A shock of blonde hair stood out against the darkness of the waves and shadowed boat. The young boy stood on the prow, watching the waves ahead. He had been discovered and could not linger. One of his legs was wrapped tightly in cloth. Arrowheads are a pain to get out. Arrowheads. The boy bit his lip nervously. He hadn’t wanted to put the other in danger. Only the Ranger. But he had failed. Now he was farther away than ever to getting back home.
A mighty clap of thunder woke the boy up, making him sit bolt upright in fear. He looked to the heavens, trying to determine whether or not it was going to storm. It didn’t seem to be windy or anything that would put a sudden halt to the trip. Halt. Wasn’t that the Ranger’s name? Violent memories came back in flashes. The boy wished he could just pass out. Then the memories would stop and he wouldn’t have to feel the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore. Pass out. Pass out. He made the boy pass out. Memories flooded into his mind as water flooded into a streambed up ahead. The boy couldn’t tell the difference between his sweat and the ocean spray. He held his throbbing head, the memories forcing their way to his skull. His face was wrenched in soundless pain, his voice unable to scream. Let it end. Let it end. Please let it end.
Sand. Gritty, itchy sand. The boy didn’t bother to sit up. He knew he was on a beach. He buried his hand in the rough blanket of molecular shell and rock. He smiled. He was gone from his memories. Free. Free. He shoved himself to a sitting position and looked at the little boat that had served as his home for the last…how long? He didn’t care. Dates were memories. Memories hurt. Hurt. He hurt the boy. Memories snapped in his head like burning wood. He shook his head and the fires died. He couldn’t let them rekindle. They would have to stay embers. Charred pieces of past. That’s all. Nothing more. Nothing. Nothing. No family. Family. He had a brother. And a father. And a mother he barely knew. His brother. Brother. Memories came like ice this time, freezing his whole consciousness and focusing on only his brother. Then more ice came when he remembered his best friend. More ice for his pet dragon. More ice. More ice. More ice.
None. Blank. No memories. None. A blank slate, a fresh start. Reborn. New name. New identity. New. New. New. Gone is the boy that left his world and came to another one. Never to return. His head swirled with nothingness. A new name and a new life. New starts. New. That boy from a faraway land is gone. Gone with the wind. Gone into the chasm. Chasm. Chasm.
My name is Chasm.
