Erik's Journey | The Fall

Finding the Gang

I didn't know where I was going, or where I was. I had been wandering around for three days now with no food, no water, and no sleep. I couldn't remember anything; some things felt like they should have been familiar to me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The only thing I could remember was that name, Erik, but even then I didn't know who the name belonged to. Was it my name? Was it someone I was close to's name? I had no idea.

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I had been sitting on a dock for a while and I noticed a giant ship being packed up with crates of what I assumed were food. My stomach growled loudly, and I just couldn't help myself. I ran over to the boat, sneaked inside, and found my way to the cargo bay. Inside were the huge cargo crates I had just seen moments before. I managed to break into one, and to my delight, there were all kinds of food inside. I grabbed some, sat down on the hard, wooden floor, and began to eat.

I didn't notice when the boat started to move, or when a box on the shelf above me fell and crashed to the ground. But I did notice when the door to the cargo bay suddenly opened, and there stood a boy. 

He was tall, with straight brown locks that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were bright blue, like the ocean, and he stood there confidently, staring at me. I threw my food to the ground and scrambled to my feet as I stared at him, wide-eyed

His eyes looked kind and caring, and for some reason, I felt a tugging in my gut, like I should recognize those eyes. 

But the rest of his face was emotionless, with his mouth titled in a small frown and his eyebrows relaxed. He didn't look startled or alarmed by me being here, he only looked calm.

He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but abruptly, 4 other people ran into the room. One of them turned to the boy and said, "Is everything all right in here? I brought the whole gang just in ca-"

He turned his head towards me and gasped. "Erik!? Honey, is it really you?"

Erik? How does he...

An old man that was in the small group stepped closer to me, and I stepped back a little. "You're alive, laddie! I knew you would be! Oh, this is the best news we've had in a while!"

The guy who had called me 'honey' spoke again. "You can say that again! It's wonderful to have you back— isn't it?"

The five of them all nodded at each other. I was insanely confused and scared as I stared at them; I couldn't tell if they were being kind just to fool me, or if they were actually blind and didn't see me stealing their food.

I fell to my knees and touched my forehead to the cold, wooden floor. "I...I...I'm sorry!"

Nobody said anything, so I continued. "I hadn't eaten anything for three days, and I saw you loading this boat with food, and... And I just couldn't help myself...

I glanced up as the 'honey' man stepped forwards a little. "Umm... Are you okay, honey?" He took another small step forwards, and I quickly scrambled back. He gasped quietly and his eyes lit up with shock.

I slowly went back to my bowing position. A new voice near the back of the group said, "Something is not right. Is this really your former companion?"

I glanced up and made eye contact with the tall man in the back of the group. "You... You said 'Erik', right? I, I'm pretty sure that's my name, but... Do I... know you or something?"

I watched as everyone's faces fell. The boy with brown hair didn't respond physically, but his beautiful blue eyes said everything.

The old man put his arm out. "Don't you remember us, laddie? Your old partners in crime?"