Jello

The Tale of The Darkened Woods

Allow me to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, there was a land, split into two. A warm, comforting light, made up part of this land, full of life, freedom, but also order. It was far from a haven, but it was far from a prison as well. In this land, there lived a boy. This boy had done wrong so many times, hurting, abusing, and terrorizing the people that lived in the light. Hurt dealt by the boy went both ways, and he found himself hiding from the light so many times.

The boy had a friend, who he had met in the light. Someone whose gaze and light did not cause the boy to hide. Renewed and full of life, the two spent time together. They grew close, so close in fact, that the boy hid once more from the light. For the longest time, the boy convinced himself that the light from his friend was all he needed, and with his friend's light, he no longer was afraid of the other part of this land.

Darkness. Thick like sugar, and just as sweet. It was a horrid place, that had disguised itself as far more of a haven than the light was. A place where freedom was said to abound. The boy and his friend had hung around the edges, but one day, the friend reached in, pulling out a treat. He scarfed it down, entranced by the taste, and returned for more. The boy and his friend sat there, taking and tasting all that the darkness had to offer, unaware of the darkness slowly drawing them further in.

They met there, day after day, taking and tasting and enjoying their time together. But the boy soon found himself returning even without his friend, growing obsessed with the taste. He found out his friend had too, but only after it was too late. The boy had gone to the border, and found his friend emerging from the darkness. He didn't recognize his friend's new shape, but somehow knew it was him. It was then he saw himself for the first time since tasting the darkness, unable to recognize himself either.

The boy begged his friend to follow him back to the light, but it was far, far too late. The friend vanished into the darkness, afraid to face the light, or the boy, again. Even without his friend, the boy found himself addicted to the darkness, returning to it one day out of misery. It was not enjoyable, but the boy could not tear himself from the taste, diving into the darkness to try to find the same joy his friend gave him.

Instead, all he eventually found, was the biting cold of a sea.