The Land Of Purgatory

Chapter 2

It's been two and a half years since I've come to Purgatory, which would be approximately 37 days back on Earth. Since the beginning, I've trained hard with Zack, only to have him wake from his coma without the ability to remember our time together. I've become fairly isolated and crass, not going to town for more than a few minutes and only when absolutely necessary. I've also become one of the strongest and fiercest Adventurers, due to my focus on the quest to keep my memory after leaving Purgatory. I don't want to lose my precious memories of friendship with Zack. As a cause I've rarely been home, have no strong relationships, and have now attempted Purgatory's most difficult quest a total of three times.

"I've failed again!" I complain to my little snow leopard, Monie. She cocks her head and meows at me as if she's apologetic. I pat her on the head and am thankful for her companionship.

I found Monie on a quest that I completed a few months ago to find and tame the dragon on mount Mayat. There I found her with a broken leg and nursed her back to health. I'd tried bringing her back to the mountain so that she could live in her natural habitat, but she just followed me back home.

I collapse on my bed and call Monie over. She purrs louder than a nuclear power plant as I pet her absentmindedly. I want to complete the quest of memory so that I can remember my time here with Zack and this world. I'll never be able to live a life like this one ever again.

Zack had left this world without completing the quest of memory so he will never remember me, but I want to remember him and the time that we spent together. He was so good to me. Zack had told me once that I reminded him of his daughter back on Earth and that he would've been honored to have a daughter like me. Back on Earth, I had recently lost my parents to a car accident, so those words were worth more to me than my weight in gold. I don't want to forget that.

I decide to go to his house to sulk for a while. I miss him so much and sometimes it helps to just sit where he once sat. His house has been empty ever since, so I don't expect it when I walk inside to hear shouting.

"GET AWAY FROM ME BEAST!" a male voice I haven't heard before drifts from the kitchen. I walk in and see a handsome, boy with slightly tanned skin and bright blue green eyes wide with fear. He's perched precariously on top of a counter where he and his wild ginger hair are flailing fanatically.

He spots me and looks worried for me. "Get out of here!" He whisper yells at me with urgency. "This creature could strike at any moment!" I can't help but crack a smile at his behavior. It's horrible to say, but in this moment he's just so laughable.

"Monie," I call. She turns her head in my direction with her head tilted like she's asking what she did wrong. "Come here," I command. As my large cat with ferocious fangs and sharp claws trots over to me obediently, this mystery boy hops off the counter and tries to regain his composure while keeping an eye on my leopard.

While I have no idea as to why this boy is here, I'm kind of upset that he's in Zack's old house, so I confront him. I try to say it without an attitude, but the words convey it in that way anyhow. "Excuse me? Why are you here?"

He looks at me with confusion and replies, " I was placed here because my town was invaded by wild cats, hence my embarrassing reaction." He waves his hand at Monie and continues, "Everybody in my town was split up for the most part except for the 'families.'" From the way he says it, it sounds like he's lost something as a cause.

I soften my formerly hard gaze and confide, "I'm sorry, I was rude. It's just that this was the home of my mentor and friend and he recently awoke from his coma. I'm just a bit sad that he's gone and he won't remember this place and all," I pause a moment and smile at my childlike trust. "I usually come here when I want to remember him, so I was kind of mad when I saw somebody else here. I'm sorry again," I confess, then I add, "I can send Monie back home if she makes you uncomfortable."