Thread: Portal - Innocence Lost (Black_Out and Loveme)

Hovering some ten feet above the mangled pile of corpses that Rose had plummeted into was a flat plane of swirling dark red energies that emitted a low droning hum that mixed with the buzzing of insects swarming about the massive pile of rot and the shallow moans of despair from the various people working their way outward from the center of the mound of bodies. Fresher corpses recently deposited lay a top of older bodies that buried bloated corpses which all rested upon a foundation of humanoid bones. Circling in the skies were buzzards, crows, vultures and other winged scavengers intent to pick every last corpse clean if their bellies could handle the immensity of the feast. Massive rats, easily the size of a dog could be seen plucking away at the spoiled rotten meat of maggot filled corpses, completely unconcerned with the living bodies. The stench was revolting beyond belief, it was all a scene out of some gruesome nightmare, and Rose wasn't the only one currently suffering through it. Further down the sloped pile of decaying bodies was the young man with the dirty blonde hair that had preceded her into the portal. He was crawling upon his hands and knees and lost in the throes of shock as he stumbled and felt his arm sink into the soft flesh of death beneath him. His face was battered, one eye swollen shut and the flesh around it the color of blackened purples. At least his shackles had been removed as he sobbed and wretched up bile from his gut before trying to yank his arm free and move once more. Beyond him Rose could see other signs of life, a scattering of men and women of various ages, all clad in white tattered rags working with varying degrees of success and failure to leave the rot behind. Off to the west the burning orange glow of the sun could be seen setting upon the horizon, while just moments ago it was brilliant morning yellow back in her home town. Off in the direction of the falling suns glow a gently rising and humble hill could be seen that was full of plush green grasses. Rising like a tower from upon the top of the hill was a bending large white pine tree that seemed out of place in this field of massacres. The canopy of its pine clad branches offered shade and comfort to at least a dozen or more bodies that were cloistered beneath it. A small spring that fed down the hill from the base of the tree and sparkled orange in the setting suns light had more survivors gathered at it's meager banks, cupped hands taking deep drinks of the cool refreshing waters it offered up. It seemed strangely peaceful over there, while chaos and death swirled around the vicinity of the portals red swirling egress. As Rose was just beginning to pick her way through the tangled mass of corpses, carefully stepping to avoid any squishy unpleasantness another body fell from the portal and landed with an awkward thud. It was an older man in his early forties that Rose barely recognized at first, a jeweler by the name of Joseph. She could recall him visiting the bar she worked at, always pleasant, and leaving a good tip for her. His long pony tail had been cut off at the base and his face looked like it had been mashed inward. His visage was smeared with crimson and as he tried to gather his wits and senses all he could do was gurgle out blood from a tongueless and toothless mouth. As he fell onto his back and spat out more blood his fingers could be seen, bent and twisted into painfully misshapen directions as he laid there, seemingly unable to find any strength to move beyond the few crawling feet he had managed. Off in the distance, in the fading light of the sun the surrounding terrain loomed in the coming shadows. Well beyond the mostly flat and rocky fields that were spread about the portals immediate surrounds upon the horizon to the west and south were thick copses of trees and hills. To the north there were far fewer trees and rows of rolling hills and fields that seemed to show no sign of ending. While to the east the terrain seemed to slowly and steadily rise towards a range of distant larger hills that were full of thick woods. There were no signs of any civilization to be seen anywhere around them, only the wilds of some unknown land surrounding them on all sides. Last edited Aug 20, 2018