Chapter 20

The year was 2004. A very solemn and boring year for Sam. Like always, he was sick of school. He was tired of it. He did not want to go back to the boring classes nor go back to doing homework. What was the point in doing homework anyway?

Amanda on the other hand was one of those preppy individuals. Always getting herself ready for school, always an A plus student. She was always ready for anything. In addition, she was very popular at school. She was dating a popular football player, was invited to a ton of parties, and she was even nominated for Prom Queen. She never became one, but at least she was nominated. That counted for something in her mind. Sam on the other hand didn't care for any of that crap. He only cared about one thing and one thing only. Video Games.

They were his passion. They were his vice and they were his escape from the cold dark reality of school. Sam was not like his sister, Amanda. He was an outcast. Always alone. Always sketching in his sketchbook and reading books. He was very different. And Amanda was "worried" for him. Ha, worried.

That was why she invited him to the party. She was hoping he could get out of his comfort zone. It was a party that was taking place at school. Which was perfect because Sam wouldn't embarrass her, and he would probably find a friend to talk with. Perhaps another social outcast? To be completely honest, Amanda wasn't exactly one hundred percent worried for Sam. She was inviting him because her Mom and Dad said so, and Amanda herself pretty much lied that she worried for him.

"Where are we going exactly?" asked Sam.

"To the party at school. You'll like it." said Amanda.

"Do I really need to go?" asked Sam.

"You have too." said Amanda.

"Why?"

"Because Mom and Dad said so." said Amanda.

Amanda drove while Sam was in the passenger seat. He looked outside the window and saw the school getting closer, like a shadow ready to eat up his soul.

"Don't embarrass me okay? It's bad enough that my brother is a creepy goth kid." said Amanda.

"I'm not a goth." said Sam.

"Whatever. Just go and find someone to hang out with or anything. I don't care, but don't you come to me while I'm with my friends." said Amanda.

"Friends? You mean those bastards that only hang out with each other because they got money?" asked Sam with a smirk.

"Shut up." replied Amanda coldly.

Sam scoffed and they both got out of the car at different times. Amanda was the first and it took a little while for her to vanish. Sam could have waited in the car, but he decided best to get out and explore.

Hillsboro High School was a very nice school. It was split in different buildings for a subject and the gym was huge. Perfect for the school dance. Sam didn't really care for any of that. He just walked about minding his own business as usual. He went over to the snack area and got a bag of chips. He sat down and did nothing. He was sitting there like a bump on a log by the bleachers, along with the other poor people that didn't have a date or have anyone special.

Sam thought it was stupid that teenagers had to have at least one love life at school. It made him vomit seeing all the guys wear suits and dance with the girls who wasted precious money on their makeup and their nails and girly things. Sam's state of mind was all over the place. Ever since he and his sister were in middle school, everything changed. Most of his friends had girlfriends and boyfriends, some moved away, and Amanda climbed the social ladder. Such was life.

Sam stood up and looked at the exit. He thought it would be great to leave and just walk away in town. He wanted to do that. He wanted to escape this place. This place was infested with smelly teens and hormones flying all over the place. This was Sam Oaks. A dark black cloud all over his head.

He slowly tried to make his way to the exit and then, to his surprise, a girl was heading towards the exit too. She was dressed in a very beautiful green dress, her hair very straight and light brown as the wood of a tree and her head was decorated with a floral crown. She only had a small purse. She walked away the moment a preppy looking guy asked her to dance. She shook her head no, and the guy wanted to grab her hand forcefully. The girl looked delicate, but she was not soft.

She pulled her hand instantly and gave the boy a chilling scowl. The boy lowered his gaze and walked away, feeling nothing but chills in the air. That was when the girl walked into the hallway and Sam was a few feet behind her.

She did turn to make sure she wasn't followed, and she met eyes with Sam. She simply ignored him and she kept walking. Both of them did just that. They walked. The girl pushed the door and Sam was behind. To his surprise, the girl held the door for him. Sam didn't say a word. He simply nodded and stood outside. The girl then went on her way, until she was beginning to feel sick. She quickly went to the bushes nearby and began to puke.

Sam noticed and couldn't shake the feeling she needed help. Weird. Sam never worried for another person other than himself. But this time, he was worried for someone he just met.

"You okay?" he asked, with no ounce of emotion whatsoever.

"I'm fine. Probably drank too much." she said.

"You drank something?" asked Sam.

"The punch bowl. I think it had vodka. I don't know." replied the girl.

"Oh." said Sam.

The girl ignored him and kept on walking. But Sam realized she was not going to a car. She was going to walk home. Sam quickly stopped her.

"Listen, I got a car. I can drive you someplace." said Sam.

"I don't need a ride. I can walk home." said the girl.

"By yourself? It's night." said Sam.

"Why do you care?" asked the girl.

"I don't know. I don't care for people, yet I'm a little worried for you." Sam didn't know what he was saying. It was like he was a totally different person. The girl bit her lip and shook her head.

"I'm very sorry. I think I know what may have happened. But don't worry. This worry you have of me will go away in the morning." said the girl.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." said the girl.

"Why am I worried about you?" asked Sam.

The girl shook her head and turned to see him.

"It could be my perfume. I was hesitant to wear it tonight, but… forget it." said the girl.

"Well… are you sure you don't need a ride?" asked Sam.

"Aren't you Amanda's brother?" asked the girl.

"You know my sister?" asked Sam.

"Everyone knows her. And very few people know she has a brother at school." said the girl.

"You a friend of hers?" asked Sam, almost annoyed.

"Not at the slightest. She hates my guts." said the girl.

"Why is that?" said Sam, almost chuckling.

"Because I'm not like her and the others. All they care about is popularity and losing their virginities. Such is life in High School. I'll tell you one thing; social school life sucks." said the girl.

"Virginities? Amanda is still one. All that crap about sleeping with her boyfriend is a lie." said Sam.

"You are not like her." said the girl.

"I'll never be Amanda, and I hope it stays that way." replied Sam.

"Anyway, I should get going." said the girl.

"Wait a sec. Can I at least walk you home. You got sick and it's night and stuff." said Sam, very pathetically.

"Why do you care?" asked the girl once again.

"I don't know. I just….I got worried for you." said Sam.

"You don't get out much do you?" asked the girl.

Sam nodded and the girl folded her arms.

"How would I know you are safe to be alone with? You are walking me home, but is there a sinister motive behind it all?" asked the girl.

"No. There isn't. And, I think you can manage to beat up a guy like me. I saw your look earlier. You were pretty mad." said Sam.

"You saw that? Well, that guy was lucky. I'm very good at martial arts." said the girl.

"I'm Sam."

"Natalie."

"So, shall we?"

"If you say so."

Sam and Natalie walked straight to her place. To his surprise, Natalie didn't live in a house at all. She lived in a mobile home park, not too far from the High School.

"You live here?" asked Sam.

"I do. I live with my grandfather. My parents are not around." said Natalie.

"How do you live here?" asked Sam, intrigued.

"There is NO shame in living in a mobile home. As long as you take good care of it, and you are happy with what you have, you will be a grateful person." said Natalie.

"I never thought people actually lived in one." said Sam.

"You probably think RVs. Or you probably heard those terrible jokes on TV about mobile homes." said Natalie.

"How long did you live here?" asked Sam.

"Long enough. And I don't know for how much longer. I keep hearing rumors that the park will be sold off." said Natalie.

"That can happen? What about the people who live here?" asked Sam.

"No one cares. As you can see, people from all walks of life live here in the Mobile Home park. Most people here do have full time jobs, but that's enough to feed a family and pay rent." said Natalie.

"I noticed a bunch of cars in the parking lots. You live with Mexican people in this neighborhood?" asked Sam. He was not a racist. He was simply asking a question; nothing more. Natalie on the other hand looked a little disturbed by the question, yet she answered with a lot of grace.

"I live next to a lot of good people." said Natalie. Her lips were very tight after she said this.

"I didn't mean any offense." said Sam quickly.

"I know what you meant. Like I said, people from all walks of life. You can be rich, and you can still live in a park like this." said Natalie.

"I see. And you're happy living here?" asked Sam.

"Of course I am. My grandfather is still with me, thank goodness." said Natalie.

"I envy you. You don't look like you're pushed around or anything like that." said Sam.

Natalie smiled and gave Sam something in his hand.

"I'll be free tomorrow." she said. She then walked up to her home and closed the door behind her. Sam was dumbfounded and he opened his palm. It was a sticky note with a phone number written on it.

The following day, Sam called Natalie and they became fast friends. From then on, they would start hanging out at school or at public places. They would go shopping, they would eat out and they were the best of friends. Amanda eventually noticed and deep down, she secretly cheered for her brother, although she didn't really admit it.

In time, Sam and Natalie's friendship blossomed into something more beautiful. Something very sweet and awesome. Not to mention epic.

They agreed to meet at Portland's Rose Garden and the two were walking side by side. Natalie was taken aback to see that Sam was not wearing his usual large blue hoodie he would often wear. He was wearing a buttoned up plaid shirt. She smiled at her friend, who was slowly changing his appearance in a decent way.

The garden was not really in full bloom quite yet. The day was wet and misty. The roses were not out yet, for they were still rosebuds. However, people were still coming to walk and enjoy themselves in the lush garden.

"I love cloudy days like this, don't you?" asked Natalie.

"I do. It makes me happy." said Sam.

"We are both very gloomy people." said Natalie with a chuckle.

"You are gloomier." said Sam.

"How much time do you have today?" asked Natalie.

"Me? I have plenty of time. You?" asked Sam.

"Not very much. My grandfather is still very ill at the hospital and I promised to be by his side for a while. I'm very worried for him." said Natalie.

Sam nodded. "I'll take whatever moment I get with you."

Natalie held Sam's hand and they both walked in silence.

Natalie's grandfather was on the edge of death itself and she could feel it. "I don't know what to do, Sam. I'm very worried." she said.

"Have faith. I hope things get better. If they don't, what will you do?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. We graduated recently and I still haven't applied for a scholarship. With my grandfather's illness, I haven't had time to consider my options to get a Masters." said Natalie.

Sam and Natalie then walked past a small water fountain and Sam stopped.

"Sammy?" asked Natalie.

Sam then took a deep breath and fell on one knee on the floor. He then pulled out a small box containing a ring with a very small yet beautiful diamond at the top.

"Will you marry me?" asked Sam.

Natalie placed her hands on her face, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She smiled and then she fell on the ground to hug Sam.

"Yes! Yes I will marry you!" she cried with joy. Sam and Natalie were hugging and people who walked past either ignored them, or applauded.

Sam and Natalie then shared their first kiss, right there at the park.

A few days later, Natalie's grandfather met Sam at the hospital. And now that Sam was going to be a member of the family, her grandfather came clean to him.

"Young man, you are about to marry my beloved flower of a granddaughter. You see, I had to keep her safe from outside forces. I trust you do the same." said grandfather.

"Outside forces?" asked Sam.

They were both alone, since the old man requested to speak to him man to man.

The grandfather rose from his bed and pulled out something that looked like a crest from the nightstand.

"Do you know what this is?"

Sam nodded. "It's the Rood Bridge Park crest. Natalie told me about it."

The grandfather was surprised and smiled. "You didn't believe her when she told you?"

"All I know is that Natalie told me that you want nothing to do with that kingdom and that you're keeping her here. I never asked her for more answers. Rood Bridge Park is the name of a local park back in Hillsboro. What does it all mean?" said Sam.

"Did Natalie ever tell you about her parents?" he asked.

"Very little." replied Sam.

"Rood Bridge Park is one of the names Oregon has. Even before it was a state, these lands had another name. Names that were forgotten in time unfortunately." said the grandfather. His voice became grave.

"It is not a secret society of any sort. It is a hidden world where people live freely, without fear of the law. However, this hidden world is ruled by many kings and queens. You might think this is all the ramblings of an old man that is close to dying, but believe me son, it is real. And you must keep Natalie away from this world." said the grandfather.

"I believe. Natalie showed me her fencing. She's really good at it and I saw her perform a blizzard spell. That was enough to make me believe." said Sam.

"That was the power of her parents. They were both from the farthest reaches of Mount Hood, where I too come from. We all lived in a village that was located right there in the snowy mountains. However, one cold night, a terrible creature attacked our village. A ferocious Wendigo appeared. Natalie's parents both destroyed the monster, but at the cost of their lives. You see, this Wendigo was overpowered by a dark force and to stop it, both Natalie's parents performed a powerful blizzard spell that eventually turned them into statues. And so, I decided to bring her here, away from the troubles of the dark impulse." said the grandfather.

"Does Natalie know what happened to them?" asked Sam.

"I've told her. Now Sam, please keep her away from the hidden world. Rood Bridge Park is dangerous. It is full of bloodthirsty creatures and evil powers. On the plus side, we were always struggling in the village. Here, we lived decently and Natalie had a very happy childhood." said the grandfather.

Sam nodded and the grandfather then called for Natalie.

"My time on earth has come to an end. You will watch over Natalie dear boy. And Natalie, watch over Sam. The both of you will have a very happy life. I'm sure of it." said the grandfather, with his final breath.

A few months have passed and the couple were married. They were living in an apartment in Hillsboro. And life couldn't have been sweet. The young couple did have their ups and downs, and they did bicker about a few things. However, they were always by each other's side, no matter what.

And then a letter arrived. A Rood Bridge Park letter.

Sam and Natalie were both hesitant to open the letter, but they ultimately agreed to read it. It was a letter from the Queen herself. It just so happened that a wicked parasitic villain has been roaming around the forest causing illnesses and even death. The letter was summoning the best Sword Warriors to attend and fight to protect Rood Bridge Park.

"I promised your grandfather you wouldn't be a part of that world." said Sam.

"I know. But Sammy, this creature is very bad. He's known to make even an entire army sick." said Natalie.

"Exactly my point. What if you got sick?" asked Sam.

"Sword Warriors are immune to powerful effects." said Natalie.

"I know you've been trained to be a Sword Warrior by your grandfather in case you had to fight for your life, but only your life and those around you." said Sam.

"I know, but this is my calling. My duty." said Natalie.

Sam breathed in deeply and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"I can't really stop you. As long as you are with other Sword Warriors, that's good enough for me." said Sam.

Natalie gave him a kiss on the forehead and got herself ready for the fight.

A couple of days later, Natalie never returned and Sam was worried. He felt like he betrayed Natalie's grandfather, but this was Natalie's choice. He trusted his wife. However, he could not shake the feeling something was wrong. Sam put on his plaid jacket and ran deep into the forest, looking for a sign of the hidden world he knew so little about.

At last, he came upon a dying man. He was purple all over, and his eyes were bulging out. Sam wanted to come and help him, but the man stopped him on his tracks.

"Don't! You'll get sick as well!" he cried.

"What happened?!" cried Sam.

"It was the Germ! There were fifty of us here, with our swords up in the air and we fought. But he was too fast. He inflicted upon us a deep sickness. There was only one who was immune to his power. A woman." said the man.

"Natalie.." said Sam.

"Yes. Her! Our brave captain! She fought against the Germ, but she was defeated in battle. The Germ took her away, up straight ahead!" cried the man.

"Natalie's my wife! He took her!?" cried Sam.

The man gasped and nodded. "Go there! Be careful!" cried the man with his last breath.

Sam turned around and ran to save his wife.

He then found himself going through a ring with different colors and upon entering, he found himself someplace he's never been to before. It did not matter to Sam. If it meant saving his wife, then so be it. He knew nothing of this hidden world, and he kept on going. He didn't care. He kept running until he found himself in front of two large doors.

And sitting on a throne made of wax was the Germ himself. He opened his unearthly eyes and stared down at Sam, who was not taken aback by it's ugly appearance.

"Are you the Germ?" asked Sam angrily.

"Indeed I am. Who be you stranger?" asked the Germ.

"I'm here to save the woman I love." said Sam. He then pulled out a gun from his jacket.

The Germ laughed. "Guns have no effect on me. Your bullets will go through me as if I were some ghost. You see, I'm made of liquid."

The Germ then stretched his hands and indeed they turned into a liquid form. Sam shot a few times and the Germ stood there, laughing.

"You see? I'm immune." said the Germ.

"Where is Natalie?!" cried Sam.

"Behind those two doors behind me. You see human, your precious Natalie vanished in my arms while I brought her here. I believe she was sent to the Treasures of Oregon." said the Germ.

"Treasures of Oregon?" asked Sam.

"The doors behind me. Should they open, all the wisdom of the hidden world will belong to me." said the Germ.

"I don't care. I just want Natalie back." said Sam.

The Germ eyed Sam thoughtfully and smiled. "You care about her?"

Sam nodded and the Germ then formed an orb on his hand. The orb had some sort of black magic surrounding it.

"This orb is known as the orb of darkness. It was created by a wise man named Viscount Brion. Consume this orb, and you will have the power of the Dark Impulse." said the Germ.

"Will this save Natalie?" asked Sam.

"When you have the power, yes. But first, to save your wife, we need to open the doors. It won't open on me you see. Only two people of pure heart will open the door." said the Germ.

Sam breathed in deeply. "What must I do?"

"After you have consumed the orb and have allowed it's darkness to be a part of you, search far and wide for two people with the purest of hearts. Have them open the door and I will have what is beyond. And your Natalie will return to you." said the Germ.

Sam nodded and took the orb in his hand. And the darkness consumed him, turning into the BogeyMan.

For a while, he was like this. Going around Oregon, searching for two individuals that would one day open the door. And at long last, he found them at last. He felt it through the impulse. Two totally different boys, each from different circumstances, with hearts that were very bright.