Everything big and small starts off as a simple dream. All it takes is one thought, one dream, one idea to drive you. For some, the dreams start off big, full of promise and prosperity, or glints of gold and fame. To others the dreams stay small and humble, perhaps only striving for true happiness in their lives. To a child with all the opportunity in the world, it'd be easy to think their dreams would start off big. Most children dreamed of careers, to educate themselves as doctors and lawyers and teachers, blindly leading into the lives they believed suited for themselves. But to Frisk, her dreams wandered farther than anyone could imagine. It was no surprise what happened really. The small orphanage was warm in the winter, cozy in the fall, cool in the summer, bright in the spring, and held a record for year long depression. The curious child hadn't always been there though. When she was born her world was filled with love, hope, the promise of a bright future in her family. When she was one she learned to stand and walk. By three she was talkative and got into everything imaginable, which her parents deemed her most wonderful quality. At seven she was learning faster, grown quicker, and smiling brighter than the other kids around her. At seven and a half her life couldn't be more perfect. At eight her world turned on its head, due to a dark rainy night, a careless driver, and the sound of shattering class and crashing metal that took her family from her. The months she spent in the small orphanage of Ebott town filled her with nothing more than dread and depression. Every day she would distract herself, read into worlds that didn't exist, draw for hours on end, and shut out every person around her.
It really wasn't a shock when she dissapeared.
Orphanages deemed children who ran from them "runners" or children prone to escaping. But the question remained where she had gone. The day before, Frisk had resumed her routine of reading, when she came across a book. Unlike the story books she had read, it was not full of colorful pages, or easily worded text. This old leather bound book was written on worn yellow paper, the edges torn, and the text scribed in careful ink lines. The book had been buried deep within the library, in the back corners where the children often stayed away from. Frisk mulled over the first page carefully, gently touching the text that read "The Legend of Mt. Ebott." Being that she was, in fact, eight, the girl had assumed it was nothing more than an old story book. However as the pages that were thick with dust and time now sat in her hands, she decided it was a history account.
"Long ago." She read aloud to herself, in the empty library that filtered light through. "Two races ruled over the Earth, Humans, and...monsters.." She carefully traced her hand over the picture, before flipping the page. "One day, war broke out between the two races." She paused again, taking in the picture. On each side was an army, one the humans, the second side monsters. "After a long battle, the humans were victorious." A sudden wave of guilt washed over her, but she couldn't figure out why. She was a human, she should be happy her side won, so why did she feel so...guilty? "They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell." The description showed the humans, standing high above looking victorious, as the monsters below, beaten and broken, stood at the mouth of a cave. The humans held out there arms, and a magic could be seen illuminating from there hands. "Legends say that those who climb the mountain never return." She flipped the page again, this time the only thing upon the worn pages was a symbol. A pair of wings were outstretched at the top, with a circle in the center. Underneath that were a few odd square shapes, and the words scribed in black ink "We await the angel to free us all."
Frisk blinked a few times, setting the book down and walking over to the window. Not to far in the distance stood Mt Ebott, a place Frisk was warned to never go. She glanced back upon the pages that still lay open to the symbol, then back out the window. This couldn't be true, could it? Could this be a legend, or a history lesson? She sat for a moment, confused at what to think. The other children already ignored her, so she had no one to talk to about this. Then an idea crossed her mind. It started out small, then grew more and more. Frisk glanced around the old library, full of many books she had read hundreds of times, as the thoughts turned into ideas, that turned into plans. Frisk stood slowly. "There's nothing left for me here..." She stated to the room, as if it were listening. In retrospect, she often talked to herself here. The library was like an old friend, one full of wisdom and patience for the child. "If its really all true, and those who climb the mountain never return...then I have nothing to lose..." She glanced out the window one last time before heading back to her bed.
In the middle of the night, as the crickets chirped and the breathing of the other children filled the room, Frisk silently pulled her bag out and placed a small picture inside, the only remaining fragment of her family. She slipped the stripped sweatshirt on to protect against the cold night, before pulling her shoes on and creeping towards the library. The back and front door were always watched, especially at night. Most of the windows in the place were childproof as well, except for one. The back of the library had a small square window, perfect for reading under on warm days with the sun filtering through. This time of night the room was full of darkness, the stars shining through. She pushed off the bookshelf, pulling herself up towards the window. Her grip slipped for a moment, and she caught herself with her elbow. She struggled for a moment, shoving off against the bookshelf and pushing the window open. She glanced back for a moment, looking at the book. Its pages still lay open, the symbol gleaming in the moonlight, filling her with a sense of...determination.
Frisk jumped out landing on the other side with a small tumble. She looked up, shifting her glance around. Her adrenaline pumped through her veins, a small sense of fear and curiosity rushing through her. She paused for a moment before bolting off towards the woods. She ran toward the mountain in the distance, her breath creating small puffs of white in the chilly night air. She ran further into the darkness, pushing brush and branches out of her way. A small panic set in, as she wondered if they would follow her, urging her to run faster. She began to notice the sharp incline that rendered her movement, making it harder to run and causing her to settle into a brisk pace. She slumped against a tree, panting heavily. The wind howled around her, blowing her hair around. She pulled her sweatshirt closer around her, looking up at the bright stars. She shivered slightly under the light of the moon, moving closer to the tree and curling up. Her eyes fluttered a bit before becoming heavy, as she gave in to sleep. The morning light awoke her early, the remaining stars in the sky. She blinked awake suddenly, shaking her head. A strange sound filled her ears, and in her sleepy state she managed to decipher what they were saying. Her breath caught suddenly, her whole frame tensing. Voices, calling for her, and they were close. She recognized most of them, workers from the orphanage, a few she didnt know she guessed as volunteers. She grabbed her bag, quickly looking around. She was near the mountain. If she could make it there, she would be okay.
She took one deep breath, before bolting off. If they were chasing her, she couldn't tell. Frisk shoved everything out of her way, running further up. Suddenly a cave caught her eye. She made a decision, bolting towards it. The cave was full of overgrown roots at the mouth, and as she went further in, a gaping hole caught her eye. She moved a bit closer, noticing the silence around her. The wind whistled, causing her to take another step. Something clicked in the back of her mind. "Fall" It said. She took another step, finding herself looking into the blackness. "Fall" It said again more urgently. She moved again, when her foot caught upon a vine, tripping her. She tumbled down, further into the darkness. "And please child, save them all." A bed of golden flowers caught her. Even though it seemed over, her journey had just begun.
I may continue this further into a full story, but for now I hope you enjoyed this short story! Please leave me your feedback!