Knock Knock.

Oh! Hey.

Uh, Surprised to see you here! Seems we’re together in this little interlude of ours. Alittle break from walking and talkin you could say… Not for me though, as I'm technically... Eh. Let's not talk about that. Well, anyways, I hope it's not too crowded. I wasn't quite expecting visitors. Though actually… Maybe I was.

….

Ugh, sorry, I'm not very good at this mysterious act. Give me some time, and I would be alot better, drama doesn't come out of nowhere you know! Or does it? I've never been in much drama I must admit.

…

…

So uh… How's your day?

…

...

Well okay, whatever, silence is fine too. I also know alot about being silent.

...

You know what, now that we’re all bunched together like peas in a pod, I’m going to tell you a secret. Something I have not told a single soul in my short life.

...

God should we really tell them that? It's not a…. Graceful thing… It’s something that is dear to me, but It… might make you think worse of me. Though I suppose, it also might do the opposite. So be it, though I may be selfish for making you carry this secret. I apologize, It's not a very good thing..

But, you gotta promise not to tell. Pinkie promise, and swear on your heart.

Let's see… How should I start?

There once was a young boy named Jack. He lived in a-

Oh what am I kidding. Telling it like some sort of fairytale story. So romantic, so cliche... and so detached. No no, a fairy-tale story won't do. It was nothing that mystical, but it was very, very personal. It might be easier to just lay it all out, nothing withheld.

I was once, A very angry person. I hated the world, I hated my family that loved me, I hated the people that lived around me, and I hated myself, more than all. God did I hate myself. I abounded in loneliness and hate, like some slug writhing in gunkish slime. Every slight imperfection of humanity disgusted me, sending me into spirals of rage. Even a simple touch became a burning example of folly, reminding me of an existence I didn’t want, nor that I felt I needed. What was the point of living as such a flawed being? Why must we all suffer? I wanted no more yet to die in rage, my mind filled with nothing but death and rage. Yet despite all my anger, I was too apathetic to do the deed myself. So, I existed. A puppet in all but in name.

Though my interior might’ve been the magma of animosity that burned the soul, my wooden outsides were obsidian, purple and cold to the touch. And so was the false face that kept my small world safe from my scorching rage, entombing my anger within. I was yet but a bottomless well. Some days it felt like I could hold the entire’s world's anger within me, but yet seal it away. I was a boiling mixture pot of anger and empathy, but I never overfilled. For that, my old self has my respect.

…..

God, I dunno. The anger that I once held. What does it even say about me? Does it even matter? Afterall, we’re all angry in some capacity sometimes. Perhaps every person was a puppet of their anger, as was I. Yet at that time, I did not think so. I was a burning pillar among those who didn't deserve my rage. Why was I so angry, I wondered. Why did I hate the world so much? Was it because I cared too much? Was it because I despised those I saw as even lesser than me? Why could I never overflow? Was that the problem?

My mind, even inquisitive in my anger, was never able to give myself a good answer.

In the end, as I got older and my mind expanded, I must admit… I mellowed, my magma slowly turning to stone. As is the fate of most of us, I imagine. We either live to accept ourselves, channel our anger, or die. But what can I say, I never did have the best memory. With the remnants of what was left, I slowly sculpted myself into the broken figure you see today.

I look back on those days with an examining eye. It seems… So long ago. Alot of time, for a young man such as myself. I never really found out where the anger came from, and I still feel its disgust and presence of humanity sometimes today. But I do not look at it with the same eyes as I used to, though I suppose I do still keep it safe from the outside world. It was a part of me for quite some time, and it’s a big reason I am the man I am now. All that anger taught me to laugh, taught me to look at the world in a different way. Maybe not a better way, but… well, that's not for me to decide.

Shitty secret, isn't it? But im afraid its the truth. What does that make me?

A cliche fucking bastard, that's what!

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Crunch, crunch, crunch…

My footsteps pounded on the path, as I limped forward in the dark.

It hadn’t been that long since the last stop, but it truly felt like dusk now. Alas, looking around myself, it felt as if the city lights would turn on at any moment, their pale suns illuminating the forest surrounding me… But no, no city lights here. Just me, the wind, my flapping sweatshirt, my thoughts, and the trees. But they were pretty nice trees. Atleast we had that!

You know, sometimes I-

I slowed my already limping gait, my previous thought forgotten, suddening peering up into the distance. The dark hid my view. But my gaze, strong and muscular (and roided on carrot juice (okay not really)), pried that wall of darkness with a giant bloody shriek. Very scary. In the near distance, so close yet so far away, stood an opening of trees. Their visages standing tall in the darkness. An opening I recognized. Well, fuck, Finally, my pained legs remarked. That was the outlook! Probably. I’d give it a 90% to 99 % chance. Something something you never know...

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I stopped on the trail, the slight murmurs of footsteps disappearing as I rustled out my phone, bringing it into my somewhat unsteady hands. My legs painfully stretched, the wind whispering against my ears while I turned my phone on. Blinking away the blinded spots searing my brain, a faithful mass of brown met me once again. Flo… I wished I was petting him, my hands roughing through his fluffy brown fur. He probably wasn't worried about a thing, just sleeping lazily on the floor all splayed out... He always looked up when I approached, probably because I always petted him atleast once when I saw him. I was never too busy that I couldn't, and it helped with...

Oh, my phone! I lightly patted my phone in reconciliation, Sorry phone… I was just thinking about better times. Times I continued to want to have. Finally back on track, I located the shining numbers, 10:08 pm. Time was marching forever on. 30 minutes eh? For half a mile… Er, not my best, but then again, I was fucking limping and in pain, so shut up self. Our obsession with going fast is already bad enough!

But besides my questionable average velocity, checking the top of the shining screen… no service. Well, I had to try, less limping sounded pretty nice right now.

I flipped my phone off, the scouring light fading away, leaving it gripped in my hand. And so, I stood In the darkness, unsure. Something slowly growing inside of me. Like a twisting vine, methodical, and tumorous, apprehension soon swirled through my gut. What if there was no call? Well, then we would… just limp back I guess. That would be quite painful, but at this point, I didn’t think I was going to die from head causes, unless I got attacked by some sort of wild beastie.

I tapped my chin, my uneasiness stupidly forgotten, soon engrossed in thought.

Which was also somewhat strange. Well, not the not-being attacked by the beastie part, I usually didn’t need to exactly fight for my life on a daily basis. Otherwise I imagine I would be a very different sort of person… besides my personal mettle, through my entire walk since I got the fuck knocked out of me, forget about being attacked, I hadn’t heard shit! Not a late night crows call, not a buzzing from an insect, not a wild roar from a feral animal or a rustling from a bush, nothing. Only the lonely wind that blew solemnly by me

And I could hear the wind, so It wasn't my lack of hearing. But... just in case, I sang out a quick and quiet note, my throat slightly tumbling with the lack of use. Nope, I wasn't deaf, that's for sure! So there was just truly… nothing.

I shrugged slightly, my shoulders rolling. I mean, I guessed it was good, I certainly enjoyed pain in moderation, and the noise could be explained, but… Something about all of this just felt wrong. That lack of noise wasn't the only thing. Slowly, over these past 30 minutes… something had been slowly been bubbling in my head, rising to the surface. A sort of tension. To put it simply, something was wrong in the darkened curving sky above. But I had no fucking clue what. And it was kinda driving me mad! Maybe it was the stars? Were they different? Besides coming out in full force probably very soon. I couldn’t tell, I was no astrologer, most of my time was spent inside, no wonder there. But just… something was ticking off that little switch in my brain.

Everything had been strange ever since I had woken up in that crater. Something had happened. By now, I was pretty sure of that. But what? What was it?

Well, I had no fucking clue, besides my hissing injuries, like little snakes that were looking for attention. I was as blind as a candy scented bat in the foods aisle of a sports department.

But what else could I do? There didn't seem to be any answers to my suspicions, and there probably wasn’t going to be. I had to focus on what was in front of me. I suppose that could be used as a metaphor for life, though I wasn't quite in the form of mind for that bright tidbit. All this confusion was making me confused!

I drew forward, a rare frown plain on my face, as I suspiciously looked around me, destiny drawing ever closer with every footstep.

And so, in that form, I finally stepped one foot into the clearing. The darkened sky opened up over me, the trees no longer entombing my mortal form. The trail stretched out into a roughly flat moderately sized area, darkened tufts of grass occasionally poking through packed dirt, threaded with brown old tree roots. Patches of white-violet flowers grew near the edges, buds closed in the fading light. The same stump that had once held me stood brown and existent, rings proudly shown, but visibly worse for wear. Decay and fungus slowly taking over its form. Nature worked fast, especially out here. A slight surge of distracting sadness ran through me as I stared… but alas, that is life. Change is constant.

This outlook was “built” on the side of a hill, the trail entwining up to it. If I walked to a slight edge, where no trees stood, then the valley would stretch before me, green tops sweeping out for miles. Or atleast, that was what it had once looked like when I was first here. I imagined it would look incredible in the dark, even with a head wound, but I had some other things to do, such as getting help! That seemed to be alittle more important right now! And besides… In current events, who knew what the fuck I would see if I went to that edge? Yes self, I’m being dramatic but.. I dunno. Maybe I would actually see something moving, have some of the concerns in my mind be addressed. Wouldn’t that be nice.

But regardless of the familiar forest I would obviously see, it was the hour of truth for one thing. I shuffled over to the faithful stump, my footsteps echoing in the silence, the wind's ceaseless presence surprisingly absent. The air still. I stood in the same place where I had once gotten information from the satellite gods above. If I had a dogs ruft, I imagine that would be fully displayed right now. I brought the clenched phone up, my finger mousing the button. Third times the charm, right? God, maybe I should pray, start a new satellite religion. All hail ver*zon…

And… Click.

...

For the first time in a while, I considered breaking something important for me. I’m sure you could get my answer from that. Hissing through my teeth, I said the only words that I felt could describe my feelings. “God fucking damnit”. I blazed at that phone, my eyes staring lasers, fucking daring it to change. But of course, it just fucking stared back at me, stoney and resolute. Argh, I just wanted a fucking call! I gripped my phone, my hand so tense I felt as if I would crush it at any second. God, FUCK OFF REALITY, SHITS ALREADY HARD ENOUGH. “God fucking damnit….”

Paralyzed in seething anger, I stood there, a million and yet no thoughts racing through my mind.

And then, I took a deep breath, as what always happens, happens. My rage cools, as it always fucking does. Sometimes I hate myself for it, you know? I just wanna feel. I already don’t feel enough. But alas, I am infinite.

It felt as if my soul drifted out of my body as I let out a final sigh that shook me to my core. Almost attacking the side of my phone, I shoved it into my pocket, before I did something I would regret. The phone wasn’t at fault, Jack, the phone wasn't at fault… or atleast that's what I was telling myself. I plopped down, My butt uncermously meeting the stump, the strings cut out from over me. Well, shit.

I looked up into the cloudless sky, lethargically thinking, my hand soon over my slightly stinging forehead. The wind began to flow once again by me, stars slowly revealing themselves in the sky above

...

It wasn’t the end of the world... But this did make things a lot harder. There would be no help, no rangers, no hospital, and worst of all, I couldn’t even call my folks. I hadn’t really wanted to think about that, the potential hope outweighing the potential worry and stress. But well… you could never really trust hope. Something I always seemed to forget. At this hour... They would definitely be worried. Yeah, yeah they would. And for a good reason, considering the current circumstances. Sadly I cared about my family, and I didn’t want them to be sad. Who fucking knew? I had a soul. Part of me used to think I didn’t.

They would have no idea where the fuck I was. This had been an impromptu trip, due to well, a variety of factors. Hindsight's 20:20 huh? Hindsight is a fucking bitch, thats what hindsight is. So nope, I would’ve basically disappeared into thin air. Whoosh, there goes Jack. Where is he? Who fucking knows.

But fuck, atleast we’re still alive right? Momma ain't gonna need to lower her boy in a casket. And I was planning on keeping it that way. If it happens, it happens. That's what I usually lived by these days. But…

Well, I had something to worry about. Something to stoke my fires just a bit more, turn back the darkness surrounding me.

So, limpin it was. A Little failure like this, just meant we would need to switch to plan B. We would’ve needed to walk back anyways. Just… now It wouldn't be with hope. Just with dogged determination.

…

My thoughts unscrambled, I slowly shifted my weight off the stump, wincing as slight twinges of pain ran through my legs. Maybe I had sat down a bit too fast.... Two different emotions that stump now held. Perhaps if we ever came back… Well, maybe there would be a third.

Oh, what the hell am I talking about. Nothing good, that's what. Fully standing up, I slightly stretched, my bones creaking.

It was time to start walking, we had a long way to go… and a flashlight to probably use too.

But before… Well, if we were already here… Might as well see the valley. It was literally only a couple steps away, hidden from view by the trees. Get a somewhat good story to balance out this shitty night. Maybe I could use it as an excuse for the folks… “Oh sorry for being late, I was just staring at a valley for several hours at a time. What, this little welt on my head? Oh, when did that get there? Thats weird, I have no idea why my forehead is covered in blood, news to me!” Genius... Clearly I am