Sunlight filters through sakura blossoms, covering the world in a soft, pink glow. A warm breeze sweeps through the trees, stirring petals and blades of grass. The sound of waterfalls echoes through the air alongside the voice of a lone girl.
"Brylee! Brylee where are you?"
Her tiny feet skim over fallen petals and sunlight dappled ground. Warm rays of light smile down on her as she searches for her friend. The scent of the blooming flowers is enticingly sweet and wreaths around her as the gentle wind stirs her hair. She wishes she could just sit down and nap - which is more than likely what Brylee is doing now - but she has to keep looking.
"Brylee!"
Brylee was going to get an earful when she found her!
I've never been afraid of the dark. I've been afraid of other things – strange places, howling storms, being alone – but darkness has never struck me as something to fear. Perhaps that's why now, when I'm smothered in infinite blackness, I feel nothing but peace. Other people would be afraid of the nothingness, asking questions, trying to find light, panicking, but I'm merely floating, getting lost in the emptiness. The darkness feels safe, like a blanket wrapped loosely around me, protecting me from fears that might have once plagued my mind. I could stay here forever, drifting in limbo, and never have another care in the world.
But you must have every care in the world.
A voice reaches me through the blackness, chasing away my serenity. I suddenly feel very alone and very cold.
"Who's there?" The words never leave my mouth. I feel like I'm choking. "Who's there?" I try again, desperation bringing me back to the surface of consciousness.
'Who is there'? I don't think you're asking the right questions. Try again.
"What?"
My feet hit solid ground and I find that I can stand. I take a step forward as the words 'asking the right questions' echo through my mind.
Light breaks through the shadow below me and explodes into a thousand delicate sakura blossoms. The soft pink petals drift around me, filling the air with their scent. I gaze at them in wonder as they float lazily around me, swirling and dancing through the air like oddly shaped stars. A wave of homesickness washes over me as the last of them disappears into the unknown.
"What is this place?"
No answer comes.
"I guess that's not the right question either." My words echoes around the emptiness, answering themselves. "Hello?" I call out to the voice, irked by its refusal to answer me. "Am I asking the right questions now?" I'm suddenly yelling, trying to fill the void with my voice.
I take another step and glance down at the ground. Stained glass glows dimly beneath my feet, humming subtly as though it were alive. The thought of the ground being alive makes an uncomfortable feeling crawl up my spine.
"Where am I?"
Try turning around.
The voice!
I whirl around, determined to catch whoever it is that has been spewing riddles at me, but I only find a table. Blinking in confusion, I begin walking towards it, finding no other option than to examine it.
It's made purely out of glass and shines dully in the soft light coming from below me. Three objects rest on it, looking innocent and lonely. I swallow nervously and reach for the object in the middle – an empty picture frame.
You're going on a journey.
With a yelp of surprise I retract my hand and look around. Silence. "Stop messing around! What's going on?" I shout at the voice as anger seethes through me. I'm sick of being toyed with. "Tell me what's going on!" My voice echoes around the emptiness, leaving a hollow feeling in my chest.
You're going on a journey. But you can only take one item with you.
I glance down at the three items on the table and bite my lip. "You want me to choose the item I'm going to take?" Again, I receive no answer. "You're not very helpful, who ever you are!" How could these items help me on a journey?
Pick the item that means the most to you.
"So now you can read my mind?" Sighing, I give in. Maybe picking an item is the only way to get out of this place. I reach out for the picture frame again and run my fingers over its smooth surface. It's a simple, silver frame with delicate sakura blossoms etched in it. The frame flashes as I pick it up and I finally notice the picture in it. Was it there before? I can almost remember the frame being empty when I first saw it.
Then I gasp as I recognize the three faces smiling up at me.
"My friends…" I barely whisper the words, unsure of whether I should have said them out loud. Swallowing rather loudly, I take in the picture with dull shock. There I am, in the middle, being smothered by a hug from Ellie. And Bastian sits a little to the left of us, wearing that little shy smile of his.
I place the picture down carefully and look at the other two objects on the table. A sizable heap of black fabric rests on the right side of the table, and I pick it up curiously. It's heavier than it should be and unfolds into a cloak. I examine it thoroughly, the fabric is heavy and course, but not uncomfortable to touch and it seems like it would keep someone warm and safe on a long journey. This could be useful…I consider choosing it, but my eyes wander to the picture and I fold the cloak up and put it back on the table.
The third object is a strange looking box. I pick it up and hold it in my palm, where it fits comfortably. It's black and decorated with strange, swirling designs that seem to move as I turn it over in my hands. With a shudder, I put the box down and retrieve the picture, holding it close to my chest as if to protect it.
Friendship is the fire that will fuel your will to fight. Is this the power you chose?
"Will to fight? Fight for what?" I glance down at the picture and take in the familiar, smiling faces of my closest friends. My pulse races as I grip the frame tightly. "I will fight to protect the things I care about, if it comes to it."
A strange sound echoes around me, and it takes me a moment to realize what it is. Laughter.
That is exactly what I hoped you would say.
The picture dissolves into rays of light and drifts through my fingers. I stare at my empty hands, unsure of what to do now.
Choose an item you wish to discard.
Without bothering to answer, I reach for the box again. The swirling designs had unnerved me before, but I'm now determined to find out exactly what it is. I try to pry it open, but the lid won't budge. Frustration simmers in my veins, threatening to boil over. What use is a box that won't open?
I squeeze the box tightly and nearly give up when I notice the design inlaid in the top. It's different from the swirling gold that surrounds the rest of the box. This design seems to be etched into the box itself and stays stationary. I trace it absentmindedly, sudden nostalgia overwhelming me. Why is this shape so familiar?
Without warning, the emblem glows and the box splits open. Light spills from it and condenses to form a picture. I watch the light intently, caught up in it like a leaf on the wind, strangely mesmerized by its fluid beauty. A dark room appears in the light and gradually, something comes into focus. A person.
A woman in a long, elegant gown stands by a window, humming softly. The tune weaves around me, tickling the edges of my mind like a long lost memory trying to resurface. In her arms, the woman holds a child, barely drifting on the edge of sleep. Her lullaby has no words, only musical phrases and cadences but it somehow pierces me to the core. The strange and beautiful tune spills into the air like liquid fire and my eyes start to burn, like I'm about to cry.
The baby suddenly opens her eyes and looks directly at me. A yelp of surprise escapes me and I drop the box. It falls with dreamlike slowness and hits the ground with the sound of shattering glass and wind chimes. Like the picture, the music box dissolves into tiny droplets of light that float away. The woman's haunting melody plays through my mind and begins to slip away, like water slipping through my fingers. I try to pull it back to me, but lose it in the end. A sudden sadness wells up in my chest, which confuses me.
You are afraid of unfamiliar things. This fear will hold you back, and you must learn to over come it in order to reach your full potential.
My confusion and sadness vanish with a flourish. "Alright, I'm getting really sick of all these riddles! What is going on?"
Right now, you're blinded by ignorance, but soon you will see everything. You are just now taking the first steps you need in order to fulfill your destiny.
"My destiny?"
Step forward, Brylee and begin your journey.
I open my mouth to shout a response back, to demand I be given actual answers but I'm stopped short as, with the sound of crackling lightning, the table splits in two and explodes into a thousand particles of light and fire and glass. Shielding my face and eyes from the bright, hot-white light, I try not to cry out in shock. I expect to be engulfed by heat and flame, but only feel an almost imperceptible warmth from the blinding light.
When the light recedes and my eyelids no longer burn red from the brightness, I open my eyes slowly and then stare. Not in awe or surprise, in horror. A huge, fathomless black shape looms above me, glaring sinisterly in my direction with hollow, glowing eyes. This time I do cry out, but not just in shock. In fear.
I stumble backwards and, tripping over my own feet, fall to the ground harshly. A low, grumbling sound fills the air and the world around me begins to shake as the black behemoth takes a step forward.
A voice reaches my ears, not from the emptiness around me, but from my mind. What are you doing on the ground? Get up and fight! It takes me a moment to realize that it's not a memory or the voice from before, it's my voice. Some inner part of me is yelling at the flight instinct that's consumed me, desperately trying to push me into fight mode. I listen.
Grinding my teeth together, I slam my hand to the ground and push myself up. So what if this thing is like something out of a nightmare? I can take it. I'm the best fighter out of my group of friends. I can handle almost anything.
That's the Brylee I need. Strong, fearless, ready to fight.
For a moment, my fear of the monster dissipates and I'm furious. "Unless you plan on helping me take this thing down, you can stop talking!"
The strange toneless laughter from before meets my ears again and my right hand begins to burn. And maybe a little hot-headed. I will leave you to your battle, don't disappoint me. Something appears in my hand, accompanied by a flourish of light. A weapon?
I don't have time to examine whatever I've been given, only time to leap out of the way of a massive, shadowy hand as it collides with the ground. Landing lightly on my feet, I spin around and face the monster. "Bring it on, Shadow man!" Unoriginal taunts. And the twins say I haven't learned anything from them. As though replying to my outburst, the shadow raises its massive fist again and brings it down to the ground with an earsplitting crash. The floor shatters beneath me and I lose my footing as the world crumbles underneath my feet.
Shining shards of light fill the air as I fall backwards, glinting beautifully in the darkness. I'm lost in their beauty for a moment, forgetting the fear and danger looming in front of me. I imagine that I can almost see faces staring back at me in the fragments, lost memories reaching through to the surface of my subconscious.
Then the darkness comes. Cold and malignant on my skin as it wreathes up my legs and arms. An alien feeling pierces my chest as I struggle against the tendrils of shadow. Fear. I twist and writhe and flail, but the darkness grows and spreads across me like a stain. My body goes numb and cold, my cry of fear dies on my lips as I lose grip of the weapon I'd been holding. The last thing I see is a glint of silver before my vision goes black and the world is snuffed out.
And one month later I FINALLY update. Bleh, this should not have taken this long, but alas, inspiration is fleeting these days. Oh well, summer vacation is here and I'm ready to rock and roll! (hopefully)
If any of you guys understand what's going on here then I congratulate you and thank you for reading my story. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long |D
