Ancient Forces (2018 Reboot)

Chapter 4 - Beyond Human Part 1

Zayne kept his shoes on as he stepped through the front door and back into his aunt and uncle's home. Damien was rambling on about playing the game they'd started last night, discussing interestings facts and ideas about the story and the lore and such. Zayne halfheartedly listened, his mind was focused on something else. Ver had entered the kitchen and had started on dinner when Zayne came around the corner and got her attention. Damien had gone to his room to set things up, but Zayne wasn't going there. He needed to check something else out first.

"Ver, can I go to walk around the backyard?" Zayne asked straightforwardly.

Ver gave him a puzzled, then a concerned look as she replied with care, "Why?"

Zayne struggled for a moment to find an excuse. He didn't want Ver to think he was losing his mind. Frankly he probably was, but no need to alert others of that now was there? On the verge of panicking Zayne just grabbed the most believable reason he could find and presented it out.

"I haven't been in touch with nature in a little while. I just figured a quick stroll through the woods would relax my nerves," he explained with as much of a believable voice as he could offer.

Ver gave him a suspicious look before replying, "Do you have your phone with you?"

"Yes, right here," Zayne replied as he held it up.

"I want you back by seven, no later, understood?" Ver commanded.

"Yes ma'am," Zayne agreed as he took off for the backdoor.

"Zayne?" Damien called from the front entrance, stopping Zayne in his tracks.

Zayne turned and looked at his cousin, who looked confused that he was going towards the backdoor and not his room. Zayne shrugged and gave him an expression that read, 'sorry.'

"I just need to calm down after school today. We can continue our game after dinner."

Damien perked up again, "Sounds good! Be safe!"

Zayne smiled and held a thumbs up, then stepped onto the back porch and into the natural land outside. The swaying leaves of vibrant colors and falling foliage created an almost surreal backdrop as Zayne began trekking his way down the path. It was covered by leaves and barely visible, but with a few swipes from his foot Zayne could easily see the dirt carved path that led between trees out towards his true destination, the cave. Birds chirped in the distance, and the wind was rather strong today. Zayne looked beyond some of the dead trees with no leaves, seeing the almost blue sky. There were spots of clouds here and there, but nothing indicated bad weather. Zayne returned his focus to the path. He didn't want to get lost in a big place like this, especially at night.

It was five twenty now, and it was around a ten minute trip to the cave from the house. Minus twenty minutes to travel to and from the home and he was left around five forty, and he had to get back by seven. He had around an hour and twenty minutes to figure out what was going on in that cave. That was plenty of time, right? A gust of wind sent chills down Zayne's spine, to which he responded to by lifting up his hood and hiding his hands in his pockets. The truth of this whole thing boiled down to one simple question. Was he losing his mind?

While common sense argued no, Zayne's mind was playing ring around the rosey with him. On one hand he was having nightmares about something in the real world attacking him, which then resulted in him not being able to sleep properly. Nothing was inherently wrong with that, but the other hand had more of a crazy denotion to it. The very thing he was dreaming of and seeing was a massive monster of unnatural size and strength, and it obviously had some sort of lizard origin. Then there was the voice. Oh the thing that he stewed over that had him on the fence. The voice was so real, and the events so real as well, but then again most people who lost their minds argued that it was all real too. This was his moment of truth.