《A Time of Tragedy》


 Introduction

    ¡°So, Alex, what do you plan on doing now?¡± Simon asked as the two friends walked out of the gymnasium where their graduation had only just ended. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I suppose I¡¯ll find some place to live, first. I¡¯ve applied for a few jobs but none have responded yet. No one seems to want to hire some guy that only just graduated from high school. And I can¡¯t live with my dad forever.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯ve got that CD you¡¯ve been piling money into since 5th grade. You should be able to afford a nice apartment for a while even without a job. I wish I had been that smart. I only have the tips I got from work last night, and that isn¡¯t enough for even a motel room for a night. Say, why don¡¯t you come work at Phil ¡®Em Up with me? It¡¯s a job and I know they¡¯re hiring. It isn¡¯t great money but it¡¯s something. Plus, you¡¯d get to work with your best friend!¡±


    ¡°Nah, food service isn¡¯t for me. Especially pizza delivery. I want a real job. Something where I do work I enjoy. I don¡¯t want to settle for just any job simply for a paycheck. I¡¯d rather go live out in the middle of the Century Forest than work a shitty job for lousy pay.¡±


    ¡°Well if you change your mind, just let me know. I¡¯ll put a good word in for you with the boss.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Thanks Simon.¡± And with that, the two boys continued their walk home in silence, reminiscing over the last year, and planning out their futures. It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the corner of 19th and Waldon, where the two parted ways, finishing their walks alone.


    Alex reached his home only five minutes after he and Simon split up. He immediately went downstairs to the basement, hopped on the computer, and checked his email. What he found there was exactly the thing he had been waiting for: a response from Harrison Heals, an alternative medicine shop he applied at. Alex jumped on the email in excitement, and began to read:


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Thank you for applying at Harrison Heals. We have reviewed your


    resume and application and we would love to have you join our team.


    Unfortunately, we have no openings at this time, and thus, regret to


    inform you that we are not currently hiring. We will keep you in mind


    in the event that a position opens up, and we hope you have a wonderful


    day. As a thank you for your interest and as an apology, we would like


    to offer you this coupon for 20% off any purchase at our store. Thank


    you. Happy Healing


    - Harrison Hart


    Owner


    Alex leaned back in his chair, disappointed. All of the other jobs he had applied for had simply turned him down, and now the one job he hadn¡¯t gotten a response from basically tells him ¡°better luck next time.¡± What was he going to do? He could go work with Simon at Phil ¡®Em Up, but he refused to work in the food industry. He wanted to be different. Everyone either went to college after high school, or started working at some food place. He didn¡¯t want to be like everyone else.


    He thought back to his conversation with Simon on their walk home. He thought of how he said he¡¯d rather live in Century Forest, named so because it was rumored to take a man a century to walk from one end to the other. While this was only a hyperbole, it was true that the forest was huge. The largest in the world in fact. When people went missing, it was assumed they ran into the forest and were lost, or that they were murdered and their body was dumped there. So many parts were unexplored in the forest. He could disappear. He could run and make his own life his own way. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money, or a job, or anything. All he would need is a way to eat, and water to drink and he could figure the rest out. Alex was determined to be different. So, he packed a bag with his favorite belongings, a gallon of water, and some trail mix, and he set out for Century Forest. Not a word said, not a note left. This was the day Alex Rose disappeared¡­

 Chapter One: Daily Life

    A gentle breeze rolled through the forest, rustling loose enough leaves to paint the ground in varying shades of red, yellow and orange. One stray leaf happened upon the cheek of Alex Rose, waking him from his mid-afternoon nap. He was the only man that ventured this deep into Century Forest, and it was for that very reason he chose to live here. It was his own little world, free from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. He had everything he needed. He fished a nearby river and laid simple traps for small animals such as squirrels and rabbits, and had a supply of fresh water from a small spring only a few miles from his home. He had the company of the trees and the animals, and of his own mind. He lived as he pleased, having no set of laws except for those of his own making. He was happy, and at peace.


    It had been a few months now since Alex left his home. He kept track of the days with sticks he laid out to form letters and numbers. Today was August 14th. By this time, he had started to grow a bit of stubble on his chin and above his lip. He rather liked it. His dirty blonde hair had grown about to his shoulders, and had begun to curl just at the ends. His clothes hung loosely on his ow slender and lean body in taters, ripping here and there where he got snagged on one of his adventures through the forest. Of all his years in school, he had never learned so much as these last few months spent on his own. He learned to fend for himself, he learned what plants were safe to eat, which would make him sick, and ones that would have profound effects like giving him extreme amounts of energy for a short time. Alex had learned how to track animals, how to set traps for the seemingly unpredictable paths the fish would swim through the river. He learned much that they don¡¯t teach in school. However, the more he learned, and the more he adventured, the more curious he became. Every day, he would venture a little further from his little home to look for more interesting things to learn about. Today, however, was a day to relax, not to adventure.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Alex got up from his resting place, stretched a bit, and began to walk back to his shelter. On the way, he checked his traps, and found two squirrels, a rabbit, and three mice. When he got back, he set a fire, which he learned to do with a couple of good rocks, and placed a pot over the fire full of water. He went inside his little shelter, which he had constructed from some saplings, large tree leaves, and a tarp he brought with him when he left home. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was all he needed. Once he had skinned and gutted the animals, he placed the meat in the pot and boiled them for a meal. A short time later, they were done cooking and he put the meat on a rock he found in the river that was smooth from weathering and that he used as a plate. It was in this fashion, along with some general wandering about, that Alex conducted his life. It was peaceful and pleasurable.