Flashback And it stares back

[Fallon]

17th Spring 499

How long had she been locked in that tiny box of a room? Not being able to track the time truly had made it a difficult thing to work out. There was barely a slither of light that cracked out from beneath the locked door, the ever ochre glow creeping its way out from beneath it. She remembered it was barely day break before she was once more returned to the darkness - but that did not exactly help her in determining the time.

There was a pool of water upon the damp floor, dirty water creating the smooth mirrored surface in which produced the outline of a reflection. Eyes gave a slow blink, her form having bent over the puddle for a while, the dark silhouette and pale lines marking out her features within its sheen. Tired features stared back, the deep encompassing stare reaching up to her in response. The face of a child, despite its somewhat haggard look.

There was a moment of stillness, ears twitching as the sounds of footsteps passed beyond the door and then once more fell into silence. Her head tilted upwards, the gentle throbbing that was felt upon the side of her temple once more becoming noticeable, before she returned her gaze back down to the shimmer. There was the subtle tilt of the head, a finer glance to the swelling that had begun to rise and prickle there. For a moment there was silence the tiny fingers gently probing it with a sharp intake of breath, before withdrawing and resting upon her knees once more. There was nothing she could do about it here in the dull light, nothing but silently wait for the time to past.

She tried to remember why she was locked in there, the young mind replaying the scene within her head. She remembered the slapping fist, the firm dragging of the hair and the fling down into the dirt. To 'correct' her behaviour. The screaming of the other who was there still replayed in her head, begging for some mercy to be given. Of course, none was and before she knew it she was locked in the darkness and left. Her brow gave a frown to that thought, the eyes blinking at the very notion once more. What had she done wrong? What had she done to cause great offense to the 'master'?

Fallon chewed at her lip, but her gaze remained fixed upon the pool. It was not as if there wasn't exactly anything else to look at within the bleak world around her. The small glimmer within the darkness it was, even with the definite weight of her treasure resting against her chest. There was another blink, her head tilting to one side for a chime as she considered what to do. Tears, she had out grown them seasons ago it seemed. There was no more room for them - besides it would only cause anger and further hurt. She dared not speak, dared not to open her mouth to voice a noise. She was their 'mute' after all, though in private with the other she considered the careful sharing of words. And even then they were few.

[Fallon]

Gaze looking down into the depths she let it rest there for a while. How long she was not particularly sure. There was an element of fear pressing against the back of her mind, that swirling uncertainty and worry of what laid beyond the door. She did not lift her head to look at it though. It was her punishment to be put into this solitary confinement, though the reason was beyond her still. There was a frown, her brow creasing into a line as she continued to stare within its very depths. Thoughts swirled round, rotating around that single scene. Stopping, replaying, the actions becoming animated by the very second. Repeating and looking for the issue and where it had gone wrong.

Pain for fun, that much was apparent. The mind flickered to that thought, the way the hand came striking across the face, the taste of blood within the mouth. Her eyes gaze a narrow before simply glazing over. She remembered that, every strike and blow. At first she gave a wince in reflex, the tears welling up to the memory that were stuck within. There was a hissed exhale, the pain making itself well known once more. What did she do wrong? How did she fail? The memory repeated itself again, replaying the words within her head.

Wrong, bad. Stupid Vagik! Dropping the pitcher! Her brow creased. There was a recollection of the firm push that sent her stumbling to drop it in the first place, that caused the clay to slip and shatter. Her eyes blinked, the weighted feel of some form of betrayal resting upon her chest. The water in slopped everywhere, spreading across the floor in a shatter and sending the master into a rage. She flinched again, the vividness of the scene playing once more within her head. Teeth clenched, the ache of her scalp where she had been roughly dragged by the hair. Darkness and the sound of a bolting lock came after that. Remaining tense, she looked deeper into the rippling surface, the glazed eyes sharpening. Bit by bit she felt the mind descend in the darkness, the world slowly slipping out of existence for her. It was just her in this dark room, just her within the depths of her mind. And with that in mind she begun to dip.

Deeper, further, she caught the scene of before once more within her mind. But there was less of a flinch this time, less of a shirk away as she saw it dance within her vision. Colours faded, a deep inhale as she pulled inwards. It begun to loose the sense of feeling, that strange bitterness that once rode along side slipping away. Of course it hurt, she had the physical serve as a reminder for such a thing. The once clenched teeth relaxed, the jaw gradually growing slack as she continued her stare into the surface. Those eyes, those dark shadows that rested beneath them told many a tale. She could see that within the way the shapes twisted and turned upon the face, and how the features creased to the emotions.

[Fallon]

Somewhere beyond the cockerel crowed, but she did not turn her head to the sound. It did not matter, nothing did. Only the long, never ending look into the depths was all that was required now. She watched the brow furrow into a line, the ticks slipping away into long chimes. The damp feeling upon her face begun to lessen, the lids parting from their once narrowed state. Did it matter anymore? Another repeat, another flicker. It begun to slip, the effect sliding away and down into nothingness. There was another inhale, deeper this time with the darkness ringing in around her.

The once energetic and curious mind stilled. The patter of sound beyond the door faded from existence, the eyes still stuck staring upon the pool before her. So long gone was she from the waking world, it had simply fallen into nothingness, leaving only her and the puddle at her feet. Memories danced and flickered before her eyes, words of things long past, the treasures of old and those precious moments reeling before her. Trapped within her own head, her eyes gave a slow, dulled blink as she tried to understand and grasp upon something. She took the scene before her, words repeating, desensitizing as she pulled it back.

There was no crease, no look for understanding; it came now simply as acceptance. But even then the meaning behind it begun to slip away. There was a sense of proving superiority beyond the urge of being cruel, the subtle hints of something beneath at play. She did not register when she blinked again, her shoulders hunching in and her form gently swaying.

How long had she been there now? She did not know, she was too lost within her own mind. There was another inhale and exhale, the hands hanging loosely upon her knees as she blinked. Lips begun to twitch on their own, her expression melting away to that of neutrality. Another inhale, deeper, heavier. No, there was no point behind what happened, there was no reason in which to allow herself to buckle and become subdued. No point in it. No reason for its significance. Exhaling, the air whistled out into the gloom and the heavy weight of the air begun to slowly sink away.

No, there was no point was there? She felt the nagging gnaw of despair creep in, the hollowed feeling as emotions came and went. Ebbing back, the feeling slid its way in, filling her mind. Hopelessness, the acceptance that there will always be suffering no matter how much she tried. Part of her rebelled to such a notion, looked to seek for a way out of it. She continued to stare, the faint lines of her expression starting to become clearer in the gloom as her eyes held that glazed shine. The emotion festered in the back of her mind, the ego slipping and stumbling over that single pinnacle. Why did she hold herself back? Nothing would have been gained from it, her young mind managed to comprehend that much. The feeling rested there within her internal pit, the waking world lost to her at last. The dark eyes stared back, the trembling of reasoning beginning to be lost to her. There was no point.

[Fallon]

Teeth trembled, a blink that seemed to take longer than it should have done - not that she properly registered it within her mind. She was trapped within the world of thought at present, suck with the words that spoke to her, the scenes of things passed flickering back and forth. It slipped, stumbling and cracking. Definitions repeating into that of an echo. Beyond there was the faint whip cracking, and whilst it was heard it was not truly registered.

The feeling of hands grew numb upon her mind, the past embraces starting to lose their significance. The once feeling of care begun to slip, the lips twitching and the low hiss of words escaping as if the body had obtained a will of its own. The reflection spoke back, the once hollow despair that rested there before slipping forth in great plumes; there was no point in holding onto them further. Deep hollow grooves were left in the ego in response, but unfilled and left exposed to the air. A slow inhale, the faint whistle of nostrils as it was exhaled. None of it mattered any more, she could feel the urge to simply grip onto it sliding away.

It fell as sand, near silent as it trickled away out of reach. No more an echo and instead simply nothing. She tried to fill it with something, at first at least. The gentle filling up, but it slipped away once more. Had it lost all worth to do so? Why was she trying to even fill the thoughts to begin with. Her mind blinked, unable to summon forth an answer and left only the blank emptiness as an answer. She thought of pain, it dissolved into nothing. Despair once more slipped away from grasp. Hope darkened and faded.

Colours gave a flutter, her chest tightening as she felt it twist within and then loosen. The chains of the mind fell away, unshackling as she felt the imposed solitude close in around her. The isolation left to think about what she had done, designed to break and form her into obedience did the opposite. In the silence there was nothing but herself to be used, her actions, her mind and her voice. The notion twisted once more, the lips silently twitching and moving - disassociated and scattered at the best of times.

It slipped away, that all consuming stillness that spoke of nothing within and made no sign of movement. She was somewhere deep in herself, though where exactly was beyond her at. A blank, dark canvas of the mind that gave no glimmer of what was within. Untouched and untainted, ready almost to be plucked and pulled upon. Or left to settle and do nothing with. It was almost as if she could reach out and grasp upon it, but could not at the same time. Caught within the self inflicted trance, the reflection was lost at last and ripped away from the hollow of her thoughts. A complete isolation of the mind at last.

[Fallon]

Fallon stared into the abyss of the mind, and the abyss stared back. It gave a twist and a surge within, the blank canvas rippled. The plucking of the surface, a low rumbling as it rose up. She felt it trace, pressing and tickling as it made itself known. There was still that pointlessness that existed there, staring back into her. But it was changing, quickly, warping and turning to what could on be described as inside out. The feeling rose up within her, dragging and swirling in her pit.

"Weak," came the cracking of the child's voice. It lacked power, the canvas rippling as it took the word and promptly ripped it to shreds. She pressed it again, "Weak," the word escaping as a whimper and dispersing. The canvas gave a tremble, bubbling gently at first and growing once more. With it the feeling grew and crept. Intrusive and yet not, her throat gave a tremble, the snaking feeling rippling up with that.

"Weak," she spoke again, louder and filled with the trembling certainty. She felt the sense of insecurity seep its way in and claw firmly upon her - something noticeable upon the blank before it slid away and slumped into nothingness once more. Wrong, it felt wrong. The orbs stared and met, locking and refusing to budge. Captivating, ensnaring, the abyss continued its stare back - hypnotic almost in their shine. It grasped her tightly, digging in sharply within its claw. The air expelled from her lungs, the body refusing to breath for a few ticks. Will power wrestled, the world now just existing deep within that green-blue stare, the true power shifting behind them. Her lips went to speak that word again but they were cut short.

Change! - answered the thoughts in retaliation. The meaning had warped within her mind, tightening, twisting and breaking it down. But just as it did that, did it rise up once more - empowered almost by something. It was an odd wrestle, the feelings changing and swirling within. There was a lean in, closer to the surface. It was compelling, consuming. A mad rushing flooding in and smothering. Her eyes begun to hurt, the burning sensation working its way up and through. What existed once before begun to snap, concentration consuming and blinding.
"Wea-"
Change! - came the thought once more, a forceful feeling blooming in the mind. Her head begun to throb, piercing and pushing against the barrier. The internal canvas gave a twist, sucking at it and shifting the layers aside. Lips gave a tremble, the feelings blurring as she felt it slip away once more. Her voice gave a croak again, sound laced with something enticing, "Change..."

It washed over her, blurring and sinking in properly this time. It steeled within her, forming as a rock that rested within her core. It was hard not to accept the feeling, to have what was previously thought of as discarded. Her throat constricted, a take in of air and the sting of eyes. Somewhere beyond it settled, and once more it slipped away. But that energy still throbbed there, reflecting almost what was felt deep within and whispering into the ear of her thoughts.

Change - it came as a command to the mind this time. The green-blue orbs stared into her, the vast ocean expanse of colour. That instruction, the thing that grew within. It welled up in an energy, the mirrored gaze of the puddle reflecting back. It stared back; the claws of an inner beast reaching and digging into her ego. It dragged down, a gorging suggestion upon the plain existence that was before. It was more than an emotion this time, suggestive and tempting. But her mind was torn, stuck almost at the possibility of such a thing occurring. It was impossible, right?

Change! - louder this time, pressing and piling up onto the mental canvas. It hammered upon the door of the mind and broke through. Taking up its position upon her, it bloomed out from little more than a suggestion into something definite. Yet still it harked at her, seeking that confirmation as the energy swirled and grew. Her throat begun to hurt, her eyes begun to do a bit more that simply sting. That all consuming feeling that vibrated against her very core. There was the deepest inhale, the grit of teeth and pure will power. Determination in its finest form as the girl pulled back her head and shouted back to solidify the very notion, "Change!"

And thus, the mind of Fallon made it so.

[Caela Dorin]

Grade Awarded Fallon Experience Skill XP Earned Hypnotism 1 Meditation 1 Lores • Lore Earned • Isolation: Punishment to "correct" behaviour • Desensitising oneself • Delving deep into one's own mind • Self-inducing a trance state • Hypnotism: Unlocking one's ability Additional Comments A thread from the slave time! This perspective into Fallon really interests me. I'd like to see more threads from this era, not that enjoy her misfortune of course! Give me more Please edit or delete your grade request and PM me if you have any questions or concerns about your grade. x