Whiskey-Jack slowly opened his eyes to blinding light, almost like it was midday.
"What the..." he muttered under his breath "I swear I just closed my eyes..."
He turned to check on his little brother and mother, but what he saw made his blood run cold.
His little brother and mother... gone. In their place stood a tall, hooded figure. The man's face was hidden, swallowed by the deep shadow of his hood, as if the darkness beneath it stretched on forever.
"What... who is this?" Whiskey-Jack's heart raced
The air felt heavy, as fear crawled up his spine he pushed himself upright instantly.
"Who are you!?" Whiskey-Jack shouted, his voice filled with anger "What have you done with my family?!"
Not giving the man a chance to speak, he lunged forward, ready to fight. But the man didn't move.
With a simple gesture, the stranger raised his hand, and suddenly, Whiskey-Jack's body froze.
A sensation swept through him, locking his limbs. "What... is happening?!"
He couldn't move. His muscles refusing to listen as he collapsed forward, his body helpless.
The stranger caught him effortlessly, "You've got plenty of fight in you... but not much in the brains department," the man said, his voice calm, like he was speaking to a child.
Whiskey-Jack's throat tightened with fear. Only managing a high pitch squeak, "Who are you?"
The man laughed, low and deep, sending chills down Whiskey-Jack's spine. "You came to me without even knowing who I am, boy?"
The stranger's words held a strange weight, and before Whiskey-Jack could respond, the man placed him back on his bed, then stepped back, allowing him space.
A tingling sensation flooded his body as his limbs returned to normal. Whiskey-Jack's muscles slowly loosened, only his fear now keeping him frozen in place.
Silence, as tensions rised between them. Whiskey-Jack said nothing, his mind a whirlwind of confusion. After a long pause, the stranger sighed as if bored. "Since you don't seem eager to start, I suppose I will," he said, his voice loud in the quiet room
He turned toward the door, glancing over his shoulder. "I am what has always been, what will be, and what is to come."
Whiskey-Jack blinked confused, doing his best to comprehend, but the stranger didn't wait for him to speak. "I'm sure you have many questions. Let's take a walk... and I'll answer what I can."
The man swiftly opened the door producing a small gust of wing and held it wide, silently gesturing with one hand for Whiskey-Jack to step through.
Whiskey-Jack hesitated, his instincts now in fight-or-flight. But his thoughts returned to his family... his mother and little brother. "If I don't follow him... will he hurt them?" His heart aching with thoughts of uncertainty.
After a moment, he made up his mind. He stepped through the door, he couldn't tell if this was a trap or not, but it seemed like his only option.
Outside, the cold air bit at his skin as he followed the stranger, who moved swift with grace, never turning back, never speaking. Whiskey-Jack trailed behind in silence, unfamiliar with the woods surrounding them.
"How far are we going?" Whiskey-Jack wondered
About an hour passed, and just when he thought he couldn't move no further, the stranger stopped by the riverbank.
"This is the farthest I've ever been from home..." Whiskey-Jack thought, the words echoing in his mind like a warning.
The man turned to face him, his sharp gaze locking with Whiskey-Jack's. The mans eye felt... different. Like they were looking into his soul.
The two stood there awhile, just staring at each other in silence... testing who would break first.
Finally, the stranger broke the silence. "Strange..." He said under his breath. "The boy doesn't seem to be one of mine."
Whiskey-Jack swallowed hard. The cryptic words, felt like he was in deeper with a situation he couldn't understand.