No one really expects to die. Well, no one in general health, at least. I sure didn’t. They say that you’re more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than a shark, but I didn’t think it was that much more likely. I mean, who the hell just tackles someone to the ground and immediately bites them? Flannel Caires, apparently. I don’t think I blame him for lashing out, though. Life must be terrible with a name like that.
Now, back to how I died. I was real quick, to be honest. After I was bitten, Flannel Caires just sprinted off, screaming maniacally about god and hell. Weird. I was laying on the ground, then, writhing in pain— the fall to the ground had broken something, I’m sure— when a motorbike skidded to a halt mere inches away from me. The next vehicle was not so lucky, though, and rammed full-speed into the biker, and thus, me. Yeowch.
At the moment, I seem to be in a limbo of sorts. I haven’t been here too long, but I think something will happen soon. For example, my soul shrinking and condensing into a tight, swirling sphere of energy. Which just happened, so it’s not really an example any longer. Now I am acutely aware of everything within a yard radius of me, a soft breeze whispering through the wet leaves below me.
Another leaf is added to my sphere of awareness, and all my senses hone in until I realize it’s not a threat. Something that does seem like a threat, however, is the bird that just landed in my little bubble. It’s quick, and it shuffled through the leaves. Presumably to find me. Terror, unadulterated and blood-freezing (though I have none) flows through me. An option pops into my brain— my gem? Whatever— that I immediately accept.
Bird- level 0
USURP THE BIRD? (cost- 0)
Yes/no
It was an easy choice, and probably the best one at the moment. My gem shook, and the bird collapsed to the ground. I know that the bird is a sparrow, now. Though it’s eyes are half-lidded, I can see them both turn a warm amber, like me. A small flood of information enters my brain, and I realize I can see through its eyes. The double vision is strange and dizzying, and reminds me of a study on deaf and half-deaf people.
Once hearing was achieved, the patients tended to be overwhelmed with the sensory input and volume of everything that they didn’t know made noise. The sparrow can see things that I can’t. Things that are much farther away or even invisible to me. My gem shakes harder, and I feel like I’m about to split in half with all the input. The hypersensitivity of my own brand new senses along with the sparrow was nigh unbearable.
Breathe, I tell myself, though I have no lungs to do so. I feel myself fill up with… something, nonetheless. The bird turns its eyes to me, and witnesses the blue breeze be consumed by my gem. As I breathe in, it stops shaking and begins to grow. From the size of a silica bead to a pomegranate seed, I would consider that a good improvement. My senses increase in size as well, and I can acutely feel the roots of trees below the ground.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The sparrow finally gets up and turns to me. It approaches. I still feel the terror, yet am resigned that I will be eaten by this bird. I look enough like a seed to it that I would be easily mistaken. At last, it reaches down and… picks me up? My senses follow my gem, which I suppose could be a core of sorts, as the bird flies up and up. It dodges branches, leaves, and an unnerving amount of predatory birds.
It flies further, deeper into the woods we seem to be in, until it finds a ball of mud sticking inconspicuously to a crooked tree. It enters, and reveals a spacious and soft nest, with three eggs to complete the image. Another option pops up.
Bird eggs (3)- sparrow, level 0
DEVOUR EGGS? (cost- 0)
Yes/no
I ignore it for now. The sparrow… my sparrow rearranges the eggs and adds me to the nest. I suppose with me breathing in all the way here, I’m about the size of an egg, but that doesn’t mean I look like one. My sparrow proceeds to sit down, and yet another pop of information appears.
Bird- sparrow, level 1
NAME BIRD? (cost- 1)
Yes/no
If usurping my bird with no cost had nearly shattered me, I don’t think I should use some sort of money that I don’t even have. As if listening to my thoughts, a number enters my mind.
25 eszett
Is that the amount of currency I have? Eszett is a strange name for something like that. Almost absentmindedly, I accepted the offer to name my sparrow. It’s either death, which wasn’t actually that bad, or continuing to exist. I get the prompt to name it, to name her, and take a moment to decide. The obvious name was Jack, but it doesn’t really fit her. Naming her Crow or something similar feels a bit disrespectful, so… maybe a pun?
A sparrow… Asparrowgus? Sparrowchute? I love these two, but they’re not quite right either. An early bird gets the worm could be fun to warp. Perhaps… Maybe I should just go with something simple. My sparrow was an early bird, so let’s just name her Early. I feel myself shrink a minuscule amount, and the bond strengthen between Early and I. I can now feel what she feels, and apparently hear what she does as well. It gave me a weird not-headache, since I don’t have a head, and my core shook for a small amount of time.
Random skill [paper making] has been earned through naming.
The information gave me pause. What were the connotations of a skill such as this? There is an incredible amount of paper types in the world. Construction paper, carbon paper, ruled paper, papyrus, parchment paper, wax paper, I could go on! Where do the materials come from? Can I control the thickness? The shape and size? As my mind races, the skill seemed to evolve rapidly. My core shook, once again, and this time didnt stop. A small crack formed, and unimaginable pain lanced through every sense. Early screamed. I screamed. The very air screamed around us.
Then, time stopped.
It has come to our attention, a voice echoed in my head, That a ‘fixed threshold’ system is not right for you. Please wait while we correct this mistake.
Slowly, the crack mended. Memories of the pain left my mind, like hot sand slipping through my fingers. I didn’t exactly want to remember the pain, but it is scary that something- someone can take away my memories. The voice returned.
‘Fixed threshold’ has been changed into ‘note sandbox’. The implement and adjustment period will be roughly 12 hours. In order to prevent previously observed Core Shocks, please rest during this process.
Ugh, so many questions come to mind. What was a sandbox in this context, and what’s with the ‘note’ part? What would core shock do if the adjustment period was shorter? What am I adjusting to? How would I rest? Can I even sleep in this form?
None of these questions are answered. Well, except the last one, as a blanket of exhaustion and darkness smothered me into sleep.