Re: The Wretched Rite - Round One - The Rose Ring
07-27-2011, 02:23 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Jacquerel.
The very second that Alluvion crossed the threshold he was overcome by a tangible wave of despair. The surrounding walls of the Sanitorium oozed with the desperation of its former inhabitants, the sound of maddened laughter and gibbering rushed through his head and then abruptly faded away. Whoever had lived here before had evidently not been very happy, if this place had its own guardian spirit it was one he did not particularly want to meet.
After he forced his eyes back open it took a few moments to regain his bearings, and several more to convince himself not to leave immediately. The echoes had not been pleasant but they were faint and he was reasonably sure the cave was not dangerous in any way, at least not to him and not any more. Besides, there was nothing interesting outside and he had seen movement in here, he eagerly wanted to meet something else alive so he could try "talking" to it, and there had been no signs out there. His mind made up, he turned to finally examine his surroundings in more detail.
This was about the point where he began to realise that these weren't some kind of natural formation. He wasn't completely unaware of artificial structures, having had to deal with beavers damming upstream of his home in the past, but he'd never imagined they could exist in this scale (or made of anything other than sticks, for that matter). Despite his lack or prior knowledge on houses he couldn't think of any other way the series of corridors ahead of him could have formed. He was no stranger to the concept of erosion and it seemed highly improbable that a river would cut such regular and straight lines by itself (and it wouldn't explain the other buildings, in any case). It was all very impressive.
As buildings go the Bethleham Sanatorium did not feature the world's most beautiful architecture, mostly consisting of long straight corridors leading to cramped cube-shaped cells, but it was still a big step up from a single-room mud-and-sticks beaver's lodge.
In his moment of distraction, he'd lost track of where he'd been heading, and in the maze of corridors that made up the sanatorium wasn't exactly sure where he needed to be going anyway. Fortunately, standing very still, he could hear the echoing sound of footsteps moving through the abandoned halls off in the distance. Eager to make contact with another living being for the first time since being sent here, he decided to just try calling out for attention. His head split almost in two as he opened his mouth, a space large enough to easily accomodate a man's head and lined with tiny sharp teeth styled after an eel's. It wasn't that he would try to swallow a man's head, or would be capable if he tried as water is not well known for its sharpness, but it looked pretty intimidating and he was completely unaware of the fact.
"Hello?! I know you are in here!
Come out please!"
The sound carried well through the empty space, echoing off the stone walls and repeating itself until the whispers faded into the dead air. After those encouraging words, surely his new friend would come right out from its hiding place and say hello?
The very second that Alluvion crossed the threshold he was overcome by a tangible wave of despair. The surrounding walls of the Sanitorium oozed with the desperation of its former inhabitants, the sound of maddened laughter and gibbering rushed through his head and then abruptly faded away. Whoever had lived here before had evidently not been very happy, if this place had its own guardian spirit it was one he did not particularly want to meet.
After he forced his eyes back open it took a few moments to regain his bearings, and several more to convince himself not to leave immediately. The echoes had not been pleasant but they were faint and he was reasonably sure the cave was not dangerous in any way, at least not to him and not any more. Besides, there was nothing interesting outside and he had seen movement in here, he eagerly wanted to meet something else alive so he could try "talking" to it, and there had been no signs out there. His mind made up, he turned to finally examine his surroundings in more detail.
This was about the point where he began to realise that these weren't some kind of natural formation. He wasn't completely unaware of artificial structures, having had to deal with beavers damming upstream of his home in the past, but he'd never imagined they could exist in this scale (or made of anything other than sticks, for that matter). Despite his lack or prior knowledge on houses he couldn't think of any other way the series of corridors ahead of him could have formed. He was no stranger to the concept of erosion and it seemed highly improbable that a river would cut such regular and straight lines by itself (and it wouldn't explain the other buildings, in any case). It was all very impressive.
As buildings go the Bethleham Sanatorium did not feature the world's most beautiful architecture, mostly consisting of long straight corridors leading to cramped cube-shaped cells, but it was still a big step up from a single-room mud-and-sticks beaver's lodge.
In his moment of distraction, he'd lost track of where he'd been heading, and in the maze of corridors that made up the sanatorium wasn't exactly sure where he needed to be going anyway. Fortunately, standing very still, he could hear the echoing sound of footsteps moving through the abandoned halls off in the distance. Eager to make contact with another living being for the first time since being sent here, he decided to just try calling out for attention. His head split almost in two as he opened his mouth, a space large enough to easily accomodate a man's head and lined with tiny sharp teeth styled after an eel's. It wasn't that he would try to swallow a man's head, or would be capable if he tried as water is not well known for its sharpness, but it looked pretty intimidating and he was completely unaware of the fact.
"Hello?! I know you are in here!
Come out please!"
The sound carried well through the empty space, echoing off the stone walls and repeating itself until the whispers faded into the dead air. After those encouraging words, surely his new friend would come right out from its hiding place and say hello?