Chapter 2: The Spiral

Author's note: So, King in Yellow... been listening to Horrorbabble's audiobook of the story and gawd damn, it's beautiful.

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Eyes, like embers, brand her mind,Light, like a guide, draws her near,Fear, like poison, spreads on with time,And marble, forever hold her,Over and over and over,Until decay taked hold.A new spiral begins,Plunging ever deeper.

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Elster's POV

I was still barely over the feeling I had last night. Part of me wanted to board up the window, but I manage to talk myself out of it. The main reason Ariane loved this home so much was the window opening to the sunrise.

I can't even remember how many times she'd wake me up early to see it.

Not anymore now, but it still made her happy to see the sun as soon as she walked into the living room in the morning. I wasn't going to take that from her, with all she had lost in the past month.

I got up and went into her room. She turned to me and smiled.

I couldn't help but smile back.

"Morning, sweetheart," I said.

"Morning," she replied, smiling wider now.

I helped her up and walked beside her to the kitchen. She'd insisted that I didn't carry her, or get her a wheelchair.

"I can walk just fine," she'd say, "I trust my legs enough to hold me up. You should too." And then she'd laugh as if it was the funniest thing she could ever have said. I'd be compelled to join her. And then we'd kiss and I'd be off to work.

I made a quick breakfast; eggs and toast. Nothing special, but it tasted amazing when I had it with her.

Still, the boaring eye from the day before didn't cease. It was still there beyond the window.

"Is something wrong?" Ariane asked, her face now slightly concerned.

"It's nothing," I blurted in reply, breaking out of a trance I never realised I was in.

She giggled in response.

I joined in.

I left that day feeling the eye unceasing.

When I got to the office, the cubicle seemed smaller today. Not by much, but I could tell.

"You're getting tensed over nothing," I thought to myself, "you're panicked and it's probably just a feeling like the world's closing around you or something."

Still, the eye and the smaller space we're unnerving. I raced to finish my work. Even Kolibri and Adler decided to get off my back for the day since the performance was more than usual.

I got up to use the toilet when I realised that someone, the same person as last time, had gotten up at the same time as me. She went in a different direction today as well, so I decided to let her go. I didn't have time to stick around here.

As soon as I was done, I was gone. I went straight home.

Right back to Ariane.

Back to where I'm supposed to be.

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Marble stained with speckles of red,Mind stained with the taint of worry.The boring eye remains watching,Panic spreading like blood on cloth,Staining every fiber of her being.Another level down the spiral.

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I got home, opening the door.

"I'm home..."

Silence.

"Ariane?" I called out concerned, pulling off my shoes in a panic, "if this is a joke, it isn't funny..."

More silence.

I threw my shoes aside and rushed in.

"ARIANE!" I cried out, running through the halls of the house, bursting into her room.

"What?" she asked, rubbing her eyes, "did you forget something?"

I stood there silently.

"What?" She asked giggling at my bewildered expression, "You look like you've seen a ghost..."

I let out a sigh of relief, "It's 7PM already... I got worried when I got back and everything was quiet, is all..."

"7..." she looked to the sheets, as if she was accusing the bed of betraying her, after which she turned back to me, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you worry..."

"It's alright, you were just tired. You need the rest," I replied, shrugging it off.

"No, it isn't..." she snapped back, "How about I make dinner today? That should make up for it..."

"If you think you're up for it..."

"I am..." she whined, as if she took offence to the question.

I raised my hands up in surrender and stepped aside.

She got out of bed, planting her feet onto the ground. She pushed with her arms, shifting her weight onto her feet.

Her arms were shaking from the effort.

"I'm fine," she protested, reading my every expression.

"I didn't say anything!" I laughed back, but I suppose the worry on my face was evident.

She took a step.

Then another.

And another.

It wasn't this hard for her to walk yesterday, was it?

I took a step towards her, but she held out an arm to tell me to stand back.

"I said I'm fine," she said, sterner this time.

I froze, not willing to go back to standing on the sidelines, but similarly unwilling to disobey her.

She grasped the handle with a shaking hand and turned to me, "see, I told yo-"

Her knees buckled.

I watched her fall in slow motion as I leaped over to try and break her fall in any way.

I got to her side just after she impacted the floor.

"Ariane!" I picked up her head in my hands and checked her pulse. Weak, but that was just the norm these days.

I picked her up and her empty eyes came back to life.

She coughed dryly with an apologetic look on her face, "I'm sorry about having to make you carry me-"

"What?!" I exclaimed back, "This is a once in a lifetime chance to princess carry you around. I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

I laughed as she pouted and punched my chest.

I don't think I would've noticed her blows if I wasn't watching her do it.

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P.S.: Got an idea of where this is going. Day 2 of the story was going to be the big issue on what to fit in here but now that this is done, I should be able to wrap this story up in a week or two... that being said, it could take a lot more time depending on circumstances...

In any case, I shall see you again once I have prepared the path deeper into the spiral to the abyss, next time on Dream Signals.