I met a monster in a strange place called The Cage.
The monster ate all my bad dreams so I stopped having them.
But when the monster kept eating my dreams, he turned into a girl that looked just like me, and I became a monster. I was so surprised, I didn't know what to do—so I ran away.
But secretly, I was happy to be a monster.
I wanted to forget about my dead dad. I wanted to forget about my mom who abandoned me. I wanted to forget about the other kids who bullied me. I wanted to forget everything.
I'm not human anymore. I'm a monster.
And I am going to forget everything.
Everything.
* * *
It's snowing; soft, white, and beautiful.
The strange place is made of stone. Some parts are covered in leaves, and some let the snow in. Like this one.
The snow crunches under my feet as I walk down a long white path.
I don't know where to go.
I want to go home, but I didn't know where it is.
I guess I forgot where I'd come from.
I don't know anymore. I can't remember anything.
Eventually I stop thinking about it because it makes my head hurt. I forget all that and begin to run. Snow sticks to my cheeks—it's nice and cold, and helps to erase the fuzzy feeling in my head.
After a while, I come to a stop and see a woman sitting by a cold stone wall. I thought I was alone in this place, so I'm happy to see someone else.
But she's shivering. Is she sick?
"Excuse me, ma'am," I ask. "Are you okay?"
She looks over at me and screams.
"MONSTER!"
She starts to shiver more after that, and I feel bad for her. I want her to feel better. I start trying to spin and dance, because that always makes me happy and I think it will make her happy, too. But I can't dance very well in all the slippery snow, and after a second I fall down on my bum—which causes the lady to laugh.
"Are you feeling better, ma'am?"
She gives a little nod, and we start talking. She tells me she found herself lost in this stone place, and wants to go home so she can see her "family" and her "daughter." Then she asks me how to get out of here. When I tell her I don't know, her face gets all sad again.
"It's okay," I say. "We'll find a way home together."
I take her hand. My hands are super big, so I hold hers gently, trying not to crush it. She looks up at me like she's going to cry, then squeezes my hand tight.
"Your hands..." she says in a whisper. "They're so cold."
I realize then how cold my hands are, and remember how I was trying to endure the cold. But I'm okay now, because the nice lady's hands are so very warm.
[No.01] Ch.1: Warm Hands
I met a monster in a strange place called The Cage.
The monster ate all my bad dreams so I stopped having them.
But when the monster kept eating my dreams, he turned into a girl that looked just like me, and I became a monster. I was so surprised, I didn't know what to do—so I ran away.
But secretly, I was happy to be a monster.
I wanted to forget about my dead dad. I wanted to forget about my mom who abandoned me. I wanted to forget about the other kids who bullied me. I wanted to forget everything.
I'm not human anymore. I'm a monster.
And I am going to forget everything.
Everything.
It's snowing; soft, white, and beautiful.
The strange place is made of stone. Some parts are covered in leaves, and some let the snow in. Like this one.
The snow crunches under my feet as I walk down a long white path.
I don't know where to go.
I want to go home, but I didn't know where it is.
I guess I forgot where I'd come from.
I don't know anymore. I can't remember anything.
Eventually I stop thinking about it because it makes my head hurt. I forget all that and begin to run. Snow sticks to my cheeks—it's nice and cold, and helps to erase the fuzzy feeling in my head.
After a while, I come to a stop and see a woman sitting by a cold stone wall. I thought I was alone in this place, so I'm happy to see someone else.
But she's shivering. Is she sick?
"Excuse me, ma'am," I ask. "Are you okay?"
She looks over at me and screams.
"MONSTER!"
She starts to shiver more after that, and I feel bad for her. I want her to feel better. I start trying to spin and dance, because that always makes me happy and I think it will make her happy, too. But I can't dance very well in all the slippery snow, and after a second I fall down on my bum—which causes the lady to laugh.
"Are you feeling better, ma'am?"
She gives a little nod, and we start talking. She tells me she found herself lost in this stone place, and wants to go home so she can see her "family" and her "daughter." Then she asks me how to get out of here. When I tell her I don't know, her face gets all sad again.
"It's okay," I say. "We'll find a way home together."
I take her hand. My hands are super big, so I hold hers gently, trying not to crush it. She looks up at me like she's going to cry, then squeezes my hand tight.
"Your hands..." she says in a whisper. "They're so cold."
I realize then how cold my hands are, and remember how I was trying to endure the cold. But I'm okay now, because the nice lady's hands are so very warm.