• Chapter 1
    I stumbled into the afternoon in the crisp cold air. My mouth was cold and dry from the journey to the creek and back home. I could see my cottage on the horizon now. My leather strap shoes squawked over tree roots, ditches, and rock paths. The trees around me seem to bend, as if it’s going to snap. Leaves behind me crunched. Instinctively I tightened my grip around my dagger Slick.
    Hello Sirce. Long time no see.
    “It’s only been one─” I turned around seeing only the trees and leaves to the twilight. I swallowed, “Curt?”
    No answer.
    I shrugged then turned around, and continued home. Who said my name? What was following me? Questions kept popping in my head for that encounter with it. I finally reached my cottage farm in the clearing.
    The tall grass around me started to grab me, as if wanting to come out of the ground. I stopped. I couldn’t move forward. I could feel the grass wrapping my legs together, squeezing my hands cutting off my movement. I panicked. My sensation went crazy with fright and panic. I squirmed but never budged. More grass came from the ground grabbing me, with a sickening crunch. I saw my dad come from the barn. He saw me, and started to run.
    “Dad!” I yelled. This never happened before because the grass is always friendly. I couldn’t breathe now. The last of I remembered, was that I fainted.
    • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
    “Damn grass.” I heard my father mumble. “They think everything is their enemy now, these days. Wants to destroy everything in its path.”
    I moaned in agony. I could only move my upper body. My father was a grief old man. He got very sick from his journey to Castle Verdinberge. He won’t tell anybody what happened with his boxy mouth. But he will tell you in his red fire colored eyes. He will show how bad it was in those eyes. You could tell and feel how it was like on his journey. His cheeks seem to twitch in pain when he sneezes or coughs. His nose is crooked to the right, and always cherry red in cold nights.
    “I would take a good look at yourself if I were you.” He sighed. “Craziest sh─”
    “Harold, can you come clean up the trash for me.” My mother interrupted.
    My father sighed. “I’ll be back.” He then struggled to get up, and left the room grumbling about cleaning.
    My body ached when I sat up. “Whoa. That is… crazy.” I whispered, looking for the right word. My legs were red, stitched, cleaned up but ugly. Grass marks were engraved on my leg spelling You. Blood was still on the mark. But still, why would grass marks engrave “You” on to my leg.
    My father finally came back, chuckling. “Well Sirce, no need to throw the trash out. The grass eats all up like it’s an ‘enemy’ running through!” He laughed nervously.
    “That’s great father, the stupid grass eats me up like I’m an ‘enemy’ walking through!” I rolled my eyes sarcastically. I locked my eyes on my father. “But, why did the grass tried to kill me? You love hunting, and how do you get through the grass to get me when I was getting attacked, and─”
    “Good god, Sirce, calm down!” He interrupted. I found out I was talking fast. “I know you have so many questions, in confusion but, I can only say one thing.” With a big sigh, he said, “I’ll have to disappear to show you.”
    I laughed a little. “You’re joking.”
    “Here, lie down. I will show you in my memory.”
    My dad had put his finger on my forehead. My eyes became heavy, I closed my eyes.
    In his memory was very inhuman.
    “Where should I put him, my lord?” A deep ape- like voice boomed. I opened my eyes. It was a clear crystal room with gold pillars on either side. The floor glowed with diamond fragments. Two ape creatures was holding a man in shackles. He was thin and hungry. It was my dad.
    “Put him on the wall over there,” the ape pointed at the first pillar on the right, with hooks on it, “that will start his consequence, for breaking into my palace. The man sitting in the bamboo chair was big. His black hair glistened with crystals. His eyes were as blue as blue can get. He looked as strong as thirteen apes combined. “How dare you break in to my─?”
    The giant bamboo door creaked open. “My lord.” An ape came in, holding bamboo battle armor on his arm. He knelt down on one knee, then spoke, “Your vessel waits.”
    “Thank you Vernondan, Is your poison ready?” That scared me. Poison for what?
    Vernondan scratched his eye, as if hiding a terrible experience. His eye was badly burned green. “No. But it’s almost ready.” A smile flashed across his eyes.
    Then I woke up.
    • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
    I was in a shed that was behind my cottage. It was late in the evening. Crickets chirped their melody’s in harmony. The shed was built by my father. Cutting tools hung on the wall rusted in many uses. Hay was stacked in a pile that I was laying on. Light shined faintly in the night. Horse hooves were heard in front of the shed. My mother came in with her brown Clydesdale, Porkskin.
    “Afternoon son.” She was in her work clothes, as always, her silk robe was slung over her shoulders. She was wearing her peacock skirt. A really weird way to wear work clothes when cleaning.
    “How long have I been out?” I mumbled. My body ached in stiffness. Sure enough, my close encounter to death mark was still there, except it faded.
    “Oh, two days at most.” She got off Porkskin and walked over to the left wall and put down her cutting knife. She turned to me. Her blue eyes started to sparkle. Her smile came to me saying, “Dinners ready.” She picked up her cleaning cloth and walked out.
    “I’ll be there.” I called out to her. I struggled to get up.
    I stood there stretching getting all my tiredness out of me. “Hey, Porkskin.” I called, walking over to him. His muscles bulged with strength under his brown skin coat. He was a full-grown Clydesdale. He can run full speed for days. I lifted his hooves taking off his shoes. When I meant shoes, I meant leather gloves under his hooves. “That a boy.” I stroked his mane. I pushed him, literally, over to his water bowl and hay stack. “Don’t get fat.” I walked out of the shed to have some dinner late in the evening.
    mrgreen