The Sun Never Sets | Chapter 1 - Cold and Dark

In which a Victorian lady wakes in a world not her own, and discovers that some nightmare's are very real.  Fortunately, shadows can not exist without the light, and there are always those who are willing to help.

Chapter 1 - Cold and Dark

It was like a nightmare, yet it was too surreal for her to be scared at all. As she walked she almost felt like she was floating on a thick cloud, and everything sounded so dull, like she was hearing it through water. Even the rain that beat against her skin was so gentle that it might just be a figment of her imagination. All it really needed was the howl of a wolf, and then the scene would be complete.

As such Alice could only assume that she was dreaming.

She found herself in the middle of what she presumed to be a village. She could recognise the buildings around her as houses, although they had a curious architecture that she had never seen before. Well, they used to be houses anyway, most were now little more than ruins, their walls broken and blackened by fire. The fires weren't burning now though, in fact the only light came from the full moon hanging high in the sky, which illuminated everything with a startling clarity.

Past the buildings in every direction all she could see was forest, lines of trees that covered everything beneath them in thick shadows.

Something terrible had evidently happened here.

She was dressed only in her nightgown, which was odd, because she would never go outside so scandalously dressed. Then again this was a dream, so she supposed it made some sense. After all, if she was dreaming that meant she was in bed, and if she was in bed then she should be wearing her night clothes.

Her bare feet squelched in the sodden, water-logged dirt as she began to move.

Alice picked her way through the remains of theses strange buildings, curious as to what may have happened here. She didn't fear pricking her finger on a nail or a splinter of wood, for this was a dream, and if it was too painful then surely it would just wake her up.

As she explored a strong breeze picked up, and ruffled the leaves of the trees surrounding her. Together with the rain, it sounded like the hushed whispers of a thousand voices coming from all around her. The sound sent a little chill down her spine, and she shivered.

This is just a dream, she told herself.

Yet the walls of the very first house she chose to explore were covered in dark stains, and she shivered again as some deep part of her recoiled at the sight of them. Yet she pressed on, determined not to be stymied by mere stains. However, despite herself, she could feel a heavy weight settle in the bottom of her stomach, and her throat felt a little dry.

As it transpired, the door to the building didn't swing open on hinges, but rather slid across as though on rails. For just a second this was enough to distract her from the rising sense of dread she felt, until she saw what the door had concealed.

The inside of the small building was but a single room, one that was in complete chaos, with broken fragments of wood and pottery strewn everywhere; and in the centre of it all were two bodies, both unmistakably dead. One body was small, tiny, unmistakably a child, the other was presumably that of its parent. A mother or a father, she couldn't tell which, because the two had been hacked to ribbons, almost beyond all recognition.

A dream, she told herself again. It's all just a dream.

Yet despite her own thoughts, she found herself overwhelmed. Her stomach clenched painfully, and her chest tightened so much that she could barely breath. She felt warm, and there was an overpowering stench of decay in the air.

A scream tore from her throat, then without thinking she threw herself back through the doorway, and landed on her knees in the mud outside. For an unknowable amount of time she just knelt there, sucking in great lungfuls of clean, fresh air, trying to keep herself from retching. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, as she tried to regain her composure. The comforting fog that had enveloped her mere moments before was now gone, and she suddenly felt very cold. The rain was now like ice as it beat down on her, and the wind was freezing as it caressed her skin. She was suddenly very aware that her nightgown was soaked through, and that it was clinging to her uncomfortably.

Then there was another noise, and at first it was so quiet that she almost missed it. It sounded like the creaking of old wood, and the sound her father's calvary sabre made when he rattled it.

The feeling in her stomach was almost too much to bear as she raised her gaze, and what she saw turned her blood to ice. Two more bodies, little more than skeletal figures with scraps of rotten flesh clinging to the bone, and rags of cloth were draped loosely over their remains. In their hands were clutched the broken, jagged remains of metal blades, and both of them stared at her with dark, hollow eyes.

For just a moment everything was still as she stared back, and then they moved!

Another scream tore from her throat, as every instinct in her body screamed at her to flee. Run she did, almost stumbling over herself in her haste to get away.

Alice ran right into the forest that surrounded the village, her body powered by the raw fear that coursed through her. She ran for what felt like a very long time, but it wasn't long before she began to tire. Her bare feet slapped painfully against the wet, squishy mud, and her legs soon felt like they were made of lead. Her lungs began to burn as they fought for every breath, and she started to feel a little light-headed; but she kept running.

The light of the full moon was filtered through the canopy of leaves above her, casting a web of shadows down on her. Sharp branches and brambles clawed at her gown and hair as she ran, like skeletal fingers grasping to grab hold of her.

Alice continued to run until the inevitable happened. Eventually her body was not able to take any more, and her legs gave out from under her, as most of her strength seemed to melt away. Despite this she kept trying to pull herself forward. Her fingers dug into the soft ground, and the mud soaked into her nightgown as she tried to drag herself onward. Panic and fear clutched at her heart, as she tried to will herself to keep moving. Her teeth were clenched as she exerted all of the strength she had left.

Yet it was all for nothing, for in that moment she could feel them behind her, and hear the creaking of their bones over the sound of the wind and rain. With some considerable effort she managed to flip herself over, and flop on to her back. The sight of those monsters stalking towards her with the dark voids of their eyes staring right at her, robbed her of the last of her strength.

“N-no,” she whispered. “Please...”

However her pleas went unheard, as neither creature hesitated in its approach. Alice's throat went very dry, and she was struck by a sudden sense of vertigo, as she was hit with the absolute certainty that she was going to die.

Then suddenly the forest was illuminated as a bright light erupted in front of her, and an intense warmth dispelled the cold. Both of the creature's released an unearthly wail that pierced right to the centre of her skull as they were set ablaze, and for a moment it was all she could do to sit there, dumbfounded, as both the skeletal figures were consumed by the flames.

Then somebody was standing above her, and Alice's heart almost stopped, as backlit by the flames as they were, it took a second for her to realise they were human. The figure spoke in a language she didn't understand, but their voice was most definitely feminine. They spoke again, clearly impatient, and extended a hand towards the prone girl.

There was a beat, before Alice reached out to take the offered hand.

With surprising strength the woman hauled her to her feet, and began to pull her forward. Their hands remained firmly clasped as they fled through the overgrowth, the stranger dragging her on, and Alice stumbling along behind her on legs that threatened to fail again. She didn't even try to resist, her mind was such a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions, she found it difficult to concentrate on anything but not falling down again.

The two of them ran wordlessly, Alice was far too out of breath to even think about talking anyway; but as they went the whispering around them became louder, and even more incessant. Soon the two of them reached an opening that was carved into the side of a small, rocky cliff face. The entrance to the cave had a length of rope hung across it, rather like she had seen them do with some of the doors in the museum she had visited with her father. She could see a flickering light coming from within, a sign of a fire.

However, Alice didn't even get a second to catch her breath, as the woman shoved her unceremoniously into the cave, before ducking under the rope herself.

The change in atmosphere was immediate and dramatic, as soon as she was across the threshold she began to feel much warmer, and the whispering finally stopped. Being out of the rain and next to the fire could account for the former, but she could not fathom what could silence those voices so completely. Not that it mattered overly much, she was just grateful to still be alive. For a few seconds she just lay on the hard ground, taking her fill of air, and basking in the feeling of complete safety and warmth.

Alice didn't move again until she heard the crunching sound of footsteps against the ground, and raised her head just in time to see her saviour kneel down on a pile of blankets.

Recognising a good idea when she saw one, Alice managed to right herself long enough to haul herself over to the flames, where she promptly all but fell back onto her rear. The warmth of the fire was a much needed relief, as she was suddenly very aware of how drenched she was, and she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to warm herself further. Then something soft fell on top of her, and she looked up just in time to see the woman walking away. Alice smiled as she grabbed the edges of the blanket, and pulled it firmly around herself.

“Thank you,” she said.

The woman gave no reply, but that was fine. Once she had gotten the blanket in a position she was satisfied with, she looked over at the other woman, and almost jumped out of her skin. She was staring at her intently, almost unblinkingly, and it was terribly unnerving to be looked at in the same way her father often looked at his clients. Those big, brown eyes were piercing and probing, as though they were looking straight into her soul.

After recovering from that small shock, Alice took the opportunity to examine the other woman in turn. She had a somewhat oriental look about her, she thought, so she was clearly from the far east. Her long black hair ran halfway down her back, but was matted and unkempt, and clearly hadn't been treated properly in a little while. She was also wearing odd clothes that Alice had never seen before; what looked like a white robe tucked into a red skirt. It was not a combination she could say she had ever seen before, but she was not so crass as to start criticising the fashion choices of the woman who had just saved her life.

Their little staring contest lasted a handful of minutes, until Alice suddenly remembered something; her manners. She should probably introduce herself properly, in the way that had been drilled into her by her old governess, and again during her years in finishing school.

Although she did not feel like it, she struggled back to her feet, and was relieved to find her legs were much more willing to cooperate. Then she took hold of the edges of her nightgown, and winced as the fabric squelched beneath her fingers. Then she bent her knees and dipped into a curtsy, inclining her head as she went. She lowered herself as much as she felt she could, trying to do this whole thing properly. This woman had just saved her life, after all.

“Thank you,” she said, and almost jumped at the sound of her own voice.

Alice maintained her position for a couple of minutes, but when no reply was forthcoming she began to feel a little indignant. She raised her head, and found the other woman staring back at her with her brow furrowed in confusion.

It took Alice a second to realise what the problem was.

Ah, the foreign girl speaks a foreign tongue, obviously. Although, given everything she had seen she was clearly a long way from home, so perhaps she was the foreign girl here?

She shook her head, because that wasn't the immediate issue here. She felt the butterflies begin to flutter about in her stomach, as she tried to conjure a solution to this problem.

“Merci pour votre aide,” she tried instead.

When the other woman's expression remained unchanged she sighed. Unfortunately, French was as far as her linguistic skills extended.

Then her new acquaintance rose to her feet, and bowed. How curious, she had never seen a woman bow in such a way before, not as a form of greeting, at least. When the woman spoke Alice thought she had a wonderful voice, very soft and smooth; it was just too bad she had no idea what she was saying.

Feeling her legs begin to tremble beneath her again, Alice quickly righted herself, as she tried to think this problem through. Unfortunately, no solution occurred to her.

An awkward silence hung in the air between the two of them, as they went back to staring at each other, and the butterflies in Alice's stomach were really starting to spread their wings now. However, the foreign girl suddenly moved, placed a hand on top of her own chest, and opened her mouth to speak again.

“Chiyo,” she said.

Cassandra blinked once, twice, and then she understood. The name felt strange and awkward on her lips as she tried to repeat it, and she was sure that she must have butchered it horribly. However, when her efforts were met by the other woman gently inclining her head, she smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she quickly imitated the other woman's – Chiyo's – move of placing her hand on her own chest, and saying her name.

“Alice,” she stated.

Chiyo just stared at her for a moment, before slowly, hesitantly moving her lips.

Honestly, the way that Chiyo pronounced her name was a little off, but it was still recognisable, so Alice enthusiastically nodded her head anyway. Chiyo smiled brightly at her approval, and it made such a wonderful contrast with her normal serious expression, that Alice decided right then and there that she should try to bring it out more often.

No more words passed between the two of them after that, because any attempt at conversation would surely have proven fruitless. It wasn't long before before Alice began to feel tired, and it quickly became a struggle to keep her eyes open.

Something warm enveloped her, and she opened her eyes just enough to see that the thin, red blanket had been draped over her shoulders again. She smiled up at her new companion, and said:

“Thank you.”

Then she closed her eyes again, and seconds later she was asleep.

- - -

Chiyo stayed up for a while after Alice had fallen asleep, although it wasn't to keep watch, the Ofuda would keep this place safe for tonight. Once the morning came however … well, she would deal with that in the morning. Although, now she did have someone else to worry about, but that was fine. As a miko, attending to the weary and unfortunate was part of her duties.

Her eyes drifted over to where the foreigner was sleeping, her red hair almost blending into the fabric wrapped around her body, she had never seen such oddly bright hair before. She wondered where she had come from, and how she had gotten here? When she had first heard the screams she thought she had imagined them, Chiyo had been certain that there had been no other living person in the area apart from her, not since ... and the foreigner was not even able to speak their language, so she probably hadn't been here for very long.

Most importantly, could she leave by the same method the foreigner had used to arrive?

She shrugged, it didn't matter, and she had no real way of asking anyway. For now she should just focus on survival, for the both of them, escape could come after that. However this girl had come to be here, Chiyo could take some comfort in the fact that she wasn't alone any more.

As she watched, Alice stirred and mumbled something in her sleep, before quickly settling back down again. Unfortunately, she didn't understand any of the words.

Chiyo settled herself down against her blankets, and closed her eyes. Tomorrow could prove to be gruelling, she should rest up whilst she still could. It was odd to think that lying in this cave was the most comfort she might get for a while, but she should make the most of it. After all, who knew what hardships she would need to endure after tonight?

Despite her best efforts sleep would take a long time to come, and when it did her dreams would be troubled by strange visions.

- - -

The next morning dawned overcast and dark, and Alice was convinced that it would soon start raining again. Strangely the prospect of such foul weather did not depress her as much as it usually did, but perhaps that was just because she had other things to feel miserable over. Not only had she not eaten for some time, but only now was the reality of her situation starting to sink in.

She supposed that part of her must have still be assuming that this was all a dream, and that she would wake up warm and comfortable at home, in her own bed. Yet here she was, in this little cave, in a strange land, and her only companion was someone she could not even hold a conversation with. Not to mention those dreadful creatures, what sort of godless sorcery had created those terrible things?!

Thankfully her stomach growled as her hunger attempted to assert itself, before her thoughts could travel much further down that dark path.

Fortunately, her new companion was on top of things in that regard.

Breakfast, such as it was, consisted of a bowl full of white rice, and a cup of water. Not the most fanciful of meals, but in that moment she was far too hungry to care. The only problem was that there was no spoon or fork with which to eat her meagre meal, only a pair of little sticks laid neatly across the top of the bowl.

She was not so foolish that she did not realise that these were eating utensils of some kind, but she had no way of asking her impromptu hostess how they were supposed to work. As such she elected to simply watch her new companion, examining the way her nimble fingers manipulated them. When in Rome, and all that. Unfortunately, watching alone was not enough, and she still lost a little of her meal to the ground. In the end, she raised the bowl to her lips, and tried to consume the rice almost like she was drinking it.

When she had finished, she found Chiyo staring at her, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly; and she had to fight down the childish urge to stick out her tongue.

The cups were similarly curious, in that they had no handles. Fortunately, it was much easier to imitate the intended style of drinking, with one hand grasping the cup, and the other cupping the bottom. The water was slightly warm but still invigorating, it seemed her thirst had been much worse than she had realised, and the back of her throat was a little raw. She had never been so thankful for simple water.

Once the two of them had finished with breakfast, they began to pack; or rather, Chiyo packed, whilst Alice just sort of stood there uselessly, watching the other woman pack her few meagre possessions into a couple of draw-string bags. When she was finished packing she handed one of the bags to Alice, who took it without question, it seemed to least she could do.

Still, she was in two minds about leaving, as going back out there with those monsters seemed like a supremely bad idea. Then again, it was not like they could stay holed up in this cave forever, withering away as they slowly consumed what little supplies they had. She sighed, it wasn't as though she could articulate an argument in a way the other woman would understand, so these thoughts were pointless anyway.

As such she simply slung the bag over her shoulder, and followed Chiyo back into the cold light of day.

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