The Fog Room
We are all afraid of the unknown, aren’t we?
The moment I told her that I was next on the list of those who were to go out into the Fog Room, I recognized the fear in her eyes. The Dark Tunnel wasn’t a bad place, but the Fog Room was a whole new story.
The Dark Tunnel was where I was born, so were many others of my tribe. The Dark Tunnel wasn’t the cleanest, but we had all the food we needed. The only problem (I guess??), was that when our time came, we had to venture out into the Fog Room. Legend has it that you will come face to face with the Others in the Fog Room and destiny decides on what happens next.
My ancestors walked the Earth, but we were no longer living alongside the Others. It all came down to the ‘survival of the fittest’ and that had forced us into exile, away from the Others. It never came as a surprise. We could never match their strength, skills, and weapons.
Ulla wasn’t trying to mask the terror that was consuming her as we spoke about the Fog Room. The plain truth was that once you ventured out into the unknown, the chances of you returning ranged from slim to none. When my best friend Edro left, he came back lifeless. Dead. Rua and a few others vanished into thin air. Sometimes there isn’t any closure and life galloped ahead, regardless of our losses. We lived in the present, without questions of what was in store for us.
The Elder One decided on the order in which we left the Dark Tunnel. The Elder himself had ventured into the Fog Room twelve times and was now retired. The leader of the Dark Tunnel, our highest council had now come to me to tell me that it was my time to go out into the Fog Room.
“It won’t be easy, son. The entire place reeks of pain and death.” Shudder.
As the time for me to leave inched closer, I spend more and more time with Ulla. I trusted her with my deepest, darkest thoughts about how I would slay the Others the moment I laid my eyes on them.
“I will avenge all that they have taken away.”
When I finally climbed out of the Dark Tunnel into the Fog Room, it was pitch black. Thank God for my ability to see in the dark. I made my way towards the entrance, wondering real hard about how this place became the Fog Room.
Every single thing that was present in that space was humongous. I inspected each monument-like structure, trying my best to device back up plans as I inched forward.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
I had to be cautious. Danger wasn’t staring me in the face but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t lurking beyond my sight. I sensed the movement right before the space turned bright. I heard distinct sounds. Hissssss. Hissssss. Something was coming for me.
The fog missed me by inches as I turned and changed my course of direction. The unpleasant, nauseating scent wafted through the air but I scurried away and hid behind a wall.
Well, fuck.
Hissssss. Hiisssssssssssss.
This time, it hit me straight in the face. My vision was turning blurrier by the second. The Dark Tunnel. My mother. The council meetings (what?). Ul…la. I dragged my feet as far as they could carry me. No, I will be okay. I have to find my way back home. Back to the Dark Tunnel. Back to all that I held precious. Pain. Everything looked so wrong. This room is becoming smaller and then bigger.. at the same time.
I have to…
“Nina, at this rate we will be running out of cockroach repellent in no time. This fucker is dead. But still.. ew.”
