Nanowrimo Day 18
Nov. 18th, 2019 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unknownfateBusy, busy, busy.
Copperhead Whitaker was tasked with taking young Shay up to the old mine. She had graduated from high school and it was time for her to see for herself. Shay Whitaker had grown up deep in the secrets of the mountain. Her brothers and sisters liked to joke that they put the cult in culture, but they had all done it before. It had been a long time since anyone had died, they assured her. Only a few went really bonkers, and no one in their family ever had.
“Except for Old Tom,” added Trish, who was more honest than kind. “But that was a long, long time ago.”
None of them had to go with her. Once was enough anymore. Copperhead came to pick her up on his bike and pedaled them up as far as the road would take them. Then they started into the trees. Shay had come this far before. All the Whitaker clan knew the secret ways into the old mine. The ones who stayed in the mine tended to live a long time. They had given up the rest of their lives in service to the Sleeper.
No one expected that of Shay, she knew. If she chose to stay, that was up to her. All that was really required of her was to go and see it with her own eyes. Then she could make whatever decision she wanted. So she followed Copperhead up the path and through the trees. Other families were connected to this as well as hers, she knew, but they didn’t take to it as well. They were the ones who usually went crazy or died. The Whitakers had some kind of special immunity to it, or some kinship with it.
When they got to the old sinkhole, Copperhead took her hand. Over the years, the way had been widened and steps had been built but it was still narrow and dark. She followed him down. Neither spoke on the way. After awhile, there was light. Little light sources were scattered along the way. It kept the selfless from going blind, it had been explained. Human eyes needed light to keep working.
Soon enough, they came to a wider space where the selfless waited. She was expected. She was welcomes. Copperhead was well known to them too. Shay had seen them before, but only very rarely. They had been described to her long before that. She couldn’t be afraid of them. They were were pale and wide-eyed in the dark. They wore whatever clothes and ate whatever food Copperhead or another of the runners brought them. The one that stepped forward to greet Shay was one of her great-great uncle, she didn’t remember the name, and neither did her uncle, probably.
“You are ready,” the old one said, extending a hand. Shay took it and Copperhead released her. She was led farther into the tunnel and the other full time residents fell into step behind them. Copperhead stayed behind.
The lights were dimmer farther down, but Shay could still see the huge links of the chain along the side. In the generations since it had been found, it had been completely dug out. They followed it down, so deep and cold that Shay couldn’t help but begin to be afraid. These people were all her kin, she reminded herself. None of her brothers or sisters had ever backed out of going on this trip. She wouldn’t be the first.
They led her down to an open place. From the air, she could tell there was a large cavern somewhere ahead of her in the dark. They had led her to an outcrop. The chain went over the edge and down into forever. As far as she could see there was nothing on either side. It might be only a few feet deep or a mile. The full timers were gathered close around her as if they didn’t want to step too far, so she guessed it was nearer the latter.
“What do I do?” she asked.
“That’s up to you,” the old uncle said. “All we ask is that you look and see for yourself. That your choice not be made from ignorance.”
“Has anyone ever not gone to see?”
“Not in my lifetime,” her uncle said. “And I am old, much older than you think.”
“Do I have to go alone?”
“Of course not!” he seemed genuinely surprised at that. “Unless you ask us to wait behind, we’ll all go.”
“It’s all right to be afraid,” another said, patting her arm. “It’s RIGHT to be afraid. But you’ll see and when you see, you’ll know, and when you know you’ll never be afraid of anything else again.”
“Ok,” Shay said and they crept to the edge of the outcrop and started down some rough stairs that had been worn into the side of the cliff face. They all went together, just as they had promised. The light didn’t reach down there, but they had little glow packs around their necks that gave off a tiny radius of light. It was just barely enough to see by, but it made Shay wish she had one too.
They crept even deeper into the dark under the mountain, and Shay was thinking about Gollum and rings to distract herself from the sense of a whole world on top of her. Finally, they came to a stop and held up their packs to cast enough light for Shay to see where they had brought her. It hit her mind like a hammer and her knees went weak. This was where the chain led, to a manacle that a train could pass through, around the immense wrist of a hand.
A giant hand lay on the tunnel ahead of her. More than giant. The fingertips didn’t have nails, but slits like a lion’s toes. If there was a claw in there it would be bigger than Shay. It was white in the partial darkness and she could see her family’s work, generations of digging, all around it. This was just the hand, her staggering mind told her. The rest was still buried. There was an arm attached to the wrist. It had taken how many years just to dig this far. How many more were needed to unearth the whole thing? What would it be when they did?
“There’s other ways down. Other paths.” Her kin told her. “Other places to reach him. But this one is ours. We are his.”
“Who is he?” Shay whispered. She didn’t think she could draw enough breath to speak loudly. She didn’t wait for an answer. It would probably be something vague anyway. She could see a throb in the wrist, very faint and far between. Whatever this hand belong to was alive. She didn’t know why she needed to touch it to be sure, but she lurched forward on unsteady legs, reaching for the nearest finger. She was aware of them murmuring that she dared, but they seemed more proud than disapproving. Her fingertips brushed the huge knuckle and a new awareness hit her.
If it had been like a hammer before, it was a tidal wave now. It didn’t stop at her brain. It rushed through her like lightning and filled up any empty space she might have had. It had been there longer than she could comprehend. There was pain in it and sorrow, but mostly hope. It’s children had come back to it. They weren’t lost. They hadn’t been wiped out. They were doing their best to set it free. They were slow and weak but they were there. It felt them. Felt their minds and souls and loved them desperately.
Once it was free, it would it would protect them forever. It would love them for all time. They were so dear to it, so precious. It could wait for them to set it free. It wasn’t worried at all now that they were with it. It would heal them and extend their lives. It would fill them with knowledge of another age. They would never want or worry for anything again.
There was an edge of insanity there, something that had been screaming and tearing before. It didn’t know how long ago that had been either, but things were better now.
Some part of Shay could do more than just absorb everything. It wondered and the question was answered. It did have a name and she could know it. It was a symbol of burning light. It was a word and a name and she could tell whoever she wanted. She was so dear and brave and so very adored that it was too much. It overwhelmed and blocked out anything else. Shay was almost glad when she passed out, to just go into the dark again.
She came to back in the tunnel where Copperhead had waited. He was sitting with his back to the wall and Shay’s head in his lap. One of his cold hands was on her forehead.
“There you are,” he said when her eyes opened.
“Am I?” she asked and he chuckled out a wheezy little laugh.
“Yeah, you are,” he said. “They said you walked right up and touched it. Took a full load on your first try.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It used to be a monster,” Copperhead said, matter of fact in his blasphemy. “The first ones that touched it siphoned off its crazy and it was too much for them. But we took it as our duty to take a bit at a time. When it wears off we go back for more. It’s taken a whole bunch of us a long time, but it’s not screaming bonkers anymore.”
“I know its name,” Shay said, terrified and exhilarated. “It told me its name!”
“Don’t tell me,” Copperhead said. “I haven’t shaken off the chill from the last time I went to it yet.”
Copperhead Whitaker was tasked with taking young Shay up to the old mine. She had graduated from high school and it was time for her to see for herself. Shay Whitaker had grown up deep in the secrets of the mountain. Her brothers and sisters liked to joke that they put the cult in culture, but they had all done it before. It had been a long time since anyone had died, they assured her. Only a few went really bonkers, and no one in their family ever had.
“Except for Old Tom,” added Trish, who was more honest than kind. “But that was a long, long time ago.”
None of them had to go with her. Once was enough anymore. Copperhead came to pick her up on his bike and pedaled them up as far as the road would take them. Then they started into the trees. Shay had come this far before. All the Whitaker clan knew the secret ways into the old mine. The ones who stayed in the mine tended to live a long time. They had given up the rest of their lives in service to the Sleeper.
No one expected that of Shay, she knew. If she chose to stay, that was up to her. All that was really required of her was to go and see it with her own eyes. Then she could make whatever decision she wanted. So she followed Copperhead up the path and through the trees. Other families were connected to this as well as hers, she knew, but they didn’t take to it as well. They were the ones who usually went crazy or died. The Whitakers had some kind of special immunity to it, or some kinship with it.
When they got to the old sinkhole, Copperhead took her hand. Over the years, the way had been widened and steps had been built but it was still narrow and dark. She followed him down. Neither spoke on the way. After awhile, there was light. Little light sources were scattered along the way. It kept the selfless from going blind, it had been explained. Human eyes needed light to keep working.
Soon enough, they came to a wider space where the selfless waited. She was expected. She was welcomes. Copperhead was well known to them too. Shay had seen them before, but only very rarely. They had been described to her long before that. She couldn’t be afraid of them. They were were pale and wide-eyed in the dark. They wore whatever clothes and ate whatever food Copperhead or another of the runners brought them. The one that stepped forward to greet Shay was one of her great-great uncle, she didn’t remember the name, and neither did her uncle, probably.
“You are ready,” the old one said, extending a hand. Shay took it and Copperhead released her. She was led farther into the tunnel and the other full time residents fell into step behind them. Copperhead stayed behind.
The lights were dimmer farther down, but Shay could still see the huge links of the chain along the side. In the generations since it had been found, it had been completely dug out. They followed it down, so deep and cold that Shay couldn’t help but begin to be afraid. These people were all her kin, she reminded herself. None of her brothers or sisters had ever backed out of going on this trip. She wouldn’t be the first.
They led her down to an open place. From the air, she could tell there was a large cavern somewhere ahead of her in the dark. They had led her to an outcrop. The chain went over the edge and down into forever. As far as she could see there was nothing on either side. It might be only a few feet deep or a mile. The full timers were gathered close around her as if they didn’t want to step too far, so she guessed it was nearer the latter.
“What do I do?” she asked.
“That’s up to you,” the old uncle said. “All we ask is that you look and see for yourself. That your choice not be made from ignorance.”
“Has anyone ever not gone to see?”
“Not in my lifetime,” her uncle said. “And I am old, much older than you think.”
“Do I have to go alone?”
“Of course not!” he seemed genuinely surprised at that. “Unless you ask us to wait behind, we’ll all go.”
“It’s all right to be afraid,” another said, patting her arm. “It’s RIGHT to be afraid. But you’ll see and when you see, you’ll know, and when you know you’ll never be afraid of anything else again.”
“Ok,” Shay said and they crept to the edge of the outcrop and started down some rough stairs that had been worn into the side of the cliff face. They all went together, just as they had promised. The light didn’t reach down there, but they had little glow packs around their necks that gave off a tiny radius of light. It was just barely enough to see by, but it made Shay wish she had one too.
They crept even deeper into the dark under the mountain, and Shay was thinking about Gollum and rings to distract herself from the sense of a whole world on top of her. Finally, they came to a stop and held up their packs to cast enough light for Shay to see where they had brought her. It hit her mind like a hammer and her knees went weak. This was where the chain led, to a manacle that a train could pass through, around the immense wrist of a hand.
A giant hand lay on the tunnel ahead of her. More than giant. The fingertips didn’t have nails, but slits like a lion’s toes. If there was a claw in there it would be bigger than Shay. It was white in the partial darkness and she could see her family’s work, generations of digging, all around it. This was just the hand, her staggering mind told her. The rest was still buried. There was an arm attached to the wrist. It had taken how many years just to dig this far. How many more were needed to unearth the whole thing? What would it be when they did?
“There’s other ways down. Other paths.” Her kin told her. “Other places to reach him. But this one is ours. We are his.”
“Who is he?” Shay whispered. She didn’t think she could draw enough breath to speak loudly. She didn’t wait for an answer. It would probably be something vague anyway. She could see a throb in the wrist, very faint and far between. Whatever this hand belong to was alive. She didn’t know why she needed to touch it to be sure, but she lurched forward on unsteady legs, reaching for the nearest finger. She was aware of them murmuring that she dared, but they seemed more proud than disapproving. Her fingertips brushed the huge knuckle and a new awareness hit her.
If it had been like a hammer before, it was a tidal wave now. It didn’t stop at her brain. It rushed through her like lightning and filled up any empty space she might have had. It had been there longer than she could comprehend. There was pain in it and sorrow, but mostly hope. It’s children had come back to it. They weren’t lost. They hadn’t been wiped out. They were doing their best to set it free. They were slow and weak but they were there. It felt them. Felt their minds and souls and loved them desperately.
Once it was free, it would it would protect them forever. It would love them for all time. They were so dear to it, so precious. It could wait for them to set it free. It wasn’t worried at all now that they were with it. It would heal them and extend their lives. It would fill them with knowledge of another age. They would never want or worry for anything again.
There was an edge of insanity there, something that had been screaming and tearing before. It didn’t know how long ago that had been either, but things were better now.
Some part of Shay could do more than just absorb everything. It wondered and the question was answered. It did have a name and she could know it. It was a symbol of burning light. It was a word and a name and she could tell whoever she wanted. She was so dear and brave and so very adored that it was too much. It overwhelmed and blocked out anything else. Shay was almost glad when she passed out, to just go into the dark again.
She came to back in the tunnel where Copperhead had waited. He was sitting with his back to the wall and Shay’s head in his lap. One of his cold hands was on her forehead.
“There you are,” he said when her eyes opened.
“Am I?” she asked and he chuckled out a wheezy little laugh.
“Yeah, you are,” he said. “They said you walked right up and touched it. Took a full load on your first try.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It used to be a monster,” Copperhead said, matter of fact in his blasphemy. “The first ones that touched it siphoned off its crazy and it was too much for them. But we took it as our duty to take a bit at a time. When it wears off we go back for more. It’s taken a whole bunch of us a long time, but it’s not screaming bonkers anymore.”
“I know its name,” Shay said, terrified and exhilarated. “It told me its name!”
“Don’t tell me,” Copperhead said. “I haven’t shaken off the chill from the last time I went to it yet.”
no subject
Date: 2019-11-19 02:04 am (UTC)although. dude. my dude. “But you’ll see and when you see, you’ll know, and when you know you’ll never be afraid of anything else again.”
NOT NEARLY AS REASSURING AS YOU APPEAR TO EXPECT IT TO BE.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-21 01:44 am (UTC)