X No Sekai

o1; Welcome to Xland!

Oz Suiga eventually closed the book silently. He had just finished reading ‘Alice in Wonderland’ a very famous novel. It was given as a gift for him back when he was real little. He hadn’t realized that he didn’t read it before yet. Since he was bored because he had nothing left to do, he started reading it under the shade of a tree.

It felt like hours. He’d been sitting there, doing nothing much, reading about it. Till he finally finished the story. He thinks it isn’t an ending yet. There was something more about it that made him think. He tossed the book beside him and stretched on the tree trunk. Looking at the puffy clouds, his mind was fixed on his thought.

“Just what is the truth behind the story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’?”

Oz doubted it had a happy ending – like Alice going back to where she was and becoming happy and stuffs. He thought that Alice was somehow frantic to go back to her own world, seeing her running and fleeing all the time, trying to go away from the people in Wonderland.

“Is that how you feel when you’re inside the Wonderland?”

“Oz?” her mother’s voice echoed inside their house. He shot his head up. “What is it, mom?” Her mom came out of their home, with a towel on her hand. She’d been washing the dishes. A tired smile was on her pale face. “I haven’t seen you read that book until now.”

Oz glanced at his left and saw the book. Then he looked back at her and nodded. “Kinda. I’m bored.” Her mother flashed him tired smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re getting interested in books. Anyways, I’m just here to check you up. It seems you’re having fun accompanying that tree. I’m off to rest now.”

His eyes were fixed on the book again. He picked it up and flipped every page. The book was like every other child’s book – colored pictures on selected pages.  Flipping the pages, he recalled the past events of Alice’s adventure. When he reached the last 2 pages, he sighed and was about to close the book when he noticed for the first time, there was a ripped page.

“Huh?” Oz exclaimed and examined the ripped page. It obviously had writings on it. Probably the epilogue of the story, Oz thought. Most books, especially novels, have epilogue at the back or on the very last page of the book. But there weren’t any clues that it was the epilogue. Oz glanced at the very bottom and saw a very huge, well-drawn tree.

Then, he felt something soft and fluffy that landed on his knees. He lowered the book and saw a strangely black-fur and glowing red-eyed rabbit. It didn’t do anything. It was staring at Oz, as if telling him something. The rabbit hopped away and glanced behind it. Without thinking, Oz climbed up to his feet and followed the rabbit cautiously.

Since their home was near to a forest, Oz had been warned by his mother not to go too much deep in it, or he’ll get lost. He had been adventuring in and out of the woods for 13 years, so he knew the woods by heart. The rabbit hopped on the right turn, which was the odd-looking place of the forest. Without hesitating to stop, Oz started to run after the rabbit, as he was already loosing its sight.

Much to Oz’s surprise, there, in front of him, was a very big tree that he hadn’t seen in the forest yet. It was so big, yet so creepy to look at, for it had twisted roots and dark brown leaves – as if it was already wilting but is trying to survive. Then Oz’s glance was focused down on the roots. It was when he noticed the rabbit was nowhere. He turned around. He was in a new place of the forest. He was about to leave when he felt nothing under him. He looked down and saw a very big black hole. Too late to run or move, he fell down on the hole while he was screaming.

-

Oz finally regained his conscious. Then he saw…he was in a different world.

The sky was black, and the clouds were purple. The trees were twisted and had no leaf on it. The path was the only shining brightly; gleaming yellow. A black crow passed by, crowing, to what it seemed welcoming Oz to the other world. “Where…am I?” Oz finally uttered to himself, too amazed and too frightened to speak and move.