Chapter 7

(This is Alexander)

I don't know where I'm going, or what I'm doing. It's at times like this I wish I had a map. Why didn't I pack one? Oh yeah, I was in a rush and gran wanted me to start as soon as possible, so of course, I took her advice and now I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do. My impatience (kinda) cost me important knowledge. I sighed. What the heck is wrong with me sometimes? Why couldn't I have thought this through for once? I took the letter from gran out of my pocket and read it over again. 'On your journey, you will meet a serpent who will turn out to be a flower. They will help you.' So basically, I've got to be friends with a complete and utter ass until they decide to be nice to me This is great. Just bloody great. I stuffed the letter back into my pocket and sighed. Where's the silver lining in this? I can't lose hope already. I'm going to live. I'm going to make my family proud. And I'm going to make the village start respecting me and my mother. That's all I got, really. Plus, I kinda know who I'm looking for, so that's a bonus. I think. Oh, who the heck am I kidding? I don't know who I'm looking for. Half the world's a bloody ass, so what the heck. How is any of this going to help me? I thought the old hag was going to give some advice, but I got nothing. I have no idea how I'm going to start this journey off! Why does nothing make sense anymore? And I didn't even bring my phone with me! Gran took it off me and said that I wouldn't need it on my trip for some goddamn reason. Like, what hell? I need help. Alright, Alexander, stay calm; you got this. Think of sunshine and tacos, and you'll be fine. I can do this. I can figure this out. It can't be too hard, can it?

…

This is the worst day of my life. And do you know why? Because the world has gone against me! Why? I have no idea! I didn't do anything wrong! All I've done that coulda offended the world is kick a tree when I got mad, but I apologised for doing it… after the first couple of things happened to me. But we should be even by now, so this isn't fair! How am I supposed to have an optimistic approach to this situation? I honestly have no idea at this point. I guess the only thing that matters right now is figuring out what's next. I stopped in a fork in the road and sighed. Well, there goes my plan of just following the road. Now I've actually gotta use my head for once. Wait a minute… what if gran hid a map somewhere? That would be great! I searched myself, and then the bag, and now I'm suddenly back at square one. There was no map. Stupid old hag gave me a bloody motivational note but couldn't find the time to get me a bloody map. Useless old fart needs to get his priorities straight. I stared at the letter that was now in my hand and then turned it around, trying to figure out if it had some sort of secret message or somethin'. Maybe there's somethin' hidden in the writing, or a message will get revealed if it comes into contact with water or fire or somethin' like that. I want to try it, but I don't want to lose the letter. This shouldn't be such a tough call, but it is. One of the few pieces of support I've ever got from gran, and I'm considering ruining it. But in the end, if there is a secret message, then it should be worth it. I can't pass up the opportunity to get somewhere. But what should I start with? Heat or water? I guess heat, just in case water causes the ink to rub off. And I know I'm more likely to destroy the whole piece of paper by using heat because I'm going to have to use fire, but it's also easily saved by putting the piece of paper in water. So, using heat first would make more sense, because either way it will get revealed if there's a message. Hopefully. If everything goes to plan. I stared at the letter. But where am I going to get a heat source? What road should I go down? One path is right, and one path is wrong, and I don't know which one is which. I sighed. This is gonna get me nowhere. I might as well just turn back now if I can't figure this out. I suddenly felt a drop of rain on my head. And another. And another. And soon it was pouring it down with rain. I guess I'm starting with water then. I watched as the water washed away the ink, but no secret message was revealed, nor was the paper revealed. I am so confused right now. Maybe this wasn't the right thing to do. Crap. I've already failed this whole freaking thing, and I've only just bloody started. I turned the paper in my hand, only to reveal a short message. Thank the Lord, I haven't failed yet. I am still in this, people! The note read:

'Will you go left

Where nothing is right?

Or will you go right

Where nothing is left?'

Well, I guess it would only make sense to go left because at least there's something there. But why is there nothing left on the path to the right? What happened to everything that was once there, because there must have been something? But by going on the path to the left, nothing will be right. Why's that? I shrugged. I guess there's only one way to find out. I started walking down the path on the left. Hopefully, I'll find out whatever's happened at the end of the path to the right, and figure out why an entire place has been erased off the map and out of existence. Maybe even one day I'll come back to this place and see for myself.