The next day Storm could barely keep his eyes open, no matter how much iced coffee he drank nothing could stop his exhaustion. Good thing he's finished mowing the lawn, but the bad news is without the loud purring and vibration of the engine keeping him awake and alert, his tiredness is stronger then ever.
"Screw it, it's nap time,"
He put the lawn mower back into the tool shed and walked up to his room for much needed sleep. He climbed into bed and his eyes immediately shut the second a soft pillow met his head. He just needs a little nap and he'll be good to go, or will he? When Storm opened his eyes, he wasn't in his room or lying on his bed. He was in the middle of a snowy forest.
His mouth hung open in shock, "What the actual fuck?"
He glanced down and he wasn't wearing his usual attire, his clothes morphed into a blue pullover hoodie, black snow pants with black snow boots.
"Did I change my clothes and not remember?"
He stood up and tried to get a good look at his surroundings while wiping some snow off his butt and arms. This forest looked familiar, too familiar; why did he know this place? A sudden rustle of the snowy bushes caught his attention,
"Hello?"
The rustle stopped but Storm's curiosity grew, he approached the bushes and pulled back the leaves, what he saw blew his mind. It was a reindeer, an actual reindeer! They casually stood there eating the snow-covered grass not a care in the world.
Storm was in awe, "Woah,"
Apparently, Rudolph must've heard him, they picked up their large head along with their oversized antlers. They slowly approached Storm, whose confused and slightly scared. Up close the reindeer was nearly five feet at shoulder height and their fur was a mix of white and brown.
"Hey buddy, do you know where we are by any chance?"
To Storm's shock the reindeer responded,
"What am I, 'Trip Advisor'?!"
His mouth dropped, "Did you just?"
"No, I'm speaking gibberish, yes I talk"
Not only did this reindeer talk, but he's sassy, and sounded like a grumpy old man. He and Husk would get along great.
"I reckon you don't remember much, do you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"You've had this stupid concept about how Hell's a giant coma dream and you'll wake up just like that blonde princess bimbo minus the non-consent kiss!"
Storm didn't know what to say, "How?"
The sassy reindeer cut him off,
"I know more than you think, I'm not just some cute fuzzy fur baby you can post on the bimbo-grams,"
"What, or who are you?"
"I'm Greggory, your spirit guide,"
"I don't understand, a spirit guide?"
Greggory rolled his eyes, "Aye, boy your more brain damaged then I thought. Yes, your spirit guide and I'm here to guide you to your truth about who you are,"
If Storm wasn't speechless already, he might as well be mute. What was this crazy reindeer talking about? The truth about who he is, the ice demon barely knows his full name let alone his identity. So, how did this bootleg 'Rudolph the red nosed reindeer' know?
"Look kid you may not believe me and I'm not asking you to, instead I'll show ya,"
"How?"
Greggory bent down and lowered his antlers, signaling him to hitch a ride on his back.
"Come on I'm not getting any younger here,"
Storm couldn't believe he's doing this, but then again, he's in the middle of a snow-covered forest with nowhere to go but in a large circle. So, it's this or nothing. Storm sat himself on Greggory's back,
"Alright onward!" Greggory grinned.
The sudden jolt of him getting up nearly made Storm slide off. He grabbed the reindeer's antlers for support.
"Hey, watch the money makers,"
As they walked through the snow forest, Storm kept trying to think of how he's been here, did he go camping, go on a hike, or ice fishing; neither of those scenarios sounded possible. Still, where has he seen this place before?
"Where are we going exactly?"
"Disneyland!"
"Really?"
Greggory let out a loud belly laugh, "No you poor icy schmuck I told you we're going to your truth."
"Where's my truth exactly?"
"It varies, someone's truth can either be big, small, or somewhere in the middle. In your case with your Ludacris mind, it's the size of 'Mount Everest'!"
Maybe he's right, Storm could barely remember anything other than basic stuff like water's wet and the sky's blue. Could Storm's truth about who he is really be more then meets the eye? Greggory's tracks came to a halt when they stopped Infront of a large ice cave.
"We're here!"
Storm raised a confused brow, "Where's here?"
"Your truth, now get off,"
Storm slid off and eyed the ice cave with curiosity and confusion.
"Now what?"
"Go in and discover who you are, you won't like most of the memories you'll see, and it'll even leave you in a depressed state but it's better to learn a painful truth then live a fake one with false memories,"
Storm didn't know what to say or think,
"Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind, but what if?"
He turned back to Greggory, but he's gone, it was just him, and the frozen cave of mysteries and secrets. He was intrigued, what was in there, did it really hold the key to his past, or is it a death trap? Lots of things buzzed around in his head, but the loudest buzzing was the one that was saying 'Show yourself,' He wasn't going to get anywhere standing in the snow, it's now or never.
With a nervous step forward, he felt his heart tighten and another song come out,
Every inch of me is trembling
But not from the cold
Something is familiar
Like a dream, I can reach but not quite hold
I can sense you there
Like a friend I've always known
I'm arriving
And it feels like I am home
He pressed his fingers to the cave entrance and something about it felt weirdly comforting,
I have always been a fortress
Cold secrets deep inside
You have secrets, too
But you don't have to hide
Show yourself
I'm dying to meet you
Show yourself
It's your turn
Are you the one I've been looking for
All of my life?
Show yourself
I'm ready to learn
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Just as he felt like turning away and leaving, a voice sung back to him
Ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
He felt his self-doubt disappearing being replaced with determination; without hesitation he ran into the cave wanting to find out who this other voice was.
I've never felt so certain
All my life, I've been torn
But I'm here for a reason
Could it be the reason I was born?
I have always been so different
Normal rules did not apply
Is this the day?
Are you the way
I finally find out why?
He ran past toward the other voice was coming from, he wasn't too far behind,
Show yourself
I'm no longer trembling
Here I am
I've come so far
He made a snow bridge to run across the large gaps and to get there faster, he's not sure where 'there' is but he's so close.
You are the answer I've waited for
All of my life
Oh, show yourself
Let me see who you are
Once the large gaps on the snow floor disappeared, everything else felt like a cake walk. As Storm got closer, he felt his frozen heart pounding with anxiety and excitement.
Come to me now
Open your door
Don't make me wait
One moment more
Oh, come to me now
Open your door
Don't make me wait
One moment more
He came across a large snowbank that formed a large tunnel to walk through. Inside the tunnel Storm could sense something was on the other side waiting for him. When the tunnel ended, he came across a frozen lake accompanied with a gorgeous aurora borealis.
Where the North wind meets the sea
Ah-ah, ah-ah
There's a river
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Full of memory (memories, memories)
Storm couldn't believe it, was this it? If it was, he couldn't have asked for a more beautiful place for self-discovery. Something about this place made him feel safe and at peace for all the crazy nightmares and hallucinations he's been having. However, these tender feelings he's harboring will come crashing down when he discovers the truth.
Come, my darling, homeward bound
I am found
Show yourself
Step into the power
Grow yourself
Into something new
You are the one you've been waiting for
All of my life
All of your life
Oh, show yourself
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Storm was happy and relieved, but the question is, what now? If this ice cave has led him to his truth, what's he supposed to do to unlock it?
"Okay I'm here, now what?"
His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of crumbling rocks, when he turned his head, it wasn't rocks making noises it was a frozen door with a large snowflake on the front. Curious he approached it and saw a message that said,
"Your past is the key to your present,"
This was it; he's going to find out his truth whether he likes it or not.
He took a nervous deep breath, "No turning back now."
He turned the icy knob and stepped inside to nothing but darkness, "Hello is anyone here?!" He called out.
After a few seconds of pitch blackness something was forming right in front of him, the next thing he knew he was in a bedroom. This room however was a nursery for a baby girl, the walls were turquoise, the soft carpet was a dark beige shade, and everything seemed to have a traditional nursery look to it. Speaking of which, where's the baby?
"Is this my room?"
The sound of a baby cooing caught his attention, he turned to see an adorable Korean baby girl in a blue onesie.
He smiled, "Hey there little one, are you all by yourself?"
The baby reached her tiny hand out like she's trying to communicate with him,
"What's wrong do you want out?"
When he reached his snowflake tattooed hand out to touch her tiny baby hand, something strange happened. He felt something inside him open, it felt like a cool wave splashed the back of his head. He gasped and grabbed his throat thinking he's about to choke but he wasn't.
"What just happened?"
Storm looked around the nursery and it all came back to him; he knows where he is; it's his room and the baby girl was Storm, and this was his house! He was overcome with joy and relief.
"I remember now, this was my home in Canada; Toronto, I lived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada!"
He put his hand over his mouth and felt icy tears stream down his cheeks, "My names Storm Park and I was born in Canada, and that means!"
He glanced over to his now baby self, "This was me before I transitioned, but if this is my house, where's my parents?"
Just as he said those words, his baby counter part began to cry, Storm was confused,
"Baby me what's wrong?"
Just like that everything turned to black, and the crying disappeared, Storm's about to see his whole truth and why he can't wake up from his so-called dream.
End of chapter 19; we're about to find out who Storm is and whether he'll accept himself or not.