His head hurt, as if the darkness was still too bright and it pieced his eyes. The pain drilled into his head with icepicks, it felt like, chipping away at bone and flesh as he groaned and rolled onto the rough ground. He could hear people talking, asking him things…
“Go away!”
“Who,” a voice asked, cutting through the dark as burning whip snapped against Hermes’ back. Howling in pain he arched back before scrambling up and away on wobbly legs. He could feel the heat of fire as he stumbled over the broken rocks, sharp stones biting into his feet. Smoke filled his lungs as he stumbled, sulfur heavy in the air.
”WHO!” the voice screamed at him as he lost his footing and fell hard against the rocks. Something hot, and heavy landed hard on his back, and he cried out again. This time trapped. ”WHO”
“I don’t know!” He cried out in answer, fingers digging at the stone as he gasped for breath. “I don’t know, just go. I don…”
“You! Who!” By the gods!
“Hermes! I am Hermes….” He told it, gasping as he filled in with his domain slowly. The ground kept growing hotter as he spoke, though. The smell of sulfur growing stronger. “Please…..” He whispered, trying to claw his way out from under the stones as he licked his lips. “Please….I know. I can find out what you want…..Just let me go.”
When no answer came, Hermes screamed out…
Jerking awake, Hermes gasped desperately for air, looking at the room around him in a quiet sort of terror as he shook. The bedside clock blinked 2:00 at him as he pulled himself out of bed and frowned softly. This wasn’t his idea of pleasant. Why couldn’t they have just dumped the coffin into the fucking Atlantic and been done with it?
Nothing good ever came out of these things. Nothing good at all.
Dressing, he grabbed his keys before moving into the kitchen of the condo and pouring himself a glass of water. He should have gone back to sleep, but he was starting to feel there wasn’t much point.
Not when….He shuddered, before downing the watering and moving out of the kitchen and toward his door. He needed air. A run would clear his head, would relax him. Take his mind off the lack of sleep.
Gods, he was going to miss sleep if this kept going on.