Chapter 1: The Actor

<p>When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a room shrouded by white. There was nothing around me. As I had the thought that there was nothing, voices whispered into my ears.<br/><br/>"Nothing?"<br/>"Something?"<br/>"The end?"<br/>"The beginning?"<br/>"Both? Both? Both? Both? Both? Both???"<br/>"ALL!"<br/><br/>In fear, I covered my ears. How can nothing have something and something have nothing? How can it be both? What does it mean by "ALL"?<br/><br/>As my thoughts seemed to cloud itself in circles, I heard a "thump" in front of me. Then another few "thumps" afterwards, almost in a rhythm-like pattern. I glanced up, slightly removing my hands from my ears, and was shocked to see that a blue ball was bouncing my way. It then rolled towards me, tapping my feet. Hesitantly, I bent down to pick up the ball but when I stood back up I was under a tree. I then heard footsteps in front of me so I quickly looked up to find that a few feet away from me was a brown-haired, pale-skinned boy wearing a red jacket. His blue and brown heterochromia eyes stared intensely at me.<br/><br/>"Where…. How did you do that?" He asked<br/><br/>At first, I was confused as to what he was asking me. Then I realized that I had appeared out of nowhere in his perspective.<br/><br/>"Ah, right… I wasn't here before… if he was standing there the whole time… how do I explain this to him when I don't even know how I got here either?" I thought.<br/><br/>"Hey, did you hear me? How did you just appear out of nowhere?!"<br/><br/>I flinched a bit. " I gotta change the subject for now… or at least come up with a lie… I got it!" I thought. <br/><br/>"Answer me or I'll-"<br/><br/>"I fell out of the tree! A-and I saw this ball so I picked it up…" I lied, hoping he'll believe me.<br/><br/>"You… fell? But I didn't see you fall?" He asked<br/><br/>"Oh- um I had already fallen, you see… and I think I just seemed to appear here cause I was standing up after picking up this blue ball….." I explain hesitantly.<br/><br/>There was a moment of silence, and I could feel myself sweating profusely in panic."Common, just take the bait!" I thought.<br/><br/> The boy just stood there thinking to himself in silence.<br/><br/>"Alright then…. Could you return my ball?" He asked calmly<br/><br/>"O-of course!" I said with nervousness in my voice, "thank goodness he believed my lie!" I thought as I handed him the ball.<br/><br/>He turned to walk away, and I sigh in relief. Suddenly he turned back around and, with great surprise, I stood at attention.<br/><br/>"Hey…. What's your name?" He asked<br/><br/>I panicked. I didn't remember my name so I couldn't reply immediately because I was thinking up another lie.<br/><br/>"Oh um… My name is [restricted] so embarrassing that I don't tell people it." I explained, while waving my hands in "no" matter. "What was that?" I thought.<br/><br/>"Really? Well since you are in my backyard, I guess you have no choice but to tell me your name now." He taunted as he walked back my way. I could tell that he was starting to suspect me and if I didn't give a name, I was going to have problems.<br/><br/>"I- it's... [restricted] uh... [restricted] um... [restricted]" I panickily looked around for clues since none of the names worked. "Scoo..."<br/><br/>"Scoo?"<br/><br/>"No! I mean… uh ap…?"<br/><br/>"…. Scraps?"<br/><br/>"Yes! It's uh… Scraps! Scraps is my name!"<br/><br/>He chuckled, "that is a funny name. Hey, you wanna come inside?"<br/><br/>"Oh no, it's fine!" I said while looking away in embarrassment, lifting my hands in front of my face. It was brief but I suddenly saw through my hands. Quickly, out of panic, I swiped them behind my back.<br/><br/>"Besides I have to get back home" I said while taking a step away <br/><br/>"Is that so? Then you won't mind me leading you out the front door…"<br/><br/>"Oh that's probably a good idea… but for some reason I can't -" I thought before I was interrupted.<br/><br/>or do you plan to sneak around my house." He asks as he tilts his head, while smiling mischievously.<br/><br/>"Great! He thinks I'm a thief!" I thought, "well I might as well do as he says if I don't want him to cause me any trouble…."<br/><br/>"Alright, If you don't mind leading me out…" I said with disdain. As I walked forward, I tripped over something, landing right into the boy's arms.<br/><br/>"Wh-what are you doing?!" He shouted.<br/><br/>"Oh! Um…. I'm sorry…." I said as I panicky moved away. In embarrassment I looked down at my feet, "I swear it was an accident! I didn't mean too… huh?" <br/><br/>At my feet was a bronze book with a gold trim etched into it. <br/><br/>"What's this?" I bent down to pick it up but when I stood up, I started to vanish away like the wind itself… dropping the book back down to the ground.<br/><br/>I stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened. As for the boy he stared at me as if I had done something horrible.<br/><br/>"Hahaha… that was weird the book seemed to slip right through my hands" I spoke nervously but the boy had no response to what I had said. He just stood there in shock.<br/><br/>"Hey, it's alright-" I tried to touch him but my hand went right through his body. "What…?"<br/><br/>The boy shook his head, regathering himself back together. He looked around nervously as I watched, as he hesitantly reached for the same book I picked up. He paused just before touching it.<br/><br/>"Maybe I should pick it up with something first?" He mumbled to himself. He pulled the sleeves of his red sweater over his hands. Then clumsily picked up the bronze gold edged book.<br/><br/>"H-Hey…. Are you in the book s-scraps?"<br/><br/>"Che- how would I know?!" I replied.<br/><br/>"Scraps?" The boy asked in a low frightened voice. <br/><br/>"I guess he can't hear me…" I mumbled.<br/><br/>The boy stared at the book for a moment, then carefully with the book, hurried inside his house. Then for some strange reason, I started to follow him.<br/><br/>"My… my body! Why is it moving on its own?!" I thought, panicky. As soon as the boy entered his home, he quickly ran past the living room, then passed the kitchen, and over to a room that looked like it was being used as a study. Books covered the area wall to wall supported by the shelves of maple wood. In the center was a wooden desk with a green and gold lamp dimly lit in the room.<br/><br/>The boy threw the book on top of the desk with me flying alongside it into the chair. He then began searching frantically around the room.<br/><br/>"Common! I know it's here somewhere…" he mumbled. "Ah!" <br/><br/>He sat there completely still in a corner where a dresser was. Curious enough about what the boy was searching for, I peaked over his shoulder. To my surprise it was an old ebony box with tattered seals all over it. On it was some sort of writing that I couldn't understand.<br/><br/>The boy suddenly ran over to the desk where the book sat and opened the box that was completely empty. Then carefully, with his sleeves, picked up the book and placed it inside. Quickly, he closed the box shut, I could sense fear coming from him.<br/><br/>"How… does it keep coming out of the box… every time my birthday comes?" He questioned himself with fright in his eyes. "And that girl… did it… did she get…?"<br/><br/>"Andy! I'm back from the office!" Ranged a woman's voice so loud that it seemed to spook the boy back to his reality. Suddenly a beautiful, dark skin, purple hair woman peered into the room. My eyes widened and I was left speechless.<br/><br/>"Andy… what are you doing in here again?" She asked. The boy, whose name appeared to be Andy, quickly stepped away from the desk.<br/><br/>"N-nothing!" He waved his hands frantically then ran past her and out the room.<br/><br/>"Andy?!" She shouted after him then let out a tiresome sigh. She looked back at the desk, and saw the old ebony box sitting on it. Gently, she touched the box as if it could break if she pressed too hard.<br/><br/>"To think today is already your fifthteenth birthday…." She softly spoke.<br/><br/>She then looked up and for a moment, I thought she could see me, but soon realized she was looking at the photo frame on the bookshelf behind me. I just stared at the photo of Andy and her posing in front of a cave somewhere and realized that I knew of this place.<br/><br/>" I think I know where this is but I can't place my finger on it…." I mumbled <br/><br/>"Mom! Can I cut the cake already?!" Shouted Andy in the other room.<br/><br/>The lady quickly turned around, shouting as she ran out the room.<br/><br/>"Andy, wait! Your grandpa isn't here yet!"</p>