It was dark, and it was cold. From what he could tell, it wasn't earth at all. It didn't seem like his own dimension. Why had he woken up here?
"Are you a man, or a woman?"
The voice comes in from all around him, closing in on him and stopping just as abruptly as it had started.
"Who are you?"
"Are you a man, or a woman?"
"I'm a man..." He replied shakily.
He counted the unexpected silence,
10 seconds. "No, you are a boy. Shall I teach you how to play, or not?"
A game? He was good at games. In an attempt to calm himself down, he had been telling himself that these events, this place was a dream. But it did not feel like a dream. It had only the characteristics of a dream.
"Um, yes. Teach me."
His mind registered somewhere that this was not by any means a dream. Conciously, he was still trying to convince himself it was, but not knowing the rules of what ever game he was to play could be dangerous.
"You do not deserve it."
He was taken aback suddenly. He had closed his eyes, expecting a thorough explaination. But he would have to figure things out on his own. He was scared.
"You can start, now."
The voice, less sinister than it had been was speaking in a casual pattern. He relaxed a little as the world around him became light enough to see.
"Go straight ahead." The voice said.
He nodded, crawling slowly from his spot at first, but he soon pushed himself up and began walking. 'Its not because he told me to.' He assured himself. After all, he didn't have much of a choice on the matter, right?
Black was the best word to describe his surroundings; But it wasn't black. If it was black how could he see a floor beneath him, and space ahead?
He walked for a long time. For an onlooker, it might seem like he wasn't going anywhere. He stopped abruptly, a little shocked at the sight of a pit of barbs at his feet.
"Jump over that pit of barbs."
He did so. It wasn't a hard jump.
"Good boy."
'I'm not doing it because he told me to, though.' After all, if he disobeyed he would fall into the pit and die. Or be injured.
He continued in the same fasion as before; legs moving, but not completely sure he was actually going somewhere.
In the same strange abrupt way, a statue of an angel appeared in front of him.
"Touch the statue. I will forgive you."
He touched it, without realizing it wasn't in his direct need to do so.
"Good boy."
What was this condesending voice? He walked.
"Travel the left path." The voice said.
As if summoned, a fork appeared in front of him. The left path, the path he was told to take, was filled with barbs and other hazards. It wasn't going to kill him... Maybe. In any case, it wasn't certain death. Also, he wasn't particularly fond of what would happen if he disobeyed. Something bad? Yes. It was in his best interest to obey.
He took the left path. The right path disappeared.
"Good boy." The voice cooed again. The area around him became brighter. He felt safer.
He walked.
There was another pit of barbs. Without thinking, he made to step over it. But was stopped.
"Throw yourself into the barbs."
"Won't I get hurt?"
Why was he going to put his trust in a voice? This was a subconcious thought. He payed no attention to it.
"We'll see about that, wont we?" He snarled. The voice sounded like it was losing its patience. But he had been so good so far...
He stepped over the pit. If the consequences would kill him, it wouldn't be nearly as painful as hurling yourself into spikes.
"Disgusting mortal." The voice seethed.
He stopped walking, suddenly feeling cold. He shivered.
"I'm not." He whispered.
"You are. You disobeyed me."
The air around him became as dark as it was before. It was like he made no progress at all.
"Lets see if you can listen from now on, hm?"
He nodded. He walked. He came to another statue and stopped. There was no voice, even after some time telling him it wouldn't be okay to touch it. Thats what he did.
"Do I own your body, or your mind?" The voice asked suddenly.
He shook his head. "Neither."
Thats what he wanted to say, but he couldn't. And it hurt.
"My... My body." He finally decided, looking up expectantly. He didn't even realize in doing this that 'up' wasn't the direction the voice was coming from.
The voice said nothing. He thought it was disappointed. How sad. What did he do wrong?
He continued. "Do not move." The voice said. Whether it was at the angry tone, or his inadvertant fear of the voice, he didn't move.
Staying still seemed to last forever. Was this a test? But just before he thought of moving;
"Good boy. Continue."
He did. The walk was longer this time. There was another statue in front of him.
"Do not touch the statue."
This was only the first time he had questioned the use of the statues. Nothing happened when he touched them. Nothing would happen when he didn't touch them. This was his logic, and it almost hid from his mind the fact that he was finding excuses to obey this voice. He passed by the statue easily and contined walking.
"Good boy."
He smiled as his surroundings became brighter. It didn't serve to improve his sight, but he felt warmer as he walked.
"We will meet soon." The voice said.
"O-okay..."
"Are you excited? Or frightened?"
"Frightened." He confessed. It was all he could do.
"Then it will only be more enjoyable."
There was malice hidden in this statement. Thinly veiled and presented to him. But he ignored it. 'Right.' He thought. 'It will be enjoyable.'
He walked along. Down some unexpected steps he went, but it didn't surprise him. He did not fall. But at the bottom of the stairs, there were barbs and blue fires littering his path.
"Do not get hurt." The voice said.
The obstacles were easy enough to avoid. They were stationary. It was simpply until one was thrust out in front of him, cutting his leg in several places.
For some reason he had expected it not to hurt. But it did.
"How disappointing" The voice said. "Look what you did now. Do you know that will scar? By disobeying me, you only hurt yourself. Do you see?"
"Yes..."
"Continue."
He continued. This was the longest walk yet. At the end of it, there wasn't simply a wall to stop him. he had the intense sensation of falling. It felt like it was happening for a long time, but time had seemed skewed anyway. He landed on his backside, but without impact.
"I am so happy that you are mine."
He said nothing.
"Are you a boy, or a girl?"
"I'm a boy."
"No, you are a man. I loved you, always."
He nodded. "I love you too..."
"You lasted longer than the rest. Their failure is cemented forever in the path you just walked."
As he remembered they were supposed to meet, a sillhouette appeared. It kneeled next to him. "Was it frightening?" It asked, slinking its arms around his waist.
"Yes." He admitted.
"Stay close to me, and you won't have to do it again."
"I will.." He breathed.
"What is your name, boy?"
"I'm Ryou."
"Well, Ryou." It drew closer until he could feel it near his ear and hissed;
"You are a very good boy.
And you are loved."