Chapter 01
??? POV
"Nothin here as well? I could have sworn I had some jumba mushrooms around here... unless there in the other cabinet"
I quickly ran to the other cabinet at the other side of the fridge and pulled it open. moving the few bean cans and boxes I have to get to my supposed stash of jumba mushrooms in jars to add the finishing touch to my broth.
" ThErES nOThInG?!?!?!" 'Have I ran out... already?!? No that's not possible... unless...' "GODAMIT SU. GUS TOOK MY LAST JUMBA MUSHROOMS!!!!!" Su, my good friend, yelled at me from the hallway.
" STOP YELLING ANDREW, YOU CAN JUST SCAVENGE FOR MORE IN THE FOREST LATER" Su came back with a bag full of all the things needed for my hunt / scavenging for mushrooms. She then replied, not yelling this time.
"I'll take care of the broth. You hurry back with the mushrooms, I think your starting to get a bit hangry there. Also be back for your bosses birthday at 8 PM and no I'm not going to pretend to be your girlfriend, your almost 33 now, get a life man." ... ouch "I'll be studying a new medical procedure so be quiet when you get home."
Glaring at her I grab my bag and make my way to the back door, I know she's right but what's their to get a life for? I mean the mushroom hunt is coming up pretty soon and there's the string festival but other than that, there's not much to look forward to in this small city.
Pushing the 'what's the point of getting a life for' thought out of my head, I head into the florescent forest. People already cleared out the outer and outer to mid section so I head a bit deeper than I have before, straining my nose and eyes, to see and smell any sweat mushrooms.
After a while I do and I head on over to the smell picking up whatever edible mushrooms there are along the way. A couple hours must have gone by because it's high noon and it's getting real hot. I came across the Jumba mushrooms, (lucky me!!) But I also found a mushroom heard of only in myths... the florescent wind mushroom. Its fabled that eating one makes you light up like a glow stick but heals you rather quickly. It is also said that it gives you a small burst of flight.. whatever that means..
But this is an extremely rare find!!! There have only a couple of accounts of these mushrooms existing because they are found in the center most deepest most part of the forest were its said to be crawling with wild creatures ready to eat you and bring a meal home... wait a minute... that must be wrong because there's not a single creature that wants to eat me... So, IgnOrIng THAT ThOugHt, I try to find more.
leading me to an opening were a tall big tree is with a large lake by the side with a moat surrounding the tree... what's more, there's florescent wind mushrooms e v e r y w e r e.
There on the surrounding trees!! there on the base of those trees!! there on the ground too!!...
... but they don't pass the moat...
I notice there's a large hollow in that BIIIiiiigg tree I mentioned before with something inside like it was being cared for, but it was hard to see because of something that looked like slightly condensed air. So I threw a common chilly mushroom and nothing happened, it passed right through like it broke it somehow...
Weird...
Well I quickly cross over the moat, and headed on over to the hollow to see if it would have any rare mushrooms, but what I found was more worrisome than I have experienced. And as a ex- police man, I've seen some pretty messed up shit...
° ° °
Continued Andrew's PoV
There was a B O Y in the hollow. He was very malnourished, you could see that by how sunken his skin was. His ribs were purple and his left should was dislocated, not to mention his arms they looked swollen, puffy, purple,... broken... There were cuts all over his body like he was caught in a sandstorm or something, his left leg was practically left unscathed besides the fact that his ankle was swollen light red and his thigh was not looking good but it was better than his other leg of which I didn't want to look at.
He probably hit his head seeing as how it was covered in dry blood I mean his whole body was but yea... The only thing on my mind at the moment was to bring him home and save this boy (that is if he's alive). Probably best for him not to go home if he has a family; if not I'll be his family givin he wants to stay.
I check his pulse to find it slow, I then quickly but very carefully pick him up expecting him to be a bit heavy, but he's light and that worries me more. As soon as I turn around to bring him home, the wind picks up.
I look around only to see there's, what looks like a figure standing in the wind with long black hair just like the boy in my arms.
He looks older like an older brother (he just had that vibe you know?)... but that can't be possible. This thing in the wind has large brown, white, and black feathered wings on his back. and the boy in my arms do not.
He looked at me with his cat like eyes, dead straight. He then spoke to me with a voice that rode and glided with the wind.
"Do you wish to save my brother...? There's not much I can do or really remember in this form, but when he wakes... if you do remember,"
There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he continued.
" ...mention not of me and focus on him. Take care of him like a father would.
We both lost our own, so I think it would be nice of you... you do seem kind..."
the wind picked up and the sky darkened and he continued. His eyes staring daggers at me with his voice now like thunder.
"Though if you do hurt him there will be punishment, swear an oath here and now that you shall take care for the one in your arms like a good father would their son..."
I quickly make an oath to this stunning creature that I will care for his what seems to be his brother like a good father will his son. I've always wanted a family, though I'm a bit old and I don't make that much money, another part time job wont hurt... right?
The creature continued
"If thy breaks their oath I shall bring you punishment and your mind wiped of your memories with him... I am watching, and I will watch over little Lu. That is the least I can do for what I have done.
Now... you shall forget ever having this moment.. hopefully, and only feel a fatherly love and affection for this boy. Treat him like your son, ... please...
...love him like family..."
He then finishes what he said before vanishing into the wind and my mind goes blank, trying to remember what just happened and why I was talking to myself.
I looked down remembering that I have to get this boy back home were Su can treat him then bring him to the hospital... This is going to be one hefty bill to pay.
I head on back the way I came, but the feeling like I'm forgetting something very important at 8 pm that I have to do is not helping the headache the hot sun is giving me.
*g a s p* I forgot about bosses birthday celebration.... shit...
its 6:38. •○• I ran as quickly as I could while making sure the boy was safe.
End of 01.