RED HOOD ✔

GONE

"Apsychos was like a brother to me... He was one of the best people I've ever met... He felt that not being human, meant not having a heart, anyone that has met Apsychos can tell that this isn't true... He had a heart of gold" I said at Apsychos funeral, aunt Liza stepped up, "Apsychos... Was like a son to me, technically... He was my son. His father gave him the name Pinocchio, but he hated the name... It reminded him of who he was... Or was supposed to be, or maybe it was because he wanted to prove to everyone that he was the monster he thought he was, but I loved him either way... They said monsters and beasts have no soul and when they are killed they are reborn into something else... You were not a monster... You were a being of love and your name shall be written in the cosmos" said aunt Liza.

Anna walked over to Apsychos coffin... It was an empty coffin, because his body exploded into flames... It still didn't make him anything less than what he was... A hero, a brother, a friend. "When I first met Apsychos, He was sad, lonely and tired... I was just a kid... But I knew that he was more than just a gladiator... He felt, he had emotions... He could love and he could cry... I took care of him... I fed him daily, he saved me from the crooked blade and for that... I am eternally grateful" she said crying... And a tear dropped on his casket.

Night had come and Anna and I were just looking up at the stars on the roof of Aunt Liza's house... I was going to leave this village tomorrow... I have saved it, now I have to go home... I stare at Zoreb, you could see him glitter and shine... It was the full moon, he must've been watching us. "I'll miss you Vince" said Anna resting her head on my chest, "I'll miss you way more..." I said smiling... "Then who's gonna miss me" said a familiar voice from behind me... I turned back to see the source of the voice, but not from the body I remembered... He was the same height, but had brown hair, normal brown eyes, and was light skinned, he looked... Human "Apsychos... Is that you" said Anna turning back to see him too.

We all rush to hug him, "but... You're human... Right, how is this possible" I ask shocked, he looked up to the sky and pointed at the moon. "It was Zoreb... I didn't die when I was punched... I was just healing from the damage done to me... But Zoreb spoke to me... He gave me a choice... To remain an immortal being as a wooden imitation of real life... Or be the real thing and live the rest of my days knowing that I can die" he said smiling... "And you obviously chose the latter" said Anna... "I completely understand man... I know how much you wanted this" I said with my hand on his shoulder... "Yeah... I gave up immortality cause I don't want to live forever, cause if I did... I would outlive you guys".

It was morning and everyone had learnt that Apsychos was back as a human, although Marshall was in jail... Members of the crooked blade were still running around... Some happy to be free and living on the straightened arrow and others continue their evil ways... I couldn't stay to help them out... But I know they can do it, I'm leaving them in capable hands... Joshua, the dark hood, They were so surprised that Joshua was the dark hood, well everyone except for aunt Liza who knew from day one...

We were gonna play a game of capture the flag before I go... We were going to pick teams and use wooden weapons. Joshua and Anna were the two leaders... I was on team Josh and Apsychos was on team Anna. The winner gets to pick Apsychos new name.

The rules were simple... It was like normal capture the flag... Only with wooden swords... Summoned monsters and magic... Simple.

Aunt Liza and Ruth were the referees of the match.. Ruth didn't join in because she hasn't been feeling too good since she turned back... I don't blame her... If I shared a body with a murderous wolf that didn't let me out for a thousand years... I'll be off too.

The game starts at 3:00 and right now it was 2:45 me and Josh were planning our route cause the game took place in the woods... We decided to set traps around our field, mostly stink bombs and when I say stink bombs I mean boar farts, stink bombs... Those stink like hell, and we kept a summoned three headed snake to guard our flag... One of us couldn't stay back because we would need the two of us to get past them.

It was 2:59 now... One more minute till the game starts, and as the clock turned 3:00 we began sprinting with amazing speed, it wasn't long till we met our first summoned monster... It was a child of Cerberus... The three headed guard dog of the underworld... Don't let the term 'child' fool you... It wasn't here to play, how they got their hands on such a beast... I do not know.

I charged at the pup and jumped up in the air throwing my wooden weapon away and summoning divine distortion and cut off the middle head, I divided divine distortion into mayhem and Excalibur and threw Excalibur to Joshua who caught it and slashed off two of the pup's legs, causing it to burst into flames right after it howled in pain.

We continued our sprint towards there territory, Its weird... We should have encountered them by now. We switched back to our wooden swords just in case they were nearby.

Their flag was right there... Within our reach... Anna and Apsychos were standing there defending it, all in a readied stance... They were waiting for you, "get the flag" I said to Josh, he sprinted and leaped over them, while I jabbed my wooden sword at Apsychos.... Poof... He disappeared... So did Anna, and as josh touched the flag it disappeared too... "Illusion magic" hissed Joshua... We sighted the flag elsewhere but it was too late... The horn had been blown. I turned back to see Apsychos dragging around one of the heads of the serpent we put on guard and Anna stunk so bad, it was obvious that she sprung a stink trap.

It was night now... I was supposed to leave after we had picked out Apsychos name, "how about Charlie?" said Apsychos, "no... You don't look like a Charlie" said Joshua... "How about Zoyn" said Anna... I was shocked by the name, "Zoyn?" She nodded, "since Apsychos means lifeless... I decided to call him Zoyn... Which means living"... Hmmm... "Nope... I'm sick and tired of everything in this village being named after a word in Greek, how about instead of calling me Zoyn... You call me Zayn"  we all nodded...

I was with my bow and the arrow that started it all... I was just goofing around and I found this place... This land of wonders, worthy of the name Gi ton thàvmaton... I didn't think I'll love this place like this... It was time...

I picked up the arrow... Its tip was red and it glowed... This was what started it all... I look back to see my friends waving at me, I turn back I pull the arrow against my bow, " Wait!!!" Anna yelled before running up to kiss me "don't go around flirting with girls on the normal world" I chuckle a little and notice a tear she has that she tries to clean off before I notice, but I did.

I fire the arrow and a portal appeared, I was sucked in.

I fell down landing roughly on the floor my bow in my hand and a quiver on the floor with tons of arrows in it with a red tip. I saw the target board in front of me with all the arrows I shot before I left here. My dad then rushes in through the door. "Vincent... I heard you yell... You okay" he said looking at the target board, "what did I say about using this indoors" he said giving me a scolding look... I rush up to him and hugged him, "I'm sorry dad... Won't do it again" I said... Could this mean that it wasn't real... And this was all a dream... It can't be...

My dad leaves my room confused and I collapse on the floor, processing everything that I dreamt... I knew it was too good to be true... I imagined all of that... Pain, happiness, anger, grief and closure... All of that was a dream.

I turn right and I saw my red hood costume underneath my bed on top of a box... I brought it out and I saw a note... "A little souvenir... Love Liza" I read out loud. I open the box to see divine distortion.

It was real...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lol... This is the end of my book, thanks to all my devoted readers and my voters and everyone who made this book possible.