Drowning In The Dark

Mimi’s dreams were of slick black oil. She floated upon its surface under a featureless black sky.

“It won’t be long now.” A voice broke the silence. It sounded so much like her own. “Soon the waves will sweep you away.”

It was then that she began to notice that ever so slowly the oil was pulling her down. She felt it creep up the back of her neck and she could feel it latching onto her skin and dragging her centimetre by centimetre below the surface of the black oil.

“You must not give in. Wake up, little one. Wake up.” A voice like chiming bells echoed through the darkness. Unlike her voice it felt out of place, like a breath of fresh air in a stale tomb.

“I...I can’t” Mimi heard her voice say in reply. She sounded broken and lost, pale shadow of the jovial little thief that she was.

“Hold onto the sound of my voice. You are so very brave, little one. You can do it.”

Mimi listened to the chimes of the voice. Even when whoever it was had finished speaking there was a ring like small bells. She desperately listened to the sound, a faint ray of hope. She let the ringing flow through her and with a shuddering gasp her eyes opened.

No longer was there a sea of black oil around Mimi. She was in a dark cell. This one she didn’t recognise but she had been in enough through her life. The cell was near pitch black, the only light coming from a barred window on the other side of the cell door, casting only a sliver of grey light into the cell. Mimi wanted to look through the bars but try as she might, she could not pull herself into a sitting position.

“Lay still.” A cool hand rested on Mimi’s forehead and she felt a gentle wave of energy course through her body.

“Magic!” Mimi croaked happily, trying to peer up at the owner of the hand. Mimi realised that her head rested on the lap of a beautiful cien woman. She was as naked as Mimi and covered in filth, cuts and bruises but she still radiated a calm energy and a quiet beauty. Her bright red hair flowed over one shoulder and covered one of her small breasts and her eyes glowed green even in the darkness of the cell.

“I’m Mimi. Who are you?”

“I am Alai Fhaehana, I am- I was Arch Druid of this grove.”

“Why can’t I move?” Mimi asked, rocking back and forth in Alai’s lap.

“You have been poisoned. A corrupted wood-wraith filled your body with dark magic. It was killing you but I managed to stop that for now.”

“Thanks, Alai! I think we will be good friends.”

The druidess smiled at the cheerful demkin and ruffled her hair. “I think so as well.”

“Can you teach me to do ma-”

“You need to rest now, little Mimi. You are not yet clear of the poison and with the corruption of the grove my powers aren’t what they used to be.” Alai began to stroke Mimi’s hair, the Cien’s long fingers were cool and soft and very soon the upbeat demkin was asleep.