A bunch of tropes put into oneshots

1k Special - Chapter 5

It must still be night when I wake up because it is pitch black and there is no sign of movement anywhere. I look over to where Reagan should be but no one is there. In fact, the sleeping bags are gone and so are our bags. I get up to look around and am pleasantly surprised when I don't feel a jolt of pain shoot through my arm. I look down and see that it's fully healed. I walk a few steps, looking for Reagan and then hear rustling in the bushes behind me. I feel myself reaching for my daggers but they aren't there.

There's more rustling and before I know it, four little kids come out of the bushes. It takes me a moment to realize they're my brothers, all running towards me with smiles on their faces. I don't think much of it and reach my arms out to hug them. My vision goes dark and after a second of confusion, I can see again. There are hands coming from inside the trees. I point towards the hands but my brothers pay no attention and keep running towards me. My vision goes dark once more and when I can see again, the hands are closer and now have bodies. My parents.

I feel a sudden wave of panic wash over me and I try to warn my brothers, but still, they don't pay attention. Where is Reagan? I look over my shoulder and immediately realise I have made a bad move; when I look back, I see my parents hands grabbing my brothers and pulling them into the forest. I run towards them and try to tell my parents to let go but they apparently can't hear me. They keep pulling at my brothers, pulling them farther and farther into the darkness and I keep screaming, trying to pull them away. The last thing I hear before everything goes black is my parents whisper all around me, "You're a failure, we never loved you, never will. In fact, we hope you die in this world you know nothing about with no way home."

"Kindra! Wake up!" My eyes are barely open and I have very little idea of what's happening, but I can feel hands on my arms trying to shake me awake. "Kindra! You were screaming in your sleep, what happened? Are you ok?" More shaking. I sit up, still pretty confused as to what's happening and am faced with a very concerned Reagan.

"What?" Is all I can manage.

"Oh thank god you're awake. You were screaming and shaking for a good five minutes, you wouldn't wake up."

"I... I was dreaming... my parents..." I suddenly get very stiff as everything comes rushing back. My brothers... my parents... the empty forest... my own parents wishing I would... die...?

"What about your parents? What happened?"

"They... nothing. It's fine. It was just a dream." I say, trying not to cry.

Reagan looks at me for what feels like forever before leaning in to hug me, "Talk to me."

I hesitate but he urges me to talk and I let out everything that happened in the dream, back at home and pretty much everything I was feeling. I don't know why, but I feel comfortable talking to him. Like I know he'll have some form of understanding.

...

After walking for three days, I notice that the trees have thinned out and we've reached an opening, surrounded by mountains. There is a small ravine going through the mountains and a small walking space on each side. The moon is full, casting a bluish white light onto everything. Small fireflies scatter the mountains, adding more blue lights. It's breathtaking. I look over at Reagan who has his mouth wide open and his eyes the size of golf balls.

"You've never been to this part of Bremelan, I'm assuming." I say, turning back to the mountains.

It takes a second for him to reply and after a bit, I get a small "nope" in response. We both stare at the scene, mouths hanging open for a bit longer. I'm taking in every little detail when I feel a brush on my hand. I look down and see Reagan's hand lingering by mine, his pinky grazing mine. I look back up and see Reagan is staring at me. We make eye contact and he looks away, embarrassed. I smile to myself and take his hand in mine.

I look down on the map and try to measure how far we are from the X when Reagan squeezes my hand, trying to get my attention.

"What?" I ask.
"Look." He points far into the mountains, and that's when I see a bright red light escaping from a gap in the mountain at the far end of the path. "I think that's where the stone is."

I look down at the X on the map and see a bright red circle appearing around it, confirming Reagan's guess.

...

Half a day later, we reach the opening in the mountain. The red light is blinding and I have to take a moment to adjust to the new visuals. When I'm finally adjusted, I see 3 paths leading to darkness. I look around and find an unlit torch on the left wall. I take it off its latch and use my new and improved fire powers to light it.

I look to Reagan and then back at the 3 paths, silently asking him which one we should take. I don't know who else or what else could be in here, so I don't want to have anything giving us away. He starts walking towards the middle path and I follow him into darkness. As we are walking, I take in my surroundings; bugs scamper on the floor and walls, there is a faint but definite sound of trickling water coming from my right, making me a bit more confident Reagan chose the best path. We keep walking and finally reach a massive opening.

I'm looking around, trying to find clues to lead us further to the stone, when I see a dark shape ahead of me. I look closer, trying to identify it, but it doesn't look like anything I've seen before. I walk backwards slowly to get back to Reagan. I bump into something and almost let out a scream before realizing it's Reagan. He stands next to me and whispers into my ear, "That's a Sphinx. It gives a riddle and if you don't solve it, it kills you." I sigh. I'm starting to get very annoyed by Bremelan and all its surprises. I just want to get home.

"So... Mr Sphinx... What's your, uh... riddle?" Smooth, Kindra. Real smooth.

The Sphinx flies closer and the wind made from its wings is so strong, it almost knocks me to the ground. What a great start.

"What can bring back the dead... make you cry, make you laugh, make you young... is born in an instant... yet lasts a lifetime."

"Oh is that it? Is that the riddle? This is it? If we get this wrong, we die?" I ask, turning to face Reagan.

"Yeah pretty much... born in an instant..." Reagan sits down, leaning his back against the wall and I take that as 'start thinking'. I sit down next to him, put my knees up and put my head between them.

Bring back the dead... nothing can bring back the dead... unless there's some other magic thing in Bremelan that could... Ok moving on. Make you young... Born in an instant... lasts a lifetime... Both bringing back the dead and getting younger are impossible to do... I wish I could get younger... Everything was so much easier; I didn't have to worry about getting lost in an unknown magical place, I didn't have to worry about these new, unknown feelings I have towards some guy I met only a week ago... So many better memories when I was younger... Wait a second. "I know what it is!" I say, standing up.

"What?" Reagan stands up with me.

"A memory. Think about it, you can't bring back the dead or get younger. That's impossible. The only way to bring back the dead for even a second is to remember whoevers dead. The only way to get younger is to relive old memories. Born in an instant... everything you do turns into a memory the moment it happens. Lasts a lifetime: Memories last our whole lives as long as we remember them." I turn towards the Sphinx who has now gotten comfortable, lying its head on a rock. "The answer is a memory.", I say confidently. The Sphinx pops its head up and then turns around to face the wall opposite to us. It lets out a massive flame and a door appears in the wall. Mr Sphinx moves to the side, nodding at me and then gesturing us to go through.

"I got it right?" I ask, surprised. Mr Sphinx nods again and I actually jump with joy.

I look at Reagan who's smiling at me and walking towards the door, I fall into step beside him and grab his hand as we walk through. I feel like I could conquer the world.

When we walk through the doorway though, that mood completely disappears. I feel Reagan's hand go limp and I look up to him. He looks as if he has just seen a ghost, and when I look where he is looking, I see exactly why.