Thread: Awaking in Rapture

The recollection of a dream, to the letter I woke up face down on cold, wet metal, soaked to the bone and feeling stiff and delirious. How long had I been laying in a heap on that flooded floor? I slowly dragged myself up, grabbing something to pull my waterlogged, weak body up, and slipped, crashing down hard. I could feel spray on my face, hear the hissing of a busted water pipe. Finally, I managed to pull myself to my feet, blurry eyes adjusting slowly. The 1950's design, and the glass walls that showed endless expanses of ocean floor seemed somehow familiar, like I had been here once, but could not recall that event, as if from a dream. My strength was slowly returning, and I cautiously explored the honeycomb of metal and water. It was deserted, almost nothing left untouched by some long past destruction, like hordes of people had rioted and suddenly vanished to leave these halls and caverns to the ghosts. Th rippling light of the water would play over the walls, busted lights flickering. I was completely alone, it seemed. I recognized this place more and more as I went, but still could not recall where I was. And then I heard the slow, rythmic clunking of collosal boots of metal, and I saw the creature for the first time. It was shaped like a man, but easily twice the size, filthy, wet mesh and slick rubber encasing its entire body, wraped with iron bands and bracers, like a goliath that had died exploring the sea bed and never left its scuba suit. The small glass hole that would allow it to see was either fogged or simply too filthy, as if it had trudged along in this suit for years without the slightest thought towards its condition, like it was a coffin for a man that was buried at sea. And yet this yellow light could be seen through the grime. The metal walls reverberated with its deep, gutteral groan, massive boot crushing a chair to splinters as it stepped on it. It didn't even seem to notice, lethargically pushing a stack of metal pipes out of its path, the loud clanging of the bundle almost defining in these echoing confides. I froze, and as if it sensed me, that yellow light slowly turned on me, the neckless, sack like head regarding me a moment, still, silent. Was there even a face behind that dirty glass, or a body under that stinking, rotten mesh? Its rusted bracers scraped as it lifted one heavy looking arm, torso sized hand splaying its fingers, one long, deep, almost growl like noise droning from inside its suit as red lines streaked across its hand, liquid fire dripping and lashing across the dark, old mesh. The streak of light was too fast, white hot cones of enflamed air slashed across my vision, searing my skin as it sailed past me, blinding me. The detonation behind me had me sprawling forward, face hitting the ground hard, dull and throbbing. I could barely comprehend what had happened, but I let my fear drive me, scrabbling away behind some piece of scenery, away from the hulking thing. No sooner had I huddled behind it had I felt the heavy footfalls not a few feet away, the pile of debris dashed away like it was nothing, revealing me. Yelping, I stumbled to my feet in a scrabbling dash and managed only to trip and fall just as that heavy, sodden boot came down hard on my hiding place. Not looking back, I stumbled behind a sturdy section of wall just as another blast of heat crashed thunderously into the metal, scattering debris and lashing fire through the air, shaking my body and causing me to yelp in mingled pain and fear. The impact had sent several jets of water hissing in every which way. It went quiet, and then I heard its heavy foot falls, slowly coming for my bent and gushing hiding place. I hld my breath as if it were too loud, heart hammering, and very carefully inched my way along the metal wall, until I could catch a glimps of its shoulder. I side stepped and, without thinking, threw my hand out, a tongue of flame curling out like a whiplash, striking across its back. It groaned, a sound of mingled fury and surprise that had me literally stumbling back a step, and it turned with surprising speed, the back of its foul smelling fist slamming into me, lifting me off my feet and sending me tumbling. The fire still clung to its back, ignored, like a lions mane. As it slowly came at me again, I pulled myself to my feet, breathing hard and fast, rattling in my fear stricken body, and then sprad my feet in a wider stance and brought my hands out, as if I were holding a small ball to my chest. The rush I felt almost put me on my back, staggering to save my balance, feet spreading wider, like I was trying to hold myself up in an earth tremor. When this power shook me, the creature faltered mid step, the air around it distorting. As I concentrated and wrestled with this power inside me, the air was sucked into a spiral, whirling around the stumbling creature, and eventually, with a great heave, pulled it off balance and flung the heavy bulk against a glass pane, crashing to the floor like some twisted wreckage. The surge left me and I moaned with the sudden weariness of the effort, feeling as though I had just thrown it with my bare hands, falling down to one knee. My shuddering breathes were drowned by the screech of glass as cracks spiderwebbed along its hard, smooth surface, the deafining roar of a torrent of water spearing through the hairline cracks. And then, the last thing I remmbered before I died, was the force if the ocean swallowing me.