Face the World

(note before reading, one habit you may noticed if you read any of my work is that I either use quotes or my own words as the beginning of each chapter, while some of them are corny I left them as they were when I was younger. I put this up because over all, I liked the plot, and felt that if I found a way to fix it all I may be able to add on more, any way, because of how short I wrote books back then when I made this, even with some revamping its kinda like a short story but extending will have to wait till later[sometimes I make them to short now]. Enjoy the first two and part of the last chapter of....Face The World.)



Darkness......
the fate of many
fading away
a distant plane
pain and joy
I have lived in this darkness and I have lived in your worlds light, tell me will you be as ready as me?
Tell me, can you...[i]Face the world?[/i]



BEEP, BEEEEEEP,
"Get out of the road you freak!" Someone yelled. 'where am I?' His eyes opened only to be blinded by the bright lights of cars, blinded by something new to him. 'What is that?' He pulled himself off the hard and strange ground. He looked around as strange boxes made beeping noises and yelled at him in a language he did not know.
"Who are you people?" He said perfectly, yet is seemed nobody understood him, as if he was speaking gibberish.

Two men dressed in blue clothing handling odd black objects in their hands as if they were weapons yelled at him. 'What are they saying?' he though and then sighed. They seemed to wave for him to follow and he obediently followed, it seemed he was in the way of those odd shiny- boxes way.
He stood still listening to them as they talked in gibberish he did not understand.
"Are you okay, did you get hit?" The first of the two blue clothed men were saying. After he did not reply the second said,

"What happened to you?" The second said, stopping and starting to look more at this figure, he was a man dressed completely in black, black jeans, black long sleeve shirt, he even had black gloves and a black hood. Underneath was a man wearing black shades, the left lens broken exposing a pale blue eye, the colors making it feel like looking down a deep well.

"Who are you?" He went on to ask. Yet to this man dressed in black it sounded like gibberish, but this black clothed man seemed to try to talk, saying his name.
"Zolen...." Zolen the black clothed man said. Zolen sighed getting sick of trying to guess what they were talking about. He turned to walk down this stone path other people seemed to be using yet was pulled back by the man in blue.

"Hold on, you might have just been hit we need to find out if your okay." The man in blue said, yet like everything else Zolen did not understand.
"What are you saying?" Zolen said as he yanked his arm away, he sighed knowing they probably did not understand him, Zolen went into a run, his left arm making a metallic clang as he ran, every time he his left leg. 'I need to get out of this place.' He ran till the crowd around him was too thick to allow him to run. Zolen looked up large shiny buildings lifted up around him as high as the eye can see, as if they were all trying to reach the clouds.
"What is this place?" He held his head as pain flashed into his head he almost fell to the ground as a bunch of people grabbed hold of him.

"Hay are you alright?" A bunch of people asked as Zolen faded out the first thing he heard was his own voice as a child, laughing. Then the image of him sitting smiling as a child wearing all but the hood and shades he wears now.
"Grandpa you're the best! Tell me another story!" A old grey haired man seeming to be wearing the same style of clothing sat beside him and said,
"Alright Zolen, we can stay up a little longer....you see that tree there?" His grandfather pointed to, it was covered in moss, its leaves massive and seemed to be big enough to hold a person on.
"Yea." Zolen said looking eagerly at it.

"They say there was once a time that the Oak trees were much smaller, of when they wanted to reach up into the sky." He pointed up slowly tracing the tree and then pointing at the starts. "Up into the clouds, and they almost did it to." he tried to pick himself up having trouble, "....but like me they just could not manage such a feat without help." Zolen quickly stood up pulling up his aged grandfather.
"The forest elves loved the sky, they dreams of reaching out and touching the clouds, so they prayed to their god, Vahala to grant them the power to of the trees around them. Their goddess did not reply to them for many days but to one, a young girl, she may have been the only one not praying for this wish she sat on the trees, singing blissfully, her musical voice was....beautiful, yet none spotted the hint of magic. Vahala smiled on this girl granting her the power to choose the fate of her people. She told this to her people, giving them to the choice weather of not to accept this human girl who lived in their wood.

They happily accepted when told of her power, so they told the girl, make this oak grow to the sky, she failed making it grow many feet yet not enough for them, they told her again and again, making her hurt her lungs from singing so long to the trees, yet she feared what they would do if she did not try.
So day after day she sang making the trees grow, each day they grew more than before. The elves were eager and greedy. The human girl was suffering while she was fed and clothed and given a home, she rarely was allowed to because the elves wish to have a tree that touched the sky ." Zolen interrupted, "They could not have expected it to really reach the sky." The old man smiled, "And whys that young one?" Zolen shrugged and said, "The sky is to far up for anyone to reach." The old man smiled and said, "That may be Zolen, but many people have tried, and who knows somebody may one day go past it." Zolen breathed out suddenly waking up from his memory, "I wonder if these people went past it...." Zolen looked around him he was laying in a dark room, he had been slouched on a stone wall.

"Hay that weirdo you wanted us to help, woke up finally sis" A thick and round looking man said as he walked in. Zolen looked blankly at him, not really knowing where he was.
"Show him some hospitality and get him the damn food I made for the guy." The man seemed surprised, "Food, how come I was not told of any food?" He walked out the door seemed surprised yet still Zolen did not understand what they were saying.
"That's because you would have ate it all before he would have woke up you damn freeloader." The man was knocked into the door slamming into the wall next to Zolen. 'What the heck.' A hefty woman with a build not unlike her brother walked in, she seemed to be holding a kind smile yet the voice she had before showed otherwise.
"Go get the food." She said
"But I don't-"
"Get it!" She yelled, her brother running out of the room quicker than his body seemed to be capable of allowing him to. Zolen sighed looking up, 'What a strange place.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter two:  metal hands, and fading dreams

Call water
Call fire
Call wind
Call stone

These are our world

Call darkness
Call light
Call madness
Call wisdom

These are our mind……



5 minutes later…..

Zolen bowed politely before quickly reaching his hands around a large turkey leg. 
“Hmm, so he does not understand us..” Sad the woman who had been hatefully yelling at her brother minutes before.
“Maybe he’s retarded.” The guy said, suddenly getting knocked on the head with a frying pan. The guy fell out of his chair and rubbing his head on the ground.
“Ow.” was his simple reaction. Zolen watched this and was wondering the safety of being here.
“Didn’t you hear him when we were walking by he was talking some different language, it sounded sort of Italian to me.” she said seeming to be fantasizing, the guy held his head trying to push himself up,
“You just like Italian guys to much, you say everything is Italian.” before he could react he suddenly was stomped on,
“Shut up!” Zolen held a pulled back smile trying to hid his own confusion and fear. ‘Who is this girl?’

10 minutes of eating and sister smashing her brother into the ground later…..

“You have been laying on the ground to long, I just cleaned it.” She said walking away, Zolen was sweating a little after this little demonstration.
“hehehe.” He let out a fake weak laugh. The man pulled himself up, laying on hand on his back where she had been steeping.
“By the way, if you ever can get it, names, Mike.” Zolen just starred, not understanding a word Mike had just said. “Mmmmiiiikkkeee.” Mike said as he pointed to himself. Zolen shrugged, ‘I think he is telling his name, maybe I should tell mine……’
“Zolen.” Zolen said pointing to himself. Mike jumped back in surprise,
“Ahh, you understand me!” Mike yelled, Zolen just sat their starring. ‘Now what?’
“What are you so scared of?” Zolen said, trying to speak as clearly as possible, hoping that maybe they could speak his language. Mike sighed,
“I think he just guessed what I was talking about.” Mike rubbed his chin,
“Hay sis, how long are we keeping this guy?” Mikes sister did not reply…..
“Sis? Sis? Helen?” His sister still did not reply. He looked back mumbling,
“Don’t steal anything.” and then ran off, a few seconds later running back in,
“We got to go!” There was a high pitched yell as Mikes sister went flying into the room smashing into the table knocking it and the food he was eating over. Mike pulled up his sister and yelled,
“What are you doing here? We already paid you guys.” A single man in white walked in, wearing a black glove over his right hand, the sound of squeaky joints playing under that hand.
“Well, the fee just got a little higher.” Two men walked in one with a eye stitched closed , along with a mass of burn scars on that side of his face, and the other seemed rather generic holding a semi-automatic .12 pistol.
The man in white looked over at Zolen who seemed to be looking dully at him, Zolen had already figured this guy as to weak to worry about. Zolens left eye, the one not hidden by his broken shades looked calmly at his man.
The man in white gave a smirk,
“Well, what the hell, you did not tell me you were having a party,” The man in white smiled walking over to Zolen, “You should have invited me.” The man went to punch Zolen square in the face with his gloved hand, Zolen smiled as he moved calmly to the left avoiding the punch all together.
“Weak….” Zolen said with a smile, Zolen quickly before the man could react grabbed hold of it and shoved him away as he stood up. ‘whats a word to say to these people…..’
“uhhh, Fight?” Zolen said trying to pronounce it hoping he said it in a way they could understand.
The man in white laughed,
“What a hell of a accent you have there, sure, if you can avoid my punches then I think you might last a few minutes.” Zolen was more asking if those two would be okay with him fighting this guy. But he without meaning to just asked the man if he wanted to. Zolen looked as the man took on a boxing style stance. ‘What is he doing?’ Zolen let his hands rest by his side only moving right foot back to make him less of a target. Zolen sighed deciding not to try talking the language of these people again, apparently he must have said something to wrong way.
“What kind of fighting stance is that?” Zolen said, the white clothed man looked back,
“What the hell?” Mike shrugged still holding his knocked out sister up,
“He does not speak English, he seems to only guess at what your saying.” The man who seemed to have half of his body in scars kicked at mike,
“Shut up you!” The man said, at this Zolen yelled
“Stop.” But of course not in the same language as everyone else. The man in white shrugged and took the chance punching with his gloved hand at Zolens exposed face. Zolen shrugged lifting his hand quickly as if in a blur and grabbed hold of the mans hand and started squeezing, it felt like metal. The man in white yelled,
“What the hell! That should have broke your hand!” The man in white opened his robotic hand quickly pulling it back, The man closed his hand and said,
“Grab onto this!” As he punched Zolens eyes opened a little more, spikes were poking out of his robotic hand, all around it.

Zolen ducked, punched up at the mans arm as he moved a little forward. Snap, clank, rip. The arm bent up exposing his robotic arm as the electric wires lit his sleeves fabric, he quickly ripped off the sleeve and dropped it to the stone ground of the house.
“Damn you,” He looked at his now destroyed robotic stump of a arm, “I will get you next time! You hear me!” he ran off the two that followed him in running out with him.

Mike pulled up his sister and rested her in a seat,
“Man what are you, I have never seen anyone beat that guy, and I never expected someone could do it so easy…..But now what they will come back, its not like you can take on their entire group.” Mike sighed as he started pulling up the knocked over table. Zolen helped, ‘That looked like a metal hand and arm, how did I grab hold of that?’ Zolen thought to himself, ‘Why do I only remember that story from my grandfather?’

Zolen sighed thinking back.

“Anyway, don’t you want to hear the rest Zolen?” Zolens grandfather asked, and Zolen himself nodded eagerly.
“Where were we….oh I remember, The elves grew despite allowing her to not even sleep, even beating her when she did not do well enough.  Vahala was sad for the girl, so the goddess on night when the human girl was locked in her room after being whipped as punishment for her failure, and said to her,
“The human gods and I have made a agreement, if you do wish to be free of this pain.” The girl was surprised and scared but could not help to hid her tears, “If you permit us the next tree you sing to life will grow almost to the sky, and then your breath shall weaken and you shall die under its roots, but know you shall be reborn as a human goddess, for your faith and actions even under pain show you would be right for this.-” Zolen interrupted again, “Who is the girl, what goddess does she turn into?” Zolens grandfather smiled rubbing his head, “Almost there, almost there….anyway The girl fell over on her back, both in pain and surprise, she would possibly die but become a goddess…..she said, ‘What kind of goddess?’ Vahala smiled, ‘you shall be my human sister, you shall be the goddess of the trees.’ Vahala lifted her hand offering it, ‘only take my hand if you agree…’ The human girl looked down at Vahala’s hand slightly trembling, what right did she have as a goddess, but as she looked at the Elvin goddess she felt calmed, ‘okay…’ as she grabbed hold of the goddess hand she fainted, asleep for tomorrows event.

The next day came and she had healed from her pain, it was as if it was not there and as the elves hushed to hear her sing they gave cries of joy soon after the oak tree growing quickly and fluently…..but as they saw the tree almost reach the very clouds, it stopped, the human girl lay there, her body laying peacefully and almost joyfully on the leaves of the ground.

They felt tears rush to there eyes, their dream was gone, and the girl was dead. The children who she had become friends with cried. The elder elves asked why Vahala had forsaken them. But they would get no answer. But from that day on a new goddess was in the human and Elvin shrines Elian, the goddess of the trees, singer of life.”

Zolen stood up,
“So Elian was a human?” The old man nodded, “And she still is, the other gods and Vahala had blessed her.” Zolen looked up at the sky, “But who would still call her….”

Zolen shook his head looking around the stone room as he mutter,
“…..human…” Mike looked over from sweeping the broken dishes off the floor.
“What?” He said confused, he did not know the word he said, to him it sounded like someone humming. Zolen sighed and sat back down. ‘What do I do now? More of those one guys might come back, I can’t leave these guys even if I wanted to….’ Mikes sister sighed,
“Looks like were moving…” Mike looked over and sighed,
“But we don’t have the money.”
“We will have to get some, and like I keep saying if you would get a job then we might have enough money, or you could for once live on your own.” Mike sighed and walked out of the room.
Zolen stood up looking around,
“ummm, Bathroom?” The longer he stayed here in this world the more words he was learning oddly he was guessing at what words he needed and hoping they were right. Mikes sister seemed to not care that he just spoke the same language as her, or she was to depressed and pointed.
“Oh what am I going to do?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Face the world, Chapter three: Childhood Rivalries
(because I stopped working before finishing, I never made up a quote or line of text for it.)

Zolen sighed sitting down on the toilet, the same feeling from before when that last memory forced it way in felt like it was happening again, his eye sight blurred as he started to hear the voice of a girl and a boy.
“What do you mean I am to weak?” The girl yelled at the boy,
“yea right,” The boy laughed, “You can’t even beat pops.” Zolen saw his child self walk into the clear memory.
“What are you all doing?” The girl looked over as she left out a gasp, the boy had punched her in the gut. She fell over rolling, the boy laughing as if I joke had just been told.
“What are you going to be running home every time mommy calls? You make me seem weak, you bit-” The boy looked over his left eye silver seeming partly blind. “And you, I thought I told you not to be around my girl.” He kicked her in the gut, a weak scream came out before blood shot out of her mouth.

“I saw you out side the school grounds talking to her!” He said as he fully looked over at Zolen.
“Leave her alone yourself.” Zolen said half heartedly while he looked down as the girl.
The boy nodded and started pacing around Zolen, “I see you want a fight.”
Zolen shook his head only to be punched in the nose, and getting knocked on his back. The boy smiled as he pulled back his leg planning to kick Zolen in the crouch with his steal toed shoes.
“I don’t give a da-” The girl weakly held onto the boys leg.
“Stop it Rex, please, I won‘t talk to him again.” her arms were wet with blood and shaking, Zolen few weak that he had been saved by someone, that she have the will to do it. The boy turned kicking the girl in the side, a crack sound,
“ahhhh.” Tears rolled down her face.  Rex smiled,
“I guess I should take it out on you then.” He said leaning over seeming to look for something on the ground,
“I even brought a gift for such a occasion.” Rex seemed to moved his hands more and more in the grass,
“Its gone, Where did you put it bit-” There was a crack as a steel pipe smashed into his skull. Rex fell over his left eye filled with blood and a line of blood coming from his hair. Zolen stared shaky handed at what he did, he had just knocked out the son of a boxer. Zolen shook his head and walked over to the girl dropping the pipe.

“Elana, we need to get you to the hospital.” Elana smiled up at Zolen seeming to be in a half daze. Zolen looked at her side, caked in blood, he reached down taping her ribs, they felt like the bone had been pushed in. Elana winced, tears rolling from her eyes, she suddenly yelled,
“Zolen!” He quickly turned around lifting his left arm, Crack! The metal pipe smashed his arm, Crack. Rex slammed the pipe into Zolens left leg breaking it and leaving his bleeding with his arm bone sticking out.
“Crap.” Zolen muttered as he looked up at Rex,
“You stupid bustard, did you really think you could win against me?” He tapped the pipe against his head, “Isn’t that funny Elana?” Elana was breathing in a out harshly, her eyes closed and her skin pale.

Zolen looked up weakly his body going into shock from seeing his own bones sticking out,
“You went to far, she’s dying!” Zolen yelled as he kept trying to pull himself up. Rex smiled and started pacing around them both,
“Its her sorry fault for not doing what I asked.” Zolen looked at Rex he seemed to be implying something, Rex smiled looking at Zolen,
“Hay want a show?” Rex walked over with a smile as he used the blood soaked metal pipe to lift the bottom of her dress, he lifted it just enough that he saw her panties,
“Nice thing to have as your last thought?” His grin seemed to show that Zolen was not going to be around for the next thing he was planning to do to her.

Zolen started yelling as he started pushing himself up, Rex laughing,
“Your as weak as she is, nobody can beat me.” his breath stopped as he slowly looked down, a short dagger in his gut, blood dripping from the hilt.
“I-I….think you may need a little nap to….” Zolen said his eye sight blurring. Zolen pulled his limping body forward have of it bleeding harshly. He glanced at Elana, her eyes weakly opening helpless at what was happening.
“Hold it!” A new voice yelled, Zolen looked over to see a man in metal armor walk off the road as he spotted this bloody event. Rex smiled and said,
“See ya around.” He grunted as he pulled the dagger out and went into a run, leaving Zolen and Elana to the armored man. He ran up to Zolens side picking his half up and then laying him next to Elana,
“What happened to you kids?” He said looking around at the streaks……

The images grew weaker and weaker and then Zolen was sitting on the toilet seat hearing Mike and his sister yelling in,
“Hay answer us!”
Zolen looked at himself pulling down his left sleeve to see what looked like silver as his arm. Zolen sighed and looked at the door yelling, yet them not understanding,
“I’m fine.” Zolen stood up pulling the door open and looking over both of them seemed bothered, ‘What’s the mater with them?’ Zolen walked out looking to he left and right, nothing seemed to be damaged.

Something red was dripping to the ground, Zolen felt it roll down from his head. He walked back into the bathroom looking at his reflection, a mass of blood was in his hair, a large gash on his head.
“What the….” (where I stopped working on it ^^')



Well that's all readers, if you bother to review, please make it honest as you can.
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Ignorance is bliss but knowledge brings prospect.