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It's him again.

A disfigured, disgusting, vile creature sheathed in a black velvet cloak: the midnight sky dark and starless between the twists of the trees. I shudder, my gritted teeth rattling past my lips and my skin shivering in the black. My shirt sleeves are rolled to my elbows, revealing taut, protruding veins that snake up my forearms: twilight clouds before my pale moon skin. The cold scrapes at my body like a rabid animal's teeth.

 I wait.

I recognise this place as one that has haunted my nightmares since I was young. Where dark things would hide in the shadows and then rip my skin with claws and torment my soul with empty eyes.

This Place was my living hell. 

But after countless nights of Walking to Places much, much worse: I no longer screamed when I opened my eyes to this dark clearing.

The unmovable roots of the ancient trees have crawled across the forest floor and curled around my ankles- long before I came here. 

Someone was ready for me. 

I know I'm Walking, because of the pain, if nothing else. At first, I feel lost and wrong, thoughts loose ends that never knit together- and so, at that time, the ache in my bones is the only immediate warning sign. I suppose it makes sense: if being separated from your body didn't hurt, I'd be a bit concerned. 

As the shadow gets closer to where I stand, the pain worsens, slowly shredding all the nerves deep under my skin. I fight to stand straight, my hands forced into trembling fists at my side. I will not run; I will not hide.

It slides through the trees, long, twisted limbs running through the leaves with a sickening grace. Its eyes are empty eye sockets bruised and blackened. My skin crawls.

"William Delain," It hisses in a scratchy tongue, folding itself into a crouch. It tilts its skull as it stares up at me, mouth opening and closing feverishly revealing a dark black cavern of a mouth.

"Vadaslin." I spit, mouth twisting with rotten memories. There's a flash of white fangs behind its top lip as it grins. 

I've grown, and things are different: now I know, there's no need to fear Vadaslin, anymore. But a part of me- a scared, young part of me -hasn't forgotten the fear I used to harbour for this Place and his monstrous face.   

My back suddenly arches, snapping. I bite my lip, this final climax of pain all too familiar. I count my breaths, reminding myself that in five seconds there will be no pain at all. So many have tried to explain the excruciating pain that I feel when Walking, but I've never really been convinced by any one of them. 

I growl quietly, desperately grasping for control.

"You come all alone again, boy?" While it hisses, I can finally feel it: relief. My skin no longer ripples with pain but with power.

When I Walk, I arrive like I've just risen from the dead: half fainting and weak. But the longer I stay, the more energy I leech from the ground and the heartbeats in this Place.

"Dark things lurk Here in this Place. Dark, dark, dark, dark-" I hold up a hand, silencing it. An undeniable power radiates from my palm and ties the tongue of the creature. A low growl escapes it's throat.

"I am oldest of this Place, William Delain. Just because you are a Walker of my world does not mean you can silence me." It spits. 

"What do you want with me Here?"

The demon makes a confused sound. "I did not summon you here, tonight, William." 

"You're saying this-" I gesture grandly to the roots that fasten me to the forest floor. "isn't your work?"

A short, raspy sound comes from the creature, and I realise it's a laugh. "Perhaps it is the Earth children who have business with you, Walker."

I watch uncomfortably as it creeps closer to where I stand, a thin, pale hand reaching out to me from beneath it's cloak. Its disturbingly human-like fingers tremble as it presses a fingertip to the roots that snake up my shins. "Most peculiar..."

"If you have summoned me for no reason, Vadaslin, you know I am of right to leave yours willingly and whenever I want." I remind it not without threat. 

The demons dark eyes narrow into slits. "I told you, Walker, it was not I, who summoned you." I watch it warily as it lurks around my ankles.

"What would I want with you, boy?" It asks in a queer manner. 

"I thought maybe you missed my charms and good-looks." I smirk. The creature scoffs and drags a hand along the dirt, it's eyes lifting and boring into me. My blood grows cold.

"No, no, no, no, no, William Delain. Many new faces and new ones roam this Rip, perhaps they want to see the Caminarey for themselves..." Vadaslin's voice melts around the foreign word, mischief laced in the words. I furrow my eyebrows.

"Caminarey?" I repeat in the same tone, confused.

The demon's crippled hand retreats back from the roots and into it's cloak, head bowing. "That is what they call you." It says in a dark, different voice. 

I try to move forward but am stopped by the roots snaking my ankles. I take a knife from my pocket and begin sawing at them with the keen edge, gritting my teeth.

"Who? Who calls me that?" I glance up to see Vadaslin retreating back into the shadows. The wind lifts, the cruel rush of air whipping my damp hair from my forehead.

"Not many have walked Here or Anywhere for years, you must know." It whispers, body scraping along the leaf-ridden earth. "Your human days are years for us, and so it seems like thousands to me since the last Caminarey passed over to this Place." 

As I step free of the roots they burn away, gold ashes caught up in the air. I'm too distracted to notice. 

"Some fear the ones like you, William Delain." It takes a shuddering breath, eyes flashing. "Maybe the one who summoned you Here fears you, young one. The Caminareys are known for their dark power. Whispers of you are spreading like wildfire, boy. And some would love to burn our worlds down with the power you have inside of you."

Vadaslin becomes another tone to the dark, it's form now completely obscured by the night. I only just hear it's last whisper.

"Dark shadows are wrapped around you, William Delain." I hear the wicked grin in its voice. "How long until they suffocate you, I wonder."

[comment below if you liked this or if you want this to be updated! any thoughts, advice or comments are much appreciated, Martha X ]