Chapter 4 - First Night

The world was pitch black.

I was running. No, sprinting. Sprinting faster than I ever knew how to. I was moving on air. I felt nothing as my bare feet slapped the darkness, echoing into the distance. The darkness was dizzying. There was no way to perceive space and distance.  I closed my eyes, hoping to help the my light-headedness

"Kita!" a familiar voice called. I turned around slowly.

“Kita!” It called again. I opened my eyes.

"Kita! Kita! Kita!" The word flew at me from all directions. This person needed help. I didn't know where to run, or where they were. I wildly spun and thrashed, trying to find them.

"Kita! Kita! Kita! Kita! Kita!" A new voice began to yell. Maniacally, I turned around. I felt faint.

"Kita!" They called in unison, echoing around, "Kita! Help!"

Both voices began to fade.

"Kita!" They called one last time. Seconds passed. No more calls. I stopped sprinting.

I began to fall.

Faster and faster, air roared in my ears. I gasped for air in the blackness. I couldn't breathe. It was like I was drowning.

All of a sudden, the roaring ceased, and I could breathe again.

I looked up. I was staring into the face of my mother.

The scene shifted. I was back in my house in the Arctic Nation, back in Aeacus Province. My mother sat in a rocking chair, with a little girl at her feet.

"Kita," she said, addressing the girl, "I have a story to tell you. Would you like to hear it?" The girl nodded eagerly.

"Once there was a donkey. He was an old donkey, name Hachie. He was standing right between two stacks of hay, each one the same size and quality. When the donkey got hungry, he would think 'Well, there is no reason to pick one haystack over another, so I will just stay here.' Life went on like this for the donkey, and after many days and nights, the donkey finally died of starvation"

I woke up screaming