Sprout

A weird sensation, one of cold and hot but a live energy that vibrated with an angry motion? Warmth spilled over the gravelly road as a numbness set itself like a heavy rock to the chest.

"Somebody call emergency services!" A woman outside the murky fog yelled as Jun seemed to be staring at the bottom of the car. The gas and heat from it gave some comfort from the cold as warm liquid dripped from above and landed directly on his face. It was unclear what angle or where anything was at this point of time.

At moments where time does stop, its supposed to be scary but oddly it was like something was calling him as rapid heat seemed to burst around him simultaneously-

~you do not fear death?~

Was that some sort of trick question? He wasn't dead…

~I'm afraid you are dear child~

'Dead…'

Why when said or thought does it seem like your brain refuses to acknowledge that such a word and phrase exists?

~humans are a rather interesting group~

'You say it like you're not human'

~that's because I'm not, but you cannot see because you do not have eyes~

'I have eyes!' Jun defensively spoke as he thought about how rude it was that this person thought they knew more about him than the fact that he may not have had eyes. He attempted to open his eyes only to find that he couldn't see at all?! No, he had eyes, otherwise how was he able to read such lovely text printed upon paper? Those teases of a blurb and title?!

But as he struggled more he only realised that not only couldn't he open his eyes, but nothing he did; anything!? He was nothing, almost as though his body was nonexistent, like he had no body!?

~As you might have figured out child, you do not have a body no more~

Fear? Terror? Sadness? What was he supposed to feel as this stranger seemed to hold his soul in their very hands and speak to him about his fate. A new take on fate and holding it in their hands, yet Jun's soul vibrated as though expressing his emotions of confusion.

~It is alright dear child, you do not need to quiver about your fate~

'Fate?'

As if a sheer drop down a hill had been activated, the voice of what Jun could only express to be God seemed to move as did his soul in their very hands.

~you are quite interesting, a Mother that tried her best to comfort her child and an Aunty that fulfilled her dying wish~ stopping short the deity holding Jun's soul in their hands seemed to replay his heroic scene of saving another life from a car before the car drove over Jun. ~you were quite misunderstood Jun Lee, you rather live a life inside pages than those that surrounded you~

The sphere in front of the deity showed Jun as a young child right through to his death as if a saved recording till his last breath of life. The being seemed to move again slowly through very bright and dark places, passing by rooms as if finding the perfect room, gate or door to put Jun's soul into.

~you will not be put to rest just yet Jun Lee, son of Merida Lee, I give you another life through this door, one of hardship and patience but power and beauty. You'll meet many people and hopefully learn a new way of life than that you have known~ opening the door in front of them a swirl of colours and lights emitted from within, as the hand holding Jun's soul slowly entered the door sucking Jun's soul inside. ~Now go young one, I hope to hear and see your growth over this life time~

A feeling of being suspend in air, warmth filled Jun's soul as it traveled through the door leading him to somewhere he'd never have suspected if he could see as time and much more seemed irrelevant. Lights seemed to attach themselves to Jun's soul as his soul fell from the sky as an orb and straight to the ground missing animals in his descent. His soul found a seed within the ground and merged with it as if this was the form he would take for the next few days- weeks- years- it was anyone's guess.

The seed in the ground buzzed happily as the wind above blew a little harsher and the clouds gathered bringing about rain to the parched grass and other living things. The rains descent brought flourishing flowers and nourished trees, the leaves catching raindrops as the crickets and other small woodland creatures scurried either for shelter or because of the nice weather.

Slowly the ground soaked up the water and the small and many roots guided themselves towards the seed, on impact the seed shook as it partook it the refreshing moist dirt and water around it. Glowing gold the seed sprouted and slowly pushed up as the rain continued to pour down on the land. It's ascension was faster than any known tree in existence, it wasn't destined to spout till next winter but here it was.

It's leaves fully formed as a young sprout in the wind and rain just over night.

As the rain cleared many animals sniff at the sprout in wonderment, it did not smell like an ordinary plant that they would come by occasionally. This one seemed foreign, a wild boar thought to try it's luck as the sprout looked like a tasty on-tray. Only to be thrown back 1 metre away as a gold shield had presented itself around the sprout. The boar afraid, squealed and ran off in the other direction as the shield simply disappeared into thin air.

A girl was next to discover the sprout standing tall in a harsh area of the woods, her peeked curiosity had her poke and touch the small leaves. The shield not sensing any threat let her touch to her hearts content as the young one giggled.

"Ūõ qćütė płāėntÿ" she spoke foreignly, as her eyes lit up as a part of the sprout seemed to wrap around one of her small fingers. Smiling she went to talk again only for someone to yell across the field to where she was.

"Zàmila Æuill!" In a rush as if being busted she accidentally dropped a belt holding potions, she was a young mage in practice. But upon dropping some potions the small sprout was doused in unknown substances and it caused panic across the child's face.

"Àh, nõ!" She hurriedly picked up the potion tubes as a man approached and spoke a more fluent and flowed foreign language. Without needed to understand him, it was clear that the young mage had gone past the line as he grabbed her arm to pull her along. But she was protesting as she pointed to the sprout, the man simply looked at the sprout and scoffed before he stepped on it. Crushing the sprout to the ground, the girl as if feeling the sprouts pain cried. The potions she had spilled on it had weakened the plant and now her actions had caused it more pain. Despair filled her face as the man pulled her away as the sprout was now a crushed leafy green.

Another day goes by as the sprout remained ruined on the floor. Nothing had come for it or taken another look at something so insignificant. Between the sun and rain, the sprout more enjoyed the rain as a storm was on a verge of befalling the land. Rough wind and high tides had people huddle inside for warmth and protection. The wildlife incapable of being outside looked for caves and other places to seek refuge.

The sprout of Jun's soul seemed to quiver as it tried to soak up the bits of rain that had started to descend to heal itself. But as the rain grew thicker it was more a curse than a blessing, the sprout was now drowning. The mere ground was turned into a pool of water as the ground beneath caved in and the sprouts roots disconnected from it's origin. It drifted through the water and down rapids till it reach a vastness of ocean.

The young roots of the sprout curled in on itself as it's leaves got torn off bit by bit. Yet the sprout still carried on, being forced down to the depths of sea itself. Landing on the sand bed of the sea alone in the darkness the sprouts roots attempted to embed itself. A last resort to save it's life as the tiny shrivelled roots drove as deep as they could under the sea ground.

Here the sprout remained as it grew slowly over time underneath and uninterrupted beneath the surface of the sea.