The Voices

The sorceress smiled. It was an awful, toothless, knowing smile, behind which there could be no good thoughts. A deep hum was growing in Fred's ears; it seemed to come from everywhere, the walls, the floor, even himself. He took a further step backward and tripped over a stool he was certain had not been there a few moments ago. As he collapsed ungainly to the carpeted floor, the woman's smile widened. She spoke, and her voice was now a sickly hiss, like a drowning serpent:

"The one who struck me down has found her own punishment thus far. I will.......augment her suffering later. But now......it is you who will face your sentence......"

She towered over Fred, some unholy power pulsing from her body in chaotic waves. Her eyes were utterly black, like twin singularities that would tear apart all who ventured near, reducing them to pieces of flesh and hair and bile and dust. The three talismans around her neck flickered with some rising energy, and in that flicker Fred saw what was held inside. Emitting a hideous scream, he jumped to his feet, some muddy, primitive terror driving his muscles to action. He turned and ran, oblivious as to which direction he was heading in. Half-smashing into the corner of a large bookcase at full sprint, Fred heard his shoulder snap, but felt nothing. He could see a door, at the far end, his escape, his beautiful escape......

....and the sorceress emerged from the door, the distance impossible - she could not have got that far ahead. Fred screamed once more and his pace somehow quickened further. He would charge her, drive her fragile body into the wall where it would lie, dead and broken.....

The Talismans glowed in unison, and as the blinding beam of pink light entered his brain, Fred knew

...

Get out get out get out get out, Astra chanted mentally, as if by filling her mind with the thought, there would be no room for the Voices, no room for the alien Minds that had infected her with their unknown id. She did not bother looking around - she knew she wasn't hearing the voices, she was thinking them. But they did not relent....

This One Is Regretful/Sorry. This Request/Demand Can/Mustnot Be Obeyed/Fulfilled/Acceded To(?). Just As We Have Bound/Tied Your Body/Limbs, So Too Are We Bound/Tied To Our Duty/Orders.

~The Mistress wouldn't be happy if we ignored our one and only command, my dear. We are bound to bind.~

(NnnnYYAaaaAaAaHHaaHAAAAhaaa! gOOD oNe, GoOd one, BoUNd to BiND, I dON't REMEMBER tHAt! HoW DOes iT Go AGAin? PRuNeS!)

:shut: your: brain: numpty: you're: giving: me: an: ache:

(CAn'T sHuT, caN't StoP, CAN't REMEMBER, whERe Is thE Mistress TO CoNSUme OuR LITtlE HelpLEsS FLY!?)

Astra shut tight her eyes and breathed in as far as her lungs would yield. I'm not mad, I'm not mad, not insane, I can still think, I am still HERE just hold on find Fred......

~Mad? Oh, no, my dear sweet child. Although touching us was admittedly rather stupid, you have not quite gone the way of Mixmeyerdorm the Third yet.~

There was no denying it. The Voice, the Voices were speaking to her, aware of her, but importantly they were separate from her. Against her better judgment, she intoned a question as best she could to the Voice that had just 'spoken'.....

What do you mean, 'touched you'? What are you?

~What are 'we', sweet child. What are we? Look no further than your own nose. Come, open your eyes.~

Seeing no viable alternative, Astra slowly opened her eyes and gasped, almost ingesting her gag once more.

One of the ends of the rope that bound her was swaying back and forth in front of her nose. It....they.....they were waving.....oh, no......

(HELLO!)

1. Just then, Astra heard Fred scream....

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