Chapter 4, Optimistic Views

On his way to school, Sylar is greeted by several of the town folks that were there the day his parents perished in the fire, along with the rest of the forest district. He passed many on a daily basis going back and forth from school, following the same route.


Entering the center of the city, Sylar gazes out into the stars of daylight. Large buildings with tinted windows reflect the sunlight making it look like it’s night during any time of day. Crossing a bridge that leads to the school yard, Sylar looks over the Japanese arched railing painted a cherry red into the gemmed teal water.


Fish swimming in harmony, one with another, almost like the school was a whole. Several fish were more than astounding to look at, and were mostly exotic fish based in the pond circling the yard where creativity was embraced. The water sparkling from the eyes of each fish, like fireflies in the night sky.


With notebooks in one hand, and an assortment of pencils and erasers in the other Sylar finishes admiring the pond and walks the rest of the cherry stained bridge. Entering the school yard, he notices there isn’t anyone there. Made sense, Sylar was still about an hour or so early to school. Finding his way to the back of the field. He plops down and opens his notebook, and studied his pencil.


Just before Sylar could start writing, even though nothing came to mind, he heard a faint question coming from the other side of the classroom with an identical bridge Sylar was just on. “What are you doing here so early, Sylar? Lessons don’t start for another hour.” Focusing a bit more on the bridge he saw his teacher coming down the sloop. A satchel rests on her shoulder with many folders, notebooks and other school supplies that couldn’t fit in her bag. Miss Walters, was there early every morning she had sessions to set up and prepare the classroom.


“I-i don’t have anywhere else to go” Sylar was a little hesitant on mentioning that. He wasn’t the type to let others know his personal life, but he wasn’t the type to lie either. He figured it would be best to just come out with it, in hopes Miss Walters doesn’t put the pieces together. Unfortunately for Sylar, she did.

“I just wanted some time to write is all.” Sylar just turned to the side, looking back down at his blank notebook, Passing the whole thing off as nothing. Setting down on a dirt mound, ideas start to flood Sylar’s head, and what any writer would do, he begins to write them down.

Your dreams can come true if you stay true to yourself

Choose to lose everything before you lose everyone

Success comes from work, not a silver platter


“Oh, are you writing a story?” Miss Walters asks Sylar a bit amused

“Nothing of that sort yet, just ideas. I’m actually uncertain of what style I want to write in.”

Well, because class is about to start in a moment. Could I speak with you before the others start to show up? I’m a little concerned with you showing up so early.” Miss Walters was right to be concerned. Though, didn’t know how to handle the situation or what is was for that matter.

Miss Walters had known the depth of what’s been going on in Sylar’s life with them living in small, helpful community. So she figured that’s what had been bothering him. Although, Sylar didn’t look to impressed when she asked to talk to him and gave Miss Walters a bit of an annoyed look.

“You don’t have to tell me anything. I understand it must be hard for you to lose your parents, and what happened after you were adopted by your uncle. Always remember I’m here if you need anyone to talk to. The hardest thing of all is feeling like you have no one. Believe me, you aren’t the only one who is struggling to get through life. Everyone has something they battle, some more than others, but who's to judge each other's problems?” Miss Walters didn’t know what else was happening, though, she covered what she felt was necessary to help Sylar.

“Thank you Miss Walters” Sylar was to depressed to say much of anything else as if he has the time to anyways. Students began pouring in from the bridges and taking their seats. Classes were about to start. Giving Sylar a look of petty then turning around into a smile. Miss Walters made her way back to her desk. 

Amusing as it may be, the young ones still stopped by and gave the fish a nice welcoming by given them a paw full of fish food. Standing at her desk, Miss Walters greeted each and every kid as they made their way across the bridge and over to their desks.

Noticing him setting in the back, another young kit in Sylar’s grade helped herself to see what Sylar was up to. It looked to her as if he has been there for a while, in which she was correct. Though, she wasn’t the only one who had seen Sylar sitting back there. As the young kit began to make her way back to visit with him. She felt a paw grace over her shoulder, grabbing her attention. “What do you think you are doing Kadence?” Laughter broke out through the rest of the class. “Don’t even think about it or you can just forget being part of this- Luxurious group!”

Kadence was part of the “popular” crowd, and Sylar, well, he wasn’t. Though, that didn’t stop Kadence from having a slight crush on Sylar. Her friends did manage to stop her from talking to Sylar as long as they were around. That didn’t stop Kadence. Anytime she had an opening she would give it a go.

The group was made of girls whom were made of wealth and fashion to show. Everyone but Kadence anyways. She became part of the group once the other girls heard about Kadence’s dads’ good comings. He had become the city's landscape architecture.

“Alright everyone, have your seats filled and allow us to take wanders into this marvelous day to learn! Remember, knowledge leads wonders. The more you learn, the more questions become answer, and the more helpful to others you may become.” The teacher stoked about the journey and marvels knowledge can hold beneath it’s flaky skin.

“Okay kids! Today we will learn about the importance of dreams. Now, I’m sure most of you have a dream, some many even think their dreams are out of reach. Well they aren’t! Anyone has the power to do anything the wish... within the laws of physics of course.” Clapping her hands excitedly, Miss Walters is ready to start the lesson.

The students looking at each other, wondering how much coffee Miss Walters had to drink before she got to the school. Some were giggling, others were just looking at her with a bit of a confused face. But altogether, believed their teacher knew what she was doing and patiently sat through the lesson.


“Oh, how far people have gotten with their dreams! Your dream can come true, and will happen, but only if you stay true to yourself. Unfortunately, this isn’t a life with magic, and you actually have to work for what you want. The most important thing about your dream… it’s your dream, no one else's! Don’t let other people control your dream for you. If they don’t like what your wishes are, then they aren’t the people you want support from. You should never here ‘you can’t’ or ‘maybe you shouldn’t’. It should always be ‘you can’ or ‘maybe you should.”

Taking a breathe, the class is speechless, and can’t think of anything to follow up on Miss Walters speech. Except for one student, that started a chain reaction.

“My dream is to become a veterinarian and help take care of the sick.”

“I want to become a police officer and help keep the streets safe”

“My dream is to report the new”

“I want to become a molecular biologist!”

Interrupting, Miss Walters encourages the students to voice their dreams aloud. “That’s good kids! Keep them coming!”

Sylar off in his own world, writing away, not giving any attention to the lesson brought about the class room.

“Sylar, how about you, what is your dream?”

Sheepishly, Sylar tried to avoid the question by continuing to write. Acting like he didn’t hear what the teacher asked him which was unsuccessful.

“Sylar, what is your dream?”

Sighing with hesitance. Sylar takes a moment to prepare himself, not fully knowing what to say. “Well, to be honest, I haven’t really thought about what I wanted to become. But I do enjoy writing, and wish to do something with writing, maybe become a content creator or something to do with screenplays?”

“Oh, that’s just wonderful! What a creative path to choose Sylar” Miss Walters encouraging Sylar’s dream on, though, the rest of the class broke out into laughter. Thankfully for Sylar and Miss Walter’s, it was time to send the students home for the day. “Alright everyone that’s enough now! The point of this lesson was to encourage others dreams, we will pick up on this again tomorrow. You are all dismissed and hope you all make it home safe and sound!”

Waiting for most of the class to head across the arched bridges, Miss Walter’s stops Sylar before he got everything packed and headed out.

“Sorry about that Sylar, don’t let stuff like that bring you down. You have a long journey ahead of you, but not an impossible one. Once your dream is accomplished, you will have the power to help more than just a few people within the city walls. You will be able to help the world!” Miss Walter’s lifted the spirits up again for Sylar with her optimistic view of dreams.

“See you tomorrow Miss Walters!”

Chapter 3, A Missing Link

Broken glass amongst the dirt floor, and stains that mark the cream colored walls. An elder fox in his mid-fifties can be seen setting in an old tarnished wooden chair with a glass bottle firm in his grasp. Almost as if he cherished it deeply.

“Come on you waste. You are going school!” A deep voice called out, still sitting in his chair with his transparent bottle. “So help me if you are late you disappointment!” The old fox grunts and acts with anger.

“Come now honey, you know what happened wasn’t his fault!”

“Then whose was it?”

The woman paused, and the stained room filled with guilt. Shards of glass still lay on the floor beneath where the bottles had shattered. Holes in the dirt walls remain webbed from nesting spiders and doorframes hold no purpose. They stand no longer with great support but rather cracked splintering wood drooping inside the frame walls.

“It’s okay Aunt Eden, he means well, I know he does.”

The floors even made from dirt shared the same stains the walls did. Windows were oddly full and looked almost untouched. There was a pile of dust in the window frame, and the curtains were gray from all the dust. Unpulled, the house remains in the dark, lighted with nothing more than a lamp.

Sylar, however, was getting use to the way his uncle treated him. It wasn’t right be any means, but there wasn’t anything he could do at the time. It wasn’t time for Sylar to head to school. There was an hour gap between the time his uncle told him to go and the actual time he was suppose to be in class.

Quickly- trying not to let intrusive thoughts get the best of him, Sylar gathers his homework and misplaced papers that were placed on his rotted desk. The miscellaneously placed papers weren’t important, not to the teacher anyways. Sylar uses any scrap paper he can find to write ideas that course through his mind.

Sylar’s room, covered by no more than a worn sheet was cluttered. Filled with books, and scattered paper made up most of his clutter. He found a passion to write after his parents passed, and kept it as an escape for when he needed it. Obviously his mind would churn up some wicked stories.

Rushing off to the field, frightened (who wouldn’t be). Sylar’s aunt sticks up for him once again. Hoping to lighten the mood of the distraught elder. “Why must you be so hard on him? He has been through so much and you only make things worse on him!”

Not a word was said, Harnold just gave a menacing glare. A sign he wanted her to stay out of it. His wife knew why he was so upset with Sylar, but she also knew nothing was his fault. It was just one of those hatreds that grew stronger from memories. Unfortunately, Sylar was a memory.

“Harnold-” she was stopped before she could get any further than his name.

“What! It is what it is. Look, I need to clean up the messes Sylar hasn’t yet! That lazy kid doesn’t know how lucky he has it.”

“Harnold! You had a much easier life than he has and you know it. What changed you?”

Thinking long about what Eden said, he didn’t respond, he knew nothing Sylar did caused what had happened. It was just a freak accident.

“Eden, tell me this, why did we have to adopt him? Everything was going great... until we adopted him.”

“He needed a home! You can’t be that oblivious to why we choose to bring him in! You use to love being around him when he first arrived too, where did that go? Where did he go wrong within that 10 years?

Ten years ago, when Sylar was first brought in by his aunt and uncle everything was at peace. Sylar got along perfectly with their daughter, as they played after school like any siblings should. She helped Sylar get over his depression for the most part, as much as one can help. While Sylar became her best friend.

“Sylar just has something around him, I’m not sure what it is but he is cursed Eden, cursed.” Harnold finished the last sip of his beverage, and he got up to get another. He was wearing a white stained T-shirt, with red striped boxers.” Matted fur covered a good portion of his body while he walked around with his spare tire.

Harnold made his way to the cooler, which held his pick of thirst quenching liquids. The cooler was dug out low on the floor, found within the kitchen. With a decline from the living room to the kitchen to reach a further depth in the ground where it keeps cool at anytime of the year.

“He isn’t cursed!” Eden says in a voice that sounded like she was just ready to give up. It was pointless to convince him otherwise.

“He is Eden, the sooner you realize that the better.” Harnold mentions while thinking back on the day that changed everything for him. He pops the metal cap off his beverage, and heads back to his well worn out, stained chair. “Look Eden, as much as I would love to talk about all of this, perhaps it can wait another day. I have some outside work that needs to get done.”

Chapter 2 Festival Fires

A rhino, thick skinned and heavily worn, comes barreling into the center of the party where DJ’s perform atop a desert rock, large enough to fit an entire band. Animals from all around have come to live in the unitized village, block the incoming rhino from obtaining the microphone any faster.

The crowd in an uproar, yelling at the rhino to get off the stage. That wasn’t enough to scare him though. He, though tough looking, seemed to be far more worried about something else.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Get off the stage.”

Many still screamed through the distraction of the festival music.

“Hey, guards! Come get this civilian off the stage!”

The rhino vigorously reaching for the microphone. His big rock like hands tosses it from side to side, making him scramble to prevent it from hitting the ground. After a few failed attempts of grabbing the mic, and flinging guards off his shoulders, the rhino finally finishes his quest, only to start another.

Panicking even more. He tries to pick his brain to find words that form a correlating sentence to excuse his interruption. Out of breath, he is finally able to utter his warning. Putting everyone else in a panic.

“The orange wisp, it BrEathes on our turf yet again!” The rhino panting into the microphone.

The crowd scatters, running into each other. Not even taking into consideration… they aren’t sure where this “chaos” is located. You can hear several faint screams from within then load uproar, caused, not by the Dj’s on stage, but a simple fan warning the others of the miscues fire.

“We’re all going to die!”

“We’ve lost… EVERYTHING!”

“The unity has been tampered!”

“Everyone, please just calm down! Let us decide what’s happening. We are the emergency responder after all, not you.” The angry hippopotamus states, hoping everyone would calm down. Hysteria, however, got the best of the over reacting crowd. The emergency responder got up on the stage, glared at the rhino, and pulls the microphone from his brisk hands. Continuing to tell the crowd to calm down. Eventually, the fans did, and by doing so, they found the fire, along with the charred remains of plants and homes.

The forest frontier had been hit with the uninvited guest, as it danced around destructively.The once thriving terraform is now looked at nothing more as a desolate area that won’t bring life anytime soon. Trees looked rotted and dead like they had been there for years, the ground was covered with ash, ruining the grounds properties for growth. Smoke had covered the great united city and slowly settled, creating a haze.

Unsure of what happened, everyone just stood like jade statues. Some were frozen to be worshiped, some were frozen as an elitist, others were frozen as if they were one. All frozen as time was stopped. Gates weren’t finished, fleeing wasn’t an option, the civility was dispirited.

Thawing, the crowd stops in sorrow, with a tight feeling a great loss heavy in their chests. “The damage should heal over time. But--” One of the responders broke the silence, still moving debris. The civilians gather around weeping over their loss. “There happened to two casualties, unfortunately.” Take her straw woven hat marking her as a rescue; the rest followed with obedience.

They all stare at the remaining burnt trunks, that glow of charcoal dust, and the smell of a festival fire. The tree tops were completely gone, no trace left in the ashes the ground was now made of. Lastly, homes and dens didn’t have a place within that claimant anymore. Life within this sector would no longer flourish, not like it used to.   

Off in the distance, were bushes still stand, sets a young animal who appears to be a kit. Hiding behind a few rows of leaves and branches, watching the adults and other children mourn uncertain of everything that place. The kit was sure something terrible happened, with the horrid looks the adults gave while staring at the reminisces of a den.

“M-mother? Father?” Not only was the smoke causing his eyes to tear, but his eyes began to tear up once he saw who’s den it was. Intrusive thoughts held tight in his mind that his parents didn’t make it out in time from the thick fires wall; they didn’t join in the celebration.

The Night’s tranquility came to an end

Chapter 1: Childhood

In a land; orderly pieced together, allowing a section for each biological terraform to live peacefully amongst the different climates, a group of young animals gather; setting up decorations, for the upcoming festivities in the young night as it ages, honoring the ancestors that made the unity between all species possible, amongst the fast growing civilization occupying the mass they all know and love today.

A lion cub- exhausted from his hard work that took place in the schoolyard, excited to see he is “almost” finished making the decorations handed to him. Paper, glue, and thinly wound string attracted to his paws; he holds his project by the thread used to hang the ornament to show off his accomplishment.

“I’m finally done! I can’t wait to start hanging these, this is my favorite time of the school year!”

“You are just excited because you don’t have to do this tedious work anymore.” an angered high pitched voice calls out from a red, orange tinted squirrel. Looking at her fur, you could tell she wasn’t a very handy person.

The lion cub looks over at her only in petty. He laughed at her.

“And you are only jealous because I only made a mess of my hands”

The room, well, open field full of children only knew of one manner in which to act. Laughter shattered through the wide open, putting Kelcy (the squirrel) in a hidden bent posture, hoping that would prevent everyone from looking at her, though it didn’t help.

“Hey now kids, let’s not spoil each others day with unnecessary remarks. Today is a special day and should be lived like the rest. You know we don’t pick on others, so don’t start today, Thank you!” Miss Walters, a Gazelle trying to lift the gloomy aroma from the field.

Both the lion cub and Kelcy apologize to the teacher by putting their paws together “Sorry” came from beneath the breath of the two young animals, politely bowing to Miss Walters and the rest of the class.     

“It won’t happen again, Miss Walters.” Kelcy reassuring the teacher. Under her breath, she manages to slip out “At least not when you are around.” without the adult figure hearing.  

All the students rounded up with their finished; not all nice and neat, but young crafted projects, the floating orb. Volunteers began to show up, knowing the students were given a strict deadline -- 2:30 PM, for the cities decorations; to help Miss Walters keep the young animals tame, while they hang “stars” on the vintage beams of businesses, and open marketplaces.

“Alright kids, you are all dismissed!” She nearly shrieked with excitement. “Hope to see you all at the festival tonight, and remember- it only takes ONE person… to make a difference.” Miss Walters was talking about the cause that made this celebration possible among the amalgamate.

A kit sluggishly makes his way back to his den after overshadowing the fun that took place in the field, where others helped each other creating and decorating the city. The rest of the kids either went home, or roamed back to the school, laughing, playing, and just having a great time.

The kit’s site picks up an older looking fox outside, working on what seemed to be a broken shutter, attached to a home made of sticks and mud, the door was round, and so was the window located on the right of the home.

“What’s wrong son?” Marvin; the kits dad asked, seeing the distant look on his son’s face. He was heartbroken to see a talented mind suffer, with not much to sustain it. Marvin felt responsible; only able to watch, and nothing more than a pill to help ease the pain. “I’m sorry there isn’t much I can do to help. I want to, you know I do, and I’m trying my best, I’m just not sure how to.”

Sylar looked at his father while tears began to form. Slowly, he walks toward his room. Thoughts ravage his mind; “No one wants you around”, “It’s all in your head”, “You have OCD? That must mean you are crazy.” The intrusive thoughts only strength each time he tried to fight them.

A wooden thud pierces through the air, caused by a furry paw. “Sylar-- do you mind if we talk outside?” Gingerly the kit accepts, questioning why his father would be calling him outside to talk. They begin climbing a marula tree just outside the doorway to their den; his father wanted him to be closer to the stars while they talked.

“Do you know what’s special about today?” Marvin asked, gazing into the shadows the stars created in the young, night's sky.

“N-no, I don’t. I know it holds deeply in the heart of our civility, but that’s about it. I don’t understand how such a big deal could be made over something as such.” Sylar looks down with disappointment strong in his sight.

“A city, filled with life, from any imaginable, terraform, fit for each animal; gathering around the night’s setting, ominous stars, fire built for festivities to break loose amongst the great unity; dancing a ritual, to honor those whom made this colony, and now we celebrate the memorable day, our ancestors created for us; a city of all species. Son, I promise you, once you reach far enough to obtain your star; the star that shines the brightest and glows the greatest, things will get easier, just follow your dreams.”

“How do I know which is mine?” Sylar looked up into the luminescent sky at the brightly shining stars.

“No son, you won’t find your stars up there. You can find it, awaiting your arrival; your star lives within you!” Marvin said with a bit of a smirk in his tone.

“I still don’t fully understand? What do you mean it’s inside me?”

a

“You may still be a bit too young to fully grasp what I am saying. But trust me… the older you get the more you will understand, and the more you will learn. Eventually, you will understand what this night was all about.”

“But- what if someone gets to my “star” before me?” Sylar was a bit concerned. Though he doesn't understand what his dad means, he still worries over of. Sylar’s ponders for a bit with a stern look in his eyes, while he waits for his dad to come up with an explanation. “Could- could someone have already taken my “star”.”?

“No, no, only you have the power to obtain the aroma filled speckles.”

“Stars? I thought there was only one?”

“There are many lesser stars you will need to reach before getting your final one. Think of it like a tree. Ever wonder what happens to a tree if the main stem dies? This can happen with the trunk of a tree and even branches. You see several trees where the trunk or branches slip off in a few different directions. This is because sadly the main stem wasn't strong enough to withstand that battles of life but, no need to worry because two new stems will compete to see if either or maybe even both with survive. Even trees reach out to their stars, though, theirs. You can see all the different paths the take. Ours, however, we can’t, so make the most of the paths you choose!”

Not sure how else to explain the star situation to his six year old son.Marvinn continues on with his motivational speech, hoping it will help his son in the future. He very well could just say that stars are his goals in life, but it will be more meaningful if Sylar found out on his own.

“My dad- he told me, just like now; I was in the same position you are now. He told me something I'd never forget till this day. He told me that when I get down enough that I think harming myself would make all the pain disappear, make everything instantly better, and forget the past. That I wouldn't be here if I wasn't meant to be here. And now I see it. I am here to help guide my son. I truly hope this talk helped you sylar. I know it won't be easy for you to see clearly now. But hopefully once you are older you can piece together this conversation and always keep it in mind.”

“Okay dad, can I go to the festival now?”

Little was anyone pying attention. A little friend stopped by the forest district while everyone was out having a blast. It joined them in their ritualistic dance, though barely celebrating alongside them. It danced with a lively orange- red glow, consuming homes and housing additions as it recklessly moves.