Zora: The World Of The Dead

Chapter 1

Jerry strained his ears as he tried hard to grasp every little bit of sound made by the chirping cricket just outside his window. His eyes were closed tight shut.

This was one of his favorite pastimes. He had the ears of a Noctuid Moth. He could listen to the slightest of sounds. He considered this as a hindrance to his social life instead of a blessing, because no one could surprise him by springing upon him from behind. He would know from far off.

To make matters worse, Jerry had the brightest blue eyes in all of his town. They literally glowed in the dark, which caused kids to refrain from being with him in the dark. Another reason to be called a freak. Simple enough. The only friend he had was himself.

"Jerry!! Come on downstairs...your dinner is ready"

Margaret White, Jerry's mother, an attractive woman in her early fourties, working as a teacher at Mill's elementary school was a soft spoken lady. She was a brunette with long wavy hair, which she was proud of. She really loved Jerry with all heart and always wanted the best for him.

Jerry dragged himself out of his bed, and went downstairs. His father, George White was already at the table, sipping a glass of red wine. George was not a particularly likeable man. Jerry was terrified of him. His father never treated him like a son. He quietly slipped down onto a wooden chair beside his father, not daring to look up at his face.

"Ahoy kiddo! Can't you wash your hands before eating once in a while huh?"

"  did wash my hands dad. You just didn't notice."

"Don't you dare answer back to me you pest! "

Margaret came in between and interrupted them.

"Stop it you two! Now complete your dinner!"

Jerry rushed back to his room and locked the door. The place he loved the most. His own room. He went and stood in front of the big mirror attached to his closet. He wondered if he really was that scary as his friends thought him to be. He watched closely as his eyes shone bright. There were times when his eyes would shine brighter than normal. He would also feel a burning sensation like someone rubbed a chilli across his eye. He was scared to tell his parents about it though, mainly because he feared his father.

Jerry used to get some terrible nightmares at times too. He used to see realistic dreams. It was almost like he was there watching it all happen and then suddenly he would wake up all sweating with his heart thumping like the hooves of a gallopping horse. These dreams instilled a kind of fear of sleep in Jerry. He tries to stay awake most of the time. He is simply afraid to fall asleep. He really hated the dream world into which he used to travel everytime he fell asleep.

Another peculiarity about his sleep is that he sleeps like a log. Once he is asleep, it is practically impossible to wake him up. There were so many times, when his parents would rush him to the hospital, only to be informed by the authorities that he has stopped breathing, but his vital organs are still functioning. Doctors have tried in vain to diagnose his condition, and to their surprise, he would wake up after a while, just like any other normal person would.

Jerry decided to pass his time by reading his favorite book, the Harry Potter series. He really wished he was like Harry. A boy with magical powers. He would then simply disappear from this world altogether.

Jerry had barely completed 15 pages when his eyes began to droop and soon he was in a deep slumber. Even though he was asleep, he was concious of the environment in which he was sleeping. He could still hear the cricket schirping at a distance. He could hear the sound of the fan whirring above him, but yet, he was fast asleep. His mind worked in both the world's simultaneously, which is something unheard of in a normal human being.

Jerry trudged along the narrow path winding through the forest. He could hear a rumbling sound in the distance. The path was strewn with dead leaves from trees. The trees themselves looked menacing. They seemed to lean down and whisper something into his ears as he walked past them. He quickened his pace. His heart was beating wildly.He desparately wanted to wake up from this nightmare. He tried pinching himself, to no avail.He had been seeing this same dream for the past few years, but with each passing day, he felt more and more terrified. Today was a bit different though. Today he felt like someone was watching him. His insticts told him to stay alert for something was coming.

All of a sudden, Jerry felt something heavy fall on his back. He was thrown off his feet and he fell at a distance, face down. He groaned in pain, holding his bleeding nose, as he turned around to see what had fallen on him. What he saw made his jaw drop.

A hooded man was seated on a strange creature resembling a dragon. The man wore a black cloak and his face was completely hidden. His hands were skinny and and wrinkled, almost like bare bones. He looked pale, but the sight of him seated on that creature gave him a menacing look.

The creature snarled at Jerry, breathing fire out of its nostrils. Jerry could barely move a limb. He was too shell shocked for any reaction from his part. It resembled the dragons he had read about in fairy tales as a child. It had rough scales all over its body and its long tail resembled that of a crocodile. Its eyes were fiery red and its tongue sild out from time to time, as if smelling the surroundings.

The man and the creature advanced upon Jerry. He was still pinching himself, trying to wake himself up. All this felt so real now. The creature raised its arms high up and made a loud growling sound. Just when it was about to land on Jerry's chest, there was a blinding flash.

Jerry found himself on the floor in his room. He never felt so relieved ever in his whole life. He got up and checked his clock. It was 3:00 am in the morning. He walked upto his mirror and what he saw horrified him. His eyes were shining like two pieces of gems. He was staring at his own image, under the glowing light of his own eyes, when he felt something sticky on his lips. He was in for another shock. It was blood, which had trickled down from his nose.