Between Pen and Paper

Drabble Seven 

The chill wind pushed against her slim form as she emerged from the cave, the light outside hurting her eyes as she squinted to view her surroundings. Confusion clouded her mind for a moment when she didn't recognise the vast wasteland before her. The cave seemed to be the only structure of worth as far as her eyes could see, the flat craggy rocks stretching out for what seemed like miles. Her brow furrowed further as she tried to remember how she had gotten here. She let out a frustrated breath as she received no answers.

She recalled her altercation with Nagi, of how she couldn't push away the disgust she felt for him, of how she knew he was part of some terrible scheme still. She wasn't sure how she knew though, it was just a feeling of certainty she had. Even her words hadn't seemed like her own and that worried her. She was so used to being in control, of being so sure of her own world. Now everything seemed so uncertain and she didn't see any way of getting answers. She scanned the horizon, hoping to find some landmark she could use to help her navigate this plain. 

Where was this place anyway? It almost felt like a dream to her. It was certainly nothing like any place she was aware of. She pushed the question away, knowing that her mind was probably incapable of answering it in the first place. She frowned when she couldn't find a landmark in any direction. Perhaps she could use the cave as a point of reference though. She turned to look back at it, her eyes immediately drawn to the etchings around the entrance. She stepped closer but didn't recognise the symbols that had been carved directly into the rock.

Now she had yet another question. She lifted the naginata she had been holding at her side and hoisted it over her shoulder so she could carry it more easily. She wasn't going to make any progress standing around here. A part of her hoped this was all some strange dream though but her senses told her otherwise. Or perhaps, she had finally relented to her insanity and she was trapped within her own mind. She let out a sigh, hoping that possibility would never come to fruition.

She shook her head slightly in an attempt to clear her mind. She needed all her faculties about her if she was going to find her way out of here. Wherever here was. She needed to get back. Back to her. She pressed her lips together in grim determinations and headed in the opposite direction to the cave. Nothing was going to keep her apart from her Natsuki.

END OF DRABBLE