“He is alone, alone in a world unknown to him.
Alone in a place he does not understand.
Longing for a home that never was.
He who is alone in the world, Hiraeth.”
I am Hiraeth, a young adolescent in high school walking up the hill on the first day of the year to my school... alone.
Why you ask?
Here is why.
“Who’s the creepy boy”
“Where?”
“The one walking alone”
”Ugh, he IS creepy!”
“Don’t talk so loudly he might hear you”
“Fucking weirdo, reading at a time like this”
Sigh, this is why
I don’t enjoy going to school because of this.
I feel like I don’t belong there.
“damn, why does he have to be in our class”
“I dont want to see him”
“He’s always alone “
“Yeah, disgusting right. Why is he always in the corner.”
“He is so strange, he never talks.”
“Why do we have to have be in the same class as him.”
“I know right, he should go somewhere else. Nobody likes him anyways”
Well at least I have my books where I can escape this sad reality for the tales of other worlds of magic and technology unimaginable to man
The only time I can feel at peace is when I can read tales of long foregone civilizations unraveling the mysteries of the universe
Stories about mysterious warriors walking the long lonely journey towards their fate.
“Hiraeth, Give that book here I am confiscating it unless you want me to suspend you huh”
“Yes, sir.”
“And stop looking outside.”
Well there goes my only respite.
Later.
“Mom, I’m home!”
“WHY ARE YOU SO LATE HIRAETH KWANTES!”
“But this is the time the school ends in the last year of high school.”
"We have more lessons than we did last year."
“DON’T LIE TO ME, TO YOUR ROOM!”
Being send to your room at the age of 17, this is saddening.
The book I was reading was confiscated and I have nothing else to do.
I might aswell go to the library.
“Mom, I am going to the library.”
“I won’t be gone for long”
After a short walk to the library
The library has always been one of my favourite spots to hang out.
There are lots of interesting stories.
Even when don’t feel like reading books I can surf on the web.
I have always used the library as my escape route from the rest of the world.
I have always enjoyed the presence of the librarians.
They show me all kinds of the strange or different things they have here.
“Hey Hiraeth are you back again, we have a new set of newly books you can take a look at.”
“Thanks for the tip Julia I’ll go take a look.”
“Take your time, they are in the back”
New stories I have not yet read, since Julia suggested them they have to be good..
Now lets take a look, The chronicles of Helias, Book 3: The Blood Moon, The Mansion on the hill and the list goes on but there is one special book that attracts my attention
“The Quest for a home that never was” oh, I want to read this, I have to read this.
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“Julia, can I borrow this?!”
“Let me take a look. Hm, that is strange. We don’t have that book on the list.”
“I can’t read it?”
“Aaaah, of course you can have it, you know what we don’t have it on the list anyways so you take it home and we’ll keep it a secret just between us.” *Wink*
“Thank you Julia, thanks alot”
“Don’t mind it now go quickly before others notice this.”
“See you later Julia.”
“Good bye”
“I am home mom, I’ll be in my room”
I still have to live out that ‘punishment’ from before.
Walking up stairs every step seems to take forever.
I can’t wait I want to read this book.
Finally I reach my room, I step inside.
I reach my bed and I take a look at the cover of the book.
There is a young man walking down a long forest path.
In the middle of the green forest. The young man contrasting with the grass green surrounding him.
Long sky blue hair waving like the wind and a face flowing like a calm river.
Walking gracefully looking at you through the cover with calm compassionate eyes
What a beautiful person.
Bewitched by that sight I open the first page of the book.
It tells me about the writer
I am Hiraeth, he who longs for a home that cannot be reached.
I am writing to the me that once lived long ago.
I am writing of a time long long ago. When I longed for a home.
I will tell you about my journey in the hope that you might reach the home I could not.
Follow me into the world, a world where you might find the home you long for.
“huh, does it end here?”
“O wait, there is a sentence at the end”
“Dilynwch fi fy annwyl, Felly, efallai y byddwch yn dod o hyd i'ch cartref”
What does it mean?
What is this longing?
I want a place I can be myself, a place I feel at peace.
I long for a place to belong.
The moment I think that a blue shining circle appears beneath my feet.
Everything is black, I can’t see anything when I hear a voice.
“Hiraeth, I am glad I have found you at last”
“Who are you?”
“That is not important” “Let me ask you Hiraeth, ydych chi am ddod o hyd i'ch cartref?”
“Hiraeth, Do you want to find where you belong?”
“Yes, Of course I do, who does not!”
“Yna, Dilynwch fi fy annwyl, Felly, efallai y byddwch yn dod o hyd i'ch cartref”
I am so tired. *yawn*
I can’t stay awake anymore.
“Sleep my child, for when you wake up a you will make the first step on a journey of a thousand miles”
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Hello readers I want to make a request, would everyone who enjoyed the story and read further chapters comment to tell me what in this prologue peaked your interest and what you would further like to see from this story.
Thank you very much for reading :)