I had a tiring day.
I was beaten by a guard, I worked my ass off at the farm and got home late.
I could only sigh at my exhaustion. After my dinner and a little talk with mom about earlier which was followed by a lengthy lecture I finally retreated to my room.
I layed my tired body on my bed and stared at the ceiling aimlessly.
'A dark sky filled with little lights' old man's Grison words were repeating in my head again.
I stared at the ceiling and thought about his words.
They kept getting louder and all I could think about was this world.
The ceiling started taking a black color and slowly but surely I could see a million yellow lights full it, just like the old man said.
'How beautiful' I whispered as I tried to reach for it with my hands.
"Aexial.." a voice came. "Aexial" it repeated and woke me up from my daze. I turn around to see who it was.
"Dreaming as always huh?" George stood by the door and leaned on its frame with his arms folded. He was giving me a smugged smile.
"What are you doing here? it's late." I asked George.
"Couldn't sleep...Hey, wanna go to Grison's place?" With that question I gave out a sly smile and got up from my bed.
"Of course, how can I say no when his stories are the only good non-boting thing about this place"
After giving me a smile of his own George nodded and we got out from my room.
I checked on my parents and the both of them were asleep. After confirming their status I tiptoed towards the exit door slowly.
"Where are you two heading?" I heard an ominous familiar voice. Me and George slowly turned around.
My mother stood behind us by her door with her arms folded and her brow raised.
"George?" She asked with a scary tone.
"Ah, um, h-hi Mrs Moonstone. Hehe we um were just"
"Save it" my mom said as she let out a sigh.
"We won't be long mom I promise"
"Just..be back here in an hour promise?" He said with worries in her voice and eyes.
"Yes mom" I told her with a smile to assure her.
"Another went missing again from the west block. Be careful alright" my mom said.
She reminded me of the strange cases recently. People from Harvio have been going missing for the past few months.
Harvio is a small town, so to go missing like that was baffling. There wasn't just one either there were more cases. And most of them were from the west block.
Or, the slums as they'd call it. Where the lowest of the lowest resided. Most were orphans left behind either abandoned or parents too poor to raise them.
"Yes Mrs Moonstone, we'll be careful" George said with a smile.
"Alright you two, off you go now." She said and with that we left.
"What are your thoughts on what what mom warned us about?" I asked George curiously as we walked towards Mr Grison's house.
"Hm, the missing people cases you mean?" George replied as he placed his finger on his chin and had a perplex expression on his face.
"Yes, everyone seems to be on the edge because of it. Mom and Dad too." I said.
"It started a 5 months ago right. Wasn't it a miner? People thought it was a case of a miner getting lost in the mines but a body was never found. Then it was three more who started going missing."
"Most of them were from Harvio" I asked worriedly.
"Yes that's concerning in of itself. My aunt reminds me everyday that I should be careful." George said.
"How is she? You aunt." I asked hesitantly
George gave me a wryly smile after i asked him that. Maybe I shouldn't have him such a question. I mentally slapped myself for my insensitivity. I looked at George warily and awaited his answer.
"You know how it is. She's still the same. Just yesterday she started coughing out a lot of blood. But she's strong unlike me. It's very hard for me to look at her in that state she's all I have after all. She tends to look at me with that warm smile of her. I know she must be in a lot of pain."
I placed my hand on George's shoulder and in respond he gave me a defeated look along with a tired smile.
"Hey man, I know it's hard, if there's anything I can do for you" I told him that but at this rate all I can give him are my words. I feel helpless and I can't imagine how much worse George must be feeling right now too.
Like he said, she's his only family left. His parents died a long time ago in the mines. They had the same sickness his aunt had. The violent coughs, the bleeding eyes and ears.
Even after the medical experts say it's because of the mining. Most just call it the mine's curse.
Either way.
The sickness took away most of his family and now it's his aunt who's bearing the curse
"But your aunt barely stepped inside the mine"
"Yeah, that's why the doctors said she's just unlucky" George said with a defeated laugh. "Maybe when I get into the academy and become a city guard, I can finally get the funds for her healthcare. Even if there's no known cure, I still want to give her something."
"I see, if that's your goal. Knowing you I'm sure you'll achieve it" I tried to assure him the best I can but I was still sincere. I know George. He's one of the smartest people I know. The smartest of anyone around his age. He had a knack for figuring things out easily. He worked hard too and he always had an end goal.
Unlike me. All I ever do is day dream.
If you asked about my end goal.
I don't have any. Working in the farms is boring, but I'm content with it either way. I was pathetic like that.
"Cmon man don't give me that look" George said..
"What look?"
"That look like you're appraising me highly again and thinking of yourself beneath. You should stop that."
"Uh I.."
George slapped my back twice and put his arms around my shoulder like he was trying to strangle
"O-oow mother-fuc-.." with that he gave me another slap
"OOOWWW!!"
"Language" he said with a sly grin. I could only sigh in defeat.
"You're more amazing than I am you know that. You always tend to look at the bigger picture." He said.
"What do you mean?"? I asked curiously.
"I'm not that amazing. Unlike me, you're the one who's not willing to let yourself bound by anything... Or anyone. Now, I'm not saying I'm being bound by anyone. But it's just"
I hit his shoulder with my first and gave out a chuckle.
"Haha, it's alright man. I get it, I think."
With that I continued walking as I laughed more and more. George was always a straight forward guy, so his behaviour today was weird and I didn't want to make it awkward for him. I know he has his problems
I wanted to show him that I'm here for him.
"Hey Aexial" George spoke out behind me.
"Mhm yeah?" I answered as I turned around.
It happened all too fast.
Or should I say all too slow? I couldn't understand. Everything around me was being covered in a white light and my ears. Everything was slowing down. It felt like I was being dragged into a dream.
Or was this a nightmare?
My ears were starting to ring so badly. I wanted to cover them but my hands were weak. I couldn't move. No, the world around me moved instead. Everything was white and bright and my eyes were basking in the abnormal light.
To say everything hurt was an understatement. My whole body, rang in a terrible, terrible pain.
I was breathless, I was in a dazed and my head was hurting like a bitch.
I wanted it all to stop.
"You-.." a voice rang out. It felt distant. But it felt similar too.
"You should ..... And we'll.... See...again" the voice came again. It was nearer this time.
"Im sorry. I.....you and..." It came again. This time. It was very near too. But I couldn't tell who it was from or where the person is. But it felt familiar.
"Hey Aexial." I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar silhouette of someone. Their face was covered in the white light. But, they felt..they felt like someone I knew. Someone close. Someone. Just who..
"Who are you?" I spoke out. My head hurting only more as I did. "Shit" my head was having little to no mercy on me, the pain kept getting worse.
"It'll be fine." The person said.
"Wh-what th-.." it was hard to speak but I had to ask. "Wh-what... what the fuck are you talking about!?" I scream.
"Haha, still the same as ever. My old friend. You'll see, soon enough." The person said. Now why are you talking like that! Do I look like a wise old sage to you? How the hell was I suppose to interpret all that shit you just said?
"You'll see" they continued. I tried my hardest to catch a glimpse at the face of the person but all I could see was a sad smile. A smile that made my heart ache.
Why?
Why do I feel like this?
Why are you smiling like that?
Just who are you?
"I'm sorry, I couldn't..." The person words were starting to get weird. I can see them talking and moving their lips but trying to hear what they were trying to say was starting to get hard.
"Y-you couldn't what?" I asked desperately. Damn it this was all too much for me.
That person only gave me that same sad smile again.
Just why?
"You got this" the person said. Then everything went silent. They were starting to fade and becoming one with the whiteness. I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or not anymore.
This all felt way too real
I turned my gaze towards them as they started to fade and I saw their mouth moving again. But I couldn't hear anything. I tried my hardest to interpret what they were trying to say. I couldn't.
The only word I think I'm sure they said.
Was "..save"
Save who and why?
"AEXIAL" George voice rang out. He was standing inform me his hands on my shoulder. His face had a worried expression and he he was breathless.
"What happened?" I asked as I try to grasp what just happened.
I couldn't really remember anything.
"You fell into a daze. You wouldn't respond no matter how much I called. What happened man?"
"I-i don't know" I said as I winced and held my head because I was bombarded with the nastiest headache.
George gave me a worried look as he tried to make sense of what just happened to me. It was hard to remember, it happened too fast, but then again it felt like an eternity. All I can remember is that voice. That same familiar voice.
I tried to remember what the strange figure told me. But I couldn't. Maybe being stuck in Harvio all my life has finally made me insane. Or it could be from a concussion I could've gotten when that guard beat my ass earlier or was it the exhaustion from working in the farms.
Honestly I couldn't tell.
"You okay there? You sweating like crazing" He asked worriedly
"I-i I'm fine." I said with a wave.
"You're clearly not. We should get you home."
"No, let's continue walking" I said to George. I wasn't kidding around I really wanted to go and hear Mr Grison's stories again. I won't let some strange headache stop me.
"Persistant as ever" George said defeatedly. With that we started walking forward.
"If start acting like that again we're heading home man."
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just my exhaustion probably. I had a long day" i said trying to put his mind at peace.
"We're here" I declared as I stared at a rugged run down looking hut with a roof made of wood that looked like it could collapse any minute and a front door that was barely hanging on to the wooden frame with it's rusted hinges.
We entered the torn down house through the front door slowly making sure we'd not break the door as we tried to move it.
Inside there was around a dozen or so people mostly youngsters around my age seated quietly and there was Mr Grison on a wooden podium in front of everyone. He looked the same as always with his strange thick jacket covered in leaves and was a brown shade but it looked like it had seen better days. It had many pockets and they always seem to be filled with strange things he'd often take out and show us. Like this one time he took out a small cylindrical object which look like it had some transparent liquid inside.
"This is call a lighter and the ancient ones use this to light up many different things for example this" he said as he took out a his wooden pipe and lighted the tobacco inside by pressing the blue button of the 'Lighter' and then proceeds to inhale the smoke and puffed it out.
The responds of the spectators was a well timely uuuu sound.
He a long shite beard which was unkept and a worn out straw hat. A few of his teeth were missing and he had a large scar over his eye.
"Is everyone seated?" he asked.
With that me and George took and seat and as always he started with his story, of a world unlike this one.
"I see everyone is here" Grison said in his old croak voice.
"When I was young I saw, a world unlike this one. A world, where water flows between huge rocks called mountains. A world with a body of water call the ocean which is so vast the end cannot be seen. A land covered with endless trees. With strange plants that grow everywhere and even more stranger flowers. Where strange animals roam the land and swim inside the ocean."
"A world where the sun moves above our head, a warm and bright sun where it rises from the east and sets in the west. And when it sets a night sky occurs. A black sky which looks endless, a dark sky covered in billion and billion of tiny lights called 'The stars'"
At this point I was all ears. All I do was try to picture this amazing world that old man Grison was talking about. A world that I wish was in right now.
"Food and water is abundant. Meat, vegetables or fruits they can be found anywhere. The air is fresh and the grasses green. The sun is warm as it embraces you in its light. The nights are cool and long and full with sounds of nocturnal creatures. The rain comes with huge dark cotton looking like objects called rain clouds. On non rainy and sunny days they aren't as abundant or as dark and they roam freely in the blue sky without restriction, only being guided by the wind to a destination unknown."
I gripped my fist tightly with that sentence from Old man Grison. A pang of envy came onto my heart. I was envious of a cotton like object called a cloud because it had freedom to go anywhere. Only guided by the wind.
Unlike me. Stuck on this city, doing the same thing over and over again. I let out a chuckle because being jealous over such a thing was kind of stupid but I couldn't help it.
I continued listening to the old man and held my ears up keenly.
"I was young when I stumbled onto such a world, the memory is vague but I can't never forget it's beauty."
"No matter how many times you've told us this story I still find it to be full of crap" Said a young boy around nine years old. He was the son of Mr Branson near our own house.
Every visit after listening to the old man's story he would leave a snarky remark. it was annoying and it was getting old. But there was thing that hasn't change. It was the slap he'd get from his older brother Jacob who would sit besides him.
"Ow bro." he yelled in pain.
"I said stop that Cory, he's just saying a story." Jacob rebutted as his younger brother.
"C'mon bro. Do you really believe that nonsense he's saying? The only proof he has of going to such a world is that stupid thing he called a lighter. He could've made it himself for all we know. We all know, everyone in Harvio knows Old man Grison is just and insane old man who's just telling us fantasy stories."
Old man Grison had no expression in his face as he listen to the little kid. He just sat there, not moving an inch. I on the other hand was annoyed. But in the corner of my mind I know the kid was on to something.
Of course I tend to question the legitimacy of such a world. Such a world, a wonderful beautiful world where we could do anything and go anywhere.
Being stuck in Harvio all my life has made me think that only this one exist. Only Subterria exists. Where we are subjected to the same thing everyday. Where we are being watch over by a watchful eye. Where people with higher statuses bully the ones with lower standings. Where the lives of us on the lower levels are often taken for granted. To dream of such a world unlike this one is understandable.
And me? Well you can call me the biggest dreamer. That's why the kid's statement annoyed me. Not only was he being disrespectful he was also calling my dream a load of crap.
Even if the that world isn't real, I want to believe it's real . I want to believe that there is more than what we've been told.
And if such a world exist then I want to go there.
Jacob let out as he stared at his brother and the room was full of silence. Perhaps we were all thinking the same thing. Perhaps, we're all wired to do so.
If that's the case then I had a question. What made Mr Grison different? Why does he keep preaching about a world no one knows about or have even seen. What secrets is the old man hiding.
"HAHAHAHA youngsters these days" The old man suddenly started laughing catching us all by surprise. "You can choose to believe in anything you want. To believe that what I say is true or false it's all up to you. I want to share these stories with you because I believe that such a world exist. That is it." He said as he rub his dirty unkept beard with a pinch of laughter
Although I felt bad for the old man I couldn't help but smile. He was true to his own beliefs and that me admire him.
"OW OW BRO STOP THAT" Cory yelled as Jacob pulled his ears. Rightfully so I thought. George besides me starting chuckling and I raised my brow at him.
"Amusing sight as always." He said.
"Now, you young 'uns better start moving or your parents will get worried Old man Grison said as he took a puff of his pipe.
"Aw already over?" one kid said. "if Cory hadn't said all that we've could've gotten more" another declared. "Yeah you're right" Another said. Cory look at every one anxiously and he started sweating and his eyes was getting teary.
"That's enough. I would've stopped either way." The old man said. Even though Cory made the snarky remarks earlier he still defended him. The old man was like that. I knew it, even when people call him insane I know there's more to him.
"Now get out. I gotta go get my Beauty sleep hahahaha"
With that we all started to take our leave as we got up. I was full of excitement like usual and the old man's story made me feel like I had no worries.
"Hey guys!" I heard a voice came out.
"Hey Jacob!" George answered as said person was approaching us with his younger brother Cory who kept looking away.
Jacob and Cory Branson were red heads Jacob being around my age but had a bigger build that did. Cory too was a red head. But he was more scrawny looking than his older brother.
"Sorry about him. You know how he can be" Jacob said with an apologetic look on his face.
"It's alright this little bugger will grow up eventually one day." George said as he gave him a hard pat on the back. "geez that hurts Big brother George." Cory said as he tried to rub his back with his short hands.
Jacob laughed and agreed with George statement. He was fairer than his parents and had a sharp nose along with greenish eyes and he was taller than me. Well most people were taller than me. I was around 5'6" and George along with Jacob were around 6'.
Is it unfair? Of course it is. I grunted at my unfortunate predicament and faced my fate and accepted it.
"How's your Aunt?" Jacob asked George. George yet again gave a sadden look the moment he heard that. "Um maybe I shouldn't have asked that."
"No no, It's fine. Honestly I can't tell anymore. She's getting weaker by the day. I'm afraid that.."
Jacob stopped George before he could finish his sentence by placing his hand on his shoulder and gave him a smile. "I understand" he said with a hint of compassion "I can't offer you much, you know we don't really have that much. I can't even offer you words of kindness because I'm so bad at it. But if there's anything that only I can do. Don't forget to tell me."
George smiled back at Jacob and nodded his eyes looking teary. "Hey that's what I said. Are you stealing my thunder" I said jokingly to lighten to mood.
"Hm maybe I am" Jacob replied as h