“The Soul”

Adonis, a small boy named for the winter he was born in, was playing in a dry, dusty brook. His boisterous attitude was often attributed to his father, who had spent years at home while injured, rubbing off on his son. Adonis studied the river rocks and imagined himself covered in armor, wielding a sword against his enemies. A voice shot out from behind him, asking about his knightly charm. Adonis turned to a girl, Abbie, who knew Adonis liked her and tormented him for it.

Adonis and Abbie went back to the manor, where they enjoyed a fine potato and venison stew. Seven hours later, Adonis walked through the halls, following a distant echo and a soft siren's song. They found a deer trail and a grove, where a figure sat hunchbacked atop a rock near the grove's center. The figure spoke a riddle, promising to bring life to the dying hamlet and save their people. Adonis asked if this was a game, and the figure replied yes.

Adonis was keen on games, but felt as if it was anything but a game. He asked if he would slip into a dream if he lost. The figure cackled sharply and warned him that he would slip into a dream. Adonis could sputter, but the figure stood on a rock, straightening out against a cloudy sky.

The figure explained that the form was the garden of antiquity, inside a slew of wealth. Adonis was unsure of what antiquity meant, but he was unsure of something meant to be kept safe. The figure offered Adonis a vault, which Adonis barked at, but the figure cackled and said it was a vault without any value.

Adonis couldn't help but wonder what the vault was and how it might have been used for something else. The figure's words made Adonis question the meaning of the garden and the role it played in his life. As the story unfolded, Adonis's curiosity and the mysterious nature of the game left him questioning the meaning of the garden and its potential use in his life.

Adonis, a man, is colder than before and is unsure of what to keep in his vault. He is unsure of what to keep in his vault, the gem of the mind, and the promise of a better future. He is shaken by the cold and the new wind, but he is unsure of what it could be. He ponders the idea of a "H-heaven" or "eternity" and wonders why it is referred to in such a way.

The being straightens up, with its hood forming teeth and two eyes peeping out high under the hood. The hunchback's coat is shifted and torn, and the form of the hunchback takes on a more menacing shape. Adonis is left feeling ashamed and unsure of what to keep in his vault. The question of what to keep in his vault remains a mystery, as he grapples with the complexities of the human experience.

should. He was colder now then when he had left his bed. His warm bed. The thought of it's covers and sheets flooded his mind and washed out a bit of the fear that was there, but a quick wind pulled him right back out of it. "Alright, now the final question, and my people will be healthy again?" We will have water for everyone?”

"Just one more." It said with a hollow groan. “Now, what do I keep in my vault? The gem of the mind. Our own eternity, our own promise, what do I keep in my vault?”

The being straightened up, the maw of his hood forming teeth as two eyes peered out high under the hood a bright red color. A piercing set of cracks and groans filled the air as the coat was shifted and torn as the form of the hunchback took on a much more menacing shape. "Such a shame."