A less than impressive entrance



  • As per usual, the rain laid itself as a heavy blanket over the city of Peltarch. The Jewel of the Icelace. Heavy rainclouds blocked the light of the moon and the darkness reigned supreme, overpowering the valiant streetlights. Dark and shadowy figures hurried along the streets of the city. Whenever they met each other, a dampened murmur of greeting followed by a curse of the weather could be heard. At least by some. Most performed whatever task they necessarily needed to do, grumbling about being forced them out in the rain this night.

    This story is not about any of them.

    The one figure this story is about is happily oblivious to this dark and rainy night, unknowing of the annoyed, other, figures scurrying about the streets of the Jewel.

    This figure is behind a door, of sorts. No, correction, the figure is approaching a door, of sorts. The figure had approached, opened, stepped through, closed, and withdrawn from this door, of sorts, many times before and strongly believed that the routine would repeat itself many times in the future.

    That is the essence of firm belief. This figure was wonderfully comfortable in its firm belief and, therefore, did not think twice during this, the umphtenth time, repetition of the whole door embarking routine. That is why the figure made such a surprised sound when the figure stumbled and fell. This might sound a bit worrisome, however, apart from a slightly strained ankle, no one is getting hurt in this story, that can be assured.

    The firm belief was shattered.

    One could think that it was the puddle of rainwater, having cheerfully gathered filth and dirt from rooftops and cobblestones, the figure landed in and thus getting its clothes soaked that shattered the belief.

    That was not it.

    One could think that it was the embarrassment of tumbling through a doorframe in the middle of a rainy night for all to see, having the air leave the lungs in breathlessness, coughing and gasping for air, probably getting some of the above mentioned dirty rainwater in nose and mouth in the process.

    That was not it.

    No, what ended up shattering the figures firm belief was the result of a few different, however particularly important, factors and can be summarized during the different stages of the figures stumble and fall.

    Let us begin at the beginning.

    For a start, and the key factor that initiated the whole stumble, the consequent fall and the figures realization that something was belief-shatteringly amiss, was the fact that the door, of sorts, was not located where it was supposed to be. Or rather, the other side of the door, of sorts, was not where it was supposed to be. The other side of the door, of sorts, made it distinctly clear, that it was now situated about a foot above its usual placement, sporting what most, if not everyone, would call a “step”. This completely surprised the figure as the figure had not, in any way, anticipated this and thusly began the stumble.

    It surprised the figure to such a degree, that, while immediately attempting to figure out what was wrong with the other side of the door, of sorts, the figure forgot to compensate for the newfound knowledge of the doors, of sorts, position. This resulted in a so called “step in air” where the figures foot anticipated the firm ground but hit air. This is where the fall begins and, as the foot finally met said ground, it did so at an angle and misplaced weight, that the figure slightly strained its ankle.

    The figures mind had only just recovered slightly from the doors, of sorts, new position and dealt with the impending stumble and fall pretty skillfully, when the next strike of confusing impression came floating, looking, and finding, somewhere to anchor itself.

    The city, the Jewel, was not what it was supposed to be. Or at least, the usual sight that meets anyone that pass through this door, of sorts, the same direction as the figure, was not what it was supposed to be. This is the cause of the surprised sound the figure made during the fall.

    The rest of the fall is pretty uninteresting and mainly consists of the figure desperately attempting to tell its mind to tell any limb of the figures body to do something about the wet, dirty and filthy ground that is rushing towards the figure in a disturbing manner and speed followed by the resignation upon hearing, and feeling, a splash and cloth soaking.

    A bit of flailing arms and legs ensued but not before long the figure stood on all four, very much reminiscent of a drenched cat, looking around in a distinctly confused manner.

    After rising upright, leaning against a pole that the figure was very certain had not been there before, the figure began to center itself.

    The figure stumbled out on the street, still looking, and turning around confusedly. Other figures, the ones hurrying along the streets this dark and rainy night, made a wide berth around our figure, the figure of this story, murmuring something about perhaps someone had too much to drink and it is about time to head home.
    Little did they know, and little did our figure know, that this was just what the figure was trying to do.

    Something was, very much, amiss.