A single step. Then another. He walked. He kept walking. And then he walked still more. Walking was wearying. And with every step, the pain that spread across his body reminded him of its presence. Only those who walked like him could understand this ridiculous pain. His muscles were aflame, tearing themselves apart as if to reduce the bones beneath into ash. And none of it was logical. His legs had reason to ache, sure. But his arms? And his chest? Why would his fingertips throb as if he had clenched his fists for years, clinging to life itself in fear of losing it? There was no sense to be found. That cursed pain… at times, he wished it would simply vanish long enough for him to miss it.
Lost in these thoughts, he flinched at a fresh stab of pain in his foot. He pulled it back slightly and reflexively grabbed the sore spot with his hand. He'd bumped into something while walking… again.
'A bone. A pretty long one.'
Of course, it was only a guess. It wasn't a certainty. He couldn't possibly know. Just like everything else he stumbled upon while walking, this too was nothing but a possibility. Just one of the endless possibilities, and another.
'But whose is it tho?'
He thought, as he crouched down to feel the obstacle with his hands. His palms ran over the rough surface of the bone, trying to sense… something. He didn't even remember what exactly he was trying to sense, but for some reason, he kept at it for a while.
'And someone went and left it here. How irresponsible!'
The bone was nearly as tall as he was, and thick as his torso. Which meant…
It was a damn fine bone. So why would anyone abandon such a fine bone in a place like this? This pit really must be full of idiots. Just like that thing last time. The one with horns on its head… a man? No, no, that wasn't it.
Wait a minute, what was that thing again? There was someone, who had even done… something recently… No. Nothing. He couldn't remember. Did such a person even exist? The thought seemed to stir some ancient fear within him, so he rejected it instantly. If they had existed, he would remember! What nonsense!
He narrowed his eyes, lifted his chin slightly, and cast a glance into the darkness. It was as if he were expecting to meet the gaze of someone lurking deep within. Then he shook himself, both mentally and in the literal sense, snapping back to his senses.
'These are trivial matters. Nothing can stop me from walking. No matter how awesome their bone is.'
Even if the determined expression on his face was hidden in the darkness of the pit, the undeniable resolve within him gave him strength. Another step forward meant another possibility. Another possibility meant another step... Every step was a masterpiece, and walking itself was the greatest miracle bestowed upon him. He took a deep breath and drew in the stinking air of this pit. He was completely ready to take the next step on this path where he moved forward without stopping. He lifted his foot and took a step-
He couldn't. A familiar pain stabbed his toe and made him jolt. Everything spun as his feet left the ground. In an instant, he found himself sitting on his ass, leaning back against the bone.
"BONE. Fucking bone! So you were still here, huh!"
What a terrible bone it was. It had no sense of reading the atmosphere. Why had it interfered with his determined stride? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he tilted his head slightly upward, a distant and foreign expression spread across his face. A gentle breeze brushed against him from afar, colliding with the storm of boundless waves in his mind. For a brief moment, he loosened the reins of the doubt rising within him and thought. Could it be…
'You… Is this really it? After all this time… After everything we went through in the past. So… so this is how it is, huh?'
And who was this person? Well that... the idiot who put his bone in his way, of course. The one with horns on his back. Yes. It had to be him. Rubbing the spot on his head where he'd hit it, he slowly stood back up. But why had he done such a thing?
"Isn't it obvious? He wants to stop me. He's jealous of my walk. Yes! He envies my walking. The bastard's even grown horns out of envy."
This was a game he'd come up with recently. It was basically played by asking "why?" about everything. Searching for meaning in what he experienced. Sometimes he came across unexpected problems like this while walking. Then he'd think about it and come up with possible reasons. Well, Most of the time the conclusion he reached had something to do with others envying his walk though.
It was a strange game. Even though it made him feel worse the more he played, he kept playing. It was addictive.
He pushed himself up with one hand against the bone and kept walking. And then walked some more. The rough surface beneath his bare feet had left him with scars—scars that never healed. Of course, he was proud of them. They were proof that, from the very moment he had found himself in this pit, he had never stopped walking. But they carried another meaning as well? What was it again. He tried to recall, yet focusing on anything other than walking while walking was hard. So he paused for a moment, standing still, and let his thoughts wander.
'What was their meaning? There was another one, wasn't there?'
He lingered, then suddenly stepped forward twice. One… Two…
'Perfect.'
He lowered his head and eyed the object lying just a span away from his toes. A bone.
"Fuck! You again!"
"Show yourself, you bastard! I'm sick of all these games of yours. You piece of shit. Do you think this is funny? Are you enjoying yourself, huh?"
The darkness gave no reply. A deathly silence seemed to blanket this corner of the pit. Nothing moved, and no light could be seen. Just the pit's usual self. The same as always.
But this time, something was different. A pair of eyes at his side shifted, as if unsettled by all the accusations. They were preparing to reveal themselves—but halted as the man's voice rose once again.
"And after everything, you still act like this. I thought we were friends," he said, a nervous tremor in his words. It was clear he was carefully choosing them. "We even… uh, what was it? We walked. Yeah, yeah, we must've walked."
The man holding the long bone lost his composure at those words. Strapped to his back was a hide, and fastened to that hide were bones of varying sizes.
'We really did walk. He hasn't forgotten! I knew I could trust him. At last, I have a friend. Yippee.'
While he was thinking, the man a little ahead of him kept talking.
As if something clicked, his voice brightened.
"Once we got away from that old hag, remember? The one that ate those fell from above. I can still see your horn flopping as you ran, hahaha! Afterward, you even told me some wise, badass line about horns."
'Did I really? Feels like… No, no. He said badass and wise. Yeah, I must've said it. Heh heh.'
"You really do remember me," he said, happily moving toward his friend. But right before showing himself, he froze. Doubt had taken hold. Squinting his eyes, he asked:
"Wait a minute. If you remember me, why haven't you said my name? Or are you only pretending to remember?"
"No, no, of course not. I'd never do such a thing. Of course I remember your name. How could I ever forget it? Names are very important. Yes, yes. Names are wonderful things. Every being should have at least one. Without a name, remembering becomes so hard, you know? You need to know! I even know some lovely names. Like Lalala. See? Such a beautiful name. So delightful to say. Come on, try it. It's really nice."
"Really? Lalalalalaa~ You're right, that is fun! But wait- no! I told you to say my name!"
'Fuck. What am I supposed to do now?'
Truth was, he'd been tense ever since the guy started coming closer. And why wouldn't he be? He was holding a bone like proof of his suspicions. He couldn't even see the guy's face—it was too far up, out of sight. At least four times his height. Which meant…
He couldn't see his face, damn it! What else was there to say?
'And my memory's shit anyway. How the hell am I supposed to remember this guy's name?'
The problem didn't end there. The man's body was huge, covered in thick, powerful muscles. Wrapped around him was a hide, and hanging from it were bones. He carried each bone, heavier than himself, with ease. The hide looked tough too. It probably belonged to some beast that had died recently. It covered his torso completely, leaving no weak spot exposed. Which meant…
The bastard didn't have horns! He couldn't see his back directly, but he knew if the horns he remembered were really there, the guy wouldn't be able to wear such a hide. The only thing he remembered about the man turned out to be a damn lie! His eyes darted around, desperate for a way out.
"Okay, okay, I'll say it. How could you think I don't know your name, my friend? I'm really hurt right now! Erm, so, horn-" His eyes shifted thoughtfully down to the man's hand. "Bones! Yes. Mr. Bone, long time no see, huh?"
In the silence that followed, he scratched his head with a nervous grin and waited. Then his eyes widened, and with a quick movement he leapt aside. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the spot where he had just been standing, split open by a bone as thick as his waist. Then, an angry voice boomed from above.
"You son of a bitch. So you've been lying from the start! You don't remember me at all."
He dodged again as another bone came flying his way.
"My name is Horns, got it? Look, I even have horns on my head!" The giant bent forward slightly, pointing aggressively at the protrusion on his head with his free hand.
'Are you fucking serious right now?'
"C-Come on man, don't do this, we can talk it out. And hey, Mister Bones is actually a pretty good name, you should think about it," he said, twisting his body and darting toward the side, avoiding where the bone was coming at him. "Besides, that's not even a horn on your head. Your skull is just a little crooked."
The giant suddenly froze.
"What the hell did you just say about my horns? My horns. My horns are magnificent, alright? Nobody talks about my horns like that. I'll kill you!"
The dim-witted giant was swinging the bone in wild arcs, thrashing around noisily, which was very bad. He pressed a hand to his chest and thought for a moment. Once he made up his mind, he suddenly started running.
*
He was out of breath, exhausted. Of course, these weren't new sensations. They were feelings anyone who walked knew well. His legs were burning. His arms ached from the shoulders all the way down to his fingertips. He stretched his hands and shook his arms. Did other ones feel arm pain too?
Lost in thought and staggering forward, he must have zoned out, because he didn't see the obstacle ahead and stubbed his foot on it... Again.
"BONE! You again, you bastard. You never fucking end, do you!"
But when his hand touched the object before him, his expression suddenly shifted. He slightly parted his lips and frowned.
'A rock? Just a rock?'
Actually, this wasn't anything unusual. On the rough ground of this pit, sights like this were common. What troubled him, however, was something else entirely.
'Why did I instantly think it was a bone? The moment I hit it, I yelled 'bone'. I was almost certain it was a bone?'
After a brief pause, he walked past the stone with a vacant expression. He took a deep breath and darted his eyes from side to side.
The pit was the same as always.
So dark that not even a memory of light remained.
So cold that the fire of love had never burned.
So desolate that the longing for "you" had wrapped itself around "me."
So wrong that...
How wrong?
So...
Never mind?
"Hmmm."
He listened carefully.
"Thump... Thump..."
He lowered his head and looked at the hand still resting on his chest. A sharp smile spread across his face.
"Ah man, I'm so hungry I could eat a heart right now."
"Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump."
His smile widened even further. He lifted his hand from his chest, tilted his head slightly, and waited.
"H-Hello. I'm just a heart. P-Please don't eat me."
"Tell me, little heart, where are my memories?"
"I-I don't know. Where's Mr. Horns? W-What did you do to him, you demon!"
'Ah, now I see.'
"Yes. It seems today, I will be eating a heart."
One Last Game: Chapter 31 - Edge Of Existence