Blog Post #14: Confrontation

Alaina and Boy walked together until they reached a door. "Are you sure you're ready?" she asked him, really just trying to fill the scared silence that had fallen between them. "No," he said, "But whatever happens, I want you to know, he will get into your mind and reveal secrets that you never wanted to see the light. Whatever he finds, just know that I love you and you have to trust me if we are going to get out of this alive." "Of course I trust you Boy," Alaina answered "You can't have that bad of secrets, can you?" She turned to face him “Can you?” she asked incredulously. Boy sighed and said "You just need to trust me no matter what." Disconcerted Alaina turned away and they resumed walking. They came to the door. On the other side waited their enemy, Alaina’s Uncle, the source of long years of suffering on both their parts. Boy reached forward and opened the door.
A loud booming laugh shook everything as they stepped through the door. "So my brave little niece has come back to try and defeat me! How cute! Oh, and what’s this? She brought along her little boyfriend!" An astral projection of a man stood in front of Boy and Alaina. He was tall and striking, and he had her mother’s eyes and cheek bones, but that was where the similarities ended. The man had a wild tangled mass of blonde hair, and he wore all black save for a skull that he wore around his waist on a belt. His collar went up above his ears, and his eyes were full of madness and broken images. "Well, I guess you will die together, I admit I will enjoy watching you tear each other apart." He said. "I would not be so sure of victory!" shouted Alaina. The similarities to her mother on this monster had shaken her. "Oh?" said the Burglar King, "And why is that, little one? Do you really think you can defeat me? I am the second generation of Cecily the Sorceress, you are the third, and of my pathetic sister! The girl had no back bone, only went to the Mind Field once in her life time and it scared her so bad that she never went back! What in the world to you think you can do?” He said with scorn. It seemed that he got larger with every word that he spoke until he looked down upon the couple from several feet up. “It is not about what I can do, dear uncle” Alaina said much more calmly than she felt as she reached for Boy’s hand for comfort. She squeezed his hand to tell him that it was nigh time that they attacked and got this whole business over with. She contacted him with her mind and they began the countdown. Five, “It really depends,” Four, Three, “On others, “ Two, “And what I must do, for them” One!

Blog Post #13: Confessions

Continuation of Blog Post #12

Boy, it's you! Alaina thought. Its always been you! You are the one who gives me power, you are the one I need! Hearing this Boy retreated and pulled his consciousness from hers in their complete submission to each other. "What are you talking about?" He asked looking bewildered. "There is no possible way unless..." he stopped his face reddening. Alaina saw that he would not accept this unless she confessed it out loud. "Boy, you remember the stories my Grandmother told me right?" She asked him. "Of course I do, I just brought them up remember?" he snapped feeling edgy. Alaina stepped towards his turned back. "Well," She said softly, "Do you remember the most powerful force there ever was in any of those stories?" she said getting closer. He didn't answer, his back was tense. Alaina reached out to his mind, craving the closeness that they shared just a few moments ago, and trying not to lose her nerve to tell him what she felt. She reached his mind and was met by a hard, high brick wall enclosing his consciousness. Alaina searched for a chink in his armor to get through to him. As if this wasn't hard enough already, now he was resisting her failed attempts to tell him how she feels.

Finally Alaina found a hole in the mortar between the bricks of his wall. She whispered through it, "The most powerful force was always..." She stopped suddenly terrified of her own feelings. What if she had interpreted them wrong? What if it was just a heat of the moment sort of feeling? Suddenly a strange warmth radiated all throughout her body emanating from her heart and she knew that what she felt was true. She pressed on with her message with courage in her words. "The most powerful force was always love, Boy. I am in love with you." she whispered through into his mind. The wall around his mind suddenly and instantly disappeared and she was engulfed by him, psychically and physically. She saw how he had listened to her all these years, how he had come to love the sound of her voice. How though he had never seen her he thought she was beautiful, and how he would cry when bad things happened to her and he could do nothing to help her but give her comforting words. How he thought he would go crazy if he did not see her face, or hold her hand. The truth was he had loved her for his whole life. And knowing that she returned his love was the greatest moment in his whole life. There is nothing we cannot do, together. I love you Alaina. he whispered. "Well then," Alaina said out loud, pulling back from him a little. "Do you think we should go take down the Burglar King now?" she said with a smile. "Definitely!" Boy said esthetically "But first," he leaned down and kissed her. He pulled back and smiled in her breathless face "Just in case!"

Blog Post #12: Power

Continuation of Blog Post #11

"Well what should we do?" Boy said turning to her "I'm gonna wait for a little to see if anyone else shows up." Alaina said, peeved. "Come on, Alaina! We have a more important problem than your messed up family!" Boy said trying to get some sense through to her. "Right, right. Well all we have to do is find what gives me power, easy!" Alaina said sarcastically. "We can do this, Alaina!" Boy said empathetically. "Listen to me, ever since I first talked to you, I knew you were powerful and special. Seeing what you have done in the short time you were here just proves it! Remember when you used to tell me the stories that your Grandmother told you? The ones about the heroes and quests and saving the day and adventures? I know I remember. I also remember you telling me that you wanted your own adventure and how I would be your first choice to come with! Alaina! This is it, this is your adventure!" "I know!" Alaina shouted back, "but think how I feel! All I've known all my life is ordinary! I always knew that I would never really get an adventure and I knew that Grandmother's stories were, just that, stories!" She turned away from him to hide what she was really feeling. Because the truth of the matter was, Alaina was scared. Sure she had a less normal life than the average child, but she really was not ready for all of this. Most of all she doubted herself. She did not know a thing about the mind field and her two most beloved people in her life had just abandoned her to deal with her most difficult challenge by herself!

I know how you feel. She heard Boy's voice inside her head. She became completely mortified as she realized Boy had heard her innermost fears because in her emotion she had forgotten to block her mind from him, with their close proximity they were almost always privy to each other's thoughts. "I can't believe you would listen in on my thoughts like that!" she said turning towards him "It's not like I had a choice!" he said " you were practically throwing the thoughts into my head!" Alaina turned away again, her entire frame shaking with embarrassment and anger. She felt Boy come up behind her and whisper in her ear. "I truly am sorry." he said sincerely "But, I really do understand. I grew up as a prince, with almost everything done for me. My world changed almost completely overnight. I lost everything, my friends, my teachers, and...." he paused, "and my parents. I know how it feel to be a lone and to have so much responsibility thrust upon you when you know you aren't ready. But you must know that you are ready. You know why?" he asked her, then he slid into her mind. Because you are not alone. Alaina felt Boy completely. He was every where. It scared her. But she felt his fear as well and was soon comforted by his presence and slid into his mind. They became one being and were completely open. That is when Alaina realized she had already found what made her strong, what gave her power.

Blog Post #12: Cecily the Sorceress

Continuation of Blog Post #11

"Grandmother?!" Alaina said, "How did you get here? You knew about this place to? Did mother? Did everyone but me?" She was getting frustrated. Next to her Boy was muttering something under his breath. "It can't be, she was a fable. She can't exist." "Oh I assure you dear boy, I exist, I am Alaina's Grandmother." she said " Oh! Beg your pardon madame, it's just I thought for a moment, you looked exactly like..... never mind." Boy stuttered, blushed and looked away. "Exactly like what? Like Cecily?" Her Grandmother said. When she said this Boy's head snapped up sharply. "Yes, you are her aren't you?" he said getting excited. "Oh Alaina we're saved! Cecily is the most powerful mind ever, she can defeat the Burglar King!" "What in the world are you talking about? This is my grandmother, I have no idea who Cecily is!" Alaina said thoroughly confused. "Alaina dear, do not yell at the poor boy. He is right, and so are you." she quickly added at Alaina's astounded look. "You see dear, Although I have never journeyed to the Forest physically, mentally, this is my second home!"

"What do you mean your second home?" Alaina asked " Well, back when I was younger," her Grandmother started "I was at a fair when a old gypsy beckoned me over, she said that I had a young strong mind, and would I like to learn to use it to its full potential? I agreed and she began to teach me. She taught me a bout the Mind Field and about Astral Strands and how to follow them to other places. I grasped each concept with ease and was progressing quickly, too quickly. My teacher said I had great power but it would get out of control, so she set a spell on me to harness my power. The spell was the last thing she did, she was old and it took all of her to complete it. I loved my teacher and grieved her death, but the spell she put on me did not do exactly what she wanted it to do. It allowed me a complete understanding of everything in the Mind Field. So I was all powerful and in no danger of getting out of control. I began to wander the Mind Field a lot in my spare time. Even when I was pregnant with your mother and her brother. My power was passed along to them, but in unequal parts. Your mother got most of the control and limited access to the Mind Field, but your uncle got next to no control and full access to the Mind Field. He went crazy and lost his mind to the Field and one day ran into the forest and never returned. I searched for him in the Mind Field and found him several months later in this kingdom, secretly taking the names of people. I psychically contacted the King and Queen of the realm as Cecily the Sorceress and told them of the danger and how to rid themselves of it. They aprehended your uncle and I banished him to the Mind's Cradle, an inn where he could do no damage. I visited the King and Queen often, and their young prince and taught them simple workings of the Mind Field. Soon when they had learned enough I withdrew and had to tell your mother the news. She was so devastated at losing her brother she made me promise to never enter the Mind Field again. So when years later you were born, I could not see if you had the gift of the Field or not, and I had no idea that your uncle had escaped, until we got the letter with your name on it. For you see in the ancient language of the Forest your name means Hope or Help. Your mother knew what it ment, her brother, or the Burglar King had escaped, but still forbade me to help. So I allowed you to take the sand and see if you could save them yourself, for you see, you are the most powerful mind of all, you just need to realize what makes you powerful."

"But Grandmother, you've beaten him before, why can't you now?" Alaina asked "The Mind Field has rules and I cannot interfere for I have already used these Astral strands to much, you must do this alone, but it is not impossible, you must find what makes you strong!" and with that she faded away and they were left alone again.

Blog Post #11: Battle Plans

Continuation of Blog Post# 10

"Alright, we will deal with that later" said Alaina standing up "Right now we need to free all of Boy's people. Father, will you help us?" she said looking down at her father, who still sat on the ground "I will tell you what I know, but if I were to fight in my own mind, I would not make it." He said looking defeated. "The Burglar King's mind is set up like a castle, with the best defenses I've ever encountered. The names are kept in the throne room as piles of treasure and gold. You will be able to see the reflection of the trapped person in the shiny surface, instead of your own. To release them, you must either, make the Burglar King release his hold on them, this is a highly unlikely outcome my dear." " You mean to say, we cannot reason with him?" She said dismayed. " You have seen his mind, it is not one you can reason with." He responded gravely " Then what must we do?" Boy asked " You must take his very existence and bind it and throw it into the Mind Field, and make sure he has no control when you do, or he will be able to grab a cord and find his way back. But if he is bound correctly then he will float forever in the Mind Field. Then you must take each of the names out of his mind and they will automatically return to their bodies. This is all I can give you, you must figure out the rest for yourself, good luck my dear." And with that he faded and was no more.

Alaina stood staring at the spot where her father had been not just moments before for what seemed like eternity. Finally she turned towards Boy, who was watching her. "Are you all right?" He asked her. "Well, lets see. I've found out my father isn't dead, that he is a spineless fish and is trapped in his own mind, and I must save him and a whole population by defeating one of the most sick and powerful minds in the known, and apparently unknown worlds!! Oh yes, I'm quite all right." she said letting out all of her pent up frustration. "But you do not have to do it alone. I will help you Alaina, whether you want my help or not!" He said and the way he looked at her reminded her of how they had come to this white place. She blushed and looked away. Boy grabbed her face and turned her to face him. "Don't you turn away from me! You have no idea what you mean to me, and I hate seeing you so sad, I just want to keep you safe and you won't let me and it's so frustrating!! Alaina, I love you!" Alaina stared into his face in shock, then leaned forward and kissed him again. "Oh! Your first kiss!!" a voice said. Alaina broke away to see her Grandmother standing behind Boy.

Blog Post #10: The Burglar King

Continuation of Blog Post #10

"Quite right you are Boy." Her father replied "I was one of those who were in the special circumstances to enter the Forest. When I found out where I was I was so over come with grief that I would have to wait over a month and by that time every one would assume I was dead and if I were to "come back from the dead" it would be seen as some sort of sorcery, and I would be killed. I found an inn called the Mind's Cradle" At this Boy drew a sharp intake of breath. "You went in didn't you?" he said "Yes, I had no idea the horrible history of the place. I went in and spent the night there. The next day I was approached by an old man who went by the name of Poshtër. He said that he knew the deep depression I was going through and he knew how to help me. He told me to just let him into my mind and he could ease the pain and help me find a new life. Alaina you must understand how hopeless I felt" He said in response to her look of repusion, as she knew first hand how it felt to have your mind violated. "I let him in and he completely took over, I could do nothing about it, as I had not ever encountered this before. At first I tried to fight him, but after counless mental beatings I was close to losing my sainity. So, I retreated to this little part and he has left me alone and I've grown stronger so now he could not even get in here if he wanted to."

"Father, do you have any idea what has happend? What he's done while in your body?" Alaina said to her father. "Boy's kingdom is all in the freak of a mind that this Poshtër has, all of their names. Do you know what thats like? I do! I have been on both ends of the spectrum! I have almost taken a name, and I've been seconds away from having my own tore from me! And you just sit here in the back of your OWN mind! You could have stopped this a long time ago, and come home!!" Alaina breathed heavey all of her angry words spent and leaned into Boy's shoulder, but Boy was looking at her astonished "What?" she asked "You ventured out on to the Mind Field? It took me years to go beyond the connection you and I have!" "How else did you think I got out of the cell?" She asked him "I guess I never really thought about it till now, Wait the Burglar King was taking your name and you're still here?" "Yes, something distracted him then I followed his cord to his mind and his body. Well, I guess it's your body." She said looking at her dad. "Thats impossible!" Her father said, "Much more powerful minds have not even phased him, Who could distract him?" "Or what could distract him?" Added Boy added. They all pondered the fact that the Burglar King may not be the biggest of their problems.

Blog Post #9: Alaina's Father

Continuation of Blog Post #8

Alaina woke up looking into Boy's concerned face. "Oh!" she groaned. Her head hurt something fierce. "What in the world happened?" she asked "You don't remember?" He said looking concerned, and maybe a little relieved, "No, wait," she was starting to remember what had knocked her out, "did you, um, kiss me?" Boy blushed and didn't say anything as he helped her up. She looked around her, and saw, nothing. At all. There was just a large expanse of endless white. "Where are we Boy?" She said turning to him. "I-I have no idea." he answered her with a look of fear. She started to wander around, looking for something, she had no idea what. After what seemed for eternity she came upon a figure sitting on the ground in the distance. "Boy! Do you see him too?" she said excited "Yes!" he said. Alaina ran forward, and as she grew near to her goal she began to recognize him.

Alaina stopped abruptly. "No, no, no, no." she murmured under her breath. "It can't be possible!" Boy stopped along side her "Alaina, are you all right?" he asked her. When boy said her name the figure stiffened and turned around. Her suspicions were confirmed as she saw the face of her father once more. "Alaina?" his voice came out hoarse "It can't be, I must be hallucinating again" he turned away. Alaina broke from Boy with a cry and ran to her father. "Daddy! Daddy! Its me!" she screamed as she threw herself into his arms. He hugged her and spun her around and around "I never thought I would see you again!" He said crying into her shoulder. "Oh Daddy! What happened? Where are we? Why did you never come home?" she said, and realized that she was crying now too. Her father put her down and said "How did you get here?" he asked, and then laughed "It seems as though we have a lot of catching up to do!"

When Alaina had introduced her father to Boy, they all sat down in a circle to hear her father's tale. "To answer your first question, we are in my mind. Yes, my mind, also the mind of the one called the Burglar King. You see, we are one and the same in a way, he is in my body and I am a fugitive in my own head!" He stopped seeing the completely lost looks on Alaina and Boy's faces. "Goodness, I am no good at telling stories, I guess I should start at the beginning."

"As you know I was away at war. My commanding officer needed a scout to go ahead of the bulk of the army and chart the best way through the forest that we would need to go through. I volunteered. I was given a horse and provisions and set out that night around midnight, but it was a new moon. I'm sure you know what that means Boy" her father said looking pointedly at him. Alaina sat confused, Boy seeing her look explained. "You can only enter or exit my realm, the realm of the Forest, at midnight on a new moon, or on a solstice. Many a traveler has wandered into the realm, and the realm is connected to all great forests of the earth so we acquire many different people. Your father must be one of them!"