Of Madness and Nightmares

[Eon Ilem]

There was something to be said about the calm that settled in before a storm. Peaceful in it's own right until you noticed the way even the trees seemed to pause in their dance, breath held in trepidation of what was to come. Everything went quiet on the banks of Kaiju lake, the chorus of birds and the soft slosh of water against the shoreline silenced for just a fraction of a second that felt impossibly longer. True peace settled in, calming and serene, and fleeting. The cracking of the ground was deafening against the heavy absence of sound, erupting in a burst of plush green grass and soil, debris pattering back down in a rain of rocks and mud. Twisted within the explosion was a thick cloud of crimson that billowed from the crumbling earth, oozing outward as if it had a mind of it's own. It was far too dense to be made of smoke or shadows, despite the way tendrils delicately wafted in the sudden winds that brought the trees and the birds back into existence.

One pale hand, then another was soon to follow, curling dirt caked fingers into the earth to pull herself free. The climb had been no easy task, and certainly there had to be much easier ways to crawl her way from the depths but, Eon couldn't be bothered with anything that wasn't going to offer her some level of showboating. A portal or a crack in reality would have done just fine but, where was the fun in that? The hole left in her wake was a one stop drop to the house of Hades, should anyone stumble upon it.Someone might fancy a trip to the underworld. It's lovely this time of year. "One way ticket though..and a long way down." The words were mumbled quietly to herself as she spilled onto the grass before her, dirty face nuzzled into the dew kissed green with a sigh. Usually.

"Usually." Pale as a ghost, hair pitch as midnight, Eon shifted herself to her knees and cast a brilliant blue glance towards the gaping maw beside her. Nothing followed. "Yet." Her tone was far too hopeful, far too eager for what might decide to follow her out. Bare legs were wobbly as she rose, teetering towards the mouth of the hole. The thick red mist found its way to her feet before dissipating back to the hell it had burst its way out of, gone as quick as it came. "Thanks for the ride." A smirk and a glob of spit were sent in after it. That wasn't a big enough scene. "Maybe. But we didn't shut the door. Shows just getting started. Someone is bound to notice we're gone."

The laughter in her head didn't quite make it past her lips, even as they cracked into a chapped, dirt kissed smile. "Funny little thing you are, I am. We?" Finally a chuckle as tired,shaky started their way...somewhere, anywhere. Where the hell was she? Not that it mattered much, anywhere was better than where she started from, up from the below until something came back around to pull her under again. They could sure as shit try. "Who the hell else is laughing in there?" There was no answer this time, just quiet snickering for her ears only. Or maybe it really was out loud and all around her, echoing this way and that. Maybe it was coming from the pit. Eon paused to glance back, half expecting skeletal limbs or hungry, ichor coated jaws to be snapping in her direction. All was calm, all was quiet.

*Doesn't matter. Let's find a snack.* "Oh! Maybe a buffet chocked full of screaming, sweet treats." This time the laughter gurgled its way from her own mouth, following her further away from the lake and the dense forest that would have loved to swallow her whole.