I open my eyes widely. Take a deep breath and start coughing.
I take a second to gather myself. No bleeding holes in my chest anymore, but now there's a burning pain in my back. My hands are tied somewhere, but the ropes are coming loose. I free myself and fall to the ground.
"Urgh!"
A small voice, like a child's.
I get up, but everything looks so big...
I'm at some sort of basement, there are some kinds of wood furniture, but I ignore everything and just stumble out of the room.
I'm not feeling good... My head feels so hazy...
Go left.
I follow. Stumbling my way around, I can barely keep my consciousness. I feel like my head was thrown into the blender and my back into a frying pan...
I reach a huge wooden door...
The dog hole.
And crawl my way out through a hole. Luckily it's more than big enough.
But as I make my way out, I run out of strength. I can't get up anymore.
It's then that I see some hazy figures heading for me.
"Trash! You okay?!"
They hold me, and I pass out in their arms...
...
...
...
The next days are somewhat of a hazy blur.
I have a terrible fever. I can feel my back is grossly swollen, and I have no idea what it looks like.
The pain is... Yeah, it's there alright.
They put me in some sort of makeshift tent with a bunch of dirty trash for bedding.
From time to time a small girl appears to give me something to drink. Some sort of tea made of... Grass?
Grass indeed. It would almost be heartbreaking that she's buying it thinking it's medicine... If only it weren't so funny! Kyahahaha!
And then, there's this voice in my head... Coming and going as it pleases... Not sure if it's just an hallucination, or if I've gone crazy...
Oh, no need to worry about me. I'm just taking a little vacation in your head. Also, what do you mean by going crazy? You've already been quite insane for a while now, right? Now just enjoy the ride.
...
By the way, you should probably go out to get some actual treatment. You are very much going to die if you keep laying atop trash and shit with an infection. Though the sight is quite pleasing! Kyahaha!
Wait, shit?!
I get up by instinct and immediately regret it. I'm burning up and my whole body is screaming.
Yeeesss! Time to go on an aaaadveeeentuuuure!
It might just be a fever dream, but I go along with the crazy voice in my head.
I step out of the tent, into a dirty alleyway next to an open sewer.
Great...
I stumble forward, but the little girl who had been taking care of me catches me before I fall.
"Trash! Feel good? Mebicein good!" She says, in child speech.
"No, the 'medicine' isn't good. At all. I need an actual doctor." I answer, with an emphasis on medicine.
It seems she isn't old enough to use actual words and sentences. Well, it's fine since it's cute.
Also, the pain and fever don't let me do much right now.
"Dactah no coin..."
Oh, yeah... Should've guessed...
Well, I'm fucked then.
You don't need no doctor, just keep walking forward!
And crazy. I'm actually hearing a voice in my head. A woman.
Oh, you faithless little urchin... Do you want to do as I say, or just die in the gutter next to you? I mean, I know what would be funnier, kyahahaha!
"Little shit coin more. Good 'mebidicine'!" She says. It's difficult to understand what she means with my head pounding as it is.
Is she swearing at me? I think she means to go and buy more medicine. At least she almost managed to say it right this time.
Whatever, we're fucked either way. At least I won't take away more money from this little kid. Where is she even getting this money from?
"No, just help me walk for a while."
"No! Sleep! Sleep good! Pain no no!" She says, as If you won't feel pain if you manage to sleep.
Oh, shit, what has she been through so far to say something like that...
The clock is ticking. Tick tock tick tock tick death... Kyahahaha!
"Let's just go." I insist.
"Ok..." And she finally agrees.
Where to go though...?
Forward, onward, don't be a coward!
We stumble out of the alleyway into an ill-lit, dirty street.
Left, left, left, left aaaand then right.
We take one left, two, three and on the fourth we're back at where we started.
I curse as we finally go right.
We keep going, the ground starts to sway, and I wake up at a different place every time I blink.
Now turn around and then go right!
I trip and the little girl falls to the ground with me. It seems she had already been holding my full weight for a while now.
Without saying anything she simply grits her teeth, the ones she has, and gets us both back up. We continue to walk.
I stop hearing the instructions in my head. But we continue to stumble our way through the alleyways and rundown streets.
Now, take two steps right and three left!
I take two steps right and one, two, three---
Kyahahahahahaha!!!!
"Wuh---?!"I fall.
"Trash!!!"
Without me even noticing, we were right next to a ledge.
I don't even feel anything different as I fall. The feeling of floating had been there all along.
But I don't fall much before being caught in someone's arms.
"Whoa! Are you alright, little one?!"
A middle aged man with a goatee.
I finally pass out again.
...
...
...
I wake up a little groggy. In a small room, a bookcase filled with tomes, a small table with some sort of candle over it. I'm lying over a bed and the little girl is lying next to me, fast asleep.
I carefully get up.
I'm fully conscious now, the pain and fever are gone.
The first thing I notice is that I'm small, really. I have about the same size as the little girl. Which is about the same height as this room's table.
I don't have any pain or wound in body, that I can see. Only my back aches from time to time. But considering the fever I had before, or the bullet holes, some little back pain is nothing I'd say.
Where am I though? Not just this place, but this whole unfamiliar city. And this body... Am I even... Me?
Let's just focus on finding out where I am right now. Whose room is this, and why we were brought here. I mean, I know I was dying and someone obviously treated me. But why? What did they want from two dirty urchins with no money...
The door is half open, I walk through it.
I walk into a small corridor, with a few doors. At the end of it there's a huge window with drawings in colored glass---
Stained glass~
That's its name I guess... And assuming I'm not actually crazy, is there really someone talking into my head? Who are you?
But you are crazy! Remember? We've talked about this already... Another sign of your insanity! Fufufuhahahaha!
Yeah, and you are an asshole. Fucking clown.
In a mood now, are we? Just don't forget who lead you here. Imagine, you would have been lying in the gutter right about now! Pft hahaha!
... Ok, thanks for that I guess. But who are you, and why did you lead me here.
Why why why? Why don't you stop asking questions and start moving? You don't even know where you are! And you're wasting time with a voice inside your head? Fufu, good luck with that! Kyahahaha!
*Klang!*
I hear a noise from the end of the corridor, and some faint steps, movement. Still very far. But I should probably take heed of this madwoman's advice.
I carefully walk towards the sound. There's no door at the end of the corridor, instead it bends into another hallway.
Following the path, I eventually reach an opening, leading into the inside of a church.
A grand hall, filled with wooden benches, a distant ceiling covered with paintings, an altar at front and walls covered by--- Uh... Glass stains...?
Close enough~ Hyahaha
At the back of the altar, there's a huge statue, tinged with a few golden lines. As I get closer, I notice a plaque at its base, but I can't make sense of the letters.
Genevieve, the kind goddess of life, harvest and fertility. Which is a bit ironic, if you take a look under her skirt, there's nothing there! She is as smooth as a doll! It's true, I've seen it, believe me... Kyahahahahaha!
Wh-what is this stupid woman talking about---
"Impressive, isn't she?"
I hear a sudden voice behind me, and turn around startled.
A priest with a goatee, I think I saw him before passing out. Must've been the one who helped me.
I didn't even notice him approaching because of this mad voice inside my head...
I know I'm positively enthralling, but don't lose sense of your surroundings thinking about me darling~ Now is a little too soon~ But I'll be waiting. Hyahahahahhaha!
"Goddess Genevieve, mistress of life and healing... Pray for her daily, child, and in her kindness you will live a healthy life, free of injuries and diseases."
Pft, yeah trust the gods, ok. I've heard that one before.
"Are you the one who treated me? Why?"
"Not me, child. Mistress Genevieve is the one who healed you. I'm merely a conduit through which she extends her will."
Oh boy... This is going to be a difficult talk...
Well, I'm not usually one to butt in, buuuuttt he is telling the truth, you know? Goatee priest here did heal you using the mistress of smoothness blessing.
"Can you stop with this smooth shit, already?!"
The priest is startled.
"I'm sorry if my speech offended you, child... I understand if I sounded a bit condescending. I merely wanted to transmit my wholehearted gratitude for my Goddesses' blessings."
Oh, shit... I said that out loud...
Talking to yourself? Weirdo... Kyahahahaha!
Urgh!
"Look, okay. Thank you for the help. I'll repay you someday. Can we go, now?"
"It's the middle of the night now though. Isn't it dangerous---?"
Leave. Now.
Who the---?
Yooo! Smoothie, whatcha doing here~?
And take her with you.
I'm struck by a bright light for a moment, and in the next I'm standing outside the church, holding the little girl with me.
"Well... What in the actual fuck...?"
Hah! Booted out now, huh? You'll get used to it! I did! Though you should actually probably go now. Haha! No, really. Hahahyahaha!
Wait, Genevieve, the goddess of life... Really? Anyways, I'm the one who doesn't want to be here anymore, after all of this crap!
I take the little girl with me, and...
...
Do you remember the way back?
lol I love this guy!