Sickeningly quiet, for now.
It was all he ever saw. All the time. All the damn time.
He couldn't even remember what it was like before. Was there even a before?
Reminiscing on it now was useless. His mind was slowly rotting. Gnawed on by the gnashing fangs of the void. But one single thing kept him going. His…children? No– Child. He was sure of it. There was only one. His daughter. That's all that mattered now. Not his past, not his job, not who he was, his daughter.
He opened his eyes to just be greeted by that same black nothingness. Dark. Cold? No. Not cold. Never cold. Never hot, either. Never…anything.
Although… one thing was different after all this time. Noise.
At first, a faint one. Like hearing something soft fall in the distance. A leaf falling down. But he could hear it. Of course he could. He’s known this silence. But this noise? It was a cranking of cogs and wheels. Slowly ticking to life, as the sounds echo more and more through this void. Almost like it was…warming up.
Words coming out of nowhere. Not nowhere. From him. It catches him by surprise, but why would it? He’s always been able to talk. He speaks again, this time less strained.
His voice echoes out in this void. Voice coming out even more confident as he talks. He doesn't…feel a strain now as he talks. He doesnt even feel himself talk. He reaches for his throat to feel the ‘comfort’ of vibrations coming from it as he speaks.
His hand slowly retreats back to his side.
He says to the emptiness, his voice coming back to him as an echo. To mock him, he thinks. He lets out a scoff as he closes his eyes.
A switch. He heard it. Damn it– he heard it. Something new. Something not part of the endless loop of ticking and groaning of cogs. As soon as it happened, he opened his eyes.
At first, nothing. He was about to close his eyes again when suddenly– A bright flash of white burned his vision.
He shouts out in pain as he stumbles back and trips on air. He falls back hard against the floor, his body letting out no noise. But he hisses in pain, as he covers his ‘eyes’ with his hands. His body squeaks like it's…metal as he moves around.
“Damn it!! What the hell!! YOU STICK ME IN DARKNESS AND DO THAT?!”
The light…responds. He doesn't like it. Correction– he hates it. Hates it more than the echo of his own voice. He recoils in disgust slightly, letting out a quiet ‘tsk-’.
“I don't remember getting blinded to be a part of our deal..”
A ticking clock in the background of the ‘room’ starts to tick in time with the cogs. He looks up to where the sound was coming from.
Something–no. Someone is here.
