Mia Mania: Unlocking her dreams
A graveyard of birds litters the forest floor, while the smell of rotten eggs makes me heave. Once again, the Corcarcus were stripping away a place I associate with fond memories and replacing them with darkness. My legs wobble and I collapse to my knees.
‘Poxy. I need you.’ I say through watery eyes.
I feel something crawl over my hand and brush off a black and gold beetle, which leaves a red throbbing bite. The beetle stares at me before scuttering away. I stand up and shake my body, which dispels more beetles. As I itch my hand, a red boil appears.
‘Ew.’ I poke it, pus oozes out making me feel dizzy and I collapse to the floor.
The soil beneath my hands vibrates and I hear rushing beneath the ground. Giant anthills pop up all over the forest. One by one the anthills explode and thousands of beetles head towards me. I scramble to get up but it’s too late, the beetles create a tight barrier around me and turn into shadow corpses, the Corcarcus. Their ghostly forms emit a faint golden glow and their hollow eyes look like moon crevices. They stare at me and point with their bony fingers; the silence is unbearable.
‘What do you want?’ I say as I struggle to stand up.
Two Corcarcuses step aside to reveal an exit; I try to escape but they push me over. A single Corcarcus walks through the opening towards me and offers his hand. I push it away and stand up. He glides towards me.
I spit in his transparent face. ‘Get away from me.’
He wipes his face and laughs, the sound echoes around the forest.
He steps closer. ‘I wouldn’t talk to me like that.’
‘I’m not scared of you.’ I say as I hold my hands to stop them shaking.
He gives me a wide grin and grows twice my height. His golden glow brightens, causing me to squint. He touches my shoulder; a cold sensation passes through my body, and I collapse to the floor.
‘Distructo’ I whisper as I dig my nails into the soil, finding relief in its moist texture.
‘Bravo, give the girl a round of applause.’ He turns to his shadow army who clap and edge closer.
Distructo leans in and holds out his hand.
‘Mia, just accept your fate.’