Chapter Text
"Come on, that's all fairytale stories. It's not real, you know that."
I can help but frown upon hearing this.
"No, I know it's real. I've been there, the flowers I bring back just wilt..."
I reach into my pocket, attempting to take out crushed up remnants of what was once a pretty purple flower with a refreshing sort of smell, something you think people would make into perfumes.
"It's a Sumeru rose. That's what they're called!" I insist as I keep telling him about my adventures into this strange world one that's nothing like my own.
A sigh erupts from deep within my caretakers chest, and he waves a dismissive hand at me.
"Alright, alright."
My frown stays. He doesn't believe me. I know he doesn't. But I can't even show him how I go there, anytime I've tried to show him that sliver of purple and gold it disappears when we get close to my spot in the forest that spread across the edges of our home, we live in a quite rural area far from many other people so It's not like anyone else had found it apart from me...
Defeated I wander off shortly after the conversation ended with a heavy sigh of my own, leaving Jack to play around with whatever he was tinkering with. It doesn't seem like he noticed I left this time considering his rusty tool box was on the table in the way of most of his view, screwdrivers and the odd wrench bit sticking out of the comically large tool box, like something straight out of a cartoon.
"Take your knife if you're going out" Jack mutters having finally noticed I had opened the door of the kitchen to leave, finding my knife with very little trouble within the pile of scraps he's messing around with and holds it out to me so I can take it with me, how he finds anything in this mess is beyond me, regardless I take my knife and shove it into its respective sheath that Jack has made for me out of a Stanley knife sheath, it's mostly so I don't cut myself when looking for it in my satchel. the knife itself is custom made by Jack to my hand size which I'm thankful for when I want to take something home with me from the forest.
Jack always had to fidget with something. He believed in things he could see and touch with his own two hands. The type of guy that did not believe a soul until he had seen it with his own two eyes.
I sigh for the umpteenth, holding the literal ashes of my pretty flower as I make my way through the corridor leading to the front door to exit our house again. The door creaks and cracks as I move it, and it's hinges pull against the old wooden door frame. It looks like it's been millennia since anyone had cared for it.
I sit on the old (and mostly broken) wooden porch lacing up my boots once more. They're not completely caked in mud for a change since Jack washed most of the mud off them down last night before I could get into the house, making this process a lot smoother. Although it's still kind of difficult considering all the mud drying out on the laces themselves making them stiff as hell, that's why I leave them on the porch. Jack hates cleaning up mud.
I get back up on my feet, smiling when I'm satisfied with the tight and secure tie on my boots. These babies are never going to come off, Jack helped me with that skill. I look back at the old and unmanaged house with a melancholy feeling within my chest, as if I'm never coming back here. Why do I feel like that? I quickly shrug that feeling away and continue on my merry way to my escape from my world.
I take a deep breath, smelling the scent of the slightly wet wood and pine. The fresh cool breeze against my face and neck, making me shiver a little as my hair lightly moves with the wind.
The grass is still sort of wet, making it somewhat muddy but far from what last nights rain did to my skin and boots, I think Jack might have actually burst a blood vessel at my muddy state but he didn't really say much helping me not make too much of a mess and letting me wash off the mud while he took the hose to my boots, he was irritated but he didn't take it out on me that' something I can say I like about Jack he's a good caretaker. I blink a few times to keep my head on my shoulders focusing more on my surroundings, today It's a cloudy day with sun breaking through the clouds every once in a while. The birds chirp quietly as I look around at the vast pines around me before my eyes land on it.
A weird looking slice of reality suspended in thin air it gives off a purple and blue hue and looks like its edges are rimmed in gold. It lets in a different scent than the forest I'm used to in this world, but I recognize it. My escape, I take a peak at the slice it looks familiar at least over been there before. The slice reveals a path filled to the brim with trees moss and vines dangling from every corner.
"Finally, I was wondering where you went."
I whisper to myself poking at the strange slice, smiling as it wobbles and ripples at my slight touch. Once I've built enough courage, I put my hand through it first, then my arm, after that its just a matter of actually venturing through, I never actually know where I'm going to end up but the few times I've done this it's always been the same sort of area, it's relatively safe I've found bar the few mushrooms that I've found out are actually alive that scared me the first time, most of them will just leave me be some however, they want to fight you.
Upon seeing the bright forest and its strange flowers again sent ease through my heart and body, as if I'd just returned home. This is close to where I picked up that 'Sumeru Rose' as a local called it, I still don't remember what his name was, however I do remember his very real looking fluffy ears and tail. Those features took me a long time to adjust to without staring at them constantly, he would get all worked up over it because it was his normal. I giggle remembering those first few times seeing my friend I hope to see him again, but the chances of that are slim especially here where time seems to move differently.
[Time skip]
I have been adventuring through the colourful forest for quite the while now sitting down every now and then for breaks admiring the pretty flowers and other fauna alike, poking and prodding at the glowing grass and the small firefly like creatures that roam free. I find this forest so interesting, I wish this was where I lived all the time instead of within the dullness of my own world. it makes me wonder how this whole place became so, well, bright I would ask him if I could but I haven't seen my friend whatsoever which is odd, thinking about that reminds me I haven't seen him in a while. I frown feeling my chest grow heavy at the thought of this.
I sigh once again shaking my head a little to attempt to forget about who I was thinking about figuring I should probably get back. Jack will scold me if I don't.
"Alright, time to head back." Remembering to pick a flower and bring it with me, but I fail to notice a small pair of gradient green brown eyes and twitching ears watching me as I run back towards the portal again.
this side shines through with a weird silver edge and dark green hue emitting from it preparing myself to go through the portal before a hand stops me from walking any further towards it making me panic slightly whipping my head around in fear of whatever the hell just grabbed me. Once my eyes land on his familiar features I breathe out a sigh of relief...
"Jesus fucking Christ you scared me man" I laugh slightly, shaking my head in response catching the breath that I lost to the scare.
"You're not THAT easily scared are you?" he tilts his head slightly, raising his brows as his ear twitches just a little bit as if trying to ignore a bunch of small sounds at once.
"Not usually but you have a skill of scaring the living shit out of me, asshole" I lightly nudge him causing him to let go of my arm, he seems to be taking it well this time just huffing out a small laugh, rather than the first times we met he didn't seem to understand my humor taking the things I said quite literally, took me a few times of explaining that is just the normal humor back where I'm from.
"Well if you didn't stomp around like a Sumpter beast, I wouldn't have snuck up on you and scared you so bad" My friend laughs enough to make his shoulders shake slightly.
I give him the biggest eyeroll possible which only made his shit eating grin wider before calming down slightly and actually getting to his point.
"Anyways, are you heading out already? I was gonna see if you wanted to look at some fauna with me" He gestures over his shoulder with his thumb.
"I gotta go back as much as I'd love to stay longer I can't, It's getting darker out there already. I'm sorry, but I'll be back before you know it" I frown a little at my own statement and he simply nods holding his own small frown that he's trying to hide from me.
"It's okay, next time, yes?" His voice give away that he's a little sad about me having to go but he knows why I have to leave.
"Definitely" I nod and smile as he steps back a little his ears drooping slightly in the process no matter how much he tries to hide it, waiting me go through the portal on my own.
I hesitate as I turn around before going back to him and giving him a small hug, I've wanted to do this for a while but I felt like it would have been taken badly since I've never known him to be the touchy type. However, to my surprise he hugs me back softly staying like that for a few moments before pulling back, I smile at him, he returns it and then I turn away walking towards the slice pushing my hand through first, I look back one final time waving with my other arm before venturing through the slice again, smelling the deep scent of the damp pines once again, traversing through the forest back to my home.
'It's getting dark lucky I made my way back now or I'd be lost,'
I unlace my boots, putting them back on their respectable place on the porch, feeling my knees pop as I get up and stretch a bit before opening the door to my home.
"Jack, I'm back." I announce my entrance home feeling the wooden floors creak as I walk down the hallway beneath my feet before the sound reaches my ears. A small hum emits from the garage that's Jack acknowledging I'm alive and well.
"Thought you got lost or something kid, be careful out in those woods, (name)" his voice is rough as if he hasn't spoken in a few hours
He notices the time and warns like he always does. He does it because he cares.
"Yes, yes, I know Jack." I nod knowing what he'd say next about safety, I plop down on the couch feeling myself grow more tired yawning in the process.
I finally end up lying down a sigh of relief escaping me when I relax into the worn couch cushions, as much as I love exploring that forest and the amazing world within that slice in reality, I'm well tired and I know it. I slowly fall asleep to the repetitive sound of Jack tinkering with his little gadgets. The constant distant tinks and clicks are soft enough to help me fall asleep easier. The quiet has always unnerved me a bit Jack caught onto this quirk of mine a while ago and lets me fall asleep on the couch smoe nights.
Sleep starts to set in once I focus on the soft sounds from the garage, my body relaxes more and more until I finally fall into the peaceful bliss of sleep.
I woke up in my own bed the next day, the sun peaking in through my curtains to as if to greet me. I was tired, huh? Getting up, I make sure to grab my satchel so I don't forget about it later then I make my way through the house, the floor boards once again creak almost in defiance when I walk along them to the kitchen where Jack has left some food out for me that I absolutely demolish. He seems to have left for work already, which is fine. I'm not bothered. This is a routine I've become accustomed to and besides I'm nearly 18, after all, it's not like I'm a total child.
I go about my usual day, playing around with my own stuff, mostly just crafting things like origami animals with help from an old book I found in a charity shop, I have my windowsill dedicated to housing the fragile creations I make. Eventually finding that rose dead in my pocket again and sighing, there's always next time right?. After a while I get bored of that start tinkering with what Jack has been looking at, I'm not exactly sure what it is but it looks kind of like a puzzle box? whatever is in the small box rattles around inside it, this captures my attention for a while. The typical stuff I do before he comes home and I can leave the house.
He doesn't like leaving this old ass house without someone in it because, again it's old and someone might try break in, considering how ancient some of the locks look, it wouldn't be hard to break through, though even if they do Jack has taught me a bunch of self defense and I know where his knives are and where my own is. I smile, thinking to myself, tapping my little satchel, I always have it on me. No questions asked.
Jack eventually comes home, and we do our usual greetings, dancing around different subjects and bickering a little whilst we eat. It's become part of a routine for us, mundane but a routine nonetheless.
The time comes when I go out and venture into that world again, I say my goodbyes to jack receiving the usual 'be safe' in response, once again lacing my boots up nice and tight, making sure my knife is on me and making my way down the same twisty track as usual. It's drier today since it hasn't rained in about two days ago that made my trip a lot easier.
Finally, I make it to the spot where it usually sits suspended in the air, looking around me to see where the slice is. I frown, unable to see it.
Am I in the wrong place? Surely not I come here every day. Maybe I'll walk around more?
I do just that, walking around the area checking if it's just in a different spot.
"Where is it? It can't be gone, can it?"
I mumble to myself as the panic slowly sets in, looking over and under everything I can find.
"No, please, it can't be gone."
My heart breaks upon this realization. It's really gone. My only escape. Gone. What about my friend? Am I never going to see him again? I promised I'd come back again.
Questions race through my head, but the hours have escaped me, and the sun is starting to set. I have to head back. Defeated I make my way back to my home.
And life goes on like that every day. I'm looking for that weird ripple in reality, thinking maybe Jack was right and I was dreaming or imagining these things?
But his ears and tail felt so real, his hands and the warmth that radiated off him the last time we hugged it was all so real to me...
I realize that I may never get that back. I fall to my knees as I start to cry.
This becomes my new routine trying to figure out WHERE the slice went and more importantly WHY it disappeared in the first place, every single search becomes more mundane than the last, spending less and less time in that forest trying to find my freedom. The seemingly endless trees lining the walls that encase me almost feel like a goddamn prison.
After weeks have past, I grow tired of being disappointed by that ripple in reality and the lack of the other world. It just.. Isn't there anymore as if it never existed in the first place.
"One more time... Then I'll stop looking" I say once again to myself as if I didn't say that for the last 3 days
However this time feels different, I have no will to keep searching the way I have been this past while. I want those things I had before but my determination is slipping. I lace up my boots, put on my satchel and get up once again to venture back into the forest. Although this time I walk slowly not with as much urgency as before, I take in my surroundings once again continuing to look as I have but slower, almost like I don't want to reach my destination.
In some ways I suppose this is true. On the other hand, I can't keep searching forever.
I reach my destination after some time, It's quiet. I listen out for that faint sound from the slice but nothing once again. I listen for any sign of life, birds, the wind, water rushing from somewhere but I hear nothing but eerie silence. I find a place to sit around where the portal would have been and simply stare at my surroundings, feeling my chest grow heavier and heavier as if there was 30 bricks being pushed onto my chest, breaking my ribs, stabbing at my heart.
the minutes turn into hours faster than I'd have liked it to, I know in my heart I won't come back here searching again. As the sun threatens to set on the horizon, I get up and stand there for a moment hoping that SOMETHING, ANYTHING would happen and it never does
As the reality of the situation catches up to me, my tears fall from my eyes faster than I can stop them not that anyone could see or hear me anyways
"I'm so sorry, I said I'd come back but I can't" My voice cracks and shakes when I whisper out these words as if he could hear me
I want that slice in reality back, I want to be able to explore that world again.
I start to sob harder the thought breaking my own heart piece by piece.
I want to see my friend again, I want him back.