Chapter 8

As I walked down the path. I sighed. It's at times like this I wish I had thought things through. I'm walking down an unknown path while getting soaked, and I have neither a map nor an umbrella. I don't even have my phone with me! Like, what the hell? I've already lost hope, and it's only my first day. I can't even go back for things, either, because I would be deemed as a disgrace for not completing the mission, I would have to wait a whole year to be able to do it again, I'll get scolded A LOT for not being prepared (and I mean A LOT), and I don't think anyone would ever talk to me ever again.

So, yeah, I can't go back. My family's already a disgrace as it is, and I don't need to make the current situation any worse. So, home doesn't seem like such an inviting place right now. I've got both everything to lose and everything to gain, so I might as well see this through to the end. I went down the left path where nothing is right, but I still don't know what to expect. Does it mean that none of the information given here is correct? Or is it a place where injustices go unnoticed? Or is it something else?? I sighed again. I have no idea how this is gonna play out, or where this is gonna take me, or if I even took the right path.

All I know is that I made a decision, and it may be dangerous. I contemplated getting the knife out of the bag, but decided against it, partially due to laziness. I have absolutely no idea how to wield a weapon. I mean, if it was a life or death situation I'll fight, despite my inexperience, but I'm still going to be an amateur. I should probably start practising. I'm not going to, but I should. I'm sure I'm going to regret that decision at some point in the future, but that's future me's problem. Present me can't be bothered and doesn't give a damn, to be quite honest with you. I am disappointing my grandmother so much right now by not weighing out my option, not being hasty enough, and, as she would put it, charging in without a plan, or in my case, without any idea of anything whatsoever. I'm doing the complete opposite of what I should probably be doing, and yet I feel absolutely fantastic. How ironic is that? I'm supposed to be proving that I'm not a disappointment, and all I'm doing is being a disappointment. Isn't life strange like that?

I stopped when I saw a sign pointing in the direction I'm going. 'North Blade in ½ a mile' is what it read. It's nice to know that I don't have much longer to go. I continued walking again and then started wondering what the other 'city' would be called. Would it have a similar name to this city? North Blade. An interesting name. I wonder if there's any history behind it. I wonder if there's any history behind any names of places. I've never really thought about it. I'll ask gran when I get back home. So North Blade is the city to the left where nothing is right. Why haven't we learnt about these two cities? Is it because of this? The adventure people go on each year? They don't want people to know about these places because they want to know what decisions we'll make on little information. Smart, because it shows what a person intuition will tell them, instead of relying on intellect alone. But stupid as well, because someone may make an impulsive decision. A person may choose a different path based on curiosity alone, or due to the fear of going down the path they need to. We need some knowledge of these places because, for all I know, I ould be going down the completely wrong path. The only reason I chose this path is that at least there is something left here, despite there being nothing right.

But I guess that's what they want. They want us to doubt ourselves and therefore make a rash decision. Sometimes I wonder what this all for. Like, I know I want to lift the curse of my family, and stop the village from disrespecting my mother and I, but is it really worth all of this? Can I really do this? I'm having second thoughts on all of this, but I'll keep going. My mum's counting on me to do this. And it's stupid of me to question my motives at a time like this. My motives are all that I have. A piece of the elder's letter stuck in my mind; 'if you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. And if you feel like quitting, think about why you started.' I started this fight for my mum, and it is not ending yet. I've been fighting this battle for far too long to give up now.