Prologue

It was a quiet evening in the hospital. Many of the patients' families had gone home, wishing their suffering relatives kind words and quick recoveries. Leo felt a tinge of envy for those who would be leaving, knowing full well that he would not be one of them. He bunched the sheets in his hands, frustrated with the ever-growing weakness in his body.

The pitter-patter of feet drew the teenager's attention, his stare glued to the door. A warm smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as the noise drew closer.

Moments later, the door to his room slid open. In the doorway were a nurse and a small girl. "Leo, Leo! Yay!" The girl cheered, running to Leo's side. She put her hands on his forearm, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"It's great to see you, Shore," Leo said, glancing between her and the nurse.

The nurse shook two cups of gelatin in her hands and strode over to Leo and Shore. "You might want these," she said, handing him the cups and a pair of spoons. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Thanks, Miranda," Leo said.

"Jello! Jello! Jello!" Shore cried as the nurse left. Leo could not help but laugh at her overabundance of energy.

An idea occurred to Leo. "Shore, would you like to hear a story?" From beneath the sheets, he procured a small book, handing it to Shore. Within its pages was the soul of his life—characters painstakingly imagined over the years. Soon they would be Shore's. "They are the characters of tonight's story."

Shore's eyes widened. She knew that this was Leo's gentle way of asking her to calm down. Leo admired her intelligence despite being so young. Her tiny fingers trembled around the book's rim.

"Do I still get the jello?" Shore asked.

Leo chuckled. "Yes, you still get the jello."

"Yes! Please! Are these characters kings and princesses and knights and heroes?" Her excitement continued to soar while Leo put Shore's share of jello beside him on the bed.

"They're something like that." Pulling open the plastic covering, Leo dug his spoon into the gelatin and stirred it. "Our story begins in a vast forest…"