exclaim This story and its character are Copyright Robin Cramer 2006 exclaim
Chapter One: Dreamland
Upon opening her eyes, it was made quite clear to Asawa that she was longer in her house. Her comfortable futon bed had been replaced by the forest floor; her quilt was now only the soft tickling caress of the grass and where she once lay in her room was now a small circular opening in the middle of the vast, lush evergreen forest. Though this land was silent, almost eerily so. She had no words, not even any thoughts to describe the place she seemed to fall into. Try as she might to explain her surroundings or how she could have ended up in the middle of this forest clearing, nothing came to mind.
Her legs trembled uneasily as she stood, noticing that she was still in her nightgown that was the least of her confusions. Asawa’s focus went to and fro as she started up at the clear blue sky and the very tips of the trees; so high she felt dizzy looking at them for too long. Taking a moment to process everything further, she turned slowly on her heels; a smiled forming on her face, taking in all that was around her. The dense forest with its patchwork sunny spots dancing along the blades of grass, much like wind rippled on the surface of the water. The splashes of clustered flowers scattered as far as she could see. The sky was endlessly blue and all the grass and trees and shrubs were flawless in their appearance.
Where at first Asawa thought to herself frantically, what is this place…she found herself no longer caring. How could she bring herself to worry when everything for miles around her was so beautiful? Not even the lingering silence concerned her any more. The only thought that now crossed her mind was that she wanted to know more about this strange forest, and how far this indescribable brilliance trailed to, or if it even ended it all.
Asawa found herself walking, but with no particular at heart, she just kept on and her sights continued to fall on the wonders around it. The further she ventured into the forest the more breath taking it became. As she discovered an obscure, ancient burial shrine. On the small plaque that lay in front of a Maneki Neko statue was the name, Tetsuya ‘Atlas’ Kendo. She recognized it as being Japanese at first glance, but what through her off was the fact that the name in the middle was that of a Greek god. Not thinking much more on it, she pressed on once again, deeper into the thick of the woods, yet another amazement caught her off guard- this one in the form of a living creature. Noticing it, only as it darted across her path. The thought of something else that was alive in this mystical place other than herself, and the vegetation spiked her curiousity. With a subtle intake of breath, she lowered herself to the forest floor, the blades of green tickling her hands as she crawled ever closer to where the creature had gone. Then, as if she kneeling down was the creature’s cue to show itself it cautiously stepped forth from the bush it had jumped behind…
Glowing silver eyes met with Asawa’s own amber ones, and its tail swished anxiously as it walked slowly towards her. Asawa’s heart had stopped for a second before it sped up, watching intently as the creature examined her. It, as was still a surprise to her, was like nothing she had ever seen in her life. The stature of a large domestic cat, with bat-like torn wings and a indigo flame flickering at the end of its tail. Its fur-like coat seemed to shimmer different hues in the changing upon light or shadow. When surrounded by darkness, it disappeared completely other than its flame and silver stare. But when in the sunlight it glowed with the same platinum sheen and the rays of light did themselves, only differing in the creature’s pale blue undertone its fur seemed to have permanently.
Sitting now, Asawa cautiously stretched out a hand to the strange animal in hopes that the animal would only catch her scent and be pleased with it- and her hopes seemed to bend with this new reality; the creature stepped forward, took a single quick sniff of her hand then affectionately rubbed against it. She let out a smile at meeting this new companion, and still with slight hesitation stroked the bizarre feline’s back.
Asawa stood slowly and looked down at the animal she could only think to identify as a cat, she wished it’d follow. Not wanting to abandon it, but still wanting to see what else the forest held in store. It too looked up at her, with another gesture rubbed against her legs. She felt a tingling worth spread through her body, and knelt down to meet its level once last time. This final act would decide weather or not the creature would want to follow her or not.
“If you come with me, I have to give you a name…” She paused and held back a chuckle as it seemed to c**k its head in a curious manner, “…that means you’ll no longer be a wild cat…being anymore.”
It seemed to understand the situation better than Asawa herself did, as it sat on the grass proudly, and showed her its hardly noticeable collar- on which a name was already engraved, Hades. Asawa blinked, the name much like the one before she had noticed seemed to have an unfamiliar significance behind it. But she’d question it on further and when she left to explore the forest, Hades followed…
exclaim This story and its character are Copyright Robin Cramer 2006 exclaim
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