Chapter 5: Entrance to the Depths
CH 5
"So who are you?" I ask while we walked, vines still circling my throat as a threat if I behaved rashly. I was a monster on a leash to another creature.
"Caligo."
"I know your name, I asked who you are."
"Caligo von Erlking"
"That is not an answer, I mean why are you qualified to capture me and take me to this supposed father?"
"Ah I see, well you caused a disturbance with a demon a few days ago and your father recognized your description and asked many to search for you and bring you to him." It was now that I realized that whatever my father was seemed he was not as human as I was imagining. I thought of a deadbeat, baddest of all bad men. Now if he also knew this Caligo something was more mysterious than first thought.
"This isnt a friendly father daughter meeting is it?" I grimaced, taking all the emotion in my lifeless body to the surface.
"I fear it is more of tying up lose ends." He says a bit too nonchalantly. I would be offended but I couldn't afford that right now. I was on my way to be experimented on by him as it seems. At my hesitation, the vines around my neck squeezed. At some point in the future, I would realize he was barely even threatening me. I was much stronger than a mere vine and even if I wasn't, my head could be detached and I would be fine. But I would learn this much later.
Silenced followed us as we walked through streets and then tunnels. The air grew colder and more humid. Little things scuttled about around the circular walls.
"Where are we going?" my nails clicked on the cement creating an echo of untimed music. Clickclickclick.
"Im taking you to my private residence." clickclick. I stopped.
"Private residence underground?"
"Have you never been to Hell before?" He turns moving his hair in a silver wave. His face shines in the darkness. My eyes catch all the light and eat it up.
"My life is hell now thanks to me being this!" It comes out more like a growl. Not being able to recognize my own voice was startling.
"I dont know of your situation, but that is why I must take you in first to understand you." His voice was cool, calm, and calculated. But what he said warmed me. In a way, it felt like a temporary protection, even if I was his captive. I did not sense malice, but who knows if my senses were correct in this wretched body of mine.
"Just help me become normal again." I drag, and he turns and continues to walk forward into the darkness.
Something was weird about this darkness, it was thick and felt like a paste. If I needed to breathe im sure the air would be hot. The vines around my neck were loosened, this basically said even if I ran there was no way out now. Im not sure how long we were underground. I knew we were not in San Francisco or any city anymore. The sewer tunnels turned to cobble and moss. Vines hung down and tickled my hair. The path parted for Caligo but I was left dodging and scraping by. Almost as if the vines and moss did not want me here and tried to drag me down into the dark depths of rich soil.
"Ghoul catch up!" Cal wasn't being rude, it was just he wanted something and I didn't give it.
"I cant-" My body was slowing down to where every joint was stiff and I couldn't bear to move. My mouth was extremely dry and the world started to sway. So far I had gotten fairly used to my ghoul body other than the fire burning through my veins that started to happen in this tunnel.
I never brought it up to Caligo because he wouldn't understand. I didn't really call it a pain anyways, it felt… natural. Like a need for air when you were under deep water. My ghoulish body didn't register pain and hurt after the first couple of days. My disjointed self would run into walls and scrape my wrists on the edges, none of these ailments lasted so it never mattered. Nothing registered. It was like every neuron in my brain was suddenly unwired. I wouldn't talk unless I needed to. I would not breathe unless I needed to speak. I would think though. The thinking was my damnation and salvation.
Now I couldn't stop thinking about why I couldn't move normally, as we all know this is a new experience for me to even be a ghoul so to become frozen may be normal? It was as if I was a clay figure hardening in the sun, if my body moved too recklessly I would turn to dust and fall apart. Not that Caligo would care, im sure he would sweep me up to study the phenomenon of dusty ghouls.
"Snap out of it, Ghoul, it is only a little further" He barked at me grabbing my arm with a delicacy that I had not experienced before. He looked alarmed and his silver eyes grew dark like the world around me. I was able to take a few steps with the aid of him. I smelled his skin, sweet, almost like cut grass and fresh rain. I couldn't eat him though, not in this state.
A vat of bubbling tar unfolded before us, the smell was wretched and the heat only grew hotter. My body was vibrating in pain and something else. Excitement? Adrenaline? I was still unable to move well.
"You may be more trouble than I thought." He stated then pushed me into the thick liquid. Silver eyes shining with trouble suddenly winked out and the liquid surrounded me, entering my lungs, my eyes, my entire being. This is when I lost consciousness.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone