Black Strings: Threads of Revenge

The Adventure Begins

Tommy runs as hard as he can, tears flying off his face, gripping his bag tightly. I'm never going back home! I'll find out who killed my parents! Now in sight of the familiar house of his best friend Toby, he sprints before slowing himself to a walk.

Tommy stands in front of the front door. He takes a deep breath, restraining himself from crying. At length, he knocks on the door. "Toby? You there?" Tommy chokes on an overwhelming and unexplainable emotion. After failing to restrain himself, he wipes the tears off his face as Toby opens the door. A boy with short brown hair opens the door. "Tommy! What's wrong!" Toby shouted. Tommy hesitates before saying, "My parents died. Dragged through a portal to who knows where. Never to be seen again! Tommy collapses into Toby's arms. "You can stay here for as long as you want. My brothers aren't home most of the time anyways; they wouldn't care." Toby offered.

"I was already planning to go to Snowbank City to look for the murderer. I have heard that quite a few murderers have lived there." Tommy shares his thoughts. "I'm coming with you. I'm not letting you go alone." Toby insists. A bee, about 12.5 inches tall, flies through the doorway. "Hi, Bumbledor." Tommy smiles sadly. Bumbledor buzzes back. "I wasn't planning on leaving you here". Tommy mutters.

Tommy sits on the couch, petting Bumbledor as he waits for Toby to get ready to go. Tommy had already begun mentally checking if he had packed everything he would need: sewing things, clothes, essential books, charmed items, money. I remembered everything! Another victory for me! "Alastair stole my money again," Toby says as he walks down the stairs. "Of course he did." Tommy scoffed.

"He is never sorry for spending nearly all of it either." Tommy stands up and swings his backpack over his shoulder, ready for this new adventure. "Ready for an adventure of a living lifetime?" Tommy asks as a smile grows on his face "Why would I not be?" Toby chuckles. Tommy grabs the handle and bows. "After you." He giggles. "Why thank you," Toby says as he smiles back. Bumbledor follows close behind.

"Do you even know how to get there, Tommy?"

"Why would I not? I remember the map my dad showed us as little kids."

"Maybe you should have packed it just in case you forgot."

"I'm not going to forget the way there!"

They were soon near the fountain. Tommy points to it.

The fountain rests in the center of Lavender Meadow. The fountain is made from a black, stone-like material, and the floor is made from glass. It stands about 10 feet tall.

"Hey Toby, do you want to make a wish at the fountain?" Tommy asks. Toby looked back at the fountain. "Yeah," He replies. Tommy drags him by the wrist and takes him to the fountain. "Then let's go check it out!" They stopped at the base of the fountain, then they looked down. "The bottom of the fountain wasn't always glass, right," Toby asks. "Yeah". Tommy replies curiously. "Is that a Starlight down there?" Toby asked. "That... is," Tommy confirms. He climbs into the fountain, getting his pants soaked. "Don't!" Toby warned. Tommy jumps and shatters the glass, descending to the area below, but Toby catches him. "I got you," Toby reassures. Water began to fill the space below the fountain.

"Help me!" The Starlight begged. "Please!" Tommy reached his hand out. Without a second thought, the Starlight grabbed Tommy's hand, and Toby pulled them both up and out of the fountain. Now out of the water, the Starlight bowed. "Thank you for freeing me." He said.

"You're welcome." Tommy and Toby replied. "I'm Toby, and this is Tommy." Toby introduced himself and his best friend. "And I'm Rain Star, Prince of the Starlights." The Starlight said. "Nice to meet you, Your Highness," Tommy says politely. "Same here." Rain said. "Why were you in there?" Toby questions. "Well, so you see... a dark alchemist was using me in his experiments." Rain informs. "I'm sure he will be back soon." Silence fills the air around them.

"Would you like to come with us?" Toby asked. "I don't even know you guys." Rain begins. "And I- who knows- I don't even know where you guys are going to. You guys could be going to the Black Realm, and I wouldn't know until we got there or one of you told me!" Toby grabs Rain's hand, his face flushing. "We don't plan on going to the Black Realm". Toby said. Rain's face reddens. "Good." Does Toby like Rain? Rain gives in. "Fine, I'll come with." He doesn't even know we are going to look for a murderer.

"Toby," Tommy says. "Yeah, Tommy?" Toby replies. "To go to Snowbank City, we have to go through the forest," Tommy informs. "I forgot that was the direction we need to go." Toby chuckled. "Well, we better get going. We don't want to walk while the sun is down and the monsters are out." Tommy chuckles. Toby said I might forget, but now he jinxed himself. "Wait, why are we going to Snowbank?" Rain panics. "To find the person who killed my parents," Tommy explains. "You are going to look for a murderer?!" Rain questioned. "Yep." Tommy proudly confirms. Rain gives a concerned look. "That sounds quite sketchy." Rain queries.

Tommy begins to walk away from the broken fountain and into the forest. "Gotta get walking guys." Tommy reminds everyone. Rain, Toby, and Bumbledor were quick to follow. I wonder how Rain got into the fountain, let alone the Over World. "Why so silent Tommy?" Toby questions. "It's nothing." Tommy dismisses.

As time passes, the day begins to change and soon becomes dusk.

"This looks like a good place to rest," Tommy announces. "No tents?" Rain questions. "If it rains then the trees can shelter us," Tommy says. "I'll sleep on the ground." Tommy walks up to a tree and jumps up, landing on a sturdy branch. "You just said you were going to sleep on the ground!" Toby shouted. "And I brought matches! Gotta keep warm somehow!" Tommy testified. "How can you jump high enough to reach that high up?" Rain asks. "Are you secretly a shapeshifting half-cat?" Tommy drops a few branches. "I don't know how I can jump so high, and no, I'm not a half-cat," Tommy shouts back. Tommy drops more branches and then jumps down.

Tommy walks away from the tree and begins to build a fire. "So Rain, how did you get to the Over World?" Tommy asks. "I'd prefer not to talk about that." Rain says. "I understand, it's fine," Tommy responds, disappointedly.

Tommy takes a box of matches out of his pocket. He strikes the match on the side of the box. He throws the match at the branches. The orange match flame bursts the branches into a mountain of flames. "Voila!" Tommy yells. "Fire!" Toby and Rain cackle. Bumbledor flies over to Tommy and lands on his head. The warmth of the growing fire draws Toby and Rain in. "The first night on an adventure of a living lifetime. How does that sound?" Tommy asks Rain. "I would never expect to go and find a murderer, but so far that part where we are not looking for murder is nice." Rain teases. Tommy lets out a loud laugh.

Tommy walks over to a tree and sits down. "That's where you're going to sleep? With Bumbledor on your head?" Toby asked. Tommy takes Bumbledor and sets him on his lap. "Yep, this is where I'm going to sleep tonight," Tommy replies. He takes a book from his backpack and begins reading. I love spending the night with my nose stuck in a book instead of lying awake waiting for the moment I fall asleep.

Everyone falls asleep after a few hours of conversation and reading except for Tommy...