The dead, unnatural earth was cold. We walked and walked out of a shared false hope in a straight line, keeping an eye out for anything other than clouds of dust. We walked some more, our faith slowly decreasing. Then, we started to get tired. We started to get hungrier. but our exhaustion was short-lived. 

We were just thinking of turning back when something struck the back of my head. The last thing I remember was the world spinning before everything went black.

     I don't know how much later it was, but I eventually opened my eyes. Or I thought I did. All I saw was darkness. Complete pitch black. Complete silence. I was laying on my back on the cold floor. When I tried to sit up, I realized that my wrists were tied together, my ankles as well. I was wondering what had happened when I heard a rustling sound, then a sharp intake of breath. 

"Wha-" A voice whispered. The sound of quick, short breaths echoed against the walls. 

"Crystal?!" An all too familiar voice called out. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Patrick!"

"Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm alive, I guess."

"Me too."

"Not for long," another voice said. I heard a sound like fingers snapping. 

     All of a sudden, I was free of my restraints. I was sitting in a cold metal chair with a white fold-out table in front of me. The room I was in had dingy gray walls, like the workhouse but with more shadows. In some spots, splotches of red were spattered against the stone. A single lamp hung over my head and I saw the long, dark shadow of someone standing in the doorway.  

"Who are you?" I asked. My voice shook.

"I am a force greater than any of you puny humans. I am the one that will someday rule this world and bring this fixer-upper of a planet to its full potential." A deep feminine voice said with power. "I am called Vera, and I thought I had successfully rid this planet of the weaker population - until now."

Vera stepped into the light. She looked human - almost. She had tanned skin with electric blue eyes and golden hair that hung down to her waist. She wore a dark purple cape over a long black dress. A belt wrapped around her midsection that had a glowing green stone in the center. She was tall and thin, and she emitted power and grace.

 "Are you going to kill me?" I asked shakily.

Vera pondered this before saying, "Maybe, if I feel like it. But for now," she rested her hand on the table and leaned forward. "I plan to put you through a lifetime of torture and darkness that will drive you into madness as you think about the mistake you've made by trying to defy my power." Her face was inches from mine.

"Crystal, where are you?!" Patrick's voice echoed. Had he encountered Vera yet? 

Her head turned towards his voice in surprise. She slowly turned back to me, smiled an evil smile, and with a snap of her fingers, she was gone.