Where Winter Meets Summer (Rusame Countryhumans)

Prelude of Winter: His Pipedream

NOTE: Continuation... If you need a refresher, see Chapter (Prelude to Winter: The Story Before the Tempest)

"What are you writing about? Can I see?"

The little village boy drew in a sharp breath as he snapped his notebook shut before his friend could read what he had written.

"Aw don't sneak up on me like that!" he protested as he playfully elbowed the newcomer, "It's just... a little diary. Nothing interesting."

"Suuuuure, Stepan. Fine. Don't tell me," he snickered as he joined the village boy beneath the roots of the giant oak on the hill, overlooking the glittering fields of gold.

The fierce red sun shone its glowing light over the land, promising that the outer winters would never reach its dominion. With the mellow warm temperature paired with a light cool breeze that washed all their woes away, it was absolute heaven for them; a getaway from the disciplining life in the slums or the lonesome, frozen walls of the Winter Palace. Of course, after their initial meeting of confusion and tension, the two of them grew to be close friends. And this place, the Everlasting Summer, was their little secret to keep.

Stepan flipped over to a new page in his book and glanced down at his friend. He seemed to be debating whether or not he should ask something but he ultimately did in the end. It was a strange, vague and befuddling question that seemed to hold no set answer. 

"Hey tell me... are you satisfied with this world we live in?"

This question hung silently in the air for a few moments before the other boy shuffled up into a seated position.

"I can't really say. I don't really know the world to decide whether or not I like it," he admitted. "Why? Are you satisfied?"

"No, not really," Stepan sighed. "I've been thinking a lot about it recently and sometimes I just can't sleep because of all these thoughts. That's why I write them down in this book."

After making his friend promise not to laugh at him or tell anyone about what had written, Stepan reluctantly handed the notebook to him.

"It's just some stupid ideas and I really don't plan on doing much about them anyways. This is just to get them to leave me alone, if you know what I mean... haha..."

The boy didn't seem to hear a word he had said. Instead, he was completely absorbed in the pages and flew through the nearly indecipherable words.

Stepan stared at him in confusion. Were his ideas really that interesting?

Slowly, the boy lowered the book and stared over the horizon, seemingly at the unseen palace he had escaped from. A strange, renewed light shone in his eyes.

"Do you really think... that the world we live in is this flawed?"

Stepan hesitated as he tried to pick his words carefully, hoping he wouldn't get a negative reaction, "Uh... like I said, this is just my stupid thoughts. It really doesn't matter. It's probably because I'm just a bit unhappy with how much my family struggles. You probably don't have to worry since you live in the palace-"

"NO! No, I think... I agree with what you wrote," he interrupted, "Because I live in the palace, I can see all the atrocities from the inside I guess I just couldn't put that label on them until now. Even though I don't exactly know what your life is like, I can confidently say that it's a horrible place, that palace."