Opened Eyes

Prologue

I can’t remember much. I was very young at the time… but I do remember this: It was a fine day; sunny and warm. The golden rays of morning light seeped into the darkest of shadows and the breeze blew just enough to make the flowers dance. Momma was baking her absolute specialty:  her classic carrot cake.

“Cake is ready!” Momma called out.

“Race you!” My best friend grinned as he took off.

“Rengar! Wait!” I huffed as I hopped up the hill.

Rengar roared a laugh, but slowed down just enough to be a step ahead of me. Rengar, my best friend, is an orphan tiger. He was found by the side of his dead mother. No one knew what happened to Rengar’s mother. However, we do know she protected Rengar from it. Ever since Rengar and I became friends, we made a promise to be best friends and to protect each other from whatever attacked Rengar’s mother.

“I’m gonna beat you!” I laughed.

“Oh no you won’t!” Rengar laughed along.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck my foot and I fell onto the ground.

“Rive! Are you ok?” Riven stops to ask.

Rive. That was the name Rengar called me by.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” I look up at Rengar with a smile. But, that smile didn’t last long.

The sky was filled with a dark blanket of fog and the sun began to disappear behind it. In an instant, the sky was filled with them; little black dots with deadly bolts flashing out of them. One of the black dots began to grow larger and was spinning at top speed towards us.

“Rengar! Run!” I yell at my friend.

“Excuse me?” Rengar stares at me with a confused face.

It was too late. Rengar disappeared into the dark matter that is now surrounding me.

“Rengar! Rengar!” I yell into the darkness in hope for a reply.

An arm grabbed me and I thud against the ground. Momma looked at me with worried eyes as she started to barricade the doors with anything she could find. But, it was hopeless. The dark matter broke the door as if it was just paper and began flowing into the house. And just like that, momma was sucked into the darkness.

None of that matters now.   

The darkness began to entwine together, gripping tightly on my limp body. The tentacles quickly slithered up and around until my whole body was cocooned in its slimy arms. Short on breath, I opened my mouth, but only to breathe in the toxic air. And suddenly, gloom filled my eyes as I plunged into it’s emptiness.

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Chapter 1

The Blue Heron  

“Riven! Run!Don’t worry about me! Just Go!”

“Momma!! No! Momma!”  I reach out my arm, but the images begins to fade away immediately and my heartbeat felt weaker and weaker until it went flat.

Gasp. was it a nightmare? Or maybe just a bad night sleep?

The sun is exerting its warm rays in the cloudless clear blue sky, the vastness of it surrounding me, not a single white cloud in sight. The peaceful waters ripples gently with the calm breeze as the birds tweet overhead.

“So, it was just a dream!” I laugh. “Wait, but where am I...?”  

“All aboard!” A female voice greets behind me. “ Final call for The Blue Heron, traveling to the land of Jamaa!”

I swivel around to see a magnificent panda waving a magical cane in the air. Then I look around me cautiously to see if there was anyone else, but there was no one. Just the poor little me, the loner, all alone on a dock with a weird- looking panda.

“Oh! I get it!” I turn to face the empty dock behind me. “This is some joke to pair me up with a girl because I’m a loner, right! I see what you did there! Just show your snickering face and lets get done with this!”

No one answered. No one came behind the counter laughing his/her face off. It was only me and the weird panda.

“Well, hello there!” The panda holds out her hand.

I reach my paw to shake her hand, but she pulls back and continues, almost drone-like.

“Click the mouse to move close to me.” She says.

Mouse? Is she insulting me? I’m a rabbit, lady! A rabbit! Know your animals, panda!

“Yo!” I say trying to keep my cool. “I’m…”

I forgot my name. Was it River? Nah. Lucy? Wait. No, that is a girl’s name. Tacos?

“Welcome to The Blue Heron! I am Liza. The Panda Alpha. I will be your guide as we travel.” Liza says.

“Phew! I thought you were suppose to be my girlfriend or something...” I say in relief.

“In the land of Jamaa, every animal is special.” Liza continues. “Why don’t you take the time to make yourself unique. Click on your animal picture to customize your look.”

Liza holds out her paw at the direction of my feet.

I look down. Just my smelly paws I haven’t washed in days. Nothing looks particularly unusual. But when I focus at the grounds right beside me, a bar begins to shimmer into the light with the words…Bouncing Snowycloud.

“Bouncing Snowycloud... Bouncing Snowycloud...” I repeat. “Is that my name..?”

I stare hard on the ground, rummaging through my brain for the slightest clue of my name. The edge of the bar begins to glow brighter. Not taking any notice, I continue to stare deeply into the bar. There was a sudden flash and the world around me disappeared into the white.

“Gah!! My eyes!!” I scream while covering my eyes from the flash.

Suddenly, a rabbit appeared before me.

“Eek!” I leap back in panic. By now, my heart was beating twice its usual rate. “Wait. That looks like me!”

“Great job! Click on the color tab to change your colors.” Liza’s voice echos.