He entered the shrine and examined the plaque. It said something about paranoia, and some other stuff he couldn’t read. That was alright, but he wondered what the project was for. And suddenly she appeared and gave him a bag. He looked inside it wondering if this was yet another blessing. He always felt better, stronger after those. It was why he came back to the shrine again and again. There was something he needed here.
He opened the bag do find… nothing inside. He stared in confused and then up at her. Oh and error? She would still give it to him? He didn’t mind helping. He simply smiled at her. “Of course I will help.” He took the scissors. She needed a heart? He would bring her the heart then. Who was they? They didn’t make it? He wondered why they hadn’t. Maybe they were part of the fog, in the memories when he was first born. He shook the thought. No, that wasn’t right.
He stepped through the opening and then stared at the doors. The first was friendly, the second seemed like a maze and the final, it seemed menacing. He didn't like the final one. He choose the first one. It seemed more familiar, more like the friends he had met and made in the world.
What was behind the pumpkin door?
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:07 pm
This place was familiar. The voices, ones he could barely distinguish spoke in the distance. As he walked he found himself smiling. Maybe the goddess had sent him here for a reason.
The door shutting made him jump, and he turned to stare at it, wondering why it had closed. Something felt off, but he couldn’t place what. But the pumpkins, they called and lead him down a path. He followed staring at the different faces.
Was that a gravestone? Maybe it would be better not to disturb the sleeper, but then he heard something. Thump thump. He read the name on it… Laura… he couldn’t recognize it very well. But he had a familiar vision of burning fire and lovely horns. Silky hair that was easy to clasp on to and wings that were comfortable to lean into.
He leaned down, wondering, brushing away the flowers. It was glowing orange. He did his work carefully, though the final result was sloppier than he wanted. As he removed it, it stopped, but he didn’t stop from putting the heart in his bag. The rest was unneeded after all.
But holding the heart played something, a soft cooing, a voice that spoke comforting words as he clung to cloths and gold. It was warm, comestible, a memory he wanted to keep. It reminded him of home. It felt like something he had been searching for all along.
He tried to ignore it but… the water. A sudden memory told him the water was bad. He shouldn’t be in it. But it was a bit late it was almost to his neck. A moment of panic seized him. And the voice came again.
“Give?” he turned and saw her standing above him. Something wasn’t right, the fire from his memory was almost non-existent. She shouldn’t get that wet he realized. “No wait… no…” a word played across his lips. He knew her. Suddenly hands grasped his neck. “No, stop.” He would give it back. Why had he taken it? Why… she didn’t make it. She stared at him from across the room. He knew he was in trouble before he even walked in the door that day. He had been out far too late and the pumpkin sun had set, leaving the pumpkin moon hanging in the sky. It had been fun, he had gone out with a couple friend to search for fire fluorescents in the pool up the mountain, but in the process he had disobeyed. His mother stared him down and then looked away not even saying a word, but he knew. His mummy had been clearing the table at the time but a single cast look let him know he would receive no comfort from her. Nor any dinner it seemed.
"Mother.”
“You know what you did.” and he did. But still it was so painful. No violence was necessary to make him feel completely alone. No amount of whining budged her. He wound up finally just going to bed.
“Give me back my heart."
.”I…” he couldn’t. He could only struggle as she pushed him into the water. This was all wrong, she knew what water did. He was forbidden from even getting near the water. His vision got fuzzy as he swore he felt himself starting to overheat. Maybe he deserved it… he had stolen her heart after all.
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:30 pm
No, he didn't want to die. He couldn't. He didn't have a choice... he realized he did still have a weapon.
With a sudden burst of strength he plunged it into her chest. and the world righted it's self.
"No." he murmured. "Please, Noo. noo." his shoulders shook but no tears feel. he was cold, too cold. coughing he cleared out the water, feeling as if a part of himself was gone... dead. Something that should have warmed him and made it better.
"Mom...." when he became a goddess... he would have to. He would have to right this somehow. ReDawn climbed to his feet. Light poured in, the exit.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered to the figure... and left.
Eat or be eaten?” he frowned a bit, but that seemed right. He had been killing the little monsters for some time. Still, it was the goddess’s wish. He took the dagger looking it over and feeling it in his hands. “I will be stronger.” He made it that simple. He didn’t want to die. He would have to go and defeat whoever was necessary. But the goddess’s words made him shiver a little. Who would he meet along the way?
She was watching… waiting for him to show her his strength. He straightened his shoulders a little.
He woke up cold. It was particularly uncomfortable, but he really didn’t remember falling asleep. He was alone, without the safety of others. Though he wondered if others really made him safer at all, the goddess’s words still followed him. The room was unfamiliar, and he got up walking out, searching for someone. The sound of a slamming door made him jump but when he turned around… “what?” it was still open but… the bed was gone. “How?” the light bothered his eyes but he went the only direction he could… out into the halls.
Something about this place bothered him. It wasn’t right. He wanted out of there, but he didn’t see any other doors, nor any windows. Another thud followed but another….
Someone was there. And then it was far too close. He screamed and stepped back trying to get away. In one of its hands there was a pair of rusted scissors… why did those feel familiar?
It started speaking. "You were always worthless, you never listened to anything I ever told you. You would climb right out the window some nights just to go play with your friends, even though you knew you weren't supposed to."
It was getting closer and he tried to shove the doors down. It did little to help the situation.
He was outside, but he wasn't free. He glanced behind himself.... "Holy balls of fire!" it was still far too close to his liking.
"You'll be giving me my heart back... or I could just take yours. You don't need it anyway, do you? you should never have taken mine from me."
He raced down to the end of the trees, panting. This wasn't going well at all.
He tried to cross the bridge, too fast. He foot fell an got caught. A single tug was all he could afford to know it was caught and he wasn't getting it out. All he had was the rusted dagger... but he was not letting that thing catch him.
He took it and gritted his teeth. His will wasn't enough and it was left dangling, the grey wisps running off it.
"You better hurry." the voice behind him said, much closer.
Another attempt cleared through the rest of his leg and he saved himself stumbling forward. He would do anything if it meant saving his own heart. The foot was already returning, but not fast enough.
He reached the end, a rickety haunted house. He stupidly looked behind himself again. You look behind you:
They are still steadily following you.
He was at a dead end… but the goddess spoke, words of encouragement. She was right it had to be now. It was glowing red, and he took both hands to it, giving himself all he could. “I don’t want to die.”
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:00 pm
“Don’t worry.” She whispered. “It only hurts once.” scissors found his heart before he could meet his mark. What had he expected? She had always been stronger than him… and always would be it seemed.
He blacked out only to wake up on the ground with her over him. In two snips it was over. He faded out, cursing himself for not being stronger. He should have won… but the odds were stacked against him. It hurt. Everything hurt… the world faded from greys to black as struggles with the realization that he had lost.
Even as he faded he didn’t want to lose. He fought against the moment with everything but darkness overwhelmed.
“My pumkpin, don’t be afraid… she isn’t that mad. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.” He leaned into a soft warm embrace fingers moving through his hair, circling his horns. “I know sometimes she gets angry and frustrated, but it’s because she loves you. Just as I do. If it ever comes to it, she will protect you.”
In the moment he believed the voice whole heartedly, but now he couldn’t, not after what just happened. How could he trust anyone again. The sweet voice, the world, they were all against him. He was left alone in the world. He wanted the warmth and the fire, but he could only feel the cold seeping into his very being. He was the only one who could save himself. He had to get stronger.
"Your memories." The goddess whispers it in your ear. "What are those memories you have experienced? When you have found them, you will return greater than you currently are"
He wanted to be greater. Was it possible for him to become greater? The shrine called him and he followed.
"Yet, you are still so little."
“Little?” he frowned at the very thought. It bothered him, he wasn’t that little. He had grown stronger, fought the monsters and looted them building himself guns, guns that let him shoot his enemies at will. But this goddess, she was… the nicest of them. She offered cookies. “Thankyou.” He took one, nibbling on it. The cookie would help him grow right? Besides, they seemed to calm him down. There was something pleasurable about munching on a cookie.
She asked him if he loved her. He wasn’t sure about love… but cookies… he nodded. He would love her most out of the goddesses. Besides, her aura matched his. They were the same, right? They would… experience love? He nodded, he did need to learn more about this love emotion. He was one, even his shaky memories couldn’t seem to explain… a face came to his mind and he shook himself. He didn’t know what a tea part was, but he would participate. Parties were… good things right?
A gate appeared and the goddess beckoned him. He smiled at her and walked through with little prompting. This would make him stronger right?
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:35 pm
He stepped in, and what was that white stuff? It was solid… and the music was soothing. He stepped forward and heard a crunch. A small part of him screamed to get out of there, that the stuff was dangerous. But the feelings he felt from them was nostalgia and contentment. There were two jars in front of him, one was happy, but the other one felt more right, a small sense of sadness, of longing, of waiting, and of searching. He picked the blue jar.
He read the tag… and frowned. Drink me? He stared at the drink… but this was the goddess’s tag. Still there was a long moment of pause, as if he had to figure out how to do just that. He simply didn’t remember how. Unlike remembering how to eat and how to walk. It was hard to just… drink it. Once he realized he had to put it to his lips… a little like eating a cookie he managed, drinking it all.
He felt the effects… feeling like, he was forgetting something. He had that feeling before but now it was stronger. What was it? What was it he was forgetting? He shook himself trying to remember, to draw the memory out. The table spun… and he looked at it, the cupcakes… and the candy. And the chocolate! Was it smoking? Fire! He felt a heat in his stomach, perhaps only a memory but excitement. He took the chocolate without thinking, forgetting entirely that fire was not necessarily a good thing.
Immediately he decided he didn’t like it. His heart felt heavy. Was this love? He really didn’t like it. He squirmed a moment trying to shake the feeling off. He felt a need to maybe drink something, to wash it down… but nothing looked good. The blue the worst, with its… questionable contents. The grey cup was smoking… but smoke felt familiar still, he wanted to be comforted by it, to feel the flames lick his skin. He once again took the grey.
A fox stood by, talking with a blue haired Ghoul. She smiled at him and walked with simple pleasure but he… he came closer and she shied away. He felt an urge to reach a hand out, to talk to her to say something but was met with the cold stare of the fox… and she… stared past him. Behind him. He glanced back and saw fire, his own fire. “It’s alright.” He tried to explain to her, and she looked a bit more relaxed but, when he stepped closer she stepped back.
The fox stared at him and he backed up, unconsciously knowing he couldn’t touch her. He shouldn’t be here. “I…” he didn’t know what to say. There wasn’t really much to say. She stared at him with wide owl eyes, staring but the frightened look from before didn’t leave his mind. Why was this fox allowed by her when he was not? It was… it was the fire, his very self. He could not pass that barrier.
Redawn frowned with the knowledge that somehow, this memory was his. Was she… no he had met her! He knew she was here, he had to go find her. Was she the thing he was searching for? She must be. He didn’t understand why here, nor why love hurt so much.
Suddenly he woke from his memory and looked at his hands, holding a teapot. A note was attached to it, his treasured memories? Share? It hurt… He didn’t want anyone to know. Or did he? Had the goddess been sharing their memories? He had experienced a few that were not his own and they, helped him with his own. Or were they his own memories. She said this was a treasured memory… then why did it hurt? He wanted… he wanted to have. That was it, he wanted the other memories, but he would have to share first it seemed.
He read more… realizing… this was his treasured memory. He needed it to become a goddess. And theirs, he looked at all the cups and set his own on the table, letting it go.
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