A Heart's Memoirs

~Chapter 1~

What Frightens You

We may have walked side by side,

But now we go on back to back.

And though our paths may not cross,

All paths are connected somewhere.

When I arrive at where you are,

We may not appear to be as we were...

But we'll make another promise to keep.

It was barely noon now, and there was not much to do in this quiet timberland. Just outside of town, south of the large stone bridge, was a small, neat house with a rather large tree crowding beside it. A small dwelling alone in the back roads of old Gilded Terrace, where no one hardly knew of any people across the bridge, and did not care enough to pursue into the backwoods one way or the other. It was a functioning house, nonetheless Where a mother and daughter lived inside together.

Down in the lively kitchen, the mother called to the floor above for her daughter to help prepare today's lunch.

"If you expect to eat, I'd gladly take a hand in here!" She hollered, with salt and spoon in hand, slowly stirring the hot soup. Just as she pulled the wooden spoon above the steam to her lips, there was a small tumble of feet baring down the stairs.

"Aw, mom , I can't eat now. I'm heading to town." She rushed into the kitchen, and grabbing her satchel from the hook on the wall. Her mother raised an arm at her, not moving from the steaming pot in front of her.

"Woah, woah, slow down. You can't just skip lunch."

"Clyde really needs my help down at the athenaeum, you know how rough it is running the place by himself.." She stood in the doorway with her shoulders slouched, as if the explanation itself were wearing her down. Her mom glanced at the pot and at her daughter again before she made her 'if you absolutely have to' face.

"Okay but please, don't lose track of time, there's enough trouble out there as it is - I don't want you getting in the middle of it!"

Her daughter replied reassuringly. "I know Mom, I know. "

"I won't be gone long." She reached for her jacket from the back of the kitchen chair and walked out the front door. But even a few feet away from the house she could hear her mother still. She poked her head though the kitchen window, calling her.

"Don't talk to any strangers wandering into town, and hang on to your jacket, it might get cold this evening!"

"Mom!" She exclaimed. "I'll be just fine!" She continued down the road, waving at the house.

"Don't wait up for me!" Soon her figure became too small to see, and a tiny dot seemed to fade into grove. A light breezed picked up, and the stalks of trees brushed against one another in a gentle rhythm. Without knowing, the girl unintentionally began to speak inside her head.

..Sigh..
... lately mom has been more ... distressed than usual.
But I always tell her that she shouldn't worry, I know how to take care of myself.
I guess she can't help it...Ugh, what am I saying, of course she can't..!
I miss him just as much. Me and her ... we only have each other know.

Traveling in her thoughts, she found herself straying from the beaten path, down into a pallet of wild blossoms. She began to smile, willingly pinching the stems of the flowers and collecting the buds in her fist. Up ahead, another road intersected hers; abandoned and unsightly. She stood, conflicted, at the crummy boards and planks blocking the way with long belts of old rope hopelessly hanging from the battered wood. The filthy sign leaned tiredly on its side reading:

"DO NOT ENTER"

She sighed, almost gently, as her eyes wandered off the open road where a tall block stone stood growing in the midst of the wild grass. She knelt down to clean up the leaves around it and gently placed the flowers she had carried, upon the grave. She took a moment of silence before speaking in a small, placid tone.

"..I came to say good morning."

She took a step back from the stone, letting the grass brush the back of her legs. She smiled warmly.

"Mom still misses you ... heh, like you don't know that already. I seem to tell you that everyday. And I miss you, too. It feels like this place is slowly falling apart...especially me."

The wind blew against her face as she spoke to the stone, pushing small tears down onto the edge of her cheeks.

"But make no mistake, I haven't given up yet!" Her voice cracked as she clenched her fists, blurting into the solemn wilderness.

"I won't stop searching for you ... I promise."

With a creak and a thud a young man jumped over the sturdy boards, blocking an idle section of the forest. It was very late in the evening, just when everyone had closed their carts and shops, locked their doors and windows and placed their weary heads on their soft beds. With no other business to confront, it was surely time to rest for the day. The night was fairly dark with only the moon in the empty sky, beaming its light down on the sleeping town. Progressing into the belly of the woods, the path grew into a long dark corridor of large trees. The sound of the young man's feet scratched the skin of the earth, with a calm stride he trudged onward to his home, just as he always did on a late return.

ttttttsshhh ... ttttttsshhh ... ttttttsshhh ... ttttt-

He stopped.

Whatever he had heard, or thought he heard, silenced itself just as his footsteps had halted. Staring out into the open, he stood longer and listened harder, for a cricket or maybe a bird to call out. A low rustle shook a group of bushes across from him.

Something swift moved just beneath him, and his stomach nearly caved in on itself.

ttttsssssshhhhhhhhh ... ttttsssssssshhhhhhhh ... tttt ... ttttt ... tttttsssshhhhhhh

A dull resonance of static began to flood his eardrums. It was...unrecognizable; sound that no one should ever hear. What was he suppose to identify here? Initially he became bothered, then confused, all slowly stirring into a panic. This noise was making him fidgety and anxious. He was now trotting down the path, but cautiously watching his back. His body grew colder, the static was getting louder, so loud the whole town could have heard it in their dreams.

Whatever it was, why couldn't it leave him alone? What was it? Where was it? Why won't it show itself and get it over with?

The static was full blast. Clearer, louder, fuller.

TTTTSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH ... TTTTSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH ... TTTT ... TTTTT ... TTTTTSSSSHHHHHHH

He turned around and surly froze when he finally caught sight of what had been trailing him. Its bright yellow orbs were staring right back into his eyes and shook his soul. The dark creature charged at him and caught the leg of his pants, making him crash into the dirt. Turing over, he frantically shook his ankle until the creature was crushed harshly beneath his heel. To evade another attack it allowed it's small body to flatten itself into the ground, slithering about. It came towards him again, only for him to raise his foot a second time, digging into its body. Shreds of blackness scattered on the ground like torn fabric and somehow took form of several other vessels with the same lifeless eyes. Multiple thoughts flooded his mind, with sudden alarm and uncertainty. He fled from his enemies in a fast escape, with all of them following close behind. More enclosed him into a small space. Thinking fast, he took possession of a large branch hiding the grass and readied himself. As soon as an attack was made, he came full speed, stabbing the monsters with his weapon.

Countless vessels faded quickly, but somehow they were not slowing down. More and more of them stood menacing in the street, block anyway out. They had successfully multiplied into a mob of darkness that were too many to account for. The boy quickly ran out of steam, and his weapon became no use. With no hesitation at all, the creatures took advantage of his condition and overtook him. They held down his arms and legs; cutting his flesh with their many sharpened nails. With each cut and scrape he hollered continuously into the night, but no one would ever come to his rescue. A single claw rose above them all, preparing to strike his body. As a last resort, he yelled at the top of his lungs until his chest began to sink, until his eyes grew heavy and until his breath drew short. His body slowly shut down, emptying itself of all its strength. Through the haze of his sight, a rosy entity of pure light flushed out of him in a heavenly sight. It twinkled above him in such a way, that he thought it was just a simple spirit, releasing him of his consciousness and granting him his final rest. It sadly faded, along with his will to live. Waves of darkness washed over him, taking him to where ever bodies go. In one final attempt to keep himself awake, he thought of what he was leaving behind. And was to become of him now.

But where do bodies go when the leave their vessel?
Where do they all escape to?
Who awaits them at the end of their suffering?
Is sudden death truly the end of all life?

(Jasmine's POV)

My mother waited for him to come home, to what seemed like forever. And since it was a small town, the news spread, and people became afraid. I was afraid too; I had nothing to help fight those monsters.

And on one night my mother came to me.

"You must never blame yourself, Jasmine. I need you to be strong. Strong for your brother and I ... don't ever bring yourself down with what frightens you. In the end it will make you stronger."

Even though I didn't fully understand what my mother meant, I made that promise. It's been years since that day and I've spent that time learning and training myself - waiting to find those monsters that took my brother. I've studied many books with explanations on why and how these beings existed. Most said they were myths, but I knew they were becoming a reality. They were taking over our world, and maybe others as well. It may take forever to find my brother, but I'm willing to take any risk to put my family back together again.