Reality Bytes
Chapter 2
"Baby Boom"
(…continued from chapter 1)
Not knowing what else to do I began to walk down town. The streets were relatively empty. I walked toward the Neopian Marketplace hoping to find a sympathetic shopkeeper to help me find my way. Was I trapped here? All of these thoughts, the worries, the assumptions, must have made me lose my focus. I felt uneasy. Without delay I turned my head to catch a glimpse of what I thought was an alley cat. It jumped at me! This was no cat. It had yellow eyes and was wrapped in sullied bandages. "THEIF!" I yelled. I struggled with him a bit, but by the time I threw my second punch he had already run away with my money. I tried to run after him but it was to no avail.
I needed to find how to play this game and more importantly how to keep myself alive. I was now lost, fucked over once again. Without any knowledge of this land or its creatures I was done for. I now found myself in the middle of a forest. Deep and dark, it managed to engulf all of the light that tried to enter. I heard rustling from afar, and then came what I thought were footsteps, slow at first. Something was coming and it was getting closer. A giant winged creature flew overhead and as I ducked to get out if its way I saw something. It was now in front of me, more intimidating than the massive bird that I had just seen. It was a monster.
I came face to face with this ghoulish creature. Its red eyes glowed in the darkness, its fangs were long and menacing, it stood tall, wings open and began to creep closer to me. I stepped back. It leaped! BOOM! And in a frenzied rush it took to the sky. What had happened? I tried to follow the beast by ear and then I saw what had saved me. Another creature had attacked it. At this point, I could see them quite clearly; they were not the same species. They were soon thrashing back and forth in the air. I could hear bones break. I ran without hesitation.
I regained my breath. This place was not for the meek. I began to think, have I become pathetic? Why has this place affected me so? This is a game, and like any game, I can conquer it. I began to hear the fighting once again. It was a high-speed battle. The attacks were swift and were getting near me once more. I climbed an odd-shaped tree to catch sight of the brawl. I felt drops of warm blood slowly begin to cool as they hit my face. And with a giant thud I heard one of them crash through the treetops. The larger of the two took off into the night. I scaled down the tree to get to the injured creature.
I finally arrived at the marketplace and was greeted by a woman who called herself the Soup Faerie. "Welcome to the Soup Kitchen. Would you like something to eat? My cauldron is always full for those who need a helping hand." I was tired and all I wanted was a safe place to crash for the night. I began to tell her my story and as I spoke even I could not believe what I was saying. She was composed and polite. I was a mess. I soon found out that the bandaged pickpocket was a ghost. They were common here and that it was best for me to keep my neopoints in the bank. I was down to 120 neopoints already. How much longer could I stay here? "You must have found the Haunted Woods. It isn't a good idea to go there after nightfall. I'm glad that you are now safe." She smiled and I felt at ease.
My white t-shirt was torn and bloodied. "Can I see him?" she asked me. The lifeless body of the neopet that I had scooped up and carried was wrapped in my jacket. I began to unwrap the small bundle. He was smaller than what I had imagined. "It must have been a Halloween Meerca, by what you described. The Woods are full of naughty neopets. Now, let me have a look at this little guy. He is a Baby Korbat." She paused. "Poor thing..." She sighed. "He'll be alright, but you should take him the Neopian Hospital. But seeing that you have no money I suggest you visit the Healing Springs instead. It may be a long walk, you will need to hurry." She quickly fed the small pet and walked me to the door.
In order to reach the Healing Springs in Faerieland I needed to cross a large body of water. I walked towards the nearest shoreline. I looked down at the poor creature, his body was limp but still warm. He looked very much like a bat. He had white fur underneath the dry blood, and I could see his little wings though badly injured. I was walking towards Kiko Lake when I was blissfully interrupted. I was transported to Faerieland by the Neopian Faeries. I was standing atop of the clouds overlooking all of Neopia. They must have seen me from up here, I thought to myself. I found the Healing Springs right away. A Water Faerie welcomed me, "Have you come to heal your pets?" I took him from my arms and handed his body to the faerie. "Yes." She looked at me and replied, "It may take a few tries but he should be healed by tonight."
Did he now belong to me? Was he my responsibility? He did save my life and he is so young, I couldn't just leave him. I was glad to have a new friend, even if he was unconscious. What should I name him? For such a small neopet this baby sure made a big boom. He was fearless, and from this point on, so was I. Uncertainty would not get the best of me. My body was worn-out and exhausted. I hadn't noticed that the sun had already risen. I hadn't slept and I didn't intend to, but being stubborn alone does not give you willpower. After a few minutes I was out cold.