Illusions of Fantasy
By:
Steven Naquin
Chapter 1
Let me tell you about the boy I once new growing up. His name was Kou. . . Kou Sorra. He stood four feet and weighed sixty pounds. He looked under nourished for a boy of seven. Me and him were like brothers. He lived with his foster parents a few blocks down the road. I remember . . . I remember when we were little we used to run and play in this big field near our house almost every day. Kids use to pick on him all the time because of his size and because he use to always say that one day he would be a hero like his father. Every one new that he was a foster child and that he was found abandoned in front of the monks temple when he was only nine months old. He lived with the monks until he was six. Until the day came for him to go to school and then they sent him away to stay with one of the monks relations closer to town so that he could attend school. Everyone thinks that he was slow because he spoke in a funny accent very thickly. Sometimes he would walk around school muttering some gibberish language.
Nobody ever spoke to him accept when they would make fun of him. He was lonely and since I was lonely me and him soon became friends. A few months later after me and him became friends my mother and father died in a car crash, I was six. I was the only one that survived I was sleeping wrapped in my blanket on the side of the road. Nobody could explain how that happened. I had to move in with my grandparents after that. That just brought me closer to Kou.
My grandparents lived across the street from him. I remember . . . I remember after the accident Kou's big red eyes use to shine so brightly every time he saw me. It was like they were calling me . . . telling me what I always wanted to hear, I love you. I remember . . . I remember the day before my grandmother died, I found him in the field with the sun gleaming brightly over his hair, radiating out of his jet black hair. He was crying when I asked him what he was crying over he said he didn't know. He said never forget me . . . I said as long as he wouldn't forget me. We agreed to never forget each other. After that he seemed to cheer up. Me and him played like we usually did. At dark my grandmother hollered that it was time to go in. I began to walk home when Kou spun me around and said, " I will be a hero and some day I will even save you. I promise. You'll see." After that he gave me a hug and took of running, I didn't know it but it was the last time I spoke to the Kou I knew.
The next day was Kou's birthday he was to turn nine. It was a Saturday me and my grandmother was making Kou a birthday cake. Once it was ready I left to go and get him. I could not find him anywhere so I returned home. I found . . . I found my grandmother on the floor in the kitchen. I thought she was sleeping so I tried to wake her up, but when she wouldn't wake up I screamed. My grandfather came running he kneeled down beside her and began crying. He called the hospital, they sent an ambulance to come and gt her. Two days later she was buried at the cemetery. I thought it was my fault, the doctors didn't know what was the matter with her. I was only eight I didn't know any better. I remember . . . I remember when . . .
************
"Wake up . . . Wake up Anna . . . Anna wake up."
Anna woke up. She yawned and stretched.
"This is the third time this week you woke up late Anna. What's the matter, are you staying up late?" Asked her grandfather.
"No," answered Anna.
"Then what is the matter?" Asked her grandfather.
"It's like I'm tired all the time and I never want to wake up. As if my dreams are calling me telling me to sleep," said Anna.
"Well get dressed and I will bring you to school," said her grandfather.
He walked out and shut the door. Anna grabbed her school uniform and went into the bathroom. She removed her clothes and got into the shower and just stood there allowing the hot water to slowly run over her body.
[The same dream . . . Again it is the same dream . . . The same man. What does it all mean? A tall man about five feet eight inches tall weighing about one hundred and sixty-five pounds . . . Standing on a castle wall . . . Staring at the full moon. The light of the moon shining off of his black hair and . . . And . . . And his black feathered wings? He speaks, "Anna . . . Anna Massu. Why are you here? Why did you come here? Anna answer me." He turns and looks at me I see two blood red eyes then I wake up... . What does it mean?]
"Anna are you ready yet?" her grandfather shouted.
Disturbed from her thoughts Anna answers, "I'm getting dressed now grandfather."
She turns off the water and dry's off and gets dressed.
************
"Be good now Anna. I'll see you this afternoon . . . Do you want me to pick you up?" Asked her grandfather lovingly.
"No I think I'll ride the bus," said Anna.
She got out of the truck and shut the door. She walked into her third period class
"You're late," said the professor, " take your seat."
"Thank You," said Anna.
Anna took her seat. The professor began his lecture again, over German prepositional phrases. Not soon after Anna fell asleep and dreamed again.
***************
" Bong . . . Bong . . . Bing . . . Bong, Bing . . . Bing . . . Bong . . . Bing," the bell sounded off.
Anna got up and walked to her fourth period class, Psychology a History. Mrs. Amber, the teacher, smiled at Anna as she took her seat. Not soon after Mrs. Amber began her lecture, on Delusions of Reality Caused From Dreams, Anna fell asleep and dreampt again.
"Mrs. Massu . . . Mrs. Massu are you awoke . . . Are you awoke Mrs. Massu?" Asked the teacher.
"What . . . Yeah I'm awoke," responded Anna groggily.
"Are you feeling ok Anna?" Asked Mrs. Ballard, "do you need to go and see the nurse?"
"No . . . No I'm fine," said Anna.
"Ok then stay after class, I want to speak to you," said the teacher.
"Yes ma'am," spoke Anna.
"Now where was I . . . Oh yes I remember . . ."
{ I remember . . . I remember when . . .}
[What do I remember? Why do I always hear that little girls voice in the back of my head always saying that always, I remember . . . I remember when . . . . Maybe I'm going crazy maybe I should end it all . . . Yes end it all the voice . . . the dream. All of it.]
"Bong . . . Bong . . . Bing . . . Bong, Bing . . . Bing . . . Bong . . . Bing," the bell sounded off.
Anna grabbed her stuff and went to leave class.
"Anna don't forget, you said you would see me after class," said Mrs. Amber.
Anna turned back around and walked to the teacher's desk.
"What did you need to speak to me about Mrs. Amber?" Asked Anna.
"You've been sleeping a lot in class lately, I asked your other teachers they said you have been sleeping in their classes as well. Have you been up late partying?" Asked Mrs. Amber.
"No," said Anna.
"Is there something the matter at home?" Asked Mrs. Amber, "if there is, you can talk to me."
"No, there is nothing wrong at home. It's just that . . . Never mind," said Anna quietly.
"Go ahead you can tell me. I'm here I will listen . . . I promise," probed the teacher.
{I promise . . . "One day I will be a hero and someday I will even save you. I promise. You'll see."}
[The voices . . . Always the voices . . . Why must they always speak of the things that were dearest to me in my childhood. . . . Kou . . .]
"Well are you going to tell me?" Asked the teacher.
"Really it's nothing. Its just that . . . That . . ."
{I remember . . . I remember when . . .}
"That it's like I can never get enough sleep. It's the same dream always haunting me always calling me telling me to sleep," said Anna shyly.
"Have you thought about counseling?" Asked Mrs. Amber.
"Counseling . . . No, I don't think I'll need counseling. I have a feeling that it will all end soon," said Anna.
[That's right just end it all. All of it the voices, the dreams, and even the loneliness. Yes just end it all.]
"Well if it keeps up, you can come and talk to me about it. Now go eat lunch," she said smilingly.
"Thank You," said Anna.
Anna left the room and shut the door behind her. She went upstairs to go upstairs to the rooftop, but she was stopped by her friend Stephanie.
"Were, are you going Anna?" Asked Stephanie.
Anna turned around.
"You scared me Stephie," said Anna.
"Sorry . . . Why are you going upstairs?" Asked Stephanie, "its lunch time."
"Oh . . . I was just going upstairs to get some fresh air before I came down to eat," said Anna.
"Why don't you wait for me up there I'll go get lunch and we can have a little picnic," said Stephanie happily.
"Ok," said Anna solemnly.
Stephanie went down the stairs, and left the rooftop. Anna walked over to the ledge and looked down over the edge. A panicky feeling of nausea erupted into her stomach she climbed onto the edge.
[Just end it all . . . Have to end it . . . Just end it all.]
Stephanie walked up and seen Anna standing on the edge.
"What are you doing?" Asked Stephanie.
Anna turned and smiled at Stephanie, and jumped back off the edge.
"Your back!" Said Anna surprised.
"The lunch line was short . . . But still what were you doing?" Asked Stephanie inquisitively.
"I was just looking at the view . . . There's a really nice view of town from way up here," answered Anna.
Anna smiled again.
"Smells good! What did you get?"Asked Anna.
"Some rice cakes and some pudding," said Stephanie while preparing the plates, "you know Anna you really should join a new school activity . . ."
"I only quit soccer because my leg started to hurt," said Anna quietly.
"Any ways so how are you doing? You haven't been answering any of my messages. And I think you have been avoiding me. I haven't seen you at school at all for the past few weeks. Have you been skipping school?" Asked Stephanie while handing Anna her plate.
"Thank you. No, I haven't been skipping school, it's just that lately . . . Just that lately . . . " said Anna before her thoughts interrupted her.
[Quick Anna come up with an excuse you don't need your only friend thinking you're crazy to.]
"I haven't been getting to class on time and if I'm to get into a good college I need to have exemplary attendance," Anna broke off a piece of her rice ball with her chop sticks and ate it, "I'm sorry if I have been worrying you and haven't answered your messages it's just that . . . well it's just that I've been having a lot of homework and plus on top of that I have my chores in stuff to do at home," Anna broke off another piece of her rice ball and ate it, "I'll try not to worry you anymore."
"Well if you need any help just let me know I've already taken most of the classes you're taken so if you need any help just ask me, Ok," Stephanie smiled at Anna, "You know Anna you really should cheer up, you can't be down all the time. You'll wind up making everybody around you all depressed and stuff."
"Ok . . . I'll try," said Anna .
Anna picked up what was left of her food, took off her shoes and walked over and looked over the edge.
" Bong . . . Bong . . . Bing . . . Bong, Bing . . . Bing . . . Bong . . . Bing," the bell sounded off.
Stephanie scrambled picking everything up.
"Come on Anna you don't want to be late," said Jennifer.
"No thank you. I think I'll stay up here for a few more minutes before heading back," said Anna quietly.
"Ok," said Stephanie, "but don't forget what I said try and be positive . . . OK?"
"Yeah, sure," said Anna trying to sound as optimistic as possible.
"See you later," said Stephanie as she went bounding down the stairs.
"Good Bye," said Anna but Stephanie did not hear her as her voice mingled into the hustle and bustle of the crowds.
Anna climbed upon the edge of the building.
[Just end it all . . . I just want end it all]
"Look up there what's she doing?" Said some student pointing at Anna.
"I don't know maybe she's gonna commit suicide," said another.
Anna turned her back to the pointing students.
[Why won't it end just make it all go away]
Anna took a step back and started falling staring at the clouds they seemed different like they were circling above the building.
***************
"I will end you all now die!" Said a strange man flying up with a katana in hand to attack the winged creatures above.
"I will kill you all!"
The winged beasts seemed to scatter when he flew up there. The man was flying up with all his might to catch up with them, when a girl landed in his arms causing him to flip over back wards in the air. He began spiraling down towards the grown when he regained balance and landed roughly at the edge of the woods.
Chapter 2
The man grabbed Anna by the shoulders and shook her, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
[The man . . . He's just like the man in my dreams . . . Look at those eyes there as red as blood . . . It's like he's peering straight into my soul.]
"You could have gotten us killed," said the man.
"They're breaking through the line!" Screamed a soldier in the background.
"I'm coming Folcos!" Screamed the man, while looking over his left shoulder. He turned and looked at Anna again, "Stay here, don't move for anybody, if anyone asks why tell them Zero said so."
The man released his grip on Anna, he grabbed his katana with his left hand, jumped up and flew off returning into the thicket of battle.
[Zero . . . That can't be . . . Zero is a state of mind were the Way has no power . . . Were all fails drowned out by the misery and sorrow, for him to be called that he would have to be an empty shell, the void, and a practitioner of the lost art of Kenjutsu. But that is impossible, Kenjutsu has been lost for almost a century . . .]
Several feral screams shook Anna out of her train of thought. She heard several things falling through the canopy of the forest behind her. She turned around and backed up and grabbed a stick and held it out in front of her, prepared to defend herself. A few seconds later several of the most ugliest creatures she had ever seen erupted from the forest line. They looked like an Ostrich except were the neck was supposed to be there was a human torso with a head on top and a beak were the mouth was supposed to be. The torso was covered in light flesh colored wings, and on there back was a pair of white wings. They started talking to each other in deep ethereal voices, but they were too far away for Anna to understand what they were saying. She suddenly understood what they were conversing about when all three of them took off running with their arms out ready to strangle Anna.
Suddenly Anna heard a scream that sounded primal, it was filled with anger and hatred. The strange creatures stopped in mid stride and began looking around in a panic. All of a sudden a black blur flew by her, all she could see of this blur was the glint of light trapped on its katana. The blur stopped in mid-air she recognized him now it was the man that called himself Zero. The creatures spread out preparing to attack him, before they could accomplish this Zero flew off in a blur at one of the creatures all she could see was a spray of blood then the creature dropped. He turned again and took off at another creature decapitating it. He turned and flew off at the other creature ready to cut him down. The creature caught the sword, there was a competition of strength as Zero was trying to bring the katana crashing down onto the creatures head and the creature trying to wrestle the katana out of Zero's hand. Zero let go of the katana with his right hand reached into his sash and pulled out his hidden tanto, turning he guts the creature letting all of its entrails spill out onto the ground.
"Damn Avis, maid my tanto dirty," said Zero while wiping his tanto clean on the creatures feathers.
Zero looked up into the sky and flew up returning to the battle.
Anna looked up to were Zero was staring and saw hundreds of Avises circling up above her attacking massive airships. The airships shooting out massive cannon balls and sending out showers of arrows. After seeing all the death and sorrow she allowed her gaze to fall.
{"One day I'll be a hero and I'll even save you, you'll see. I promise".}
" . . .Kou . . .," Anna said with a loving reverence in her voice as she returned her gaze to the sky above her.
"Kou!" Anna screamed out until her lungs felt like they would burst.
The roar of the din of battle seemed to go silent. Anna suddenly felt a wave of sorrow and loneliness washing through her.
As if all the heavens were screaming out a feral scream erupted as if splitting the sky in two. Soon afterwards all the Avis's flew off as fast as they could go. The airship stopped firing its cannons and arrows. The airship turned and began its decent towards a massive castle in the horizon.
Anna started to walk towards the castle. It was dark by the time the castle came into running distance. The moon had arisen as well. It was full and huge with a yellow tint to it. Anna stopped and stared up into the sky and couldn't recognize any of the constellations in the sky. She resumed the walk and in a few minutes she arrived by the castle wall. When she heard a deep and angry voice from the castle wall.
"I told you not to move!" Said Zero angrily.
"I'm sorry," said Anna.
"I know who you are," said Zero.
Anna looked up at him with the moon light shining off his black hair, glints of red radiating out of his hair, while glints of blue shining out of the black feathers on his wings. He's staring off at the distance as if trying to restrain emotions.
"Anna . . . Anna Massu. Why are you here? Why did you come here?" Asked Zero while breaking off into silence.
[The dream this is what I've been dreaming of. Wait a minute get a hold of yourself Anna, you must really be going crazy if you think you've been teleported into your dream.]
"Anna answer me," said Zero while turning and looking down at Anna.
Anna shrank back in fear as she looked at the anger, hatred, and sorrow radiating deep from his eyes.
"Answer me!" Bellowed Zero.
"I don't know why I'm here . . . I don't even know where here is . . . All I know is this is the place I've been dreaming of . . . So I must be sleeping," replied Anna.
Zero leapt off the wall and glided to Anna landing only feet from in front of her. Zero grunted as his wings began to retract back into his skin. He walked up to her his face just inches from her. Zero lifted up his hand and brushed the side of Anna face with the back of his hand. Then he pinched her on the side of his face.
"I assure you this is no dream," said Zero softly.
"Oh Kou," said Anna burying her face into Kou's bare chest weeping and wrapping her arms around his back in a soft embrace.
Zero's hand dropped from Anna's face to his side as she buried her face crying. His chest began quivering as he tried with all of his might to restrain his emotions.
"That name is dead to me . . . As dead to me as the place of my childhood. I'm with my people now and the call me Zero, the bringer off death," said Kou.
Anna brought her face out of Kou's chest and looked at him in his eyes with her tears glistening off her cheeks.
"But Kou . . ."
"I told you that name is dead to me. Don't call me that," said Kou angrily.
Anna backed up getting scared off Kou's rage. Kou sensing this moved forward and placed her face back into his chest and embracing her.
Whispering softly to Anna Kou said, "Don't be scared, I'll help you find your way back home. I'll protect you until then," Kou brought her face out of his chest and looked into her eyes, "remember . . . I promised you a long time ago that I would protect you . . . Do you remember."
After Kou said this Anna buried her face back into his chest again and started to cry yet again. She stood there crying for over thirty minutes, until she fell asleep. After the sobbing stopped. Kou looked down, seeing her asleep he picked her up with his strong arms and grunted again as his wings grew out of his back.
Kou took a mighty jump and flew her over the castle ramparts and landed down into the castle keep. He laid Anna down onto the bed, covered her up and quietly shut the door. Once he was in the hallway he groaned as his wings retracted back under his skin. He walked down stairs and went into the kitchen.
"Lord Zero!" Exclaimed a teenage girl while running up and rapping her arms around Kou, "Your ok. You had me so worried!" She said scolding him, "Everybody else came in two hours ago. Where have you been?"
"It's ok Mohoshi. Calm down, I'm fine," said Kou.
"Don't you ever do that again. You had me so worried. Lord Folcos said he hasn't seen you since the Avians sounded the retreat," said Mohoshi.
"I was waiting for a guest. She's here now. I want you to keep an eye on her for me Mohoshi," said Kou, "she's in the keep's guest room. She may say some weird stuff but don't mind her she hit her head and doesn't really remember a lot of things and the stuff she does remember she's confused over. Sooo don't mind her."
"Does she have a name?" Asked Mohoshi.
"Anna . . . Anna Massu," said Kou while walking out the door.
Kou walked out of the castle and returned to his place on the castle wall and stood off staring out at the stars.
[Why is she here? Now of all times. When I'm so close to exacting my revenge, so close to destroying my father's murderer Zanatos.]
Kou crouched down leaning against the castle wall ramparts. He folds his arms and places his head on them as a pillow. Not long after he drifts off to an uneasy sleep filled with dreams of the past.
*************
A little boy sitting in a field crying, when a girl walks up.
"Why are you crying?" She asks.
The little boy looks up and wipes his tear stricken face clean. He stares into her eyes. The little girl begins to blush and smiles.
"Tag your it!" She exclaimed while running off.
The boy gets up and begins chasing her. After several minutes of running he manages to catch her. They both fall to the ground laughing. All of a sudden the field bursts into flames. The girl begins to cry.
Grabbing the little girl the boy said, "Don't worry I will protect you," the little boy turns to looks at his friend and it changed from the little girl to the headless body of his father. The boy cries out in shock, "Ahhhh." He looks up and sees a man standing there holding his fathers head by the hair. His fathers eyes blinks and looks at him then speaks, "Run Kou you must run . . . Never look back run so that you may live another day." The boy screams out, "Father Noooo! I must protect you. . . I must protect Anna." The field seemed to explode because his body shook and he felt like his skin was being melted off.
****************
Kou awoke to an explosion in the castle. He could still feel the slight burning on his skin.
"I must protect her!" Kou screamed out awakening from his dream.
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