Plaguing Faces

[Tea_Guzzler 303]

A thud, the sound of mud squelching beneath her knees upon her descent - breath tearing at her lungs. The thill’s gaze lifted upwards towards the canopy of tree, towards the figure. A terror instilled within her then, fabric scraping against stone as she stumbled back.  

 

A dreadful form craned above her, red locks like smoldering embers draping about its shoulders. Little else could be seen of who stood there. Watching, a raspy voice would escape this creature, the barest of whispers, yet audible over the storm.  

 

“Do you remember me, mali?”                   

 

It questions, a sickening hateful tone to that voice, form lurching forward as lightning struck nearby, and in that split second, their figure, once obscured, was revealed, as a rotting - putrid frail beast. Hollow crevices in place of eyes not even the cartilage remained of the woman’s nose. Bony digits reached forth, wrapping about her chin and digging into the flesh of her cheeks, perhaps to assure that her gaze would not drift.

 

“Look upon me, Aiyeis; tell me who I am.”

 

Spoke that creature in its vile tone. Breath so foul that the ‘thill could taste it on her tongue, mouth watering as bile rose, but through the tears and disgust she croaked,

 

“Meredith, my sister,”

 

And only moments after her chin was released. That hunched body of the once lively woman straightened. A smirk spread across the remnants of their decaying face, as though content on the anguish caused. Insects scuttling free of her mouth as her dry and cracking lips parted, at first only her yellowed teeth would be revealed – as her wretched voice spilled forth,

 

“You are nothing, a thief who survived in place of her lliran,”

 

And with that, the ‘thill sat up. The sound of rain was absent, it had only been a dream. Her back slick with sweat, short breaths leaving her in quick pants. All was quiet for that brief moment after she had awoken, then the ghastly whispers flooded in. Filling her ears with unintelligible noises. And alone she would be, if not for the figure that sat at the foot of her bed. A void in place of its face. Stringy crimson hair draped down its head. A discomforting sight to be sure. Reminding her of the voice that haunted her nights, that twisted her waking day, a hollow forsaken tone all that remained of the lari’onn she knew. 

 

Spoiler

@CaffeinatedCrow <---Aforementioned dead person @TheIchorDruid <--- Helped me write, is an angel. Mwah.