Axel walked into detention scanning the room for PB in attempt to try and avoid him. After finding no signs of his predator, he took a seat in the back of the class in two rows in front of Reggie.

“Yoo sup man” Reggie whispered casually,

“What are you doing here?” Axel asked. Last he had checked Ms. Johnson had spared him for getting the question right.

“Mr. Mcque caught me doing experiments in the chem lab…. Again hahah” Reggie said laughing.

“What kind of-” “OOOWW” Axel grunted.

Axel was hit in the head with another spitball of lead. As he pulled the lead out of his head he noticed this one was lighter than usual and he could saw the imprints of letters on some kind of paper hanging out of it. Opening it up he found it contained a message inside. “You will make a retard sound each time I hit you” the note read.

Axel looked around for some sign of his attacker but PB seemed to be nowhere in the room.

“Axel!” Yelled Mr. Johnson “quit looking around the room your exams are in two months don’t you have something to read!?”

“Yes sir!” Axel replied quickly, taking out his advanced physics book.

“Hey! That’s more like it! It's good to see a student using the old-fashioned text!” Mr. Johnson said returning to his tablet.

Axel began enthusiastically reading the physics book chuckling and smiling with each turn of the page.

Some of the classmates sitting close to him peering over his shoulder began quietly laughing to themselves. It wasn't long before it caught the attention of Reggie who was sitting behind him watching the anomaly unfold. Reggie unable to contain his curiosity any longer studied Axel carefully and began whispering something into his arm.

“Jeffery, get me goggles.”

Sliding out of his metallic arm a small array of lenses appeared. They aligned themselves in a row at Axel’s physics book, each one magnifying the lenses of the other. Upon closer inspection, Reggie found that Axel had replaced the pages of his physics books with comic book ones. He was reading one called “The Amazing Spider Man” Which Reggie had realized was the reason for his enthusiastic reading.

“Axel can I borrow your physics book after class? I got some serious studying to do” asked Reggie laughing.

This resulted in chuckling from his fellow classmates behind him.

Axel smiled encapsulated in the moment.

For once people were laughing with him and not at him. Wasting no time PB began to load his metal straw with lead and spat it at Axel.

Axel responded “AUAUAUAU” which caused laughter from many of his surrounding classmates. However, much to Axels surprise Reggie didn’t laugh along.

PB continued to harass Axel with lead for the remainder of the class and over time Reggie started to laugh as well. It would seem Reggie wasn’t on his side after all, he was only there to make a bigger fool of Axel.

“Ok class detention is over.” Mr. Johnson said, closing his tablet.

As the students exited the building they caught the last red beams of the suns light disappearing over the horizon... Axel, the last one to get up from his seat, took a look outside at the sinking sun seeing it as an omen for what lay ahead.

As Axel reached the gateways of the school's entrance he saw Pb and J off in the distance under a tree. They were eyeing him down intently making malicious plans for his next hazing. Pb stood under the tree rubbing his hands together, as Jeff took a blow of his cigarette and shook his head.

Axel hesitated to take a step forward seeing the pathway to his home on the other side of the school unguarded and free of obstacles. Axel soon dismissed the thought of making an escape. Although they were quite a distance away, running would do him any good thanks to J’s convenient ability.

J’s power was called “in bloom”. He was able to produce sticky like substances that resembled liquorish that bloomed from his skin pores. If one ever attempted to run from PB Jeff could shoot a long sugary strand that would stick to you and hold you in place. Jeff was exactly what Pb needed to hold people down as Pb was rather slow in his lead form.

Axel’s blood ran cold, he couldn’t go out there. If he did he was as good as dead. He had barely survived his other encounters with Pb and those were inside the school.

Axel looked from left to right at the classmates around him looking for sympathy. All around, all he saw were looks of “your screwed kid”, or others laughing at the hopeless state of his current dilemma.

Looking up to the sky in desperation, Axel pleaded to the universe for help.

“You tell me to follow the light but all I see is…”

He grabbed his mother’s necklace and closed his eyes as he raised his head.

“What are you looking for? A guardian angel?” said a voice from behind Axel.

Axel spun around to find a young woman with pink hair and flashing brass knuckles, leaning against the school gates.

[https://i.imgur.com/cnm9h2F.jpg]

She was in superb shape, far more than any of the other students in the school, and yet had a laid-back attitude that hid much of her intimidating physique. From her curvy hips to her large biceps, there seemed to be no part of her body that wasn’t in the highest level of physical form.

She stared at Axel like he was some helpless fish that had washed up on the beach and needed to be flung back into the ocean. While she acknowledged his desperate situation she seemed to observe him with a skeptical eye, almost as if his inability to extract oxygen from the air was his own fault.

“It’s been quite some time baby blue,” she said smiling.

“B?” Axel asked in disbelief “I thought you were out for the week due to hospitalization?”

“I wasn’t staying in no bed for a week! I just wanted an excuse to run off and get a tattoo!”

She turned her body to the right revealing a tattoo that was an Imprint of the letter “B” on her arm and hip. On either side of the B there were quotation marks that resembled that of angel wings spread out across her arm.

“You got that from the Ritgers huh?” Axel asked

B shot a confused look at Axel utterly stunned.

Ritgers Island was one of the most notorious spots for crime. Some of the biggest outcasts of society lived there in isolation from civilization. There was no system of government community or humanity of any form on its isolated island. The most notorious criminals lived in total anarchy amongst its no wall prison. It was only the hardest and highest level bounty hunters that were ever treading in the space voluntarily. And among all other things the self-proclaimed king Darius was rumored to live in a castle somewhere in that chaotic place.

B herself had even had to go in under the radar as strong as she was, how Axel had come to know of this place and where her tattoo was from, she had no idea.

“What?” B answered surprisingly. “What would a twerp like you know about Ritgers?”

“I… I know someone who lives there.”

“You know someone from Ritgers? Yeah right!” She said laughing “Not that it matters you’d scream like a little girl if you ever got one.”

Axel shook his fist at the ground, triggered by B’s comment.

“Why does everyone keep picking on me!” he exclaimed.

“You make it away to easy” B said crossing her arms.

“Then, why won’t anyone help me?” cried Axel.”

“Axel”, she chuckled, “What exactly are you expecting?” B said laughing and shaking her head.

Axel was so mystified by B’s relaxed gestures and laughter in light of his situation. “That look” he thought, “It's similar to the one Lance gives me.”

“Everyone else is afraid of Pb, in fact, I’d say they’re happy you get bullied so they don’t have to through it! If you think you're going to get help from people like that you got another thing comin.”

“What about you? You're not a coward right? You can help me!”

“For what?”” A minute a second?” “As soon as I save your ass hell just do it again as soon as I turn my back! I'm not here to babysit you!”

“So I’m dead then” Axel said, sighing.

B approached Axel placing her hand on his shoulder. Although it was a friendly gesture the collapsing weight of her brass knuckled felt like an elephant was leaning up against him.

“Look baby blue”, she said “If you won't stand up and fight for yourself how can you expect others to do that?”

Axel sighed and looked down trying to conceal the strain she placed on his shoulder.

“How can I fight back?” he thought. “I can’t even stand up straight while she talks to me! Can she not understand that?”

“You’re just like them! A coward! You're going to have a girl win your battles for you? Just what kind of man are you?” B said.

“Saved by a girl” Axel laughed, “Why is that a bad thing?” “I don't care who I get saved by I just wish someone could free me from this nightmare I have to face every day.”

B withdrew her hand letting out a sigh.

“And as for what kind of man am I?” “That doesn’t matter, because after Pb is done with me there will be nothing left.”

“You can't deal with a school bully? And you want to be out there fighting crime how does that make sense?”

Axel grew silent. She was right. If he couldn't even survive high school how was he going to get into the SPA?

“Give up on your delusions of becoming an agent, leave this school and just try to live a normal life!” “I can't save you from a dog on your doorstep when there’s dragons in your driveway!”

Axel hung his hood over his head and started walking out of the school gates.

“You just don't understand,” he whispered remorsefully.

“UHHH” B grumbled. “If you can't fight then why you are even here!”

Axel stopped unable to look back at B.

“This isn't a daycare center! We're supposed to be the future of fighting crime! This isn't a game!”

Do not be afraid, the light of the father shines brightly within you that is your true power

“It’s my dreams,” Axel said trembling.

“There’s something deep inside of me that says if I don't come here…. I’ll have no other reason left to live.”

“I don’t know how or when it is going to happen exactly but I've seen it in my dreams! I will become an agent! And I will protect the people of the badlands!”

B shook her head, “You’re going to live a life of misery for a dream!? Get real! Dreams are just dreams!”

“Maybe so, but those dreams, are the only thing keeping me going!” “And…. If I don't live for them I might as well be dead anyway!” Axel said defiantly.

As Axel said those words her face became must heavier. Her hardheaded stubbornness was now a soft and solemn one. Realizing words wouldn't reach Axel, B shook her head and started to walk out of the schoolyard.

“You’re selfish and stupid, just like my younger brother was,” she said stopping. “You have no idea how bad your depressed attitude affects those around you, I feel bad for your parents.”

Axel grabbed his necklace admiring it before looking back at B.

“I…. don't have any” he barely managed to slip out.

B stood still for a moment taking his words in.

“Well… That makes two of us then” she said firmly

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Axel looked up from his necklace. He couldn't make out B’s facial expression or her demeanor, but it was a chilling one. He watched as she walked over the hill slowly disappearing from his view.

“Stop crying and clean up your own shit” she muttered as she slowly disappeared.

“Mommy and daddy aren't gonna do that for us anymore.” And with those words, she was out of his view.

Axel stood in the school walkway contemplating his next move. He soon realized all he could do was hope. He had to believe in himself, that no matter how hard things got he would make it through the day. The encounters, the conversation, the eyes of his acquaintances. He carried those images as he left the school gates. He would not enjoy what was to come but he would weather it.

Axel’s hand began to shake as he approached the two. He took deep breaths trying to quell the lump in his throat that could turn into a scream at any moment...

“Hey buddy” Pb said viscously. “Why don’t we go for a little walk?”

PB aggressively grabbed Axel's shoulder and pushed him in the direction of the forest outside the school grounds.

Axel gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, but quietly acquiesced to PB’s daunting aggression. He held his hand over his necklace against his chest as he disappeared into the thickness of the trees that made up Nautica Valley.

Nautica Valley was a forest reservation home to many exotic species and wildlife mutated by the great shift. From oversized beetles to various Pokémon looking creatures Nautica valleys assortment of wildlife was a sight to see in the town of Fleetwood.

Usually, students were not allowed to go out into the valley by themselves. They were supposed to be accompanied by adults at all times while traveling through it. In the first few miles of Forest as well as the ground that occupied the school, a large generator of Dark energy was used as a deterrent to keep most of the beasts that resided in the valley out. Axel had now journeyed into this fearsome place with two of the most dangerous people in his school. His mind raced rapidly with thoughts of being fed to bears or stung by bees as his captors led him across the forest.

It wasn't long before they left the low valleys and went into the high mountain tops residing in the forest. As they continued walking they came to the edge of a cliff with a stone marked Fleetwood Memorial.

The memorial was a collection of names edged into a 20 ft. grey stone. Its large oval shape was angled down in a wedge towards the ground holding its collection of names. The stone rested beneath the shade of a tree in the forest with various flowers placed around it.

Pb stopped temporarily staring into the stone for some time before proceeding forward. After a moment he let go of Axel and walked on to the edge of the cliff looking down at the sea below.

After a few moments, he turned around grinning at Axel with a sadistic look on his face.

“Hahahahah WHOOOOWEEE” J laughed grabbing his sides.

PB looked over the cliff and back at Axel and then back at the cliff again, darting his eyes back and forth with great intensity.

Slowly but surely, Axel's heart began to beat louder and louder as Pb continued to look over the cliff with J laughing behind him.

How far had they traveled? Had anyone seen him disappear? Was there any way anyone could save him? Even if he screamed at the top of his lungs, would it even reach halfway through the thick of this forest?

Axel’s heartbeats started to muffle the sounds of his captors... His eyes began to palpitate, and his heart raced as if death was looking him in the face. Grabbing his chest as tightly as he could, he tried to stop his heart from bursting as thoughts of severe torture and agonizing pain raced through his mind. He couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t care what would happen to him he just wanted it to be over

“P...b” He weakly spoke “Why did you take me here?”

“HAHAH” Pb laughed “This is the end for you Axel” he said digging his finger into the bottom of his eyelid. As he stretched the bottom of the lid he leaned his head back in satisfaction garnishing Axels fear.

“What...what do you mean?” asked Axel trembling

“I mean this is it for you Ax” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“You see Ax…. Well… I'm tired of seeing you around the school grounds…. Aaaand I'm tired of you stinking up school hallways...and frankly…..” he said sighing, “I'm also tired of beating the crap out of you. It's time we put all this to an end don't you think? You know for the sake of both of us don'tcha think?”

Axel's lips began to shake as he uttered out pleas to PB.

“Live you ungrateful loser Live until you can awaken your powers”

“Wait... please,” he said shaking, “don’t-”

PB grabbed Axel by the collar forcing him to the edge of the cliff.

Axel looked down at the waves crashing below... It was quite a ways down.

The sea was stained dark by the setting sun, a perfect scene for his final moments. As the waves crashed into the jagged stones at the bottom of the cliff, Axel imagined smashing into the rough boulders and being impaled by their sharp edges. Even If he didn’t land on a rock, it was at least a 600 ft. plunge into the open sea from where he stood, a fall he was to not likely survive.

“Any last words?” PB said looking Axel in the eyes.

Tears begun to build up in Axel's eyes. Of all the ways he had imagined his passing, seeing PBs wretched face was the last thing he had wanted.

Taking out his mother's necklace, he embraced it as tears flooded his eyes.

“WHY? Why do you hate outsiders?” He yelled.

PB paused briefly turning to J.

“Because,” he said turning back to Axel, “It’s the only thing that keeps me sane” he said.

“Say it Peter your trash! You and your mother are lucky I’m here!” (Man’s voice)

“Ghlll” Axel gasped for air as PB tightened his grip.

“Until every worthless filth from the badlands knows they are trash” He said leaning back his right leg. “Until every single last one of them is stomped into the ground. I will not rest!”

KICK!

Before he had time to react, PB sent him flying into the sea below.

Axel felt his stomach begin to drop up into his chest as he accelerated towards the sea with great momentum. The tears in his eyes spread out in a cascade behind him as he fell. The feeling continued to rise up into his throat as his face and teeth began to clamp up along as he clenched his chest. Finally, the feeling of his stomach collapsing into his throat moved up, exploding out of his mouth in a high pitched scream.

The sound of the horrid scream echoed through the forest of the Nautica Valley as PB and J lay far above admiring their efforts.

As Axel fell the sea below him began to change color. The blue waves turned into a pitch black hole with no bottom. As he approached the hole, its long strands of darkness reached out and encapsulated him turning and his surroundings to a complete black. His acceleration came to a halt as he plunged into the depths of the hole before seemingly crashing onto some kind of foundation below.

Axel came to at the bottom of the well he had fallen down in complete darkness. He stared back up towards the cliff he had fallen off but saw nothing but black.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a small light flickering in the distance. He began walking towards the light in hopes of finding a way out.

[https://i.imgur.com/SnIRTQf.png]

As he approached the light he heard the chanting of a voice from the source of the flame.

He couldn't make out the words at first but as he got closer and closer he began to hear a woman's voice.

“You are never alone…. The light of the father watches over you” She chanted.

As Axel got within viewing range he could see she was a middle-aged woman sitting cross-legged on the floor with her hands on either side of her lap. She seemed to be in some kind of meditative state as she chanted her words completely unmoved by Axel’s presence.

Everything from her black robe to the cowl on her head was black... For some reason Axel couldn’t help but feel like everything around her was heavier. Almost as if the depressed gloom of the woman was spreading to his ligaments and dragging them to the ground.

The light he had followed was a ceremonious red candle that glistened in the dark. It levitated in mid-air above her held by some invisible force as she had her back turned away from it with her head bowed. The candle’s wick was slowly dying and there wasn't much left of it. Its wick drooped and shriveled as the last of its wax melted away onto the floor. Suddenly Axel was compelled to speak forgetting the circumstances that had gotten him there in the first place.

“Taliyah” Axel said softly.

“Yes” She answered.

[https://i.imgur.com/aj5o3QW.png]

“...I brought you another candle.” he said

“Is it gothic wax?” She asked.

“Yes,” Axle replied, withdrawing a candle from his side.

“Good… now leave it there and leave me be…..” Taliyah muttered under her breath as she continued her chant.

Axel began walking away from the darkened scene. He was amazed at Taliyah’s resilience as she chanted away in the dark under a single candle. Although he had received a very off putting gesture from her he couldn't help but be curious for the reason for her strange isolation. Axel spun back around unable to contain his curiosity of her strange demeanor.

“So… Why is it that you spend your days here in this darkened place?” Axel asked, rubbing his chin.

She stopped her chant and the silence of the room became extremely loud. In this deep trench, void of light, there was not even a breeze of wind or essence of life to be observed... Taliyah let out a sigh and began to stand up. There was a subtle eloquence in her movement as she turned around revealing the front of her appearance to Axel.

Upon seeing her front Axle’s face turned red, and his hands began to perspire as he was overcome with embellishment. Never in his life had he been struck by such beauty.

Though most of her body remained covered in her dark robes, the robes were not tied and the looseness with which they wrapped around her hips and revealed her skin was inviting enough to try any man. She had beautiful, black curly hair, and rich caramel skin, that even through flickering of the small flame were captivating to the highest degree.

Half of her face however was unavailable from view. She had half of it covered by a thick black mask with a white veil that dropped down from the top of her cowl. Axel lay frozen as this mysterious woman casually approached him placing her hands on his chest.

Taliyah looked up at him laughing to herself in the darkness.

“You know, I once spent my life fully surrounded by light” She began stroking his chest.

“24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it was a place so bright and so vibrant a thousand suns couldn't compare.”

“But….. After a while I took it for granted”, she smiled stroking the side of Axels face before turning back around facing the darkness. “I grew complacent, stumbled upon darkness… and I lost that light forever.”

Reaching into her chest she pulled out a pendant and admired it. The pendant was a circular gold amulet…. similar to Axel necklace!

It held a small picture inside it that Axel couldn't view in the darkness. She stroked the side of it before slamming it shut and placing it back in her chest.

“This darkness... this place people fear. I fully embrace it. It makes me admire the little light I have left in my soul, and I will treasure it and protect it with my life. I don't want to see another light, or sun or warmth until I have returned to that place of light.”

“And…. how are you going to do that?” Axel Asked

“Hahahaha” she laughed, “Weren't you listening?”

“A light shines brightest in the darkness.” “I will remove the light from this world and in that absence I will find the light I once lost again shining brightly in the darkness.”

“You have one life to live and this is what you chose?” Axel asked

“You’re a fool,” Axel said coldly.. “You lived in a world of light and lost yourself to darkness.” “Even if you find that light, the light of your soul will never be restored”, Axel said, putting out the light.

“You continue your search for your light knowing all the while you serve darkness covering the world with its evil.” He said.

“Who are you to talk? How is what I’m doing any different than what you’re doing?”

“The difference is you have a choice. I do not. Whether or not I walk down this path I will engulf this world in darkness. That is the price of my sin.”

“Sin? So you are tainted as well what should we do about our sins?”

“What we lost… we cannot get back… We can no longer hold ourselves to the past.”

“No… Never will I never let my past go! I will return to the world of light! I will see the glorious father again!”

“I see… then you are hopeless… You may very well make it back one day but until you can let go of your past you will never grasp the fruit of the future.”

“What is lost in the dark can always be found in the light, but what is lost in the light loses itself to darkness…. Forever.”

With a snap of his fingers he reignited the light disappearing from Taliyah’s sight.

Axel awoke resuming the fall to his death. Inches before hitting the sea below Axel felt an array of appendages stick to his back. Just as he was about to make contact with the water below, he was yanked back to the top of the cliff covered in tears and fully hysterical.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA” the boys laughed.

“Did you see his face!!?” J

“Awwwahahahah waahhh” Pb

“He screamed like a little bitch!! “HHAHA” J

Axel lay quiet stunned in silence. What the hell had just happened? Was he… another person?

“Awee what's wrong? Are you shocked from the fall?”

Wham!

PB hit Axel with a devastating blow to the stomach bringing Axel tumbling to the ground as he gasped for air.

“Well then Axel you seem like a smart guy so let me tell you a little something” he said with a vile expression.

Pb started sitting on Axel's chest as his body slowly turned metal.

“Ehhhh” Axel squirmed to escape as he fought for air

“You may be sliding by in class passing by with ds and cs but tell me. How goes your physical going? Because you know those are the only things we need to pass to get into the Academy. I’m passing with high marks in every category and you? You can’t even outrun a turtle. So Axel when all is said and done in two months, when the final examinations comes and that gauntlet starts, Tell me who will be the one laughing then? “

Axel was silent, he knew Pb was right. He truly was a loser. He had no hopes of passing the test.

“You good for nothing piece of shit!” Pb said punching Axel in the gut

“GFFF” Axel sputtered for air.

“Hahahaha Yes! Yes! Now we're getting there! You think you’re so cool don’t you!” Pb said slowly, turning his body into metal. His eyes flashed with rage as the lead spread to his face. “Showing off in front of O’Brian! THAT SHOULDA BEEN ME!”

“Ughh!” Axel gasped as Pb once again hammered a punch into him.

“You, number 24 in the class talking to Lance the number 1? Because you got lucky on a question? It make me sick!

“Please…. Stop” Axel said As Pb hammered in another kick

“You’re not better than me! And yet B the hottest girl in our school! I saw her talk to you! What are you some kind of charity case!”

Leaning backwards Pb prepared a punch of heavy dense lead alloy ready to crush Axel’s skull

“You’re nothing but trash! You little Shit! The next time she looks at you your gonna be so ugly shell run aw-”

Pb stopped yelling.

Axel still wincing on the ground looked up at someone holding PB’s punch back.

It was J. As they stood in silence eyeing each other down, it began to rain.

“You can’t use an attack like that on him Pete it will go right through his skull!” J warned

Pb turned his head to the side questioning whether or not to pummel J into the ground.

“C’mon P let’s get out of here.” J said “it's getting dark, this place is dangerous at night” He said giving Axel a solemn look of pity.

“Heh your right Pb said turning his body back to normal.” “But first” he said unbuckling his belt “He will know today that he is nothing but shit!!”

“Pb you’re going too far!”

“Hehe, he looks like shit right! So this won't change his appearance one bit!”

“Pb… What are you … NOOOO!!!! HELLPPP MEE SOMEONNEE!!! Help!!” Axel screamed as Pb turned squatting over him.

“Hold him down J!” Pb said yanking J to his side

“I’m… I’m sorry Ax...” J said.

Before Axel knew it he was bound to the ground by a rope of Liquorish holding him down. He screamed as loud as he could into the depths of the valley but no one answered. Squirming and screaming he helplessly watched PB drop his undergarments.

"HELPPP MEE!!!" "SOMEBODY!"

"Anybody Help!"

"Help.... somebody.." "Somebody... help"

“Help…” “..Someone...”

“...someone…help...”

[https://i.imgur.com/Qip2XLv.jpg]

The smell was horrible. No matter how hard he scrubbed no matter how hard he tried to hold his breath the smell the smell wouldn't leave him. He was shit, he looked like it, sounded like it, felt like it, and now he smelt like it. He sat beneath a tree drenched by the rain as well as his tears.

Axel looked down at his blurry hands through the cascade of tears pouring out from his eyes.

“This… This is all a dream right?” Axel willowed softly as he grabbed his left arm

Using the nails on the tips of his fingers Axel dug into his skin pinching and tearing away at it spilling blood across his arm. Over and over again he repeated the words “This is all a dream” as he pinched and dragged his skin on the ground.

After a few moments of repeating this act of insanity Axels arm became blistered and covered in mud.

“No” he said softly trembling.

“WAKE UP”

“SMAHSSHHShS”

Axel smashed his head into the ground covering his bright blue hair in the slimy fertilizer in the ground.

“WAKE UP!!!!”

“SMASHHHH”

He smashed his head into the ground again as he tried to drown out the pain. He continued to bash his skull into the earth until the entirety of his body was drenched in mud and covered in shame.

Now covered in mud Axel sulked beneath the tree crying profusely as he held his hands on his head.

“Do not be afraid mu child the light of the-“

“NO!” HE said flushing out the memory. “You tell me to look for the light but why! Why is it that all I see is darkness?”

“Why” he yelled as tears melted the dirt stains on his face.

“Why can't I awake from this…..? This nightmare!”

As Axel finished his breakdown he heard footsteps coming from the wood in front of him.

As the set of footsteps approached him he could tell from the overlapping sound that it was more than one person. “PB and J must have returned to finish me off” he cried.

“The nightmare…”he said trembling as he began to tear up ... “it never ends.” he said wiping his eyes.

Axel raised his head as he heard the footsteps stop under a tree that lay in front of him. From the shadows he heard a distant voice come from the dark.

“No Axel…” The voice said “Unfortunately you're not dreaming.”

As he looked up he saw a man’s glasses glistening in the darkness among the shadows of the wood.

“Darkness… Chaos...These are but small slices of what the world has to offer”, he said stepping out of the darkness.

“Come.” “Let us show you what the rest is like” He said smiling.