Abandoned Mist

Chapter 1 - The Sea

     Author's Note: Here's the first chapter of "Abandoned Mist". You will have to forgive me for some parts of the story. I have recently recovered from a tragic experience of writer's block.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't know what to say to him. My mind was empty. I couldn't tell whether he was sad or angry. It was difficult for me to interpret his emotions. He was not the kind to wear his heart on his sleeve. Yet, I saw tears streaming down his cheek whenever he was all alone. I felt bad for him, for the boy whose parents had died in a storm.

As the days went by, I began to wonder if the boy was okay. Sitting by the sea, his gaze never left the ocean. He would not talk to anyone and would ignore all those that tried to tell him the reality. The fishermen that bothered to care about the boy a couple of days ago simply pretended that he was a barren rock washed upon the shores. Something uninteresting to all those who pass. I pondered for hours, staring at him, wondering what was it that he was waiting for.

His parents? A beacon of hope? Maybe a ship that would take him to his parents?

As the sun was beginning to set, I quietly ran to the refrigerator. I grabbed a carton of milk and poured it into a plastic cup and took a plate containing two slices two slices of banana bread. Although my uncle and his family will be angry at me for taking food out of the refrigerator, I simply didn't care anymore.

The boy is hungry. No, he is starving. Left out there to rot, with no one to help him.

I walked towards the boy and sat a couple of feet away from him and waited for him to fall asleep.

Hours went by and the full moon was glistening over the horizon, yet the boy's gaze never left the ocean. I was planning on leaving it by his side after he fell asleep, but it seems like it was going to take a while until he falls asleep. Sighing, I stretched my arms and fell back onto the wooden planks of the pier. Honestly, they should innovate this pier. If a big storm comes, these wooden planks wouldn't stand a chance, but then again, man-made inventions don't stand a chance against the forces of nature. If Mother Nature wills it, almost anything can be destroyed. Just then, my stomach let out a soft growl. Embarrassed, I sat up to see if the boy noticed, but there was no reaction. Even if he heard someone behind him, he would most likely shrug it off and continue to stare at the sea.

He must be hungry, tired, and cold, but why? Why is he pushing himself so hard?

I heard the grandfather clock in my house struck twelve times, causing me to jerk my head backwards in surprise. I stood up and attempted to walk back to my house, but a white flash behind me cause me to halt in alarm. The sound that followed the light exploded my eardrums and I was left immobilized for a few seconds. I could feel the heat searing my back, coursing through and ripping apart every inch of my body.

Wait! The boy is behind me!

When I regained my senses, I abruptly turned around to see the boy collapsed near the edge of the harbor. My eyes filled with fear as the boy who was gazing towards the ocean had now collapsed on the dock and was covered in streaks of blood.

The waves were beginning to be pulled back similar to that of a metal being attracted to the magnet. It was not stopping; the waves were continuously being pulled back.

Oh god! When the waves come back, the size of it would be equal to that of a tsunami! That boy! He's injured because of the thunderbolt.  He won't be able to escape in time.

Without thinking, I ran towards the boy and pulled his arm around my shoulder. I ran or at least I thought I could. Carrying an unconscious boy feels like that of an underwater anchor which is close to impossible for me. I turn my head back and immediately regretted it. The tsunami was closing in on us, faster than that of any I have ever seen. Ignoring the pain on my back, I began pulling with all of my strength and managed to get us to the edge of the harbor.

However, the water bares its fangs at the boy and yanked him away from me. I ran towards the boy and leaped, reaching my hand out and successfully managed to grab the boy's hand before the end of the pier. Although I fought back with all my strength trying to keep the sea from taking the boy, the waves surrounded us and pulled me in. Screaming, I attempted to resurface, only for seawater to flood my mouth and blind my eyes. I began swimming aimlessly, trying to pull the boy back to shore, but the tsunami was too strong and we were eventually pulled further away from the port.

I began thinking about my childhood even though I had none.

I spent all my life trying to survive and avoid the abuse of my uncle. The town where I grew up is a Port City, where they discriminate against women as it is believed that they can't do as much work as men. We're usually looked down upon and receive different treatment. For example, we cannot talk back to men nor can we look at them in the eye. We are not allowed to eat at the same table as them and are constantly being beaten. As a result, many women become prostitutes in order to give birth to sons. A woman that has given birth to males will not be beaten anymore. Although this is rarely acknowledged.

My mother died before I was born. They said that the labor that she had experienced was the reason for her death. My father died of tuberculosis before I turned three and lastly, my father's sister, who is my aunt, died shortly after I turned six. My aunt was the one that prevented my uncle from harming me, but after she died, my uncle disregarded any of wishes and took all his anger and sadness out on me. The cause of her death was...unknown.

I hated all the men that were living in my town and every other place that I never been to. I hated them to the point that I would rebel and secretly wish that I would be able to kill them, but it was my aunt that changed how I felt. She said, "Only dislike those that have done something wrong to you or  to someone else close to you, only if it was intentional. Never hate anyone, hatred taints the human heart and will only lead to more pain and agony." Although I still have a strong hatred towards some people, I try to not see things with a narrow mind.

Even so, why did I try to save this boy? Why did I try to save someone I never met before? Why am I risking my life for someone who doesn't seem like they have the will to live?

The sea does not spare those that dare to enter its territory. The black waves eagerly swallowed us whole and I slowly lost consciousness as I drift beneath the surface of the water.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Author's Note: Sorry for the fact that the first chapter is a bit short. It'll get progressively longer, I promise!! Ah, thank you reading and I hope to see you in the next chapter. Please? Oh, and my next book, which is titled "Untitled" (It's a secret!) will be in Watt stores on August 12th.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------