Chapter 1 – Face to Face with Death
There is a boy named Schivo who just wanted to spend some time by a lake. His family and he usually fish for food if they aren’t farming crops or hunting. For some reason, he is pushed by an invisible force into the lake and into a world that’s lost most of its color. Everything that was once green and lush, is now pale and white as if it had just lightly snowed. Schivo tries to go back to through the lake, but he only gets wet. Looking at his reflection in the water reveals that he looks plain and white as well with most of his features gone.
With nowhere else to go, Schivo walks back in the general direction of his house. Along the way, he sees trees withering and growing back. The grass and flowers gain their color then lose it within a matter of seconds. Animals and insects become young, old, then young again as they live their normal lives seemingly unaffected by what’s happening to them. He tries to touch them and feels that their skin really does change from young to old to young again.
“What’s going on here?” Schivo says aloud.
Usually, animals run away from him when he’s hunting them, but they don’t seem to be bothered by his presence or touch. Unnerved by the sight of rapid aging, he continues on his way back home to find nothing there.
“Now where should I go?” Schivo asks himself.
As he thinks of what to do, he begins to hear a crowd in the direction where a town should be in Schivo’s world. His family and he only go into the town for church, community events, and to sell whatever they hunt and grow. Going into the town, Schivo finds a group of people, who look like him, having a good time with drinks, food, and dancing. Curious as to what is happening, he goes into town and talks to a man who is resting after dancing.
“Excuse me, sir, what is going on here?” Schivo asks the man.
“My boy, we are enjoying life and death!” the man says with great joy.
“What are you talking about?”
“We here become young, old, then die in a short amount of time, therefore, we enjoy the joys of all stages of life over and over again.”
“That sounds repetitive and boring. Isn’t one life enough?”
“What’s boring about enjoying the joys of youth and fun times of adulthood? You should join us!”
“No, thank you. I’m trying to find my way home. Do you know where that might be?”
“As far as I know, no one has been able to make it out, but then again, I’ve never checked. Why should we anyway? We can never die!”
“I’m going to look for a way out. My parents are going to worry about me.”
“What if you leave and it’s the same time you left in the real world?”
“What?”
“What makes you think time moves normally here? Just look all around you. We have all eternity to go back to the normal world.”
“I’d rather do it now than later.”
“How on a second. Let me show you what you’re missing.”
The man grabs Schivo’s hand and pulls him over to the party.
“Hey!”
“Look at what you’re missing.”
“I’m sorry but I’m not a party person.”
“But I’m sure you can find a pretty girl to take home with you.”
“Everyone here looks different than normal humans. How do I know that they’ll look like they do now when we go back?”
“Good point, but I’m sure you can find a good personality here that’ll make up for it.”
“I’m sure I can find a pretty girl in the real town. I should be going now.”
“Come on, boy, give this place a chance!”
The ground starts to shake. The food and drinks fall to the floor along with all of the decorations. Some people continue to party while others stop to clean up. After a little while, the shaking stops.
Schivo says, “Does that normally happen?”
“It’s been happening for a while,” the man responds, “It’s a pain, but not a big deal.”
“Huh? Was this bulge in the ground here before?”
Schivo touches a bulge in the ground, which makes worms and rats come out of it. The worms crawl within the skin of the partygoers while the rats eat all of the food and drink while having a party of their own. Schivo tries to get rid of the rats, but they make him join the party.
“Thank you so much, Schivo!” one of the rats say, “We were trying to get through the ground to teach these people a lesson and you let us through!”
“Huh? What’s going on?”
Schivo tries getting the worms out of the party goers, but they push him away and crawl onto him.
They say, “No, no, no. You mustn’t get involved with them lest you end up like them.”
The partygoers reach out to Schivo for help, but they are soon devoured by a large half worm, half rat creature. Scared by the sight of it, Schivo runs away from it back into the forest.
“Wait!” the rat side of it says.
“Yes, we mean you no harm!” the worm side says.
“Why would I trust a talking rat, worm hybrid?” Schivo asks.
“You weren’t harmed by our rats and worms, right? That means we won’t harm you.”
“Okay. Fine, but if I see you move strangely, then I’m going back to bolting it.”
Schivo stops running as the rat, worm catches up to him.
“Schivo, we are Decay and Death. How can we not move strangely?”
“I don’t know. Start by telling me why I’m here.”
“Were you pushed into a lake or body of water by chance?”
“I was.”
“Then you are meant to be here for a reason that will become clearer to you, but for now, we must lead to your destination. Someone important is waiting for you.”
“Someone important? Like who?”
“We can’t say, but you will be pleasantly surprised. Ride on us and we will show you.”
“Uh, how will I know I won’t fall off?”
“You can ride on Decay and his fur will give you a better grip, but he has lice.”
“Friendly lice!”
“But lice nonetheless. You could ride on me, Death, but you might stink after.”
“Can I just walk?”
“You could, but it will take forever to get there.”
Decay picks up Schivo and puts him on his back.
“Hey!”
“Don’t be a stranger. You’re among friends! Now let us be off!”
Decay and Death head off into the distance at high speeds with Schivo holding onto Decay.
“Who are you two?”
“Death and Decay. The two forces which keep the cycle of life going in the world.”
“Why did you consume those people at the party?”
“They were so in love with us that we were allowed to make them a part of us.”
“Were allowed?”
“There’s a force here restricting us from acting on people. Once a person falls to their own fears and after a certain amount of time has passed, we are allowed to act.”
“Why should I trust that you won’t go after me?”
“Because you do not fear us. Oh! I might’ve spoiled the reason why people are taken here. Look ahead! There’s the girl we want you to meet?”
“Girl?”
Ahead of Schivo is a girl his age with pigtails. She’s been waiting for a while on a small hill of flowers for someone like Schivo is arrive. Now that he’s here, she smiles in joy.
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