,” Halifax whispered in her ear.

The ice elf's heart sank, she could feel the chill of the darkness, colder than any night in Salvar. But even then, somewhere there was the courage to move forward. Whether it was truly courage to face her problems, or if it was some deeper sense of curiosity, not even she would know.

Kenji hopped off her with a whimper as her toes curled inside her boots. Another tremor of fear ran through her as she took another step, the darkness seeming to claw out towards her. As her breathing slowed she took another step, the shiver becoming worse, but yet, somewhere deep inside, it was a shiver like the high of some great drug that she had never heard of.

Each step became like an unloving orgasm, that feeling of one's whole body dieing, convulsing and tensing brining her a completely new sensation. There would be no turning back, as she had glanced back after only a few steps to see, but only darkness was there.

“We'll be waitin for ya on the other side!” She heard Kenji call in his cheery voice which brought strength to her legs to take ever more steps.