AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Something crashes on the glass outside and my hopes soar. I hope it’s M’ijel, but I would takeanythingright about now.
It gives me the motivation I need to hold on just a little bit longer and not breathe.
It takes three solid strikes before the glass gives way and the sand spills out. I’m coughing and spluttering before I’m even fully free and manage to breathe in a bunch of sand granules.
I lay there for a moment, motionless and useless.
But my relief is short-lived as a thick pair of tentacles enter my vision.
And my heart sinks. It’s not M’ijel. It’s him — my captor.
His eyes lock onto mine, and the look of surprise on his face quickly turns to anger. He grabs me by the collar and drags me up onto my feet.
I am a victim once more.
M’ijel
Emerging from my cramped hiding place, I feign fear, a facade to mask my newfound understanding of the situation.
The beast that I believed was hunting me is merely a figment, a creation of the mindflares’ sinister manipulation. As reality flickers, I catch glimpses of the true architects of my terror: the mindflares themselves.
They are grotesque creatures, their appearance sending a shiver of revulsion down my spine. Each mindflare has short, writhing tentacles surrounding its mouth, moving with an eerie, hypnotic rhythm. Their skin is a pallid, sickly color, their eyes glowing with dark, malevolent intelligence.
As they inch closer, their tentacles twitch in anticipation, seemingly eager to latch onto me. I can feel them attempting to nibble at my ankles. They manipulate their prey, toy with it, just so they can consume it. Often while it’s still alive and breathing.
I need them to get closer, to give me a chance to seize one of them.
Their telepathic powers are overwhelming, an unrelentingassault on my mind. They conjure illusions, fears, and memories, each more vivid and terrifying than the last. The boundary between what’s real and what’s fabricated becomes increasingly blurred under their influence.
Despite their efforts, I cling to the fragments of reality, using my healing ability to counter their mental onslaught. But the mindflares are cautious, their movements quick and calculated. They circle around me, their tentacles almost brushing against my skin.
The tension is palpable, a game of cat and mouse where the roles are constantly shifting.
I need to be patient, to wait for the right moment to act. The mindflares are cunning, aware of their vulnerability should they venture too close.
I steady my breathing, focusing on the task at hand. My muscles are tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
The mindflares continue their circling, their telepathic attacks unyielding. But I sense a hesitation in their movements, a wariness born of their own survival instincts.
The moment to strike will be fleeting, a brief opportunity that I must seize. My entire body is coiled like a spring, ready to unleash upon one of these nightmarish creatures.
The stakes are high, and failure is not an option. Zoey is out there, depending on me, and I cannot let her down again.
As the mindflares draw nearer, the air thick with the tension of our standoff, I prepare myself. This could be my only chance to capture one, to turn the tide in this mental battle.
I wait, biding my time, every sense attuned to the movements of the mindflares. One false move, one moment of overconfidence on their part, and I’ll strike.
The anticipation is almost unbearable, the pressuremounting with each passing second. But I remain focused, determined. Imustsnare one of these mindflares.
In this desperate game of survival, I make a calculated choice. Allowing one of the mindflares to bite me, I steel myself for the pain.
Its tentacles latch onto my ankle, and I feel its teeth sink into my flesh. The pain is excruciating, a searing agony that threatens to overwhelm my senses. But I must endure, must maintain the facade of this false reality they’ve woven around me.
As the first mindflare feeds, its eyes rolling back in a grotesque display of satisfaction, the others sense their apparent victory.
They drift closer, eager not to miss out on what they perceive as a delicious meal. The sight of these creatures, so confident in their triumph, stirs a cold fury within me.
I wait for the right moment, the mindflare fully engrossed in feeding, unsuspecting of my impending retaliation. Then, in one swift, fluid motion, I grab the creature by its throat and yank it violently from my ankle. I hoist it into the air, cutting off its escape.
