This World

This World
Chapter 1

Toby lay in his bed tossing and turning in his sleep, he could see in his dream an unknown place filled with the void of the earth. All he was able to see was the blank stare of the open abyss winking at him. Toby tries to run from the haunting nothing, but finds no where to go. He ran as fast as he could and trip over the line dividing his mind. Looking straight in front of him he can see a shining gold statue that tormented his dreams. It terrified him, so he begins to run, but he finds that he is going nowhere fast. He looked behind him to see the statue getting closer. He yelled for help but nothing came out of his mouth. He yelled one more time and a wave of psychic energy exited his mind waking him up.


“Goooodddd mooorrrniiinnnggg, peeeeopppplllleeee of Ooooonnnnett! It is March 27, 2008 and exactly 6:35 am. Look alive Young People for we are told to have-” He shut it off.


“Ugh, another one of those dreams?” He scratched his head and let out a big yawn. He went for his doorknob, but then stopped and thought. He left his room and circled around his house looking for his mom and sister. “Mah? Bea? Are you here?” He walked into their rooms, and did not find them.


A clanking could be heard from his kitchen down the hall from his mom’s room. He walked over to his back door and grabbed his bat. He held on tight making sure that it would not clank against the wall. He clenched onto his bat and slowly walked over to the kitchen, stepping lightly to restrain the pressure of his foot onto the squeaking floor. He stood across the corner from the wall and exhaled his breathe. He wrapped his fingers around the bat for a tighter grip, and quickly turned the corner ready to hit something in the face. But to his relief nothing stood between him and the end of his kitchen.


“What,” he questioned himself. “How is that possible? I know I heard something here.” He began to turn and was swept off his feet from a terrifying explosion that boomed outside of his house. His home shook violently; the pictures and decorations hanging on his wall fell to the floor shattering on contact.


“Toby!” someone yelled from behind his door while viciously banging on it. “Get out here now!” Toby, terrified, rose to him feet, and slowly backed away from the door.


“You are going to have to trust me on this, you are in great danger, and if you do not leave your house now you will surely die.” The man stopped banging on the door.


He walked to the door and opened it.


“Lets go!” He grabbed him from his house and brought him to the side of it. “Listen to me, you are going to have to do as I say without question. Understand?”


“Y-yes.” Toby said in a insecure tone.


“I do not have much time to explain this, but I am from the future. And the future I come from is one that should not be seen.” He constantly looked around as he talked. “This part is very important. You Toby are the chosen descendent of George. You and three other people will be the ones to destroy the evil entity that controls my time. It is called Gigyas.” The man stared into his eyes with a dead serious look on his face.


“Wha- what are you talking about?” He smirked a little, thinking this would all be a joke. “Are you joking with me?”


Another explosion was heard from the front of the house. A wormhole opened up and out came an alien. It stood very tall and skinny, it took the shape of a star and its uniform giving off a silver color. It gave off a terrible stench of death and fear.


“What is that?” He peeked around the corner of the house.


“That is supposed to be your end. He was sent to kill you by Gigyas.” He whispered to him.


“How are we supposed to get rid of this thing?”
The alien was still in his house looking for Toby. It trashed everything inside and busted down in walls in its way.


“Although you have developed your powers greatly, it is sill not enough to take a Starman down. Just let me take care of most of it. When it gets out of your house we will ambush him.”


The wind broke the dead silence as they waited for the alien to come out of the house. Their heart beats could be heard from a mile away.


“Doesn’t it seem quiet to you?” Toby slowly turned his head.


“This- this isn’t right. How could he have left without us knowing?” The man turned and saw the Starman standing behind him.


“You didn’t think I wouldn’t know if you took him, did you?” The alien said in a deep gruff voice. “Now give me the boy.”

“No! Toby run!! I’ll fend him off.”


“But I thoug-”

“JUST RUN!!” He shoved him away.


“I know I have to help him, but if I get hurt then what of the future?” Toby thought to himself as he went off.


The Starman jumped back and thrust his hand in front of himself emitting a scorching stream of fire. The man waved his hand in front of him and brought out a psychic shield, making the fire disappear.


“You are stronger than I remember.” The starman hesitated to attack again. “It will not stop me from getting what I came here to do.” He lunged forwards and shot lightning out of his hand. The lightning traveled through the body of the man leaving the smell of burned flesh lingering in the air. He fell to the floor and started to laugh.


“You think that you are going to beat me, a weak Starman junior?” He jumped into the air and landed on the roof of the house. He pointed to the Starman. “Now you will die.” A psychic beam of light left the tip of his finger and shot the Starman in the chest. Blood squirted from his chest where the beam pierced him.


“Get out of here and tell your master that the chosen ones will be defeating him.” He told him in a proud and powerful voice. “I will teach them, and help to defeat your master.”


“I cannot, because I refuse to die alone.” He charged to the man, with full force. He sharpened his hand to stab the man in the heart. The man did not react fast enough, and was open for the attack.


He closed his eyes and heard the sound of a bat breaking. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Toby standing in front of him with his bloody bat in hand. The Starman fell to his knees and muttered under his breath. Toby walked up to the Starman and forced him down with tip his bat. As the Starman fell to the floor it’s brains and blood splattered all over Toby and the man.


“Thanks Toby, you saved my life. Thank you.” The man wiped the blood and pieces of brain off his clothing. “Where did you-” before he was able to finish his sentence, the alien, with one last bit of strength, pierced the man’s stomach with its arm.


“I- I told you, I wouldn’t d- die alone.” the alien evaporated into the ground.


Toby ran up to the man and picked him up.


“No, no this cannot be happening. What am I supposed to do now?” Toby began to tear up.


“I’m sorry I was not able to see you take off on your adventure. Toby I am going to tell you something very important, so please pay attention.” He coughed out blood, and he forced out the words to Toby. “The only way to annihilate this evil is by becoming one with the Earth, but the only way to do this is to rid yourself of your inner evil.”


“What do you mean?” He asked puzzling.


“The eight sanctuaries will help you.” He reached into his pocket. “Take it this will help you record with your journey record the melodies.” He handed him a opal stone the size of his palm. Toby stared into it as it shined brightly.


“Thank you for all of your help. Tell me one thing.”


“What is it?”


“I want to know your name.” The man smiled.


“My name is Everdred.” He then died.


“Wake up, please wake up.” Toby started to tear up more.


“Toby what are you-” Toby’s mom came in from the drive way on the side of the house and saw Toby with blood stains on his shirt and boxers as he sat next to the man lightly crying. His mom dropped the groceries that she had bought and ran up to him and hugged him.


“Mom why is Toby-” his sister walked up the drive too and saw his mom and Toby. She nearly fainted of seeing her brother and mom hugging next the body of a man she did not know.


“Toby why don’t we go inside, so you could change your clothes?” She brought him up slowly crying. He shivered from the clod wind blowing out of no where.


Toby looked back at Everdred and looked to his mom. She smiled trying to hold back her tears and nodded her head.
Toby tore into the ground of his backyard, with the shovel that he once used to bury his dog. He felt as though this morning alone had been years. He ripped the dirt beneath him lightly crying as he could not stop thinking of what he could’ve done to help his friend. He could hear both his mom and sister talking on the phone to his dad inside.


He felt the presence of the chilling wind scratching his face and quickly drying the tears that ran down them. Once he saw that the hole had been deep enough he tossed the shovel aside and walked to the body of Everdred, wrapped in a sheet. He took his goggles off his eyes and places them on his head wiping the dirt marks from his face.


He was about to pick up the body, but saw that the blood from the wound had seeped through the cloth of the sheet. He picked him up and threw him over his shoulder carrying carefully to the hole. The body weight against his shoulder was not heavy, but not light at the same time.


Both his mom and sister walked out of the house crying for Toby’s sadness and the death of his friend. Toby laid the body down gently and covered the hole slowly. The chilling wind changed into a light rain blending in with the tears on Toby’s face. His mom and sister both brought out umbrellas, and his sister walked up to him and shared hers.


After Toby finished burying Everdred, he pulled himself together and walked to his mom.


“Mom, there is something I have to tell you.” His mom looked into his eyes and saw his determination. It was then that she knew what her son was going to tell her. “I- I have a mission that I need to fulfill. And-” His mom puts her fingers to his lips stopping what he was going to say.


“There is no need for an explanation Toby, if this is something you are going to have to do then who am I to stop you? I knew that once we found out about your power that you were going to be an important person to this world. I am not going to stop from doing what you have to do.” She began to cry. “I just want you to be careful and safe. And always know that I love you, Toby.” She started crying harder and hugged him.


“I will mom, don’t worry.” He also started to cry and hugged her back. “Bea...” As he hugged his mom he saw his sister standing with her umbrella. She hanged her head in respect for the dead.


“There is no need for you to tell me goodbye, or anything. Because I know that you will be okay and that you are going to come back.” She looked at him and gave him a big smile showing her faith in her brother. He then went to go hug his sister.


“You can bet on it.”


“Toby I only ask one thing of you. Can you please leave in the morning? Sleep in this house one more time before you go.” She held on to his hand.


“Of course, I will mom.” He grabbed onto her hand too.



The three of them sat at the dinner table and ate stake. He then wiped his mouth of the delicious remains, and arose from his chair with the great feeling that everything would be right. He walked up to his mom and sister and kissed them both on the top of their head. He turned back and gave them a heart warming smile, and then walked to his room.

Thank you for reading.