Ecstatic needs:

Music: Debussy-Clair de Lune.

Environment: Lawn.

Action: Spin for 5 seconds and read in the sun.

Nose: Vegetation.

Touch: Lawn.

Palate: Green banana.

CHAPTER I: SUNSHINE

Majestic mountains and distant clouds to the far south, the sun penetrates all with its warm embrace. My head spins, knocked out, I see unending flashes, it disconnects me from my body. I remember nothing, I’m nothing, I want nothing but to know where I am, who am I? The grass touches me with its tingly fingers following the breeze from distant winds, those who reach the edge of the sky, cold and gracious. My soul is a landscape amongst this confusion, weepingly dancing in lies, tricking memories, lost in senses. I see, but the sun pierces my eyes and blinds me in such a manner that makes me lost.

I drag myself to a log, a shy tree in the middle of the meadow. I hug it and find strength to pick myself up, widen my eyes, observe the beautiful orange grove that surrounds it all. I feel something in the back of my head, a hard piece of metal that seems to be part of me. At a glance my memory has a backlash, where is Ratiana? My face was filled with fear, Ratiana! Ratiaaaaana! I look everywhere, I found nothing, just trees and more trees. The heart pounded, pounded… I couldn't stand it and I ran into the unknown. My feet stumble and I fall face first to the ground, worsening my unawareness. I once again drag my body through the grass under the sunlight.

The movement of bushes returns me to my senses. The unknown is on the brink, this surprise gives a strange feeling to one’s insides. Sensitive illusions from a devil that tricks your reason, distancing you from the truth. Something is coming, will it devour me? Kill me? That’s life, fright after fright. All of that noise was nothing, just a flying metal sphere Ratiana.

- What’s with scaring your buddy like that?

- Calm down Renato, I won’t bite - she laughed with that sweet smile - I was looking around... I’m confused.

The memory sings in a small manner of what it used to be. Our life memories are gone. These few words are all that’s left, making me lose my faith in happiness, mixing that song with the sunlight.

- Can you remember anything Renato?

- Nothing, all I’ve got is a headache and a blank memory. Did you find anything in the woods?

- Only that box covered by cloth. It was already here when we woke up.

A piece of cloth, white and well crafted, covering the ground, the box, everything. I walked for a bit, picked up the pace, tripped on a hole but kept running until I finally reached that destination so close to those in the outside yet so far for those who suffer the pain. The sun brightened my anxiousness. What could it be? I threw its cover away looking to devour the contents of the box, looking to weaken the duality between matter and soul.

I finally gazed at what filled me with curiosity: it was a sword. Golden, from one end to the other. Picking it up wasn’t hard, it was on the contrary as if I knew what I was doing, not like a novice, but like a professional. My head ached again, memories came melting from the past.

The ground wasn’t grass anymore, but stone. The trees were gone, thick walls took their place. The fire, the fear, the anger, all present in that horrifying convention. However, something calmed my small being, for in that memory the floor seemed closer than usual. A touch from a soft hand pulling my young arm and an embrace like the last wish of a mother to a son. The moons and their sad yet beautiful moonlights mixed in with the ashes from the ground. I felt as if I were in the air, dreaming like birds, falling along with the saving touch of my being, the source of this ecstasy of emotions. A scorching castle in the background, a giant tree at the edge of the precipice which met in the river between the marble-like mountains.

- Wake up Renato! You are cutting yourself! - Screamed Ratiana.

I’m back from the trip, I did cut myself, fiercely holding the sword’s blade. The blood fell to the earth, feeding the dirt. I did not feel pain, I felt peace.

- Don’t worry, I’m fine, I just remembered some things, but I’m not really sure.

- Are you truly fine?

- Yes, yes. Now let’s hurry to find some shelter.

- We shouldn’t worry about that. - Said Ratiana with a mysterious tone.

- Enough with the mystery, what did you find?

- Just look at the sky in that direction.

I turned my head as she instructed. Smoke was coming from somewhere, probably a village. Life drops a bit of luck in a sea of disgrace sometimes, nonetheless, hope is always there. I took my sword and... clothes, for an instant I realized that I was well equipped, good clothing and a sheath in my back. My mind’s not well, how didn’t I realize something that’s stuck to me? I ignored it and kept going towards the god given signal.

We tried following what seemed to be a road, nothing too clear. The sound of running water agitated our thoughts, we seemed connected, me and Ratiana were but one thing. A thing? Yes, a thing. If I think therefore I exist, this fact made me go forward until we got to a waterfall.

- Look Renato, the village is at those plains.

We were in a mountain. Like birth, we came out the top and followed down the troubling path.