Chapter 1
A cold small pale white hand sick and weak is shaking a young man’s shoulder gently with exasperation. The arousing movements of frustration being shook concious from slumber in a small cot, covered with raggy old blankets dusted with soots made the young man open his tedious, large round dark brown eyes. He recognized that small hushed voice anywhere. It was one of the boys he knew wouldn’t ever be accepted. There were a couple of small clans filled with troubled youth. He never joined them weither he was asked too or not. The small group of males were called the Loss Ones. And he shivers at the thought of the Loss Ones. It is a recall of a flashback that haunted him. It had recourred often as a concept in his mind. This is probably the same disrupting whispering sound wanting to assert himself. The young man sat up stretching his arms preventing a cramp with pins and needles. He then rubbed the sleepiness out while coming face to face with a small frail boy illuminating in the moonlight.
“Jonas,” the boy whispered.
“Murphy, it’s passed midnight, can’t it wait?”
“No….Jonas it’s important can we talk,” Murphy asked in a whinny voice, he wanted to cry in less then three seconds. He wasn’t able to sleep since word of transferring to the dome was in. The dome is one thing one thing on his mind. It is what kept him without a decent slumber. Especially since the unknown about it can be frightening, to any nine-year-old child. He did best in weeping, tears were in his eyes and he looked as if he’s ready to burst, it makes him very uncomparable to Jonas, as he is still molding into a young man. Showing tears makes a man weak around the rural community. Jonas can tell Murphy is having a hard-time holding it together. He watched the young man lay back down on his back, while facing the ceiling. He runs his large hands through his hair, then sits up witnessing the stars hanging in the dusk sky.
Murphy noticed the stars as well, and he thinks, Are they really stars? He then tossed the old blanket over the bed and placed his feet down onto the wet, sparkling dew grass still not taking his eyes off the white sparkling diamonds above in the pitch-black reigon.
Jonas sighed exasperatedly, as his eyes are barely taken off the dark sky with the stars shining trying to tell what time it is. It has to be at least one’o clock in the morning.
“Very well,” Jonas yawned while still lying in his cot, “What is so important that you woke me in the middle of the night?”
“I need your assistence.”
“My assistance? What kind of assistance do you want from me? Can’t you see I am very sleepy.”
“I need to speak with Cryus. I am serious Jonas, there is an unfortunate danger to return to us. Please take me to the Cryus.”
The Cryus is a well known leader with a mystery to him for a knowledgable old guy. He lived in a mansion hidden in the woods beyond their small clan. Jonas had visited him once before. The elder was knew more then what he did. In the beginning, the first visit was when Murphy was an infant and Jonas was starting his teenage years in order to intern into being an older brother mentor to the child.
The first visit was to have Murphy be baptized into the religion of spiritual creating him to being one to believe in anything with the spirits, trusting them to be their guides in life. The spiritual guide could either be an animal or human, or perhaps half animal and half human. Murphy stood out amongst the other children in his toddler to childhood years. For many months that passed by, Murphy had spoken about dreams he’s had, and they found him strange every time he had them as a warning. Each time a dream occurred it started out as this way, he ends up whining his entire head off. He had the tears extremely come pouring out of his eyes. This was the last straw from Jonas, even if the young boy’s dreams were proven to have been accurately so most of the clan folk found him ready to be put into the knacker. That would’ve happened had the Cryus not volunteered to meet with them by speaking up and not making any further judgements. He found it unnecessary to place both boys with such creativity and imaginations into a building that never lets you out. That is what made the Cryus wonderful.
“You are such a crybaby you know that? Take you to the Cryus, indeed. I am not here to solve all your problems.”
“Jonas…”
“Enough, you need to stand on your own. You are driving me crazy as others here in the village,” Jonas spoke its agrivating having to listen to Murphy going on and on about his repeative dreams. Those dreams are the bad parts of why he hasn’t joined any of those boy groups around town, that range from nine to eighteen years of age. He was wise, and he’s nothing compared to the boy he was mentoring as his assignment. Jonas is much more stronger then the rest of the guys with his mud rock brown eyes made from clay dug up from the ground, creating the view of having ambition motivations. He needs to stand his own ground and not allow such a weak boy rouse him often in the middle of the night.
“I ain’t no crybaby, and I can’t help my attacks,” Murphy whipped his tears off of his cheeks, “I need visit the Cryus.”
“How bad is it?”
“It’s bad Jonas…very bad…” Murphy had his teeth in his jaw chattering while, he shivered in the cold.
“We’ll go in the morning.”
“The morning!” shouted Murphy a little louder, alerting the rest of the boys’ which were sleeping in the same room, “Why not now?!”
Jonas put his fingers up to his lips silencing him, “It’s late, please use your inside voice. There are others who are trying to sleep.”
Jonas then lays back down and shuts his eyes.
Murphy had chosen to give up on his mentor, he would have to go to the Cryus on his own. It wasn’t too far of a walk from where he lived in this boarding house building. The mansion in the woodlands is pretty deep into the woods, down that familiar dirtpath and crossing the small silver river that calmly streamed through.
The boarding house is home to him. It has been his home since he was brought here without his parents. It is what made Jonas his mentor. He wasn’t completely the one which raised him, he was in a nursery. The nursery is where he was raised with other babies whose parents have been unfortunately been dead for unknown reasons. A nun had taken care of him, along with the priest of a local church.
He had been to the sanctuary. He decided it’s where he’s going to go this morning, he felt a tingue of guilt roaming in his mind. That shame was towards the boys’ he met in the building mocking their spiritual advisor. Most of the group who went through the temple turned out not to be well behaved. They were sassing the protective spirits watching over the old building. Most of it was jokes towards Murphy’s innocence and fragile spirit in showing respect towards ones that haunt the temple.
“It’s not funny,” Murphy recalled in his mind as he slipped his shoes on to head out the building front door. He thought over the trouble they are going to be in if someone heard them.
“Why do you care so much Murphy?” asked one of the boys, “From what we know is you’re the least trouble-making boy in our classroom.”
“I care because its rude to make fun of spiritual misfortunes,” Murphy had learned lots from Jonas. It’s why he wanted to go to the Cryus. It was a bad insight of the future coming to Jonas. He didn’t care crazy or not. He’s going to see him. He then felt his ear-drums pop with the following after noise of acorns that came crumbling down and making pitter-pattering sounds. There are even some of the best sweet date nuts that have wacked Murphy on the head. He had Jonas to thank for the rescue from the brutish boy who would’ve have him skinned in the temple, that’s another rule never fight underneath the house of good.
After he walked out the door, he was greeted with fresh cool air that blew through his short-blonde dirt hair. He smirked. It’s good to feel the breeze through the door, which made the other boys sleeping soundly close by shiver and huddle closer together. One of them did awaken seeing him staring at the view of the pine trees ahead with little sunlight peeking from the tips, and begin to speak while rubbing his arms from the chill, “Please don’t stand with the door open, go outside if you want.”
Murphy snapped out of his daze and says, “Sorry. Excuse me.”
He walked out the door shutting it from behind locking it. He begins rushing straight towards the stream. The stream is where he had last been with Jonas, before meeting with the Cryus on other occassions. The stream is his favorite spot. He needs to sneek out to find Anvi, she’d be mortified to know his recent vivid-dream is about the young man who is smitten with her on the beach.
Anvi is a woman who is much older then Jonas. They first met her on the shore. Her beauty took away Jonas’s concentration from teaching him volleyball. She came up to them when he was giving Murphy advice, it took his breath away. He would stop occassionally what he was doing in order to admire her from far. Her beauty is irresistable, with those brown eyes, long wavy, gorgeous hair, olive skin, a tall body, and she had bright scarlet lips. His friend wanted to ask her out, but couldn’t put it to words. She was the one to first speak on that day, and her voice was full of righteousness.
“I can’t help noticing you supporting, Murphy with fitting in and playing ball.”
“Yea, I’m his mentor.”
“Wonderful, Murphy needs mentoring,” She admitted, “I see he has serving down.”
“He practiced,” Jonas did his best to hide how smitten he is with her, but he was failing to do so, “I taught him well. It’s shame what happened to his folks, god love him.”
“Why what happened to his folks?”
“His father, isn’t in the picture. He died. It was during a blood bath across the sea,” Jonas fortold, witnessing her put a hand on her chest.
“God bless him,” she says, “I wish him the best. What about the mother?”
“Died after being pregnant with him,” Jonas says, shaking his head while scratching his head from behind, “She contracted pneumonia and she delievered him in the small sickbay not to far from the ocean. Beauitful woman, Murphy is her only remaining life force continuing the family tree of his, he’s got no relatives and he has no way of receiving love from either parents. He was given to the nun on the doorstep after the doctors delievered him.”
“You seem to really care for him for a volunteered mentor,” the woman says, “What is your name?”
“Jonas,” He stuck his han`d out to shake hers and she accepted it, “You?”
“Anvi,” the woman says, “It means goddess of the forest.”
“I hear about the spirits of the forest,” Jonas informed little history in knowing about the Hindus being all about indian spirits and protecting the forest, “Can’t believe I am speaking to you, I was wondering when…”
Murphy snapped out of his flashback on Jonas meeting Anvi, and returned to reality. He was in the opposite direction. He needs to pay closer attention to where he is going, he gets himself into tough situations simply however when it comes to not paying attention to what is happening around him. He stopped at a stream beside a small courtyard among the central square of their village. He felt his heart beating against his chest wall hard and causing him to look frantically for a comfortable visit. He found an old log, and sits down in order to calm down. He couldn’t help weeping for the guide in order to fit in. His new vivid-dream he had leaves him quite terrified, and in horror. They will becoming for him, Murphy tells himself as he thought on it somemore, he’s done nothing wrong, he didn’t take anything that didn’t belong to him. It has to be a mistaken situation. Burying his head in the palms of his hands, he was allowing the tears to trickle down his cheeks. He failed to witness a white owl, sitting upon the branches in the moonlight, peering at him. A branch ends up snapping behind Murphy causing him to jump backward and witness a rustle in the bushes. He glanced up witnessing the owl sitting on the highest branch, spread its large wings and soared away passing him with his yellow large eyes heading in the direction of the distraction, which came from the much more higher demensions. Murphy bit his lip. It bleeds. The blood tastes like metal. He can see a shadow figure come closer and closer, but as it got close it came to a matching shadow to his. The figure couldn’t any longer be a threat.
“Who are you?” Murphy spoke, taking a step forward while regaining his courage, “Please show yourself.”
Approaching from the bushes, is a beauitful girl turning out to be seven years coming into the picture. She wasn’t any different accept for the ruby mark within her forehead, she too had dark eyes almost indigo and she wore a dress. The dress is long, orange, and silky while her skin is a clear white as her bracelet slipped on her wrist. She wore golden sandels that are showing her ruby-red eyes.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” Murphy sat back down on the log, he glances at the hindu girl as she sat down next to him. Her eyes danced similar to ocean waves while her voice remained chilled as rainforest rain, making him be at ease. The sound of the trees swaying ran straight through the forest creating the branches that are small to snap and the leaves to spray, their eggs everywhere so new life can begin.
“Please tell me your name,” the girl asked soothingly.
“It’s Murphy,” He replied, pinching his nose to stop it from running. He had to suck it up and then says, “I need to meet with the Cryus. It is important.”
“What happened?”
“My buddy, I believe is in terrible danger. I had a dream.”
“That’s discomforting,” the girl says, she then wondered what the dream happened to be about in Murphy’s visions, “I will take you to the Cryus. He knows all and He’d know what to do.”
“I don’t know what I saw, but it was creepy,” Murphy plays with his hands nervously, “There was a bunch of them. All wearing uniforms, and had furry faces.”
“Well that’s no talk for me. That is a conversation for the Cryus, he knows more about furry creatures.”
The hindu girl knew the Cryus well, because she turned to him. He was to be in charge of the temple not far in the woods. He is the one which assigned Jonas to Murphy in the first place. And Murphy prayed he doesn’t remember him trying to stop a couple of the boys in that touring group from sassing the protective spirits watching over the building. He was trying to show respect towards the spirit, he had gotten many lectures about. The spirit’s name is Ganesha.
Ganesha happened to be the main spirit legend along with his father and mother. His folks were named Lord Shavia (Father) and Pavarti (Mother) they were blessed to have him for their child. He was created to protect Pavarti, who made him completely out of mud and brought him to life while Shavi went out traveling. During his father’s travels Ganesha kept his mother company so he wouldn’t be alone. When Lord Shavia returned one day he found his own son guarding the front gate and it wasn’t easy getting passed him. He was furious that the child denied to allow him through, and this is what became upfront of the joke in the temple with the group of the boys. The boys had a faking sword fight as he repeated through his mind, recalling the play acting they did of pretending to cut Ganesha’s head off and laughed at him dying completely.
“I’d be grateful if you take me to Cryus,” Murphy says, “I hope he’s not too frustrated with me.”
“Why would he be mad?” the girl questioned?
“I was with those boys who disrespected the temple, home of our spiritual guide Ganesha,” Murphy shivered on mentioning the boys’ who played nasty things in their mockery, “I apologize if they caused any distraught in your living…”
“Enough,” the girl held her hand up, “Do not be concerned on it, nor waste a second thought. I’m not even going to the temple you shall come with me. I am heading elsewhere.”
“Where is elsewhere?”
“Simple, in a mansion that isn’t part of our loving village,” the girl spoke straight-forward, then she believed she forgotten something, “What does your friend call you again?”
“Murphy.”
“Well I’m Luna,” the girl revealed as she moved a strain of platumn hair out of her eyes, “I am the princess of Tailgate kingdom.”
“Tailgate, that name sounds…” It didn’t take long for thunder to rip through the courtyard. Luna searched the sky seeing it become full of dark clouds, as Murphy jumped as lighting hit a tree branch making him watch it fall to the ground and made insects that live inside scatter. There was kilebugs and grubs that left the log, this disgusted Murphy.
