A Darkening World And A Sleepy Protagonist Chapter 4 (Unedited)

A warm meal, well any kind of meal really, looked so mouth wateringly good when hungry. Even if it was a small bowl, Neal was not complaining. The scent of the potato soup was overwhelming, he could not wait to take a bite.

The few things on the side were rather appealing as well. Such as the leftover mashed potatoes, potato salad, and home made potato chips.

Lets just say her father was a potato farmer with some good potatoes harvested this year so far.

Despite the abundance of potatoes in this house, Neal was still being considerably spoiled by the girl who went as far as to freshly make many of these side dishes, rather then just gather up what was left of yesterdays supper. She wanted to get Neal to warm up to her and tell her his story, such tales must be easier spoken on a full stomach!

Before she could begin asking some questions, after he thanked her and began eating a few bites, the door suddenly burst open and a man leaning against the door frame for support stumbled in.

Mariams heart rate picked up as she began to panic slightly on how her father may react to her having invited a stranger into the house.

He certainly didn’t like her bringing that giant rainbow snail in last time, or that cursed chair that had him stuck in it for a week.

A tired looking many covered in dirt and carrying two large bags of potatoes over his shoulders had come in. The load seeming to be a bit to much as he reached his limit and searched for some support from his surroundings. Quick to put the bags down against the wall once he entered.

As he noticed the small unfamiliar sack by the door his eyebrows furrowed, wondering if his daughter had picked up something strange again.

“Mariam, why didn’t you come meet me in the field at lunch like you said you would? I thought you wanted to share some fruit together and help me carry the harvest home?” The older man pouts like a child as he came in, wondering how it is his daughter always got so distracted whenever something new came into her vision.

Of course when he walked in he did not expect to see a stranger sitting at the dinner table eating the last bowl of potato soup he had saved for himself. It wasn’t often they made potato soup after all, and he was hoping to enjoy a bigger meal then normal after a long day of work but alas it seems his daughter had other plans. His sacrifice yesterday to save that soup seemed pointless now.

He sighed and took in the new face whom paid him no mind as he continued on eating. Droplets of liquid from the soup dripping from the corner of his lips and onto the shirt he wore.

“Mariam, who is this?” A sigh mixed with a cross of his arms, this certainly was no surprise to the potato farmer.

Meanwhile Neal was munching, enjoying the taste of the food. The more he ate the more hazy his mind felt and he was sure he would sleep so well if he were allowed to sleep on a bed after this.

He noticed the man covered in dirt walk in, but paid no mind at first since he was so absorbed in eating the food.

This pretty boy had a mythical air about him, which bothered the potato farming. Surely nothing his daughter brought in was any good, no matter how harmless it seemed.

“Papa! Your home!” The girl got up from the table and tackled her father in a hug.

She then whispered something in her fathers ear and his expression softened, Neal didn’t hear a word of it,  even though he was paying attention now to the two.

He wondered if maybe the dad would get angry at him being there and kick him out.

He got up and gave a small nod of his head in greeting.

“I am guessing you are Mariam’s father? I am pleased to meet you and am very thankful for the hospitality shown to me. I have nothing I can really give you that is worth much…but as a show of my thanks” He headed to where he left his sack, picked it up and came back. He then opened it up and poured the contents on the table.

“I hope you can accept this as a token of my gratitude, it is not much but I find the fruits are very energizing.” He hopes that the father at least liked the look of the plants, and if he was offering all he had maybe he could pull some heartstrings and get himself a bed for the night.

He was not one to turn down opportunities for what he wants, especially in a unfamiliar place such as this. Any chance as a place to get some proper rest was one he would work hard for. Even if how he got the clothes, bath and food was purely from pity and curiosity, he would take it.

It was still very kind of her after all to do all this for him. Even if she was..strange and questionable. She…wouldn’t try to strip him in his sleep to make sure he was telling the truth right?

Y-Yeah, why would she do that..he should be fine. Right?

Well..she was being nice to him but showing her his nude form was..too much. Ah but the appeal of a bed…

Sleeping comfortably…in a blank dream to just forget everything and take a pause for a moment. Was it to much to want?

As the father looked over the offerings his eyes widened before they rolled back and he fainted in his shock.

“Papa!!”

Was…his gift that horrible? Are the plants so worthless?

Neal has no idea that these plans had so much worth. Just one could have someone living without working in the village for almost a lifetime. Let alone two.

People would pay top dollar for these plants!

–

“My son! Feel free to stay however long you want! Oh ah are you comfortable? Would you like anything? Perhaps a drink or another pillow?” The potato farmer was now warm to Neal, pampering him as he went as far to fluff a pillow and lay Neal down on his own bed!

The man was in such a good mood, the thing his daughter brought home had actually given them fortune for once.

How could he kick the boy out now that he had been so kind? With a gift this great he wouldn’t mind the boy living with them forever! Perhaps more luck he would bring!

“I’m good..thank you..can I..be left alone now?” Finally he was getting the chance for good rest, now if he could get some quiet it would be perfect!

The man gave a quick nod and stood up, pulling his daughter out along with him. 

“Okay! Sleep well! See you in the morning!” The daughter gave a smile and cheerful wave to Neal before the father shut the door behind him.

Neal stares at the door they left through for a few heart beats before shutting his eyes. His mind began to drift, exhausted from the long day. Yet he found himself unable to truly fall asleep for a few hours.

It was only after those few hours of uneven breathing through his mouth, sharp intakes of breath through a stuffed nose, and lips beginning to feel swollen, did he finally drift off. The last tear falling from the corner of his eye and onto the wet spot on the pillow he hugged tightly to himself.

–

“You demon!” Neal shivers from the water the priest had thrown onto him, biting down on his bottom lip as he hugs himself for comfort. It had been so sudden, the priest having picked up the bucket he had put down for just a moment and using it to pour the water on him.

“Now..hold on a minute here. Why are you suddenly….” Mariams fathers words came out slowly between struggled breathes. His face red as he struggled to stand, he stood beside Neal with an arm outstretched, trying to defend the boy.

Before he could finish, his eyes suddenly role into the back of his head and he falls to the ground. His daughter is quick to catch him, tears quickly forming in her eyes as she shouts at him. 

“See! The man who took the demon in is one of the first to get the sickness…yet you dare tell me you are innocent? Ha! We will not be fooled by the innocent face you wear demon! You are obviously a demon, do not try to deny it!”

Their were others in the villages suddenly stricken with a sickness as well, each one being hit with it out of nowhere and it did not take long for some to come to a state they would not wake up.  Neal was unaware of so many people getting sick in till now of course, as a few people shouted at him in anger at him brining a sickness her to infect there loved ones.

They were breathing but no matter how much one called out to them they would not wake up from their sleep, it was if they were in a coma. 

“I am not..” Neal tries to explain that their is no way he caused this. He was very healthy and had only come yesterday, how could he possibly have caused this? 

“Don’t lie demon! We saw you wake up in that corpse just yesterday, we are no fools! You must have come here to spread the plague in order to bring more of your kind to the surface world! We will not allow you to do so no longer, we are not going to allow you to get what you wish!” A familiar man came into few, his voice loud and angry. Jerry, that annoyingly loud man from the woods. 

“I was only sleeping! Please won’t you lis-” A pain shot through him from his forehead, he rose a hand and traced the tips of his fingers over his forehead. A numb yet stinging pain came from that spot.

He pulls his hand away and saw blood on his fingers.

“Who in their right mind falls asleep naked in the woods! We do not believe you lies, demon!” He did not hear the voice, to focused on his fingers as he wondered why this was happening. No one was giving him a chance to explain himself.

 The first rock had been thrown.

That was all it took for more and more rocks to begin to be thrown, Neal had to try and shield his head while taking steps away from the angry crowd of people. 

All he had done that morning was go and get some water for Mariam from the local well, when he had suddenly bumped into the familiar man Jerry whom freaked out and ran off upon seeing them. Who would have thought he would come back with all these angry people automatically pinning the sick people on him after hearing Jerry’s words about the woods. 

Now he was being chased out of the village, the one person he thought would stick up for him was paying him no mind. Her arms around her father as she tried to carry him into the house while he was being chased out. 

Mariams palm stung, it had been cut from the sharp edge of the rock she had grabbed, the same rock that had nailed Neal in the head.

“Everything I bring home is truly a disaster isn’t it dad…I’m sorry”

–

Neal quickened his steps, changing direction as more villagers appeared around him throwing their rocks at him. 

He could barely make out where he was going as he tried to cover his face with his arms and hands. Heart racing as he tried to figure out why they blamed him for it. 

He then sees a cave with cloth across it like police tape. He quickly runs into it, the cloth falling to the ground as he runs deeper into the cave. The villagers stopped at the mouth of the cave, looking inside before at each other. 

They then worked together and moved a giant rock to sit in front of the cave as it had been for a long time, only moved for the yearly ceremony that was held two days ago. Neal watched them do it, breathing heavy as his body shook. 

“Why…” His eyes burn, tears falling as the last of the sunlight disappears from the cave. The cuts all over his body stung, water mixed with blood drips to the floor by his feet.

Drip, drip, drip. 

He presses the palm of his hand against the cave wall, using it for guidance as he made his way deeper into the cave. Their had to be another way out, right?

His pace was slow, he was unsure of what was in front of him.

So when he tripped over something and did a full summersault before hitting a wall as he fell, it was no surprise.

Even so he had no will to get up again, eyes shut as he tried to calm his breathing and ignore the pain. 

So focused on this he did not notice the blood that dripped into a crack in the cave floor, filling up and making a small river before entering the cracked stone he had tripped over. The cracks, which formed a symbol of some kind, lit up in a red light. 

The stone then crumbled to pieces, and the light faded away.

Perhaps Neal would have noticed if he had not fallen asleep.