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[Terrifying Tale] Maiden in the Mist

Discussion in 'Literature Library' started by flareon71, Oct 5, 2018.

  1. flareon71

    Legegg
    (Mew Egg)
    Level 20
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    Maiden in the Mist



    I’ve heard many a rumour about Kanto’s Lavender Town. The people there seemed to be quite the superstitious bunch, but perhaps it could just be the presence of a cemetery tower that was getting to them. Even as I stood by the town when I moved in for the first time, there was this uneasy atmosphere about the place. Talk about ghosts aside, the place seemed… somber.


    Whatever the case, I didn’t have time to converse with any of the locals. I had a job to do. Or rather, a job to get to doing. It was already night time, right on time for me to begin my first night as a guard for Pokémon Tower.


    On my way here, it was highly recommended that I pick up a “Silph Scope” for anything related to the Pokémon Tower that is more than just a cemetery visit. Whatever that object was, I was certain I didn’t have the cash for it. I took this guard job because I was in desperate need of the dough, and apparently there was good pay. Getting to stop grave robbers from getting the goods must earn well.


    As soon as I finished setting my stuff aside, it was time to get to work. Even if I didn’t finish setting up my clock (I just halfheartedly bothered with the hands without a second care because I was in a hurry) I just had a hunch that I was late already. Guess the uneasy air of the town was already starting to get to me as well. I don’t need to bring much for my first day. It’s just a patrol job, after all. Guard uniform? Check. Flashlight? Check. Pokémon?


    My Absol looked up at me as I made my way to the door, eyes beadier than usual. Of course, his less-than-fierce appearance didn’t surprise me too much considering he was still younger and smaller than the typical Absol found in the wild. It was just that I didn’t think he was old enough to come with me to a place like this just yet.


    Even as I made my way out, he still pawed at my shoes, nipping at my pants, and tried poking me with his horn, surprisingly insistent on giving me that puppy-eyed look. The more I looked back at him, the more I realized how different this look is. As if he’s more worried for me as I am for him. I’m sure he’ll be fine. No matter how many times I reassure him, why doesn’t he think the same?


    Bah, it’s just the blasted atmosphere of this town again. Now it’s getting to my Pokémon. “Don’t worry, Bandit. It’ll just be one night.” As I waved him goodbye and stepped outside, I suddenly recalled something about his behavior once I locked the door. Something about the way he kept staring at me, pressing his side against the drawers, made me think. In my hurry to unpack my stuff, I put everything I brought into those drawers, including Bandit’s stuff. I left him with all the food and water to keep him sustained for the time being. He’s not the type to hate being lonely either, so what’s the big deal?


    I didn’t have time to wonder about this. What look the sky must’ve given me just urged me that I had to get a move on. As my rushed footsteps filled the dead silence of the night, I got to get a better view of what I could see of the tower. I just thought it’d be like those department stores but bigger. Guess this place really did have that tower look to it. My poor feet. Floors upon floors climbing up grave-filled rooms. And descending them, too.


    Before I know it, I found the boss man by the entrance of the tower. He gave me a rundown on how this place was a tower of graves for Pokémon of sorts and how various wild Ghost-types can be found lurking within. All I had to do was do one round of patrol. Head to the top of the tower, and then back down. Guess that meant future shifts would mean more rounds. Whatever, I can get used to this. Anything to get me the money to get Bandit more food.


    After a bit more explaining about being careful, I was dismissed and allowed to step inside. One round of patrolling up and down, no big deal. The first room was quite more than I expected, however. Not only did graves line the edges of the square room, but the uneasy air present in the town is present here tenfold. Even with the little lanterns on the walls barely giving me the stony outline of the room, everything around me was still dark. It was time to break out the flashlight.


    Using my light source allowed me to take a somewhat clearer look at the still grim-looking looking area. The even deader silence than before didn’t help, either. The way my footsteps echoed as I took one slow step after another continued to help the realization of my isolation settle in. And in such a large area at that. Atmosphere aside, I didn’t let it deter me from walking around some more and allowing my flashlight to scan each gravestone present. Nothing strange here. One floor down, probably a lot more to go.


    Locating the staircase, my footsteps continued echoing as I walked into grand-spaced room number two, only to have me be greeted by some even more strange atmosphere changes. A sudden change in temperature blew by me as soon as I left the staircase behind me, almost as if a sudden wind crept through me like a chilling breath down my neck. Not only that, but letting my flashlight scan the floor ahead of me revealed some murky mist of sorts blanketing the ground to the point where I can’t see my shoes. The tense atmosphere of my sole presence only grew thicker, leaving me wondering if I should shiver or breathe.


    Regardless of the sudden chill taking me by the bone, I resisted the urge to shudder. No slouching, especially on my first day. Press onward I did, but the unwelcome presence of an out-of-place gravestone caught me off guard. Turns out that these gravestones have been lined up as if to lead me down a specific path leading across the room. Weird design choice to make this cemetery navigate like a haunted house labyrinth.


    I chuckled at the thought, but the sudden appearance of a cloud of my own breath being followed by my echo left me with the realization of being alone once again. Alone and with a job to do. I’d question the boss about the thermostat and the smoke machine later.


    Patrolling the entirety of this room was as uneventful as the first room, if not more tedious thanks to the weird maze of graves. By the time I found the staircase to the next floor, I mused that I must’ve been here for almost an hour already. Almost an hour of walking around, staring at gravestones, and letting my echoed presence settle in. At this rate I needed to pick up the pace.


    Another increase in altitude scolded me with another harsh drop in temperature. The damp mist still engulfed my feet. Even as I attempted to steel myself, the chill of the thickening atmosphere got to me. I kept my gaze nailed ahead and tried to maintain the grip on my flashlight. With a now-shaky step, I stepped forward and was greeted by another pattern of oddly placed graves. The blasted maze schtick was still a thing. More careful patrolling for me.


    Sole against concrete. Sole against concrete. Sole against concrete. All on a solid rhythm. Step, step, step. The walking, the breathing, the teeth chattering, sounds that were all mine. I realized that in such a lonely darkness like this, no such thing as white noise exists here. Every little thing is a thing to be heard in full force by a nonexistent audience. Footsteps, inhale. Footsteps, exhale. Footsteps, inhale, flicker.


    Another noise got added to the surrounding echo. My hand fumbled with the malfunctioning flashlight, bulb repeatedly blinking as if desperate. A panicked breath escaped my mouth when the only light source in my reach finally died. The death of the trinket in my hand left me with a sudden lump in my throat, leaving me feeling what true loneliness is like. All alone in the dark, trapped in this maze of sorts, left to the mercy of the dimly-glowing lanterns by the walls. All I had as a guide as to what was up ahead were the faint areas and corners I could make out…


    Yet, even then, there was no way I’d try to climb up the rest of this place without a light source of sorts. Knew it was a bad idea to forget the batteries at home. I had a hunch buying a cheap flashlight before coming here wouldn’t bode well, but what could I do then? All I could do then was start to head back down and prepare my excuse to the boss…


    But then I heard another breath. An echo coming from mouth that wasn’t my own. I wasn’t alone. Do I call out? No, if the other person here were someone with some bad intentions, revealing myself as a fellow lost soul wouldn’t end well for me. Instead, I stood still and kept my eyes on what made the noise.


    “Hello?”


    Again, another sound from a mouth that wasn’t mine! Clear as the night sky that’s outside I’m sure it wasn’t mine, especially with how its echo has pretty much imprinted itself on my mind. Distinctly female, womanly at that, seemingly coming from somewhere ahead and to my right…


    There! A subtle movement near the room’s corner! I called out as I started to move. “Miss!” All the tension of being alone in this tower started to slip away as I hurriedly paced towards the figure’s direction. Good thing I just so happened to stride down a path without any bizarre detours being commanded by gravestones, otherwise I would’ve resorted to vaulting.


    As I made my way closer to her, the excitement of not being the only person here got me to take in what features I could make out right away. Even with a wall lantern being very close to where we were, the darkness still kept most of her features a cloudy shadow to my eye. At the very least, I managed to notice that she was around my height, fitting considering the womanly tone I heard earlier. I also managed to catch the faint semblance of what her eyes looked like; innocent, seeming almost alluring to me, but mostly scared. Scared just like how I was.


    I immediately took the initiative to explain my status as a guard patrolling the area to let her know I was a trustworthy individual. When I asked her what she was doing up here alone at this hour, she mentioned that she got lost trying to visit where her grandma was buried. Another hopeful realization sparked within me as she mentioned being lost. Surely escorting this unfortunate lady back outside would make up for me not being able to scour the entire altitude of this building. The very realization of an excuse to leave early almost made me forget that I should still be shivering despite the presence of another. Now that I brought it up… it felt like it got colder out of nowhere…


    Right as I asked her if she’d like some help leaving, it was then that the girl insistently responded that she would like to actually get to visit her grandma’s grave before leaving. A questionable decision in this dead of the night, but the voice inside of me didn’t want to get in the way of her wishes. Even… despite the mention that her grandmother was buried in an isolated spot at the top floor.


    As I hid my slight reluctance to assist, she gladly accepted my offer to accompany her so that she wouldn’t get lost on the way. Unfortunately, even with my new companion in tow, neither of us had a light source of any sort, so we were back to the darkness once our little exchange was over with. Still, even if it took a bit of trouble feeling the way forward, I managed to lead her all the way to where the next staircase was. Being at the foot at this familiar type of landmark led me back to the realization that there was still a very long climb to go. However, with the added head count, I still hoped that the very presence of a companion would make the climb bearable.


    Another floor, another drop in temperature, as if wrapping my bones in the chill and making any warmth provided by my clothing obsolete. I would’ve called on it happening if I didn’t think things could get any colder. With my hands left with no flashlight to grip, I was forced to wrap them around me, but even that didn’t feel like it warmed me up much. But then, if me, the security guard who was the bigger person in this scenario was feeling this affected, what about her?


    I turned to face her, and though I still couldn’t make out her features in the darkness (would it kill to have a window installed on any of these floors?), she didn’t seem phased at all by the cold. I asked her if this type of atmosphere was a regular thing at this place, to which she responded with a yes. Guess this chill really does take some getting used to.


    And thus it was back to the sounds of footsteps as we attempted to blindly navigate the floor. Silent darkness for the most part. With our lack of any reliable light source, I attempted to at least solve half of that problem with some small talk. I formally introduced my name to her and she introduced herself back.


    “Mist.”


    With the now-calm tone she assumed as she stated her name, I found my gaze shifting to the floor, where I noticed the low-hanging murkiness still present. Yet, while my feet seemed to stir the mist like an unwelcome disturbance, Mist seemed to walk in such a way that affected it differently. She moved with poise, the mist moving aside for her while my feet just seemed to shove the blasted damp fog away with each step.


    Other than being the name I’ve given to whatever this white smoke is on every floor, I suddenly realized why Mist’s name struck some memories. I was in Kanto after all. It’s not like I haven’t heard of Gym Leader Misty, Water type Pokémon trainer extraordinaire.


    Pokémon.


    The very word lingered in my head for a second, recalling how long it was until it was brought up. It hit me. The last time it was used was when the boss explained how Pokémon Tower’s a place to bury Pokémon. Pokémon.


    Continuing the need to get some conversation going on, I asked Mist why her grandma would be buried at a place for Pokémon. She simply responded by telling me that long ago this place was used as a burial site for humans before Pokémon. Because her grandma was one of the first people to get buried here, she got to be at the top of the tower. I’m no expert at how constructing burial sites as towers work, but I felt like questioning the logic of her burying position further. I didn’t, because pressing her at a time like this seemed inappropriate. My job as a security guard and as escort was to be courteous, I supposed.


    We didn’t happen to talk much after the mention of Pokémon Tower’s beginnings. The routine of going floor after floor became almost mechanical at that point. Every floor just got colder, but I still managed to soldier through regardless. Even if the air seemed to get thicker and thicker with the hefty chill, I just needed to look around me to remind myself that there was nothing there. Mist didn’t seem to let it bother her either. There were some points where I felt like she ended up leading me through some floors because of how much I hesitated with every temperature drop. It could just be my mind occupied with shuddering, but I felt like the floors where she helped me more than I helped her actually passed by faster. Whatever the case, thanks to Mist, my mind was put at ease knowing that we were making good progress getting to the top.


    “Here we are.”


    I braced myself for the cold, and I got it. At this point it was as if the cold kept its harsh gripped wrapped around me, threatening to suck me dry. I rubbed my hands together as Mist led me up the stairs. With her beckoning for me to press onward, I had to keep moving forward.


    For the first time in forever, a change of scenery was waiting for me as I took a quick look at the top floor. Even if the unbearable chill and the floor fog was still present, the room’s shape resembled that of a hallway. Thankfully, because of the more enclosed space, the wall lanterns weren’t as far apart from each other, finally letting me see some more.


    “This way.”


    Mist continued to gesture for me to follow, still keeping a fair distance from me as usual. I understand that. As I slowly shuffled towards her, I instantly recalled the details in my head. Grandma. Buried. Isolated spot on the top floor. That’s here.


    “It’s right here.”


    I’d respond, but I felt like trying to force out any of my breath in the form of a voice would just leave me gasping for air. I looked ahead to see Mist standing by a lone spot at the end of this hallway-like room, looking back at me with what I assumed was an expectant look. This has to be it. It has to be. I shuffled to her side.


    There was no gravestone. Nothing. Just an empty corner with nothing whatsoever. Was there… really someone buried here? This can’t be it! I’m still standing here! Mist’s still standing here! What gives?!


    “W-W-W-W-Wh-”


    I cut myself off as I face Mist to see her facing me as well. She was closer to me than ever before, allowing me the sight of her stare once more. Still innocent, still alluring… in a way that’s almost hypnotic…


    “Thank you.” As soon as the words escaped her lips, she grabbed me by the shoulders. The gesture seemed forceful, yet her touch felt light and gentle. It felt so gentle that I shuddered at how such a state was achievable. Remained shuddering I did.


    It was then that our lips met, only furthering my shudder from both the cold and the intimacy of our contact. Her hands still gripped my shoulders tight as our kiss furthered in intensity. Everything was hurting, but at the same time, I didn’t want Mist to stop pulling me closer to her… I didn’t want this moment to stop…


    The moment stopped. Mist let go and withdrew, leaving me a staggering fool. The whole world was spinning around me. I felt weak, but at the same time my shivering shudder didn’t leave. My breath was leaving me. I was fading.


    I crumpled to the floor, losing life that was once in my limbs. All I could do was try to keep my eyelids up and try to keep the darkness away, but even that worked for so long.


    The last thing I saw was Mist’s figure dissipating to form a purple haze of some sort. The haze grinned at me.







    Haunter, the Gas Pokémon.


    In total darkness, where nothing is visible, Haunter lurks, silently stalking its next victim. - Heartgold


    If you trip and fall for no apparent reason or hear a sound when no one is around, it may be a Haunter. - Stadium


    It likes to lurk in the dark and tap shoulders with a gaseous hand. Its touch causes endless shuddering. - Platinum


    Haunter is a dangerous Pokémon. If one beckons you while floating in darkness, you must never approach it. This Pokémon will try to lick you with its tongue and steal your life away.
    - ORAS
     
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    #1 Oct 5, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2018
    Gwoomy and Absolute Zero like this.
  2. HiddenLore

    Time Master
    (Dialga Egg)
    Level 36
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    Poor Bandit. I really liked the way that you helped stretch the action. Our stories were actually kind of similar, but your's is executed much more cleanly and effectively. Good Job.
     
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