Another Passing Day ＊ REVISED ＊

Chapter Two ＊REVISED＊

REVISED VERSION

Arietta
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The bullet rang through the air, aimed directly at me. The shock made my shoulder tense, but within less than five mili-seconds I regained confidence and stopped the bullet with my left thumb and pointer. I could see the distraught spelled out on their faces, even though they were all the way up on the tall wall. A little girl stopping a bullet? How was that even possible? It's obviously not.

Looking both ways, the wall seemed to go on forever, but I doubt once far enough inside you can see it. I mean, you couldn't even see it from my house on the island, so it couldn't be too much traveling for it to disappear once again.

My eyes were now focused on the man who tried to shoot me. I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

"Any way I could get inside?" I called out from the boat sitting at the bay.

"Did she not get the memo Dragio?" Charlew asked the other.

"I suppose not." Dragio responded.

"You can't come in!" They shouted in unison, pleading for their lives at the hands of this monster below.

My rare grimace found its way onto my face. The etch of the face left the men antsy and running for the phone to call the higher-ups. I gave them an innocent stare as they freaked out on top of the wall, but irritation was clear as I stepped out of the boat and got ready to break the wall. Emotions swelled into me and I prepared to punch a hole in the wall.

"She's going to break the wall, sir!"

"You're here?! Thank God!"

All I could hear was relieved shouts and cheers from the wall, but I decided to think nothing of it.

An old man with a high pony-tail appeared literally out of nowhere. He seemed to swell with power, intimidating even me. His eyes softened as he saw me and my face.

"She's fine. Let her in." He called joyously up to the wall guards.

A happy smile slithered its way up my face and I hugged the old man. Quiet surrounded us like a fog.

"Thanks for letting me in, grandpa!" I cheered, and his face seemed rather cheerful as well, but his piercing eyes told me otherwise. He honestly didn't seem like he was going to hurt me though.

"In exchange for letting you in, there are two conditions. The first is; you have to take a test, and if you pass it, you can enter. The other condition is answering all my questions." He gave me a stern glare while laughing with a Santa Claus laugh.

Yes, even though I'm isolated from the world I know who Santa Claus is. My mom has story books from the 'fake' world. The 'fake' world is what she calls the place beyond the wall. I've never seen it, but it seems pretty fishy.

"Okay!" I squealed excitedly, completely ignoring his powerful glare, "What do you want to know?" I asked, giving him an innocent face.

"Let's head to my blimp." Grandpa gestured to the giant blimp sitting a few meters up in the sky.

...What's a blimp?

Within a moment he grabbed me and jumped up to the blimp. He grabbed onto a ladder hanging down from the floating object. Grandpa whispered a few murmurs of disapproval, most likely with himself. Maybe not reaching the entrance was a bad thing?

He gave me a grin as we got into the blimp. What was that smile for?

"What is this floating thing?"

He fell to the floor, making a loud thud. After recovering, he laughed again, making his Santa Claus rounds once again.

"A blimp." He explained, "Is a floating... Balloon I suppose. But it can hold many people and items."

"So... A floating boat?" I asked, not quite understanding the subject.

He laughed once again, "Not quite..."

My brain hurt as I tried to think harder, and smoke filtered out of my ears. What can I do? I'm not very good with math or objects. No, scratch that, everything that has to do with the brain or thinking.

"So, I can ask my questions now?" Grandpa looked at me with that content look. I slowly nodded. He almost looked proud of himself.

Perhaps I was a good find? That makes me sound like an animal! My brain once again exploded with confusion. Ugh. I give up on being smart and going to school, it will never work out.

"What's your race?" His face became serious.

"Erhm... What's race?" I looked quizzically at him, what kind of question was that?

He narrowed his eyes and proceeded, "Why were you in the Dark Continent?"

"Dark Continent? What's that? My home? I live on that side of the wall. My mother still lives back there. Why do you call it the Dark Continent?" Confusion and questions filled my brain, striking me as driftwood. Useless.

"Where did your mother come from?" He responded without answering my questions at all. Pretty much another conversation.

"My home side of the wall. I still don't see why that's important!" Frustration was evident as I tried to process the information I was being given. All the information was in the questions, so I was pretty lost right now.

"And your father?" Grandpa gave me a softer glance.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him in a long time, all I have is this picture." I gave Grandpa my locket.

He opened it and laughed with a, 'Ho Ho Ho Ho!'

Recognition was afire in his eyes and that was one thing I could tell, obviously.

"Do you know him?!" Excitement filled my voice, giving away the secret that I wanted to find him. Grandpa surely saw this.

"Ho Ho Ho Ho, you'll probably find a clue to him if you go to the Hunter's Exam." Grandpa responded with his cheerful tone.

"Really, Grandpa?" I jumped up and down, stopping to hug Grandpa around the neck, almost choking him, for he wasn't prepared for the death grip, but he regained his composure before I noticed.

"Ho Ho Ho, we'll see. One last question, Who are you?" He gave me one last squinty look over.

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