TW: death (of a loved one).
From the WIP Voidwalker by T. Sai © 2022
Plagiarism is a crime.
***
An orphaned boy longs to find his parents. He's wished for them his whole life. One night, he escapes the orphanage and wanders the foggy streets. In the shadows, he finds a cat named Minda who looks surprised to see him.
"What have you come here for, little one?"
"I came to find my parents."
Intrigued, Minda tells him she'll help him.
"Really?" asks the boy, delighted.
"Sure," answers Minda. "If you do me a favor and catch three doves for me to eat."
The boy agrees. The first dove is found by the sea, where grey rock fills the beach and the cold water is reflectionless. A score of ghosts rise and attempt to distract the boy, but the boy follows Minda's counsel to ignore them. He finds the dove grey and still atop a shattered piece of driftwood. The boy takes it and gives it to Minda.
The second dove is found caged in a forest of silver thorns. Two-score ghosts dwell there that the boy is again advised to ignore. The challenge here - besides the ghosts - is the lock on the cage. Thankfully, the boy kept a rock from the first place. The dove is silver and curious. The boy retrieves it and gives it to Minda.
The third dove is located in a palace made of glass. There are three score ghosts this time that the boy is told to ignore. This dove is free and prideful and refuses to be caught. The environment also makes it difficult to catch. Thankfully, the boy has learnt some things after navigating the second place. After a while, he captures it and gives it to Minda.
Pleased, Minda fulfills her promise and guides the boy to a dark door.
"In there, a trial awaits. Should you pass, your wish will be granted."
The boy is confused. "But I gave you your doves."
"And I said I will help you," says Minda. "This is all I can do."
The boy doesn't know why, but the door scares him. He tells Minda so.
"The dark likes living things," she explains. "It likes to steal names, but if you hold on until the end, then your wish will reveal itself."
They bid farewell and the boy enters the doorway. Darkness devours him. The boy almost forgets his name.
At the end of the trial, Death reveals itself - impressed with the boy's relentlessness.
"What have you come here for, little one?" says Death. "Your time has yet to come."
"I came to find my parents."
Death considers this. "Very well. If it is what you truly desire, I will grant your wish."
Death takes the boy to his parents, who begin to cry the moment they see him. The boy embraces them, and they take him in as well.
From hence they spend the rest of time together, hanging between worlds.
•
•
•
( "What have you come here for, little one?" The boy's mother asks. "You're still so young."
"I came to find my parents," is the boy's reply. "Am I not supposed to?"
His parents smile sadly, but do not answer. )
