Monster One - Alive

Monster One - Alive

Monster One - Alive

I woke up with a deep intake of breath. Not a gasp filled with the cloying black tar that clung to my throat and clogged my airways, but pure, fresh air.

I was alive!

I was alive?

My eyes fluttered open, then squeezed shut. It was too bright. The ceiling above was made of some white stone that practically glowed in the sunlight pouring in from a floor-to-ceiling window to one side of the room.

The glimpse Id gotten did reveal some things. I was in a bedroom, a very nice one. I... didnt recall exactly how Id known that it was a nice bedroom. Maybe it was the size of it? The pretty purple curtains next to the windows, or the dresser against the far wall, dark wood covered in careful, intricate carvings that I couldnt quite make out in the little time Id had.

I was alive, and not home.

Home.

Like cold water down a parched throat, my mind snapped to full wakefulness. The fog was washed away, but beneath it was nothing. Fragments and ideas, threads that were snipped and cut. Home was...

I frowned. Home was...

I started breathing faster. The memory was just there but it was still beyond reach, like trying to touch my own image in still water. It warped and rippled away as I reached it.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

But I wasnt a dumb girl. I could remember being praised for being clever. Not by whom, or why, but I knew that the right way to avoid panic was to think things through. Im aware that Im confused, I muttered. A mantra?

I had to break it down. That was a neat trick that always worked.

First, how did I feel?

Well, I was scared, and a little bit terrified, and very spooked. But those were all feeling-feels. I had physical-feels to look into too.

I wiggled my toes, waggled my fingers, and scooted my hips around. I felt fine! My tummy had a bit of emptiness to it, so maybe I was due for a snack.

After that was... seeing how things were around me? Then I could get rid of all the confusion! Perfect plan... me... whatever my name was.

Oh, that was probably bad.

I opened my eyes again, slower this time, to take in a ceiling that was made of stone with large wooden beams across it. A chandelier hung from above, all crystal with no lightbulbs within. I wasnt entirely sure why that was important. Around me were posts reaching up, with curtains draped across them. A four-poster bed? That was more princess than I was used to. Probably.

Something else jumped out at me.

The words hovered there, perfectly in focus, the letters like those in some terribly old computer, all blocky and square.

I wiggled to the left, and the prompt wiggled with me. Interesting!

I wiggled to the right, and the same happened. Hypothesis confirmed!

So cool, I said as a hand slipped out of the covers and reached up towards the prompt.

I would advise against that, child. Accepting a new fate so soon is only going to lead you down a path of tears and sorrow. Patience, for the right moment, for the right knowledge, and for the right circumstances, will often reward you far more than blindly charging ahead.

[Congratulations!]

[Through your actions you have unlocked the potential to obtain the following classes:

Sleeper

Do not waste my time, child.

I flinched. I wasnt exactly sure what to say, and I only had one trick at my disposal. I focused upon the woman.

[The Dark Goddess - God of Darkness - Servant of None]

God of Monsters

One of the womans eyebrows rose. Truly?

Your name is The? I asked.

The Dark Goddess tilted her head to the side, then she made a noise, a faint chuff at the back of her throat that coincided with the smallest twitch of her lips. No, child. My name is not The. I have decided to present myself to you with my title.

Oh, I replied, not entirely certain I understood, but willing enough to go along. Being called The would be pretty strange.

You have failed to answer my question, though perhaps I was hoping for too much. Tell me, what do you last remember?

Ah, well, I was... drowning, I think, in black stuff? I squirmed in her covers. They were quite nice, thick and plush. I wished the Dark God wasnt sitting on the bed. Before that... I remember... a car crash?

The Dark God nodded slowly. And did you hear anything? A voice, an offer?

Yes! Someone was talking, but it wasnt to me.

Then to whom were they speaking?

I dont remember, I admitted. I was afraid that the Dark God would be angered by that, but the woman didnt seem overly bothered.

She rose, carefully and with easy grace. So, you are a mistake. A mistake he likely made.

Im sorry?

Dont be, child. If nothing else, your appearance marks you as one of mine. Time will tell if youre worth being considered as such.

Wow, that was kind of scary sounding.

The Dark God stared. Yes, I think Ive been told that I sound somewhat scary at times. Are you not scared yourself?

Nope, I said. It was only a little bit of a lie. You seem nice. I remember drowning in black stuff, and now Im here. So you must have cared at least enough about me to let me use this nice bed, right? So you cant be that scary. Besides, youre the Goddess of Darkness and Monsters. Not scary things.

She made that strange noise again. An interesting way of seeing things. Turning, the Dark God started towards a door at the far end of the room. Milpis will remain here, for the time being. Rest. I will have more questions later.

Oh, okay, I said. I was feeling rather tired.

Valeria.

Huh?

Your name. Seeing as how you dont remember your own. It shall be Valeria.

And just like that, the Dark God was gone.

I stared after her, wondering how she had known that my name was missing.

Before I could wonder too deeply, sleep snuck up on me.

***