09-16-2014, 04:28 PM
Fear was pervasive. It snuck under her skin before she ever realised what was going on; quickening her pulse, chilling her skin. Her heart jack-hammered. She couldn't breathe. In almost the same instant, caught by surprise, she lost Emily as an anchor. Where once was the warmth of normal human emotion, a void sucked everything dry. Left her lost. The silence was terrifying, or maybe that was the fear leaking in from those around her, colouring up all her own judgements. There was a lot of alarm, all swarming in reaction to the gun and the girl. And bright amongst it burned one violent fire of hatred, white hot.
For a moment anyway.
The man with the gun - who had had the gun, up until seconds ago - his patterns shifted, and Asha shifted with it. Burning aggression, anger, revenge - it all faltered. Pain, panic, fear. Asha's stomach churned; she placed a hand to an ache in her chest, tugged her eyes away - not that it really helped any. She tried to pull back, find someone else to focus on, but she was surrounded by silence, and his pain was the strongest thing in the room. Pulsating. One heart-beat at a time. It obscured everything else, mere sparks to that blazing bonfire. And amidst the terror fear, more fear, raging fear, his eyes on the barren man who helped him to the floor.
Asha knew when he was dead. He winked out, as silent as the voids around her, but not before that single moment of truth, when fear became pure certainty. Clarity of death; pain so bright one moment, then black nothingness the next. She felt that moment like an eternity, collapsing her face into her hands. Tears smeared her cheeks, physical reaction rather than true empathy. But she was shaken. Uncertain of what exactly she'd witnessed, and still in the throes of its emotional vice. Her hands trembled when she brushed her hands over her face, trying to gather what remained of her composure together. She didn't think she could stand but she wanted to leave. Badly.
People were clapping and relief rained like balm. The girl, radiating reassurance and lust, had thrown her arms around the man. Who was still empty. Another woman stood at the edge of their table, taking to Emily. Collectively speaking, the happy ending washed one emotion clean with another, but not for Asha. She shrugged her coat back onto her shoulders, though didn't stand. The liquid dark of her gaze took in the empty voids. Cautious. Mistrust was written plain on her expression, not that she intended it to be; wide-eyed, a little fearful, whether her own or remnant she couldn't tell.
Edited by Asha, Sep 16 2014, 04:28 PM.
For a moment anyway.
The man with the gun - who had had the gun, up until seconds ago - his patterns shifted, and Asha shifted with it. Burning aggression, anger, revenge - it all faltered. Pain, panic, fear. Asha's stomach churned; she placed a hand to an ache in her chest, tugged her eyes away - not that it really helped any. She tried to pull back, find someone else to focus on, but she was surrounded by silence, and his pain was the strongest thing in the room. Pulsating. One heart-beat at a time. It obscured everything else, mere sparks to that blazing bonfire. And amidst the terror fear, more fear, raging fear, his eyes on the barren man who helped him to the floor.
Asha knew when he was dead. He winked out, as silent as the voids around her, but not before that single moment of truth, when fear became pure certainty. Clarity of death; pain so bright one moment, then black nothingness the next. She felt that moment like an eternity, collapsing her face into her hands. Tears smeared her cheeks, physical reaction rather than true empathy. But she was shaken. Uncertain of what exactly she'd witnessed, and still in the throes of its emotional vice. Her hands trembled when she brushed her hands over her face, trying to gather what remained of her composure together. She didn't think she could stand but she wanted to leave. Badly.
People were clapping and relief rained like balm. The girl, radiating reassurance and lust, had thrown her arms around the man. Who was still empty. Another woman stood at the edge of their table, taking to Emily. Collectively speaking, the happy ending washed one emotion clean with another, but not for Asha. She shrugged her coat back onto her shoulders, though didn't stand. The liquid dark of her gaze took in the empty voids. Cautious. Mistrust was written plain on her expression, not that she intended it to be; wide-eyed, a little fearful, whether her own or remnant she couldn't tell.
Edited by Asha, Sep 16 2014, 04:28 PM.