for the sake of insanity

ii. f a t h o m l e s s

ii. f a t h o m l e s s

With a gasp, Adelia opens her eyes.

"Kaius," she breathes, pushing herself onto her elbows. A groan escapes her lips as the quick movement sends pain rippling through her head. Adelia grips her head and presses her eyes together, trying to alleviate the pain.

Black spots dance in front of her eyes as the pain seems to gather at her temples. Her back arches and Adelia falls back to the ground, curling into a ball.

Leaves crumple near her and a sob escapes Adelia's lips. An unfamiliar face looms in front of hers, watching her carefully. She can't make out who it is; her gaze is still too blurry. Gods above, Adelia was going to get eaten by a zombie. Of all the ways she had expected to go, this was not it.

She can't move, as hard as she tries, and Adelia has no choice but let the person slip their hands underneath her.

"Kaius?" she mutters weakly as her eyes drift closed. She has the sensation of being lifted before she falls unconscious altogether.

___

The sounds of a kitchen are the first thing Adelia hears when she wakes up. Running water hitting the bottom of cups, the shuffle of feet across a concrete floor. Adelia shifts slightly, trying to gauge her surroundings. A thin canvas sheet rests on top of her, acting as some sort of blanket.

Where in Tantus am I?

Adelia is torn between pretending to still sleep or wake up and confront the person who had brought her here, when the decision is made for her.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up, darling."

Adelia's lips press together as she opens her eyes and sits up slowly, noting that all her pain has gone. Sitting opposite her is a woman, her voluminous white skirts taking up the length of a couch. Despite the gray in the woman's hair and the slight wrinkles that line her face, Adelia can only guess at how old the woman is.

"I have to find my friend," Adelia says quietly, and the weight of these words sink into her, causing her to sit up urgently. "Have you seen him?"

Her mind takes her back to Kaius' last words. She must have dreamt that. There was no possible way that Nevrone's voice could have come from Kaius' lips. Complete Phase One. Effect, excellent. What in Tantus could that mean?

"Calm down, little one," the woman laughs. She nods towards the table next to Adelia, laden with sandwiches and a pot of tea. Adelia's stomach grumbles looking at the food, and she sends a darting look towards the woman. She's not stupid. Adelia knows that there is something very wrong, but doesn't know what.

"I'll go tend to the fire while you eat," the woman says kindly, gathering her white skirts and bending down next to the fireplace. "I'm sure you're cold."

With a start, Adelia realises that this cottage was the same one she had left not so long ago, the woman adding to the fire from the same pile of sticks Adelia had collected herself. Where had all this furniture come from? Where was this woman before?

Adelia is filled with questions, but she has the feeling that this woman will not answer any.

She reaches towards a sandwich hesitantly. The woman turns from the fire and watches her eagerly. "Go ahead, darling. It is all quite safe to eat. See?"

The woman demonstrates, reaching for a sandwich and biting into it herself. She offers Adelia a charming smile.

Adelia's will breaks and she reaches for the plate. A subtle check of the food reveals no poisons, so she takes a bite. The flavours spread across her tongue so sweetly she almost groans.