Andgiet Scinn: Oneirophobia

XVIII

Aella found herself standing in the middle of nowhere and somewhere. Feeling the cold breeze gently touching her skin, enough to let her know that she was alone but not enough to give her chills. A curtain of black that surrounds her, the blindening darkness that is supposed to make her feel fear yet it gives off a familiar radiance that doesn't allow fear to register in. Feet standing still to feel the ground, waiting for vibrations to let her know I am not alone in this sea of darkness. Her ear  hearing a soft knell of a bell that continously buzzes, hearing my breath that is continously shallow and hearing her heart beat that has a dangerously and painfully slow pace. Smelling something and nothing at the same time. Brain buzzing and trying to keep track of the time, trying to count the number of minutes she has been stuck in this dark abyss only to lose track and start over. Standing still feeling the numbness in her legs, wishing to move, yearning for the sound of the chirps of birds, slashes of water, and rattle of the grass, remembering the smell of the morning air with dew on the leaves, and the smell of honey, vanilla and, citrus, wanting to leave this dark empty hole, wondering where the exit is and hoping to get a little glimpse of light. Darkness starts to get darker and colder, letting fear creep under her skin.

She found a small light at the end, squinting her eyes as she made her way towards it. She found herself standing in front of a mirror, she wore her brown shirt and pants. She could feel the fabric through her skin but the one in the mirror was wearing a long gown with ornaments in her hair and jewelry adorning her neck and wrist. She reached extended her hand towards the mirror as the reflection did the same, but the moment her hand touched it the mirror broke. The reflection in the mirror looking at her with sad eyes, as it teared up.

"You destroyed me..." Was all it said as tears of blood dripped from the reflection's eyes. The background in the reflection showing chaos, Aella could feel her back burning as though she was against a hot oven. 

The reflection's eyes turned from sadness to anger, glaring at her as she continued to stare at the reflection. It pounded on the mirror that separated the two of them making her flinch.

"YOU DESTROYED ME!" It screamed from within the mirror. Its fingers turning into claws, as its nails embedded on the other side of the mirror. Her reflection's face slowly morphing into something horribly terrifying as it reached out to her. 

Grasping her neck, she could feel it's nails digging into the delicate skin of her throat. Her eyes shooting wide open as it pulled her closer to the mirror, her reflection touching the other side of the glassed image dangerously close that it made an illusion of the entire face being covered with shadows. She tried breaking free from its grip as it continued to pull her closer. She could see it's unhinged smile creeping up its face nearly ripping the skin on its face, she let out a deafening scream when it edge closer until it was out of the mirror staring directly at her.

She felt her eyes shot open when she felt ice cold water hit her face. Coughing out and wheezing as she took greedy amounts of air which ended up choking her more. Trying hard as catch her breath, the water entering her nose in a cold fiery heap. Her lungs burned with the sheer cold as she inhaled some of the water. Cough painful as it came in fits that rendered her ability to breath making her eyes teary as the fought for breath. Her vision, becoming clear finding herself in a cellar. The walls all grey with a few blood stains on the floor and the walls, on the far corners of the floor were scattered bones being fed on by a bunch of rats,  cobwebs decorated the high dark and cracked ceiling. The cell only illuminated by a few torches on the outside making it hard to see within the cell itself. She tried to move only to find her arms and legs bounded to the wall by chains. She was bound to a contraption that kept her upright and immobile. 

She saw a man holding a pail, he just looked at her after he was sure she was awake and  then left the cellar. She was left their bound, immobile and freezing. Assessing her surroundings she was unable to tell what time was it as the cell only had a torches as light.