The Unfamiliar Place | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Unfamiliar Place

The prologue to the book I am writing is finally here. Please enjoy.

26
The Unfamiliar Place
Google Images

This is the prologue to the book I am currently working on, and I would love for my readers to take a look! Thank you.


PROLOGUE

"Hello?"

There was nothing there, but the whistling of the wind, encircling the darkness in the Unfamiliar Place. And somehow, as it was always present to whistle towards and into the abyss, it never seemed to answer back.

"Hello?"

Again, the harsh whistling of the current breeze swept beneath, between, around, and above the cracked voice that was once so strong. It had been so long in the Unfamiliar Place that the Voice only spoke out into the black void out of habit. The Voice never expected to get an answer in return. Well, not recently at least. For a long time, the Voice cried out with its dry voice and its broken pleas for help. It cried out so much that at one time or another, the Voice gave out and all that was there was the darkness. The wind even became weary of the sound it would make.

It was the Voice and the wind, alone in the Unfamiliar Place. And for how long, the Voice did not know, but soon enough, it was certain the wind would answer back -- even if it took a lifetime. The Voice did not know how much longer it had to suffer alone in the Unfamiliar Place, with nothing but the ever comforting thought of the darkness, always being there, but the Voice was reassured that the wind, the darkness, and the Unfamiliar Place, was all just a dream and soon it would wake from the horrendous nightmare.

And even though it was very much a real happening to the Voice, although the reasoning was unclear, the Voice kept going and kept thinking of a better tomorrow (probably knowing with full regret that tomorrow, nothing would be different).

Even so, the Voice remained hopeful, due to its total lack of motivation. Its memories were gone, and only the thoughts of the present situation would fill its mind. No matter how hard the Voice tried to communicate with the Unfamiliar Place, one thing always remained:

It never answered back.

"Is anyone here?"

But suddenly, there was another sound. And the Voice was sure it was dreaming again.

"Hello? Can anybody hear me?"

The Sound repeated itself with different words the Voice had not heard in what seemed like a century. Something was happening in the Unfamiliar Place, something peculiar. But bravely enough, the Voice ended up responding, only because the wind never had answered it before.

"Hello? I am here."

The Voice echoed back, bewildered by the words forming out and into the Unfamiliar Place. The sensation of tingling riddled its body, but the Voice scared by its own thoughts, had remained completely still.

"Oh, gosh, how great it is to hear another voice in here. What is your name?"

The new Sound elevated in volume, surely an oddity to the Voice. The Sound's tone was strange, and for the moment, the Voice did not know the word for it, but the Voice knew there was a word for it.

"I don't have a name."

The Voice responded quickly, as it tried to savor every moment of communication with this new Sound. The tingling further moved around its body, overwhelming senses the Voice never knew it contained.

"You don't have a name? How is that so?"

The Sound questioned the darkness, as it equally hoped for an answer back.

"I have been in the Unfamiliar Place all of my life, or at least as long as I can remember being here. How did you get here?"

The Voice was excited to use words it had not used it so long. It was so thrilled to know that the wind had a pretty tone to it. It was comforting, too.

"I woke up here. I don't remember anything else, though." The Sound paused, as it exhaled all the air pent up in its lungs. "My name is Eulalia. You can call me Lia, if you want."

Eulalia. Eulalia. Eulalia. Eulalia. Repeating the Sound's name over and over again gave some sort of overwhelming comforting to the Sound. It wondered now, if it was ever given the pleasure of having a name. The Voice remained silent as it thought.

"Well..." The Sound began, "I can give you a name if you want."

The Sound's tone of speaking had gone into curiosity. Now more than ever, The Voice had wished the darkness would be lifted and it could be face-to-face with the Sound.

"Okay."

The Voice responded timidly. It was scared. It had never had so much communication with the wind before. The Unfamiliar Place was slowly becoming familiar and the Voice had become more and more uncomfortable. But if anything, the Voice knew this must be a good a thing and all good things, must have a beginning and an end.

"Okay, I'm going to call you... Atreo."


"And we hereby commit these souls to the deep, who at their last gave all to the world of the living. May they be remembered forever, until there is no more pain, no more suffering, and the abyss itself shall give up Her dead and return them to us"
- Thelonious Jaha
The 100 - Season 1, Episode 5: "Twilight's Last Gleaming"
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1851
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1132
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200342
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20971
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments