the Beginning

Crack. BOOM!...

The sound of thunder could be heard throughout the city of Jenac.

Plip. Plip. Plip. Plip.

The sound of rain, hastily pouring over the roofs of all the houses.

Fwip. Fwip.

The sound that seventeen-year-old Thane Frost makes tussling around in bed trying to get some sort of sleep. He always hated the sound of thunder and the rain that typically came with it. It put him in a state of discomfort, but the thought of a bright and sunny morning waiting for him always got Thane through the night. With that in mind, he slowly drifted away into a deep state of sleep, a typical occurrence for Thane. Whilst asleep, Thane began to dream of a mysterious object. It was an object he could not distinguish, yet he knew he had never seen anything of the sort before in his whole life. As he squinted his eyes, he tried to make sense of what he was looking at, but before he could get an even closer look, he woke from his long-winded slumber.

Huff. Huff. Huff.

“What in the world was that?!” Thane yelled out loud, with no regard to his family that might still be asleep.

"What is it!" yelled his little sister Jaela, half-awake.

“Oh....umm, nothing sis!” said Thane. It was obvious that he couldn’t explain what he saw in his dream.

"Whatever," said Jaela.

Thane was a bit confused as to why his sister didn't further question him on his unexpected outburst, but nonetheless, Thane got up and did his usual morning routine.

He brushed his teeth with the water he previously collected the night before, then began to prepare breakfast for his family of four. Thane’s family consists of him, Jaela, his thirteen-year-old sister, Callan, his fourteen-year-old brother, and Silvia, his thirty-four-year-old mother. Thane’s family has been impoverished since he was born..

Silvia told Thane that his father abandoned the family when Thane was only 4 years old, making it difficult for him to recall what his father looked like. Not a single image pops up in Thane’s mind when trying to picture his father. It's like his father doesn't exist. Of course he exists, otherwise, Thane wouldn’t be alive. Even Thanes' two siblings can't seem to remember what their father looked like. Although they might've been too young to be able to recall the appearance of their father, it still gives Thane an ominous feeling whenever he thinks about him. A strong feeling of unease.

Sizzle!

The sound of cured meat over a fire began to fill the whole house. Its meaty aroma imbued every room, which the whole family seemed to enjoy.

"Ooh! Jaela’s still outside showering, so that means I get extra!" said Callan jokingly.

"Not sure that's how it works,"said their mother playfully.

"Haha! Maybe you're right,"Callan responded.

"Breakfast is almost ready!" said Thane. It wasn't much of a breakfast. A slab of meat and day old rainwater to be exact.

"Alright! I finished showering,"said Jaela. It wasn't much of a shower. She used the same water bucket to shower as Thane used to brush his teeth. A little water at a time mixed with the occasional dab of cheap soap made Jaela’s shower. The Frost family had to make sure they used their resources as efficiently as possible, so every little thing they could skimp on, they sure did. Surprisingly, the Frost family’s misfortune never phased them. Their mother taught each of them from a young age to be grateful for everything they have, and grateful they continued to be.

"Breakfast is finally ready!" said Thane.

Plop!

The Frost family simultaneously sat, eager to begin eating their food. The scratches and clinking of silverware could be heard throughout the Frost household, almost immediately after being set on the dinner table.

"Yum!" said Jaela.

"I agree with your sister, Thane," said Silvia.

There were no spoken words from Callan, just boisterous munching, loud enough to wake a bear from its hibernation.

Ten minutes passed, and the Frost family finished their meal.

"Would you like a coffee?" Silvia asked.

     “Absolutely!” Thane gleefully replied. It was a common occurrence for Silvia to pitch a coffee after Thane made breakfast for the family. Thane leisurely sipped on his cup of coffee whilst looking out the living space window. Outside the window was a gorgeous and breathtaking formation of mountains stretching further than the human eye could see. Thane often pondered on this whenever he had the chance. Thane's knowledge of the world seemed so miniscule to him. He felt as if there was so much out there to explore. He stayed up countless nights, wondering why life felt so simple and desolate. Perhaps there were things his mother was keeping secret. Or his years in school were spent teaching concepts and ideas that were useless in the grand scheme of things.

     Thane knew what the schools taught, but he was skeptical of how small they made the world seem to be. He was only aware of Thensia,  his country of birth, Janec, his hometown, and various other cities he's visited. It didn't occure to him until this moment, that there might be other countries in the world to explore. Other cities to enjoy, and different settings that he's never had the pleasure to experience. With all this swirling around in his head, he felt as if he'd had enough of sitting around.

  "That's it! I'm done feeling ignorant of the world around me. There must be more to life than this small hometown". Said Thane.

     He gathered any clothes he could find and stuffed it inside a small drawstring bag that he kept underneath his bed.  He alerted his mother of his departure and set out towards the glorious mountains that he had been previously admiring. Steadily he trekked, making sure not to get lost. He occasionally picked up and dropped pebbles creating a path to which he could trace , in order to get back home. He hiked upward for hours, while simultaneously cherishing the landscape at his mighty elevation. While looking down, he noticed the trees, lush, and vibrant with hues of vitality.  The trees also flucuating, in the rapid wind that ascended the mountains. Thane took a deep breath of air. A breath he has not experienced before, because of the low elevation of his hometown.
     "I wish my family could experience this with me" he said.
     
     He then continued up the mountain, being cautious of any pits or holes he may stumble into. As the sun began to set, Thane pulled out a blanket in which he brought from his home. He layed it onto a flat patch of grass that he spotted up a hill, and sat on top of the blanket.  From his position, he could see the Sun in it's glory, but not like he usually saw it. From his position there was a towering tree, which seemed to be quite old. To it's right, was a large bush which bared an object that looked to be a fruit. Between the tree and bush was the sun, gradually descending on the horizon. 

The vibrant sun brought Thane at ease, and he began to feel sleepy. In his daze, his eyes began to heavily droop down his face, and he fell asleep.