Title: Origins: part 1 Author: PanicPirate Pastebin link: http://pastebin.com/2wVabdP0 First Edit: Sunday 2nd of February 2014 08:47:25 PM CDT Last Edit: Sunday 2nd of February 2014 08:47:25 PM CDT   I opened my eyes. The bright morning sky was above me. The sun was rising, and dew hung onto my clothes. Putting my hands into the warm sand, I lifted myself up. I have no idea where I am, I thought. I was on a beach next to a large expanse of water, probably an ocean. A small river fed into it. Turning around, a forest gazed at me. Large oaks densely crowded to area, a few birches sprouting here and there. Large tufts of grass were scattered all over the place, along with dandelions and roses. I could see a few large hills far away. Cows and other animals could be seen roaming around and occasionally munching on the grass. I brushed the sand and water off my jeans and jacket. My shirt, colored green, blue and grey was untouched. Having no recollection of what I looked like, or what my name even was, I went to the river to get my reflection. My skin was fairly tanned, and my hair a sandy brown. My eyes were differently colored, the left one being a darkish blue; the right a light greenish-grey, and my teeth were straight and white. After the long look into the river, I tried to remember my name, but nothing came to mind. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a short walk in the woods, my stomach made a large sound. I was hungry. Very hungry. Scanning the area for any immediate food, I came across a few apples dangling from a tree, their skin a bright red. I took a bite, and satisfied with the taste, devoured the rest. As I finished my last apple, I came across a beautiful valley. A perfect place to build a home if I had to, I thought. The valley had a large portion of the river flowing through it, so there would always be water and fish. There were plenty of trees around, and I could spot a small cave on the west side. It was perfect. The heat of the afternoon had long past, and the moon was starting to come out over the horizon. It would get dark soon. I needed to find shelter, and fast. I headed towards the cave, hoping to find some form of shelter for the night. Once inside the cave, I looked around. There was a sheer drop about 12 meters from the entrance, and I didn’t want to go there. There was, however, a small area that was a little closer to the entrance. I could fit in and sleep; using my jacket as a pillow, I let my eyes close and sleep came easily. I dreamt that night, sleeping in the cave. I dreamt of me, a house, and the valley. I was dressed head to toe in leather, and my house was gigantic. Slightly set into the ground, it spanned upwards 14 meters, not counting the watchtower a little ways over. The house was made of stone and wood, with large glass panels on all sides. Farms of all kinds were on one side of the house, bustling with plant and animal life. Small figures were running around; they were too far away to tell what they were. A small fishing hut sat cozily next to the river. I felt warm and happy. And then I heard something. ------------------------------------------------------------- It was a subtle sound; barely audible. But nonetheless, it jolted me from sleep. I stood straight up, grabbing my jacket and putting it on. It sounded something between the moan of someone with a sick stomach and a feral dog’s growl. I have no idea what it was, but I knew that I wasn’t safe if it attacked. I didn’t even have a weapon! Not that I thought I would need one, but now…..I’m not so sure this world is perfectly safe. I peered out through a tiny slit in the rock. I couldn’t see anything besides the darkness of the cave, and the smallest crack of sunrise light peering into the cave. After waiting a few minutes, I decided to leave the cave and venture into the valley. Climbing out of the cave was easy enough, and the sun was a joy to see after the sound. My back ached a bit, and I vowed never to sleep on rocks again. They hurt. Pushing aside the pain, I thought about the dream. The gigantic house seemed impossible to make. It would take at least a few hundred trees for the wood, not to mention the tools needed. And the stone didn’t look like it had been plopped down straight from the mine; it had been refined through smelting. The glass panes would take up a lot of sand, even though there was no shortage of that in the river. It seemed as though my mind was playing tricks on me; making the house seem plausible enough as though to set it permanently in my mind, but hard enough as it could never be done. Oh well, I thought. If anything, the most I can make a room out of is that cave. The mid-morning sun shone opposite of the cave, making it seem as though it were alive, gaping its mouth for the next meal. I needed to take a walk. So I did. I decided to get to know my surroundings if I were to build a home here. I started by finding a high point and looking around. Near the back of the valley, the river came out of a tunnel that it had carved through the mountain, and it formed a waterfall. A forest sprouted from that area, and thinned out as it went along. So if I needed wood, I should go there. The valley was larger than I had first thought. It must’ve taken me at least 45 minutes to reach the edge of the forest, and I was sweaty and hungry. I couldn’t see any apple trees, or any form of food. I found a downed tree that I could easily take apart with my hands. The wood was probably rotten, and it was teeming with termites. I ripped into it with my hands and tore out a large chunk of bark. It could serve as a roof for a lean-to. The termites retreated from that side of the tree, running from the light. I had no other purpose for the tree. If I wanted wood to work with, I’d need fresh wood; straight from the tree. Maybe I could use my weight to snap some birch trees, I thought. Or I could take some reeds from the river to weave a mat out of. That seemed easier than punching a tree with my bare hands. Who would be dumb enough to do that?