Novels2Search

Chapter 7: Amenti

Bonrue stumbled through a doorway, his footsteps loudly echoing as he tried to catch his balance eventually bumping into someone. "I'm sorry." Bonrue apologized before fully becoming mindful of his senses. The man he bumped into turned around and looked at him. "You again!?" They both said simultaneously. Ziusudra stood in front of him barely recognizable. His appearance was nigh pristine. He no longer looked or smelled like he'd bathed in dumpster water. "What are you doing here kid? You died already?" Ziusudra asked. "What? I'm not dead... I think. Actually I'm not sure anymore, this day has just been...confusing." Bonrue replied. "HE SPEAKS TRUTH. HIS LIFE HAS NOT YET ENDED!" The voice seemed to originate inside Bonrue's head yet he could hear it coming from all around him. Ziusudra quickly turned around and pushed Bonrue down into a kneeling position. "Keep your head down." Ziusudra whispered to him. Bonrue complied. "THERE IS NO NEED FOR SUCH FORMALITIES FROM ONE NOT AKIN TO OUR NATURE OR CUSTOMS! STAND BOY!" Bonrue slowly granted the request of the booming voice. Ziusudra stayed kneeled. Bonrue beheld a grand hall constructed out of materials he didn't recognize. The milk colored floor and walls, although clearly solid, seemed to undulate like waves on the sea. Golden thrones sat empty along the wall each accompanied by a golden statue none of which were in the shape of anything he could recognize. At the other end of the hall sitting in the only occupied golden throne was a being of pure light. Bonrue squinted and strained his eyes as to protect them from the brightness but still see. "What are you?" Bonrue asked still squinting. "ALTHOUGH YOU ARE CAPABLE OF GRASPING THE TRUTH OF THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION I AM. AFRAID YOU DO NOT POSSESS THE TIME TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO DO SO! SO UNDERSTAND ME SIMPLY AS THE DWELLER!" The light strobed as the Dweller spoke. "IT HAS BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE I HAVE BEEN SURPRISED AND EVEN LONGER PLEASANTLY SO! YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU SEEK "FREEDOM" YOUNG ONE BUT FOR WHO YOU DO NOT YET KNOW! FRET NOT FOR YOUR GOAL STARTS AT THE SAME DEATH REGARDLESS OF WHICH PATH YOU CHOOSE! LISTEN WELL! INTRODUCE YADALA AND HIS CHILDREN TO THEIR "FATE"! LISTEN WELL! "FREEDOM" WILL QUELL THE CHAOS ONLY TO PIT YOU AGAINST YOUR DUALITY! LISTEN WELL! FATE'S WEAPON IS YOUR CHOICE BUT FATE IS YOUR WEAPON! THIS I GIFT TO YOU, NOW GO AND SURPRISE ME ONCE MORE!" The light that was the Dweller burned bright and Bonrue felt a finger against his forehead. When next he opened his eyes he recognized his surroundings as his own bedroom but wasn't sure he was truly there. He wiped the tears from his face even though he didn't remember crying them. Then he noticed that objects in his room were in slightly different places and that most of the surfaces had accumulated dust like no one had been there for an extended period of time. Confused, he left his room and closed his door behind him. As he entered the hall his eyes met with Capella's as she was making her way down the hallway from the kitchen. When she saw him her eyes welled up with tears and she dropped her glass of water as she ran up to hug him. "Where have you been?" She asked, sobbing. Although he was confused by her behavior he welcomed the affection, but then he realized that she wasn't taller than him anymore. Ignoring that as the least strange thing that's happened to him this day he broke the hug and looked at her. "What do you mean? I saw you last night before you left for work." Her face looked more confused than he felt. She gently stroked his cheek like she always did since she started taking care of him. "Rue, you've been missing for eleven blooms."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.