In a time before this one, there lived a young man who wanted to live and be one with life, fit in with the world. He became a student at many schools and made many attempts to blend in with society. But he then discovered he was autistic, and so did not know what to do about this. He tried many things to get people to understand that its not something harmful, but nobody believed him. If people weren't scared of him, they hated him at school.
Eventually, he found himself at the mercy of five bullies, and they drove him into a spell of insanity. Stealing, shaming, starting rumors, if it could harm the young boy's psyche in any way, they did it. And his guardians at home were just as apathetic, viewing his disability as either a crutch or an excuse to get his way.
So one night, while they were sleeping, he fled to his true home, and formed a bond with his stepfather, a man known to his friends as "Maddog". Even then there was fighting, but they still made up for it.
One morning, the young man was explaining his disability to Maddog, as even he did not fully understand it, but he wanted to. He thought for a minute in front of his monitor, and went to retrieve a wooden box which served a second purpose as a chess board. He pulled it in half and revealed a silver pipe with a bag which had a strange green herb the young man had never seen in person before. Maddog handed the pipe and the herb to the young man and gave him a lighter, and, after much debating, he lit it and inhaled.
As if he had swallowed the breath of a dragon, he fell to his knees in a fit of coughing and hacking; at first he thought he had made a mistake, but Maddog's voice told him to breathe, reassuring him this was normal... So he did. Something was different now...his skin felt softer, his mind felt lighter and it was easier to think, and he felt a strange feeling of calmness, calmness that he knew was good for him.
As years went by he continued to partake of this herb, learning about it, learning new ways to use it.
Soon, however, it became scarce in his realm. His disability was getting worse as he aged, and he needed new ways to distract his mind from the world's apathetic shortcomings. Fidget spinners, Rubiks Cubes, Dungeons and Dragons, sandbox video games, these worked, but sometimes it wasn't enough.
Now he searches the land for a bauble that will calm his soul through the veil of hid body, desperate for a way to distract himself to the sounds and aura of discord...
Eventually, he found himself at the mercy of five bullies, and they drove him into a spell of insanity. Stealing, shaming, starting rumors, if it could harm the young boy's psyche in any way, they did it. And his guardians at home were just as apathetic, viewing his disability as either a crutch or an excuse to get his way.
So one night, while they were sleeping, he fled to his true home, and formed a bond with his stepfather, a man known to his friends as "Maddog". Even then there was fighting, but they still made up for it.
One morning, the young man was explaining his disability to Maddog, as even he did not fully understand it, but he wanted to. He thought for a minute in front of his monitor, and went to retrieve a wooden box which served a second purpose as a chess board. He pulled it in half and revealed a silver pipe with a bag which had a strange green herb the young man had never seen in person before. Maddog handed the pipe and the herb to the young man and gave him a lighter, and, after much debating, he lit it and inhaled.
As if he had swallowed the breath of a dragon, he fell to his knees in a fit of coughing and hacking; at first he thought he had made a mistake, but Maddog's voice told him to breathe, reassuring him this was normal... So he did. Something was different now...his skin felt softer, his mind felt lighter and it was easier to think, and he felt a strange feeling of calmness, calmness that he knew was good for him.
As years went by he continued to partake of this herb, learning about it, learning new ways to use it.
Soon, however, it became scarce in his realm. His disability was getting worse as he aged, and he needed new ways to distract his mind from the world's apathetic shortcomings. Fidget spinners, Rubiks Cubes, Dungeons and Dragons, sandbox video games, these worked, but sometimes it wasn't enough.
Now he searches the land for a bauble that will calm his soul through the veil of hid body, desperate for a way to distract himself to the sounds and aura of discord...
