Eeek! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry; I've got a full-time internship right now, volunteer on Saturdays, other stuff Mondays and Wednesdays, ACT practice every night/AP Gov homework, a horrible feeling of apathy that I can't shake off, and a desire to just slouch about. And then I lose track of time. Urk… I'm really, really sorry, not to mention I'm such a slow writer in the first place… I wonder what's going to happen when marching band season rolls around. In about two to three weeks just for a heads up. And then it's almost a week of twelve hour practices under the hot sun. And then practices every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for about 4 to 9 hours depending on the day. And then the mental breakdowns start since college apps are around the same time. And then I have three AP's to worry about.
Orlz. I feel really guilty making you guys all wait like this. Orlz. Please forgive me. I swear I will carve out more time for all of my beloved readers. I keep on forgetting that people actually look forward to my chapters. It's sometimes okay if the only person getting inconvenienced is yourself, but when others are involved it's no longer okay. I do believe that, and I don't like turning back on my own values, so I'll do my best.
I swear I'm not doing this on purpose; believe me ;;
He couldn't help but laugh as he saw the faded notebook at the bottom of the box.
"Gramp's journal!" he yelped. He snatched it up, but almost dropped it again as some flakes of paper crumbled under his heavy hands. Gingerly, he held it and began reading, moving eventually from the ground to his bed. As he lay flat on his stomach, he read about the Spider Riders and stories of their heroic bravery against the cruel Invectids. At one point, the beautiful Luna was mentioned as a Maiden of the Oracle. After that, the rest of the journal was basically about Luna, and how strong she was, how kind she was, what a wonderful person she was, how her eyes sparkled under the moonlight, how pretty her blue Manacle was compared to his own plain gray one—and many other things. Eventually, the two of them went back to the Outer world together since Gramps was homesick, but then things turned sour. Luna could freely travel between the two worlds, but Gramps couldn't. The journal grew disoriented and rambling, before finally ending at the implied birth of a child of indeterminate gender. He could feel the bile rising to his throat and rushed to the bathroom to throw up right as faint memories of blood and trains splattered his mind. He gripped the porcelain bowl as his body convulsed and he didn't stop until everything he had eaten today was swirling down the bowl. It came to the point that he wanted to gag but couldn't. Coughing, he flushed the toilet and washed his face the sink. At the tender age of eleven, he wanted to die.
Laughing and smiling when he couldn't feel anything, and wanting to always be active and moving to keep his mind blank. What a simple existence. However, the Inner World quietly beckoned to him from the back of his mind as the quarter of Maiden blood rushing through his veins sang for the Oracle's home. He didn't realize it at that time of course, but his will to see and experience the Inner World wasn't because of Gramps—it was because of his heritage. He went to sleep that night dreaming of Gramp's adventures and his beautiful grandma that he would never meet.
-0-0-0-
School was an endless, monotonous repetition day by day.
Wake up.
Breakfast.
Classes.
Food.
Classes.
Food.
Classes.
Track practice.
Go home.
Homework.
Dinner.
Talk.
Finish homework.
Sleep.
Repeat.
Over and over again until he felt like screaming. Nothing ever changed. Nothing. The endless days, the shallow small talk, the discussions about higher education, and not much of anything else. Irritably, he tugged at his tie in the one room in the icy school where air conditioning had failed. History. Then, his teacher piqued his interest.
"To enhance your study of this time period, we will be going to visit cities from that time period from cultures such as the Mayans and the Olmecs."
Hadn't Gramps journal said something about the portal being similar to a Mayan temple of some sort? If they were going to visit that area…
His teacher pulled down the world map and began pointing out the areas they were going to visit.
Hunter's mouth dropped open and he quickly shut it. Some of his classmates who had seen snickered, but quickly shut up as he glared at them. His reputation here was surprisingly good. The ace of the track team at pole vaulting due to his speed and impeccable balance, and his (false,) outwardly bright and cheery personality attracted others to him. It still wasn't good to attract attention to yourself in this school though. He still had bruises from when he'd fought off the bullies. Maybe he could go and visit the Inner World. Maybe, just maybe, he could leave here and start over. The hope welled in his chest.
To be able to start over and carve out a new existence for himself.
The possibilities were endless.
-0-0-0-
His pockets were padded so that the clinking of the tools he'd brought wouldn't be so noticeable. Amazingly customs had let through the knife because it wasn't in his carry-on. As they hiked through the forest, the humidity and heat wrapped uncomfortable around him, like an oppressive spirit. He could see the fatigue in the faces of his peers. Mentally, he went over the journal's maps. Around this area was the temple. His eyes darted about, ignoring the beautiful plants and animals that the teacher all admired very vocally. They were trying to raise the morale of the students he could tell, but were failing miserably. Then, he saw it. Far out into the distance, looking more like a triangular peck than a temple, was the place in the journal. His breath caught in his throat and he stopped walking for a bit.
The person behind him bumped into him.
"Hey! Keep walking! It's too hot!"
"Oh. Sorry," mumbled and hurried along.
After what seemed like ten minutes, he asked to go to the bathroom, and lost the teacher. He was still holding his pack, but everything he needed for now was in his pockets. He hiked and hiked and hiked until he was drenched in sweat, but resting under the shade of the ziggurat. Walking around, he could find an opening higher up, then slowly began climbing until he reached it.
At that moment, he paused to look around. Everywhere was a blanket of lush, verdant green. This would probably be the last time he ever saw the Outer World again. Briefly, he wondered what he would miss. Not his family, that was for sure. He did like sweets and junk food though. He mentally berated himself for not even eating a piece of candy before leaving.
Then he turned around and examined the entrance.
-0-0-0-
The clear crystal shattered and he became conscious the moment his back hit the ground and sharp shards of rock pressed painfully into his back. He gasped for air for a few minutes, then slowly got into a kneeling position of some kind. The Oracle Keys slid off his chest and onto the ground. He blinked dazedly for a bit, then slammed his fists onto them.
"Why would you make me remember that?!" he cried.
"Why?!"