Encountering Darkness: The Great Pursuit (Book One)

Chapter Twelve

Pethaford's head hurts. He tries to wipe off something on his face, but recognizes he cannot see anything. Of course, he is back in pitch-black world.

Remembering he fell, he tries to grasp around for what might have made him stumble. He feels something a little behind him, something like a root. He brushes his hand along the root to the tree bark and notices he is now standing alongside the tree. Pete touches the tree and tries to go around it to see if he can find a low branch with leaves. He finds nothing of the sort and sits down against the tree.

Reasoning to himself, he wonders what he should do. Does he stay here? Does he continue on? What is he supposed to do?

Pethaford is truly in a hopeless state and has no clue what to do.

To help with the despair, he keeps on talking to himself and feels better. "This is something new..." says Pethaford out loud.

He continues to sit and talk to himself. Now, if you were walking by this man and heard him talking to himself, you would think he was crazy, and maybe he is, but there is just not much to do at this point, other than move on. For Pethaford, this is not an option, and he continues on talking to himself, trying to figure out what he is doing.

Suddenly, he is not talking to himself, as there is a small still soft whisper that comes around him. He cannot pinpoint where this sound is from, only that the voice is impossible to hear, but the voice seems to try to push through Pethaford's own thoughts.

He is not sure how to talk to this new voice, but there is something calm and peaceful about the voice. For some reason, Pete Pethaford even wants to trust the voice, but that's just crazy, because it's a voice coming from the pitch black. One thing he knows for sure, ever since he paused by this tree and began to ponder everything, and with hearing the voice, he had some sort of sanity back, or rest, or whatever it might be called.

Pethaford sits and talks and the voice becomes louder, but it's not only a random voice or thought. He notices that when he reflects on something, the voice will just respond to him. This voice knows his thoughts!

At this recollection, Pete stands up afraid and, although shaking, asks out loud, "Who are you?"

Everything is still silent, as he faces the tree, sounding like a fool. Thinking the tree must be magical, Pete reaches out and touches it, but nothing happens. He then sits against the tree like before, but still nothing happens. Pete even goes as far as talking to himself for a while, hoping that the voice will talk to him, again. He now has an uneasiness about all of this. What was the voice? What am I doing? Why am I here? Pethaford panics. All peace within him is gone, and he moves on from the tree.