A Paradox Reality

Chapter 1: Mixing Up the Truth and the Lies

In Gloom with Edmund, right after Mother Earth disappears: 

IN HIS HALF-CONSCIOUS STATE, EDMUND WAS ALREADY BEGINNING TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF MOTHER EARTH'S BLESSING TAKE HOLD. The pain he was only faintly aware of before the blessing ceased, and was replaced by a blissful feeling of peace.  He was now, instead of unconscious, asleep.

Several hours later, he awakened to the dawn's rising sun.  Instead of feeling stiff and sore from sleeping in an alley, and previously being in a fight, he felt brawny and limber.

Shoot, he thought. Father's going to kill me for coming home this late. Although it was his birthday that day, his father was, indeed, going to give him a long lecture, one which he very much wanted to avoid.

I better get going, then. Maybe I should bring something back from the Pub? He was probably going to get a little extra something from his gifts anyway, and perhaps his father would forgive him a little easier if he knew that at least his sons disappearance wasn't completely a waste.

Edmund lithely walked to the Pub, fishing his small amount of money from his pocket. He was about to ask for the a larger, more expensive bottle for his father, but a voice stopped him.

Hello? The voice was feminine, and chimed and twinkled as it spoke.

Who are you, and WHERE are you? he asked. 

The question is, who and where are YOU?  she stubbornly replied. 
  
Two could play at THIS game. My name's Edmund, if you must know. And, if you can't already see, I'm at the Pub.

The Pub? Where in the world is that?

Smack dab in the middle of Gloom! How don't you know this? Unless your inside my head, your right here with me!

She was silent. Edmund thought that she left the room or something, and was about to go to the cashier to purchase his father's bottle.

Where's Gloom? she finally piped up.

What do you mean, where's Gloom? Have you lived in a ditch for all your life? That's the name of the world, idiot.

I live in Joy, she stated simply. 

Uh-huh.  Suddenly, a thought reoccurred to him. How is it that I STILL don't see you? I don't see any good hiding spots that won't muffle your voice...

Don't get too creeped out, but I believe we have telepathy, she stated calmly, with no emotion at all.

WHAT?? How's that humanly possible? Are you like an alien or something? Oh-no! Your from the planet Joy, and I'm from Planet Gloom-- please don't tell me I'm an alien from Joy, too!

Listen, she told him. I really need to go help my mom with something right now, so I'll get back to you whenever I have the chance. And, as far as I know, your more likely to be the alien than I am. 

Edmund felt her presence in his mind waning, and he proceeded to the Pub's check-out with a little bit more than insane look on his face. 

By the time he got home, he had nearly forgotten about his still-waiting father with all the excess anxiety he had weighted on his shoulders.

His father criticized and yelled, and of course, as Edmund predicted, he went easier on him after he saw the liquor bottle.  With no mention of Edmunds special day, as turning fourteen was a very big deal in his shallow and lame life, Edmund supposed his father had forgotten about it. Again. Edmund didn't really mind. His dad never remembered his birthday, and Edmund was far too used to it. However, there was still one point in the lecture that really bothered him.

"Son, you've really got to stop telling me terrible lies about where you've been!" Mr. Birchwood exclaimed.  "I'd rather have a truthful, but evil-doing son than a lying, nice one." Not only was this the hard truth, Edmund's father didn't care for kindness at all, but Edmund was disappointed that his own father didn't believe him.

"I'm telling you!  I got into a fight!  I was knocked out, and I was there until dawn!" He didn't mention anything about the voice or his lack of sore muscles.

"How come you don't have a single bruise, then? Answer me that!"

"I--I--I don't know," Edmund stuttered.  "I woke up like this."

"Young man, I'm going to give you one last chance at the truth!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" he half screamed.

"Go up to your room right now! No dinner tonight for you, you liar!"

Edmund was heart broken.  He was not only going to miss dinner, and he was starving, but his father didn't want anything to do with him. 

He read, he brainstormed, he even sang "Happy Birthday" to himself, but he eventually found himself nothing else to do. After a while, Edmund got tired of his small room.  He knew his door was unlocked, there was no locks in the house, but he didn't dare step a foot outside the door, just incase his father was watching.  He should've.  He should've taken a good, long look at his father, no matter how angry he would be.  It would be a LONG time until he would be able to see his father again, that is, if he didn't fail the obstacles to come.

***

In the last chapter, we said that we'd update once a week.  Well, to get it going, we updated once more.  It'll be going right along schedule next time. Or so we hope...

Anyway, what do you think is going to happen to Edmund? Why won't he see his father in a "LONG time?"

Are we getting into the story, or is it kind of confusing? Comment to let us know.

See you next Sunday (most likely).

-Twinys