CHARACTER STUDY (III)

Javier’s head was pounding and he had no idea where he was at. He opened an eye and noticed himself still in complete darkness, but he sense that he was not alone. As he began to sit up and recollect his thoughts, there was a ray of light before him that appeared to get bigger and bigger as time elapsed. Soon the silhouette of three creatures appeared. Frightened, Javi slid back on his posterior and hands until he reached a barrier. His mind began racing with possibilities of what could have been happening: was he kidnapped by cartel members that were going to harvest his kidneys and after toss him face-first in a ditch in Tijuana? Or worse, was he abducted by extraterrestrials? As his life flashed before his eyes and he prayed to the based god for his safety, a timid voice broke the silence. “H-hello? Is a-anybody in here?” Javi slowly stood up and heard the hungover groans of my fellow captives. “Where am I? What is this?” he said in a confused tone.

Another, more imposing voice answered him “You in the ‘quipment shed, foo’.”

One of the other unidentified denizens of the shed responded with “What? Why are we in here?” to which the same imposing voice answered “Hell if I know. Y’all best get yo asses out of here though.” Javi and the others in the shed complied and slowly got out. The sun was blinding, but he could see what appeared to be a huge stadium in front of him. The three figures were clad in what seemed to be some type of battle armor. They looked dirty and rugged. Javi looked back and soon recognized his fellow captives. They were Andrew Alcazar, Mia Levy, and Kevin Lake, all classmates of his. They looked at each other with a combined look of confusion and relief. The three figures stepped closer and began to introduce themselves. The large, bulky one with a slight underbite and furrowed eyebrow was named Donkey Teeth, the tall, charismatic looking one was named the artist formerly named 4_­­², and the shy looking one with circular glasses was named D’Jasper Probincrux the third (do not forget the third). We introduced ourselves to them as well and they informed us a bit on our situation and location. “You see,” the artist formerly named 4_­­² informed us, “you’re trapped in the magical kingdom known as Righetti. We live under a huge glass dome with trolls patrolling it 24/7 to prevent any escapes. Honorable Supreme Leader Saunders controls every facet of life here. And there is a constant war between the tribes of the rats which inhabit the dessert that stretches between the candy forest and Honorable Supreme Leader Saunders’s fortress of doom.” Javi looked at the artist formerly named 4_­­² and asked If there’s any escape.

“They is but you mus’ pass through the dessert and the warring rats to find the legendary Wizard, Notserp. He will help y’all defeat Honorable ‘preme Leader Saunders and his goons an’ ‘scape through the fortress.”

“Can you help us on our journey?” Mia asked the men. At first, they were reluctant, but then I locked eyes with the artist formerly named 4_­­² and said “You will help us through this”. He gazed back with a blank facial expression and repeated “We will help us through this”. And off we were on our mystical trip through the magical domed kingdom of Righetti.