Cyan Sleeves

When I go Missing -- Sneak Peek

Jay walked into the forest quietly, taking in the sounds of the wildlife. It was so peaceful, silent, and solemn.

These would be the last moments of his life. He had decided it a while ago. He'd written a note, he'd apologized, he'd gotten his equipment together, and he'd walked all the way here, determination in his eyes. For the first time in his life, he was doing something that only he could control. He was finally going to be able to choose something for himself.

Not his parents. Not the god-awful demons at school. Him. No one else was in the forest during a school day, telling him what to do.

He reached a clearing where his family had enjoyed lunch together once, a while ago, back when they were closer. There were many trees around, but he was searching for just one in particular. Jay would have to be quick about this – once they found the note, they would no doubt start looking for him.

He didn't find what he was looking for, but stopped to somewhat enjoy the bittersweet atmosphere of the woods. If he had to die, this would be the place to do it. Somewhere where his body would be used to create more life, more beautiful trees and plants. The life he would bring about would be much more valuable than his own worthless one.

Right?

There was a tree over there with branches in the right place to make the rope work. As he walked, he heard a twig snap.

He turned around to face the sound. "Is someone there?"

"Relax." A voice said softly. "It's just me."

From out of the shadows stepped a humanoid creature, wearing a mask that looked like it was joyful to see him. The person, if you could call it that, had skin that looked like a midnight sky, with tiny blue specks of stars and galaxies flowing through it, slowly drifting in all directions. In its chest floated a bright blue core, its light going out towards its arms and legs like a heart pumping blood.

"Who are you?" It asked.

Jay looked startled by its presence. "J-Jay... Jay Johnson."

It nodded. "Hello, Jay. My name is Nyumo. I am the guardian of the Western Forests." It walked closer to him until it was only a few feet away. "What are you doing here today? Is the rope for something?"

Jay looked down at the rope in his hands. "Nothing. I was just coming here to enjoy the good weather."

"Is that so? Why don't you sit with me?" From behind Nyumo, a chair formed seemingly out of thin air. It looked like it was made out of some kind of black glass. Nyumo sat down into the newly created chair and made another one right behind Jay. Cautiously, Jay sat as well. The chair was uncomfortable and hard, but he didn't want to find out what would happen if he disagreed with this... Nyumo. Something about it, even deeper than appearances, disturbed him.

"Now, why don't you talk to me about how your life is going? Don't worry about other people coming here – they can't see me nor you."

Jay's eyes stared at the grass by his feet. He said nothing. He didn't know whether or not he could trust this thing.

"You know, if you're completely honest with me, I can see us being really, really good friends." It leaned forward in its seat and smiled. "Just don't lie to me, okay? Otherwise, we're going to have some problems."

"I understand." He replied.

"Great! Please tell me all about what's on your mind."

Jay nodded slowly and looked up.

Its smile got wider as its voice went dark. "And don't ever  lie to me again." It said knowingly.

Before he could reply to what sounded like a threat, someone else entered the clearing in the forest. Unlike Nyumo, this was a person Jay immediately recognized – his mother.

"Jay!" She screamed out, frantically scanning the area left to right. She looked terrified.

Jay stood up and ran to her. "Mom! Mom, I'm so—"

"Jay, where are you?!" She continued looking around, walking right past him.

"Mom...?" He watched her leave him, completely ignoring his presence.

It was quick to proudly clarify what had happened. "I told you, Jay, she can't see us." Nyumo said, not moving from its seat. "Come, sit here with me. We have a lot to talk about."

Jay ignored its voice and followed his mom. He tried touching her shoulder, trying to get her attention, but she didn't respond. Eventually, she left the clearing and went down another path, leaving Jay to watch her walk away.

"Sit down Jay, please. You're dragging this out."

"Why can't she see me?" He asked, listening to her call out his name some more.

"Because I said so." It replied unhelpfully. "Sit. Down."

"Why can't she see me?!" He asked again, unsatisfied with the answer.

"Jay Johnson." Jay turned around quickly when Nyumo seemed to teleport right behind him. "If you don't listen to me right now, I will take drastic actions." A black tendril appeared behind it, looming over Nyumo like a stinger. The end of the tendril was long and sharp, the sight of it bringing a shiver down Jay's spine. "And I wouldn't want to do that to my new friend, now, would I? So please, come and sit with me. Now."

"But I..."

"Now."

Jay followed it to his seat and faced it. Although the mask had eye holes, all he saw inside of them was blackness. Maybe that's all this creature was – darkness.

"So, why don't we start with what you're really doing here in my forest?"