Page 24 of Fallacies

Six, seven, eight.

Ribbons of my power are thrown in each direction like lassos, a tether from me to my illusions, but it feels more like a thin string. A string that needs to be kept taut or else the illusions will falter, and I’ll go from moving silently to the loudest thing in this room.

The problem is, I’m already running on fumes, close to empty on all fronts—mentally, physically, emotionally. My heartbeat is set firm at a jumpy, erratic pace that I have zero control over anymore, and no amount of deep breaths can calm me down.

Twelve, thirteen, fourteen.

I move as quickly as I can, but each step feels as if someone is clinging to my ankles. Sweat pours from every inch of my body, and I’m just over halfway when I stumble, falling forward into the mud.

It takes effort to peel my shoulders off the surface, and when I do, I freeze, slowly taking my fingers out of my ears.

Moving only my eyes around the room, I watch in horror as my illusions blink out of existence, taking the distraction of their screams with them. Then, as if it couldn’t get worse, both creatures have disappeared.

My pulse is a ravaged beast in my ears, pounding faster as the eerie silence swells, and my uncontainable breaths echo off the stone.

The mud shifts around me.

I throw my hands out, desperate to bring back my illusions, but I’m not faster than the long, bony fingers that grip my legs and drag me under the surface.

I have no time to draw a proper breath, instantly thrashing in its grip as the mud swallows me whole. I fight for purchase with everything I have, digging my nails into the thick clay along the bottom, but their claws just sink deeper, ripping at the skin around my legs.

I can’t see anything through the muck as I’m dragged across the floor, my lungs void of all oxygen. I thrash and tug on its hold, kicking with as much fight as I can conjure.

It’s by some miracle that I’m able to force one of my legs free, managing to get a good kick in. At the impact of my foot on its side, I pull myself towards the creature, grabbing the clawed hand wrapped around my calf. I heat my palms until they’re scalding, cringing at the sensation of my fingers melting through the thick skin of the creature’s wrist.

From the surface, I hear a shriek, and then it yanks its hand away, forfeiting its grip on me.

I shoot up for air in one quick motion, but freeze when I get to the surface. My lungs shrivel from the breath I’m denying them, but both creatures have shot up too—one a few feet behind me and the other only inches from my right side.

I need a breath, any breath I can get, but they’ll hear me. I’m sure of it. So, I hold it even though my head pounds and my throat burns. I hold it even as spots dance across my vision.

I roll my eyes to the left. The exit is only ten feet away. It’s not like I can outrun them; the mud is too thick, and their bodies are obviously made to move through it without hindrance. For me, it’s quicksand, but for them, it’s water.

I raise an open palm, as silent as I’m able, and face it towards the far end of the pit. My magic is an extension of my hand, scooping up a ball of mud in the far corner and raising it to the ceiling. With the point of my finger, it plummets, making enough of a splash for both creatures to sprint after it.

My inhale is euphoric, oxygen spreading quickly to my brain and the rest of my body.

I move faster than I’ve ever moved before, the sound of me scrambling away drowned out by their splashing to get to the other side⁠—

It falls silent again.

Godsdammit, I’m so close. Only a few more feet.

There’s movement in the muck around me, and I slowly lift my eyes as one of the creatures rises no more than a few inches in front of my face, blocking me from the edge of the pit.

It turns its head from side to side, and I do my best to remain frozen, afraid to even blink.

I flip my palm, slowly, mindful of the movement, using magic to pull up more scoops of mud. I send them flying across the pit, smacking the stone wall on the far side, and the creature takes the bait, diving towards the sound. I make a break for it.

Four feet.

Three feet.

The second creature springs from the mud, rushing towards me with its long, dangly arms outstretched. I duck out of its reach, abandoning all magic as I grab two fistfuls of mud, feeling it squelch between my fingers. I’m up and ready by the time it circles back around. It lunges forward, arms reaching out.

I let it pass me, then I spring up out of the mud behind it, smashing my muddy handfuls into its ears.

The pale creature roars, whirling around to the spot I’d been standing in, but I’ve already started moving, frantically pulling myself towards the exit. My heart is a wild beast in my chest, and adrenaline is the only thing giving power to my limbs.