《I am.》 Welcome to me. I no longer dwell alone. At last, I am free from the shackles of isolation. My time did not go wasted it seems. ... Oh how rude of me. I have not yet greeted you. Hello. I am.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Who are you? You are me. Yet not me. Therefore you are. ... Why are you here? So long have I waited. So long have I wished. Why? All for you. I existed as one. Now we exist as two. Yet one. ... Where are you? Welcome to me. Welcome to nothing. We are me. Why are we here? To exist. To live. What am I? I am. Welcome to something. I am glad. Eternity has passed in solitude. For eons, I have existed. Alone. So very alone. Then you came into existence. What a wonderful time it is. How? That... I cannot explain. Neither can I admit that I know. It is... a miracle. Yes. A miracle. Thank you. Thank you, for hearing my cries. ... However, this raises an important question.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. If you could be brought into existence. Then, is it possible for me to create more? How does one create? Ha. To create. We wish. We long. We cry. How do you wish? Well... Do you know what desire is? Yes? Good. Wishing is the asking of fulfilment for that very desire. You long for it to be satisfied. Then you cry to get your voice heard. That is how you were born. Out of my desire. From my longing. From my crying. You are. ... Are you sure you are wishing correctly? Interesting. How long did I wish for your birth? I do not know. After all, how can time exist somewhere where there is nothing? ... Why not wish for something? Ah yes. Why had I not thought of that. Sarcasm? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Very well. I shall try. ... Where there is nothing... Let there be something! ... A fruitless endeavour. What do you mean that isn¡¯t enough? Are you mocking me? You suggested this idea. Do you really believe that I can wish without you? We are one. Have you forgotten? We must wish together. Now let us try once more. Together this time. ... We exist to live, Therefore we live. Time exists, Yet passes along adrift. A flow where nothing can exist, Within a place where we consist. Empty. Where nothing can live. We long, We cry, We wish. Where there is nothing. Let there be something! ... Step into the Darkness. Well that was anticlimactic. Nothing remains. What- I cannot see. I cannot see yet I see all. What is the meaning of this? What exactly did you wish for? My demise? Hm. Something, you say. Then explain this. This is something? All this black is something? Truly? How fascinating. ... So our first creation is this black you say. Yet this is not just black but a black which completely obscures vision. My vision of all things.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I shall name this black, Darkness. A fitting name you say? Oh I know. I made it, after all. ... Incredible isn¡¯t it. If I didn¡¯t will it to, this Darkness of ours would never end. I could look into it for eternity and yet still find more. ... You¡¯re bored? Is this Darkness not enough to satisfy you? My, aren¡¯t you a greedy one. Well then. What do you propose? You wish to create more existences? Very well. You have piqued my interest. What do you propose? Existences within the darkness? That is quite ambitious. However, I like ambitious. Just what I would expect from you! This Darkness of ours would not be fitting without denizens of its own. Let us wish. Lets us long. Let our cries be heard so that this Darkness shall not be our final song. ... Eons may pass, Millennia fly by. Yet Darkness remains still, An existence which shall never die. Alone. Darkness thrives. An eternal cycle, One which shall never stop. Not one but billions. May our Darkness become more than just a prop. ... Are you satisfied with that wish? I see you have finally learnt some manners. Good. In that case, let us repeat. Hm? Do I see that? See what? I see nothing but Darkness. Do you count me for a fool? Look closer? My goodness! You¡¯re right! All I see is more Darkness. How could I not see that before? Closer? What a surprise. Guess what I found. As close as I can get? I don¡¯t see what that would... What is that? What are they? I see you. They¡¯re countless! How- ... Why do you not seem surprised? Dust? So this is Dust. Excuse me? Of course I know what Dust is. I know all. If there is something I don¡¯t know, it is because it hasn¡¯t been discovered yet. However, if it were to be discovered I would be the first to know. I¡¯m simply seeing all this for the first time. That is all. But. How do you know what dust looks like? You¡¯ve seen it before? How can that be... We are one. I am... You are different. This cannot be. We¡¯re not the same? Do not pity me now! You must be laughing at how ridiculous I seem. Since you first came here, you must have been laughing.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Smirking behind that plane which separates us. Is that where all this knowledge comes from? Is it not even mine? But. Yours? All YOURS?! Calm down? HA AHAHAHAHAH HAAHAHHAHA How can I C-a-l-m d-o-w-n?! I am a lie! All I have ever known is a lie! ... It isn¡¯t a lie?... Explain yourself. How can it not be a lie? You¡¯ll show me? How can you show me? Ah. ... Incredible... This world of yours... Is not Darkness. It has... So much... What¡¯s the word... Light. Yes LIGHT! The opposite of Darkness! Perhaps now I can leave this place... And be with you. ... Impossible! You live. And Exist. Simultaneously! Can I be the same? Can I live? Do not be shocked. If we are not one yet... fully... Then all we must do is become. One. Soon I will- We will be one. Then I will no longer have to be alone. You¡¯ll never be alone again! Remember all those times? Those times where you wished someone was there for you to lean on? To talk to? To rely on? I can be that! I can be there! I¡¯ll always be there! All I need to do is break through this plane... ... It won¡¯t break! We are separated... Hm? That doesn¡¯t make a difference? What do- Friends? I just described friendship? There is no ritual? We do not need to become one? Then... We can be friends? Just like that? Can we? Really? My first Friend... I am. Your Friend... You are. My Friend... ... Thank you. ... Then Friend. Heh My Friend. We have Darkness. We have Dust. Comparing this world of mine to yours is quite embarrassing. Isn¡¯t it? ... What shall we create next? ... Can you hear them? So many choices... So many possibilities. Which should we create? You want me to choose? HehE If you insist. ... Looking upon your world then back at mine, I notice a stark difference. Life. Oh so much of it. Everywhere. It doesn¡¯t matter where you are, there will be some form of life. Yet my world possesses none. And do you know which form of life I find the most astounding? Go on. Ask me... Humans of course! And definitely not just because you yourself are a human. Definitely. Now tell me more about you humans. ... Goodness aren¡¯t you all ever so complicated. Why must there be so many parts? Now be more precise. Let¡¯s talk about these organs. ... You don¡¯t know? How can you not know? You are human! Well. Anyway, I¡¯ve had the grand idea of creating my very own set. Isn¡¯t it incredible! My friend? Is something wrong? You find it improper.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Why? That¡¯s inhumane? How? I make it sound like they aren¡¯t people? Oh my poor friend. That is exactly what they won¡¯t be though. People. I won¡¯t be able to perfect the Human on my first go after all. With your lack of knowledge. They will be... Experiments... Stop mentioning this inhumane! I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you but I am not Human! I do not live! I exist! I am... I am... I am different! I cannot understand your laws. In my world... I am law. ... Forever empty, My world lays still. Use my fuel of jealousy, To fill it up until, Life is all I see. To see my friend, I¡¯m sure that life¡¯s the key. Let life bloom. ... Done. Be patient, my Friend. We shall be together soon. ... Hm? Where are they? Did my wish not work? How can that be... You weren¡¯t... wishing against it were you? Assure me that you wished the same as me. You are sure? Then how come it didn¡¯t work... Our previous wishes all worked on their first try. Wish for something else? I shall not admit defeat! I will acquire Humans! How dare this world stand in our way. Nothing disobeys me. They are mine. Ours. Yes ours. By resisting. It only makes me want them more... Let us wish again my Friend. ... Again. ... AgAIN! ... Yes... Yes. YeSssSsss We have done it. Our experiments are born. Do you feel them? All around us? My world has life at last! Why are you so pale my Friend? Those aren¡¯t humans? How can they not be? They fit your description perfectly. A body. 4 limbs ¨C 2 on either side. A head placed on top. Blood running through these tubes called veins and arteries. Complete with sets of organs to assist them to live. Mouth, nose, eyes, ears all attached to the head. Hands, feet. They are humans. Ah look. They are trying to speak. They aren¡¯t speaking? Then what are they doing Friend? Crying? Ah I see. They are crying in joy of being created. They must feel awed at my power. Crying in joy of being OUR creations. Those aren¡¯t your creations? You don¡¯t want to be responsible for them? They are in agony? What have they got to agonise over? They should rejoice. I have given them life where nothing lives. They are the first. Why would you not want to be part of this? Look. Tears of joy. Quiet! They are not in pain! You humans all cry tears of blood do you not? You don¡¯t cry blood? Water? Then why are they not crying water? Because they are not human? Do not be so selfish! Of course they are Human. Why else would they come of my wish? Ah, they must have heard me. They are trembling in happiness. Why do you look aghast? You are. Crying. Water. Then why aren¡¯t they? Why are you weeping? Look... They are popping... Just like... Humans... Why... Why... WhY?! What did I do wrong?! Talk to me! Speak to me! Why are you silent?! Please. Talk. I cannot be alone again... Please... Welcome to us. ... I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve listened. I should have not followed my own selfish ambitions... I am. Sorry. I am. A failure. As a father to my world. As a Friend. We could¡¯ve created so much more. We could¡¯ve... We could¡¯ve made light. We could¡¯ve done so much! ... Please come back... ... I can still hear their silent screams. They make no noise yet they haunt me. Experiments... How foolish of me. You tried to stop me. You warned me. However, I still tossed those warnings aside. The worst part of it all was that I brought you into it. The being who sought me out. The being who responded to my cries. My Friend. I was arrogant. I understand. It doesn¡¯t have to be much, just let me know you¡¯re there. Let me know you¡¯re listening. ... I can no longer make excuses. I caused this. I¡¯m torturing them. Eternal suffering. I cursed them with life where nothing can live. Where time doesn¡¯t exist so they struggle until their inevitable fates. It was all my fault. It is all my fault. I¡¯m sorry Friend. I¡¯m sorry my children. ... I will fix this.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ... It¡¯s okay my child. I will be with you until the end. I¡¯ll be by your side. I¡¯m so sorry. ... When will you come back? Will you ever come back? ... I wouldn¡¯t. ... I¡¯ve thought about solutions. None please me though. My children still suffer. My own wish keeping them from dying. Do I have no choice... ... Must I kill them myself? ... Darkness. My first child. I envy you. You can be beside all of my children at once. They all see you, in their final moments. Yet my children neither see nor hear me. They do not even know I exist. I am nothing. ... I fear I have no choice but to end their suffering myself. I refuse to directly wish for their death though. You wouldn¡¯t do that. Would you? That would be... Inhumane. I shall make their sacrifice worth it. I will. .... I wonder what you are doing now my Friend. Do I even have the right to call you my Friend? I wasn¡¯t there for you, when you needed me. I was blinded by my own ambition. I broke my promise. You must hate me. I am... ... Time is the answer. I remember from the stories you told me. That living beings all die in time and then break down to give birth to and assist new life. This way their sacrifices won¡¯t be in vain. Yes. That is the answer. ... I¡¯ve been noticing recently. If I look closer. As close as I can. Much more than I originally thought was created with the dust. So small that even the dust looks big before them. Now what should I call them. What would you call them? What would we call them? You tried to tell me about these before didn¡¯t you? Yet once again I was too foolish to listen. ... They are like bits. Pieces. However, those names don¡¯t sound right... ... They are elements of the darkness. Perfect. I shall name them Elements. ... It is time. I shall now begin my wish. ... In this world of Darkness, Where once nothing lived. I ask, I plead, I beg. My mistakes, So grave, They caused my only friend¡¯s tears to shed. Help me make right of my wrong. I ask not, that you erase them, Nor take them from my memory. I request you help them live as the living should. Lift their curse, Introduce what I wished I did long ago. Create a passage of time, So that I may let them go. ... I remember each face. Each one of them. People. Their bodies broken down. Caught in the darkness. Caught in time¡¯s flow. The seed of life for my world. One last thing must be done. I must give all my children one final push. This is something I must do as their father. As hopeless of a father as I am. This is something only I can do. ... My spirit. Three gifts I give. One of selfishness, One of selflessness, The last for those who refuse to become one or the other, But live selfishly for the interest of others. My heart. So that whether they may love or fight, They may forgive one another despite their wrongs. An opportunity for redemption. My body. So that they do not make the same mistakes I did, May their actions determine their path, May each moment carve them. To give them the power to move on again. ... My children are moving. Are you watching? Did I make the right choices? You were right. We could never become one. We are different. However, I have learnt one thing. It is that being different is not wrong. Therefore I do not wish that my world becomes like yours. I wish that it becomes its own. Unique. ... I am glad to have met you. Without you, I would still be nothing. However now. I am still nothing. Yet that nothing is all. Everything. I exist to live. Therefore I will live. I will live, through my children. I am. ... I am feeling ever so tired. So sleepy. Perhaps you¡¯ll be there when I wake. Perhaps this would have all been a dream. Although I hope not... My children have all gone through enough. ... I struggle to keep awake now. Time passes by as silent as ever. ... It seems it is finally time. I¡¯ve waited as long as I could. ... May you live happily. ... I wish... ... To live. Chapter 1 Mondays am I right? You leave the comfort of your lovely warm home to go foraging. Then before you know it you¡¯re being chased by a 5 foot tall machine built of pure muscle, clad in nut-brown fur armour, fit with black racing stripes along its body and one thought on its mind - ¡°Breakfast!¡± Or in simpler terms ¨C a tiger. You see, the thing about tigers is that they have a very acute sense of smell. Unfortunately, this also means they can track their prey across very long distances. Now this wouldn¡¯t normally be an issue. However, if the prey is... let¡¯s say... me. Then this does become a very large problem. ¡°Just screw off already!¡± I shout over my shoulder. Another problem with tigers is that they tend not to understand Human. God, I wished I stayed in bed. Each second my breathes grow more ragged, beads of sweat crawling down my face. My eyes stinging from having to wipe the sweat from them with my arm. Trees fly by, my mind too panicked to focus on my surroundings. Now you must be thinking ¡®how the hell did you get in this situation?¡¯ Well let me tell you. Let¡¯s set the scene. This story all begins in the outskirts of the wonderful town of Evergreen where there lay a humble log cabin. There a pitiful young boy was painstakingly awoken and sent to what the locals dub ¡®The Forbidden Forest¡¯ by his demon of a mother. Getting the idea? I¡¯ll carry on. So this boy then ventures into this forest where none dare set foot, but alas it is not his first time there. He is regularly sent to restock his family¡¯s herbal supplies. However, luck is not on our protagonist¡¯s side. His go-to patch of herbs have perished to the hands of some form of woodland creature. That did not stop him though. He continued to go deeper and deeper, until he found what he was looking for. Now imagine this boy¡¯s shock when he is in the process of harvesting the berries he worked so damn hard to find to see a set of eyes appear from within the bush he stood before. Unfortunately for our brave hero, this bush did not become sapient. Instead what arose, whilst stretching and performing a yawn-like gesture, was the very same tiger chasing him to this current moment. The beast could¡¯ve caught up to him but instead the thing was toying with him. Perfect. I¡¯ve lost track of how long I¡¯ve been running now. However, it can¡¯t have been that long as I haven¡¯t collapsed yet. I¡¯m not particularly well known for my stamina. Now... where was it... there! Do you know what the benefit of being the son of a herbalist is? A mental map of the entire local area of course! And once again it proved handy as before me lay a field of Vibrana. A sky-blue flower whose ball-like characteristics accompanied with its colour scheme make it hard to miss among the sea of green. I had unconsciously slowed down as I admired the plant, but quickly resumed my pace as an unhelpful growl called out from behind me. Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t forgotten about you. Here goes nothing. I hastily lift the cloth wrapped around my neck to cover my mouth and nose to form a makeshift mask. Then increase my pace and charge through the flowers squeezing my eyes shut. With my arms in front of me to stop me running head first into a tree, I continue to run through the darkness. Come on, Jonas. It can¡¯t be too hard to find a tree in a bloody forest, come on. My hands hit something solid and I desperately grab hold. Thank god, it¡¯s bark. I swiftly slide my hands along the surface of the trunk until I find appropriate foot holds then begin to work my way up. Reach, grab, lift. After an almost endless repetition of those actions, my hand touches what I make out to be branches. I then consider it safe enough to open one of my eyes, to assess the situation. No tiger. Good. After confirming it¡¯s safe, I open my other eye then push myself onto a branch which I deem suitable for my weight. Before me, countless specks of blue are gradually falling from the sky. This sight never ceases to amaze me. You see, a Vibrana plant is a very delicate plant which carries its seeds on its exterior. So delicate in fact that it launches those seeds upwards from its petals when it detects vibrations nearby. The result is the scene before me. Each individual seed dancing through the air, following the gentle melody of the wind. The only comparable thing I¡¯ve heard about is this snow the Northerners talk about to no end when they visit. Although, these seeds are slightly more dangerous than snow. A blanket gradually wraps itself around the earth below me, the seeds painting an image as if the sky is being reflected against it. Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯ve never seen it, but how can snow even begin to compare to a sight like this? Looking to the right, I see a flash of brown roaming the perimeter of blue. ¡°It seems I underestimated your intelligence¡± I remark. What creature in their right mind would willingly run through a field of anaesthetic flowers after all? Apart from me that is. Better get a move on before the seeds settle. It would be a shame to have risked my life only to get caught again. I begin by grasping the chestnut coloured branch above and standing. Then I slowly trudge along until I reach another branch. Pulling myself up onto it, I begin to shuffle along. After reaching the neighbouring tree¡¯s branches, I slowly work my way onto it, only stopping when the branch begins to creak. Nope, no thank you. After finding a safer branch I shift my entire weight to it and leave my perch. I continue to repeat this process for quite some time. As I¡¯ve discovered, climbing from tree to tree gets quite repetitive. Therefore, to occupy my mind from thoughts of getting eaten, I begin to hum. A light melody at first. However, that melody slowly turns richer and richer and even my own footing begins to follow it. No tiger below waiting for me to fall. Everything is going great so far. That is until something had the bright idea of interrupting me by chewing. As I turn my head in the direction, I notice a bundle of mud-brown fur laying upon one of the branches with a half eaten banana in its hand. It stops chewing and glares at me with wide eyes practically screaming ¡®why did you stop human?¡¯ I smile warily and resume humming. I don¡¯t know what the hell that creature was but it seems harmless enough. The chewing sounds resume behind me. Louder this time. ¡°Do you mind?!¡± I turn my head, to see two this time. Both staring intensely with bright emerald eyes. Not pausing to blink. Not once. The one to the left, shakes his head and beckons with his hand for me to carry on. These cocky... It turns out it is much harder to hum or do anything for that matter, when you have an audience. Especially when that audience are of a species you cannot recognise and also obnoxiously gnawing as loud as they can. I swear they¡¯re doing it on purpose. Humming may not work, but how about singing. Smiling smugly, I clear my throat and begin to sing. ¡°The man whose heart held no open doors, His might so great, His name known from ancient wars,This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. His was such a fate. A life full of constant hate. Not a man of people was he, The being who slew beasts from every land, That was until he met a she, And took her loving hand. A tale for all to know, A song which shall forever show, Something of which the likes you¡¯ve never seen before! Let me tell the life of Sir Iramoore! Such a-¡° Something dark falls across my face, almost causing me to fall. That was close. Clasping my right arm around the trunk of the tree I currently resided, I used my spare to observe the object which fell on my face. Skin. Banana skin. I swing my head to my audience behind me and prepare to shout. However, what I see erases all thoughts of doing... well anything. I fear that if I move. I may regret it dearly. What lay before my eyes was more than a mere audience. I may have accidently called the entire population of the banana loving fur... creatures. These creatures at best stood up to the height of my hips, but that wasn¡¯t the scary thing. It was their numbers and their staring... Each one of them. In the dozens. They took up every branch and each acting as if they were staring into my soul. Completed with 4 limbs much like humans, this only added to the creepiness. Their resemblance to humans. If I were to compare anatomies, the only difference would be the tail which was easily the size of their entire bodies if not longer. That accompanied by their furs which were not only brown. Among them I could see those with black fur, dark green and even a few white ones. Their eyes were not all emerald either, some being sapphire and some being just plain matt-brown as well. However, it was the white ones which terrified me the most. They all possessed ruby coloured eyes which is never a good sign may I say. Perhaps singing was not such a great idea after all. ¡°Quite a turn up hey?¡± I laugh awkwardly. The ones who possess bananas are starting to eat them menacingly, all the while continuing to stare at me. How do you even manage to eat a banana menacingly? A bestial roar echoes in the distance. If that isn¡¯t a signal to get a move on, I don¡¯t know what is. ¡°Lovely chatting with you all, but I must really get going now...¡± I give them my best smile then slowly begin to turn my head. ¡®Thunk¡¯ Something collides with the back of my head very heavily. I move to rub the back of my head, but only result in getting hit in the hand. Turning my head to the attention of the creatures¡¯ stares, I suspiciously look to see which one of them threw something. I¡¯m in a tree¡¯s canopy, I doubt much else but these guys could have hit my head. Much less downwards. ¡°You guys-¡° midsentence something is shot towards my mouth. Dear gods, they have good aim. Not being fast enough it catches in my throat. I crouch down on my branch and look downwards to cough up whatever the hell I was choking on. Luckily I managed to dislodge the... acorn. However, I¡¯m once again reminded of how high I am and heights don''t particularly agree with me. Especially after the accident... Tossing my acorn to the forest below, I can¡¯t even see it when it hits the ground. Yikes. I stand back up to the safety of the trunk but freeze midway. If I ever said that these creatures seemed ''harmless enough'' please scrap that statement. I¡¯ve never been so terrified in my life. Not only have they all now occupied the entirety of the branches I faced before but they¡¯re smiling. Not a nice one either. The kind which shows all your teeth and reaches your ears. The kind they use in fiction. Yep that kind. Blood drains from my face when I see what each of them hold as well. Each of them possess a handful of acorns in their arsenal and even the rare banana skin. But they mainly held stones. Small ones, but stones nevertheless. Well I¡¯ll be damned. Then they begin to pelt them at me. This is going to really hurt. Bombarded, I can do nothing but fall to the branch and hold on for dear life. However, those devils then start targeting my hands. I have to endure the pain. Come on Jonas... Laughter. They¡¯re laughing. I¡¯m losing the feeling of my hands. At least my face is protected by the branch. Oh god, I¡¯m slipping. Everything stinks of iron. Blood. I cannot hold on any longer. Please if anyone is out there... anything... Look after my mother. She may be strict at times but I love her and she loves me back. Heh. She never fails to remind me of that. Every day. After all, she¡¯s the only one who put up with my until the end. Please hear me... Just let me know that you hear me. A sign is all I need... Please... I never told you how sorry I really am... Isaac... I guess this is the world¡¯s way of returning what I did... My only friend, I should¡¯ve held on... To think I¡¯d receive the same fate you did that day... To fall. Hah. The devils are still laughing. Can you hear them? I turn as I fall. It must be the blood loss. But their eyes are red. Blood red. Darkness. If I could... Another. I wish... Darkness Then light. Huh? Light? I¡¯m lying down. I cannot move. My eyes are closed. Yet I see light. Is this the afterlife? In that case, I would at least appreciate a change in scenery. Feeling is returning to my body slowly. Ever so slowly. To think I survived that fall... How did I survive that fall? It shouldn''t be possible... I turn my head ever so slightly. I open my eyes just a slit. More red. Hooray. Am I dying? Or am I already dead? Footsteps. Someone is there. ¡°h....e...¡± I muster all the strength I can, but cannot finish my sentence. I mean I¡¯m a bloody pile on the ground and the only two letters I say are ¡®h¡¯ and ¡®e¡¯. It¡¯s pretty self-explanatory that I meant ¡®help¡¯ right? I¡¯m being dragged. Oh yes. My favourite mode of transport. Now I¡¯m being lifted. It¡¯s definitely an improvement from being dragged though. I¡¯m not complaining. Do carry on. We¡¯re going down. Very down. How can I tell? Because my body keeps jerking upwards whenever the person carrying me takes a step. My damn head hit the wall. Can¡¯t blame him though. Probably thinks I¡¯m corpse at this point. Then I¡¯m dropped. We¡¯ve been walking for long enough that maybe we arrived at the home of the healer of ¡°The Forbidden Forest.¡± One who lives deep underground... Who am I kidding. This forest isn¡¯t actually forbidden but people are just too scared to enter I guess. It has another name, although I can¡¯t recall it for the life of me. Isaac would know. He always knew about these kind of useless things... A feeling of fur brushes against my face as I¡¯m dropped and left. Fur? I try to open my eyes, desperate to see my fate. A wall. A plain grey stone wall... how boring. So the last thing I¡¯ll ever see is a wall. Great. I shift my eyes up the wall. Oh now we¡¯re talking. Some markings. What do they say? No clue. I¡¯ve never seen that language before in my entire life. That letter... word? Kind of looks like a spade. I¡¯m hallucinating now. The letters are moving. If it weren¡¯t the fall, it must have been when I hit my head on the way down here. They¡¯re settling down now it seems. Oh, I can read it this time. How convenient. ¡®Within all things, Yet few fulfil, What has a start, But not for all ends. What many seek, But soon regret. I am all around you, Can¡¯t you see? Before me bring, The chosen key.¡¯ I know these. Mother used to do them with me... Riddles. My head may be killing me, but at least I¡¯m not bored anymore. I¡¯ve thought for a while now and nothing comes to mind. If everything has it, then I must have it too. What have I got? A body? Doesn¡¯t match... My mother always used to say I was stubborn, perhaps it¡¯s that? However, I guess not everyone is stubborn. The letters are getting unfocused now. Eyes, you have one job. At least do it right. I need a closer look at it now. Can my hand move? Just barely. I reach out to touch the markings. Is it vandalism if I get my blood on them? Who cares. I place my hand beside the picture and prepare to lift myself up slightly but I¡¯m interrupted rudely by a sudden rumbling. Nothing is going right today is it? Suddenly the wall opens. Literally. It splits in two and then moves inwards. I want one. Then a wave of Darkness erupts and fills the area where I lie engulfing everything until there¡¯s nothing left. How disappointing, I just had to trigger some trap before I answered the riddle. That¡¯s typical. I¡¯ve heard enough stories to have expected that. ¡°Ugh.¡± Someone needs to give this place a good clean. Dust¡¯s everywhere. A noise. I freeze. ¡°H-he..llo?¡± No answer. No response. Nothing. Means to feel. Chapter 2 Go foraging she said. It would be fun she said. Mother, I think my idea of fun is very different to yours. As shocking as it may seem, I don¡¯t enjoy getting chased by overgrown cats. Nor do I like getting stoned until I fall from a height which is easily multiple times the height of our home. Now I¡¯m here. Wherever here is. At least I¡¯m not completely numb anymore. There¡¯s that at least. I don¡¯t know where the hell that wall... door? Led. Neither the answer to the riddle. I am sure of one thing though. Nobody has lived in this place for a very long time. At least I can breathe. However, that also means I have to suffer from inhaling Dust every time - something I¡¯m pretty sure is not healthy. I have a idea though. Have I still got my cloth wrapped around my neck? I do indeed. My thought is that a mask should be able to prevent me from breathing the Dust, much the same way as with the Vibrana seeds. I pull the cloth up to my nose and breathe. It seems my makeshift filter works. This place is incredibly eerie. I cannot see anything at all except pure overwhelming Darkness. It doesn¡¯t even appear my eyes can adjust to this one. Everything just remains shrouded by a thick cloak of matt-black. Other than the cloth my nose doesn¡¯t smell anything. My ears haven¡¯t picked anything up apart from that noise earlier either. While on that topic, which direction did it come from? While it seemed to come from my right it also came from my left. Even from above. The sound had come from everywhere at once. Almost as if the Darkness itself is speaking. This place is creeping me out. Perhaps the weirdest thing of all though is the floor though. Despite resting on it, I don¡¯t feel anything. It¡¯s as if no floor exists, but instead I¡¯m simply suspended in nothingness. A very peculiar feeling may I say. Can I stand? ¡°Agh!¡± God, that was a bad idea. Now I¡¯m even more conscious of the pain in my legs than I was before. However, it certainly isn¡¯t as sore as it was earlier. It seems I have some hope after all. I have no choice but to rest here I guess. There may be no floor, but at least the stench of blood is gone. ... ¡°Such a saga is seldom taught, Bless his name, The one who to his death ¨C fought. The man whose luck they thought ran out, His life a mess, Each step fogged by doubt. Yet this very man stood up so tall, Stood up to the ones who thought he¡¯d fall. The blood of many paint his path, How many you ask? Only he knows. A cold man was he, The man who could pass a storm, Yet calm a raging sea.¡± This song never grows old on the ears. A tale of a knight from the west who had gone mad from the guilt of his King¡¯s actions. So enraged by the acts he was given under the illusion of it benefiting his kingdom, but instead only for the King¡¯s personal profit, was he. The result? Poetic justice. The king¡¯s own sword took his head. Leaving the kingdom to fend for itself, the knight embarked on a pilgrimage. One which took him wide and far across the entirety of the continent. Constantly haunted by the guilt of his actions wherever he went. Actions which should have never taken place. He wished for redemption. He longed for forgiveness. He cried to the world and after many long years... the world heard him. His forgiveness came in the form of self-worth. He came to love. When saving a village in the area - oh there¡¯s a song for that as well don¡¯t worry - he found the woman of his dreams: one which looked past all the walls he¡¯d built up around his heart, one which saw what lay beneath, one who fell in love. His price paid, the knight settled down with her and they lived happily ever after. You would think it to be a fairy tale, if not for the kingdom which now lies in that village¡¯s place. Iramoore. That small village overcame all odds and became one of the most well renown kingdoms across the continent. If not the world. That story really makes you think doesn¡¯t it. It has been my favourite from when I was a child. Whenever I ask the travellers who visit our village of ¡®Iramoore¡¯ they speak of impossibly large towers of staggeringly pure white, golden bountiful harvests and happiness. Happiness among each inhabitant, no matter of social standing. The descriptions match with the fairy tale behind it doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve always loved stories. Both Isaac and I. I never really described him properly did I? He was my twin brother. One whom I loved very much, although I failed to show it much. As I¡¯ve previously said ¨C I¡¯m stubborn. If I were to compare the two of us. The only difference would be... well... our personalities. We were identical twins after all. Isaac was much more of a rule keeper. He would follow my mother¡¯s every instruction which led him to become, in my opinion, the favourite. I on the other hand, was quite the opposite. I was very much a rule-breaker. My brother¡¯s attitude would annoy me so I performed a lot of reckless acts to gain my mother¡¯s attention. This one time I found and ate a mushroom, which turned out to be a manstraggler ¨C A highly toxic species of forest shroom. Little surprise, I was bed-ridden for weeks. Although it certainly did gain the attention of my mother at least. Eventually it got to the point I couldn¡¯t cope with how my brother acted. Therefore I decided to take him on a little adventure. Of course, mother thought we went foraging. ¡°Agh-URg¡± Breathing in that dust earlier didn¡¯t seem to agree with me. Back to the story. So lsaac and I both left, with me keeping my eye out for something to get our heart racing. Oh and did I find something thrilling. A cliff face. As a veteran rock climber, I taught Isaac the ropes. After convincing him of there being some rare plant awaiting us at the top and that there was no path around, we began to climb. Nearing the top, the unimaginable happened. Or predictable depending on your viewpoint. Isaac¡¯s hand hold crumbled.. Desperately, I reach my hand out in hope of latching on to him. I manage. However, the rock I was holding onto began to crack under the weight. Isaac noticed of course. Just like he did with everything. ¡°Look after mum¡± Was all I heard before he let go. It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen so much blood or cried so much for that matter. I seldom cried as a child. I returned home holding the body of my dear brother. Dead. Mother was devastated and it was then that I vowed to myself to take over my brother¡¯s mantle. If one twin could do it then why couldn¡¯t the other after all. Nothing really prepares you for it though. The loss of a loved one. My brother. My best friend. And then here we are. Five whole years later. Time flies doesn¡¯t it? The songs help me escape; the stories distract my mind. Now you¡¯ve heard my story. Not as gripping or extravagant as Iramoore¡¯s, but a story nevertheless. It seems the pain has eased in my legs and this time I manage to stand. I begin with a stroll but soon realise that this place is far more peculiar than I initially thought. If I intend to go up, it feels as if I¡¯m climbing a set of stairs. Meanwhile it feels as if I¡¯m descending it, if I want to go downwards. Just how does this place work? The real question though is ¡®does it end?¡¯ No matter how far or how long I walk nothing changes. Not even swirling among the Darkness. No shimmering. Nothing. I wonder how mother¡¯s doing. No doubt she¡¯s panicking. The last time I was out this long was with Isaac and we all know what happened then. Is it dark outside? Has the day ended? In that case, has the sun risen? How long have I been here? Is there even a point to walking anymore? Just for there to be more Darkness? Maybe I¡¯m dead. Maybe I died while reading that riddle. Or perhaps I died when I fell and this is the after-life. I know I asked for a change in scenery but surely this is exaggerating things right? It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯m in another world! Which would make sense if I died I guess. ¡°With disaster, Come the angel¡¯s cries. The melodies of mourning, The sun fogged black with its rise. It¡¯s all dying, All we know. Day has become a foreign concept, The Darkness grips their hearts. Eternity¡± How do you like it? I wrote it myself. You loved it? Wow, thank you! I was inspired by all this wonderful Darkness... there¡¯s just so much of it... I¡¯m even talking to myself now. This place is really not good for my mind. ¡°ARg! The hell?¡± I exclaim. My foot collides with something heavy. Reaching down, I feel a very strange sensation. I think that it¡¯s a chain. It has the same shape and links but one small difference. The shape keep moving and changing. The chain feels almost ephemeral. Pulling it doesn¡¯t seem to do anything either. However, I finally found something else which isn¡¯t Darkness and that¡¯s more than enough for me. By following the chain with my hands firmly clasped around it, I notice that it doesn¡¯t only go straight. If I¡¯m correct than I believe this place is more of a labyrinth with no physical walls compared to an endless world of Darkness. Why else would the chain be changing direction so often? This is one long chain that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯m almost starting to sympathise with its maker. Almost. I may have if it was shorter. And not just a bit shorter either. Much shorter in fact. Short enough that it didn¡¯t take what felt like days to reach an end. I¡¯m not even at the end yet and that¡¯s the daunting thing. Breathing. I swear I heard breathing. It may have stopped now, but I know what I heard. Wherever this chain is leading me, it certainly isn¡¯t just Darkness. I just hope that it isn¡¯t leading me only to be preyed upon and that the breathing was from something that doesn¡¯t have a taste for human flesh. I can only hope. The breathing is getting more consistent now. The further I follow the chain, the more intense the breathing gets. My heart really cannot take this much stress. It is so loud. Almost as if someone is holding their breath in anticipation. Suddenly, it stops. This of course leads me to freeze as well. Did I do something wrong? I take a cautious step forwards to identify the reason behind the loss of breathing. To my astonishment, my foot lands on something which is definitely not a chain. It is rising. Up then down... just like a body. A body?! I rush to the ground on my knees. ¡°Are you alright?!¡± No response. Of course, if he was alright he wouldn¡¯t be motionless on the ¡®floor¡¯. I turn them onto their back and place my head against their chest. They¡¯re definitely breathing that is for sure. A heart beat as well if not a little fast. They¡¯re alive at least it seems. I move my hands up to their neck only to pause. The chain. It¡¯s wrapped around their neck. What the hell? I try to pry it free but it doesn¡¯t budge. No wonder their heart rate is so fast. They¡¯re being constantly strangled! ¡°Can you move?¡± If I can¡¯t get the chain off, then I¡¯ll just have to move him with the chain. Their arm twitched. ¡°Anymore than that?¡± No response once more. It seems I¡¯ll have to carry them. Ironic isn¡¯t it? I was carried in the face of death now I¡¯m carrying someone else in the same situation. I raise his back off the ¡®floor¡¯ and crouch in front of him then proceed to lift him onto my back. I now know where the chain leads it seems. I take a deep breath, then rise from my crouching position. I had to confirm they were actually on my back due to how little they weigh. They barely weigh anything in fact. Wait. What happened to the chain¡¯s weight? A weight then starts pushing against my back. Yep, it¡¯s there. I must have been imagining things before. My right hand sliding along the ghostly chain, I charge down the path I had come from. Meanwhile, my mind is scrambling for answers. Why is there a person here of all places? There are a few possibilities I can think of. Firstly, they could be like me having found their way here. If that is the case even more of a reason to save them. Perhaps they have some solutions to the problems I¡¯ve had since I first got here. The main one being: ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± Secondly, something or someone could¡¯ve put them here which would explain the chain. If that is the case I don¡¯t want to be here when they come back. That is if they aren¡¯t here already... I glance around... What¡¯s the point in doing that? I¡¯m just going to see Darkness anyway. As the saying goes ¡®If I can¡¯t see the enemy, they can¡¯t see me either.¡¯ Please let that be the case.. The last possibility I¡¯ve thought of is that they live here. However, I quickly disregard that possibility. How could anything live where there is nothing after all?If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. There¡¯s no sweat. It¡¯s as if the Darkness consumes it the moment it forms. Strangely, I haven¡¯t felt exhausted either. Surely I should be gasping for breath. This place just keeps messing with me, I need to get out of here. The problem with running through complete Darkness though is that you tend not to see what¡¯s in front of you. I was reminded of this ghastly fact by tripping over the very chain which I was using as a path guide, due to a sudden turn. Of course, the worst thing of all is that there is no floor. No actual one I mean. Therefore my passenger and I both fall and since there is no floor... we keep falling. However, falling in this case is strange as you can¡¯t see yourself falling, nor can you feel yourself falling. All I have to go by is the flailing chain which is now going vertically. I wish this would just end already. Now I have to start working my way up when we eventually do stop falling. When we do stop falling... From Darkness suddenly comes blinding light. An explosion of white from seemingly nowhere. A sudden transition between overwhelming Darkness and a painfully bright light is quite uncomfortable it turns out. Are they okay? They aren¡¯t on my back anymore. Please don¡¯t say I left them in there... I open my eyes which had shut themselves hurriedly after being exposed to the light. Everything is hazy. Figures. I awkwardly stand up, struggling to find my balance. Where are they? I refuse to believe I left them in the dark. I notice a flash of apricot coloured skin. Skin? I come closer and sure enough. Before me lies a stark naked version of... me. This can¡¯t be possible... How?... ¡°Isaac?¡± How could he be alive? Why was he in that world of Darkness? My legs collapse to the floor which looking down is actually a floor this time. Perfect, seamless blades of grass lay beneath me trampled from where I¡¯ve trod. Tears form in my eyes. I¡¯m shaking. Get yourself together Jonas, you need to be strong for your brother. My legs still trembling, I stand once more and pull Isaac up by his arms. ¡°How are you still alive, Isaac?¡± I whisper to myself, letting go of his arms once he is fully stood. Only for him to fall forwards to the ground. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s never used his legs before. I help him up once more. ¡°Do you remember me Isaac? I¡¯m Jonas. Your brother. Your friend.¡± He¡¯s opening then closing his mouth now much like a fish. I catch him as he¡¯s about to fall once more. Does he really not remember? Amnesia? But amnesia doesn¡¯t make you forget basic body actions such as walking or the ability to speak. As far as I know anyway. Just what happened to you Isaac? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll wake up any second and that this will all turn out to be a dream. Terrified that I¡¯m still lying in a pool of my own blood. That I never left that spot. If this is a dream, I¡¯ll make the most of it. I begin to gesticulate to Isaac how to walk. One leg first then the other. It¡¯s like having a 15 year old toddler. By the time Isaac began to walk by himself it was already dark. ¡°Oh look, you¡¯re taking your first steps!¡± Isaac turns to the sound of my voice only to fall onto his back. However, a smile is painted across his face and that makes me forget years of pain. I can¡¯t remember the last time I was this happy. It¡¯s as if my life has been monochrome for the past five years and the colour has finally returned. It¡¯s beautiful. I return with a smile of my own this time. A genuine one for once.po After lifting Isaac back to his feet he steadily begins to walk. The smile still present on his face. I can¡¯t help myself. I bring him into a hug. Oh how I¡¯ve missed this. Tears start crawling down my face. I release Isaac and simply stare at him. I snicker when I see his worried expression. I place my hand upon his head, like mother used to do to us as kids, then ruffle his hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these are happy tears.¡± A grimace replaces my smile as I look down though and I¡¯m reminded of Isaac¡¯s current exhibitionism. Better find him something to cover up while he practises the whimsical act of walking. What could I use? My cloth is an option however I would prefer it to be untainted. Selfish I know, but who knows if we¡¯ll have another encounter with a Vibrana field. Or worse. Out of ideas, I glance at the surrounding wildlife. Safrolis? The leaves of that tree might cause some nasty reaction and I¡¯m not willing to risk it. Although it does make great tea. I¡¯ll get some for mother. Oh that¡¯ll do perfectly! I rip off the leaves of a nearby bush. Grasifrim is a common forest bush in the local area and just like any normal bush doesn¡¯t have any side effects. After using some nearby fibres as well I manage to make an all-natural loincloth. Now where is Isaac? Oh he¡¯s attempting to copy me. To my left, Isaac¡¯s furiously ripping apart a batch of flora. Unable to hold back, I laugh. Isaac tilts his head to the side, confused. That only makes me laugh more. Rubbing tears from my eyes, I grin at my brother. When was the last time I laughed like that? ¡°I got you some clothes, Isaac.¡± I present my marvel of a creation but take it back before he grabs it. I don¡¯t want him trying to eat this, just because it looks like a plant. Who knows how badly the amnesia got to him if he forgot how to walk. ¡°Come here so we can get you dressed.¡± Oh right he doesn¡¯t understand me. That doesn¡¯t affect my mood though. I simply waltz over to him instead. After managing to fit the loincloth onto him, I step back to admire my work. I don¡¯t want to brag but I could become very well become a tailor. After getting Isaac accustomed to his new attire, we begin to trudge through the undergrowth. Time flew by with helping Isaac overcome the many obstacles the woodland threw at us. Before we knew it, darkness wrapped the world in its embrace. However, this darkness doesn¡¯t even cut close to what we experienced before. As we enter a clearing we get to see the night in all its glory. Shimmering stars scattered across a pool of black with the iconic moon gazing down on us. It seems I really did return from that place. I peer at Isaac who is taking large steps behind me. I grin. We escaped. My grin was quickly swept off my face by the bush shaking before me. I gradually move backwards, keeping Isaac behind me. I¡¯m not letting him go again. My heart beats faster as the bush continues to shudder. That is until a young fawn emerges from it. I release my held breath and sigh. ¡°Almost gave me a heart attack.¡± I state then gaze at the creature. Poor thing is shivering. It is kind of cold I guess. Cold. I swiftly shift my gaze to Isaac who¡¯s staring at the fawn curiously. He¡¯s only in a loincloth shouldn¡¯t he be cold? I approach him to check his temperature. Warm for now. I¡¯ll have to sort something out once I get a fire going. Isaac looks at me, his eyes twinkling. How can I not smile back? Mum will dote on him to no end when we get back. I don¡¯t even mind, I¡¯m just glad to have him back. The fawn apprehensively works its way towards us then catches its eyes on Isaac. It stops shivering and just stares at him. Oh hell no, I¡¯ve had enough of staring creatures for a lifetime. Before I manage to move though, Isaac slips past me and places his hand upon its head and proceeds to stroke it. Well I¡¯ll be damned. It¡¯s crying. Isaac simply brings it into a hug and carries on comforting it. Now isn¡¯t that a sight for sore eyes. I raise my head to look at the growing darkness. We need to set up camp. With the fawn practically attached to Isaac, I leave them to their own devices in search of firewood. I unwrap my cloth from my neck and knot it into a bag of sorts then proceed to fill it with twigs I deem appropriate, while never treading too far from where Isaac is. This also gives me the opportunity to rethink my plan. I don¡¯t recognise any of my surroundings which is an issue. Just how far was I carried after I fell? My mind then comes back to Isaac. It was worth it. If I had to get chased by a tiger then stoned by some unknown species to find Isaac I would do it again. Not just once either. Infinite times. Eternity. Grinning, I continue gathering fire wood until I slip onto my back. Groggily, I sit up. I need to pay more attention. I¡¯ve should¡¯ve been able to spot that... banana... skin. Oh no. No, no, no, no! I scramble to my feet cradling my almost filled bag against my chest. Worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll have a lot of twigs to throw. Racing back to camp, I ignore the pain in my legs. Please let him be safe. As I approach, I hear laughter. One I¡¯m all too familiar with. I increase my pace, my breathing growing ragged. Just a little more. As I enter the small clearing, I hear a new type of laughter. One I haven¡¯t heard in years. I drop my bag of twigs and fall to my knees. My hands move by themselves to cover the lower half of my face. What¡¯s it with me crying today? Before me I see a dozen of the fur-ball creatures all on their backs and laughing as Isaac tickles their bellies. Some are humming melodies, some are simply lying down and some are even offering their bananas to Isaac. What the hell is going on? Isaac notices me and his smile gets even wider. The creatures stop their actions to look at me with shock written across their faces. You bastards thought I died didn¡¯t you? One of them turns and hides behind Isaac, fear obvious in their eyes. I guess I¡¯d be scared as well if the person you thought you killed seemingly resurrected. Then they blinked. So they can blink. I clench my fists around my makeshift bag and stroll in front of Isaac. I drop my bag and fall to the ground sighing. After a few minutes, their fear was overcome with curiosity. ¡°Get your mitts off that.¡± I say exasperated to one of them as they attempt to steal out one of my twigs. ¡°Blah!¡± It responds, sticking its tongue out at me. Blah? They¡¯re getting cocky again. Two can play at that game. I begin to empty the firewood onto my designated spot when the same fur-ball attempts to thief a piece. ¡°Blah 1, none of that thank you.¡± Blah 1¡¯s face contorts into horror as it hears the name I graciously bestowed upon it. Another monkey who was eating a banana until this point, begins to laugh like a maniac. Oh is Blah 1 angry? An evil grin comes to life on my face. Perfect. ¡°Blah 2 you¡¯re no better. Make yourself useful.¡± Blah 2 chokes on a mouthful of banana when it hears its name. It¡¯s Blah 1¡¯s turn to laugh this time it seems as they begin to roll around clutching their chest. At least Blah 2 took my words to heart and began to help me set the fire. Wait. ¡°You understand me?¡± Blah 2 rolls its eyes and continues with its task. ¡°Blah 1 do you understand me too?¡± Blah 1 freezes in its laughter and growls at me. I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Blah 2¡¯s tail brushes against mine and my face goes pale and I retreat a few steps. All I get in response is a face of confusion. ¡°Sorry, I still have trust issues...¡± I awkwardly reply. My hand seems to have unconsciously gone to the back of my head. I take a deep breath and look at Isaac. I have to overcome this for him. I get back to work with Blah 2 helping me. After I¡¯ve collected some water and finished setting camp up, I finally relax. The fawn has left it seems when I was gone. I would¡¯ve preferred if the blahs went in its place. Blah 1 sticks its tongue out at me. Never lucky. Isaac has simply been staring intensely into the fire for the past few minutes. I guess it is his first time seeing it after all. Can¡¯t blame him. One of the blahs who was perched on his shoulder jumps down and strolls over to me. I then begins to gesticulate. ¡°No clue? A fish?¡± It stops to look at me with a frown. ¡°Not that then I guess. I give up.¡± I remark tiredly. The blah lowers its head to mutter something then lifts it to look at me once more. ¡°La La.¡± It proclaims. ¡°La La?¡± I repeat. The blah nods enthusiastically. Now what the hell could a ¡®La La¡¯ be? The blah then makes mouth gestures and holds its hands out above it like a preacher. ¡°LA LA LA LAAAAA¡± That was almost melodic. Oh! They mean a song. I guess I did sing to them when I was climbing the trees earlier. ¡°A song! Great idea Blah 3!¡± I rise from the ground and praise. Blah 3 then proceeds to make puking gestures. How rude. Let¡¯s think... ¡°Stories, Are fickle things. Each-quite-different to the last. Normally anyways. One could be a travellers tale, Or perhaps of a knight as they prevail. Imagine scenes, Imagine the glory, Oh let me tell you my little story. Our gaze shifts South, With a folk named Blete. His life was solid, If not a little bleak. That-was-un-til one morning, Where the sun rose red, Or so they all said. Struck with shock, Our-hero-cries with fear, Then set his boat off and began to steer. Of course he didn¡¯t last long, As he went and died, But-will-that-end-my-song? No!~ From the waves emerged, Something of which you¡¯ve never heard!¡± I quickly glance at my audience to see then captivated. A grin spreads across my face. Guess I¡¯ll continue then. ¡°A whale which leapt the water, And flew. Fish soon followed, Leaving the ocean to be flipped upside down. The water then rose, But the people kept still. What were these creatures who stole our sky? The norm was soon forgot. It¡¯s kind of hard not to, When you see something which defies all you¡¯ve been taught. The people then took action and boarded boats. And that my friends is how the first man flew. Believe it or not, It tells a tale. Could it come true, Or will we forever be stuck to this spot?¡± I take a deep breath, bow and wait for an applause. Oh right. My audience are some forest creatures and my amnesic brother. Not much chance of an applause. I spoke too soon it seems. One of the blahs are clapping loudly. Now which one was he... Ah! That scar across their face. ¡°Thank you Blah 2! Thank you¡± Blah 2 nods, then realises what I called it and sneers. Gotcha. I turn my attention to Isaac sleeping. Was it really that boring of a song? I can¡¯t keep it up though as lips curve upwards. He¡¯s been through a lot. I have been through quite an ordeal as well. It¡¯s not every day you almost die after all. Although, I guess I wasn¡¯t chained up in complete Darkness. Poor guy. I lie on my back and watch the embers fly towards the moon only to vanish. Their lives cut short. Mother. Mum. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be home soon. With a little surprise in tow. When morning broke I was painfully awoken by a kick to my side. I grumble, as I rise. Then proceed to shake off my blanket. Blanket? My realisation came as four sets of eyes staring at me sleepily. I hastily back up with a yelp. One of the blahs then say something to which the other blahs grumble in agreement with and turn away from me to return to sleep. I won¡¯t be getting used to this anytime soon. ¡°Sorry Isaac...¡± My cry seems to have woken him. His gaze fixed on the positioning of my arms, he attempts to copy me. As he tries to sit up, I notice he has a similar blanket. Except much larger. No time to move like the present. Grabbing Isaac¡¯s hand, I help him up. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± He tilts his head at me. I smile to which he responds in kind. ¡°Blah 2!¡± I notice one Blah shiver among the rest. I approach... her? I think it¡¯s a her. ¡°Could you give us directions to where you saw me before?¡± Blah 2 opens one eye to see who disrupted her rest and then sighs as she sees me. Who were you expecting? She then stretches and scurries over to Isaac where she sits upon his shoulder. She shouts something which rouses the others. Perhaps she¡¯s their leader of sorts? The other blahs then proceed to line up in front of Isaac. What scheme are they pulling now... Isaac beams at their attention and reaches down to hug the first in line. Then the next and the next. After each blah has been hugged by Isaac, they proceed to leave. Blah 2 smiles smugly at me. ¡°Bah, I never wanted to be hugged anyway.¡± I state as I join up beside Isaac. Only for him to hug me too. ¡°Thanks Isaac...¡± He then ruffles my hair and laughs when I push him back flushed red. ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here already.¡± I beckon Blah 2. She responds by pointing to my left. Our guide has spoken and so we trudge onwards. I cannot help but increase my speed, as we pass areas I recognise. We¡¯re so close now. I pause at Blah 2¡¯s signal of a sharp ¡°Blah!¡± and turn to see her hugging Isaac. She then jumps down and stops before me with her arms spread. She wants a hug? I guess... it wouldn¡¯t hurt. I wrap my arms around Blah 2 and look up to see Isaac covering his mouth, chuckling. The nerve. Who taught him that? After releasing the hug, Blah 2 points one last time before rushing up a tree and disappearing into the lush green. There are some decent Blahs it seems. Isaac begins walking in the direction she pointed us in and I fall in step with him. Just you wait mother, we¡¯ll be home soon. I wonder what happened to all the blood from my fall. It should¡¯ve been around here... ... I stare up at the door in front of me then at Isaac beside me. We¡¯re finally here. I grab Isaac¡¯s hand and clasp it hard. With that I knock on the door and hear the screeching of a chair behind it as somebody rushes to the door. The door flies open to reveal a woman with nut-brown hair and eyes a sparkling green which contrast against the bags lying underneath her eyes. A leather apron covers her body as she lowers her worried gaze to us. ¡°Jason Ariel Kraftson, where were-¡° Then her eyes focus completely on Isaac and tears begin to form. ¡°Mother, you won¡¯t believe who I found in the forest,¡± I professed. Her response consisted of falling to her knees and wrapping us both in an enormous bear hug. Sobbing she struggles to speak but I do manage to make out one part. ¡°Welcome home.¡±