201 Time Lapse (2/2)
”In there?”
”Answers first.”
”My name is-”
”Truth. I have no time for lies.”
”My name is Lazarus Crowe.”
”That is your name, not who you are.”
”Who I am...?” Laz was confused by the old man's riddles.
”MMmm, I see. Even you don't know. They are playing with you. This makes sense.”
”Uh..?”
”How long were you in there?”
”I don't know...? I passed out and then woke up here.”
”How long do you think you were in there?”
”It was... a couple hours that I remember?”
”A couple hours... interesting....” The old man was looking into the flames as though searching for something. Whatever that was, Laz had no idea.
”Most people who return only remember a few breaths, maybe a couple minutes at most. But you remember hours. And you didn't die. The place you were at, is not a place a person's body should be. That's why you are like you are. But, that might be good, or bad. Maybe only you can tell me this later on.”
'Huh? My body?'
Laz looked down and noticed that his skin was no longer a pale while, but now looked like it was a dark grey. In fact, it almost looked like someone had dunked him into grey paint. On top of that, the strange tribal like tattoos that had just been on his chest before now covered his entire upper body. It might have just been the light, but it seemed like they were moving around on their own.
If it wasn't for the fact that Laz had accepted that things would just get weirder and weirder, he probably would have been very scared of his own skin right now.
”Damn...”
”I know what you are and that might be the only reason you are still alive. As far as how long you were in there, well, I remember my grandfather telling me stories of a chase on the highway with the feds and the man that managed to escape despite all of that, you look a lot like who he described.”
”Oh...WHAT? YOUR GRANDFATHER?”
”HA HAH AHA HA HA HA.”
”WHAT?”
”I'm kidding young man. Relax. Although if you are that person, then that event happened almost a year ago now...”
”A year? It's... been a whole year?”
”As measure by the sun and seasons, it has been. Better than a hundred years?”
”Yes... But... a whole year.” Laz couldn't believe what he was being told. A year had passed by but for him, it had only been a few hours.
”You should consider yourself lucky. Most people never return from that place. Even on my own spiritual journeys, it is only my soul which visits, never my body.”
”Your... soul?”
”You don't believe in the soul young man?”
”It's... not something I have experience with.” This was the best way Laz could describe it. He had never really thought about his soul, much less if he had one.
”The soul is important with regards to that place and to life in general. Maybe that's for another time though. Rest for tonight and I will take you back to my village in the morning. I was sent out here to bring back a traveler and it seems as though I have found him. There is no reason to stay longer. We can talk more tomorrow.
Just as the old man finished speaking, the blue flames died down to the normal orange and red color. For whatever reason, Laz felt his body become light and his eye lids heavy. Although he wanted to talk to the man more, he knew that things were done for the night. Without hesitation, Laz slumped down onto the blanket on the ground and quickly fell asleep. It was his first normal sleep in over a year.
Watching this happen, the man had a thoughtful look on his face. While Laz had spoke, he had used a big of old magic to look into some of the weaving's of destiny and fate. Although he had seen a few things about this boy he saved, there was far more that was blocked from his vision. That had never happened before.
”The world has changed much in just one year boy. I'm sure you won't like it, none of the rest of us do. So whether you like it or not, I can only ask the spirits to guide you. Since you came out alive, I already know they are watching you. And I truly wonder just what happened to you in there.”
Laz turned over while asleep, not noticing a little spider had crawled up on top of him and got comfortable before falling to sleep itself.
”Sigh. Even a small spirit creature follows this boy around. What sort of twisted destiny has he made for himself?”