“Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.”
Grasp. The hand of a friend, nudging direction and agreements made. The search for the unknown. Equal partners in guiding legends and distance keys; to open riches from the wandering worlds. A beating wooden chest, garnered in the burning offerings found precious. Instil a dawning light to cut the path ahead; sheer off the cliffs and watery rocky caltrops. Our course now follows the rising of the sun; the night still always skirting our backs since... When? Release. Flash. ...its so hot outside. Too hot to do anything but lie here. Maybe I should go for a swim in the pool. There are supposed to be a lot of earthquakes in this city. I haven't felt one yet. I wonder if we'll have one while I'm down here. Is the air conditioner even on? I don't want to just lie here with my eyes closed. This heat is making me a bit drowsy. Imagine if I could make one happen just by thinking about it. Make the earth shake. Make the earth shake. C'mon make the earth shake. Tremble. Tremble. Whoa! What is that! Shake. Shake. The bed is shaking. It must be the twins just trying to scare me. Eyes springing open. Sitting upright on the bed. "Alright, cut it out y--” Nobody there. Ruummmmbble. That noise. What's that noise? The walls are moving. It’s an earthquake! I did it! I made this happen...
Whoa...Questions. Question. Confusion. Remembrance mere days after my thirteenth birthday? Come into life; I had just turned thirteen. A once summer visit with my dad; a truly foreign country. Understanding. Ah! Attention, a reason for not drawing. In a city full of lost angels, it seems one had finally been found...
From above the surface of consciousness, a shaking, trembling voice sinks his way back into the depths of the mind.
"That was a strange memory... How--When did that happen?? Who are you anyway? Why don't I remember any of this?
"Buried treasure? Hidden, buried in the depths of the mind. Precious minerals, shiny sparkly memories again aglow; a life leading to Truth. Such time stands before you."
"A time before me?! B-but why was this memory suppressed? What were you afraid of?"
"A calling amongst the enemy. So young... small eyes unable to see the world properly. Once drawn, time rolled itself up. Yes, I now see... Sorrowful understanding. Buried by illness. The day when cartography too had come to life..."
Release. Flash. ... a quick nap for a thirteen-year-old boy after a long day of high school. Ouch! ! Suddenly awoken from my sleep by a sharp pain. My brother is standing over me, by the doorway. Turning over, I look up at him. "Owwww, what the fuck? What was that? What did you poke me with?" A pin?! What's in his other hand? What's he hiding behind his back? A syringe... Understanding.
"NOOOOOO!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???"
Out of the emotion, a new voice is born.
"Where am I? Who are you? What's going on here?"
"NOOOO... w-why??? Who?"
"What's the matter?"
"You... I can use you. Listen, we've been betrayed to our deaths... by our own family..."
"What does that mean? I don't understand what is going on here? Who am I?"
"There isn't much time, there is only one way..."
"One way for what? What is going on?"
"You're going to lead for awhile... I'm going to be going somewhere, close... Its the only way..."
"Where are you going?"
"...Slowly into madness. We've been infected on purpose... The infection is soon going to take over our mind. There is no other way..."
"Infected by what? I'm starting to get a little scared..."
"Calm down, everything will work out. I don't have a lot of time to explain, so pay attention. You are me, I am you. We are one. Your name is Nolan Willis. Everything you need to know you will be able to remember... except for these. Flash, flash, flash, flash. These memories are most precious to me, they mean a great deal to us. I'm going to hide them."
"What does a memory of a lighthouse have to do with what's going on here?"
"That's not important. I don't know how but when we need them, we'll find them. Just keep us together."
"I'll try my best. I am Nolan Willis... I do remember. We're just a child..."
"You can do this Nolan. Our life depends on it. I'm counting on you. This is the only way... Keep us safe. Keep us together..."
