Chromatober's Writing

14: Shelter (Wrong Beginning)

Sabre felt himself relax slightly the moment he crossed from the field to the woods. Shadows stretched across the land, making it hard to see ahead. Sabre loved it. If he couldn't see, that meant no one else could. It was his camouflage as he fled the Yellow Kingdom.

As he fled Nightmare.

So far, it's only been a week after he left Nightmare and Assist- Dark, yet each day had fear filling him. Nightmare definitely knew he was gone by the morning he left, and Sabre knew he wouldn't give up searching for him.

Which meant Sabre had to continue on. It didn't matter if his entire body was sore or his stomach was sending nausea throughout his body. He couldn't stop even as he began to cough more and more as the days added up. Sabre had to continue.

The nighttime air was freezing, sending shivers across his body. Even with the extra layers he had on, the chill still persisted, numbing his extremities to where they tingle constantly. That, or they would go numb with pinpricks being the only thing he could feel.

Sabre sneezed, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. At least it warms up slightly during the day, making it easier to sleep. Of course he chose to flee as it was becoming winter.

A branch caught on his bag, tugging him backwards. Sabre grumbled as he fumbled with the strap, fingers almost completely unfeeling to what he was touching. It made the process harder than it should have been.

The bag's strap came untangled, leaving him to continue on, only to trip over a tree root. The muddy ground—for it rained last night— soaked into his clothes and made him yelp at the coldness.

He pushed himself up, using the tree to help himself up as his entire body shook with the strain. He ended up leaning against the tree as he coughed, his lungs racking his entire body. They were warm with pain by the end of thing coughing fit.

Sabre wasn't sure if it was a delayed reaction to some experiment Nightmare did, or if he caught something as he tried to find some civilization. All Sabre knew was that the longer he stayed out here, the worse he's going to get.

He let out a few more coughs; They ended quicker than the last fit.

He has to find some shelter before daybreak. He already had to sleep in a tree twice now, and he really didn't want to do it a third time. A cave or something he could sleep in.

Sabre wiped his palms on his cloak, streaking mud down it. Not like it mattered, since he was covered in mud. Each step he took let out a squelch. He shivered when a light breeze blew through the air. Sabre let out another sneeze, wiping his nose with his sleeve once more.

Cold stung his face when he accidentally smeared mud on his face, making him grumble quietly to himself. He stumbled over air, accidentally kicking the ground as he caught himself.

Thunder rolled in the distance. Sabre let out a small shuddering sigh. More rain?

A drop of rain hit his face as an answer.

Wonderful.

— —

Sabre shivered, never stopping, as rain fell in sheets. The ground, which was already muddy, became slick as water mixed in with the mud. Already he fell twice, soaking himself in rain and mud. He coughed, nearly stumbling from the force.

Lightning struck overhead, lighting the area for a brief second before plunging him back to darkness. Sabre wasn't sure what time it was, for the storm made it pitch black.

Sabre felt his foot hit something, and then he was on the ground once more. His arms shook under the strain of pushing himself up, only for his hands to slide because of the mud and toss him back to the ground.