Ar'ther Lerch's Story

Ar'ther awoke with his arms in a very contorted position. He laughed and got up with one of his arms numb. "I have not experienced this in a long time." He said as he shook his arm. He chuckled as it finally got feeling back into it. Ar'ther went ahead and put his clothing back on. He knew that town he was in he had been in it hundreds of times. He was always wanting to know why people had shadows on them and some seemed a bit brighter he for some reason was always neutral he never appeared to change at all. He let out a sigh as he opened the door and ran across someone. This person he knew as James but he never talked so he nodded and continued his walk. He left the town. This was one of his favorite spots due to the hill. He turned to look and there was a girl sitting on the hill. "Huh thats new." he said as he started up the hill.

Alex sat quietly when she spotted a man walking up the hill towards her another person heading toward him. "How very interesting..." She blinked at the both of them before forcing herself to stand her dark arm was visible with the specks like stars in it. "Can I help you???" She walked down a little ways observing the two people now. She noticed how young the girl was her face was covered with dirt and tears. Alex pulled a hanker-chief out of her pocket and wiped grit from her face. "You new here???" Alex asked cleaning up her face before stuffing her hanker-chief in her pocket and blinking at the two dead in front of her.

Autumn was breathing intensely because of the long walk, with her weak legs. Once she got cleaned up by the wonderful woman she felt her breathing stable again.
"Thank you!" Autumn was so happy to have found another person that she wrapped her arms around the woman without thinking.
It was very uncommon for her to due so but because it was a strange place with people she did not know she needed a hug.
"My name is Autumn." She had a huge smile as she looked up at the woman and then turned to the man.
"Thank you for guiding me here."
Autumn began to let go of the woman when she noticed her arm.
Her smile did not phase in the slightest but her voice got louder with more excitement.
"Wow, what happened?"
The sight made her shift causing her body to fall. Her cheeks became hot with the blush growing a deep red.

Ar'ther cocked his head to the side. "Well im not new here I have been here for a long time now." He smiled and nodded his head. The girl was small he was curious to see how old see was but he was not going to ask cause that would be rude. He knelt down and looked at the girl. "Awe." he said as he looked at the other girl. "So how long have you been here?" He asked He looked at the girls arm and saw what it looked like. He never really had seen what it had lead to but he wanted to know what it was now. He cocked his head again. "At least its a nice day." he pointed out. His face returned to its normal look of neutralness. He looked around to see what else was going on. Maybe someone knew what this was. "If it helps my name it Ar'ther its nice to meet the both of you."

Alex blinked shocked when arms wrapped around her. "Oh...My arm and body is being swallowed by darkness...Like I said...You new here...Things like this will make sense later on." She plopped down onto the grass. "Though I'm quite particular because of the specks of light within the dark...But let us not get into technical matters....Autumn???" Alex wanted to make sure she pronounced it right. "My name is Alex...Alex Gray...But names nor age matter much here..." She looked at Ar'ther. "I haven't seen you here before...Are you knew also???"

Autumn just stared at Alex's arm wanting to touch it but knew her manners. The way Alex talked about her arm made Autumn think she was in some crazy book full of magic and mystery.
As Ar'ther had pointed out it was a beautiful day and she was happy about that, this new place was scary being alone and if it had been a bad day it would have made this worse.
"Alex Gray, and Ar'ther." Autumn said their names while she looked at each one of them. Her smile stayed the whole time but she couldn't stop wondering about her home.
"Do you know how to get back to City?" Autumn looked at both of them with huge eyes filled with hope. "I'm just scared my mom will worry that's all." She closed her eyes and looked at the ground. She began to feel homesick.

Alex sighed. "Sorry to break this too you kid...But there is no city in Limbo...Well not the type your thinking off...Limbo is the place souls go when there not yet... properly dead...Most of the time new arrivals awake in that Inn looking building over there..." Alex turned Autumn and pointed. "If you didn't that means you need to go there... If you want I can take you...I've been here a long time... So i know most everyone...Even the guards of this place...They say I have a strong soul." She stood. "Enough of that..." She frowned upset and gently patted the girl on the shoulder. "What I'm trying to say is... Your... Kinda dead..." Her voice was shaky not out of fear or sadness but about what the young girls reaction would be to this discovery. "If you need...One of us can take you to orientation...Your gonna need some closure..." Alex really hated telling people they were dead.

The news shot Autumn in the chest, she could feel herself melting. Each word hit her in the ear again and again. "Dead".
Dead. Dead. Dead.
It was hearing about her father all over again. Thoughts of her father bought tears into Autumn's eyes and she began sobbing.
Mr.Dokken loved Autumn and she was a daddy's little girl. When he died, Mrs. Dokken had sat down and spoke to Autumn with a soothing voice explaining that her father was not to be coming home that night, or any other night. Autumn had not understood the meaning behind this which caused Mrs. Dokken to not be able to fully explain death to the child. Because of this Autumn never understood what death really meant except the night before she died when her mother explained that it was a Castle for the good.
"I can't be dead." She screamed loudly and anger rose inside her. Though she could tell Alex was being gentle she was just not going to hear that.
"You are lying! My mom said that when you die you go to a Castle! There is no Castle and Papa isn't here, so I know you're lying!"
In truth this was not the first time Autumn had heard this news, she had just blocked it out of her mind without knowing. The knowledge of being dead was such a great shock that she refused to believe it. With her being so young it was hard to grasp the fact of death.
Autumn jumped to her feet just to trip and fall again. Her legs had fallen asleep from how she was sitting without her noticing. She stayed on the ground and just cried. She looked at Alex and wrapped her arms around her tightly.

Ar'ther started to follow the other two mostly to see some sort of interaction between people. "If you really want to know I have been here for." He then started to count "Well lets see. Well I think it has to be around 578 years now." He contorted his face thinking. "Wow that is a long time." He thought to himself he was feeling like he had been there for a long time. As he walked her started to bob his head back and forth just to pass the time. "I have been here for a long time. I have had a long time so its been kinda weird not knowing where or why I am here."

Alex blinked as Autumn inquired about her meeting her father. "I'd very much like too...But you see unlike most of the people here...They don't know why I'm here...They know I'm dead... and dead for a very long amount of time...They simply don't know why I'm in Limbo...And because of that...I can't leave...But don't worry Il help you leave and get to your dad alright...Just no more tears...And cheer up ok?" She spotted Story move over and huffed. "Back of Story let the new girl be... Besides don't you and your Darklings have anything better to do??? Stalk a plant with a soul perhaps???" She let Autumn go. "Autumn... Meet Story hes not dead... But hes... Hes not really anything actually hes just Story...He can seem a little creepy sometimes when hes hungry for souls and all that...But don't worry hes ok...I mean I've been here what 50, 100 year I don't know and he hasn't managed to eat my soul let alone get a glimpse at it." She flicked Story in the nose.

She knew very well what Story was... And more so what he did but Alex had never shown fear or disgust at it as some might do. Not because she did not care but simply because. She found it kinda interesting and a little sad that Story had to live other peoples lives instead of finally being able to live his own. But that was not the only reason. He entertained her in a sense when she was bored. Mostly because when she would be relaxing somewhere she might spot him with his Darklings or chasing around some new souls and even some old ones. This gave her something to laugh at. The only other thing she laughed at was the odd jokes she played on fellow souls or even the Watchers that guarded Limbo. If she knew Story a little better she might encourage him to join her on her pranking but so far she never had.

Alex looked at the other new comer Ar'ther. "I don't know where this one came from really though... So you could go ahead and try and charm him if your really hungry..." She chuckled playfully and smiled. She missed joking around with people. And perhaps Limbo's one downfall was that it seemed to make everything quiet even when the wind blew through the hill of grass the blades of grass sounded dull not like the sharp sound that could sometimes ring through grass when a sharp wind of gust blew making even the trees rattled there branches. But Limbo was quiet and dull. It also was the kind of place that made you feel half asleep. So there were few people like herself who still somehow laughed and ran and fought the sleepiness it brought over people. Perhaps that was another reason she did not mind Story. Just like her he seemed unaffected by the smothering quiet of the place he could laugh and his voice would change tunes to be less monotone aside him Alex only knew of herself that was not affected though she wondered if maybe Autumn was different because she also seemed packed with life.

Ar'ther heard a girl scream a little while after they had started to walk. He threw his head back and said "Sorry but I must go and help someone." Ar'ther then left the other two "Oh by the way if you are ever looking for me I will be at the hill again I promise." His walk to find the source of the scream was okay but it could have been better it was a little quieter then he liked it but he was happy going on this tiny walk. He spotted a boy well girl um he could not tell what they honestly were. He rubbed the side of his shin watching this tiny person carry this girl into the house. He took his time walking smelling everything that he could. The grass was clean and well it smelled perfect. He smiled only he had ever thought about what the grass would smell like. After being dead for such a long time he gain so much interest in what the world of Limbo was like. The world was crazy, fun, but most of all it was peaceful.

Ar'ther could not help but think of the many things he did here. Yet one of the thing he never did was get to know others. He knew that they would move on sometime and others would sty for a while and just leave. He let out a sigh and looked at the ground. Most of the time he just wondered around the world of Limbo in search of something. He never knew what he was looking for he just knew that something was out there for him. His foot had hit something in the ground which had got him to focus on what he was doing. He was going to that house with the boy/girl who carried that other girl into it. He got his normal half smile on and looked around. He hardly saw people so he never knew if someone was there. "Oh well." he said right before he started to knock on the door.

I knock on the door.

"Come in," a calm voice calls.
I enter to find a neat room with chairs, cushions, bean bags and recliners. This is the 6th psychiatrist I've visited. There is a small flutter of hope in my heart, it brushes against my ribcage, hushing the anxiety ever so slightly. I give her my best smile but it doesn't ring true - there is a heavy fog in my existence and it makes everything ugly, distorted.
"Winter, is it? I'm Dr. Woods." She's young and plump with a monotone voice. "Why are you here, Winter?"
"I have a bipolar disorder," I glance away from her gaze, she makes me feel like an insect under a microscope.
"So says your file," she smiles thinly. "But why do you think you're here? Forget psychiatric analyses. Why are you here, Winter?"

Because I'm broken.

Her eyes flickered and she opened her winter blue eyes to search the ceiling. Someone was knocking on the door. She brushed her silver hair from her face and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Coming, mum!" she groaned. Winter had to make sure she was okay. Her mother was probably hungry. Winter shifted her legs so they rested on the floor. She looked up. A young boy with black hair and dark grey eyes was in the room. For a moment, she was disorientated and confused. What was he doing here? Then, she remembered everything, she remembered the boy.

Kajou.

"What happened?" she bit her lower lip, making it pinker than it already was. "How did I get here?" Seeing how worn he was, she realised she must have fainted and that he'd carried her all the way here. Her gaze softened, growing warm and kind like the oceans.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she paused. "I'm sorry for before." She still didn't believe it but he was so kind, she had to at least not be cruel and inconsiderate. Kajou might or might not be a part of her imagination, after all.

Getting out of bed, Winter carefully gave Kajou a hug. He was a little taller than her. "Thank you," she repeated. Winter hadn't hugged a person in years, she just wanted to stay here forever, even if Kajou might be a dream. The knocking was persistent. Winter pulled back and glanced briefly at the door. "You should probably get that."

I slammed the door behind me as I stormed into the house, my eyes hard set on the floor as I made a beeline for the stairway, tossing my bag off his shoulder at the bottom before I ascended up the steps. Hurried feet shuffled around somewhere downstairs but I was already in his room, door slammed shut and locked by the time my mother reached the top of the staircase. The knocking rang in my ears but the gentle yet worried voice fell short. I simply fell over on the bed and pulled his knees up against his chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and laying in this fetal position as I tried to ignore the bustle from the other side of the door.

"Kajou, what's wrong? Baby, you have mommy worrying, please open up!"

I closed his eyes and thought back on what brought this sudden shift of mood over me. It was just another day of school. People ignoring me as usual. Until a group of the 'popular kids' came over and began bothering me during lunch. Touching my hair and trying to get me to speak so they could make fun of that as well. One of them touched my face. I slapped their hand away. Before I even knew what was going on, I was face down on the cafeteria with the side of my face stinging painfully. A teacher came over and gave the boys a good talking to. I was sent to the nurse's office. Nothing but a bruise according to the nurse. But it hurt in more ways than that. I was just ten. It had been the first time someone had just hit me like that in public.

And it wouldn't be the last.

Kajou suddenly jump awake, pulling his head up as he realized that he must have dozed off for a moment. There was an unexplained pounding that didn't seem to leave him even when he was now awake. It took him a moment to register what the sound was: a knock of the door. As he tried to push himself up, he realized his legs were refusing to listen to him. They were still sore and aching from the day's work. Much more than Kajou himself had been expecting to do. As he tried again to get up, he stopped by something moving in the corner of his eye followed by a gentle voice.

"Coming, mum!"

The mysterious blue eyed girl had woken up and by the look she was giving Kajou, she was a little bit surprised. Not the same look of pure shock from earlier but a curious look like she was trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Kajou opened his mouth to say something but the look of understanding crossed her face before he had the chance to utter a since word. She asked how she had gotten here and Kajou felt his face grow warm as he looked down at the floorboards, muttering, "Well, I..." Unable to find words, he's met with immense relief when the girl speaks again.

"Thanks for taking care of me. I'm sorry for before."

Kajou pulled his head up and managed to try his best to look her in the eye. It was... strange. He couldn't find any better word for it. Her pale blue eyes were soft and kind. The look didn't seem forced in the very least. A tiny voice in the back of his head pointed out how it must look to her. Kajou had never been fond of the dull eyes he'd been born with and even if he tried, he doubted he could give back so much as a tenth of the warmth she was giving him. He wished he could do better.

As the girl began rising from the bed, he expected her to simply walk out and find someone who could help her more than he could. But she surprised him again. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. A hug. Nobody besides his parents had ever given him a hug. His face grew warmer still as he stared over her shoulder wide eyed. She was small, even smaller than scrawny little Kajou. She felt warm leaning into him and he smelled something off her that he could only describe as clean. When she whispered a thank you to him, it felt like hearing the voice of some angel he'd never had the chance to meet.

But either from exhaustion or some new fear that maybe he wasn't the real imaginary person in this situation, he couldn't bring himself to raise his arms and return the embrace. Perhaps for the best as the knock on the door rang through the house again and the girl pulled away from him. Kajou immediately hung his head and let his hair fall around his face to hide the redness flushing his cheeks. He only half heard her words as he pushed his himself up, using the wall as a support as he half wandered over to the door. He raised his head as he pulled the door open just a crack and stuck his head in sideways to see who it was, a few strands of hair getting in his eyes that he prayed would hide his face. The person who'd been knocking was a dark haired man who, unsurprisingly, Kajou didn't recognize. Trying his best to avoid eye contact, he stared at the man's chest as he half whispered through the crack in the doorway, "C-Can I help you, sir?"

The door was opened up and Ar'ther expected someone his size to have answered the door but when the door was opened he had to look down to see the person who had the door opened. Ar'ther knelt down to look the kid in the face. "Well are you not a trooper?" he somewhat asked but more said. "Carrying that girl all the way back here to your..." He paused a moment. "House?" he asked as he stood up straight and peered into the room. The kid that was in front of him was well to Ar'ther was shy or timid he didn't know how to take it.

"If it helps I am here to help." he stated. He was not going to enter the house without being invited in. Going in would just be rude; one of his policies he would always hold. "You could say that I have been here for a long time." He ran his hand through his hair and looked at the girl. "You feeling okay?" he asked and then looked back at the kid who opened the door. "Same goes for you." He said. Ar'ther was concerned for the two. He hoped that they were fine. He wishes he could remember the time he came into this place but he couldn't that was so long ago that he rather not think back that far. His face changed as he knelt back down to be eye level with the boy. He offer his hand.

"The name is Ar'ther. I have been here for a while, I started to call myself the wanderer because well I don't stop walking but I am starting to like this place." he paused "Back to what I was thinking. Are you two looking for some help or just someone to hang out with cause I know this awesome place down the road." He pointed behind him and was waiting in case the tow freaked out or something. He was hoping for the something option and not the freak out he was tired of that already today.

Kajou stared up at the man with wide eyes, trying his best not to shut the door in his face. There was something more alien to him than just the fact he'd never met him before. While he seemed kind and trying to be polite, he looked strangely dark. Many people that Limbo held wore much lighter colors, even the strange blue eye girl he'd just met. His clothes and even his hair were a little too dark for Kajou's liking. When the man knelt down, he almost swung the door in his face as he flinched violently. He didn't realize just how tall the man was until he had to make effort to move meet his eye level. As the dark haired man spoke, sometimes throwing words in the direction of the girl, Kajou didn't open the door one more crack despite his trembling hands. The man was saying a lot and the effort of keeping the door just ajar and standing in place was putting quite a toll on his body but he did all he could to stand his ground.

Some of his words didn't give Kajou the least bit of comfort. He gave his name and told him that he wasn't a newcomer but had someone been in Limbo for a long time. He claimed to have been from someplace besides the town. From what stories he had learned, Kajou knew that the only things from beyond the horizon in this world were horrible creatures and fantastic beings and this man fit neither description. As the man finally wrapped up what he had to say and explain, Kajou shook his head slowly as he was offered help and the invitation of leaving the house. "N-N-No thank you, sir. I-I would just like to stay inside." Kajou pulled his head out of the crack in the door to look over at the blue eyed girl standing by the bed. He knew he couldn't speak for her and if this man was really telling the truth, maybe he could help her more than Kajou ever could. He pulled himself back into view but kept his eyes on the man's feet as he half muttered. "B-But she can go if she wants to. She's new and scared... I-I think."

Winter looked at the dark haired man in the doorway with her eyes of clear water. The man had deep blue eyes and they reminded her of her mother's eyes. Winter'd always had very sad, the eyes of someone who'd seen too much and had given up one too many times. The eyes of someone who could see into the deepest depths of your soul. Looking at the man, Winter realised she was much too far gone. Hallucinating one boy was one thing, imagining an entire population was beyond insanity. She was gone.

"You feeling okay?"

No. I just realised I might be 130% psychotic or 100% dead or both. I'm crazy and dead and this must be hell.

Winter wanted darkness. An empty world away from the miseries in her head and the harshness in reality. At least I got the latter. Winter wished with all her might that the people in the real world would find a way to fix her or that her body would consume itself because she could never become sane again. Winter was too far gone.

Her long silver hair fell to her hips like a shining waterfall, her skin was pale, her eyes winter light and her dress a pure white. She stood out amongst everything. Winter was pure. She laughed, thinking her resemblance to light was a coping mechanism. I'm trying to convince myself I'm an innocent angel.

"The name is Ar'ther. I have been here for a while, I started to call myself the wanderer because well I don't stop walking but I am starting to like this place. Back to what I was thinking. Are you two looking for some help or just someone to hang out with cause I know this awesome place down the road."

Down the road? Great, she imagined an entire world. Winter was creative, that, she at least had to give herself. It required an amazing imagination to construct an entire fantasy world. An amazing imagination or an amazing psychosis. The man's name was Ar'ther. What a weird name.

"N-N-No thank you, sir. I-I would just like to stay inside. B-But she can go if she wants to. She's new and scared... I-I think."

New and scared? That sounded about right. This new level of manic was very new to her. The word scared reminded her of how she might just never leave this place. Then she really grew scared.

Winter walked slowly toward Kajou and pinched the back of his shirt in her fingers. "I'm going to try to find a loophole in my head." By now, she believed Kajou was the good part of her subconscious. The side that was trying to guide her through this new world in her mind. "Thanks for everything, Kajou. I'll umm... Call you later." Winter figured she'd be able to imagine him into being again later on, but Kajou, strangely, didn't seem to realise he wasn't real. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. Wait. What? He didn't have feelings. Kajou wasn't real but he seemed so real. Hallucinations always seem real.

Winter glanced at Ar'ther, trying to will him away. It didn't work. Guess it doesn't work that way. Her brain would show her what it wanted to. "Excuse me," she whispered, her voice soft and feminine. Winter wiggled her way pass the tall man, he was very much taller than her. Winter was dainty, petite with small, bare feet. She raced out onto the streets and turned a corner. She reached a quiet alleyway.

Then, she let go.

She kicked a wall. Then she hit it. She kicked and hit and picked up a nearby barrel to crash into the wall. Winter reached for everything and destroyed it all. She screamed and screamed and she beat her hands against the hard surface. Shocks rocked her entire body, sending her dry heaving with the agony of it all. Winter smashed her fists against the cold stone walls over and over

until the pain in her body overwhelmed the one in her heart.

"N-N-No thank you, sir. I-I would just like to stay inside. B-But she can go if she wants to. She's new and scared... I-I think." The small boy had told him.

Ar'ther was about to say something when she walked past him and whispered "Excuse me." Ar'ther then turned to the boy. "You will be coming too. She is attracted to you in some way and we need to make sure she is okay." Then she started scream so he ran over to make sure she was alright.

Ar'ther just stood there and watched her do this not trying to stop her he just let her go about raging on the wall. "You know that only helps for a little while." He looked down at her. "I have been here for 578 years I learned to deal with what I did and I still have not moved on." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. "I have had this and it has helped me through a lot."

He offered his hand to her. "Here lets go along with our other friend and find some way to deal with what has happened. If you need to know anything just ask me and I will answer it." He smiled trying to reassure her.

"You know that only helps for a little while."

Winter paused mid-strike, fists inches from the wall. "I have been here for 578 years I learned to deal with what I did and I still have not moved on." She dropped her hands and turned to give Ar'ther a weary stare. He was holding a watch. "Here lets go along with our other friend and find some way to deal with what has happened. If you need to know anything just ask me and I will answer it."

"How do you know?" she blurted. "How can it be 578 years when I've only been alive for 17? You're all in my head. Oh god, my delusions are delusional." Winter ran a hand through her silky silver hair. She hadn't thought of it in a while but her silver hair was a little supernatural. Who else had silver hair that grew out of their scalp? Old people. So either she was secretly 90 years old or supernatural things were real. Or I'm just abnormal.

"How am I supposed to believe that I'm in some weird, stupid afterlife? How is that even possible? How do you know?" Winter was a believer of science. Nothing supernatural ever helped her cope with her life. "Is this punishment for what I did? How am I supposed to believe this is real? What's the difference between my delusions and reality?" She was babbling now, pacing back and forth, running her elegant fingers through her soft pale hair. "Is this my bipolar disorder or is this real? What's real? Nothing's real. How did I survive that fall? Maybe I didn't and this is death and I shouldn't have killed myself if this was death. This can't be death."

Winter continued to mumble, mumble until it faded into a whisper, then silence. Winter stopped. She picked up a shard of splintered wood she'd destroyed and raked it through her arm. It bled. If I'm hallucinating, why can I feel pain? Why am I bleeding? Why hasn't anyone stopped me from moving around? I can feel it, so I'm not in a coma. Oh god oh god oh god this is real.

"Holy crap this is real," she stared at Kajou and Ar'ther like she was seeing them for the first time. "You're both real? Absolutely real? You are. We're in some Limbo. Is this it? Are we here forever? Are we going to hell? Do you go to hell if you've committed suicide? You're real?!"

"Yes we are real. And I don't know about the hell thing." he stated. "I am not sure why I have been here for a long time maybe it my purpose to help others." He stated. Ar'ther took out a small piece of cloth from his pocket and he knelt down and wrapped her arm. He then lifted her up. "Everything should be okay we just need to make you feel better and show you what it means to be happy." He smiled at her which was a little rare for him to do.

He was trying to be happy but with how long he has been here and just an illusion of happiness to make others better would have to do. He placed a finger under her chin. "Now talk your little friend into coming with us so that we can get everyone to be happy." His face turned back to the normal neutral. He adjusted his shoulders and looked at the boy. "Now you coming or shall we just go inside then?" he asked playfully. This kid seemed to have issues that he would have to help them work through and who knows maybe Ar'ther will get the help he needs.

Kajou heard the girl's footsteps as he he kept his eyes firmly planted to the ground. He couldn't help but jump when the noise suddenly stopped and there was a tug on the back of his shirt. Looking up, he saw that the it was the girl giving him a small, comforting smile.

"I'm going to try to find a loophole in my head. Thanks for everything, Kajou. I'll umm... Call you later."

Kajou could only stare at her as she walked past him and scooting past the man in the doorway. Loophole in her head? Is she really having such a hard time accepting that this was reality? A lot of new souls had a bit of shock, Kajou himself being one of them, but never denial to this extent as far as he'd seen. And why did she pause when she said she'd see him later? Was she lying? If the man took her to the hotel, then she'd be back and start living in the town herself. But what if he was going to take her off with him in his wander across Limbo? And yet despite all of these worries and questions, one thing stuck with him.

Thanks for everything, Kajou.

The words echoed in his ears as he watched her move from sight. The stab in his chest - his heart he finally realized - stung him again. He didn't want her to go. He didn't want to be alone again. He didn't want to have to meet these other perfect strangers when she had already been so kind to him. Kajou hung his head and clenched his fists as he closed his eyes to hold back bitter tears. Despite all that wanted, there were still fears. The fear of the outside. The fear of sudden and painful rejection. So much pain... and as if the pain couldn't be contained in his mind, there was suddenly a harsh scream in the air. Kajou pulled his head up as his eyes snapped open, a few rebellious tears finding their mark and dripping onto the floor. It was the girl again. But she wasn't screaming out of fear. She sounded angry. The man stepped out of the doorway after stating something... odd.

"You will be coming too. She is attracted to you in some way and we need to make sure she is okay."

Attracted to him? Maybe he had the fortune of finding her and helping her the best he could when she needed it but that hardly felt like some strange attraction like he made it out to be. But what if he meant it in another sense? And why did he state he was coming too? It wasn't an invitation or a question. It was like an order and even if he did end up going with him, ignoring how much the idea scared him, he didn't like the idea of this man making him. But as another scream split through the air, none of it mattered. Kajou ran out of the open door, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve as he ran, his bare feet eventually skidding to a stop at the entrance to an alley that the dark haired man stood by. The sight in the alley itself shocked him. While the man had apparently calmed her down, the blue eyed girl had thrown quite a fit. All the odds and ends kept here had been shattered and there were spots on the wall where red liquid was dripping down from. The same liquid covering the girl's knuckles. Blood. She was hurt.

Before he even was able to absorb everything he was seeing, Kajou was running back to the house. He went to the kitchen and threw a cupboard open, grabbing a handful of rags before he ran back outside and sprinted back to the alley, almost tripping over his own tired feet halfway there. He didn't lose his stride until he was back to the girl. Somehow she had gotten into even worse condition than when he left as he saw blood flowing out a new wound on her arm. He didn't wait for any objections or even for his breathe to catch up with him as he began typing the strips of cloth over her hands to stop the blood dripping out of the wounds on her knuckles. As his fingers fumbled with the knot of the first rough cloth strip, a weak string of words worked their way out his through. "P-Please don't hurt yourself anymore. Please."

"Yes we are real." That's exactly what a fake person would say. "And I don't know about the hell thing. I am not sure why I have been here for a long time maybe it my purpose to help others. Everything should be okay we just need to make you feel better and show you what it means to be happy."

Happy? What does happiness feel like?Ar'ther smiled at her and she had the distinct feeling he didn't do that very often and she should probably be honoured.

"Now talk your little friend into coming with us so that we can get everyone to be happy." He used the word again. Happy. It sounded like a nice word. Winter had zoned out for a moment and she noticed Kajou wrapping her wounds. He's so sweet, I want to squish him and put him in my pocket.

"P-Please don't hurt yourself anymore. Please." His words sent a pang through her. She'd always wanted someone to say that and if she'd met someone as kind as him or him himself when she was alive, she might not have thrown herself off that building. Too bad I'm dead now.

Ar'ther was saying something to the boy but Winter was feeling lethargic and didn't much process anything. I wonder if mental illnesses exist in Limbo.

"Thank you for being so kind and patient with me, Kajou," she said in a hushed tone, like it was a secret between her and him. "Do you want to go with the Ar'ther dude?" Winter felt like she was waking up from a 17 year long hibernation.

"Where are we going?" she stared Ar'ther straight in the eyes. She no longer had the look of fogginess and intense misery, her eyes were bright and intensely sky blue. She was dead. What did she have left to lose? Ar'ther could've been a serial killer in life and she wouldn't have cared.

"And I don't think I've yet introduced myself. Thank you for taking care of me." Her silver hair cascaded to her hips, falling over her snowy skin to rest on her white dress. She regarded them with icy blue eyes.

"I'm Winter."

The girl had finally introduced herself and he was happy that she did that. "Good well I guess we can start with some very simple things." He took a few steps out of the ally way. He opened his arms in the light and it felt great. The heat felt really good on his skin. "If you want ask some questions and I will answer them to the best of my abilities." He could not remember the last time he had escorted some people around he thought back it must have been hundreds of years.

He turned and walked back to the other two. "Now its your turn boy. What is your name?" he asked him. He was not trying to be scary. It kinda comes off like that sometimes but he does not mean it. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He smirked and got lost in his thoughts. He loved just walking around this beautiful place to see the world and just learn all sorts of new things. He opened his eyes up "It's nice to meet you Winter." He held out his hand hoping she would take it and shake his hand. He was going to make sure something would happen and hopefully the things turn out well and don't end up in another crossroads like the one he just witnessed. He did not want anyone to get hurt again after this he knew he wanted to help these two out no matter what was going to happen to him.

There was a sharp pain in Kajou's forehead. The smell of rust filled his nose no matter how long he held his breathe. The panic of seeing the girl had overpowered his dislike of the only thing he hated more than violence: blood. The eerie warmth, the dark color, the taste of iron on your tongue. He and most every other person stuck in Limbo were unbelievably glad that their bodies kept the shape of how they were before their death, not after. Otherwise Kajou would be crawling around like some deformed human crab and this girl... It suddenly struck him what he had muttered mere moments ago. It had been pure impulse, an action taken at that moment. But he turned the words over in his head a few times and remembered the frantic words the girl had been saying earlier. Even while panicked and scared out of her mind, she had been so sweet. What kind of life did she live to end up in Limbo like this?

"Thank you for being so kind and patient with me, Kajou,"

Kajou found relief in these words. Another thank you. He kept his head down as he started typing up the last of the cloth along the gash on her arm. He felt like the entire day had gone by with his face burning like it was now. As he feebly tied the last knot, the girl asked him a question, making him raise his head with wide eyed surprise.

"Do you want to go with the Ar'ther dude?"

No. Kajou was tired and cold and this strange Ar'ther man was still a total stranger to him. He didn't want to do anything but go home and lie down. But the words didn't come out. He didn't want to go but he also didn't want to leave the girl. Not all alone, not when she had no one else, not when she might still be in trouble. So Kajou just nodded his head once as he let go of the knot on her arm and folded his hands in front of him as his eyes wandered off to the side, praying that she couldn't read the doubt in his eyes. It didn't last long as the blue eyed girl suddenly gave a name to call herself. Winter. Kajou's eyes were immediately pulled back to her. It was a fighting name in some respects. Her silver hair, icy blue eyes and perfect skin made her look like the very spirit of snow. But it wasn't perfect. She wasn't cold or slow, the words he'd use to describe the season. For being Winter, she had so much warmth.

"Now its your turn boy. What is your name?"

Kajou jumped slightly, pulling his folding hands up to his chest as he turned to the man. He'd been a mere peg in his mind for the last few minutes and he hadn't said a word to him during that time, simply speaking over his head as he talked to Winter. Kajou looked up, trying too look him in the eye. Too dark. His vision fell to the man's feet in an instant as he spoke. "K-Kajou. Kajou Kuniumi."

Vacant eyes stared unseeingly at Winter. They were dark, lifeless but moving things. Strangely - or perhaps not so strangely, because somehow they reminded her of herself - they didn't frighten her. They moved slowly, handing her a menu. "Thank you," she said as she took it from their limp hands. They hardly responded, except tilting their heads in a minuscule action. The Empty Ones.

She stared at the menu of strange foods. Aura Bursts? Golden Grapes? Steamed gabber feet? Pink radish roast? River frog pudding? The Empty Ones stared at them expectantly but at the same time - not. They didn't look like they expected anything or were waiting for anything. Winter glanced at Ar'ther, he somehow reminded her of them. Strange, because he lacked the vacant emptiness. He just seemed - well, dark. He did say he'd been in Limbo for a long time.

"Could I please have a moonlight cocktail and a stone grass bruschetta?" she said, choosing the most edible-sounding things on the menu. The Empty Ones nodded and left, slipping through a small door. She caught a glimpse of small, jumpy and hunched Empty Ones - children. She wanted to gag.

"Is the food here good?" she asked tentatively, looking at the two men seated in front of her. "Is it even edible?" she whispered, not wanting to sound rude. She didn't want the Empty Ones to get offended.

"Do we even need food? What happens if we don't eat? Do we die?" she asked, hopeful.

Then Winter's eyes glazed over, she stared pass the two in front of her. She was still, unmoving and not there. Winter was gone.

There is a heaviness, a weight, a mountain, a troll, a planet, a bulldozer, a factory, a rope around my neck – and it bleeds on everything I love. It holds me down, falls on my head and grips its chains around my ankle and anchors me to the ocean – close enough to breathe but not enough to live.

"If you want to go, that's okay," they'd say. Maybe. Hopefully. One day. I wish someone would give me permission to die. Or at least forget me. I have people to live for – but I don't. The happiness doesn't outweigh the misery. It never does. And even if it did, it'd be hard to remember. To be.

We have no scars to show for happiness.

Ar'ther was kind enough though she couldn't believe him when he spoke of being past 20 years. Autumn knew better than to call an adult out but she thought lying wasn't well either. But she kept that to herself.
When Alex explained once again that this place they were at was not the world she was so used to it made Autumn feel dizzy. How could she be dead, yet be so alive at the same time. All these weird ways of living, with fresh grass and people being 100's of years old was just so hard to understand. It was not just yesterday that she had been playing on a swing set, sleeping in a warm bed listening to cars drive by. Had none of these people known about a life? If so then how can they be so understanding?
The train of thought was carried by the morning the car hit her, the feeling came back to her stomach. She remember her mother holding her hand and crying and then the last thing Autumn asked was if she was going to the castle with her mother reply of "yes".
How dumb her mother was to think this was a castle. But that just got Autumn thinking of all the things she was leaving behind if she truly did go see her father.
Autumn's eyes widen when she saw the man from the sky, he had been so kind to greet himself so formally it made her blush and cling onto Alex's arm. Alex explained that the man was not a man but a Story. It confused Autumn but she said nothing about it and just nodded and stared at the Story.
It wasn't until Alex had mentioned eating of soul that Autumn became afraid of Story. She could feel her legs shaking and her hands sweat. All of this fear did not help when a wild scream into the air echo'd.
Ar'ther left with just a few words. He had been so kind to allow Autumn to follow him, that she couldn't think of a proper way of saying goodbye and thank you before he ran off.