Me: “Where am I?”
I just slept like usual last night but by the time I woke up I was in a jungle.
Me: “Definitely a dream.”
*yawn* Well, let’s just go back to sleep then.
???: “COME”
What???
Suddenly I heard a loud booming voice coming from behind me. As I turned my head I saw a large city covered with different kinds of vegetation. The buildings were made from stones with various animals carved on the walls with a pathway that leads deeper inside. I felt like something was calling me and urging me to go to the center of it. It didn’t make sense but I felt like I needed to go there too, call it instinct or something. After thinking about it for a while I got up and started to walk to the direction of the voice. I mean this is a dream right? What’s the worst that could happen.
I then stood up and walked following the path. As I got deeper I could see the damage that time had done to this place. While the stone buildings still stood they were covered with vine and even trees that grew from the roof, a sign that this place had been abandoned for centuries. Strangely the place was quiet, too quiet considering that I’m inside a dense jungle, giving it a really eerie atmosphere. I didn’t hear any noises from any animal or insects, just wind and the rustling of leaves. Somehow I had a feeling that something that called me here was also the one that kept all the animals away.
Getting swallowed by my curiosity I decided to look inside one of the buildings. The building looked like a house and just like I thought the vegetation was also present inside. I explored some of the rooms and then I realized something was wrong. It was definitely built for humans yet I couldn’t find any trace of anything left behind by the old resident. In some of the documentaries that I watched even when someplace was abandoned the residents would leave some stuff behind. Be it some plate of some items that they used in their everyday life. I left the house and looked inside some other buildings beside it yet I couldn’t find anything either. Since I couldn’t do anything about it I put it at the back of my mind and continued to walk even deeper.
After walking for a few minutes I saw the largest building so far. It stood proudly in the center of the ruin also with a giant tree growing from its roof. Compared with the other building though it felt like the giant tree is like a part of the building.
???: “COME INSIDE”
The voice once again called me. Before I could even answer it the root of the giant tree moved to the side revealing a set of stairs downward and a large door. Light entered from the door and illuminated the inside of the building. Because of the angle I could only see a room inside. Should I go in? Everything that I saw during this short walk made me really suspicious of this place but there was also a part of me that wanted to know what this is all about.
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Me: “This is just a dream, just a harmless dream.”
Convincing myself I went down the stairs and entered the room. The inside was much bigger than I thought. I also thought that it would be dark inside but some light entered through the crack from the walls and roof. The place itself was pretty barren except for three big empty pedestals lined up at the end of the room.
???: “WELCOME O’ CHOSEN ONE”
The voice rang once again, this time much louder it seemed that whoever called me was inside this room. As I followed the voice to find the source there I found it. A frog. In front of one of the pedestals.
Frog: “THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING OUR CALL”
Me: “Are you the one speaking to me, Mr. frog?”
Frog: “...”
Me: “...”
The stare off continued for a few minutes.
Frog: “Ok fine, yes it’s me.”
Was that its actual voice? It sounded like a middle aged man with a smoking problem.
Me: “So? What’s with that voice? Why are you calling me? Also who are ‘us’?”
Frog: “Hmmm that was ma cool voice, why? Anyway we need ya to do something for us. Wait. HEY YA TWO COME HERE!!”
What a loud little frog. After the frog shouted I saw two other animals come out from behind the pedestals, a cute fox and a mini gorilla(?).
MiniGo : “Um… welcome.” the mini gorilla said.
Foxy : “Hello.” the cute fox said.
The gorilla sounded like a shy teenage boy and the fox sounded like a nice grandma. Could these two be the one that talk to me instead of the loud frog?
Frog: “Right right so here the deal kid, we need you to help us with something.”
Me: “And that thing is?”
Frog: “We need you to go around the world and find our friends.”
Me: “Right...”
MiniGo: “Um… uncle froggy… I think you need to start from the beginning.”
Frog: “*sigh* kids nowadays. Okay, from the beginning. Congratulations! Ya just Died.”
Me: “HUH!? But... ”
Frog: “This ain’t a dream if that’s what you’re thinking. You can try to punch yourself or pray to whatever God ya want. Result the same.”
Me: “But how?”
Frog: “Ya went to sleep. An airplane hit ya. Ya died.”
Me: “HUUUUH!?”
Frog: “tough luck kid.”
Foxy : ”Stop confusing the boy will you? Calm down dear, now listen to me okay.”
Me: “Grandma!!!”
And then grandma fox gave me the answer to my questions. First, why I’m here, when I fell asleep that night as the frog said an airplane just crashed into my room killing me instantly. That event coincided with the summoning the animals were doing, so yeah, tough luck indeed. Second, their identities, the three of them were the great animal spirits that lived within this ruin with their friends, other great animal spirits. One night suddenly everybody just disappeared leaving only the three of them alone. They managed to at least track their friends' location and my mission is to find all of them and bring them back.
Me: “but why me? I think there were many other people more qualified in that plane.”
Frog: “heck if I know. We did the thing and ya showed up.”
Foxy : “Don't worry dear, don’t sell yourself short.”
MiniGo : *nod*
Frog: “Well then. GO!!!”
Me: “Wait Wait Wait Wait”
Before I knew it the world began to swirl and I fell into the darkness. I swear I’m gonna cook that frog the next time we meet.