We walked through the dangerous woods as if we were on a morning stroll, just casually talking about the "powers" John was talking about.
"So you store energy in something and release it somewhere else. Think of it like saving force for later. The longer you prepare, the harder you hit."
"Why didn't you describe it like that in the first place? It's way easier to understand when you explain it like that."
"Well I'm SO sorry for not being able to properly articulate my thoughts till now."
"Okay, I understand it but how am I supposed to apply it to myself?"
"Hmmmm, do you know how it feels when you focus really hard on one part of your body and you suddenly feel way more on that part?"
"Yea."
"It's kinda like that but kinda different."
"I'm beginning to get irritated. What do you mean it's kinda like that but kinda different?"
"I don't know. It's kinda like a mindset too."
"Mindset?"
"The mindset of acknowledging the past in order to achieve the optimal present. Hmmmmm, I'll break it into 6 lessons. As you complete 1 lesson I'll teach you another one. Do you think that's okay?"
"Yea, I guess so."
"Okay. lesson 1 of potential and kinetic energy. Focusing on the past only to enhance the present, momentum. This is where you use the past to give weight to the present. Now, I'm gonna explain it as well as I can. You store energy from other objects and it builds up as potential energy and eventually releases it as kinetic energy to anything you are touching."
"Where am I supposed to store the energy? Can I use my body?"
"Nope. The moment you move, you'll release the potential energy."
"So where should I store it?"
"Something that's always touching you and doesn't necessarily move when you move."
I lifted my left hand up and stuck my middle finger out to reveal a silver ring on it.
"What about this?"
John grabbed my left arm gently and stared at it with squinting eyes.
"Move your hand like this."
He opened and closed his hands repeatedly and I did the same shortly after he told me to move it.
As I did he backed up and stared intensely at my ring.
"I mean I think it'll do. Where'd you even get that ring from? It looks tight."
"My dad gave it to me as a present."
"Birthday?"
"Can we give back to the potential energy and kinetic energy training?"
"Geez, just trying to make conversation. Okay, look closely."
John scanned the area and stepped forward. He turned around briefly to give me a wink and opened and closed his hand repeatedly. He looked around again and laid his eyes on a moving branch. He pointed at it and turned around again.
"Do you see that?"
"Yea."
"You see how it's moving?"
"Yea."
"Watch this!"
He touched the branch and as he did the branch slowed down and stopped moving. He then grabbed one of his arrows and threw it at abnormal speeds. My jaw fell to the floor and my eyes widened with pure shock.
This wasn't just science. This was magic!
The arrow went crashing into a tree and John turned one last time to give a thumbs up.
"It could've been stronger if I stored more energy."
"Wow."
"Wow."
"How does one achieve this magic?"
"Magic? It isn't magic."
"Looks like magic to me."
"No. Magic isn't bound by logic. This is."
"So stealing kinetic energy from objects isn't magic? John, just because there's scientific theories in your magic doesn't mean it isn't magic."
"Changing the subject."
"Only because you're wrong and you don't wanna admit it."
"Please shut up. Let's just continue with the lesson. Store some potential energy and shoot it out."
It may be simple for him but how hell am I supposed to store energy?
"Could you describe how it feels so that I can try to use empathy to learn?"
"Uuum kinda feels like…didn't I already tell you how it feels?"
"No."
"Yea, I did. This is your punishment for not listening. Now hurry up."
I raised up my arm and quickly set it back down.
"Yea, I can't do it."
"I mean it's not like we're in a rush. Just tell me whenever you're down with lesson one."
The sound of a crow scratched both of our eardrums as a howl was heard shortly after. I turned to John and his silly face got serious in seconds.
"Hey, Ambika."
"Yes?"
"Don't panic, okay?"
"Don't panic? About wha…"
The feeling of air caressed my feet and the pressure of gravity pushed my shoulders down, and my body along with them. I screamed as loud as I could but the screams would only get louder as I looked down to see a dark abyss with no bottom. But in a mere second my back crashed into a wooden floor.
I slowly got up and analyzed my surroundings. It seemed like we were in an old wooden cabin and it was filled with old mannequins that were painted to look like actual humans. I quickly got up and ran toward the front door full speed but every time I opened the door I would find myself back on the floor. I got up countless times and found myself on the floor countless times too.
Then the thought of John crossed my mind and I looked around but couldn't find him. My heart began to race and all of the hope my heart could muster was quickly put out.
"I'm gon…"
"Um…"
I looked at the back corner of the room only to find John staring at me and clearing his throat.
"You good?"
I stood up and dusted off the shame.
"Of course I am."
"According to whatever that was, we're stuck here. This has to be the doing of one of this world's inhabitants. Welp, there's only one option."
He began to walk off with his hands in his pockets. I quickly followed and questioned him.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"The only thing we can do."
"Which is???"
"Find a beast to fight!"
"Are you stupid?"
John turned around swiftly and opened his mouth but I raised my hand so that he wouldn't explain himself.
"Nevermind, I have my answer."
Charles searched around the forest only to find a short boy with a spiky long and blonde mullet. His eyes were blood red but not the nasty kind, it was red like a recently polished ruby. And he spoke to Charles with a soft almost angelic voice.
"Company in this world? That's a miracle."
"A miracle, huh. For who?"
"Me and you. For me, it's a miracle to see another person. For you, it's a miracle to see me."
"That's kind of crazy coming from someone so normal."
"Normal? I'm anything but normal but thank you for the opinion."
"It's not an opinion. What makes you think of yourself as someone special?"
"You're asking too many questions."
"Looks like my observation was right. There's nothing special about you other than your delusion."
The boy stopped smiling and stared down at Charles with frustration.
"You speak a lot for such a little boy. Maybe I should discipline you."
"I'm actually older than I look so I don't suggest you attack me. You'll regret it.
"Oh really?"
Me and John continued to walk through the old cabin hallway that felt endless.
"Yo bro, you want a snack?"
"What is it with you and dumb questions?"
"Geez, my fault for trying to lighten up the mood."
"What is there to lighten up when we're stuck in an abandoned cabin in a world with no humans to build it?"
"Good question. But we shouldn't focus on that. We should focus on defeating the beast that's holding us captive."
A loud bark came from the end of the hallway and John kicked me down to the floor. He grabbed onto his bow and ran forward. He shot 10 arrows that all came to a halt as soon as he shot them.
"This is the power of potential and kinetic energy."
As those words left his mouth, he reached speeds I could only describe as inhuman. I tried my best to run after him but the sound of crashing caused me to halt. And within seconds of me stopping John came flying at me. I quickly dodged and he crashed into a wall that wasn't there before.
"ARGHHH, that hurt."
John slowly stood up and dusted himself off.
"Yea, we're gonna die. That thing is something else entirely."
Suddenly a black dog flew in from the darkness and tried to take a bite out of my neck but John kicked me away and grabbed onto the dog. He grabbed an arrow and slammed it into the dog's skin. John's grip on the arrow got tighter and the arrow flew through the dog's body. But that wasn't the end of it. The dog healed and bit John's leg, John grabbed another arrow but a mannequin wrapped its arms around John's neck and began to choke him. John itched at the mannequin's arms but no matter what it didn't budge. John slowly began to lose consciousness as the end became way more clear for the both of us, until it wasn't.
"Thought I used all of my energy, huh?"
John put both of his hands on the mannequin's head and unleashed all of his energy into it, and with that it exploded and John fell to his knees. His nose was bloodied but his eyes were intense as he pointed in the direction of where the dog ran.
"That's the beast we need to kill."