Xavier Storm: The Leaf of Hope

Chapter 1 : Vanished

Wind, breezing as the spring blooms. Flame, searing as the summer flare. Waves, cold as the winter snow. Leaves, fragile as the autumn bedrock. How good is it to have this view while sitting here at this grassy pillar-like stone hedge. It's very good in here. I wanna live here. Seasons are in harmony. Yeah, yeah.

Oh! A tree over there, at the windy part, I guess it is spring there. Wow! It's bearing fruit very fast. Oh, oh, oh, what's that? Wait, isn't that a penguin? Yeah, there, at the snowy part. I know. I think so. There is winter. Lucky because summer is not coming near me. I am tan enough, tan enough. Autumn looks thirsty, yet, beautiful. Maple leaves, they are almost covering the earth ground. A nice place to relax.

What's that? Coming from the summer part. Oh, no! The bonfire is getting larger. I'm running. No! It's coming to me. I need to hurry. What?! It's devouring the whole summer place! It's impossible. Never mind it! I better keep running! No, no, no. It's burning the leaves of autumn! Okay, relax, relax. Keep on breathing. Well, winter is next, and it will never be burned out. Finding a way out of here is the best thing to do now. Don't panic, don't panic. Okay, where I am? Trees, trees, grasses. I'm coming to the exit. I'm nearing a cave. Just a moment. It's getting hot. I'm sweating. I'm now gasping to suffocation. Breathe, breathe. Take a look at the winter. Oh, my! It's totally evaporated. Faster, faster! Run faster to the cave! It's coming to me. It's yelling for something. Wait. It's calling me? It's calling me. Okay, it just wants me. Well, that's fine. It doesn't want anything from me. It just wants- For God's sake! It's coming for me! It's calling me! It wants me! Faster, keep running! It's getting louder.

"XAVIER"

Oh, my! It's coming near. It's now just a distance. Run faster, run! To the cave! Keep going! I'm getting near the cave. I'm getting near! Keep on running. Freak! The fire covers the opening! What am I gonna do now? It's calling me again!

"XAVIER!"

It's angry now. It's gonna eat me. It's gonna burn me out! Oh! I don't want to die now. But, I'm getting weak.

"XAVIER."

I'm feeling it now! Ouch! I'm burning! It's hot. Extremely hot. Nothing sears than this. It's smoldering. Now, on my thighs. Ooh, it's gonna eat me now. It's draining my energy. It's draining me.

"XAVIER!"

It calls me again. I don't want to die now. I don't have a choice.

"XAVIER!"

I surrender.

"XAVIER! WAKE UP!"

"I don't want to die!" I shouted. I jumped back through my limbs and sat tiredly. This feels like it was knocking my head off.

"Nobody wants to kill you!" shouted a gravely voice at me, and people surrounding me laughed very hard.

I couldn't see clearly. It was all blurry. I was losing my glasses. I traced my right hand from my polo's pocket down to my pants'. I slung the glasses out of it and wore them tightly locked on my ears, panting.

"Mr. Fulbuster? You're dreaming again," said a fat, old lady in a turquoise frock. I just noticed that I was in a classroom. My classmates laughed again, as usual when someone got scolded by a teacher. That added up to the decrease in self-esteem.

I stood up, wobbling on my knees, and bowed my head. "Sorry, Ma'am. I didn't me-"

"I don't need any explanation!" she bellowed, I

frowned. " Don't you dare repeat that again! Understand, Mr. Fulbuster?"

"Yes, Ma-"

"Of course, you should!" she cut. "Class dismissed! Good bye. Have a nice day."