I wasn't that old. I still don't know why. It just did. Pain. The flare of it engulfing my soul. Slowly showing on my makeshift bandages I call my skin. My smile is falling. My vision slowly dulling, the light drawing in pools of darkness locked in my heart. I don't have the keys, but all the locks instead. Who has the keys? Who can set me free?
"Wake up," says a soft voice. Soft green eyes open. A head comes off a pillow as the person sits up. At first glance, the room looks empty. But when you look in his eyes, you can see the visitors who come to prey on the watcher. Most were small little animal like creatures. Including a small one that looked like a Robin perched on the human's shoulder.
"Komadori? It's so early," he complained.
"But you cannot be late little red," he joked. The boy was a red after all.
"I am fast," he stated.
"But today is your birthday. A day in which there is much energy to be harvested from your body to bless the crops, animals, and people around this world. You should be awake longer."
"You know I don't believe in that Komadori," he lied. He couldn't believe. He knew it was real. Magic, he'd known for years. Not hocus pocus, but spiritual. He had sharper sight. He could see magical energy imitate from people, plants, and relics alike. But his known power was given through science. His unknown gift, had given him power through spirits.
He sighed softly. It was painful and quite frankly annoying when they drained him of his energy. But they only did this on his birthday or during a tragedy where more than expected passed on and needed help making it beyond. He didn't mind if it was only on his birthday, but accidents still happened. He still had the occasional passing help. But he was a hero.
He rushed down the stairs.
"Morning!" he smiled. The pain was starting from the harvest.
"Happy Birthday Wally," smiled his mom as she made breakfast. His dad let out a small smile. He wasn't very good with talking to people. So the dad put Wally's present on the table. Wally opened it eagerly. It was a book. Black leather. A journal. Wally smiled. He ran up and hugged his dad. Then his mom.
"Thanks!...You didn't tell Uncle Barry did you?" he asked. His uncle didn't know, but his parents were aware of his gift after an incident a few years ago.
"Wally, you're mother and I were talking."
"Yes I know. You don't think the little people are real," said a small eight year old Wally. He looked to the world like it was a small marble for playing, and nothing more.
"Wally, you need to stop this. They don't exist," said his mother. He looked in her direction but not at her. He looked to two meaner spirits who loved to play tricks. He noticed them as they began to push the wardrobe. He waited until the spirits couldn't stop its fall before pushing his mom out of the way.
"Careful. They seem to be extra excited today," was what he had said.
"Now listen Wally," began his dad putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Shh…," interrupted Wally. He looked like he was listening to someone talking to him over a phone that wasn't there, "On three, get down."
"Wally this is…,"
"One."
"Stop this…!"
"Two.
"WALLACE!"
"…What? Oh. DUCK!" he yelled. Instinctively his parents hit the ground, as did Wally. Only a moment later, gun shots could be heard outside. Some bullets going into their home.
Since then they never doubted. He always had a way of knowing if something bad was going to happen. And since he was always one to believe in science and being rational, they knew he wasn't lying.
"Don't worry. He doesn't know," said his mom. Wally smiled. Not a journal, but a sketch book of all his little friends. Komadori, who had black hair but a bright red out fit and a small set of red wings. Jousimies, a small warrior with a bow in hand with a habit of wearing a green ribbon in her hair. She was sitting on his other shoulder with a smirk. She was always one to compete with Komadori.
"Today is a good day for hunting," she said happily. She sat on his shoulders with a large smile, "You better smile. I hate it when your human friends get "concerned"."
Wally sighed. She was the most temperamental of all the spirits that he had met. Plus she was one of the lingering spirits. She and Komadori were spirits for as long as they could remember, so they couldn't quiet pass on until they faded from existence. A slow and boring process. But they seemed content to helping Wally as he learned to keep quiet about spirits while helping them too. That was his job. Keep the spirits happy and sometimes, fed.
No one else knew. He never thought about it. So M'gann didn't know. But he did wish for someone to understand what he really could see. Someone other than the spirits.
Conner
"Pardon me, but get your but… out of my face!" said a small mumbled voice. Conner looked around. He was alone in the living room of the mountain. He felt a slight jab on his butt. He stood up to see a little person. It jumped up on his shoulder quickly.
"Yeesh, lay off the sweets big guy. You about crushed me," it joked. It was small, no bigger than his index finger. Wearing a steal grey robe but having strawberry blonde hair he let out a small smile.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Luas. Bout time someone noticed me," he pouted.
"Complaining again are you?" asked a harsh voice. Another small, yet slightly larger person appeared next to him. Wearing Blue shorts he stood tall. He looked like what Wally would have called a surfer.
"Shut up Flumen," he retorted. Conner cocked an eyebrow.
"What are you?" he asked. The two looked at each other.
"Spirits."
Komadori- Robin (Japanese)
Jousimies- Archer (Finnish)
Luas- Speed (Irish)
Flumen- River (Latin)