1 Anew

"Am I dead?"

That was Raymond's first thought when he opened his eyes. He recalled the moments that flashed before he had just awakened. He was in his bed, in his apartment alone. Rotting away slowly not able to comprehend that these were the last moments he would have in this world. He didn't have anyone with him, he didn't think of anyone, he just thought about his inevitable death. He had Cancer, not from age but from a mutation of his cells. He hadn't tried to treat it, he knew his chances. Although he was only 25 he had more than enough experience accumulated to understand that this wasn't something able to be solved so easily. His last thoughts weren't those of regret though, he didn't have anyone left in this world, well he didn't have anyone in the beginning to begin with. As he closed his eyes he felt his strength wane and he knew deep down he wouldn't be reopening them anytime soon.

If I could live again I wouldn't change a thing he thought to himself.

I would pursue a path of knowledge all over again. If only I could do it forever.

"No, I can't be dead." Raymond said to himself as he looked around the valley of grass he was laying in. "Fortunately, I don't believe that death would leave me in such a cliche like a valley of Harmony from some old wise tales."

Where the fuck am I then? Raymond thought to himself. He stood up and inhaled a deep breath of warm spring air. He took a glance at the deep blue clear sky and then around at the shrubs and the path of forestry around him. Standing here won't get me anywhere now will it? he said to himself. He took a step forward onto the knee high grass he was surrounded by and finally surveyed the clothes he was dressed in.

"What in the goddam?" he whispered. What am I a peasant from medieval times? He was wearing a rough, brown colored sack along with a now alarming itching pair of trousers. Oh great he inwardly stated, I'm dressed as a homeless man too.

"This isn't very charming now is it..." he muttered as he itched his inner thigh. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Raymond continued to wander throughout the forest what seemed to him for hours and as the sun was at its peak within the sky he finally found the barely noticeable outline of a not very tracked upon path. He followed it and by the time he was out of the forestry the sun was almost completely lowered. Continuing on the path he observed a light in the distance with smoke following it above. Oh my oh my, happy campers huh? He spoke to himself menntally, are they Amish, why do they have wagons?

He trekked along the path and raised his hands high into the air as he came into the views of the other party. "Hello! I'm very sorry to intrude upon your camping trip but I seem to have become a little lost!" Raymond shouted out to the people ahead of him.

"You hear that Rem? He's lost. Can you believe it? Hahahaha." A scruffy voice sounded from a man advancing forward away from the fire.

"Well now, how did you get lost out here?" The woman called Rem said mockingly towards Raymond.

"Honestly, I'm not exactly sure, I seem to have bumped my head and can't remember anything quite that clearly." Raymond responded.

"Really now? Come over here and let Benny pat ya down then and we can decide if you're worth giving our generous helping hand to." Rem demanded as she pointed over to the man that talked before.

"Hm, I can assure you I ain't got nothing dangerous on me." He told them as he walked towards Benny. Then for the first time he got a good look at both of the people he's been talking to along with all of their companions that were sitting around the first behind the wagons.

Is that a sword and a bow? Ok these people definitely aren't Amish... Raymond thought to himself as he finally took in the appearances. The man called benny was wearing leather armor and pigskin pants painting him quite difficult to see if the campfire was lighting him up from behind, while the woman Rem was wearing a purple robe which covered up everything on her except for her face which was revealed to have dark brown eyes matching with here tied up brown hair. She had a bow on her back and strapped to her waist was the obvious bulge of a quiver. Those are actually weapons Raymond thought as he allowed for Benny to pat himself down from shoulder to ankles.

"Would you look at this Rem! He was left for dead, even the peasants from Mao aren't as poor looking as this boy. HAHAHAHA." Benny laughed out in a roar.

"Kekekeke!" Rem had a muffled laugh as she took a step towards me. "Who did you piss off?"

"I'm not exactly sure..." Raymond responded.

"He wasn't kidding when he said he hit his head!" Benny said, nudging his elbow into the side of Raymond.

These guys are annoying, thought Raymond as his face expressed no signs of his thoughts. I shouldn't have come through here but I'll most likely freeze to death if I don't get some shelter. I'll have to see if I can stay here tonight and get to the nearest town in the morning.

"Could you perhaps allow me to spend the night with you guys here and maybe point me to the nearest town in the morning?" Raymond asked.

"No." Benny said all of the sudden changing his tone from his cheery voice he's had the entire time.

"Wha-" but before he knew it Benny had drawn his sword and bopped the hilt of his sword straight into his forehead.

A whole new life appeared before Raymond as he was unconscious. A life of a peasant, a boy who lived in a world of wizards and adventurers and yet never once got to experience any of that. He was a pitiful thief in the slums of a city named Mao. He was born alone, lived alone, and died alone. He got mixed up with the wrong crowd and robbed the wrong people. One night as the boy crept into the house of a well known herbalist he was found out. Without even being given the chance to explain he had his throat slit by a dagger of an adventurer paid to guard the store. He was treated like trash, carried out of the town in a sack and thrown into the forest to rot into the earth. Raymond was at a loss for words as he watched this. He was in a different world, in a different body, he was a whole different person. He wasn't a very emotional person, but seeing someone that lived so much like him and died so much like him sparked something in his heart. Just like this boy he was born alone and just like this boy he died alone. He wasn't actually this kid so he surely wouldn't put his life on the line just to avenge him but he now had the knowledge of this world due to the boy and he was in this boy's body for all that he knew so it would only make sense that he at least honored him.

When Raymond woke up he was blind folded, but he didn't care, what he did care about was what he had just decided upon.

I'm no longer Raymond, from now on I'll be the boy whose body allowed me to have a second chance.

I am Kroft Aldrich