Useless

[Apotolofo 1413]

 

Spoiler

 

 

It was morning when she knew.

 

The sun felt warm on her skin. . . but her world was darker than ever. Nico knew this was coming- but she hadn’t realized it would be so soon.

 

She could hear the birds tweeting good morning to the sun. She could smell the morning bread baking in the oven. She could feel the threadbare cotton sheets that threatened to fray beneath her curled fingers. She could taste the salty tears that trickled down from unseeing eyes.

 

But she could not see. She could not see the sunflowers. She could not see her dear cousin Dona’s face when she spoke of a certain someone. She could not see the constant look of annoyance Nata always had for Nico. She could not see the music of which she longed to play upon those black and white keys. She could not see the beauty at all.

 

She could not read the books which she adored. She could not use her rapier the way she did before. She could not walk along an unfamiliar path, or play sheet music fresh from the print. She could not see the color red. She could not watch for coming carts. She could not watch her baby brothers playing catch.

 

She was blind. 

 

Nicolette lay in her bed, pillow soaked in a mix of sweat and tears. Hours must have passed. . . Had she slept? It was hard to tell. But she knew it was dark, for cold air passed through her open window. Shivering under the useless blankets that did nothing to warm her, and yet she was so hot.

 

Useless eyes staring up at the roof. 

 

 

She grit her teeth, pushing up from where she lay. Sitting up, her hands tangled with mousy brown hair. Swiveling to hang her feet off the side of her bed, she rubbed at her face. Going to stand- only for her leg to give out from beneath her. A yelp of pain and surprise- a hiss as gloved hands rubbed at her leg. Useless gloves that always failed to keep her healthy. 

 

Useless body, that always got sick. 

 

Useless leg, growing stiffer each day.

 

Useless eyes, nothing but ornamental now. 

 

Useless hope that her vision would return. 

 

Useless, useless, useless!

 

Useless girl. 

 

She stiffened. Useless. Weak. Lesser. Hands rose to clamp over her ears. Outcast. Broken. Helpless. Imperfect. Mistake. But the words never stopped. 

 

For how can you silence your own voice?

 

Useless. Weak. Lesser. Outcast. Broken. Helpless. Imperfect. Mistake. Useless.

 

Useless.

 

You’ll never be good enough. Always second. Always forgotten. Sick little girl, with a cane and a cough.

 

 

“To relinquish yourself to darkness, Nico, is to become frail, to become without hope…”

 

His words filled her head again, and this time, she truly listened. 

 

“The only question remains for you, are you willing to tread those dark waters?”

 

She rose from the ground, limping towards her desk before the lantern.

 

“The selfish often offer their gifts, for a price… Should you be willing, perhaps your prayers shall be answered.”

 

Nico had never been one for religion. Something she rejected as ridiculous. But for the first time, she found herself praying, head bowed over clasped hands.

 

Please… This can’t be all I am. Someone. Something. Help me.

 

Help me.

 

I’ll do anything. 

 

 

Ȧ̶̵̗̳n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘y̯̤͑́́̓́t̴͕͖͓̀h̶̯̰̝̻̿̓͢i̵͓͙̱͚̎͟n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠?

 

A heaving gasp as the woman lurched from where she lay- when had she returned to her bed? She could hear the crickets outside her window, the leaves rustling in the moonlit wind… And she could hear… Piano.
 

Spoiler

 

 

She reached out for her cane, hand flailing about aimlessly before landing on its handle. Pulling herself up from her bed, Nico stumbled forth across her room. Lifting a hand, pawing through the air before she found the door handle. She opened it, taking a step. And another step. And another. Until she reached the stairs. She laid her free hand upon the wall, beginning her descent…

 

“AH!” A shriek left her mouth as two hands pushed her down the stairwell. She raised her hands, bracing for the wooden floor below-

 

SPLASH

 

Suddenly, her head was under water. Her ears filled with it, and as her face broke the surface she took gasping breaths- only to be pulled back under, salt stinging her eyes and throat.

 

I can’t- I can’t swim! She thought frantically, clawing at the waters to no avail. My leg- I can’t swim! I can’t swim! 

Further into the waters did she sink, though desperately she fought. Kicking, clawing- but the waves turned her upside down, then upright- or had she been upright then turned upside down? Or had she been upside down and now she was right side up? Or-

 

“To relinquish yourself to darkness, Nico, is to become frail, to become without hope…”

 

Ah. I understand. Her body grew limp. She let herself sink to the sound of the piano.

 

“The only question remains for you, are you willing to tread those dark waters?”

 

Yes.

 

 

Her fingers curled within the wet sand. She could smell the salty air, and she could hear the waves gently colliding with the shore. And still, the piano played. A broken, sad, off key tune. Beautiful, but haunting.

 

O̵̷̪̰ͩ͆ͅp̶̸̨̺͊̍̒̓̀ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘ y̯̤͑́́̓́ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚û̶͙̽̿͆̈r̶̷̲͍̭͐̾̀͟ ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊y̯̤͑́́̓́ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊s̩͙͖̋͛͟

 

There it was again. That voice.

 

C̸̣̭͖̤̒̈͊͟ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚m̶̷͔ͪ̽͡ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ c̷̹͖͋́̃ḻ̸͈ͧ͑̓̓̀͡ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊r̶̷̲͍̭͐̾̀͟

 

Nicolette stood, limping though she did, she made her way towards the voice- towards the music. “Who are you? Where- where am I?”

 

O̵̷̪̰ͩ͆ͅp̶̸̨̺͊̍̒̓̀ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘ y̯̤͑́́̓́ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚û̶͙̽̿͆̈r̶̷̲͍̭͐̾̀͟ ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊y̯̤͑́́̓́ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊s̩͙͖̋͛͟

 

“But they are open, I don’t understand-”

 

And then- she did. She felt a cloth in her hands. She raised her arms, and tied it round her head.

 

G̛͔͇̞̹̈̀͘͘͟ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚d̸̡̩͍̔ͥ͜. N̰̜͉͔ͬ̽͢ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚ẅ̷̷̢̟͇͈̒, ẅ̷̷̢̟͇͈̒ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞k̶̸͙̭̹͆͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊

 

And so, she woke. And she saw.

Spoiler

 

 

[Cloakedsphere 1462]

A figure of divine essence and nature... (or so he thought) awoke from a sweat filled slumber. Nightmares, terrors, dreams all tailored by the hands of a malevolent being. A flash of a figure amongst a storm raced through his mind before awakening.

 

Another has been found.

[Damnit_Delmar 1029]

So did that Harrenite lounge upon the top of that tower, his golden hue placed upon that dark and brine filled jar. His mind pondering upon whether or not his friend would suffer or find salvation.

[Cheese 2282]

Upon finding this out for herself, a supportive Ilaria Amador wrapped her daughter tightly in a hug, and placed a motherly kiss upon her head. "It will be alright, mea dear..." She cooed in an attempt to sooth the younger woman. "Ea will help vy, ag Ea will love vy nie matter what."

[Apotolofo 1413]

19 hours ago, Apotolofo said:

 

 

idfk why this singular thing is there i got rid of it T-T

 

nm