14 Firuz - Feels Good

Firuz stood at the entrance of the door, garbed in layers and layers of wool and fur. Pale blue light spilled inside the house, coloring his lower half with a familiar cold light. His heart fluttered in his chest, the kind of fluttering that forbode good things.

'Come on friend, it's only a step.' Azad stood outside with his carefree demeanor. The winds held no terror for him. 'The wind is kind today. How can you sit inside these walls? It's just a single step, like the countless steps you will take.' He swayed with the wind, eyes closed, arms outstretched.

Firuz tremulously smiled, courage had not yet come to him. "But, Arash will be mad!" His hands tightly clasping on his furs.

'He will never know. We will be back before you know it.' Azad smiled mischievously. He walked over to Firuz, standing face to face. 'I know you want to. It's not that hard... Nobody can do this for you. If you don't want to, you can go back inside. But, you will never be able to see the world outside of your home, ever make any friends. You will be alone. Forever...'

"But… I am sick and..." He saw the smile on Azad's face and his face flushed with embarrassment. The boy before him was sickly, to say the least, skin taut over his bones. Yet there was nothing weak about him. He stood with confidence, dared to leave the safety of the house, and dared to have an adventure. 'Is it that difficult? It is only one step, and everything will be alright. Can I really go outside?' He just needed to look at the boy before him and the answer came to him.

"One step?" Firuz asked weakly.

'Well, that's how it starts.'

"Really?" Firuz asked with uncertainty.

'Yeah, sometimes you just need to believe in yourself and you would be surprised by the things you can do...'

"... where will we go?" Firuz asked while he wrestled with his fears.

'To meet new friends.' Azad's face shone with excitement. 'Tiny little things, live beneath the ground we stand on. No one has ever seen them, but they exist, living right beneath our feet. Digging little tunnels, exploring, and having fun.''

"What are they called?" Firuz's eyes glinted with excitement.

'...' For the first time, Azad seemed to be at a loss for words. "Hmm… To be honest I have never met them. I don't know their names. Hence the adventure to find out the names of the friends who live beneath us."

"What if they are dangerous?" Firuz studied the expression of the boy before him.

'They are not...' Azad wearily exhaled. 'You ask too many questions. How would it be an adventure if we know all the answers?'

"But they might dangerous… They might attack us--"

'Are you scared of the things that hide beneath the ground?' Azar arched an eyebrow in question.

"No..." Firuz said uncertainly, he was afraid, afraid of these creatures beneath the ground, afraid of the dark and the winds which howled in the streets.

'If you are not afraid, then come with me.' Azad paused for an answer, eagerly looking at him.

Firuz nervously fidgeted at the entrance. 'I can't go out. I am not allowed...' but the look in Azad's eyes made it hard for him. He didn't want to disappoint the boy before him. Firuz gritted his teeth in determination and dared to take a step. His leg felt like lead as he raised it to move forward.

The moment his foot landed outside his house, all his troubles melted away. 'Is this it?' He couldn't help but wonder. The crippling fear that had chained him inside the house relented, and he felt a strange joy course through his body.

'See, it's not that hard.' Azad whispered beside him. 'Now just do the same and follow me.' Azad dashed down the street, his voice carried by the gentle wind.

"wait..."' Firuz weakly said as he chased after Azad. He felt the cold wind on his face as it ran through his hair. At first, he ran clumsily, but then his steps became steady and sure as he dashed towards his adventure.

Soon, however, his weakness caught up with him, and he wheezed for air, gasping as the cold air stung his nostrils. "Wait... I, I can't run anymore." Firuz doubled over as he was overwhelmed with a wave of nausea. He peered into the darkness before him, looking for a shadow with a likeness of a boy, fear streaked his face as time passed by.

'Hey! I thought you were lost.' Suddenly, Azad's voice drifted out from the darkness and a skinny figure came into view.

"I can't… I can't breathe." Firuz wheezed for air but soon a smile broke onto his lips. He heartily laughed as his chuckles echoed off the dreary houses around him. He stared into Azad's eyes. "It feels good."