Man of Stories
Chapter 11, The call to adventure

The next day at school Tim was in his English class looking at his as he was remembering what had occurred yesterday last night with the voice he heard. He then closed his eyes as he remembered what happened.

“Who are you!” Tim shouted getting off his couch.

“I am the light in the night sky, the thing your fairytales look to when they have no other to look towards, I am-”

“The Moon" Tim said as his hands began to shake. He then noticed footprint like things imprinting into his carpet making their way towards him until stopping a few inches from him. The moonlight in the sky then focused through the skylight and shined on Tim causing a massive bright light to erupt and fill his senses. Once the bright light was over, he then uncovered his eyes to see...everything was normal. There wasn’t anything different. He however as he walked around his home would notice things seemed a bit floaty. He picked up a candlestick off of the dining table and then dropped it to see it hardly made any distance from his hand to the ground. He then noticed his windows; it was dark outside last he checked. He then ran towards his front door and would open it to realize a sight beyond his mere understanding.

Everything around his house was gone, no neighbors, no roads, no sky and most craziest...no earth. Tim then received a slight migraine as his head began to ache for a moment with whispers echoing in his minds before disappearing and vanishing completely. Tim’s eyes then opened his eyes and would see the Moon in the distance, it was high in the sky, like a beacon or signal. Tim looked down the steps of his front porch and saw the dip that led into the nothingness below, he could see below himself a spiral and deeper well unconsciousness deep beneath even that. Tim then heard yet again the voice of the moon calling to him.

“Cross the veil between reality and enter into the arcane world.” said the Moon, Tim however was hesitant. Though unbeknownst to him curiosity and the aching want to know more moved his feet forward. He looked down into the abyss below and as he took a step into what seemed nothing, he would replace himself a path made for him and a whole array of paths now accessible and more. He continued to walk forward and as he did, he would begin to lose his physical form as things such as traits, features of the body or a body itself were flimsy concepts in such a land such as this. All he would have is a sort of spiritual vessel, that being of a spirit which mimicked his normal human form and glowed a sort of strange blueish light. He then continued his journey and soon made it to a large overflowing fountain which had a statue of a woman who cried blood that leaked from her eye sockets and into the fountain which overflowed. Upon closer look Tim noticed she was in a praying like position and was wearing a sort of garb that only covered her lower body, her chest open and bare to been seen.

Tim then noticed the description on the fountain which would go on to explain where he was or maybe when...no defiantly where.

“Welcome to the Arcaneland, where the remains of long forgotten stories remain, along with all things that were never meant to be.” said the marble description. Thats however when Tim would wake up as his teacher would shout his name.

“TIM!” shouted the teacher, Tim woke up and then looked around as everyone laughed and giggled.

“Uh sorry tech, I was uhh...shoot.” Tim said

“Well if your done daydreaming, our new transfer student would like the seat next to you.” said the teacher, Tim then turned next to him to see a gothic looking girl standing near him. She had long dark black hair, black lipstick, lots of eyeshadow and eyeliner and goth like gown. She even had an umbrella...black of course.

“Just my luck.” Tim thought to himself annoyed.

“Uhhh sure, I don’t mind.” Tim said as she then put her backpack down which was a black bear with needles sticking out of it. She then pulled her chair out and sat down scooting in.

“Now then miss-”

“Jasper, my real name is Jasper.” said the goth girl with a tough and bold voice before smiling.

“Well uhh, Jasper, would you like to let us know a little bit about you?” asked the teacher

“I’m going to outlive all of you.” Jasper said before she then got out a strange book with a red eye on it and began to write in it. Tim didn’t know what to make of her so he passively ignored her and focused more on his current class. English was never topic he found interest in, not because he didn’t replace writing fascinating, but just that it was a type of passion he couldn’t get into. He then leaned back in his chair. He didn’t have the same passion his grandfather did nor his great grandfather. However recent things have currently had him getting much more into reading and collecting knowledge. In all honesty he was super excited to get into what the wider world was all about, yet deep inside his exactment would be met with a gut punch that at any moment he could interact with something beyond his control.

He didn’t want to get too into the wider scope of the beyond, with the idea of the moon now being a threat to earth and humanity. Tim’s mind was so clogged full of stuff and having so many worries that he had completely missed the bell for lunch. However, the teacher didn’t care as well, it was his grade not his and went to the faculty room for his lunch. Tim looked around to see only a few students still in the classroom, a group of computer nerds playing a game together using the school computers and some comic fans reading about their favorite characters. He then leaned back with a groan; he got a text from his friend Danny.

" Hey there man, where you at? Thought we were gonna go and check out that new burger place?” Danny texted, Tim began to type before he thought about what happened yesterday and al the things Tom had told him and everything he had thought about. He wanted so desperately to be a part of something bigger, but instead...Tim decided for something simpler. He heard the call to adventure and the call to a life of quest and adventures the like he could never comprehend, but Tim couldn’t do it. He wasn’t made for something like that.

“Hello??? Bro?” Danny texted again, He couldn’t and wouldn’t throw away his life of normality for something of uncertainty.

“Sorry bro, was on the toilet. I’m on my way, can’t wait to try out that new meaty supreme.” Tim said as he then got up and got his backpack and walked out of the classroom. He stopped at the door, took a breath and then walked out of the door and closed it. Only to have a weird white and blueish ball of light went whizzing past his face. Tim fell against the door as he looked at go flying and then would see Rem calling to him from down the hall where the weird light would go flying past her head and into the girl’s bathroom.

“HEY! FRAKER!” Rem shouted, this had been the first time Tim had seen something extraordinary in a non-isolated area and so he immediately ran to Rem who was shocked at his approach.

“Did you see that?” Tim asked

“See what? You loitering in the middle of the hall?” Yea I got eyes. Now go and get to the lunchroom.” Rem asked

“No, I mean that weird light? you didn’t see it?” Tim asked

“Weird light? uh no I ain’t see a thing. Now get going before I write you up.” Rem said, Tim wanted to ask more, but he then remembered Danny and got out of the hall and ran to where he was supposed to meet Danny. The two were eating burgers at the new burger place across the street from their school.

“Ok ok, so explain it to me again.” Danny said as he ate some of his fries.

“Listen man, It was this weird dream like thing, I was floating around and saw this weird fountain thing...however...eh I won’t rot your brain with it.” Tim said as he kept eating

“Nah bro you gotta tell me! All this weird shit sounds rad as hell! You gotta show me it sometime!” Danny said

“Come one man, you really want to get into some weird spooky nonsense that at the end of the day we don’t really need to be a part of. I’d rather choose a boring life than one like that.” Tim said as he went to eat his burger only for Danny to grab his shoulder and have Tim face him.

“DUDE! How long have we known each other?” Danny asked

“Too long.” Tim said

“For a long fucking time! The last thing we need is boring, ever since I’ve known you all you talked about is how boring your life is. All I see you doing is gawking over that cheerleader Stephanie and what? oh thats right nothing else cause guess what? You are boring, but this, this could be your gateway into finally being someone else other than the grandson of a famous author.” Danny said pointing his burger at Tim’s chest.

“I don’t know man, I think we’re better off just not-”

“I’m gonna cut you off right there, I say we at least give it a shot. Come on, one adventure and if you don’t like it we can forget about. I mean its not like what you discovered changes everything you and I know right?” Danny said, Tim rolled his eyes as he looked down at Danny’s burger.

“So? What do you say?” Danny said handing Tim his burger. Tim grabbed it and took a bite of it...it’s just one little adventure and if he doesn’t like it, they can just forget about it.

“...Ok, ok ok. Just one and then we’re done.” Tim said, Danny squirmed in his seat with excitement.

“LETS GO! Cheers!” Danny shouted as him and Tim cheered their burgers and finished eating.

“Ok, so whats the plan?” Danny asked

“Well, the moon was the last thing my gramps saw when he peered into the Dark One’s mind a few days back. So maybe we do some digging on the moon and go from there?” Tim said

“Sounds rad, so what does that mean?” Danny said as he finished his burger and dipped his fries in some mustard, Tim leaned back in his chair and then looked across to their school.

“Feeling like reading some books?” Tim said with a smirk with Danny groaning. He and Tim then left the restaurant and made their way back to school, however far beyond the skies and into the vacuum of space the moon was looking over the entire planet. On it’s surface hundreds of smaller moon rocks began to clamp together creating this rocky yet smooth figure which stood on the surface of the moon and stared at the blue marble known as earth.

“No longer dormant I am, free like I once was. Its time to get moving once again.” said the Moon as it walked along it’s surface with it looking to the rest of the solar system.

“Its time to get extinguish the man known as Tom Fraker” the Moon said as it then kept walking along it’s surface.