Untitled Chapter
Chapter: Introduction
The sky above was perfectly clear, promising the people of the village a good day of Christmas shopping. Laughter and merry cheer filled the small streets leaving children running with hopeful minds and broad smiles. The adults watched their kids having fun as they sipped on cups filled with warm apple cider. Today couldn’t possibly get any better in their minds and they couldn’t be more right. Well, at least in their opinion.
Simon Corns was walking the paths he had carved hundreds of times before through the forest that formed the perimeter around the village. He was surrounded by tall ancient pines tipped with white, this was the foundation of his very happiness. His parents were abusive alcoholics and had repeatedly kicked him out of the house to fend for himself. Of course, he knew he’d always be able to walk back home latter that night because his parents would be knocked out cold and oblivious to the world around them. Today, on the other hand, his parents were probably already unconscious and had abandoned him for some time.
People had given him their customary dirty looks and hushed remarks as he had walked by them. It was all because of the fact that the village hates his family. Apparently many years ago they betrayed the town in a battle that almost caused the village to be destroyed and enslaved. Since then members of his family have been shunned. They now depend on the last few pennies left in their bank account and the town leaving them without sympathy and refusing them the opportunity to work.
The tattered clothes he had worn came from donation boxes. Fortunately the village was rich and the over-sized Hoodie and sweat pants had kept him warm enough. Deprived as he was he always found the means to be happy and even more so in the last six months. Six month ago he met someone in these very woods that changed his life forever. Now he was walking towards their rendezvous point. It was a small campsite that consisted of an underground cave, a small river and a campfire pit.
The mere thought of the forest gave Simon a warm glow. It wasn’t really an explainable phenomenon he just felt at home here. With the life he had it was the perfect place to hide. It was a place to escape the constant sorrow that governed his life. This too the village disliked. This forest was the place the war took place in, which didn’t matter to Simon in the slightest. The war was over a hundred years ago why continue fearing it especially when they won the war?
The path began to shrink slowly becoming narrower until it seemed that the path disappeared. From here Simon continued on using memory and landmarks that he had spotted so long ago. It was at one of these landmarks that Simon stopped at. It was a massive stone pillar, marked with strange runes and other markings that Simon still hadn’t figured out. It was here that he hid his most cherished item. A flask made of steel and engraved with designs so wild and incredible that Simon always sighed when he saw it. From this flask Simon took a drink. A thick red liquid flowed into his mouth. Splashing the flavor across his tongue Simon giggled as the pleasant feeling tingled across his body.
Recapping the flask he placed it in his pocket and continued on his voyage. Weaving through the trees Simon sang allowed. The tingling feeling coursed through him making him giddy and eventually he began running. The trees danced around him as he flew by them. The liquid was giving him the normal energy boost and warmth. It still amazed Simon how effectively the drink worked in his body.
Before Simon even realized it he had arrived at the camp, the frozen creek which ran behind the cave lay undisturbed. Simon lay down as he got ready to wait. It was uncharacteristic of his lover to be late. He would normally show up as soon as Simon did. It aggravated Simon that he was being forced to wait so long. He didn’t enjoy waiting very much. It never really suited him. If he were to stand around and wait for someone to feed or clothe him or waited until someone would listen to him he would have ended up dead a long time ago. That’s why Simon had grown to do what needed to be done earlier rather than later. Still Simon waited patiently in the cave as he pulled his Hoodie around him tight.
Time passed slowly and the sun set into night. The cave was eerily quiet and black. Simon waved his hand in front of his face and only barely caught a glance of it passing by. Knowing that his flask would be empty soon Simon sadly got to his feet and using his hands he felt his way along the walls until he reached the entrance and stopped. Just outside the entrance there was a solid sheet of white. Snow pelted down towards the ground erasing all sense of sight and noise. The wind blew in such massive speeds that he was sure to be knocked over if he stepped outside. Backtracking Simon sat back down in the cave there was no going home tonight.
Simon took another drink from the flask and weakly swished the remainder in the bottom of the flask. Maybe another couple of hours and it’ll be gone. Simon thought to himself.
Could it be the storm that’s holding him back? The night continued on at this pace Simon mixing small drinks with random bursts of thought.
This storm is deadly. He could be dead. No he can’t or can he? Why did I come here? What was the message? Was it really urgent? I think it was. Where is he?
When dawn broke Simon opened the flask one last time to find nothing left. He was cold, weak, frostbitten and now the only thing keeping him alive was gone. He lay down on the cold stone floor. He closed his eyes his will leaving him. He’d die alone in this cold dark cave. Nobody would realize he was missing. The village didn’t care and his parents would forget him.
Simon heard a crack outside and his heart almost skipped a beat. Hope filled his body with the energy he needed for one last desperate chance. Dragging himself he made his way to the entrance. The storm had left a foot of snow outside. Crawling his way out Simon made his way to a dark figure ahead of him. His vision blurred he couldn’t really tell what the figure was but it was his last chance.
It took all his energy to make it to the figure. From here he could tell the figure was dressed in dark flowing clothes. They lay clumped on the ground in an unrecognizable shape but Simon dropped next to it anyway. The shape moved slightly and a round beige shape emerged from the black. The last thing Simon heard was:
"Here drink and then I’ll have my fill." The soft voice said as a forearm was placed on his mouth dripping the elixir that had kept Simon alive all night: Blood
The sky above was perfectly clear, promising the people of the village a good day of Christmas shopping. Laughter and merry cheer filled the small streets leaving children running with hopeful minds and broad smiles. The adults watched their kids having fun as they sipped on cups filled with warm apple cider. Today couldn’t possibly get any better in their minds and they couldn’t be more right. Well, at least in their opinion.
Simon Corns was walking the paths he had carved hundreds of times before through the forest that formed the perimeter around the village. He was surrounded by tall ancient pines tipped with white, this was the foundation of his very happiness. His parents were abusive alcoholics and had repeatedly kicked him out of the house to fend for himself. Of course, he knew he’d always be able to walk back home latter that night because his parents would be knocked out cold and oblivious to the world around them. Today, on the other hand, his parents were probably already unconscious and had abandoned him for some time.
People had given him their customary dirty looks and hushed remarks as he had walked by them. It was all because of the fact that the village hates his family. Apparently many years ago they betrayed the town in a battle that almost caused the village to be destroyed and enslaved. Since then members of his family have been shunned. They now depend on the last few pennies left in their bank account and the town leaving them without sympathy and refusing them the opportunity to work.
The tattered clothes he had worn came from donation boxes. Fortunately the village was rich and the over-sized Hoodie and sweat pants had kept him warm enough. Deprived as he was he always found the means to be happy and even more so in the last six months. Six month ago he met someone in these very woods that changed his life forever. Now he was walking towards their rendezvous point. It was a small campsite that consisted of an underground cave, a small river and a campfire pit.
The mere thought of the forest gave Simon a warm glow. It wasn’t really an explainable phenomenon he just felt at home here. With the life he had it was the perfect place to hide. It was a place to escape the constant sorrow that governed his life. This too the village disliked. This forest was the place the war took place in, which didn’t matter to Simon in the slightest. The war was over a hundred years ago why continue fearing it especially when they won the war?
The path began to shrink slowly becoming narrower until it seemed that the path disappeared. From here Simon continued on using memory and landmarks that he had spotted so long ago. It was at one of these landmarks that Simon stopped at. It was a massive stone pillar, marked with strange runes and other markings that Simon still hadn’t figured out. It was here that he hid his most cherished item. A flask made of steel and engraved with designs so wild and incredible that Simon always sighed when he saw it. From this flask Simon took a drink. A thick red liquid flowed into his mouth. Splashing the flavor across his tongue Simon giggled as the pleasant feeling tingled across his body.
Recapping the flask he placed it in his pocket and continued on his voyage. Weaving through the trees Simon sang allowed. The tingling feeling coursed through him making him giddy and eventually he began running. The trees danced around him as he flew by them. The liquid was giving him the normal energy boost and warmth. It still amazed Simon how effectively the drink worked in his body.
Before Simon even realized it he had arrived at the camp, the frozen creek which ran behind the cave lay undisturbed. Simon lay down as he got ready to wait. It was uncharacteristic of his lover to be late. He would normally show up as soon as Simon did. It aggravated Simon that he was being forced to wait so long. He didn’t enjoy waiting very much. It never really suited him. If he were to stand around and wait for someone to feed or clothe him or waited until someone would listen to him he would have ended up dead a long time ago. That’s why Simon had grown to do what needed to be done earlier rather than later. Still Simon waited patiently in the cave as he pulled his Hoodie around him tight.
Time passed slowly and the sun set into night. The cave was eerily quiet and black. Simon waved his hand in front of his face and only barely caught a glance of it passing by. Knowing that his flask would be empty soon Simon sadly got to his feet and using his hands he felt his way along the walls until he reached the entrance and stopped. Just outside the entrance there was a solid sheet of white. Snow pelted down towards the ground erasing all sense of sight and noise. The wind blew in such massive speeds that he was sure to be knocked over if he stepped outside. Backtracking Simon sat back down in the cave there was no going home tonight.
Simon took another drink from the flask and weakly swished the remainder in the bottom of the flask. Maybe another couple of hours and it’ll be gone. Simon thought to himself.
Could it be the storm that’s holding him back? The night continued on at this pace Simon mixing small drinks with random bursts of thought.
This storm is deadly. He could be dead. No he can’t or can he? Why did I come here? What was the message? Was it really urgent? I think it was. Where is he?
When dawn broke Simon opened the flask one last time to find nothing left. He was cold, weak, frostbitten and now the only thing keeping him alive was gone. He lay down on the cold stone floor. He closed his eyes his will leaving him. He’d die alone in this cold dark cave. Nobody would realize he was missing. The village didn’t care and his parents would forget him.
Simon heard a crack outside and his heart almost skipped a beat. Hope filled his body with the energy he needed for one last desperate chance. Dragging himself he made his way to the entrance. The storm had left a foot of snow outside. Crawling his way out Simon made his way to a dark figure ahead of him. His vision blurred he couldn’t really tell what the figure was but it was his last chance.
It took all his energy to make it to the figure. From here he could tell the figure was dressed in dark flowing clothes. They lay clumped on the ground in an unrecognizable shape but Simon dropped next to it anyway. The shape moved slightly and a round beige shape emerged from the black. The last thing Simon heard was:
"Here drink and then I’ll have my fill." The soft voice said as a forearm was placed on his mouth dripping the elixir that had kept Simon alive all night: Blood
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