The Prologue (Technically): July, 2002
The hero always wins.
In every single TV show, comic book, movie, video game, or any other kind of made up thing that I've ever seen in my life, the good hero of the story always defeats the evil villain no matter what. It doesn't matter how or why, good ending or bad, or even if even makes sense or not, you just know from the beginning of the story how it's going to end. But the hero only wins because the person who wrote it wanted it that way. It wouldn't be a good story if the evil bad guy wins at the end, would it? But what about real life?
Think about it, if some muscle-bound superhero wearing spandex were running down your block toward a giant 50-foot monster with nothing really to fight with but his might and courage, who do you really think would win? Really, think. Exactly.
You know when you were a little kid, and you used to hear those fun stories? Y'know, the ones about those heroes and knights and princesses and adventure and stuff like that? Some little kids at that age who hear those stories get these ideas and dreams about them having those adventures and being the heroes and saving the day. Even kids who didn't play those kinds of make-believe games would still tell you they'd rather live that kind of dangerous life than go to school every day. When I think about it, if I were put in front of some giant monster villain right now, I have no idea what would happen.
Though I could ask my own parents about it, because had adventures just like that. An adventure inside this other world. A world inside of a computer. And no, not an internet game that geeks waste hours of their lives playing (no offence to said geeks). They were in a world called the Digital World (I know the name isn't that creative but just go with it.) and they fought with and against these living creatures called Digimon (short for Digital Monsters. Again, just go with it). I've heard their stories so many times about them going into the Digital World before it was the popular vacation spot it is now and saving it from bad guys who wanted to corrupt it.
There were lots of other kids who fought the monsters too. They were called the DigiDestined. (Don't ask me what that's short for, I have no idea. I just know that it sounds cool.) Every few years they would have this anniversary to celebrate all the bad guys they defeated. They would take me along every time. It wasn't that different from any other reunion that parents seem to have. They would just talk to each other about things I wouldn't understand while I would hang out with the other kids who were there. They didn't get what the parents were saying either.
It was all written into a really popular book my dad's friend wrote, and I thought it was so awesome (and honestly really weird) that my parents were some of the characters fighting the monsters. Though as I got older, I do admit I became a bit skeptical about the whole thing. It just seemed like one of those things that you're parents say they did just to tell a good bedtime story. Maybe my parents just had the same name as the characters. But as I write this now, I know this was, and is, as real as me. They have the memories and scars to prove it. Now, I have some of the memories and scars to prove it.
I guess the whole thing is like a video game in a way. Only you're the character in the game and nobody can control what happens but yourself. There are no backdoors, no cheat codes, no way out. If you get killed by the monster you're fighting, then it's officially game over. No restart button.
When I was little, I used to lie in bed a lot after hearing those stories, staring at the ceiling while wondering what it would really be like if that person were me. If I were someone who fought evil digimon. If I were a DigiDestined. If the people I knew were DigiDestined. I used to think it would be so cool. But to be honest, now that I'm older, I was really no different from any other little kid. Face it, we all want to have that truly exciting life. But as we all get older, our childhood fantasies and just grow up. But I secretly never gave up on my dream, and neither did any of my friends.
The good news is: We did get our adventure eventually. The bad news: Now, I'm wondering whether or not it should have happened.
As I looked to my side, all I could see were the blinding headlights of the car speeding right at me. Running into the street without looking, smart move!
Looking back on it now, there were actually a lot of ways I could've gotten out of that situation. I should have just, say, jumped back or something when I saw the car. But I didn't have time to think about it. Heck, I didn't even have time to think about thinking about it.
Sometimes when to only have less than a moment to make a really, really important decision (like say, jumping out of the way of a car) you get cornered. You have no time to think and you panic. Well, if you have the time and energy to panic. But when that happens, you can't let yourself think about it. You have to just let yourself make the choice. It's what someone I know would call a "Mental-Coin-Flip". It's a coin that's not made of metal but your own decisions, and you only get two sides: The right and wrong one.
You get only two options, and they always mean the same thing: The right and the wrong side. If you're lucky enough to get the right side, you make the brilliant decision that saves your life. Everyone is happy and you move on to the next game. Unless you get the wrong side, when you make a pants-on-head brainless move and your entire existence is boiled down to that-one-kid-on-the- news-headline-that-everyone-glanced-at-before-they-went-to-update-their-wallpaper. I imagine this side has a skull and crossbones on it. That's what happens when your rushed through things. You don't have the time to think over the right and wrong options. You don't even have time to chose, you just toss it up and see what happens.
It's a gamble, and whether you save your life in the next minute is on the table. Also your life, which I personally think is the biggest thing you could possibly wager. Though some may disagree
So back to reality. I saw lights. My mind flipped the coin. It didn't have time to wait for it to give me an answer. So what did I do?
I just ran for it. I ran as fast as my legs would let me trying to miss the car. Luckily I guess that's when my natural instincts must have kicked in because I ran much faster than I ever have, and I just narrowly missed the car.
In the next moment all I could hear was the loud screeching of the breaks and the tires cutting the concrete as they stopped.
I don't need to wonder which side I got.
When the car missed me, I, for some reason, stopped running and looked back. I don't know whether it was to check if the driver was okay or that I was so terrified that I almost got hit by a car that my legs just wouldn't move. I could see the driver's face through the window. This guy didn't look too chipper at me. His face was red and he was yelling something I don't think I wanted to hear. Good thing the window was closed.
"S-Sorry!" I yelled back, and I ran for the other side of the street.
I wanted to keep running, but I couldn't stop my entire body from shaking. My legs were especially wobbly. I don't think it was from fear but from the fact that it was pouring rain out and I had no umbrella. I was soaked, looking like I just jumped into a swimming pool with my clothes on. I also couldn't help but realized just how out of breath I was from running so much in the last few blocks. I think I've lost track of how many blocks I've ran up til now. But by now I think I should be used to being out of breath like this.
I was a complete mess. I knew I had to stop to catch my breath so I leaned against the streetlight at the corner, shivering.
Today was the worst day to be out. Lightning flashed in the sky and the thunder was rumbling behind it. How does that game go again? Where you count how many seconds there are in between the thunder and lightning strikes? I think I remember my dad telling me about it once when I was little. I forget if the rule is the longer or shorter the seconds in between that it means the storm will be over soon. I wish I remembered. I'm sure my dad probably didn't remember it either. It sure would have been helpful for him.
I gazed down the winding sidewalk in front of me. Other than an elderly man at a newspaper stand (I haven't seen one of those in so long that I forgot they once existed) who after what he just saw couldn't help stare at me with his mouth gaping wide open, it was completely empty as far as I could see. Not one person that I knew. I was already trying to suppress all of my panic and fear that came to me from almost getting into a car accident, and now I could feel even more was flowing up from the pit of my stomach. I had to lean my back on the streetlight to keep myself up. I lost him.
I don't think I can catch up with him. He's has to be too far ahead of me now.
I knew I couldn't stand getting wet anymore so I dragged myself under the newspaper stand. Once I got underneath something dry, I realized just how wet I actually was. My hair had gotten so wet it was dripping at the ends. My shoes got the worst of it, obviously from all of the puddles I ran in. I looked like I just jumped into a pool with my clothes on.
My legs were shaking. I didn't want to run any more blocks. All I wanted was to just get out of the rain. No, not just that, really I want to get out of here. I don't want to go back and tell the others that I had no clue where he was. For a second I almost wished I could go home, my real home, but then I shook myself back to reality. I couldn't leave. I have to stay in this town for now.
"What on earth is wrong with you kids today?"
I looked up. The old man at the counter was holding his newspaper down just to talk to me. I didn't know what he meant by "you kids" since I was the only one there.
"I know, I'm stupid." I said, refusing to look at him, "I should have looked both ways before I dashed into the road like that. I can say right now in all honesty that that was one of the stupidest moves I've ever made in the entirety of my life. Please forgive me. I'm in a huge hurry. I'm sorry."
"Well, you ain't the only kid doin' things like that. In all my years I've seen alota kids go by doin' stupid things like runnin in a busy road and all that jazz, but that's a rare sight. Events like that are far an in-between. It ain't often you see two kids almost get run over twice in one day."
I groaned. The old man wasn't making me feel any better. But the kid almost getting hit by a car part intrigued me. I mean, not by the fact he almost got hit by the car, that would be sick. I vaguely wondered if that other kid could be him.
"Ah, don' worry, kid." The old man continued, "At least you didn' do it on purpose. I can tell you stories of all the kids I'd seen in my years who knew exactly what they were doin' before they did who knows what."
"Um, excuse me sir." I said, trying to sound as polite as possible. He looked up at me, "That other kid, the one that almost got hit by the car, when did that kid run by here?" I wasn't sure whether to refer to the kid as "he" or not, in the case that this stupid kid wasn't him.
The man rubbed his scruffy chin in thought. "It was a couple'a minutes ago, I think. Stupid kid. Seemed kinda out of it. He was running like a maniac, he did. Ran right into the busy road without lookin' either way and nearly got himself run over like some kinda squirrel! He didn't seem to notice though. Just went on walkin' like nothin' was the matter. Strange kid."
I almost gasped. He saw him! What? No. Don't let yourself get excited yet. It might not be him. But if it was… Could he know which way he went? I looked up at the man, trying to keep my composure. He stopped talking. I wish he had goon into more detail. I don't want to look suspicious anything by asking him weird questions.
The lightning flashed in the sky again. Then the thunder loudly blasted behind it. I couldn't stop myself from jumping. It sounded more like the angels were shooting at each other rather than having a friendly bowling tournament.
"Man, this weather." The old man muttered while shaking his head, putting the newspaper over his face. "Nothin' but rain for a straight week! I've never seen anything like it!"
"Yeah. But, um, sir, about that kid, what did he look like?"
"I mean you've seen the weather reports, haven't ya?" He went on, ignoring my question entirely, "They said it'd be sunny all week, didn't they? I'm not exactly a-a-a…" he was stuttering trying to think of a word I guess, I heard him snap his fingers behind the newspaper. "A meteorologist or nothin', but rainfall like this seems a lil' uncommon, don'cha think?"
I'm guessing a meteorologist is someone who has to do with weather or something. Not that I would know. Not that I would care at the moment!
"Sir!" The man put his newspaper down and looked up at me. I couldn't help but also notice the intensity in my voice too. I cleared my throat. "Well, sir, if you don't mind my asking," He was looking at me funny. He might have been annoyed with me that I interrupted him, but I had to ignore it then. "That kid, I need to know where that kid went. You see sir, someone I know ran off on me. I've been chasing him for the last few blocks now, but then we got separated and now I don't know where he went and I'm sort of at a loss here. He's probably gotten pretty far by now. A few blocks, I guess." I gazed down the sidewalk again. There were two ways I could go. Both ways were long paths that I couldn't know where they led to. Not a single person behind the sheet of rain. I groaned. "I'm sort of desperate here and I really have to find this person as soon as I possibly can." I noticed my voice getting higher so I cleared my throat again. "You know, what with the rain and all."
The man thought again. "Well…"
Oh please tell me that you saw something! And if you did, please don't be one of those senile old guys who forgets everything a minute after you did!
"That kid was your friend?"
"Sort of, yes."
"And he's, uh, alright in the noggin?"
"Yeah, he's fairly sane." I hope.
"Strange." He pointed down the empty path. "He went thata way."
"Oh, thank you!" In all honesty I could have figured that out myself, but at least I was sure not to get lost now.
I looked up at the dark sky, preparing myself to run out into the rain again.
"What're you doin' all the way out here without a umbrella?" the old man asked.
"I don't have one."
"Ya want one?" He held out an umbrella from under his desk.
"Um, thank you, but I don't have money."
"I ain't sellin it. Is mine. You can take it, s'long as ya bring it back."
"No, you don't have to do that."
"It wouldn' be right if I let you go out in that downpour. "
It would be both stupid an impolite of me to say no. I took it. Looking at it closer, I noticed this umbrella was a fairly old thing. Not just because it was a little worn, but it had no Velcro seal anywhere on it that tied it together and it had a weird hook on the bottom instead of a button. I guess maybe the point of it is to leave it out to dry instead of just leaving in on a floor. That's kind of clever, actually.
"Thanks. I'll bring it back, I promise!" I yelled over the rain, "Thanks for the help!" I yelled over the rain as I dashed quickly into the rain.
"Try not to run into another car."
"I will!
I examined the umbrella closely. How do you open this thing? I mean, there's no button. How did they open these things back then without a- OH! You have to push it open from the inside! That makes more sense. I opened the old thing over my head and ran into the sheet of rain.
As I kept on running down the empty sidewalk. I kept on running. I don't even know where I'm going anymore! I feel like I'm just running in a random direction. But I think I know this place; I think when I took the bus it would go through here. I hardly recognize a single store on this block. Everything is just so different from the last time I was here. The digital sign for the deli is replaced by a green neon one. What I remembered to be a cell phone on the corner of Maple and Fifth was now a flower shop. The bricks on the all of the buildings I'm passing aren't as worn down anymore.
One thing I'm sort of surprised hasn't changed at all though is the library. The simple little brick building on the corner. It's still the same as I've always remembered it. I'm glad that hasn't changed.
My small chance of happiness was crushed in the next moment. I turned back to the sidewalk, still having no idea where I was going, when I saw a dark, unmoving lump on the path. I could hardly see what it was because of the sheet of rain. Even so, it made me nervous. For a moment, I thought it was a dead cat. I hate dead things. They've made me go crazy ever since my father died.
Oh no. Don't think about it. This would be the worst time to go through another one of your panic attacks! Be strong.
I swallowed. My wet clothes were starting to make me shiver. I thought about turning around and taking the other path. Maybe the old man was wrong and he went the other way. Or maybe he turned around in the time I was gone. Maybe he's just too far to catch up with now and I won't be able to find him. It would be a good idea to get the others to look with you instead of just looking by yourself.
No! Stop thinking things like that! Just walk past the thing and find him! Don't let anyone else down! Be strong. Be strong!
I swallowed again, clenching my hands tightly above the hook of the old umbrella. I forced my feet to walk in front of me again.
I could hear nothing besides the raindrops crashing to the concrete. I haven't heard any thunder and lightning for a while. The wet road made all of the lights from the neon signs and streetlights reflect their bright colors. It seemed to light everything up. It's never been so quiet before. It was actually kind of beautiful. It's never been like this for me before. Usually when I walk on this kind of street (or any street, really) there's something making noise. Most of the time it's a car horn or screeching tires or a blasting radio or some driver yelling at another guy for cutting him off or something else along those lines. I tried to focus my mind on this tranquility instead of the possibly-dead lump in front of me.
Nice and peaceful. It's reminded me of some of the soothing music my mother would play when she did yoga. I was thinking it was another thing that I missed from home, when I heard a noise. It was so quiet that I wouldn't be able to here it if there was any other kind of noise around. A tiny, high-pitched noise. It was very disjointed, like I would hear it for a moment and then it would become quiet again. It was like a dying mouse. At first I thought I was imagining it. But… no, it can't be.
I looked over at the lump again. It was much bigger than a dead cat. I still couldn't see it very well through the rain, but I could make out the shape of it. It was mangled and lying in a heap across the sidewalk. The rain was becoming heavier again.
Suddenly, there was a scary flash of lightning. I could see perfectly well what the lump was. My legs froze again. I don't know why that happens when I get this scared. Maybe it's a natural thing, like animals do? But I didn't have time to think about that.
So many things raced through my mind at the moment. One was to stay calm and do something to help. Another one of them was to scream. One was even to call someone, but I knew that can't be an option.
I could feel the all of the blood drain from my face, and my breath got very short.
There he was, lying there on his back right in the middle of the sidewalk. He didn't look conscious. He certainly wasn't moving. I couldn't even tell whether or not he was breathing.
The air was dead silent for a long time. Not even a car passed us. The only thing I could hear was my pounding heart, and my fast-paced heavy breathing.
No, not again…
BOOM! Another angel had shot a bullet into the sky.
I dropped my umbrella to the sidewalk and ran right next to the body. I knelt down to the body and turned him over. As I did this I realized it was pale and ice cold to the touch. I started shaking him violently in panic.
"C'mon, c'mon! Wake up! Get up! Please! We can't loose you now! We need you! Get up! Get up!" Nothing, he still wouldn't move. I opened my mouth to call for help, but I knew there wasn't a single human being within a close distance. Strangely, I was actually thankful for that. Even if someone was around, they wouldn't be able to help us. Things would just get complicated. I looked back at his pale face and closed eyes. I just… I had no clue what to do to help him. I felt so useless. I hated that feeling. It was just us in the freezing, pouring rain.
What do I do now? I can't get help. I can't leave him here. The others weren't anywhere around. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be home. My real home with my real parents in the real world. But I know that's not possible until I fix this.
I shouldn't complain. I shouldn't whine. The last thing I can do is panic. I have to be the one everyone looks to when they're scared. I can't be the one who cries when something goes wrong. But I'm at a loss here.
I hate this. I just want to fix all of this. Where do we go from here? We have no directions! Someone just tell us what's going on here! Save us! Save him! Don't let anyone else die! I might be able to take it, but no one else would! Please!
It all started, with a dream…
