When Not Static

        Bluebirds chirped a sweet salutation, the breeze carrying in the faint aroma of wildflowers through the open window.  Time was at a standstill, and nothing had changed since the boy entered the static void.  It was as he left it when he'd nodded off; the lovely home quiet and peaceful, perfectly constructed in the midst of blooming rolling hills.

        The pace of his breathing faltered, deepened, and he let his eyes open halfway, relaxed.  In stark comparison with his olive skin and dark hair, his eyes were like a ray of sunshine piercing an iceberg, pale green and oceanic blue.  His thick straight eyebrows pulled together slightly, denoting ennui.  With reluctance, he forced himself awake, making clothes appear over his naked form.  It was the usual attire.  White tee, blue jeans, black boots.

        He drifted into the kitchen where he prepared a breakfast of some sort of chocolate puffed cereal.  This action was completely unnecessary, as the only sustenance he ever needed came from a recuperative span of sleep.  It comforted him to go about 'normal' tasks.  With his bowl of sugary goodness, he plopped onto the couch and waved his hand, making a large flat-screen appear.  In a blink it turned on, displaying a cartoon he had never outgrown.

        Mindlessly eating, half paying attention to the television, the young man drifted in thought.  She saw me, he told himself.  I could swear that she saw me.  Why didn't I do anything?  He munched down the last bite and drank the remaining milk.  Coward, he thought, mad at himself.

        The chirping of birds ceased.  A crow cawed.  He dropped the bowl, in knowing shock.  Obnoxious noises sounding from the television became silence with the wave of a hand.  He edged toward the window.  A huge ominous bird perched on the branch of the single apple tree outside.

"Mother-" he cursed under his breath. 

        He turned to the hallway, hands balling into fists, gaining composure only by force of will.  The walk to the door seemed drawn out; he paused by a portrait he was fond of.  The girl who stared back at him beyond the frame had colorless, gray eyes.  Those eyes held a map to his world.

        The navy blue door with the glimmering gold handle swung open of its own accord, letting in the brightness of day in its magnitude.  The soft, rolling hills reflected the shining sun in each blade of grass, and the multitude of colorful flowers speckled the lush greenery.  Another caw struck the sound waves, disturbing the peaceful ambiance.  Begrudgingly, the boy met the bird at the tree.

"What is it?"

"You must retrieve Caeli," croaked the massive crow, peering at him with a crooked neck. 

"What has she done this time?"  He did not seem pleased.

The oversized, ancient crow fluttered uncomfortably.  "You must return immediately!"

"Not unless you tell me why," he responded in grim resolve, crossing his arms.

"Solus, you are needed," the gravelly voice spoke, "Caeli is in trouble."

"How so," he implored, but the giant crow made to fly away.  "Mother Crow!" he shouted, but the bird did not stay.  "Not again," he said to himself. 

        Solus returned to his semblance of a home, shut the navy blue door and leaned back against it.  It's all my fault, he thought.  Never could he escape the guilt he felt for Caeli's circumstances.  His frown was sad, and as he gazed into nothingness, so became his environment.  The house shook and swayed, flickering with dark matter that left everything dull and monochromatic.  Everything was disappearing.  He picked the prized picture off of the wall, and the faintest of smiles appeared on his lips.  His grip loosened and the picture of the girl fell away, fading from sight before it hit what was once the floor, now a static void.  All that remained was the door.

        The edges of the navy blue door glowed with a white light.  Solus turned to face it.  Conflicting emotions showed on his angular face, below the surface of a calm veneer.  In a flash of brightness, he was gone through the portal.

        The static void buzzed fervently, as if missing its master.  Then the frequency fell, and mostly there was stillness, save for the business of atoms.