Memories of Anamesa

As the sun dipped below the hills, painting the sky in shades of gold and violet, Lily and I dragged the mattress out onto the grass.

We flopped onto it, sinking into its fluffy softness.

Silence echoed through the valley. A cool breeze swam through the trees. The sky twinkled with the first stars of the night.

It was heavenly.

It was perfect.

"This… is amazing," Lily sighed, completely relaxed.

"I feel like royalty," I murmured.

We lay there, basking in our genius, the soft rustling of leaves lulling us into pure bliss, putting us to sleep.

"You know," Lily muttered sleepily, "I think we're onto something. Imagine if we made these for everyone."

I smirked. "Lily, are you suggesting we start a mattress empire?"

She grinned, eyes half-closed. "Maybe."

I liked the sound of that.

And with that thought, we drifted into the most comfortable sleep of our lives.

....

"Guess who!" Lily exclaimed as she dragged my head back.

I chuckled, recognizing her now-familiar playful touch. "Hmm, let me think," I teased, pretending to ponder the mystery. "It must be Dylan; only he has such an annoying voice."

I felt the grip tighten. Ach it hurt. 

"....sorry, I meant, beautiful voice?"

The grip loosened.

"Hmmm..... is it you Lily?"

Lily giggled and released her hold on my head, allowing me to turn and face her.

Happiness danced in her eyes, and her laughter was infectious.

"You got it!" she replied with a grin. "You know me too well."

I grinned back at her. "Well, you're the only one who sneaks up on me like that.... it's not hard to guess."

She laughed once more, ignoring my comment. Soon, she turned back to me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Uh oh.

"Alex, do you ever wonder what's out there beyond the village?"

I gazed at the distant horizon, where the woods lay, its shadowed gloom growing as twilight deepened. "All the time," I admitted. My father often described the wood's majestic beauty, but he had warned me of its terrible dangers. Caution was as much a part of my thoughts as curiosity. I wanted to explore this world. To go on my first adventure. To see beyond the horizon. To live. To make up for my last life. But I needed to resist the urge - at least temporarily. I mean... I was only four and three-quarters.

A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of Lily's lips. "Well then, how about we find out?"

Ugh, my sneaking suspicion had been spot on. She was up to no good. Shocking.

We couldn't ignore my father; there were dangerous creatures, unpredictable terrain, and no real trails within the woods. We were too young. I tightened my grip on Lily's hand, trying to stop her.

Despite that, just as I began to answer her, she escaped my grasp and skipped off toward the forest, ignoring my fearful gaze. "Come on, let's go Alex!"

I set aside my worries and chased after her, yelling her name. I wasn't about to let some kid kill herself.

The forest blurred around me as I ran after her. Reaching her, I grabbed her arm.

Then, I paused. We had passed the boundaries of the village; we were within the forest's embrace.

Damn it.

I sighed to myself and quickly gave up - I couldn't prevent Lily from exploring. After all, it was better for me to be with her; without me, she would explore by herself. And... this was an opportunity to see beyond the limits of Havenwood.

Thus, we walked into the forest, into its gentle, green embrace. Gentle silver radiance colored the leafy, brown path in silver patches. Beams of light revealed groves of vibrant wildflowers that glowed like scattered stardust in yellow gleams. Fireflies darted about, painting the canopy colorful hues as their surreal bioluminescent dance astounded us. It was otherworldly. It was beautiful. Perfect.

Soon, our laughter blended into the night's melody with every step, forming a harmonious duet with our crunching steps. We walked in sync, side by side.

Behind us, the moon cast a silvery glow over the village, hugging the cottages in its gentle, cool embrace. The tranquility of the night was interrupted only by the distant hoots of owls and the rustling of leaves. Then, my worst fears were realized.

A low, guttural growl shattered the calm. A shiver ran down my spine.

I pulled Lily closer to me. My heart raced. The forest came alive with unseen danger. Shadows danced ominously between trees. Chilling wind whistled. Something was nearby. Something dangerous.

"Alex, what was that?" Lily's voice trembled with fear for the first time.

"I don't know. We need to stay quiet," I whispered, my senses on high alert.

Before I could react, a monstrous figure emerged from the darkness. A creature with gnarled claws. Gleaming yellow eyes. Its presence dripping with malevolence. Its snarl was haunting. It echoed through the night, and fear gripped me like a vice. It was a young wolf, nearly a cub. Despite this, it was our size.

Fortunately, it was alone.

In that moment, I froze.

I couldn't move.

I had never been in a situation like this on Earth. What was happening? 

My mind raced. Lily trembled against my chest. What could I do? I closed my eyes. I needed to protect Lily. At all costs. She couldn't become one of the many shadows native to Anamesa. Wandering. Lost. Broken.

The creature lunged; I grabbed a nearby fallen branch. Pushed Lily away. Rolled away and lifted the stick. I brandished it like a weapon, my heart pounding in my chest. My legs were jelly, my body small and fragile compared to the threat before us.

I couldn't let fear paralyze me – Lily's safety was my priority.

I swung the branch with all the force I could muster, barely managing to drive the creature back momentarily. But it was relentless. Its primal hunger shone.

It jumped towards me; I prepared for death. I began to move back to dodge when my foot snagged on a root. And, I tripped. ...not again.

The beast nicked me. I was falling; blood was flowing. My arm hurt. Bruises ran all along my left side. I jumped up from the ground. It ached; my breath came in ragged gasps. I couldn't back down. Pain coursed. I could hardly feel anything.

"Lily, run!" I yelled. Terror shook my voice.

She stumbled backward. Her eyes widened with terror. But she did not flee. She picked up a nearby stone and hurled it at the creature with surprising accuracy. No. Don't draw its attention. Please.

The stone struck its mark, causing the young wolf to falter for a brief moment.

In that moment, my eyes locked with Lily's, a silent understanding passing between us.

The battle was fierce and fast. My attacks were feeble compared to the wolf's strength, but we pressed on, driven by a fierce will to survive. It was a struggle that seemed to stretch for an eternity, our bodies battered and bruised. Cut and crushed. Every time the wolf leapt at me, Lily would throw a rock, driving it back. When it charged towards her, I would step in its path, barely blocking it with my sturdy branch.

Finally, the wolf paused and eyed me with its gleaming yellow eyes. Within them, I could see hunger, pain, and rage. Then, it sprung at me with full force. Oh no. It was going to get me. I was going to die. Again.

Out of instinct, I stuck my branch out. Straight at its head. Time slowed. My arms shattered from pressure as I felt the branch firmly connect with its head. Then, I felt its claws slice the skin on my chest, propelling me into a tree. I collapsed, winded and bloodied. Pain coursed, driving me insane. Looking up, I saw I had managed to strike a decisive blow, hitting the creature in the eyes. It quickly retreated with a blood-curdling howl. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I fell to the ground, panting and battered, completely broken.

Lily crawled over to me, her face streaked with dirt and tears. She was not doing much better. "Alex, are you okay?"

I managed a weak smile, my body aching but my heart swelling with pride. I opened my mouth and barely croaked, "We did it, Lily. We're safe. You're safe. You survived." In the background, I heard several familiar chimes:

"Combat skill unlocked: Courage (Level 1)."

"Combat skill unlocked: Sword Apprentice (Level 1)."

"Combat skill unlocked: Thrust (Level 1)."

As the moon continued to cast its cold glow over the scene of our victory, my translucent blue screens gleamed. In the back of my mind, I realized that this world was not Earth. It was a harsh world. It was no escape. I could die here. Not of a heart attack. But of awful diseases, horrific monsters, and crazy accidents. It was going to take my all to survive in this harsh world. It was going to be the only way I could keep Lily - and myself - safe. This world wasn't a utopia. I needed to be ready to fight.

With those final thoughts, my consciousness faded away and within the cacophony of pain, I heard Lily scream my name one final time.