“Most think they're just another delusional soul sailin' our seas causin' chaos wherever they anchor. Mayhap they 'ave a weird skin condition, with all them scales on their cheeks. But nobody knows fer sure what both Cap'n an' gentlefolk o' fortune o' The Moon Raider be after.”

“I've 'eard they only plunder from rich ships, don't know why they keep doin' it. You'd think one o' them would set ye to the sky fer life.”

“The Cap'n be a weird one. When they get upset, I've spied 'orns pop off their 'ead!”

Rhonwyn was one of the great dragons in charge of the Lunar Book Hoard. They were hatched solely for this duty and kept at it for centuries. As the hatchings of Rhonwyn's generation were born, they were all given already existing hoards for them to manage. Many elder dragons were beginning to fade, whilst the adult dragons were the ones in charge of finding new materials for the Lunar Hoard. So, it fell to the newest generation the responsibility to continue and maintain the elder dragons' work. Dragons, while not being particularly social creatures have a hierarchical society which Rhonwyn had always trouble understanding. Rhonwyn had always wanted to accompany the adult dragons on their excursions, however their requests were always denied.

While one could clearly see that the Lunar Book Hoard was a never-ending maze of books and scripts, Rhonwyn had always felt limited in their quarters. After centuries of maintaining the hoard, a tome on shifting particularly picked Rhonwyn's interest. Soon Rhonwyn found themselves mastering the teachings of the tome and pondering the possibilities of what they could do now.

Time spent on the Moon had increasingly become too predictable and boring. For a dragon that spent most of their time reading books, it was only natural that they yearned to embark on an adventure of their own. The day came that Rhonwyn said their goodbyes to the Lunar Book Hoard and all its caretakers and flew down to Earth.

Arriving at Earth was an adventure in and of itself. Rhonwyn knew they had to land somewhere with no humans which posed a problem on itself. The Moon Dragon Council only allowed dragons to land in very small inhabited islands. All work dragons went through on Earth must be done without landing. Rhonwyn carefully landed on a small island with a shipwreck and rested for a few days. The long travel had done a number on the small dragon's wings, so they decided to stay for a while on the quiet island.

A few days in, another dragon landed to visit Rhonwyn. One of the adult dragons had decided to come question Rhonwyn on their life choices. “Your hoard on the Moon is of the utmost importance. You should be grateful for having such a magnificent hoard. Generations have cared for that book hoard.” Rhonwyn could only lower their head as a response and wished upon the night stars the big dragon would leave them be.

A little voice murmured, leaving both dragons alarmed. They couldn't land in places that there are humans! Soon the voice became clearer, and a tiny ghost had emerged from part of the shipwreck nearby.

“I am First mate Geist! We've been 'auntin' this here island fer years. Avast this here racket!” Clamoured the tiny spectre.

“We?” Inquired the big emerald dragon whose emerald scales shimmered with the moonlight.

“Wh-where's me crew? Avast botherin' the small one. If they be 'ere they must 'ave a jolly reason!”

“The small one, abandoned their duties because they wanted to have fun! Can you imagine leaving such a mighty hoard unattended?” Puffed the verdant dragon.

“There's many 'oards to find out 'ere. An' treasure be aplenty be these seas. I be sure the small one will do splendid out 'ere.”

Rhonwyn stared at the pair bickering like two birds for a corn ship. They couldn't help but chuckle, in a moment of quiet Rhonwyn shifted into a human form. The green dragon stared, mouth agape.

“I believe there are better ways to collect material for the Lunar Hoard. If all dragons could learn to read the tomes… Maybe…” Pondered Rhonwyn, stretching their arms and giving a small kick to a pebble nearby. “This way we could land anywhere, maybe make friends! And maybe we wouldn't have to care for the hoards so much and have adventures down here.”

“We've worked like this for millennia. It's not some small night dragon that is going to change our fool proof ways of working and collecting.” Growled the emerald dragon.

“Sir set sail this here place! I believe the words o' this here young one. Seems a better idea, ye dragons reek o' borin'.” Ordered the ghost.

“Set…? Sail…? But I have wings. Oh, never mind you annoying thing. I know more about being a dragon than you! They should listen to me and go back home! Rhonwyn fly with me!” Roared the dragon.

“Cap'n Ronnie be not goin' with ye. They be our Cap'n now an' we 'ave work to do. Away with ye green lizard.” Reciprocated the small ghost, which now was as big as a ship and dark flames circled him. “Fer I first mate Geist will always protect me Cap'n!”

Over the next few months Geist and Ronnie's friendship grew. He taught them everything they needed to know about sailing and caring for a boat. Geist named Rhonwyn - Ronnie Moontomes. Ronnie became Geist's Captain because he refused taking that role.

When the time was right, they set sail. Ronnie took in the open sea like they would any new tomes in their hoard. A new chapter had begun, they were finally a character in their story. Ronnie would work their hardest to show the other dragons that there were different ways to deal with planet Earth. Geist would find a new crew; Ronnie would have many adventures.

The hour was running late as he made it religiously down the street. The splitter-splatter of his steps seemed to be brasher today. Despite the incessant rain he felt content with how the work day had gone. He could still feel that his bundle was safe underneath his clothes, and he prayed it remained that way for a few minutes longer.

As he reached his destination, the background voices grew louder. With a deep sigh he encouraged himself to brave through the door. The sound came to a halt, before he could say anything a dark shadow brushed past him, making him lose his footing. “What did he want this time, mother?” He asked as he rose from the ground. After closing the door carefully, he retrieved his bundle from under his shirt and set it on the table.

“He wants to raise the rent once again.” A meek voice replied. “I think it’s best if we find another place.”

“But… This is our home. It’s just his now because father…” He lowered his head. His mother rested her hand on his shoulder.

“I know dearest. I know how important this place is to both of us.” A strong cough interrupted her. The boy helped her to a chair and pulled out a handkerchief. The woman accepted it with her shaking hands.

He poured them tea and sat by her side. “I can work more hours at the factory. Mayhap Sir Albert will let me tend to his gardens again, now that spring is starting.”

“Finley, whatever is in there?” She pointed at the bundle that rested on the table.

“Happy Birthday Mother!” Finley smiled. He unwrapped the bundle to reveal a small meat pie. “I hope you like it. It’s from the main street bakery.”

“Child, you shouldn’t have…” A small smile blossomed from Lillian’s lips. “I appreciate the sentiment. But we could have used this money for rent…”

“We also need to eat.” The boy proceeded to cut the pie in four pieces, wrapping two of them with cloth. Finley placed one of the pieces on a plate in front of his mother. “Happy Birthday.”

As he laid in bed that night he stared at the ceiling, thoughts kept running through his head preventing him from sleeping. How had everything gone so wrong? His blonde hair had turned auburn with the work at the factory. The cuts in his hands throbbed faintly, but at this point it had become a familiar discomfort. Just 3 months ago, he had turned 13 years of age. It was the third year in a row that he’d gone through that day alone. He looked to his side. An empty cot laid to his left.

The Grays were once a family of four, until the consumption found its way into their home as well. Finley was blessed enough to not fall to it. Back then he started finding his way around the city to run errands. Father had to be sent to a sanatorium and mother despite being ill kept with her seamstress work as best as she could. Rowan just laid in their room, left to the will of God as the family could not afford medical care for two people in such a delicate situation. But Rowan was young, and children can shake things off more easily. Their prediction was not too far off. The first to go was Claude, even though he was at the sanatorium. Lillian still tried to admit little Rowan after his death, but it was far too late for the child.

Finley could still feel the miasma that hovered once around their home. The smell of the salves, the sound of the whispers every time someone walked past their door. During that time Finley had to sleep near the entrance, it was the first time the twins were so far away from each other. It was also the last. The town became accustomed to Finley running around, looking for small jobs a 10-year-old could do. Many took pity on the dressmaker’s son and would ask him to run errands.

One such individual was Sir Albert Harris. A quirky old man, who despite his age still was one of the most eligible bachelors in town. He was the owner of the town’s biggest factory and fancied to order suits from Claude Gray. Saddened and concerned about the surviving Grays’ situation, he had employed Finley in the factory for machine maintenance. For Lillian he couldn’t do much else than to recommend her for clothing repairs. She had survived the illness but not without a cost. Lillian had become homebound and sometimes even breathing was a hard task.

There were others however that were not so sensitive to their plights. Such as Eugene Baker, whose ears felt deaf to Lillian’s pleas when they couldn’t afford their mortgage. Baker was quick to repossess the house and shop to the bank, but was ever so graceful to let them live there in exchange for rent. Said rent kept increasing every few months, just like Eugene’s pocket watch collection. Life had become so kind to him that now he could afford to send thugs to the Grays’ residence to deal with Lillian when she did not conform.

Soon enough his wage was not sufficient to afford their living. He had resorted to taking food from the factory’s storage. He could not stand the taste of sardines anymore, but there was no choice.

When the sun rose, Finley decided to make his way to Harris’ Manor. The mansion lay on the outskirts of town surrounded by a forest and protected by the river. The water here was clearer than down the road in town. Finley immersed his hands in it and washed his face. With a flick of the wrist, he rearranged his hair and straightened his collar. As he walked through the main gate, he tried to calm his breath. Finley regarded the garden meticulously. It was kept, but he felt like he could do a better job. The rose bushes needed tending and the fruit trees needed some branches cut to look even better in the coming months.

Soon enough he found himself sitting in Sir Harris’ study. Bookshelves filled with trinkets, tomes, scrolls covered the walls. Finley found himself fiddling with an object on the desk as he waited.

“That is a sea astrolabe, do ye know what it does?” Questioned a raspy voice from behind him. “It’s a nautical instrument.”

“Sir Harris! I’m so very sorry.” Finley jumped to his feet. “Thank you for receiving me.”

“I 'ave something fer ye, since ye appear to be inclined towards the sea.” The man procured a title in his shelves attentively. “I 'ave never seen someone like sardines so much.”

The boy lowered his head. He could feel tears forming in his eyes, he bit his lower lip firmly so as to not let out a gasp. The man rested a hand on his shoulder and lowered his gaze to meet the child’s. “The book is called Treasure Island. I think you will like it; it is quite recent.” He rubbed the boy’s shoulder. “It’s alright son. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Do ye need something my boy?”

They sat together opposite each other. Finley could not bring himself to look Albert in the eyes. His nails dug deep into his thighs, and he tried his best to sit upright. Albert observed the boy as he let him speak his mind fully. When it was over a long silence hung in the study.

Albert rose from his chair and walked to the window. As he stared outside, he found the response for Finley. “Ye’r true. The garden could be even more beautiful. I’ll be sure to have a word with the help. Thank ye for yer keen eye.”

Finley felt his heart drop to his knees. He slumped on the chair; a warm tear fell on the back of his hand.

“Now something ought to be done about that banker.” Albert faced Finley. “Maybe I am interested in buying another house in town.”

The eyes of the boy were now fixed on Albert. All the anxiety floating in his chest suddenly came to a halt leaving him without breath. “S-Sir?”

“Thank ye for coming to me boy. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help. Ye are the bravest person I know son.” Albert sat on his office chair. “I did not help that weasel out of his situation for him to become a tyrant. Did ye know he lost his house once gambling at the pub?” Sir Albert Harris let out a hearty chuckle. “I do not need for ye to work more hours son. I need ye to grow up proper. Yer eye for detail, yer honesty and courage. Ye are someone I need on me side.”

“You helped him as well Sir Harris?” Finley could not stop himself from asking.

“Aye, I had been away from home for years. I’d been travelling the world over trying to find meaning, trying to run for me duties. Me duties are to care for the people of this town.” Albert paused. “I too went down dark roads, but I was able to find me way because I was lucky enough to be born in a golden cradle. When my little fit of grandeur was over, I was shameless enough to run back home to Papa. But ye always need someone to stretch out their hand for ye.”

Lillian lived comfortably for the two remaining years of her life. Finley, now 15, and Sir Albert Harris’ personal assistant, bid his goodbyes to the house that had seen him grow. A bittersweet feeling always overcame him when walking past his old residence. So many good memories, yet so much loss haunted those walls. He remembered being with Rowan and their adventures, climbing trees, discovering magical lands. He remembered his father and his clothes were always so full of chalk. He remembered his mother darning socks through coughing fits.

Working with Harris was never easy. His belly was never hungry again, but most of the time Finley seemed to forget his own name. “Boy”, “Son”, “You” became more familiar to him than his given name. He began to live through the pages of the pirate books that Albert would frequently buy him. It was true that the boy was fond of them, they reminded him of his twin. His birthdays still felt empty, despite the lavish parties Harris’ would throw in his honour.

Rowan and Finley had always completed each other. Finley loved to be inside, he was the first to learn how to read and write in their class. His character made him an easy target for bullies to torment him. Rowan on the other hand found himself at peace outside. Exploring every nook and cranny on their street, convincing strangers to visit his father’s shop. Every day the twins would share stories of how their days went, Finley always made sure to write his sibling’s thoughts adding his own touch. Suddenly, Rowan sneaking into Mrs. Evans’ garden was a tale about discovering a land with talking flowers.

Three years later, on one cold winter morning, Sir Albert Harris forgot to wake up. Finley Gray, who had become his ward, was the sole heir to his estate. Young Master Gray left the factory in the capable hands of Mr. Greene and decided to write for Rowan again. The townsfolk found it weird that they would sometimes find the young man reading aloud in the cemetery, but in the end, he wasn’t hurting anyone.

He found himself making a modest living out of his adventure novels. His pirate romances inspired many a children’s play times for years to come. The delight people found in his stories inspired him to keep writing. People admired the sincerity of his characters, since Finley always pulled from his live experiences.

As travelling by steamboat grew in popularity, Finley Gray, decided it would be an adventure worth his time. It was mid-November when he boarded a ship for the North Sea. The small voyage was supposed to be a trial run of the boat in such severe waters. A storm during night time took the crew by surprise, leaving the vessel capsized on a small islet near Heligoland. Most of the crew was eventually rescued, but Finley Gray’s body was never found. When next he woke, he was floating above the clouds. His memories were jumbled and every move he made had to be premeditated. As he managed to soar back to solid ground a screech from behind startled him to his core “Ein Geist!”.

Dear Diary,
These past few weeks were certainly something.

You never expect after going through university to end up cleaning houses but the pay was good and that was all that mattered. I was happy just to find anything that would pay for the bills. My first job was simple enough, emptying an office building for renovations. I worked in a big team, so that we could get jobs done faster and more efficiently. My second job however was to be a week-long ordeal in the countryside.

I came with the first group. Our goal was to clean an old estate that had been uninhabited for a couple of generations. The surviving family members had hired us to clean and prepare it for sale. We had a pile of keys and really no instructions or information on what to do. We were to remove the furniture, clean the rooms and make the outside look presentable.

The car swayed side to side as we drove down the dirt road that led to the mansion. The trees and brush almost left no space for the road, and soon enough we had a flat tire. We should’ve taken the hint, even though the road was too narrow to turn the car back around.

We arrived at noon. After a quick scan of the house, we decided that we were going to start by emptying the furniture. The manor looked as if it was left in a hurry, thick dust covered every surface. Wardrobes, drawers, cabinets were full of objects that had been forgotten to time. A coat still hung on the hook by the door. I let out a sigh of relief when the kitchen duties fell on Keith. For some reason the place still smelled as putrid as if it had been abandoned for only a couple of months. That first afternoon went along smoothly. We had managed to clear out the ground floor, while Jackie and Erich prepared the enormous foyer to be our living quarters.

“I managed to call for the team tomorrow to bring a water tank.” Jackie, our boss, announced during dinner. “I apologise, we weren’t told this place was in such a state. I’ve also asked them to bring a stove. Guess we’ll have to make sandwiches for tonight’s dinner.”

“Can they even make it down the road with the landscaping equipment?” Keith asked. “We barely made it here ourselves. Also, how much landscaping are we supposed to do? I didn’t see any property limits!”

“Uh, we’re all supposed to do landscaping? That wasn’t in my contract.” I interjected.

“Everyone, please calm down.” Jackie sighed. “Believe me I’m as frustrated as you are. I can only hope tomorrow goes a bit better. We’re all going to focus on the house first. The sooner we’re done with the inside the better.”

“So, I have to do landscaping too?” I inquired again. I regretted my words immediately, as everyone stared daggers in my direction. Anna shoved a sandwich on my face to stop me from talking further. I took it and slowly bit the crust as the others spoke.

“We made good progress today. We’ll be out of here in no time.” Anna declared. “What are we going to do with the furniture and stuff?”

“I was instructed we were to burn it.” Jackie replied. “They said we could keep anything we wanted.”

“I’ll be sure to take a termite ridden chair home.” Keith stood up. “I’m going outside for a smoke. Don’t take all the treasures for yourselves.”

“It is a little strange. The place is massive, looks like it was dumped in a rush, but looks like there’s nothing valuable in it.” Erich added. “The paintings are reproductions; the drawers are just full of crap. When was the last time anyone was here?”

“The fifties I believe. The man that talked to me said he had never even been here. Also, we’re here to clean the place, not pillage it.” Jackie snarked. “I doubt they’ll even sell it; this is so remote. But hey, our pay is already assured so that has nothing to do with us.”

As we settled to sleep, the wind outside began to howl. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Not even the cold draught that ran freely through the house as if every window was open, woke me from my slumber.

A boy ran upstairs giggling. He was being chased by something that I could not make out. The child touched a wall opening a new path he swiftly ducked into. As the path closed itself, the figure that chased the boy grunted and scratched at the wall. The spectre let out a series of inhuman noises, the child’s laughter didn’t waver for a second. The hidden hallway seemed to bend itself to the boy’s will, he soon appeared behind the figure that frantically crawled at the wall.

I woke up in a sweat. Anna stared at me, clutching her blanket. My body felt as if someone had set me on fire. “Good morning…” I managed to muster.

“ ‘Morning. Are you okay?” Anna reached out her hand to my face. Her cold fingers shook me out of my stupor. “Did you have a bad dream too?”

I looked around, everyone seemed shaken from the night before. Keith sat in his sleeping bag with an unlit cigarette in his mouth staring at the floor. Jackie prepared breakfast clumsily. Erich stood next to the window staring at the sky. Rain poured from the clouds above us. It barely looked like the sun had risen that morning.

“Guess we’re not burning anything after all.” Erich mumbled.

“I’m sure the rain will let up soon. I checked the weather app before we came and it said it was going to be sunny.” Jackie replied. “Anna, could you stop being creepy for two seconds? This place is bad enough on its own.”

Anna covered her head with her blanket. I gently tugged on it and handed her food.

“We can’t do much with this rain though. Should we just clean this floor today since we can’t carry stuff outside?” I asked. “What time are the other guys coming in?”

“That’s… Actually, a good idea. We don’t even have anything to keep entertained. The others are arriving around the time we did yesterday. I wanted to go call them, but with this downpour I really don’t feel like it.” Jackie sighed and chugged down her drink. “Alright everyone, Anna and Alex you can do upstairs. Get some smaller furniture near the door so we just have to put it outside later. Keith, you go do the floors on the rooms on the left, I’ll do the ones on the right. Erich, go finish up the kitchen, I guess we use some rainwater in the meantime.”

The morning went by smoothly. The second floor much like the first had nothing of value. Most of the furniture had fallen victim to the passage of the years, bugs or both.

“Alex.” Anna beckoned. “Look at this.”

“Oh. That’s messed up.” I inspected the inside of a wardrobe door. “This probably was a kid’s room then.”

“There are no toys.” Anna added. “Do you think it’s a foreign language?”

“Might be. But why carve it in a door? It looks so creepy.”

Anna threw the clothes and other contents of the wardrobe to the floor. “Look it’s all over it.”

“Anna, we can’t even move this thing, it's stuck to the wall. Don’t make a bigger mess for us to clean, please.” I begged.

“There’s nothing written on this one.” Anna felt around one of the wardrobe’s drawers. A moment later a *click* sound was followed by part of the wardrobe’s backing giving out. A dark corridor revealed itself before us, making way to a cold draft that almost swept us off our feet. A shout from downstairs startled us, we ran to the banister and looked at the lower floor.

“Lunch is ready!” Jackie announced. “Come downstairs you two. It’s time to rest a bit.”

As we ate lunch Anna told everyone about our upstairs findings. Jackie sighed several times and reminded us that we’re supposed to be working. “This is not Casper’s mansion.” She pouted. We were about to finish eating when the rest of the team finally arrived. We rushed to help them bring the rest of the gear inside and cheered as it seemed like the storm was finally passing.

In the remaining days, our work went pretty smoothly. Even the landscaping crew did quick work of the thicket and brushwood. They even patched the dirt road leading to the estate with some sand and stones they found in a shed. The mornings however, did not come easy for anyone. The newcomers were also cursed with the same gut-wrenching nightmares. If it were not for Jackie’s delicious breakfasts, I don’t think any of us would have the courage to get out of our sleeping bags.

Some saw themselves dying in horrible ways, at the hands of… something. I kept seeing the little boy taunting fate running from something that was clearly desperate to get at him. That day, we were all quite delighted because it would be our last night in the nightmare mansion. It had been raining again, which had made Jackie very displeased that her weather app didn’t work properly. As we celebrated a job well done, a thunderstorm came to announce that our last night was going to be a memorable one.

As we were settling to sleep, we heard a very weird noise outside. A *whoosh* that also seemed to sound like flapping wings, but like, huge wings? Then a crash. And the furniture we had outside to burn tumbling down all over the place. Some of us rushed outside to look, pointing our lanterns in the direction of the furniture.

“Ow…” A voice cried near me.

I helped a person out of the floor. It was a weird one. They had horns in their head and some weird black scales on their face. I fell on my butt when I took a better look at them. The others soon came rushing, helping us both and we all went inside to shelter from the storm once more.

“I’m sorry, who are you? We are a cleaning crew currently finishing our work here on this house.” Jackie inquired the weird person. “How did you get here? Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Yeah… Yes! I only hit my head. I’m fine, I’m sorry. Uhhh I’m Ronnie. Ronnie Moontomes. I bought this place. Sorry, nobody told me that there would be people here. I thought it was empty.”

“Well, we were hired to clean the house before the sale. So, it would look nice for viewings. We also took the liberty of patching the road a bit with some supplies we found. I hope it’s okay. We have quite a big truck and getting it here was a pain.” Jackie said, staring at the person in disbelief. “We weren’t told that the house had already been sold.”

“Ah, the house is what I need. So, I just bought it. It was also surprisingly cheap. That made it very easy to choose from the other houses at the agency.” Ronnie replied. “I’m sorry I scared everyone. I hope everyone has a good night. I’ll sleep upstairs. Please don’t let me disturb you anymore.”

“How did you even get here?” Erich asked, completely baffled. “Also how are you sleeping upstairs? You didn’t bring anything and there’s no furniture.”

“I uh… Walked. I live nearby. So, I know the area well. Also, my coat is very comfortable. Don’t worry. It’s just too stormy to go back home right now.”

In the morning Ronnie watched us from the window while we burned the old furniture. It went a lot more smoothly than I had expected.  The landscaping crew cleared the ashes from the cobblestone and power washed the burn marks from it. By mid-afternoon we were ready to leave the place behind and never look back.

Jackie handed the pile of keys to Ronnie whilst saying goodbye. “Thank you for your hard work, everyone!” Ronnie kept on repeating as we started our engines. They frantically waved their hand while we drove off and I could swear that from the rear-view mirror I could see a ghost next to them.

“Can you guys believe that they asked me for all of our salt? Guess I shouldn’t forget to add that to the shopping list if we get another job like this.” Jackie exhaled.

Honestly, I wouldn’t buy the place. I think something went on down there. But oh well… The house was clean.

The sound of the waves filled the air, it was cold enough that everyone’s breaths were visible. Ronnie waved goodbye to the last members of the crew that were leaving for the holidays. A southern wind was beginning to pick up, sending shivers down the captain’s spine. They made their way inside the cabin, their footsteps echoing behind them. Everyone was gone for the season, even Geist had gone on his own this year. Ronnie poured themselves some hot cocoa and sat down by the fire, observing the flames dance peacefully on the fireplace.

They soon found themselves dozing off to the stillness of the night. It had been a while since Ronnie was last all by themselves. It was a welcome change of pace even if a bit lonely given the time of year. The fire had come down to a smoulder, by the time Ronnie opened their eyes again. The room felt ice cold, a draft had made its way through the door. Ronnie rose from their chair, wrapping themselves up with a blanket.

“I closed the door?... Are the hinges being weird again?” Ronnie glanced around the cabin. “Where did I put the spray again?”

The sound of glass shattering down the hall broke the tranquillity. Ronnie dropped the blanket and grabbed the fire poker. “Guess the hinges are fine…” They slithered in the direction of the sound, ducked under the kitchen table and tried to get a better look at the intruder. The glistening of pearlescent scales in the moonlight was enough information for Ronnie.

“What are you doing here?” Ronnie got up from the floor and faced the small draconic intruder. A bipedal chubby dragon stood in front of the fridge; he was about as tall as the appliance. He slammed the door behind him, facing Ronnie flustered.

“Rhonwyn! Long-time no see!” A meek voice squeaked from the dragon’s left shoulder. A tiny mouse rested on it, she wore big glasses and a fluffy red scarf. “Geist told us you’d be alone. So, we came by to drop some food and make sure you’d be alright.”

“Aekeil, Taffy. I am not a child anymore, but thank you.” Ronnie stepped closer to the dragon giving him a big hug. “How are you two?”

Aekeil bounced from side to side happily, shaking his tail and bringing another glass cabinet down in the process. Taffy hid her face in her scarf sighing.

“Go sit in the deck for a bit, before I run out of plates for the crew. I’ll be right there.” Ronnie pushed the dragon out of the kitchen and picked up a broom.

The dragon sat patiently on the deck, looking at the night sky. He held his front paws together and curled his tail in shame.

“It’s always the same thing with you big guy.” Taffy patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry Rhonwyn is not like the others. They’ll not give you a bad time.”

Ronnie sat across them on the ground. The wind made their hair fly all over the place. They hugged their knees to try and keep warm. “Thank you for bringing me food. It all looks very tasty.”

Aekeil bowed his head a couple times, whilst looking at Ronnie.

“Don’t worry about the cabinets, I’m sure I’ll find replacements very easily.” Ronnie replied. “I’m surprised you came all the way down here.”

“You haven’t visited in a long while.” Taffy squeaked. “We’ve been worried about you! So, we got Ivia to make you some food and we flew down.”

“I’m sorry. Going to the Moon is always hard for me… I can still feel everyone’s eyes on me every time I visit.” Ronnie sighed. “But at least we can see each other nowadays. There was a lot of fighting just for us to be able to do that.”

Ronnie and Aekeil had been hatched around the same time. Having spent most of their childhood together, they felt a lot like siblings. Ronnie’s wish for adventure had separated them for a long while, but with perseverance and a lot of hard work the elder Moon dragons finally came to accept Rhonwyn once more.

Aekeil was a botanical dragon, he spent most of his waking hours caring for all kinds of plants from across the universe. Taffy was a pleasant surprise that came with a plant shipment. A family of mice from Earth had come with a shipment of grains. The herbalists were in a panic trying to get rid of all the mice on The Moon Hoard, Aekeil however was just new to the Greenhouse. He saved Taffy from the fate of her family and ever since then they were inseparable. Ronnie learned of her during one of their short visits to the Moon Hoard to deliver new tomes to the Library.

“Actually… We also came to ask you for your assistance.” Taffy jumped onto Ronnie’s open palms. “We understand if you don’t want to do it. We know how bad the Moon Hoard can be too…”

“Is… something wrong?” Ronnie’s eyes glanced between the two creatures in front of her.

Aekeil shook his head and tried to pick up Taffy from Ronnie’s hands. Taffy jumped and hid herself the best she could underneath Ronnie’s coat. Ronnie couldn’t help but chuckle at the mouse’s claws going up and down their back.

“Okay! Okay! You two calm down!” Ronnie gasped. “Can someone explain to me what’s going on?”

Aekeil and Taffy stopped their shuffling about and lowered their heads. Ronnie picked Taffy up gently and put her back on Aekeil’s shoulder. They grabbed Aekeil’s paw who was shaking like tree branches on a storm.

“This might be the last time we see each other.” Taffy declared. “Aekeil is going to be… decommissioned.”

Ronnie stared at their friends. A gust of wind almost swept Taffy away, Aekeil wrapped her carefully between his paws.

“What? Why? That makes no sense. Aekeil is one of the best gardeners.” Ronnie blurted out, getting up to their feet. In an instant Ronnie was in their dragon form. Unlike Aekeil, Ronnie was a quadrupedal dragon. Their eyes looked as if always bloodshot, a crimson mane draped around their otherwise black and grey scaly body. Ronnie stretched their wings; they fumbled around in their steps as if a child trying on shoes too big for their feet.

“There’s a new grandmaster. Many dragons are changing departments or being…” Taffy squeaked. “Rhonwyn, Aekeil might have come here to leave you sandwiches, but I’ve come here to ask for your help!”

Ronnie stared at the one they considered to be their sibling. Aekeil stared into the distance. They inched closer to him, Ronnie’s heart felt as heavy as a burlap sack full of stones. Ronnie sat beside Aekeil. Minutes passed before sound came out from their mouth again.

“Nothing is going to happen. I’m not going to let it happen.” Ronnie declared. “I’ve dealt with them before; I can do it again. How did this even happen? They can’t just decide who gets to be useful or not!”

The Moon Hoard that day was busy. Dragons trudged and flew all around the grounds, music could be heard echoing the halls. Some were still hanging holiday decorations as fast as they could. However, the air felt heavy and the lights adorning the walls didn’t look as bright as in yesteryears. Ronnie stomped down the path to the main office. The Moon Hoard was an intricate system of tunnels separated into subsections. Despite this, the place didn’t feel claustrophobic since most tunnels were huge to accommodate the dragons. Ronnie seemed like a tiny speck being back in their human form. While they’d move faster in dragon form, they were hoping that their diminutive body would grant them some sneak points.

Ronnie’s sweat trickled down their back as they tried to destroy as many documents relating to the retiring of dragons as they could. Their stomach felt as if it was about to erupt alive, and their heart was about to fly off their chest. If their strategy didn’t succeed, they would make as big of a dent on the grandmaster’s plans as they could. Ronnie could feel their ears burning with the teachings of all the librarian tutors, but desperate times called for desperate measures. These were documents that should never even have been written anyway.

A familiar face sat on the grandmaster’s chair in the mess hall. The smell of pine trees and warm foods filled the air. A single dragon played an instrument while everyone else ate. The lightbulbs changed their colours diligently, trying their best to set a mood that was not in place. Looking around, many places were empty. The elders’ seat only sat four elders this day. Nobody talked, nobody exchanged looks. 

“Why was I not informed that there were new leaders?” Ronnie stepped into the hall, recoiling their wings as they entered. Everyone’s gaze fell on them, and the few sounds that could be heard stopped. Red, yellow, blue, green, the lights kept their sequence, making Ronnie’s eyes appear even bloodier.

In contrast, the Grandmaster appeared darker in his seat. His emerald scales didn’t react to the holiday lights accordingly. He stood up on two paws looking down on the new arrival.

“Ah… Librarian Rhonwyn of the Night Dragons. How kind of you to join us during our holiday celebration.” He pronounced every word as if he was about to fall asleep. “It is good that you remember your origins, even on these made-up festivities. Nonetheless it is important to celebrate the changing of times.”

“It’s Ronnie Moontomes. Captain Ronnie Moontomes of The Moon Raider. In case you forgot.” Ronnie snapped. “You talk a lot yet; it appears your hearing capabilities are lacking. I asked a question Grandmaster Aidois.”

Most dragons slithered off the mess hall as quickly as they could. Ronnie could hear the clink clank of the Moon Guards making their way down the hall. The automatons were more bothersome than helpful, but still it was something to keep in mind.

“Maybe you too should retire from your role. You’re an elder now, perhaps you’re starting to fade.” Ronnie continued. “If the news I received are to be believed, we cannot afford to work around everyone’s… nit-picks…”. Their words fell down Ronnie’s mouth like acid meant to destroy the floor beneath their feet. Ronnie paced the room carefully, maintaining eye contact with Aidois.

“You’re awfully talkative tonight. Last time I recall you having a ghostly friend to do all the talking for you.” Aidois snickered. “As for your question, we have better things to do than sending letters to those who refuse to come home.”

“I do wonder why I hate to come back here.” Ronnie replied. “I assume that the last grandmaster chose you. Such as is the law. It’s interesting that I didn’t find the scripture related to it. And I’ve been going through documents for a couple of hours.”

Aidois stepped backwards. The metallic sounds of the automatons inched closer. Ronnie took a quick look around the room; the elders had stayed behind. Their heads hung low and the lights in their eyes had long gone. This had happened many times before, scout dragons falling to the influences of the places they were surveying. Ronnie gritted their teeth. With a deep breath they stepped forwards towards the gargantuan emerald dragon at the other end of the room.

“You’re not going in.” The Moon Guards came to a halt. Ivia’s voice echoed through the now silent corridors. “Took you long enough to get here Rhonwyn.”

“Sorry Ivee, I should come home more often.” Ronnie replied without letting their eyes go of Aidois. “Thank you for the food.”

“Happy Holidays sibling!” Ivia slammed their tail against a row of automatons. “Me and the others will deal with these. You’re not doing this alone.”

“Aye aye.” Ronnie replied, their heart settled back on their chest. “Maybe Geist shouldn’t have confounded you with just words all those years ago Aidois. Maybe I shouldn’t have let a bigot fly back home. You’re not hurting anyone else.”

Ronnie leapt in the air, this time they struck first. The mess hall at the culmination of the battle was twice its usual size. Aidois was put in the place that he was about to put dozens of dragons until they faded. Taffy and Aekeil tended to Ronnie’s wounds for days to come.

When the mess hall was finally repaired, the fairy lights regained their shine. A whole orchestra of dragons played their songs while everyone ate and exchanged holiday cheer. It was a little later than usual but this time, the air felt light and warm, it smelled of cakes, treats and warm drinks. Ronnie could not help but sigh in relief that everything had gone right on the first try. Ivia on the other hand kept repeating that everything had gone exactly as she had planned.

“Why did you even need me?” Ronnie questioned. “You all came together to help me anyway.”

“Well, we weren’t expecting Aidois to turn on disabled dragons. He didn’t become grandmaster properly, but we thought that maybe that would be a good sign. That things would change for good.” Taffy replied. “He was the one that had convinced the elders to let you live on Earth all those years ago.”

“More importantly, we wanted you to come back home on your own…” Ivia added. “We wanted you to help make home feel… homey. For the first time.”

“I’m sorry everyone.” Ronnie hugged their siblings. “Thank you.”

“Also, to be fair, you were the biggest dragon we know that would help. You could take one of his hits better than us.” Ivia concluded. They all laughed and enjoyed the remainder of the festivities.

By the end of everything, The Moon Raider’s crew was back aboard before Ronnie returned. The Moon Hoard was working together in a new way to govern themselves. Ronnie’s home still wasn’t up there, but it sure felt better to visit now.

How long does it take for someone to not be found as a foreigner in the land they inhabit? For them it had been their whole life. It didn’t matter to those people that they’d been born in the same place, that person would never be part of their community. They had lived elsewhere for a few years now, but they’d have to always come back for something.

This time it had been a death in the family. A cousin who was around their age had been found dead in the forest near the church grounds. They wondered what could’ve happened to the cousin. It was a closed casket funeral. That cousin wasn’t particularly sporty or outdoorsy and the forest had many well-travelled trails and pathways.

Town seemed different during this visit. They couldn’t quite pin down what it was but everyone was a lot friendlier. People offering condolences during the funeral procession, a few free loaves of bread at the bakery, to help with these difficult times. One could shrug it to be simple small-town kindness, but there had been many other funerals in the family before. Sudden illnesses, work accidents… Almost no one died of old age in their family.

The priest had even invited them for lunch after Sunday mass. The utmost honour a person could have in such a small god-fearing town.

If only the world hadn’t gotten black during lunch.

They cursed at the rope that bound their hands together. It dug into their arms and felt like a thousand needles were puncturing their skin. The chants outside had gotten louder as the sun began to set in the horizon. They’d been locked in the room for about a week, if their memory wasn’t failing them too. Their legs had given up struggling on the second day, but somehow their arms had not given up hope yet.

---

The ship was exceptionally creaky that day. The dark sky engulfed everything even though night time was still quite a way away. Sometimes lighting illuminated the world for a few seconds, but the deafening thunder that anticipated it, made sure one would curse their choice of being outside. As if it wasn’t enough, an incessant barrage of gusts of wind made walking the ship’s deck almost an impossible mission.

The Captain hadn’t been aboard for quite a while. Not that it mattered much nowadays, they’d had so many adventures at this point that The Moon Raider stayed anchored for most days. Ronnie entered their cabin, a small ghost sat by the fireplace gazing at the flames.

"Hello Geist. I'm home." Ronnie greeted their old friend. "Did I take too long?"

“Ahoy Captain.” The spectre looked more translucent by the day. He slowly turned his body to face his friend and managed to muster a smile. “Been keepin’ the place warm for ya.”

“We’re home alone Geisty. No need for formalities.” Ronnie sat beside Geist. “How are you feeling today?”

“Still very much the same, I’m afraid.” Geist chuckled. “Did you find any answers?”

“Not in the way that we expected.” The Captain paused. “Geist. No… Finley. What I’m about to ask of you next might very well be my last request.”

---

“A thing borne of minds of man, lodged itself in our sacred planes.” A familiar voice addressed the dragon. “Lunar Bookkeeper, I know it affects you greatly this time.”

“W-who...” Rhonwyn flinched from the humanoid figure imbued in light that had appeared in their library.

“Good evening moon dragon. I am the Moon.” The voice proclaimed.

The dragon stared dumbfounded at the figure that was now glowing a bit dimmer. They’d come to look for answers for their and their friends’ unrest. Flying back to the moon had been a daunting task, the dragon took a deep breath and sat on their pillow pile. Maybe it was the malaise they’d been feeling for weeks that was causing them to hallucinate. Maybe they were growing too old. The dragon took another deep breath. The voice’s familiarity and their gut were telling them to trust it.

“There are many yous. You in the past, you in the present, you in the future. The you that skipped going somewhere someday. The you that is a human. The you that was born a rabbit. But you cannot exist without constants. There are many constants in the universe, a small solar system in a galaxy called the Milky Way being one of them. No, you cannot exist in the Andromeda Galaxy. You exist in limitless limits.” It continued. “That does not mean new things cannot be created. It however is… distressing, when you lot create things that dig themselves into the constants like myself.”

“When you say you’re a constant, you mean that there are no other yous?” Rhonwyn inquired.

The presence nodded solemnly and seemed to take a seat next to the wyrm.

“And what do I have to do with that thing?” The dragon continued their inquiries. “Is that thing that’s making me and Geist sick? Are you making me and Geist sick?”

“Geist is not sick.” The light laughed. “He’s just too worried about you. As usual.”

Rhonwyn sighed relieved, their most precious friend was well. They recalled a time they’d gotten very sick from trying a new food. Rhonwyn could swear they’d seen Geist turn green even though he couldn’t eat.

“If it brings you any comfort at this moment, your friendship is one of those constants.” The light added.  

“So, I’m the one who’s…” Rhonwyn gulped. They gazed around the library. So many books, so many years, yet they felt ithadn’t been enough. Three hundred something years had passed since that fateful day on the beach. The crew had changed. They had changed. Earth had changed. “Is it the Earth’s pollution? Is it also bad for dragons?”

The presence giggled with the giddiness of a child. “Oh, you’re a fun one, little dragon. Of course, pollution is also bad for dragons.” It paused for a moment as if to regain its composure. “Rhonwyn, you and your other selves are being used. A man-made constant seeks to use you as its vessel to gain enough strength to get to me. If it succeeds all of you will be gone.”

The wyrm didn’t reply, they faced forward. Their eyes gazed once again around the place that had become a physical manifestation of all their work. So many tomes; the shelves weren’t enough to house them all. They had resorted to making vertical book piles wherever they had space. Some of the books were about them and their friends. They had lost count at how many adventures they had had.

“What happens if we’re gone?” The dragon managed to ask after a few long minutes.

“It’ll be as if you’ve never existed.” The light replied. “I, of course, am not telling you this out of the kindness of my heart. If you choose to do something about it, this man-made thing won’t be another fever I have to sweat, to continue being a constant undisturbed.”

“What happens if I do something about it?” Rhonwyn’s eyes turned to the light. They tried to look for any semblance of a visage, any glimpses of empathy to sooth the storm raging inside them.

“You’ll be remembered and cherished by everyone.” It answered.

---

They were back where it had started. That fateful meeting on an uninhabited island had been so long ago. The island was now connected to the mainland and a lovely forest covered most of it. Captain Ronnie put down their hammer and eyed the sign they had just put up. It seemed a bit crooked, but it added to the charm of it. The sign proudly read “Camp Moon Lake”; bold red letters had been painted onto a wood slab, as well as a waning crescent moon. There wasn’t much more time before night fall, and the crew of The Moon Raider was making sure all the last touches were finished before then.

“Do you thing they’ll like it?” Captain Ronnie asked their eternal friend Geist. “I hope this will make the transition easier. Humans sure do love their routines.”

“I’m sure they’ll love it.” Geist smiled. “I’m sure everyone will have a great time here.”

“It’s kind of weird that I’ve been playing a human all this time and that the other me is actually a human.” The Captain continued. “I hope some of the crew stays. The island has become such a cozy place to rest. I couldn’t have asked for a better place. Thank you, Finley, for doing this with me.”

“I’m with ya until the very end Cap’n.” The spectre spoke dignified. “Tis not an adventure if not with ya.”

Tears ran down Captain Ronnie’s face, they’d done their best to hold them in for so long. But there was no need to hold them back anymore, as they made their way to the rose garden. The crew was far behind them at this point, saying goodbye is never an easy thing to do.

“I wonder what the other me is like.” Geist phased through Captain Ronnie hoping the small breeze would dry their tears. “Mayhap I am an ant.”

The Captain couldn’t help but smile. “You’re the best ant Geisty. The other you wins all the ant contests. I should’ve asked what you are, I’m sorry.”

“You know I rather prefer surprises.” Geist responded. “Even though we’re probably not going to meet them.”

“I don’t think we are.” The Captain looked around. “This is the place. It’s almost time.”

The pair found a nice spot amongst the red roses, laid down and braced themselves for what came next.

---

“It’s almost time.” The priest declared. “Bring the offering.”

Servants dragged them into an altar and bound their arms and legs. They were outside, in the forest by the church. The smell of pine trees and dry blood permeated the twilight scene. The makeshift altar they were tied to was a big stone they used to play on when they were a child. Around them were faces they’d seen all their life. Faces that were always in the background watching their every move, now had front row seats to their demise.

“Please let me go.” They begged. “You don’t have to do this. Please, hasn’t there been enough bloodshed?”

“Oh, but there won’t be any more bloodshed Ronan.” His voice boomed. “You should be honoured to be the last piece.”

The waning crescent moon now crept up the horizon. The villagers readied their torches and candles to admire the spectacle that was about to begin. The priest cleared his throat and faced the audience with delight.

“Friends! Parishioners! Fellow Townsfolk! The moment we toiled so hard for is finally upon us!” The minister paused. “Our god will rise from this offering and…”

The last sound they heard was that of screams followed by the crack of thunder. Then their ears started ringing and the world went black. Their skin felt as if it was melting, it was worse near their fingertips, they thought that it wouldn’t stop there. But it did.

When they fully regained their senses, the moon was high up in the sky. They had woken up in a sea of red, the soil beneath them was soft unlike the harsh stone from the altar. Around them red anemones bloomed and gently swung in the night breeze. They sat up and looked around, there was a light nearby on the horizon. They took a moment to assess themselves; their fingers were now as dark as night and their nails looked more like claws. Nothing else seemed to be much different, other than a feeling in their gut that was certainly new. As they got up to start walking, they noticed a white cat sleeping soundly next to them.

“Findley?” They knelt down next to the feline.

The cat’s ears perked up, he slowly opened his eyes and squinted at his beloved human.

“It’s not dinner time yet Ronnie. Let me sleep.” Findley the cat declared. Ronnie cradled their cat in their arms like always. Everything felt better now. The pair decided it was best to walk towards the light to figure out where they were. When they finally reached it, a slightly crooked sign that read “Camp Moon Lake” awaited the duo.

As the leaves turned to gold, he could not help but think where the time had gone this year. The endless summer made him forget to prepare for what was to come. Now that the autumn breeze was beginning to eat at his bones, he cursed himself for his lack of prudence. Master would be most displeased, with how careless he was with his duties as Guardian. But he wasn’t here anymore. Now all the work fell on Adriann’s shoulders.

His axe hit the pine tree again, this time a satisfying “crack” sound announced that the tree was about to fall. It was almost nightfall and he hoped that this was enough for today. He pruned the tree as fast as he could, sharpening the trunk at both ends. The ground beneath his feet shook gently. He shivered, and dragged the trunk to a hole he had dug the day before.

Tears ran down his cheeks as he staked the large tree trunk to the ground. Splinters perforated his hands, making him whimper and lose his balance. The soil rumbled more violently; the evening birds fled the trees around him. He could feel his feet getting wet, black sludge leaked from the spot where he had staked the ground. He hurried to cover the hole so the leak would stop. By the time he had finished today’s ordeal it was pitch black. He stumbled home, throwing the axe by the entrance. As he rested his feet close to the fireplace, he took his knife to his hands to remove the splinters.

Adriann was no one’s child. Master had taken him out of some city streets and into the forest. He grew up between said forest and running to the town for errands. Soon enough he began to resent the old man. Master made sure young Adriann was always busy, if he was not running errands, he was to study every corner of the forest. The town nearby the forest was a lively place, people would let him take everything he wanted from the market. Parties and festivals were commonplace, bringing commerce and all kinds of attractions. Master always allowed him to go, to his surprise. Even in the city Adriann had never seen as much marvels as in this small town.

Nowadays everything was always quiet, it had become like this ever since he was old enough to learn the truth. Now it made sense why such a small town had such wonders to show. He didn’t remember the last time he went to town; villagers would bring him whatever he needed since Master had died. Life had played him a foul hand and much like his master, he resigned to his role.

His boots were gone, at least the part that got soaked. He threw the remainder into the fire. The fire roared back as if in pain, illuminating the whole cabin instantly. Adriann moved to the lavatory scrubbing his hands intensely. The earth hummed outside, reminding him tomorrow was another fight.

He started the next day early, gathering all his tools preparing to spend the day surveying and formulating his course for the coming seasons. As he kept digging further and further into the ground, Adriann touched the soil. The earth recoiling itself with every touch. Adriann cursed under his breath.

“The harvest hasn’t been as bountiful this year.” A voice beamed from above. “Is “she” getting closer to town?”

A rugged hand waited patiently above Adriann’s head. He took it, climbing out of the hole and facing the old man.

“”She” is.” Adriann replied.

“I’ve brought your supplies for the week. They’re in the cabin.” The man sighed. “Is there anything else you’ll need?”

“I am going to need more boots. Another axe. And if you could spare someone to help with the…”

“That is the duty of the Guardian. No one else shall help.” The man growled. “It’s clear that you did not keep up with your duties.”

“I have kept the rituals.” Adriann murmured. “Why would I do this dirty work in the heat?”

“We raised you! We give you the best we can! Is that not enough?!” The man roared. Adriann took two steps back, almost falling in the pit. The old man’s veins burst under his pale skin; the familiar dark colour made itself visible. The man wheezed and reached for a handkerchief. “You belong here as much as we do. Everyone does.”

In the distance people worked the fields. Grain fields shined under the sun, as the villagers worked diligently. As they both looked down to the fields, the ground resonated beneath their feet.

“Attend to your duties, as we attend to ours. Tomorrow someone will deliver the goods you requested.” The man took his leave.

Adriann dragged the remainder of yesterday’s tree into the new hole. Muttering a prayer under his breath, he staked the ground once more. The black sludge peeked through. However not as boldly as before, which calmed Adriann’s nerves. He covered the hole, and went on to do more tests around the area. “She” ended about the entrance of the forest. But it could still be remedied to at least near his cabin, for now. There was much that could still be done to remedy “her” reach, even though it was clear to Adriann that just maintaining the rituals would only slow “her” advance.

The most important part of the job was done. Finding a hole that produced a lot of the sludge. It was near his cabin, which saved the trek to fill buckets with the muck. Things seemed to be turning out for the better. On his first year as the Guardian, he would have to trek daily, up to the higher part of the forest to collect it, and bring it back down to the villagers. Adriann spent the remainder of the day filling copper buckets with the goo. Residents would come daily, in small groups to take as many buckets as they could down to the grain fields.

He tended to his duties, managing to reset “her” process back to the area he had expected. The offerings and rituals were maintained religiously. But the rumbling kept at a constant pace. Adriann spent most nights awake to the noise. Axe in hand just in case “she” dared to come in.

It was the coldest night of spring when, what he feared most happened. The smell of fresh soil shook him from his slumber. Roots were already wrapped around one of his arms. He tried to rise from bed and slash the roots with his axe, but suddenly the world became blurry to him. The roots had lodged in his wrist, sucking out his blood. On his daze he tripped on a bucket of sludge and fell to the ground. The black tar touched his leg and arm as he laid down on the floor. The roots drew back from where they came from. The sludge sizzled underneath Adriann. His leg, hand and part of his arm melted as he desperately tried to get up.

Breathing seemed to puncture his lungs. He dragged himself outside, his cries for help could not escape his lips. The roots awaited him, lunging forward as soon as he scrambled out of the door. Adriann grasped again for the axe and struck the roots first. As they winced backwards, Adriann bolted for the village not bothering to look behind him again.

The morning sun rose, but it was the screeching from the woods that announced dawn. The doctor was still stitching Adriann as best as he could. He tried to move his hand but it was no more. Recovering and driving “her” further back was too much at times for the remainder of spring. It was the duty of the Guardian; he had failed it once and paid the price.

But now, summer was coming, maybe it would be prudent to travel to the city for a while.

This story was inspired by the game The Outbound Ghost

They looked at where their hands were supposed to be. They could see the hands but also the ground underneath them. They leapt off the ground, looking around in a daze. They called out. Not a soul answered, they were completely alone. There was a muddy path that was blocked by a jagged pile of rocks. A dried puddle of crimson peeked from beneath it. They tried to move the stones, but it was futile, they just phased through them. 

The forest around them was serene, the birds chirped and went about their day as usual. When they were finally done panicking about phasing through objects they decided to find their way out of the forest. Red, and orange hues clothed the trees and a light breeze served as a melody for the leaves to dance about. It had been a while since they’d last seen anything that resembled a landmark. The familiar sound of water running brought them at last to a creek. They decided it was best to take a break, the sun’s colours were starting to resemble those of the maple trees. As they knelt down, they finally were able to take a look at themselves. 

Messy shoulder length auburn hair rested on top of his head, with a bushy beard to match. His belly was plump and he had some small scars on his hands. The reflection brought some memories back: wood carving, a beverage and meeting someone again. “Benjamim…” The name was so familiar, it felt like it was his. “I was coming back to see her. Back? Who is her?” He touched his breast pocket, he could still feel the small wooden hedgehog sculpture he had carved for her there. But there was nothing there now, he couldn’t even manage to open his pocket. His brain pounded in his skull, cold shivers ran down his spine.

By the time he recovered the sun had set. He decided to follow the creek for the moment. It wasn’t long before the stillness came to an end. A crack came from the bushes making Benjamim jump backwards and almost fall in the creek.

“Aha! I was right! There’s the killer!” A creaky voice proclaimed. It belonged to a mingy teenager in a fedora who jumped out. “See, my detective senses are impeccable sister!”

“Mikey! You can’t do that! I’m sorry mister, don’t listen to him.” A young girl peeked from behind one of the trees.

“Killer?” Benjamim eyed the children, they were as translucent as him. “Where are your parents?”

“Mom and dad already moved on.” The girl replied. “We still have unfinished business.”

“Sister! Call for the others, before the killer runs off!” Mikey repeated himself frantically. “We have to bring him to justice!”

“I’m… sorry. Why are we all transparent? Was there a chemical disaster here?” Benjamim kept his questioning despite Mikey’s ruckus. “What do you mean they have already moved on? Your parents are dead?”

“Maria! Do not share information with this outlaw! He’s dangerous!” Mikey continued. “He is as dead as us now, but we must not drop our guard!”

“Oh my… Mikey can you shut up? You’re so annoying! Mister, our parents have been dead for a while. Dad died in a work accident, and mom died a year ago. We died a couple days ago. There’s a murderer in town, I don’t think anyone is still alive.” The girl paused. “My name is Maria. You’re not from here, why are you dead?”

“I am dead?” Benjamim asked. “I…”

“See! Sister, he doesn’t even know he’s dead! He must be the killer. Maybe he was killing someone and someone knocked the daylights out of him.” Mikey added.

“My name is Benjamim, I think I was coming to visit someone. I’m sorry I don’t remember anything else.” He looked around confused. “Is the town nearby? Maybe I should go to the clinic, my head hurts so much.”

“Mister, the clinic can’t help. We’re ghosts.” Maria sighed. “But let’s go to town, maybe your friend can help you.”

“And we can judge you properly there, criminal scum.” Mikey spat on the ground. 

“I don’t know who my friend is.” Benjamim followed the pair into the small town. “I think it’s a woman.”

“You have ambrosia?” Maria inquired.

“It’s called amnesia, Maria.” Mikey sighed. “You’d know if you’d read those books I recommend you.”

“I am not reading your boring old detective novels. I like to play outside.” Maria retorted. “Abel also has amnesia, maybe you two can talk about it! But it’s late and I want to sleep.”

“So were all dead?” Benjamim asked.

“Yes. As of right now, it seems we’re all ghosts because we have some unfinished businesses, even though mine seems to be coming to an end.” Mikey continued. “Thanks to my expert detective skills, my business is coming to an end when we talk to everyone tomorrow.”

“I know my memory is missing, but I don’t think I’ve killed anyone.” Benjamim asserted. “I wasn’t even near the town. I’ve been lost in the forest all day.”

“So you died today?” Maria asked.

“I… think so?” Benjamim shrugged.

“There’s a small village down the forest path. You must have been going there to continue your rampage. Hmpf.” Mikey mumbled. “Maybe your plan was to annihilate the whole island! Aha! Are you with those unsettling pilgrims that come by every year?!”

Benjamim stared at the young boy astounded. Maria phased through a door signalling for them to follow her. The house entrance was a mess, it seemed like a fight had gone down and the furniture had taken quite a toll. There were however no traces of blood, or corpses. The remaining rooms in the house were in perfect shape, as if their owners had just been absent for a few days and a light coat of dust had settled on top of some of the things.

Mikey had run off somewhere. Benjamim sighed relieved that he didn’t have to deal with the boy for a while. Maria looked around her home, trying to make sense of what had happened.

“So you children remember what happened?” Benjamim asked. “But you still don’t know who did this to you.”

“I remember it was hard to breathe. Everyone says it was hard to breathe.” Maria paused. “But no one remembers the bad guy. We were having a town party, then we all went home and it was hard to breathe.” 

“I’m sorry kid. At least you have your big brother to keep you company.” Benjamim tried to reach Maria’s shoulder to no avail. “Do you also have unfinished business like your brother?”

“I have to take care of him. I promised mom I would look after Mikey. He’s very clumsy.” She replied. “And you mister? Why are you here?”

“I think I was supposed to meet someone…” Benjamim pondered. “But I’m not sure, everything feels fuzzy.”

“Hm, hopefully they’re still here. Not many people stayed behind.” Maria added. “Maybe I could be back with mom and dad if it wasn’t for dummy Mikey. But maybe uncle Abel can help you! Maybe you were coming to visit him and that’s why you both have ambrosia!”

“Amnesia.” Benjamim smirked.

“Ambrosia is more fun.” Maria stuck her tongue out. “We’ll go in the morning. Uncle Abel lives near where we found you. He doesn’t like people.”

A little while later Mikey burst into the home. This time he was accompanied by an old man. The gentleman hung his head low, his eyes darted across the room. Maria and Benjamim turned to face them startled by the spectacle.

“There Mayor Fletcher! There’s the murderer!” Mikey beamed. “We can finally all move on! Judge Norris has moved on but you’re the mayor, you can judge him right?!”

“Oh hush boy. Don’t be silly.” Fletcher pleaded. “I’m sorry we meet under such dire circumstances, young man. My name is Fletcher, welcome to our little town. I hate to impose on you like this, but I need all the help I can get.” 

“Is something wrong sir?” Benjamim inquired.

“Oh how I wish something was going right…” The gentleman muttered. “My granddaughter has gone missing. I would like to ask for your aid in finding her.” 

“Are you sure she hasn’t just moved on?” Benjamim eyed the man who was trembling. “Of course I’ll help. I’m not from here but I’ll do whatever I can.”

“You’re not from here? My, your eyes sure do look familiar… From the market in the next town?” The old man pondered. After a long pause he cleared his throat and continued. “No, she hasn’t moved on. In fact that’s all the reason she ran off.”

“Where did Sophie run off to this time?” Maria asked. “She’s a grown up now, she should stop doing that.”

Benjamim eyed Maria who was pouting with her arms crossed. Mikey on the other hand was fuming at how much everyone was ignoring him, stomping all over the room. If he had a corporeal form he would’ve been making a lot of noise.

“Mayor Fletcher. What happened in this town? Why are we all dead?” Benjamim lips ran faster than he could control. “I’m sorry to ask this now, but I am so confused.”

The old man looked at the ceiling. Mikey stopped fussing about and Maria stepped next to him, she too tried to grasp her brother’s hand to no avail. The siblings sighed in defeat. Mikey made a funny face that failed to cheer his sister. He shrugged and faced Benjamim, staring daggers at the young man.

“It was the end of the Harvest Festival.” Fletcher started. “The festival brings the whole island together, you see. So there were a lot of people from all over. This year Abel even managed to convince the Eralis pilgrims to join us! I was very happy for him, he never managed to make friends on the island, so it’s nice he managed to make some.”

Maria coughed looking at the Mayor. The old man blushed and cleared his throat once again.

“Eralis?” Benjamim interrupted. “That sounds familiar.”

“Oh it’s just an island hermit they worship. They all come to visit her during the harvest season. She has a big fruit orchard, that’s how she makes money for those lunatics that live with her in the compound. Their juices are quite famous.” Fletcher spouted. “You know how small places are. There are ooky people everywhere. She’s one of the types that says they were blessed with visions from a higher being. And with the internets, she got quite popular.”

Silence filled the room once more. Benjamim regretted asking so many questions.

“So… What happened?” Benjamim tried his best to hurry the old gentleman.

“Oh right, no one really knows. Everyone just started feeling sick by the end of it. By the end of the week everyone was dead.” The old man cleared his throat for the third time. “It was nice to try their juices for the first time though. She never allowed them to be sold on the island.”

Mikey and Maria stared at the old man dumbfounded. Benjamim bit his lower lip enough for it to tremble.

“Does your granddaughter have a place she likes to hang out?” He asked, quivering. “We could start searching there.”

They searched all night for the young woman. Benjamim was finding that being dead had its perks. They didn’t need to rest or eat, so they could search all night without feeling encumbered. The siblings had also come to aid in the search, they kept bickering to each other about Benjamim which was driving the two older men mad. At the crack of dawn they finally found Sophie. She was sitting by the sea on a small rocky beach. When she saw them coming she tried her best to hide the fact that she had been crying and put on her bravest grumpiest face.

“What are you doing here grandfather?!” She grumbled. “Coming to move on in front of my face like all the others?! Sure, join the let’s dump Sophie club too!” 

“No one is leaving you Sophie, stop being such a child!” Fletcher turned his gaze to small Maria who glared at him. “Sorry little one.”

“So you all came to laugh at me, that’s why you brought a whole group! I hate you so much grandfather! Who even is that guy?!” Sophie kept firing insults at her grandfather, leaving the old man on the verge of tears.

“Hi, I’m Benjamim. Nice to meet you?” He interjected. “We’ve been looking for you the whole night. Your grandfather was very worried for you.”

“You look familiar… Are you another one of the grandkids of the fish lady in the next town?” Sophie had finally stopped the barrage of insults toward her grandfather. “You went next town just to ask for help finding me?!”

Apologies were made and when she calmed down enough she faced her grandfather and tried to reach for a hug. They finally were able to put Sophie up to speed with what was happening with Benjamim. Half an hour later they were all on their way to Abel’s.

“Why are you helping a killer?” Mikey snapped.

“For the hundredth time Mike, nobody killed us.” Sophie retorted. “Why are you even here anyway?!”

“I have to protect my sister! Since all the adults seem to have lost their minds.” Mikey responded. “Since killers are not being brought to justice, it falls on me, the elder sibling, to keep my sister safe until we move over.”

Maria sighed. Sophie shot her an encouraging look while Fletcher reprimanded Mikey once again. Benjamim quietly observed everyone, the troubles of the people beside him seemed so easy to solve. Just a simple honest conversation, yet they were still wasting time trying to help him instead of taking the easy route. His brain still pounded inside his head. He tried his best to piece the puzzle together, but it only seemed to make his pain worse. 

Fletcher seemed a lot happier, he was standing tall and proud and kept looking over his shoulder to make sure Sophie was still there. The Mayor confessed to Benjamim that Sophie and him had only had each other her whole life. Having her friends move on so quickly had only reignited the hurt she felt with the absence of her parents. Benjamim reassured the old man she wouldn’t run off this time. Sophie and the kids finally caught up to them after chasing some squirrels.

Abel’s house stood in a forest clearing. Despite it being so secluded it was quite monumental, even though the estate grounds were very unkempt. A lake served as the mansion’s pool and was probably the one responsible for keeping the grass around alive. Maria phased through the door making the others rush after her.

“Uncle Abel! Uncle Abel! We need your help!” The little girl shouted, her voice echoed through the empty halls. “Are you here? It’s Maria and Mikey! We found a mister that also has ambrosia!”

“It’s amnesia dummy!” Mikey pouted. “Abel, please help me talk some sense into the mayor! I found the murderer!”

A sulky man about Benjamim’s age made his appearance out of one of the ground floor’s rooms. His skin was very pale and wrinkly and his hair seemed like it hadn’t been combed in a while. The sight of him sent Benjamim back. It seemed as if his heart had begun to beat again, it ached so much it brought him to his knees. The man had the same reaction at seeing Benjamim, only a lot more panicked. A guilty look warped his face. Abel managed to gather some strength to flee the house, Sophie darted after him trying to convince to stop.

Fletcher and the kids panicked, staring at Benjamim, who seemed to be about to suffocate. When Benjamim came back to his senses again Sophie was back. She had not been successful at bringing Abel back.

---

Abel had finally reached Eralis’ compound. He felt like he was dying all over again. His memories had come back with a vengeance. He couldn’t help but cry at what he had done. The compound was as empty as his residence, his cries reverberated through the cement walls, making it seem a lot louder than he was being.

“Yo dude! What are you still doing here? Everyone else ascended.” A voice interrupted him. “Glad I was able to stay behind to see if everyone made it okay.”

“L-L-Louis?” Abel murmured.

“Come on man, no one left behind. We cleansed the island, no more bad people! And we get to ascend to mother Eralis.” Louis continued. “No one can harm you again in mother’s gardens. It was a nice touch to bury everyone in the orchards, our earthly garden will bloom beautifully too.”

Louis knelt next to Abel who still was crying on the floor.

“No regrets man. We did a good thing, all these small minded people, the world doesn’t need them.” Louis said in his most comforting tone. “I’m kinda bummed we weren’t able to do this worldwide or something.”

Abel felt like he was running out of air again. He grasped for Louis’ arm failing miserably.

“There’s nothing to feel bad for. I wish you had come along soon. You gave mother Eralis great ideas.” Louis persisted. His body started to glow and he smiled. “See you on the other side brother.”

“There were innocents too…” Abel added, Louis was already long gone. “I killed that man.”

---

“He… killed me.” Benjamim gasped. “I was coming home for the first time in years. He made the rocks collapse on me.”

Everyone stared at Benjamim. Mikey was silent for the first time in a while. Maria sat next to Benjamim trying to comfort him. Benjamim hugged his knees and looked down. His breast pocket was open, a little hedgehog figurine peeped happily at him. 

“I was coming to get my sister. She finished highschool this year and wanted to move in with me.” Benjamim’s face was now covered in tears. “Grandma never liked me much. So I don’t come here often.”

Sophie looked at her grandfather. The man that had always been there, the man that had always made sure she had everything she needed. He had even let her have a gap year, so she could go to university in the coming year with all her friends. Sophie had never been alone. She soon began to glow, Fletcher moved his eyes back to her and gasped. She smiled and vanished.

“She’s safe…” The old man felt as if the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders. “I’m sorry young man, I fear that I have to leave you as well.

“Don’t worry, Mayor. We’ll make sure Mister Benjamim gets home safely.” Maria said as he began to glow as well.

Mikey was sitting on the stairs thinking. He had once again jumped to conclusions and was wrong. He had done this many times before, his younger sister had to save him one too many times at school. Most times he was the bully, but sometimes he was the bullied and in those times he never knew what to do. Maria knew, Maria was always there shadowing him. Maria was the first one to apologise for him. He felt like an awful older brother. Ever since their parents had died Maria had become very reliant on her brother, he however had never stepped up to the task. They were both children and learning to understand the world. Mikey had decided to be like the characters in his comics and Maria had decided to be like her mom.

“Hey kids.” Benjamim dried his tears. “You should go too, I’m sure your parents miss you. Don’t worry I know the way.”

The children looked at him and back at each other.

“I’m sorry Maria. I’ve been a bad brother.” Mikey sobbed and ran to his sister. “I’m sorry I’m weird, I thought if I was like Wonderman I could keep us safe. I know comics aren’t real but.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay, mister?” Maria smiled. “I hope your family is there. Or at least your sister!”

Benjamim smiled and waved. “Thank you. You two were great. You were right, Abel helped me with my ambrosia.”

The children laughed and began to glow. In an instant they too were gone. Benjamim took a little while to recompose. He made his way to the village, a familiar face greeted him at the entrance. 

“Claire!” He ran to his sister. “You’re still here!”

“You came!” Claire exclaimed. “You really came for me! But you’re also…”

“Of course I would come.” Benjamim replied. “Yeah someone rocked me out.”

“Grandma is still here too. Do you want to go see her?...” Claire asked.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Benjamim stepped back. “I’m glad I still got to see you. I wished I would’ve got here sooner. I’m sorry.”

“Please go see Grandma. I know it’s hard. But maybe this time it’ll go well?” Claire pleaded. 

“What unfinished business does she even have? Forgot to hang the laundry?” He replied.

They made their way into the house, Benjamim dragged his feet all the way. Their grandmother sat by the unlit fireplace. The old woman seemed surprised at seeing the young man in their house. 

“Claire, who is this young man? Did you make a new friend?” She asked. “What a time to make friends.”

The old woman got up from her chair and walked closer to them. Her eyes widened as she took a better look at him.

“It’s… you.” She mumbled. “You have a beard…”

Benjamim stood still, no sound was coming from his mouth.

“You came back. Claire did you know? You didn’t tell me she was coming!” The grandmother continued. 

“He grandma!” Claire fired.

“I’m sorry… He. Of course.” She said, smiling at her grandson. “My grandson.”

“Benjamim.” He finally said. “You’re okay with it now?”

“I was very wrong. I didn’t know how much I was hurting you. I know I can’t undo all that I’ve said and done, it is far too late for all of us now.” The old woman started to cry. “I’m so happy I got to see you one last time. You’ve grown into a fine young man.”

Benjamim placed the smiling hedgehog figurine on the table next to them. “I whittled it… Like you taught me. ” 

After a long conversation the family too began to glow. Not all wounds were mended, but some were beginning to heal.

The island was once again inhabited. It took a hundred years for people to move once again to the creepy uninhabited island of legend. Abel was making his rounds down by the pier. Unlike all the stories make one believe, ghosts can live peacefully with humans without ever being seen. A boy followed his grandmother out of a boat, carrying a bucketful of fish. Abel watched them peacefully until the boy looked at him. The child smiled at Abel, at first Abel’s eyes widened, but soon enough he smiled back. The ghost, like all the others before him, started to glow. It was time for him to move on.