I woke up to a freckled faced, green eyed man up close and personal, too personal.

Space boundary broken! Space boundary broken!

"Golly my powers have worked. You have been awakened!" The scrawny man said, putting his hands on his hips. "And not by a kiss from your true love. Do you have true love?"

He wasn't too tall with youthful smooth skin that gave him a boyish appearance. I discovered that his shirt was collared and buttons lead all the way down and tucked in with suspenders. He had a major outdated hairstyle. Ruth would have vomited a little at its sight.

The man looked behind him and then back at me. We had reached the bottom of the hill. I could make out where we had fallen off the freeway. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" He went on "Are you doing well, good sir?" and then reached out his hand to me. "I am the teleporter, but you can call me... Maxwell!"

Attack. Car crash. My eyes widened. Truman! I got up. "Truman!"

“My name is Maxwell," he proclaimed. "Not Truman, but I knew Paul. Excuse me, sir!"

I was already running for the hills. My brother had crashed the car. He was going to be so upset. Was he alright?

"Felix!" He cried out. "He is your brother after all! He does have his all-powerful abilities. No evil shall do him harm."

Oh, he had already done harm.

I scrambled up the debri and trees. My suit was awfully dirty by now, but I didn't care. I had to see my brother.

Maxwell suddenly appeared in front of me. "He is doing very well! All right? Relax!"

How was I supposed to relax with this guy randomly appearing in front of me? Ever heard of physics?

In surprise, I fell over and tumbled back down the hill again.

Maxwell zapped himself closer and helped me up. "You don't know?"

I shook my head. How could I know? I didn't even know him! Uh...!

He paused like he was expecting me to have them. "You don't."

If he could hear my breath now, he certainly could now. I was breathing like a dog.

"What a strange adventure. I'm assuming you don't know Sara by any chance."

I shook my head. I had to lose this guy. I had to get to Truman.

"What about a Violet?"

My eyes widened in confusion.

"Samuel? Sara? Tyson? Anything ring a bell? I wouldn't be surprised if there is another Mark here." He said in earnest.

Who the cake was Mark and why did that name sound so familiar?

"Bingo!" He went on as I got up. "You were most likely kidnapped as a child. I know they are starting to do that nowadays. Villains are so rambunctious."

Excuse me?

Then somewhere in the trees there was a laugh. It was not a friendly laugh, but rather mischievous and amused. A woman walked through a patch of trees behind us, showing herself. “You're the host?" She said when she saw the back of me. "I thought you'd be darker and not try to get yourself killed, but I don't think Rylie would mind a dead host. She is Rylie after all."

I turned to face her. Who was Rylie?

The teleporter's companion was an elegant woman covered in the color red. She wore a flowing crimson dress and long white gloves of silk. To me, her dress was of the utmost beauty. One could look at it and see how it would literally shine in any sort of light. I was grateful the red umbrella she held deeply deflected this from becoming too brilliant.

Not to mention, her face was incredible to gaze upon. She had unnatural purple eyes and the fairest of faces. Even her black hair had been neatly combed to the side of her so it fell down the left side and a little past her shoulder with a wave curl. She had a fine amount of gems decorated on her ears and around her neck. Smiling, the woman walked up in her black heels, revealing themselves under the fabric with every step. A white ring was on one of her fingers.

To be honest, the lady scared me. It was an unnerving sensation like a seventh sense.

When she saw me laughed some more. "Oh my" she said. "I didn't realize you'd be so young. And so fresh." Slowly, a white knife formed out of ice in her hand.

"You have to stay strong." Maxwell urgently told me. "You have to remember what keeps you going. It won't work if you don't. Unknown Energy thrives off of light so they cannot consume your soul. Good luck, she's not playing around."

This fair woman was becoming more and more horrendous. Everything about her was off. What had she done? What was she going to do to me?

Without realizing it, I had backed into a tree. What did he mean? Who was she?

She smirked and with a swing of the blade she stabbed me.

The blade stuck deep inside my chest, burrowing its way through until I could feel it pierce through my back. The weird part about it was I felt it affect my entire body, not just my torso. Every ounce of blood was boiling with those cursed memories returning through my head of my childhood, birth, and forgotten dreams. Everything hurt, everything pounded, and everything died once more.

Something started oozing out of my mouth.

With all the strength I had I used my arms to hold myself up. Rouge pulled the knife out forcing me to howl in agony.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Unknown Energy," I heard her say. "Do it."

That's the thing about being stabbed, it doesn't disappear on its own.

I threw up.

"Simon!" A man cried out behind me. "Run! Please!"

I fell over, regaining my ground and looked at him. His eyes were so terribly tear-stained, with skin of rotten filth. He ran over to me and helped me up, pulling me away from the scene towards where she stood. Before we could get far, a shadow was creeping from the trees.

"No..." he murmured. "It's too late. Simon, run. Run away to the castle. There you will be safe. Run!"

A light blinded me.

They were opened by sobs. Hope had wrapped herself around me and we were back in the church by the drinking fountains. It was disillusioned and blurred, like a dream.

What?

Water trickled. There was a trickle of water, the sound mashing with the feeling of Hope's tears falling on my face. It had blended with her eyeliner to turn a black.

“Please," her voice said, moving in and out of motion. "don’t do that." Her heart pounded intensely against mine. “I couldn’t bear if you… if you…”

She continued crying. The words couldn’t escape her tongue. It was like a remix of our last conversation. The amount of pain she seemed to experience was overwhelming. She loved me so much and she would never stop.

Her eyes opened to empty sockets and her body was of a monster.

At last, she opened her mouth. “...Died.” She finished saying.

Laughter erupted everywhere.

“Where are you?” they said. “What's going on? You’ll be a shell likened to a pawn. Rylie will take you; Rylie will leave you. Praise the queen of criminal love!”

They were out to string me up, these voices. “S-s-stop!” I screamed, “Stop!” but the more I cried the more they laughed. Their high pitch noises rang across my soul, piecing its heart.

"Felix feeling what you have done is nothing, but a beautiful fun!"

What had I done? Why were they laughing at me? What was Hope?

Her hair fell out and her face became very black like ink. Her dress was ripped apart in nudity as if it was never there. It became heavily built like a man as she strangled me, looking into my soul with no face. No figure at all.

“Give up” it commanded. “and die…”

My sight abandoned me, so did the rest. There was empty silence singing in the space. The thing kept its grasp on my neck, tightening constantly.

Where did the air go? Please.

Stop!

A dribble sound followed. It was when Truman had yelled at me that we first met, playing dodgeball. He was so mad when he saw that I was actually doing something. "You're a weirdo. I'm Felix and I like being weak. You're dead, loser!" he said in utter frustration. “Ghost boy, these can't pass through you forever!”

Funny thing was, he became one of my greatest friends. It took his team half an hour to hit me.

“Wanna do something later?" I replied, giving him a small smile. “We can go swimming at my parent's.”

“The weirdo thinks he can be my friend.” Truman laughed. “Not for long!”

And that was it. This was why I was going to win. Here I was, alone and afraid. Hope, Simon, or Truman weren't there to help me. It was me against everyone else like the World’s Famous Traveler.

The demon's grip and the dodgeball was nothing. Physical pain didn't matter because in the end I would win something far better than victory.

For Hope, for all my friends!

I ran; I ran away from the shadow, pushed back from the monster, and charged at Truman with a dodgeball in my hand.

I was so tired of all this crap. It was just like I was there with that dodgeball in my hand, facing Truman. I thrust my hand out to hurl the ball at his face, but to my surprise I decked somebody with a dodgeball.

A dodgeball!?

The scene had reverted back to Rouge with a red ball smashed into her face.

Oh no! Oh shoot. Shoot, shoot! Was she going to be mad at me?

I nervously blushed as I hid it behind my back.

"Weak." She replied, interrupting me. "I thought they'd be stronger."

Weak?

I just looked blankly back at her. I didn't mean to hit her, but I did. “Huh?” I asked.

Rouge yanked me to my feet. "Unknown Energy." she explained. "They're living beings of pure energy that can change anything's molecular structure. They can turn pillows to diamonds and diamonds to the biggest fest of inflation in the world. They're how you survived my gift. They need you too much to let you get killed. You should give me some." and slid her hand onto my tie with a devilish grin. She proceeded to grab onto it, pulling me closer till our noses touched. "Wouldn't that be sweet?" Her breath smelled like blood.

My body shook. That was not on my agenda for the day.

She scowled. "He can't say a word."

Holding onto it, she pulled me away from the tree and past Maxwell. Still, I didn't quite understand how she and Maxwell were linked to this Rylie. He never mentioned her in his list of names I ought to know.

Then again, Rouge did and he obviously knew her.

"Now tell me," she said. "What did you see?"

I said nothing. My brain was too wrecked to speak.

"Don’t worry, I won't bite."

"Praise the Queen of Criminal Love..." I whispered under my breath; my heart racing a thousand times per minute.

"Oh, I'm criminal."

Pardon?

"Rylie has gold's-worth of reputation." Rouge said to me. "She’s a nuisance, and that’s all she’ll ever be."

"Rouge..." Maxwell walked beside us. "He's just a kiddo."

"This?" she scowled. "This is someone sad."

Sad? I'm not sad? I'm afraid of you; that's what!

"Lighten up," he continued. "We've gone on a thousand awesome adventures before. Just because of what-"

"Sydney not doing enough for you?" Rouge suddenly cut him off.

"Sydney was awesome." He smiled, deepening his voice.

They went silent. I could see him trying to say something to make the situation lighter, but nothing came out. I figured she was someone he knew, dear to his heart.

"We're here with or without her..." She muttered under her breath.

I could feel the tension move in the air. Maxwell looked away from her, his heart stone cold as if she had taken every cheery spark away from him; the ones I had first seen him with. She seemed that way too, somehow.

I looked down, annoyed with the whole situation. My clothes were a mess, my hair was a mess, and I was a mess. Mom was not going to be happy.

"Baby, we're saving you." She explained looking straight ahead "Some other guy is trying to kidnap you or something so we're here to stop that from happening. Seeing you in person makes me understand why we needed to be here in the first place."

Her voice equaled the blade's. It didn't make any sense. The woman was cold. Utterly and lifelessly cold. It was as if she was made of solid ice. What had happened to her?

"How is your world, Bud?" Maxwell asked me, breaking that ice.

"Huh?" I asked.

He laughed and replied, "Yeah, what's grooving?"

I didn't know. I shrugged in response.

"Shucks," Maxwell said. "You are the silent type."

I frowned. Why would I tell these complete strangers anything anyways? However I did tell them about that other thing. I probably should stop doing that...

"That's cool." He said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Rouge is that way too."

"Shut up." She said, glaring at him.

"It's cute when she thinks that'll work." He said, chuckling. He looked up at the sky and gazed at it before going on, "Your world is so beautiful. It's colorful and happy. Your earth reminds me of home and my beautiful wife. She is more beautiful than anything or anyone I could ever see."

I looked over at him and smiled.

He let out a long sigh and stretched his arms wide. “There we go. She is the neatest lady I've ever seen too. The house is always at its cleanest."

"Could you shut up?" Rouge asked.

He smirked. "Someone sounds jealous."

Ruthlessly, she tugged me along. Maxwell quickly forgot about the whole "Sydney" spell and asked me about this "timeline" and what it was like, who was famous, and other arrangements. I listened to what he had to say and he went on about his era, celebrities, and so forth.

Why was Kiran out to get me so badly? I wished I could leave this place. It was too grassy and my neck hurt like crazy. I couldn't understand how Rouge was wearing that dress. She could hardly be comfortable.

"Here we are." Rouge said, stopping in her tracks as I bumped into her. She turned around to look at our surroundings.

"Yes." she said after a pause. "Good riddance."

Maxwell looked over at Rouge. "That's ice cool." and then laughed looking at me. "Get it?"

I shook my head in disagreement.

Rouge grabbed his arm. "Get us out of here."

Maxwell smiled and looked over at me as his eyes lost color. "Good luck, close your eyes, bud."

I closed them and in a split second, I felt my surroundings disappear, just like before.

"Okay." He said. "You can open them now.”