THE STORY

P Y T H O N G A

PHASE 4
WITH FORM

On the coral path Erin's body moved only with slow, rhythmic breaths, and with each breath came a rasping, liquid tone. With each gasp she made, the island creatures became louder, more urgent in their call. 

Erin's mind quietly began to acknowledge partial existence. She felt as though she was in a dream state, an out-of-body experience without the privilege of vision. She felt she was standing inside her head with no light, or sound. The blackness around her was thick and heavy. She was her thoughts, and nothing more. She didn't know that her body was left for dead on a remote path in the middle of nowhere, but she was becoming aware of her mind opening an inconceivable reality. Although she had no idea where she was, she sensed she was not alone and could not conceive what else might be in such a place. 

An indiscernible amount of time went by when a form began to appear, but here was nothing to judge it's size, or distance from her. There was nothing but darkness. An occasional wave of a most offensive, foul odor pierced through her. She wondered if this was the stench of death. The form seemed closer. She wondered if she could reach toward it to see if it was real, but she was not aware if her body followed her to this rancid nightmare. 

She made an effort to raise her hand in front of her face, but there was only a shimmering spiral of sapphire light that moved gracefully around her. It was brief, but she realized then that she could move. She took a small step forward. She had no idea if it would feel like a step she had so often taken for granted, pain, or nothing at all. It was none of those things. It was an absolute sense of power. She took another step, and with each effort the power grew and the sapphire shimmer of her form became brighter. She found the more she moved the stronger she became, and her body began to take on a more distinct shape. As she took another step the spiraling sapphire color remained constant, sharpening her every curve. 

She looked for the form. When it was still it was the same as she was, an indistinct in shape, but different from the darkness that surrounded them. When it moved though, it had a dull glimmer of a polluted color she had never seen before. 

She searched the void for it, but it was nowhere to be seen. As she began to turn, an unimaginable wretched odor engulfed her. It filled her with the essence of everything evil. It possessed every element of infection, and all that is mangled with putrid death. It was the odor of all sins, pure evil, and it was breathing it's foul, stagnant breath on the back of her neck.