Chapter 1-2: Genesis

I almost felt bad for walking down the new red velvet stairs in the lighthouse. I even forgot to wipe my shoes on the ground before entering, which made me feel worse.

The lighthouse has been here for about a couple years. Hoping to attract other voyagers, we Raposa used glass and crystals to make the light more shiny and attractive. In return, all we got were the never-ending sound of waves and the carefree chant of the seagulls. We've never seen anyone other than our Villagers, which made us very lonely.

After walking out of the lighthouse, I felt sad. I've never seen a more beautiful view than looking out on the ocean's horizon; especially when the sun's setting.

"How was the view, Morgan?" Pirate Beard called out to me. His ship was sitting pretty at the docks, rocking back and forth like a chair.

He was only three years older than me, and I still felt sheepish around him. "It was splendid, Pirate Beard. Thanks so much for taking me here."

"You know you don't need to call me Pirate Beard, matey. Just call me Calico," he said a bit nicer. It's a little bit funny trying to watch Calico talk in his pirate accent, but fails at it completely. Nevertheless, you can tell that he means business.

I took Calico's hand as he helped me up on his ship. "Whaddya think of me new ship, Morgan? She be the Golden Baki." I took a look at the ship, not realizing that it was a different one than the last time I went to the lighthouse. That was…was it the Ancient Rapo? No, it was the…Curse of Rapo…it was the Rapo's Curse!

I looked back at Calico, whose head was tilted up to make him look more fierce and ruling. "The Golden Baki ain't that much different from the other one."

"Aye, you mean the Rapo's Curse. She broke down a few days ago, so I had my crew and I make this beauty. I wanted them to make her as similar as possible to me old ship. For nostalgia's sake, I mean," Calico looked up at the sky, blocking the sun with his hand. "I mean, ever since me pops died, the Curse's been mine."

With that, Calico took his pirate hat off and held it to his heart. His father was a good friend of my father. Davy Beard and Mitchell Brewer…their friendship was something beyond what I'd ever experience. Maybe except if I had a child one day. I really want a daughter. Since my family's first names begin with M, maybe I'd name her Maggie. I also like Mari. Melody sounds nice also.

Calico put his hat back on and called out to the rest of his crew on board the Golden Baki. "Yo-! Ho!" The other couple Rapos called back, "Yo Ho!"

As the black sail dropped, Calico slowly spun the wheel. It took about a couple minutes to get back to the Raposa Village, so I liked having the breeze relax my face for just enough time. Too much makes me cold, but a minutes-worth of fresh sea breeze is perfect.

Calico steered the Golden Baki right beside its dock. I stepped off and shook his hand. "Thanks…Cap'n," I said in a stereotypical pirate voice. Calico just grunted and said, "You're welcome." I could see in his face that he wanted to laugh, but he fought back his emotions.

Calico's crew- Sherwood, Yuri, Shipley, Coral, and Payton- stepped off of the boat and made their way back to their home in the village. Calico decided to take me home. I felt so embarrassed: A 12-year old being taken home by a 15-year old.

On the way through the beach, Yuri and Coral were having a hearty conversation about their first ship ride. Sherwood and Payton started whispering to each other, and Shipley just watched. Shipley decided to talk to me to pass the time as we go through the forest.

"Hey, kid, are you really going to be the mayor someday?" he asked me. I wasn't really listening much, so I asked, "I'm sorry?"

"Are you going to be the mayor or what?"

I was frightened by that statement. The Brewer genealogy was full of Raposa Village mayors. I was twelve, and when my father dies, I become the new mayor. I'm not ready for that! I barely know how to brush my fur the right way!

"Hey, Morgan?" Shipley asked once more. Once glance at him, and I knew he actually cared. His eyes were full of sorrow, as if he could read my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm going to be the mayor someday. I'm sure as heck not ready for it, though." Oh, please don't call me a wimp, please! I'm only a child!

Shipley looked forward and tightened his bandana so that his ears wouldn't flap forward. "I feel you, kid," he replied, and quite unexpectedly while we're at that. "I once got myself lost in the Twilight Forest. But eventually, I rapoed up and found my way out. It was all thanks to the Creator."

This caught my attention. I laughed at Shipley, with doubt hidden in my voice. "The Creator is only a fairy tale."

Everyone stopped and looked at me. Did I say something wrong? Everyone just watched me, like I just killed somebody, or if I just committed a terrible sin.

Calico was the first to break the silence, "Well, if that's what you believe, than I guess we be okay with that. Right, crew?"

Coral, with a slight frown on her face, said, "Aye," and left. Eventually, Yuri followed her. And so did Sherwood, and Payton. Shipley nodded at me and followed the others.

With a friendly punch on the arm, Calico told me, "Hey, don't let them get to you. They're just really sensitive about the Creator is all." Calico looked up at the setting sun. "It be getting dark. I'll take you home. Where do you live again, Morgan?"

A quick sigh escaped my mouth. "I live at the tall house in the center of the village. It's near the Eternal Flame."

Calico put his arm around my shoulder and began to make me walk. "Don't worry; I'm going to make sure you get home safely."

"Eat your Banya Pie, Morgan," Mom said. "You know that the Browns would be very upset; they made all this Banya for us." I took my fork and picked at the pie. The crust was the only part I liked, but Dad had to add this creamy chicken stuff inside of it that I don't like.

Seeing the disgusted look on my face, Dad said, "Alright, I'll cut it in half. If you eat all of it, I'll let you stay up another hour."

My ears perked up. "What?"

"Maybe we can go to the hidden beach and pick Kori Fruits. We can make Kori-Tarts."

There was no question about it. I took my knife and wiggled it down the mushy Banya Pie. "Here," I told Dad as I plopped the pie onto his plate. Imagining it as a Kori-Tart, I wolfed down the Banya Pie faster than Jacques Cookie can make one. That's saying something.

Feeling super jumpy, I skipped my way over to the water pipes, where we wash our dishes. I turned the twisty thing that looks like Calico's steering wheel, and the water poured out. I know that I'm 12 years old, but I'm really sheltered, and I don't know a lot of words and what they mean. Maybe those things were called nozzles? Hoses…pipe, twist…handles…yeah, they might have been handles.

Unfortunately for me, I was really tired and went to bed, never getting the extra hour I was promised. It took me about five minutes to get to sleep. But what I dreamt about is the important part.

Darkness. For miles, and miles. And suddenly, a light appeared in front of me. It was the brightest thing I've ever seen, even the sun looked like a mere flame compared to this.

And then, I saw a figure inside of the light. I immediately knew who this was. "Are you the Creator?" I asked.

"You do not believe in me. Why do you think that I am the Creator?"

"B-Because…" I couldn't think of an answer. I can't put into words how obvious that this man was the Creator.

"Because you're huge!" I shouted out at him, regretting that last word. "And you're standing in front of a bright light! Only you could have created that!"

The Creator seemed to think. "Yes," he replied. "I am the Creator. But there is one thing you got wrong: this is not a dream."

A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions spun around inside of my head from that sentence. "Of course it's a dream, Creator! I went to bed and never woke up! This has to be a dream, right?"

"This is a dream, Morgan, but what's happening…is not a dream. Now, wake up."

"What?"

"Wake up, Morgan! Something's going on outside!"

This voice was different. It sounded like a mix between the Creator's voice and someone familiar. "But…Creator!"

"Morgan, honey! Get up, we have to go!"

And with that, I felt a small tap on my nose. I shouted and turned my head to see my parents with worried looks on their faces.

Dad grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the house. "Dad, what's going on?"

Without hesitation, he answered, "I bet you had that dream too, right? About the Creator?"

"Yeah."

"Well, take a good look outside."

A small window beside our door was almost invisible. A bright light from outside blinded my vision. Wait…why is it dark? It's midnight in autumn!

Come to think of it…I think the Creator did this.

"It's the Creator, Dad. He's out there!" I opened the door to find our whole village around the Eternal Flame. The Browns, the Cookies, the Thompsons, the Beards, the Cures, the Freemans, everyone!

What was going on? Suddenly, the Eternal Flame…was no longer a flame.