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Muffins the Barbarian
Chapter 1 - The Unexpected

Chapter 1 - The Unexpected

His vision was blurred as tears were streaming down his face.  He clenched the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. The night was cold and dark because the moon was blocked out by rain clouds. Droplets of water fell continuously on the speeding car but the sound was drowned out by the music blaring from the stereo. Climbing from 25, 30, to 45mph he needed to escape, to get away from this cruel world. Swerving in and out on city streets not paying attention, just letting his car take him wherever it wanted to go.

For a Friday night at seven the streets were quiet. Nobody driving or out walking about, it was just him and the road. His brakes screeched and the tail end of the car slid on the wet pavement as he took a right turn. He reached a straight away that led out to the country where there was hundreds of miles of farmlands and vacant roads just waiting for him.

30 to 40,  55 to 60, 65 to70 mph he sped not noticing anything in the world around him. Up ahead at the last intersection before leaving town was a red light. Unlike the residential area he had been driving through previously this was the outskirts of the busy retail part of town.

Coming up to the intersection his foot hadn't once left the gas pedal. Suddenly a silver minivan appeared before him. Slightly coming back to his senses and with his quick reaction time he swerved to the right to avoid the van while slamming on the breaks.

With the wet road conditions his car started skidding sideways. Slowly he watched through the passenger side widow as he approached a building at a uncontrollable speed. The car hit the curb vaulting itself into the air and barrel rolling into the building...

Jerking awake, was a boy covered in sweat who quickly tried to displace the common plague of his sleep. He reached over to his night stand to retrieve his phone. It revealed that it was only 6:03. He had another 27 min before he had to get up for school. Putting down his phone he crawled to the edge of the bed where he reached out and positioned his wheelchair before skillfully swinging himself down into it.

*Clap* *clap* "Clap on." he said which activated the lights in the room. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself each time he did this. Years ago when he had seen the commercial for the clapper, he never saw himself using it. Although after losing his the use of his legs he couldn't think of life without it.

His room was plain and clean with a simple bed, dresser, and closet. A lot of the things that used to clutter up his room were moved to storage, thrown away, or sold to make room for him to maneuver around in his wheelchair.

The calming sea foam blue walls were accompanied by sandy tan carpet created the only real color in the room. Unfortunately the carpet was a little more difficult to maneuver around on compared to hard surfaces. Causing minor frustrations from time to time.

Wheeling to his bedroom door was simple from his bed but most of the house wasn't as easy. Obviously a 50 year old house wasn't designed to be wheelchair friendly. Most of the doorways ,his bedroom included, he had to slowly shimmy back and forth to get through.

*Clap* *Clap* "Clap off." He said from the hallway Shutting off the lights and closing his bed room door. He proceeded to move down the hallway to the bathroom. Once reaching the bathroom he had to once again shimmy through the doorway into the cramped bathroom.

On the right side of the bathroom was the vanity then past it was the toilet and to the left was the bathtub. There was barely enough room in-between for him to roll his wheelchair in. He wasn't able to turn it around so when he wanted to leave he would have to back himself out through the doorway. Of course shimmying the whole way backwards as well.

He wheeled himself in front of his mirror. His mother had hung it directly ahead of him on the far just after the accident. It was the perfect height to see himself wheel chair and all.

"Look at you the great Kevin Frueuff" he said to himself with a look of disappointment. He stared into his own piercing blue eyes he inherited from his father. Before moving his shaggy blond hair that hung to his shoulders to uncover the three scars on the right side of his face.

Slowly he traced each of them with his fingers. The largest started above his eyebrow and extended down past his eye to his cheekbone. Luckily his eye wasn't damaged even though the scar was present on his eye lids. The second scar went from his temple straight down two inches. While the last one angled across the right side of his mouth. Starting below his nose and spreading out diagonally across his lips down to the right side of his chin. After he finished tracing the last scar. His fingers then moved to the left side of his face starting above the left eyebrow and continued moving his finger all the way down to the jaw line. He clenched his fist trying to maintain self control. He did this.

***

Walking down the hall was a new student, she had long brunette hair covering most of her face. Which swayed back and forth as she walked, allowing for her emerald eyes to glisten whenever light was able to shine through. Standing at about five foot four, she wore plain baggy clothes that hid any sort of body she had. Her whole aura screamed leave me alone.

This was her third day at school and she hasn't talked to anybody other than teachers. Not that she cared. The classes are easy, the school is bigger, and best of all the library is has a better selection. Other than that and the lack of friends nothing's really different from her old school.

It was the end of the day and she arrived at her locker. She was trying to quickly put in her combination because today was a special. Boundless Saga had already went online and she was behind thousands of people. She begged her mother to allow her to stay home and begin right at the launch but the stick in the mud said she had to come to school.

While being so giddy she kept on messing up her combination. This was her fourth time trying. so she decided to dig out the paper with her combo on it from one of her folders.

"16...34...ugh" she grunted as someone hit her from behind screwing up the combo once again. They weren't even subtle about it either. They straight two hand pushed her into her locker.  

"Heya troll aren't ya going to apologize when ya get in someone's way" Said a weasely voice from behind her.    

"..." Ignoring the nuisance she focused on getting her locker unlocked. Although she could feel multiple stares in her direction not to mention the hallway got noticeably quieter.

"Heya, I'ma talking to ya here!" came the voice again this time followed by a kick to her shoes. A faint metallic ting went unnoticed by everyone but the girl.

"Dusty calm down, Cousin It here probably can't hear ya, through all dat dirty greasy hair." Came a deep oafish voice.

"Hihihihih...." *bang* "OWWW!" she heard both voices yell from behind her. When she turned to look she saw a skinny rat faced boy along with a thick boorish looking one sprawled on the floor.

Looking up she made eye contact with a pair of piercing blue eyes belonging to a blonde haired boy in a wheelchair. Once he rolled in she noticed people stopped staring and the noise level went back to normal. Many students could even be heard letting out a sigh of relief.

"What the wheels ya got a death wish do ya?" Came the weasely voice from the rat faced boy, as both of the bullies were in the process of standing up. Ignoring the annoying pests the boy in wheelchair started rolling away with a blank expression.

"h..heya wait up ya vegetable!"  the boorish looking one managed to stutter out.

" Ya the almighty Kevin look at ya now. Yur nuttin more than shriveled flesh. Dats why none of those fancy schools are comin round anymore. Nobody would want ya to play for them cause yur worthless" The rat faced urchin said while sneering.

Kevin rolled backwards going right over the toes of the rat faced punk. Then looked him straight in the eye, never breaking his emotionless face and said "Pathetic." before casually rolling away down the hall towards the handicap exit.

The two idiotic bullies were sent chasing after him as he left the school. She felt relieved to have them leave and avoided having to deal with pathetic people like them again. When she first saw her savior in the wheelchair she felt a certain sense of kinship and now a great deal of thankfulness.

A girl with a elegant aura then strode over to her from the crowd and said, "He's at it again, are you alright ? I'm Summer who are you?"  

"..Raina ...." she answered timidly in a sweet voice. While also nodding to the five foot ten beauty letting her know that everything was alright. It was difficult to decide if this girl was going to be a friend or foe. Most beauties like Summer enjoy looking down on her.

"Oh, what a pretty name. Don't worry they won't bother you again. They will be too busy with Kevin to remember you ?" Summer said while a smile spread across her face. It gave a certain radiance only beautiful summer day could compare with.

"Wh.. Who is he?" Said Raina curiously.

"Oh the boy who helped you? He does that sort of thing all the time. His name is Kevin Frueuff he..."

"Ehhhhhp" Raina squealed with a shocked face. Tears Burst forth from her emerald eyes streaming down her face. Summer gave a bewildered look at Raina's sudden outburst.

Raina's mind went completely blank and she didn't know what to do. Her natural fight or flight instincts kicked in and she bolted, cantering away awkwardly.

***

"Hey Summer, what did you do? I just saw a girl run away from you crying ." Came a smooth smokey voice belonging to tall and sleek, dark haired boy with lively gray eyes. He looked like he could be a model partially due to the being dressed in designer labels but mostly because he looked so charming.

"I didn't do anything, "Stated Summer defensively while her cheeks tinted a slight red.

"Well it didn't look that way. If you didn't do anything why was she having the waterworks festival?" The boy asked questioningly while moving closer while gently grasping her soft hand.

" I..I just said Kevin's name and that's what happened." She replied with a slightly frustrated that he would accuse her of making someone cry.

"Huh weird, well make sure you apologize next time you see her." The dashing boy said before bending down to gently kiss Summer's forehead.

***

A short middle aged woman sat on a couch completely absorbed in the book she was reading. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun while her cinnamon brown eyes never left the text. Beside her sat a portly balding man who was bent over focusing on the work before him.

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

His piercing blue eyes, fixated on a small fishing hook with a long shank held in a vise. His fingers moved nimbly as he started wrapping thread around the shank of the hook. Methodically, he added strips of rabbit fur, buck tail, and feathers in-between layers of thread and fast setting glue. Slowly the fly fishing lure started to take shape. After trimming away the excess, a look of satisfaction spread across the man's face. Just as he was about to finish up the fly he was interrupted.

*ding dong*

The man got up to get the door while the lady hadn't made a move, her eyes were still glued to the book in her hands. It took a second for the middle aged man to shake off the stiffness in his joints before walking to the door.

"Oh Lear,  come in! come in!" Said the man in an excited in his husky voice while motioning his visitor to step through the doorway.

"Thank you, Mr. Frueuff" Replied a tall dark haired boy with lively gray eyes.

"Oh, please call me William. How long have we known each other. I'm sorry if you came to see Kevin I'm afraid he will refuse again" William said while shaking his head.

"Oh no I came to see you and Lynda this time. " Said Lear while he took off his shoes and put them in his accustomed space while continuing walking into the living room.

"Why won't you call me my first name but you will hers" William grumbles under his breath before following hum to the living room.

"Oh Lear, come sit down sweetie!" said the woman forgetting the book and jumping off the couch to greet the handsome boy with a hug. Lear sat down as the woman disappeared in the kitchen.

William sat back down on the couch while his wife came back in the room with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies and set them down on the coffee table. Which Lear immediately reach down to retrieve. The cookie disappeared just as soon as it reached his hand.

"So what do we owe this visit for Lear?" William asked curiously.

"Well, you know my father company is just about to release Boundless Saga after all these years." Lear stated excitedly.

"Yes I remember the sparkle in his eyes when he talked about his dream so long ago. It was when you and Kevin were but munchkins playing in sandboxes. We all thought he was such a dreamer but it's wonderful that he has finally achieved it after all these years." Lynda said with a warm smile while still reminiscing about the past in her mind.

"It has been a long and a rough road. So, this past week got me thinking if Kevin won't meet me in this world, then how about the world in Boundless Saga?"

The eyes of both the parents lit up like a kid at Christmas. They exchanged looks of hope and wonder.

"But Lear you know as well as any, that we can't afford it."  William's voice was filled with regret and his face revealed a troubled look.

William had been eyeing up the cookies since his wife had set them down. Before he reached down to grab a cookie his hand was swatted away by his lovely wife wearing a stern look. Causing his face to contort to an even more troubling one.

"Oh don't worry about that, I asked my father and he gave me an extra game capsule. Completely free with a life time subscription of course.  Now before you deny it, this is a present and I'm using it to bring Kevin back into the world. Now I cant give it to him for obvious reasons so I come to ask you to give it to him for me...

It's been two weeks since Lear Lindo's visit and William Frueuff was in his living room looking at a white tube that was about 7 feet long and 3 feet wide with Boundless Saga etched on its side . It kind of looked to him like a tanning bed. Not that a forty two year old man has ever used a tanning bed. It was just what he imagined one to be like.  

William and his wife Lynda took the day off of work today to be here when the game pod was delivered and setup. Neither of them were very good with technology so they wanted to be around to learn how everything works. Luckily, the technician installing the game pod was patient and took time fielding all their ridiculous questions. After a few hours they were able to learn all the basic functions.

William was also amazed they could get the game pod hooked up to the television as well. Being a poor household they neither had satellite or cable. But they just got their soon to be favorite channel.

Kevin should be coming home anytime now he thought. He waddled on into the kitchen where his wife was busy putting together a dinner so Kevin could eat quickly then hop right into Boundless Saga.

Both him and Lynda were excited for him to go into the game. after the accident two years ago he distanced himself from all his former friends and almost completely stop showing emotion. Now he spends most his time in his room alone reading books or doing homework. The past two years he has been ranked first academically for his grade. Which is completely opposite of his old self. He was a sports star, scouted by various universities, while maintaining slightly above average grades and not to mention being extremely social. It's extremely difficult to watch as a parent how he seemingly threw away his old life completely.

***

Kevin rolled up the ramp to the back door of his house. He got home a little later today than usual because he had to ditch two disturbances.

Once he went through the back door, one of the few in the whole house wide enough to easily fit through, He was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the aroma of food.

The back door led into the kitchen where Kevin saw his mother slaving away at the stove and his father trying to sneak cookies from the cookie jar.

"Dad, what are you doing?" he said knowing full well what was going to happen.

His father jumped as his mother turned her attention away from the stove to glare at him. Quickly he tried to move his hand away from the jar but she was too fast smacking his hand with the hot wooden spoon she had been using to stir the contents on the stove.

"Welcome home, Honey!" His mother said with her usual warm smile. His father just gave him a look of betrayal while he licked the sauce off his hand left over by the spoon.

"Quick go sit at the table, I'll bring you a plate of food right away." Said his mom cheerfully.

Kevin did as he was told but thought that this was just bizarre. First off his parents usually work until late and they were never home when he got back from school. Next was the fact that his mom was dishing only him up a plate of food. Unlike many families, they lived by the solid rule that they eat dinner together. No matter how late anyone was for dinner they always waited for each other to eat.

He looked to his father who had also sat down at the table across from him. His father noticed his questioning gaze but was still ticked off from earlier so acted like he didn't notice. He just went back to rubbing sore his hand.

His mother soon came back over with a plate of steaming hot spaghetti and garlic bread . She placed the plate in front of him then set down some silverware for him to use.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked while giving him a beaming smile that felt a little creepy.

"Just water," Kevin replied indifferently.

"How was your day at school?" My father asked while as his mother placed the water in front of him.

"Why are you home?" he asked back completely ignoring the previous question. This Atmosphere was getting pretty fishy. All he wanted to do was go to my room, read a few books, then fall asleep.

"Well, we have a surprise! Quick eat up and we will show you!" his mother said barely able to contain her excitement.

A surprise, great. It's always bad news whenever she gets over excited. I can't think of any time that her surprises have back fired he thought.

hmmm... his 5th birthday they got me a cat and stored it in the attic. It escaped the cage and lived in the attic for a month before it came down. Only to run away three days later never to be seen again.

Last Christmas she wanted to surprise the neighbors with a Christmas carol but they weren't home so we spent an hour out in the snow singing to an empty house while waiting for someone to come out to give them their presents .

Oh and he can't forget when him and his father went camping for the weekend and found the house a completely different color when they came back. Needless to say they still are the only ones with a pink house on the block.

Kevin could think of crazy instances all day long that she put him through but he just focused on quickly eating to get this over with. He couldn't help but notice that they kept on exchanging dumb these looks while he silently ate.

Once he finished eating they guided him into the living room where he noticed that one of the couches was missing and in its place was a large white tube. The tube appeared to be something like a cryo pod out of some cheesy sci-fi movie.

"How can we afford this?" he finally said after seeing it said Boundless Saga on the side.

"Oh don't worry about that, just go! Play! Have fun!" His mother said while forcefully pushing his wheelchair to the side of the game Pod. His parents then proceeded to open it up and motion him to get in.

He obviously had his doubts about how his parents obtained this but his curiosity of what the new world had in store overtook him so he climbed on in .

***

Once William and Lynda forced Kevin into the Game. They both ran into the kitchen and loaded up their plates with food before jumping on to the couch and flipping on the TV, ready to see his saga unfold.

"I'm going to see my baby walk again!" Lynda squealed unable to contain her excitement. While William picked up the guide book they left on the coffee table and wondered if they should have had him read it.

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