The sun slowly rose over the horizon, reflecting of the pale snow and illuminating the landscape. Barren trees swayed in the wind as icicles fell from their branches.
A white rabbit hopped lightly through the soft snow. It's nose rose up to the sky, sniffing a couple of times. An alluring scent had entered its nostrils. It's ears twitched while it's stomach started growling.
The little rabbit sniffed a couple more times, slowly hopping towards this alluring scent. After a couple of seconds it spotted a few cabbage leaves covered in snow and quickly hopped over to it.
Steel teeth ripped through its back paws as it was violently yanked up and crushed between two steel jaws. The white fur quickly stained crimson as the life faded out of its eyes.
Blood dripped down, dying the cabbage leaves red.
....
A young man slowly walked through the barren forest. His leather fur boots treading through the thick pillowed snow. A steel pickaxe with a wooden handle rested on his shoulder. His other hand lifted, slightly covering his eyes to shield from the morning sun.
A dead peacock dangled from his hip, it's feet bound together by a rope. A smear of blood darkened the side of his auburn woolen trousers.
Treading through the snow the young man approached a steel trap with a mutilated rabbit stuck in it.
Corin let out a sigh, "No deer again."
He crouched down dropping the pickaxe and started pulling open the steel jaws. His pale grey eyes locked sight with the little rabbit. It's dark lifeless eyes sparkling under the morning sun. The blood staining its fur had been frozen solid.
Corin grabbed the rabbit by its front paws, lifting it up as he stared at the shocked expression stuck on the rabbits face.
He opened his eyes wide imitating its facial expression.
He suddenly froze.
A weird thought slipped into his mind.
"I know this expression."
He pulled rabbit closer to his face staring straight into it's glassy eyes.
The wind thinned.
A heavy sense of unease washed over him.
"Somethings wrong."
The words echoed through the air. The forest seemed to pull away from him. The light dimmed, as if something vast had stepped between the sun and the earth.
Corin dropped the rabbit. He lowered his gaze to the blood on his hands.
Realization struck.
"This is... Yesterday."
He had stood here before. Said those words before. Felt this before.
The blood on his fingers trembled.
"Wha-"
Before the words could leave his mouth, It burst outward.
A tidal wave of red crashed into him, swallowing him whole.
In an instant the forest vanished. No snow. No sky. No trees. Only blood in every direction.
He sank.
It was thick. Heavy. It clung to his skin and dragged at his limbs. He forced his mouth shut as it pressed against him from all sides. His eyes burned but he kept them open, searching for anything that was not red.
There was nothing.
He chose a direction and swam.
Up. He thought it was up.
Each stroke felt slower than the last. The liquid resisted him, pulling him backward, downward.
Thump...
His heartbeat echoed through the endless red.
Thump...
The blood thickened.
Thump. Thump...
His muscles strained. His chest tightened.
He pushed harder.
Thump. Thump. Thump...
It dragged him deeper.
His arms burned. His lungs convulsed.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump...
His vision dimmed at the edges.
He gasped.
Blood flooded into his mouth, dense and suffocating.
Thump. Thump. Thump...
It filled him completely. Assaulting his insides.
Thump. Thump...
Sound faded.
Movement faded.
Thump...
Thump...
…
Silence ensued.
...
He died.
For the first time.
--------------------
Two men sat side by side in a cramped, dark cave. One was broad and rough looking, brown hair hanging in unkempt strands. The other was smaller, leaner, with short blond hair and sharper features.
The blond man reached into his bag.
He pulled out a metal flask and raised it to his lips. Water trickled down his cheek, drinking deeply. The sharp clang of metal echoed through the cave.
Benjamin wiped his mouth and glanced at Mark.
"Is it really okay to let that guy do all the work?" he asked, nodding toward Corin swinging his pickaxe farther down the tunnel.
Mark grunted, eyes still closed.
"It is fine. He refuses breaks, even when you offer them." He opened one eye. "And he works for three."
He leaned back against the stone and shut his eyes again.
"So relax. We got lucky today."
Benjamin watched Corin.
Corin froze.
A weird thought slipped into his mind.
"I have been here before."
He had stood here before. Heard those words before. Felt this before.
The cave trembled.
"Hu-"
Before the words could leave his mouth, It collapsed onto him.
Stone and dust crashed down, swallowing him.
Crunch...
Bones splintered.
Crunch...
Ligaments tore.
Crunch...
His skull burst against the rock.
...
Silence ensued.
...
He died.
For the second time.
--------------------
A horrible smell leaked through the front door and a dim glow bled through the foggy window.
Corin's gaze wandered to the wooden sign hanging above, "Butchery Jef".
He reached forward, his long slender fingers wrapping around the metal door knob, and pulled. The door opened with a loud creak, bells chimed as he set foot inside.
Behind the counter stood a large, rough man. He was bald with a course, untrimmed beard. Blood splatters stained his apron and a big sharp knife rested in his hand.
Corin approached, grabbing the tied up peacock and rabbit from his hip. His tone turned eerily bright and cheerful.
"Good morning Jef, i have another haul for you.".
Jef's gaze shifted over, his eyes narrowed upon seeing Corin. Looking towards the peacock and rabbit he grunted, "You went hunting in that cursed forest again, monster?".
Corin froze.
A weird thought slipped into his mind
"I have been here before."
The air thickened.
The lantern flame flickered violently. The bells above the door began to tremble.
The walls shuddered.
A deep crack split through the floor beneath his feet.
Before he could move, the planks tore apart.
There was no time to react.
The ground vanished.
He fell.
The shop disappeared above him as though swallowed by darkness. There was no wind rushing past his ears. No echo. No light.
Only an endless descent into black.
No warning.
No resistance.
Splat.
In less than a heartbeat, bone and flesh collapsed into nothing more than a dark stain against unseen stone.
…
Silence settled once more.
…
He died.
For the third time.