Walking is fun, there is a bounce to every step. Makes my body shake with a fun pounding sound. Fun… yes, that is a good word. I walk. Colours are everywhere – many, many pretty colours. I don’t know what colours are called, but I know they are colours – wait, there is one. This… tiny thing that is all bendy and foldy. It is purple. It has petals – a flower! What is a petal? What is a flower? Huh… I must be smart to just know things. The floor is squishy and bright. The roof is bright with a really bright big dot. Looks like… massive ray of sunlight. Lots of clouds, it might be raining soon… Sunlight? Clouds? Rain? Hmm, not sure what that is but feels bad. I walk somewhere good. Where is good? What is good? I don’t know but I want… I want to be good. I want to… make good? Maybe good is food! I want to make some, I need food soon.
I walk.
There is weird thing on floor. Same weird thing that was in old place, but looks different. Looks… smaller than small thing, and smooth. It has long rope on top of its head. Hair. Hair? It is colourful. I like it. It’s pretty. It is watching something, not me. I walk and look down. It looks at thing sticking out of colourful fabric. Leg? Leg. That sound right. One is bright and the other is… bloody. Broken. Twisted. Huh? Must be bad. Bad is opposite of good, so I stop bad and make good. Leg for moving. I have legs! I help.
Thing turns and screams. What do? Is there anything nearby? I look around and there is… purple thing! Flower! I grab some and give to it. It look at purple flower, and then me. It is silent. Is it better? It… says something. What? So quiet. So dull. Dull… oh how I detest that word. Dull? Hmm, dull bad so need to make it good.
“I statue! I give purple flower. What bad? I make bad good then you happy.”
It looking at me real perplexed. I copy its position and sit down. Sit? Sit – weird thing for statue to do. It scream but… good scream? Not too loud and face is curled in good way. It laughing! Laugh? That good. Make laugh means statue makes good. It say something again. Too quiet. I lean close. It look at me and leans to me. It scream but in word way.
“CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
Oh! That I do! I nod.
“CAN YOU PICK ME UP?”
I nod. I can do that. Pick up mean put hand under and lift. I do and it on shoulders now. Some bad screaming when I lift. Bad scream make me sad. Make me feel… abhorrent. Like sickened butterflies are fluttering in my guts, trying to break free. Hmm… not sure what that is. Statue lift hand and lift it’s leg up and straight. Something in other hand but that no open. It move arm around head and eyes – cannot see now. I stand still. Not like that – statue wants to move.
“Statue no see.”
It move hands and quiet good screams. Make me feel warm and fuzzy. No more… butterflies.
“Where go?”
It point to side. I follow point and walk. I look down and see in hand is Savra. What Savra? Know not what Savra is but it help. Can move plant in two parts with Savra. Very helpful. I walk. It talk.
“Hey, can you understand me still?”
I nod.
“Oh! So when I am close to your head, you can hear better!”
I nod. Sound correct. It laugh.
“Quick question; What is your name? I am Chaz Cliffclimber! Good at climbing cliffs, not trees…”
It sigh. It is Chaz Cliffclimber. My shoulders shake up and down – body vibrate. Low tremble sound. Statue can good scream? Statue can laugh?! This make statue happy.
“And whatchu doing out here? Just going for a stroll? Where do you come from? Maybe that is not just a quick question now…”
I think. Where do I come from? Hmm…
“I am statue. I here to see pretty colour thingies and make good. Need to make good to eat now. I come from black and white box. It was not pretty. Can walk so I walk. I want to make lots of good and stop bad. What Chaz Cliffclimber want?”
“I wanna go home! That’s where we are going after all.”
Chaz Cliffclimber voice warm. Make me happy.
“What Chaz Cliffclimber doing before meet statue?”
“Just… just call me Chaz. No need for Cliffclimber. I am not my dad – well, I was here because I heard that there was a super cool cliff that you can climb in the forest here. In the top middle of it somewhere is a cave that apparently gives you superpowers! I didn’t find it or anything and actually got lost, so I climbed a tree and found out where I was – buuuut getting down the tree was a LOT harder then getting up and I fell.”
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I nod as Chaz speak. I no idea what Chaz talking about.
“We in forest?”
“…nooooo, we are in a desert!”
“We in desert? What desert? Statue confused, desert sound wrong and forest right.”
Chaz pat head with both hands, makes fun bang beat. I walk to bang beat.
“No I’m sorry! that was sarcasm – it means I said something but I meant to say it in a way that made you realise that I meant the opposite – we are in a forest, not a desert. I haven’t been to a real desert before, that is way further then I have ever been.”
Chaz make statue head inside head hurt. Brain? Brain. Brain hurt.
“So, we in forest? What is forest?”
“A forest is… a really big place with lots of trees and animals and flowers and stuff like that. It’s its own world kinda, but people will come into the forest to experience it and take things from it like wood by cutting down trees.”
People? People take things from forest? That sound bad.
“It is bad when people take thing from forest? Do they give back?”
Chaz laugh again. Statue laugh too. Laugh make me feel good.
“Well, people should give back to the forest but many don’t. The monsters here do get angry if we take too much so they keep us all in check – or that is at least what my dad says. I haven’t seen any monsters here so far. I thought you might be one but you are way too cool and nice.”
Cool and nice? Statue like that. Monster? Statue… don’t like that. Monster bad. Statue stop monster and make good.
“Statue is Statue, no monster. Monster bad, Statue will stop bad and make good.”
“I knowww I know. By the way, we are getting close to home! Do you want to stay? My mum and dad can make some amazingly good food for you as thanks!”
Good can be amazing? Statue like this a lot. I nod.
“I do that. Sound amazingly good.”
I walk and soon, two bigger Chaz here. No… four or five?
“So many Chaz’s.”
“Wha? No, I am Chaz! Those are my parents and the house helpers.”
“What is parent and house helper?”
Chaz sigh. Statue feel bad. Feel useless. Statue walk to parent and the house helpers.
They speak quietly.
“I am fine! Look! He helped me, he isn’t a monster! He was talk about food too, can he stay for dinner-”
More quiet speaking.
“Okay, I am not fine but he really helped! Please, he is called ‘Statue’ and talks!”
“I am statue” I say confidently. Parents and house helpers walk back and then forward to me. Weird, why not forward? They look… scared, thankful and intrigued. Hmm… statue know what a few of those words mean.
“You need to speak really close to his head or he cant hear you! Like this – Statue, you want to eat something, right?”
I nod “Chaz says mum and dad make amazingly good food.”
“…well then come in! Thank you so much for taking care of Chaz, Statue.”
I hear lots of good screaming. Laughter. It make Statue feel warm. Happy. Fulfilled. Like something is better now. Statue follow mum and dad. House helpers walk fast and put white fabric with flat purple flower on it. House helpers point at big stone and walk close to Statue.
“You will need to sit there. Unfortunately, I do not think a wooden chair will survive your weight – I mean size! You are quite big.” Statue and Chaz vibrate and good scream. “Also, could you please lower Chaz on the stretcher? We need to whisk him to the doctor right away so he can feel better nice and quick.” House helper point to two sticks with whiteish fabric in between. I put Chaz down. Chaz scream when leg move. Statue feel bad. Chaz lie down and close eyes. House helpers carry Chaz away. Statue sad Chaz gone but happy Chaz feel better. Statue sit down on stone and wait.
Not moving make Statue sad. Statue wait for amazingly good food. Air smell… different. Air smell good. Statue hear quiet voices. Chaz come out with Mum and Dad – Chaz has sticks and white hard fabric around leg – no more blood! Chaz hug Statue leg. I pat Chaz head, Chaz make me feel warm fuzzies again. Feel good. Mum and Dad come out with house helpers, carrying large plates of… colourful smooshy piles. Big white and green circle is put in front of Statue. I look at it. Is this food? No, this plate. Plate… mean food is near. Good! Plate… I haven’t seen one of these for a long time. What plate? Must be good. In next few seconds, lots of colourful smooshy thing put on plate. Statue pick some up. It sticky. Statue put it mouth. It… amazingly good food. It… has flavour. Its salty and meaty. There is fats and spices and herbs and peppers and vegetables and love and Statue cry.
After amazingly good food, Chaz take Statue to ‘his bedroom.’ I stand next to its bed and watch Chaz sleep. Chaz make Statue feel warm and cuddly. I am happy.
Time flies by when you are having fun, and time flew by. I go with Chaz everywhere. I meet other people. Chaz call Statue ‘my best friend!’ and State call Chaz ‘best friend’ now too! Chaz and Statue eat amazingly good food every day and explore forest and other colourful places. Everything is so pretty and Statue is happy. Sometimes Mum and Dad tell Statue to stand still when many friend come over. Statue no like still standing so Statue leave or will have to wait. Statue sometimes wait and new people are “working partners” and… “guides”. Dad is a “guide”. Guide… just like what one of my jobs used to be in Fael. Fael? Job? What I thinking? Statue just statue, no job. What Fael? Sound weird.
Colourful friendship,
Statue is Chaz’s best friend,
Warm fuzzies all day.
Everything is warm and Chaz is happy. Statue go exploring again with Chaz and we find the cool cliff! Statue watch Chaz climb and wait to catch. Chaz climb fast and well. Chaz get to hole in middle of cliff. Chaz climb in. Chaz scream. Not good scream. Bad scream. Scared scream. Statue use Savra to climb. Statue get to hole. Get to cave. I look and there small bones. Small skeleton. Chaz crying. It’s… a puppy. This is the cave where I buried one my first victim. It was not a person, but a puppy. When I was a kid, I saw a puppy that was cold and shivering. It was tiny and weak. I realised that without food or water, it would die and it looked to be at deaths door. I thought it was a mercy killing – putting it out of its misery but I could have tried to nurse it back to health. This must have been the moment where my soul became ever so slightly evil and then it pushed all the way to pure evil. Now pure good because of the curse. Curse… evil… good… victim… all colours go black and white. Statue fall and hit ground. Statue hear snap and split and break on ground. Chaz descends the cliff fast. I have never been to this plane before so how did a cave that only exists in the plane of purity teleport here? This makes no sense… statue make no sense. Statue tired. Chaz shout word at Statue. Chaz run off. Mum and Dad and house helpers come back. Statue too tired. Statue sleep.
Purple, red, and yellow fumes are thick today.