KH: Tales of Loss and Keys

Chapter 1: Awakening

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Weird...

       It's...so cold...

                                   Warmth... It's warm now...

           I... Like it...
    
                         Light... Bright light...

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I slowly open my eyes, my vision blurring. I blink a few times disoriented. From what though? Ugg... My head. I felt a sharp pain from my head, clutching it slightly. Why does my head hurt? What happened? I start looking around more, now in a sitting position on the bed I was sleeping in. Where am I? My eyes widen, looking around more frantically. Then I heard footsteps.

The footsteps come closer and closer, but at a leasurely pace. I didn't know what to expect so I brought the blanket I had closer to me, as if it would shield me. An old man walked through the door holding a tray of water and food. His eyes widened, but went back to their squinted state and placed the tray down on a nearby table.

"Hello there, I see your finally awake." The man's voice was gentle and soothing. I nodded in response, "Yes". My voice was scratchy, more than I would think it is. The man reached for the water on the tray and handed it to me, I gratefully accepted it. Holding it on my lap after drinking most of it.

"Would you mind telling me your name, dear?" It was a simple question, really easy in fact. I opened my mouth to answer, but drew a blank. What's my name? I have one... Right? I closed my mouth, searching for anything. I started to panic a little, I couldn't remember anything really, a glimpse of something random maybe but... Nothing, nothing at all.

I think the old man sensed my distress, putting a hand on my shoulder. I snapped back to reality, looking into his concerned eyes. "I... Don't know." I mumbled it, a very quiet whisper. I looked down, seeing my shaking hands due to the water left in the cup. I placed the cup on the nearby table.

The man removed his hand from my shoulder. I looked up at the action, calming down a bit. He sat in a nearby chair slowly. "Well, do you remember anything else?" I shook my head, wincing a bit. "Easy there. Don't want to hurt yourself more now do we?" He sighed a bit before continuing, "Well memory or not your here, it doesn't matter. My name is Firo, I found you in the forest, head knocked on a boulder laying lifeless. I thought you were dead for a moment there but your finger twitched and I rushed into action. I'll spare you from the details and say you were pretty banged up from whatever happened. You've been asleep ever since, a few weeks to be more accurate."

I absorbed the old ma- Firo's information he gave me. What could have knocked me out for a few weeks? I almost died? No wonder I don't remember much. I have so many questions... "Um, Firo? If you don't mind me asking, what would I do here?"

He rose his hand to his chin, obviously thinking about it. " I can wait on that, you still need to recover a bit." He got up slowly and left the room. It was quiet in the small room, I could hear the slight breeze coming through a window. A window? I looked around once more and noticed the window in the room, the nature-green curtains blowing in the small breeze. How did I not notice that? That window is huge!

It was evening, and the light was coming through from the sunset. Red... It was pretty but I was getting tired, and yawned a bit. I laid down, pulling the blanket over me, questions running through my mind. I closed my eyes and fell asleep quickly.

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Darkness... All around me...

                                   It's so cold...