Chapter 1: Earth Slide
Wetness was dripping from the above, a single drop had made it through to pool on his forehead. So it was raining again, heavily enough to seep through the ground. A sudden idea of feeling drained rushed through his bones but he wasn't so sure about it—fleeting sensations had lost their meaning when time had stopped flowing. If it wasn't for the occasional rain, there was nothing left to feel, not even the fear now sitting atop his ribcage. How this particular emotion turned his space so much smaller, he had forgotten how that bothered him.
And as the rain was coming and leaving, never more than some droplets to him, his soul reduced itself to the thickest of emotions. That which could live of its own fat way beyond the spiritual starvation. He had been there. Once. For what had felt like a timeless dimension, and still hadn't even lasted for hundred years. But nearly.
He had been there. In the dark, in the void, in the numbness of his own body. Floating through nothing but at least having a plan haunting his mind, some mission to seek. Something to keep him going, if only through the misty emptiness that his life had become. Had it felt like the worst idea of hell to him, and to any man it would have felt the same.
What could be worse than that floating hell he had been rescued from not that long ago?
Well, a hell six feet under ground.
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The amused look in her eyes opened doors for his insecurity, nothing new when he was awaiting her judgment. "What's so funny?" he heard himself asking nonetheless, after all none of it was meant to be amusing.
"That a trip to the dumpster indeed boosted your productivity. I barely remember the last time you gave me so many words to read," Robin smiled widely, "And it's funny that you stopped rewriting passages after your dumpster trip." Her voice was swelling with pride at being right but Luffy knew that most of it belonged to him.
It had been her idea in the first place. When one day his memories had turned him blind, unable to see any sense in everything, and their loud crashing waves had filled his head up with imaginary seawater, Robin had said: "Write it down. If speaking it out hurts, then hush it to the paper." Later on, Luffy had realised that reading it hurt her less, too.
But writing was so hard. Luffy had never had a reason to, nor to read since there was Robin to do that for him. Although having been taught how to do either of it, his ability to actually perform these skills had been moulded into a miserable state over time. With guidance and lessons by Robin, he had eventually learned how to express himself through written down words and taught himself how to draw pictures with them as well.
"It might have helped," Luffy admitted with a roll of his eyes and a smile on his lips. Her pride of his development and results mattered to him a lot, on some days it was the only reason for him to leave his bed.
"Well, then I suggest you repeat it. The fresh air and exercise would be good for you." One of her motherly advices Luffy had come to love as much as loathe. At times, these actions made it hard to remember her true person.
"Actually, there's a contest to be held next month, you should totally submit one of your works." Reaching down to her bag, she rummaged through its front pockets and pulled out a folded paper. After returning it to its original state, she handed it over to Luffy. "It's got no rules as in type of writing. It's nothing big, just some local competition—but the prize seems useful."
A frown settled onto his features at the piece of paper handed over to him. To bring home flyers to him wasn't unusual of Robin but all of them had in some sort been job offerings, if only small tasks like sweeping front yards or even babysitting. Her wage was enough for them to get by, to run this apartment with barely enough space for the two of them―she was mostly afraid to leave him alone every day with nothing else to do but to watch his memories. Luffy understood—all of the rules and chores and teachings were Robin's way of taking care of the situation and expressing her strong loyalty to him. Despite their situation.
First prize: Gift card of 1500 beli it said, accompanied by the logo of the local shopping mall. Second prize was another gift card of 500 beli for the stationery store at the mall. As much as he would love to buy thicker paper and a better notepad, he was to go for gold—given he would participate. "Don't I… like have to submit it under my real name?"
Robin shook her head. "Authors do make use of pen names. It's common and legal, also mentioned in the terms and conditions at the bottom."
Indeed, alternatively, participants may submit their works anonymously using a pen name, it read in a smaller font. "And… you think I could win?"
"I am certain of it."
