——-THE BLACKEND HEART——- :: Written by: Natheus Deltorne :: :: :: =CHAPTER 1= The beginning… :: It was a calm night, the air was crisp and the grass shimmered from the full moon that hung gracefully in the sky. It was the most relaxing night of my life… And the beginning of my eternal nightmare that would soon change me forever. I walked outside after eating another moldy loaf of bread. I was a farmers boy, living with a family who rarely had money in their pockets or food on our plates. It was a rough life… Not a lot of food… Famine ruining our crops and the bandits that would come by and kill our cattle. I never had it easy, I never had the chance to enjoy my childhood. It was all about work… I did everything for the family… Tend to the crops, feed the cattle, clean up the messes that bandits would make on our property… Everything. I continued to walk in the lush grass, finally having time to relax by myself. I made my way to the small river that flowed a distance behind my house. I could hear the sounds of the water delicately flowing, the crickets singing in the distance, and I could feel the cold air kiss my cheeks. It was an inviting chill, subtle and pleasing. I removed my clothing and began to move into the water. It was cold but it sure beat the summers heat and it helped calm my muscles. I dove in, feeling the cold splash on my face. I layed back on the water, closing my eyes, taking in all the sounds that met my eardrum. It was all so perfect… Everything seemed like it was made just for me. I continued to relax, floating in the water. I heard a distant cry. It was a bit drawn out by the river, but I swam to shore anyway. I got dressed, pulling the worn tunic over my head and began to walk home. Halfway there, I heard another cry, it was loud. My heart raced, everything felt numb around me as if I phased out of existance, like this was just a dream. I sprinted, another cry, even more peircing than the last. I ran, My focus on my house nothing else. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, the sounds of crying and screaming soon overwhelmed my head as I neared the house. There was a root that stuck up from the ground and I tripped over it, landing onto my stomach. I looked up, dirt all over my face. I shook it off, wiping it from my eyes only to see my father hanging my a rope through the window of my house. I froze. Everything stopped, my mind numb, everything… Was just dead around me. I felt nothing but the cold chill of the night mocking me. I saw men and woman in black outfits, they were the bandits… I layed there and watched as they crowded around my sister and mother. I just layed there! I should have acted! But instead I lay there likea damned coward! I watched as they raped… Tortured… And ultimately killed my sister and mother. I just layed there in shock, weeped as they did unspeakable horrors to the ones I held dear. I tried to call out to them, my voice was to weary to say anything. “M-m-mo… Mom…” I spoke with a quivering voice. My eyes flooding with tears as I watched. I eventually had enough and stood to my feet, I turned and ran. Ran away from my home… And my family. I left them… I left them to die! Like a damned coward I ran into the wilderness! This was only the biggining of my nightmare… As I would soon find out, there will be more to this world that will keep me broken and hopeless… :: :: =CHAPTER 2= Lost :: The forest was pitch black, I could not see anything. I cried as I tried to find my way. The sounds of sticks snapping in the distance, and the feeling of being watched drove me to insanity… I screamed, tears flooding my eyes. “Go away!” I grabbed a stick swining it hopelessly around me in the pitch black. I could hear low growls and leaves rustling in the distance. I continued to cry out. “Leave me alone! Please! Go away!” At this time, I was only at the age of 14. I was still a child in a unforgiving world, forced to live alone with no one to love or to care for me. I was just a helpless meal for a pack of wolves. I continued to shout out at the sounds, the growls, the rustling of leaves. Eventually everything grew silent, I broke down in tears and sat there, unable to sleep. The dark continued to mock me, making me see things that were not really there. I did my best to ignore it, but it continued to startle me. Many hours passed and finally the sun began to rise. I wasn’t happy to see it… My mind was still numb and frozen with fear.