I won't be updating this regularly because I've got a lot too do. But here's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 1: The Mountains
David pressed his back to the tree.
He took in air quietly as he looked out the corner of his eye.
The beast was heading toward him.
He readied his legs, strengthening his stance and pushing against the tree with his hands. He stopped breathing and relaxed his body. The beast was headed toward him and there was nowhere to run.
Nowhere.
David collided with his dad’s chest as he gave him a hug. His mom was next and he held her tight.
He took it all in, all over again. The oaky scent wafting through the halls, the bright colors painted on every wall to make you feel at welcome, and the caring parents he’d have to say goodbye to for a while. He was taking it all back in—
Before he left.
He let go of his mom and bent down to give his little sister a hug. He was leaving again and he wanted them all to know he loved them. He squeezed his little sister so tight and felt a tear trickle down his cheek.
“I love you and I’ll miss you.” He gripped her shoulders and looked at her face. She smiled and they hugged again.
A orange dog pushed up against him as he let go of his sister. He looked at Growlithe and smiled. He clenched her fur in his hands and hugged her too. He was going to miss them.
He stood up to say goodbye one last time, then he walked out the door, turning his head to look back again. He could see his dad’s Growlithe standing at the doorway, wagging her tail and whimpering. It was sad to say goodbye to them.
They all watched as he walked to the street’s corner and boarded the tram.
The beast turned back toward the water’s edge.
It roared.
David took this as his chance. The beast was looking the opposite way and this could be his only opportunity to make a run for it.
He pushed from the tree and dashed across the forest floor, not caring that his feet were crackling against the dead leaves. He leaped over vines and logs, dashed around trees and –
The beast roared again.
Thuds were shaking the earth.
His heart was banging in his chest.
He strained his muscles; pushing for a way out.
A way out of trouble.
A way to live.
He felt like giving up because his muscles were so tired, so very tired.
He knew he wouldn’t make it.
He knew it.
So he stopped.
Fell.
And lay there.
David paid the driver with two coins and took a seat near the front. He set his bag down on the seat next to him and leaned against the window.
“Hey, I just washed those.”
He looked around and saw a man looking at him with a long scraggly beard. He was holding a mop in his right hand and a plastic bag was under his seat.
“Sorry.” David said lifting his head from the window.
The tram stopped a couple more times and let on some more passengers. No one sat next to him. Then the tram finally stopped at the station and everyone got off.
David stepped onto the cement and looked around. Barely anyone was there. No one almost. Every now and then a person would pass by. Sometimes with a child. Sometimes with two. David started walking and soon found a bench where he could rest until his train arrived.
He looked down at the white ticket in his hand. Writing was scribbled on it - a signature maybe? – and some was printed on it. It read: A10 seat 105. David couldn’t read the signature.
He stuffed the ticket into his pants pocket and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
David could feel the earth vibrating.
The beast was getting closer. Then he was enveloped in darkness.
A shadow; the beast’s shadow.
He shivered as a slimy substance slid over his leg. It was heavy and when he tried to get up, he couldn’t. His limbs felt like rubber. He couldn’t move, but only feel the ooze slide across his body. Then something else touched him.
It felt like a snake. He turned to see multiple vines wrapping around his body. They were dark green and were slithering out from the beast like animals. Like snakes. Then he could feel the thorns cut through his clothes and scrape against his skin. He could feel the warmth of blood smear against his body. The vines now had a tint of red on them, long swathed of crimson tarnished over the green like frosting.
He winced.
He screamed.
Then he felt himself leave the ground.
It was fast.
The ground was feet below him now.
Yards.
He could see the dark red spot of where he lay. The crimson tinted earth on which the beast caught him.
A slimy vine slid over his face and everything went black.
He felt a hand tap against his shoulder.
His eyes opened to a woman leaning in a bit too close to him.
“What?”
“You’re ticket fell out of your pocket mister.” She held the white slip in her hand. “I believe you’ll be needing this.”
“Oh, thanks.” David took the ticket from her.
“I looked and we’re going to the same place.” She sat down next to him. “I’m Lilian. You can call me Lily.” She held out her hand.
Was he supposed to shake it?
He did.
“So why’re you going into the mountains?” She looked away and at the large monitor on the wall that had the arrival times and the departure times. “Family?”
David shook his head.
“The preservation?” She looked back at him.
He nodded.
“You don’t talk much, do you.”
“I do, I just don’t know you.”
“Oh, I understand.” She looked back out at the monitor. Their train number popped up. “Time to go. See ya in Hima Town.”
David grabbed his bag and stood up, walking onto the train.
It was dark.
Not to mention quiet.
Where was he?
He could hear the faint sound of water dripping and the fainter sound of running water. A river?
He sat up and saw that he was still wrapped in vines. He managed to get his body in a more comfortable position and looked around.
It was hard to see, it was so dark.
He could barely see the outlines of the rocks. He saw that a lot of algae was growing on them and overgrown plants covered most of the floor. It was obvious he was near or in the forest. But how far in? How long has he been asleep?
Then he heard footsteps.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
He moved to a man and showed him his ticket. The man pointed toward a sign on the far end of the train. David thanked the man and headed toward the sign.
When he reached the sign that was marked with the letter A, he searched the seats for the number 105. He found it and sat down, resting his head on the window.
No one told him to get off of it.
They were in the mountains now, tall peaks rising high above everything else littered with snow-covered forests, teamed with wildlife. He enjoyed the scenery, untouched by society, besides the one town on the mountain’s edge. It was built as a nature reserve and soon after a charming couple moved there. Now it’s Hima Town, population: 58.
David looked out the window as they crossed a narrow bridge. It was a hundred foot drop to the whitewater rapids below. The water lashed about spraying the foam at the jagged rocks embedded into the ground. No one was dumb enough to ride those; you wouldn’t live through two minutes of it.
The train crossed the bridge and the faint screech of metal on metal was gone, reverted to the silent sound of metal on wood.
The train tracks were made of wood in the mountains; it was ‘good for the environment’. The builders used the strongest wood to build them and they’ve been running for over twenty years now. Builders come out once a year to replace some pieces.
Everything suddenly darkened and some people were scared.
The intercom clicked on.
“Everything’s okay people, we’re just headed through the forest.”
The intercom clicked off.
Everyone resumed their train ride without a care for the darkness.
Pretty soon the train came to a halt at another train station and people got off. It was a part of the nature reserve. People paid to go there and walk around, enjoy the scenery. The doors shut and the train left, running its course into the mountains to the next town.
David watched the beauty of the mountains.
The dark green pine, the oak, the maple, it was beautiful.
They passed a lake that was surrounded with cherry blossoms. The ground was littered with pink petals and so was the lake. Cattails sprouted at the water’s edge, and the surface of the lake reflected the perfect view of the snowcapped mountains. The lake was also plentiful with lily pads, some of the pads were Lotad, either hiding or resting. Some of the Lotad were giving Pokémon a ride across the water. The animals were in such harmony, it was peaceful to watch them.
About half an hour later, the train stopped and the doors opened.
They arrived at Hima Town.
David stepped off and onto the cool earth, taking the fresh air in and smiling.
Chapter 1: The Mountains
David pressed his back to the tree.
He took in air quietly as he looked out the corner of his eye.
The beast was heading toward him.
He readied his legs, strengthening his stance and pushing against the tree with his hands. He stopped breathing and relaxed his body. The beast was headed toward him and there was nowhere to run.
Nowhere.
David collided with his dad’s chest as he gave him a hug. His mom was next and he held her tight.
He took it all in, all over again. The oaky scent wafting through the halls, the bright colors painted on every wall to make you feel at welcome, and the caring parents he’d have to say goodbye to for a while. He was taking it all back in—
Before he left.
He let go of his mom and bent down to give his little sister a hug. He was leaving again and he wanted them all to know he loved them. He squeezed his little sister so tight and felt a tear trickle down his cheek.
“I love you and I’ll miss you.” He gripped her shoulders and looked at her face. She smiled and they hugged again.
A orange dog pushed up against him as he let go of his sister. He looked at Growlithe and smiled. He clenched her fur in his hands and hugged her too. He was going to miss them.
He stood up to say goodbye one last time, then he walked out the door, turning his head to look back again. He could see his dad’s Growlithe standing at the doorway, wagging her tail and whimpering. It was sad to say goodbye to them.
They all watched as he walked to the street’s corner and boarded the tram.
The beast turned back toward the water’s edge.
It roared.
David took this as his chance. The beast was looking the opposite way and this could be his only opportunity to make a run for it.
He pushed from the tree and dashed across the forest floor, not caring that his feet were crackling against the dead leaves. He leaped over vines and logs, dashed around trees and –
The beast roared again.
Thuds were shaking the earth.
His heart was banging in his chest.
He strained his muscles; pushing for a way out.
A way out of trouble.
A way to live.
He felt like giving up because his muscles were so tired, so very tired.
He knew he wouldn’t make it.
He knew it.
So he stopped.
Fell.
And lay there.
David paid the driver with two coins and took a seat near the front. He set his bag down on the seat next to him and leaned against the window.
“Hey, I just washed those.”
He looked around and saw a man looking at him with a long scraggly beard. He was holding a mop in his right hand and a plastic bag was under his seat.
“Sorry.” David said lifting his head from the window.
The tram stopped a couple more times and let on some more passengers. No one sat next to him. Then the tram finally stopped at the station and everyone got off.
David stepped onto the cement and looked around. Barely anyone was there. No one almost. Every now and then a person would pass by. Sometimes with a child. Sometimes with two. David started walking and soon found a bench where he could rest until his train arrived.
He looked down at the white ticket in his hand. Writing was scribbled on it - a signature maybe? – and some was printed on it. It read: A10 seat 105. David couldn’t read the signature.
He stuffed the ticket into his pants pocket and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
David could feel the earth vibrating.
The beast was getting closer. Then he was enveloped in darkness.
A shadow; the beast’s shadow.
He shivered as a slimy substance slid over his leg. It was heavy and when he tried to get up, he couldn’t. His limbs felt like rubber. He couldn’t move, but only feel the ooze slide across his body. Then something else touched him.
It felt like a snake. He turned to see multiple vines wrapping around his body. They were dark green and were slithering out from the beast like animals. Like snakes. Then he could feel the thorns cut through his clothes and scrape against his skin. He could feel the warmth of blood smear against his body. The vines now had a tint of red on them, long swathed of crimson tarnished over the green like frosting.
He winced.
He screamed.
Then he felt himself leave the ground.
It was fast.
The ground was feet below him now.
Yards.
He could see the dark red spot of where he lay. The crimson tinted earth on which the beast caught him.
A slimy vine slid over his face and everything went black.
He felt a hand tap against his shoulder.
His eyes opened to a woman leaning in a bit too close to him.
“What?”
“You’re ticket fell out of your pocket mister.” She held the white slip in her hand. “I believe you’ll be needing this.”
“Oh, thanks.” David took the ticket from her.
“I looked and we’re going to the same place.” She sat down next to him. “I’m Lilian. You can call me Lily.” She held out her hand.
Was he supposed to shake it?
He did.
“So why’re you going into the mountains?” She looked away and at the large monitor on the wall that had the arrival times and the departure times. “Family?”
David shook his head.
“The preservation?” She looked back at him.
He nodded.
“You don’t talk much, do you.”
“I do, I just don’t know you.”
“Oh, I understand.” She looked back out at the monitor. Their train number popped up. “Time to go. See ya in Hima Town.”
David grabbed his bag and stood up, walking onto the train.
It was dark.
Not to mention quiet.
Where was he?
He could hear the faint sound of water dripping and the fainter sound of running water. A river?
He sat up and saw that he was still wrapped in vines. He managed to get his body in a more comfortable position and looked around.
It was hard to see, it was so dark.
He could barely see the outlines of the rocks. He saw that a lot of algae was growing on them and overgrown plants covered most of the floor. It was obvious he was near or in the forest. But how far in? How long has he been asleep?
Then he heard footsteps.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
He moved to a man and showed him his ticket. The man pointed toward a sign on the far end of the train. David thanked the man and headed toward the sign.
When he reached the sign that was marked with the letter A, he searched the seats for the number 105. He found it and sat down, resting his head on the window.
No one told him to get off of it.
They were in the mountains now, tall peaks rising high above everything else littered with snow-covered forests, teamed with wildlife. He enjoyed the scenery, untouched by society, besides the one town on the mountain’s edge. It was built as a nature reserve and soon after a charming couple moved there. Now it’s Hima Town, population: 58.
David looked out the window as they crossed a narrow bridge. It was a hundred foot drop to the whitewater rapids below. The water lashed about spraying the foam at the jagged rocks embedded into the ground. No one was dumb enough to ride those; you wouldn’t live through two minutes of it.
The train crossed the bridge and the faint screech of metal on metal was gone, reverted to the silent sound of metal on wood.
The train tracks were made of wood in the mountains; it was ‘good for the environment’. The builders used the strongest wood to build them and they’ve been running for over twenty years now. Builders come out once a year to replace some pieces.
Everything suddenly darkened and some people were scared.
The intercom clicked on.
“Everything’s okay people, we’re just headed through the forest.”
The intercom clicked off.
Everyone resumed their train ride without a care for the darkness.
Pretty soon the train came to a halt at another train station and people got off. It was a part of the nature reserve. People paid to go there and walk around, enjoy the scenery. The doors shut and the train left, running its course into the mountains to the next town.
David watched the beauty of the mountains.
The dark green pine, the oak, the maple, it was beautiful.
They passed a lake that was surrounded with cherry blossoms. The ground was littered with pink petals and so was the lake. Cattails sprouted at the water’s edge, and the surface of the lake reflected the perfect view of the snowcapped mountains. The lake was also plentiful with lily pads, some of the pads were Lotad, either hiding or resting. Some of the Lotad were giving Pokémon a ride across the water. The animals were in such harmony, it was peaceful to watch them.
About half an hour later, the train stopped and the doors opened.
They arrived at Hima Town.
David stepped off and onto the cool earth, taking the fresh air in and smiling.