had felt and experienced had taken place in the span of only a few seconds. But in those seconds the creature in the darkness had closed in on its prey.
“Come with me.” Chuck pulled Lydia’s hand as he darted through the darkness, and she followed behind without question or hesitation.
He knew he could cloak himself from the creature better if he got his emotions under control; and right now the only thing that mattered was helping Lydia get to safety. Though he’d never had occasion to use it, each Whisk had his or her own mantra, specifically designed to curb the surges of strong emotion. Most of the time, these were used to counter carnal impulses, since these most primal of urges could manifest in a Crossfade so strongly that the silver cord was severed with the first, tentative touch. Due to this, the mantras were often referred to as
Cold Showers,
and Chuck now found himself employing his own in the hopes that it would work.
Chuck’s personal mantra was math.
Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle divided by diameter.
He didn’t actually have to solve the problems as they ran; he only had to ensure that a steady stream of equations ran through his mind, replacing emotion with irrefutable proofs.
A 2 + B 2 = C 2
…
The beast bore down upon them, its presence filling the room so completely that the air itself seemed to tug and pull at them. The stink of infection and disease flooded the bathroom, and the creature’s haggard breathing surrounded them on all sides. Within seconds, the thing would pounce, springing forward with a roar as its blades whirred toward its prey.
Velocity equals distance divided by time. The volume of a prism is length times width times depth…
Even though complete darkness masked the creature, it also worked to Chuck’s advantage. If there had been even the slightest glimmer of light, Lydia would have seen the walls. She would’ve associated them with something hard and immovable, solid barriers that trapped them within that potential abattoir. Her energies still pulsed in rhythm with Chuck’s own and the state of intimate familiarity allowed her to trust him completely and without question; but she still hadn’t freed herself from this world yet. The first steps had been taken, but until Lydia thoroughly rejected the lies her senses fed her, the woman would remain a model prisoner, dutifully obeying the rules and regulations of her incarceration. Chuck, on the other hand, didn’t have that problem.
Passing through the wall was no different than running through unobstructed space. It wasn’t really there, after all…at least, not for him. The creature pursuing the couple, however, was still bound by the world in which it lived. Its body slammed into the wall with a hollow thud, and an inhuman screech of rage receded in the darkness as Chuck scurried through non-space. To find them again, the thing would need to navigate halls and passages, which would take time. Hopefully, enough for Chuck to convince Lydia that sights, sounds, texture, tastes, and smells shackled her to this nightmare. That it was within her power to cast them off and move on.
When he’d first seen her sitting in that bathtub, something sparked within him. He looked upon her and knew he never wanted her to feel pain or suffering, to never shed a tear, or have her heart broken; he wanted her to embrace the warrior within, to recognize her own strength and beauty and to glow with the radiance of a thousand suns. He wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh, to stroke her hair as he gazed into eyes steeled by her own resolve.
The handbook had no warnings for this.
“Remember water lapping against the shores of Lake Cheyenne and the aroma of sizzling hot dogs amid the crackle and pop of the campfire; a sky brimming with stars and tent flaps rustling in a breeze that carried hints of rain.”
Bursting out of the darkness, the couple found themselves on the stairs of a tower. Chuck was
“Come with me.” Chuck pulled Lydia’s hand as he darted through the darkness, and she followed behind without question or hesitation.
He knew he could cloak himself from the creature better if he got his emotions under control; and right now the only thing that mattered was helping Lydia get to safety. Though he’d never had occasion to use it, each Whisk had his or her own mantra, specifically designed to curb the surges of strong emotion. Most of the time, these were used to counter carnal impulses, since these most primal of urges could manifest in a Crossfade so strongly that the silver cord was severed with the first, tentative touch. Due to this, the mantras were often referred to as
Cold Showers,
and Chuck now found himself employing his own in the hopes that it would work.
Chuck’s personal mantra was math.
Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle divided by diameter.
He didn’t actually have to solve the problems as they ran; he only had to ensure that a steady stream of equations ran through his mind, replacing emotion with irrefutable proofs.
A 2 + B 2 = C 2
…
The beast bore down upon them, its presence filling the room so completely that the air itself seemed to tug and pull at them. The stink of infection and disease flooded the bathroom, and the creature’s haggard breathing surrounded them on all sides. Within seconds, the thing would pounce, springing forward with a roar as its blades whirred toward its prey.
Velocity equals distance divided by time. The volume of a prism is length times width times depth…
Even though complete darkness masked the creature, it also worked to Chuck’s advantage. If there had been even the slightest glimmer of light, Lydia would have seen the walls. She would’ve associated them with something hard and immovable, solid barriers that trapped them within that potential abattoir. Her energies still pulsed in rhythm with Chuck’s own and the state of intimate familiarity allowed her to trust him completely and without question; but she still hadn’t freed herself from this world yet. The first steps had been taken, but until Lydia thoroughly rejected the lies her senses fed her, the woman would remain a model prisoner, dutifully obeying the rules and regulations of her incarceration. Chuck, on the other hand, didn’t have that problem.
Passing through the wall was no different than running through unobstructed space. It wasn’t really there, after all…at least, not for him. The creature pursuing the couple, however, was still bound by the world in which it lived. Its body slammed into the wall with a hollow thud, and an inhuman screech of rage receded in the darkness as Chuck scurried through non-space. To find them again, the thing would need to navigate halls and passages, which would take time. Hopefully, enough for Chuck to convince Lydia that sights, sounds, texture, tastes, and smells shackled her to this nightmare. That it was within her power to cast them off and move on.
When he’d first seen her sitting in that bathtub, something sparked within him. He looked upon her and knew he never wanted her to feel pain or suffering, to never shed a tear, or have her heart broken; he wanted her to embrace the warrior within, to recognize her own strength and beauty and to glow with the radiance of a thousand suns. He wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh, to stroke her hair as he gazed into eyes steeled by her own resolve.
The handbook had no warnings for this.
“Remember water lapping against the shores of Lake Cheyenne and the aroma of sizzling hot dogs amid the crackle and pop of the campfire; a sky brimming with stars and tent flaps rustling in a breeze that carried hints of rain.”
Bursting out of the darkness, the couple found themselves on the stairs of a tower. Chuck was
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