Deep breath. You can do this.

1, 2, …, 14th day. Finally reached two weeks of this mess. Pull yourself together, Des. You can get through this, just like you did before! There’s nothing to worry about!

After psyching herself up, Destiny stepped out of the room. Well, she supposed it was a room, not like she could see the walls anyway. All she could catch was that it was dark, almost pitch black. The only wall she could see held a simple rectangle mirror, just big enough to see her face with the very little light that poured in from the hall to her left. The emptiness was really the only reason she ever left that place.

Looking down, she raised her glistening black dress just above her knees. Her matching black pumps disappeared into a dark red murky liquid, causing a shiver to shoot its way up her spine. Her teeth clenched as the cold substance rose up to her shins.

“Hey! Destiny, over here,” she heard a voice call. A dozen others rose up in unison, all of them clamouring for her attention. She continued her catwalk all the way up the liquid red carpet. Once before her booming audience of news anchors and paparazzi, she turned to face them and posed. Over time, she gave up trying to answer all their questions; none of the answers she gave would ever seem to satisfy them. They just kept pressing further and further, until she had nothing left to say. They would just have to remain content with a pose and a smile.

Flash!

The flashes of the cameras made it really hard to see. The sound of the many curious critics filled her ears. The liquid at her feet started to feel cold, as if it was seeping into her skin. Her mind yelled at her to focus on literally anything else.

Flash!

In a desperate attempt to crawl out of her own skin, Des focused in on the white backdrop behind her. Since this step and repeat banner was designed just for her, it didn’t feature any sort of sponsor or branding. Instead, the words seemed to bear simple gibberish, a flurry of words perfectly placed to vaguely resemble the rings of a target. What a stupidly tacky set up, she wished nothing more than to tear it apart, to feel the ripping paper between her acrylic nails. No Des, hold your smile; focus on something else.

Flash!

Nothing here could really be made out, what with the camera lights and the abyssal background. She tried her best to focus in between the flashes, hoping to discern anything new in the scenery. Anonymous faces, note pads, suits, ties, a couple of microphones and other sorts of recording equipment, but nothing unfamiliar.

Flash!

This time, the light caused her to flinch. Closing her eyes, she lightly shook her head and opened them again. That’s when she saw them. The eyes. Far past all the journalists and cameramen, a piercing set of dark eyes stared straight back at her. They shimmered like distant stars in the blurry void of faces before her. The glare they held would have frozen anyone else in place, but it didn’t stop her from jumping at the opportunity.

Destiny pushed right through the bewildered crowd, each step splashing the liquid a little closer to her dress. She ignored their confused shouts and grunts : this had to be some sort of clue, something as remarkable as those eyes must surely be a lead to the end! She ran and ran into the abyss of her surroundings, the liquid soaking into her garments. Suddenly, she felt her left dress strap slip off her shoulder.

No, not now! I’m so close! Dammit!

Her black dress's soft texture slowly turned to goo, dripping slowly off her figure. Des’ feet were throbbing with pain as she slipped in her heels and bent her ankles awkwardly. She gasped for air, replacing the dripping pieces of her evening attire back to their spots, although they stubbornly refused to stay put.

The eyes didn’t seem bothered. They continued staring, blinking twice slowly once she got close enough to distinguish a silhouette. She wasn’t sure of when to stop, instead she slowly came to a halt as she took in what she was seeing.

Where the figure began and where it ended was almost impossible to discern : the long dark indigo hair and black long-sleeved dress melted into the background of the abyss. It had a thin, wispy frame, like a delicate glass windchime. Its skin was a pale bluish gray and its sharp features looked like it had stayed awake for far longer than what was healthy, dark bags sunk under the eyes in the shape of a crescent moon. A gentle wind blew in its direction.

Destiny was shivering now, cold and wet, barely able to keep her own dress from falling apart completely. She wasn’t sure if she was shivering from the cold or from the fear of being seen in the nude by such an overwhelming presence. Now she was frozen. A shivering pile of body parts and black tar. Her mouth was agape, wishing she could say something, anything! Shit!

The lady of the abyss loomed over her as she curled into herself, taking one final deep breath.