Words of Wisdom

1.) Life is a juggling act. 

You will always have four things in the air that you are trying to keep from hitting the ground. They are your own health, family, education, and your job. Every one of those things are made from glass, and will crack, scratch, or even shatter completely when you lose your grip on them and let hit the ground when the juggling becomes too much. All except your job. You will come to understand that your job will always be made of rubber. No matter how hard it hits the ground, it will always be alright. There will always be work. Even if you are fired in the most humiliating fashion, and don’t know what to do, there will always be chances for a job. Your health, education, and family are irreplaceable, so be cautious as to when the juggling becomes too difficult what you let drop so you can keep the others in the air. 

2.) There will be moments in your life when you will miss the past.

Everyone encounters an “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life” type feeling. It’s a part of our nature to wish for simpler things. Twenty three is about the most boring, bland, know you’re becoming older, age I have experienced. When your moment hits, just remember that there are great things for you. That there was always, and forever will be, a plan. There is a reason for you. YOU are GREAT. The key to being happy, and truly at an inner peace is to understand this. Go with the flow and it will surely take you to where you had needed to be your whole life. Fear of becoming older and not knowing what you want to do is natural. Do not fear the unknown future, it can be an amazing thing. Bruce Lee said, “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” Be willing to understand that the world will keep spinning no matter how you feel about becoming older, or being uncertain. Be happy.

3.) It is a priceless life skill to be well versed in everything.

I consider myself a nerd, jock, redneck, fool, wise man, preacher, writer, prankster, wild, witty, fiercely intelligent individual who barely understands half of life so far. Step outside of what YOU think YOU can do. There are things inside of YOU that YOU cannot understand until you let them be brought out. Try something you wouldn’t try. No matter how old you are, or what you think you are or are not supposed to do. Be aware that possibilities are infinite. You may not know you really enjoy something until you try it. It is amazing to know all you can know. Learn not only from your own mistakes, but take notes on the mistakes of others. The thirst for knowledge is the most powerful tool human beings have. Always be the thirstiest for it in the room and you’ll go places you didn’t think you’d ever get to. The ability to ask questions, no matter how off the wall they are is underrated and we should ask MORE. We should listen longer, and to anyone willing to share any type or form of knowledge with us. Doing all of this will keep you ready for anything life could throw at you, and that my friends, is the definition of priceless. I guarantee if you do this, you’ll surprise everyone, and best of all, you’ll surprise yourself.

4.) The biggest thing I’ve learned becoming twenty three, out of all these lessons, is nothing is more powerful than inner peace.

Life is a mean and nasty place, and will beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it. The way to combat this, is find your peace. Not in another person, but yourself. If you can truly do this, and learn to love your own skin, than there is nothing that can shake you. Life will hit you as hard as it can. Some days it will wake up and sucker punch you, and you will wonder how it happened when you thought you had your gloves up. It WANTS to beat you. Life IS NOT fair and never will be. When it swings so hard that you have to stumble backwards is when you will know that it will never cease to try and knock you off your feet. Even then you will always think to swing back. Maybe trying to hit life back will keep it at bay. That will only turn you into something bitter and hateful. I have realized and I hope you will too, that it is not about hitting hard. Even though it’s cheesy, Sylvester Stalone in the final Rocky movie said, “You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.” Through loss, through uncertainty, through pain and fear is when you have to be at your peace the most. Hardship is where we find our true selves. You have to realize that the onslaught will never cease. YOU have to choose to stay strong, and find the spot inside of you that will whisper “Everything will be ok” in the midst of all the shouting about what will happen, or why, or when it will stop. To find this inner peace inside of ourselves has been the teachings of wise men everywhere and in all cultures. It is hard, but not impossible. If you are willing to look, than it will always be willing to be found. Nothing is stronger than that.

Day 49

Churchill Downs Day 48: The bad feeling in my stomach was only complimented by the bad smell of the cave. Something didn't make sense and I was going to find out what, even if it hindered our journey by a few minutes. "Anybody got a guess as to why this place smells so badly, has softer ground than a beach, has stalagmites and stalactites everywhere, and has a very active wind current blowing in and out of it? Cause I'm out of ideas." The group paused and took what I said and started to dissect it. My comrades slowly started to notice the strange place around them. There was a silence through the crowd of metal figures. Mitri spoke, "Maybe it's just a cave getting wind from the passage up ahead. Maybe it smells from whatever our next opponent has stashed up ahead, could be dead bodies. Maybe it's just a normal cave with a bad smell."  Andy's idea was next, "Maybe the cave is leading us to just a rank den of whatever that Kongulo thing is that Ted told us to be wary of." Andy's idea along with Mitri's theory was solid... but there was something else here... I just knew it. Casey decided to add to the conversation, "I don't know exactly where we are going, or even why this place has such a funny feel to it. The smell is so amplified for me that I can tell that the stench belongs to dead things like wolves, goblins, even the things we fought back there at the entrance to this place. There is something else though. I smell dead giants and T-Rex. I just feel like we're headed into the belly of the beast on this one. Whatever this thing is, whether it's the Kongulo or not, is big." Maybe Casey was right, maybe it was just whatever was ahead that was making this happen.... but... "belly of the beast".... I looked around at the environment one last time. "No... there's no way... I mean we didn't march into.. would've noticed..." I bit my tongue, turned to my brothers nervously  and shouted, "RUN!!"
          My brothers followed me without question, they trusted my judgment with their own lives. We all bolted back to the entrance, and as soon as we were about to leave the ground started to rumble beneath our feet. But it wasn't soft ground at all, it was a tongue, and the now closing stalactites and stalagmites were teeth. What a fool I had been to not notice the breath of the behemoth we were now offering ourselves as lunch to. The mouth started to lift up from the jungle floor, and all we could do was watch from the front of the mouth with horror. "EVERYONE GRAB A TOOTH A HOLD ON!!!!!" I shouted as loud as I could. The breath of the beast now carried several deep roars to its mouth. Almost deafening cries from the creature were surging through the mouth now. Just like that we all felt the head tip backward and attempt to shake us into its belly. "HOLD ON!!!!! EVERYONE JUST HOLD ON!!!!!" I cried out. My brothers were gripping the teeth as hard as they could. We could see out of the front of the mouth to see the beast towering over the jungle now. Jake shouted so the group could hear him, "I HAVE AN IDEA, I'LL BE BACK!!!!" I was wondering what in the hell kind of idea he could have at a time like this other than hold on for dear life. Just like that he let go. We all looked down to see him falling into the dark and screamed "JAAAAAAAKEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" We all looked over at one another after Jake could no longer be seen and could only hold on for our lives. We had just lost a brother to this thing. But there was no time for grieving. We all just held on.
          The beast roared loudly, angry at its meal for not falling into its stomach like it had planned. We could only listen to the deafening roars as we could do nothing. As the beast started to roar again... it stopped.. it made a different sound. It sounded like... pain. We all looked at each other, confused as to why. "IT MUST BE SOMETHING JAKE IS DOING!!!" Nate yelled across the mouth. I looked down and strained my eyes as much as I could.... there in the dark... I saw him. I knew what he was doing now. Jake had fallen with his spear clutched above his head horizontally. He kept falling till it stopped him by catching on the colossus throat. As big as this thing was, even a tooth pick lodged in its throat hurt like hell. Brilliant was the only word for it. I could hear the beast making gagging sounds. "Must've been something he ate." I couldn't help but laugh. "Haha..hahaha....HAHAHAHA!!!!" My brothers all looked at me confused. Andy shouted, "YOU'RE LAUGHING??? WE JUST LOST A BROTHER AND WE'RE ALL ABOUT TO DIE TOO AND YOU'RE LAUGHING???" I said nothing but pointed down. They all looked at hard as they could and saw Jake lodged in the beasts throat with his spear, and slashing away with a small sword he kept on his belt as a spare. They all began to laugh. We could feel the beast start to stumble. It was choking on it's own blood. Jake was cutting it's throat from the inside out. Marvelous.
          The stench of the monsters blood filled the air, and it began to tilt its mouth forward. "EVERYONE HANG ON, IT'S GOING TO SPIT US OUT!!!!" The beast rocked forward and ejected us on the ground. Jake followed and landed near me. We all stood slowly back up. "Damn good work" Andy said with a smile to Jake. We all looked up at the massive problem we had. It was 10 stories high, maybe more. It was a dark grey and covered from head to toe in the foliage that it laid in before. The face was something from a nightmare. Covered in moss and dirt with immense red eyes. It was grasping its throat with both of its hands with blood running through its fingers. "What now?" asked Nate. Mitri looked over at him and only said, "If it bleeds, we can kill it." He was right, and thanks to Jake we had a great advantage... but there was no harm in having one more. "Casey, you know what to do, go to work on the things eyes." Complying, Casey drew three arrows from his quiver and aimed at the left eye. "Three??" asked Andy bewildered. "It's ten stories high, still kicking after it's had its throat slashed, and has eyes the size of small cars. Thought I'd need a little more of a kick." Andy retracted his comment being that he was wrong. Casey waited for the staggering beast that was still gathering its composure and looking around for its meal to turn to the left. It did. Casey let the arrows fly and we could immediately see the jet stream of purple blood pour from its eye. He drew another three as it roared in even more pain. It turned to the right and Casey let go the next volley. The same happened to the right. A waterfall of blood rushed from its eye. The beast now covered its throat with both hands and closed both of its eyes. It was stomping around, crying in pain. We had thought that it was over and the beast would be easy to kill. That is the mistake of underestimating your opponent. The beast stopped roaring and stamping altogether. "What's it doing now???" Mitri asked confused. The beast turned in our direction and I said sternly, "It can smell us." 
          

Day 48

Churchill Downs Day 48: The loud cling of our new armor accompanied us as we marched toward the shortcut to the heart. With every step we took you could hear the steel rustle together. It was heavy. Heavier than anything I had worn before. It must have been the same for my brothers. I looked over at my companions to see them struggling under the weight of their new armor. I wasn't worried though, I had asked Ted about it in private before we had started on our mission. He had said to me that it would become like a second skin, weighing nothing and aiding in combat more than it would hinder. It seemed we would be able to test it in the very near future too. Up ahead we came upon a section of the dense forest, but this was different... darker than the rest of it all, it had a strange aura to it. I was ahead of the group, and therefore the lead in the march, so I held up my fist to signal the stopping of our group. The group was silent behind me except for Casey. "I feel it too brother" Casey had said from the rear. I glanced back to see only the five's helmets turned straight ahead toward me. I was still getting used to telling them all apart in their armor, as they were all of the same design and covered from head to toe. The only way to recognize any one of my brothers was by the different way "Death" was written on their chests. I looked over at the steel monster that had a strange alien language written on his breast and knew this to be Jake. "Jake, front and center, I need your expertise." Jake stepped forward and met me at the entrance to the dark forest. "I've only seen this area while out gathering food brother, none of us from the village dared to enter. We had seen creatures vanish if they were too close to the entrance, like they were being grabbed. At night we would hear strange noises out of this area, it isn't a path for the wise." I took Jake's words to heart, but even so, I did need an opinion on our next move. "What do you suggest we do Jake?" He looked at me and I could see the smile forming under the steel plate that guarded his mouth. "Personally, I've never been very wise Wes. But if there is one thing I am, it's a fan of a good fight, and I'd like to see what this apartments got." I chuckled a little as Jake smiled at me. I turned to my other brothers behind me. I nodded and they nodded back. I could see them all drop a hand to each of their weapons. They were prepared. I looked at Jake one last time and started toward the dark area with my brothers. We slowly gripped our weapons just a little tighter, and entered completely. We left the sight of the bright plains behind us.
          Ready for any obstacle the dim foliage could produce, we continued our walk. It seemed as though the forest was breathing. The wind was heavy where we were headed. It was strange... we were so far in the closed section of the dark jungle... but could feel the breeze like there were no trees standing around us. I was the only one of my companions to observe the environment, the others were not going to take where they were into consideration. Whether they were marching into a jungle, or hell itself, they continued with no fear and grasped their weapons expecting a fight. It was marvelous to see them as a unit. Ready to trample any that lay in their way. We marched deeper and deeper into the black of the jungle. Curious. Very curious. The wind did not stop, only changed directions. One stream of air was rushing into the forest, and once it passed, another stream would rush out in the opposite direction. It was darker now... the ground beneath us even seemed softer than before... there was something wrong with it all. I glanced back only barely able to see my brethren, and noticed Casey had taken another step in his path, then planted his feet ready for combat.We all looked over at our brother in his steel attire with "Death" written in an almost hieroglyphic font. We knew what this meant. We rushed toward him, and spread out in a circle around him. We all drew our weapons at the ready. "I smell them... there in the dark.. teeth ready and... they're watching us." That was all the warning we needed from him to expect a fight. I peered into the darkness and watched. We all did. Slowly but surely, dots started to become illuminated floating in the black. Eyes. We each set our feet, and started to see the creatures emerge from the distance. There were many. More than any wolf pack or goblin fleet. They were short and stalky. Their skin, wasn't skin at all, it looked like their bones were on the outside of their bodies. Every one of their mouths was open and breathing heavily, also showing row upon row of razor sharp teeth. Their pace began to increase in our direction. Nothing we couldn't handle.
          Casey drew arrow after arrow firing into the crowd of creatures. Even bone wasn't hard enough to stop one of his shots. One by one they dropped. Some had managed to get past his range, but no further. That's where the rest of us came in. Sword, ax,  and spear whirled through the air. We were a giant machine. Casey had the ranged game covered, and we would decimate anything that got closer. Mitri made a mess of things, being as it was what he was good at. He would swing his gigantic stone blade killing three and four of them at a time, splintering bodies as they hit the soft ground. Jake impaled them quickly with precision, penetrating their hides and finding the bladed tip of the spear emerging out of their backs. Andy cleaved them in two halves with his heavy ax, swinging vertically and horizontally, leaving body parts covering his feet. Nate waited for them to get even closer, removing their limbs swiftly with the wolves teeth he had to his bite, disgusting, but effective. I was stuck on head games, removing the skull from the rest of the body with quick slashes. It seemed to more than work. Heads thudded on the ground as they landed and rolled. The monsters were no challenge to us... but we did have a problem. There were many. More than we could count, and they kept coming. We would grow tired before we saw the end of their numbers. "QUICKLY MY BROTHERS, DEEPER INTO THE FOREST!!!!!!!!" I shouted from our formation. We finished killing whatever was in front of us and ran into the dark. The creatures gave chase. They were fast and the armor was heavy on us. Like it or not, we had to turn and ready ourselves for another wave. As we did and the creatures were almost upon us.... they stopped. They made noises like whimpering and just like that, they all turned around and ran the opposite direction. We looked dumb founded under our helmets. We all stood silenced and in unbelief as to why they tucked tail and ran. Nate decided to break the silence. "YOU BETTER RUN BACK TO WHATEVER MAMA YOU GOT BEFORE I DECIDE TO CHASE YOU!!!!!!" We all kept our composure but Andy who decided to join in. "I WASN'T DONE YOU UGLY DICKLESS COWARDS!!!!! GET BACK HERE!!!!" The rest of us sat in silence. Obviously there was something close to us that they were afraid of... but what? Nate and Andy calmed themselves and reformed our party. "Well? Shall we continue?" Nate asked the group. I turned and they followed me into the darkness of the jungle again. As I walked I passed what seemed like stalagmites rising from the jungle floor. I looked up and saw pointy stalactites hanging in mid air over all of us.... We were walking into a cave it seemed. The wind had returned again and blew in that same pattern, and the cave seemed to be the source. I had a bad feeling about all of this, but bad feelings would not stop me.
          

Day 47

Churchill Downs Day 47: I woke to the sound to rustling steel. Everyone around me was dressing in plated armor for our journey. I opened my eyes wide to where I could get a good look at everyone and sat up. "We got new threads huh?" I said looking at the shiny metal plates on my brothers bodies. No body said anything as they were to busy putting the rest of their armor on. Ted got my attention by whistling at me across the room. "Put it on" He said sternly. I looked down at what was thrown to me. It glistened with the light that was beaming through the open window. It had markings that were engraved in the metal. The markings looked like symbols and letters, but I had never seen them before. I looked at all the others sets and they had the same markings. "What do these symbols mean Ted?" He glanced over at me from where he was helping Andy put his armor on. "They all mean the same thing, they're just in different languages all over the armor." I almost ignored his answer and jumped to my next question. "Where did all these sets of armor come from anyway?" He looked at the floor a little as Andy got the top part of his armor on. "They belonged to the people I landed here with. We made them right after they got here with me." I dared not ask what became of them. I could assume nothing good, seeing as there were no original bodies filling these sets of armor anymore. It seemed like we had all gotten our armor on, and were ready to start our march. Our new member, Jake, stood with us covered in metal just like the rest of us. We all looked like medieval soldiers now, but the armor was more modern, and made us all look like formidable foes. "Here" Ted said as we all stood together, "These should keep your faces pretty." He threw us helmets all with the same symbols and crafting style. The helmets went on and had splits where our eyes were, horns that curled to the back of our heads, and masks that covered our mouths with holes in them for breathing. We looked deadly as we put them on. Even I would have been hesitant to challenge anyone wearing one of these suits. "Thank you Ted" we all seemed to say in our own way, and he smiled every time he heard the words from us. "You're all welcome. Now let's go over where you're headed."

          Ted went to the back of his longhouse and into his bedroom. He stepped up to a chest that he unlocked with a key around his neck. He grasped something from inside and brought it out. He walked back into the room we were in and spread out what he grabbed on a table. It was a complete map of the entire apartment. We were all flabbergasted. How did he have this???? We all barraged him with the question at once, but mine was the one he got to answer. "Ted, how in the hell do you have this????" He looked at me with a smile and said, "When I got to this village for the first time, the people had drawn this up for me. Apparently they had been here longer than any of us. So far this map has been exact, so I'm hoping that this will take you to the heart." I looked at the outstretched map and saw the center of the apartment. "Here" Ted pointed. "That must be where it is." Ted pointed at the center, and it didn't make any sense at all. My bedroom was where the heart was. Casey spoke, "But we would have to go back around the mountain, and down it to the other side again to get there!" Ted looked over at Casey and said, "You would" he paused and smiled, "Were it not for the path through the wall of the kitchen." He pointed his finger along a winding trail not far from where we were that led right into my bedroom. "What's that?" Nate asked. It was peculiar. The path was marked on the map with an X and scrawled with panicked messages in another language. "That" Ted started, "Is the problem. Through the wall lies something terrible. The map calls it Kongulo, which is an Icelandic name. I have no idea what it means, or even how it got the name. I've never been that way before, and I do not plan on it. Whatever has a den there though has killed many men, wolves, and even giants. Do not tread lightly through there. After that the trail should lead right out into the bedroom and to the heart." We all looked at the map with intent and none of us had to tell the other, but there was no going back. We were unafraid. "Take the map with you, and do not lose your way." We thanked Ted again for all the gifts he had given us, and we all suggested we get to the gates.

          We briskly walked to the entrance to the village with our new helmets in our hands, and there to meet us were all the villagers. They all cheered and thanked us for our brave fight with the two T-Rex that surely would have destroyed their village. Then we got closer and the cheering died down. We could hear whispers throughout the crowd in their language that no one among us could understand. They all stared at us with almost fear in their eyes though. It was strange to watch them look at us with eyes that screamed stay away. We all noticed, but even Jake who had been here since the beginning of the village had no idea why we frightened them so much. The crowd seemed to get quiet now, and one by one they came up to all of us and shook our hands, gave us food for the trip, and even tried to kiss a few of us on the cheek. Then the crowd split and Ted walked through to say his goodbyes. We all shook his hand, and told him we would come back for him, and take him and all his people to the exit. He approached Jake who lived in the village and gave him a hug. "It will be different here without you my friend." Jake smiled back and said, "I'll kill some wolves and giants for you buddy." Just like that we started to leave. We all threw on our helmets, and the crowed all went wide eyed. Some even gasped in fear. I looked at Ted through my helmet and asked him, "What is wrong with these people? Why are they so scared of us??" Ted looked back at the crowd, then back to the steel engravings on my chest. "They fear you all, just as anyone who will see you in those suits will now too. That steel was made in heart of that mountain, and bathed in the hottest fires it contained within its belly. It was made almost impenetrable from arrows and swords, and put to the test many many times. They fear it because they've seen what happens to the enemies of those who wear it." I looked at the cold steel gloves and chest piece I was wearing, and at the engravings all over them. "You never told me what they meant." Ted looked at the symbols we were wearing on our chests. "Death" Ted paused and looked seriously at all of us. "They mean death. In every language spoken in this apartment." I looked back to my brothers and they all looked as serious as I did. "Good" said Andy, "That's all our enemies will ever find."

      

Day 46

Churchill Downs Day 46: I opened my eyes to the sight of a ceiling. I sat up in a hurry to look around the type of medical room I was in. There were bandages and types of medical tools in the nearby trays close to the mattress I was on. The room was empty. I looked down at my torso to find it wrapped in several bandages. It seemed like I had been operated on. I rubbed my head to see what I could remember right before I passed out in the village entrance. I had thought I saw my comrades looking back at me before it all went black. What a grand thing it would have been if it were true. I threw my feet over the mattress and attempted to stand. I could feel the pain starting in my mid section again. "I had better take it slow" I whispered to myself. I walked toward the door to examine what was on the outside, and was beaten to the punch from the other side of the door. Stepping through the door was Andy. "You miss me?" he said humorously. I couldn't find the words to describe the reunion with a brother I never thought I would see again. I moved as fast as my damaged body would let me, and hugged his neck. "Soooo" said Mitri standing behind Andy smiling as he continued, "What's it like to come back from the dead?" From behind Mitri stepped Casey and Nate from the door. "It's good to see you again brother." Casey said grinning. Nate said nothing. He didn't have to. I could see the look on his face, and I knew he was happy. My brothers all stood before me, and I couldn't have been happier. "What happened when you fell brother?" said Andy, "We had thought you dead." I didn't waste any time sparing details. "After the giant grabbed me we fell through an ice cave. It must have lost its grip on me during the fall through the cave though. It dropped me on a ledge, and it fell right through the floor of the structure. I don't remember anything after that though. I was awoken by Jake. The cave started to collapse and he was there to save me." Judging by my brothers lack of surprise at the fact that Jake was here in the apartment showed me that they had already went to talk to him about everything. "Where is Jake?" I asked my brothers. As soon as I did he walked through the door. "Glad you're awake Wes" Jake said, "We need your help." As he finished his sentence another walked through the door. The one in the armor. "Good to see that death can't even stop you Wes."said the man. I looked at him one last time before starting to speak. "You've got to be kidding me... TED?!?! You're the chief!?!??" He smiled and started to laugh. He walked over and proceeded to shake my hand. "It's good to see you again buddy." I looked back with a big smile and said, "Lemme guess, got sucked in here when you tried to visit." He laughed and didn't give me an answer, I already knew it anyway. "I hope you guys have enjoyed your reunion, because we have a bigger matter at hand right now" said Jake as politely as he could. "Come on Wes, we will need you and your friends help."

          We walked into Ted's longhouse and over to a sort of balcony over looking the gates of the village. Ted looked over at Nate and the others. "You remember what I said about wolves not being the only thing out here?" The group paused and remembered his comment, but didn't think it true. He stretched his arm out and pointed in the field we were over looking. As soon as he did something that made my eyes double guess themselves walked out of the forest. A T-Rex waltzed away from the trees and out toward the village. I kept wiping both of my eyes with my hands, trying to get a glance of what was really out there. But the image did not change. I looked back at my brothers and their mouths were all wide open, staring at what they couldn't believe was on the clearing. "There is no way that's real" Casey stated, and we all agreed with him. Except for Jake and Ted staring at the beast with war like glares. Ted spoke with his eyes fixated on the giants, "They decide to attack every now and again. They come for food." It was real alright, and coming this way. Or should I say they. Out stepped another one that seemed to have the same idea as the first. attack and eat whatever was in the village. They both began to start striding toward the village. "Ted and Jake, I have no doubt in your abilities, but how in the hell have you been defending these people from... THAT???"Ted and Jake paused trying to answer my question. "Well" started Ted, "There usually aren't two of them, and they usually are not as big." Mitri seemed to be the first one to break the silence with an aloud "Crap." It seemed we were in for a fight. My body hadn't healed enough to be in the battle field, but it wasn't going to matter. I had to fight wether my body would let me or not. "We all need to get to the gates." Jake informed us. "Get ready for a fight gentlemen." Ted told us. The group readied their gear and ran to the entrance of the village. While the rest sprinted to the entrance to defend the village, I grabbed Ted and stopped him. "I need a weapon." He smirked with a confident stare like he expected the words from my mouth. "Not going to let some injuries stop you huh?" I nodded and he led me to a back room in the longhouse. He opened a secret door and stepped inside. He turned around to face me while I was looking at the walls lined with swords. "Here you go." He handed me a long, thick blade with what looked like wolves bones lining the hilt. The blade was sharpened to a point, and as big as it looked, it was light. It was an amazing craft. "It is one of the best the village has to offer, the blade makes flesh seem like warm butter." I looked at Ted in appreciation. "You won't find anything sharper than that Wes." We both grinned and then started to head for the gates.
          We all gathered together and waited anxiously on the coming threats. We could see them close to a mile away, and getting closer with every stride. I looked around at my fellow warriors and saw no trace of fear. It was amazing to see their resolve in combat. Casey stepped forward with his bow drawn. I could hear him whisper to himself, "Just a little more..." I figured he was talking about the range of the beasts from our location. His bow would be of great aid now. He planted his feet firmly as the gigantic T-Rex got in range more than 200 yards away. If he could even manage to make it to the thing this far away I would be impressed. He drew an arrow and smiled evilly. He pulled back the string from the bow and aimed high above the target. He let go and the arrow flew like a bullet. The dinosaurs were approaching more rapidly with every second, and just like that the one on the right stopped and let out a cry so loud we could hear it from where we were. Casey had shot it in the eye. He drew another arrow and fired again. The beast wailed as the arrow entered his other eye. The group stopped and looked at Casey with surprise. "Why didn't you say you were that good of a shot??" Mitri asked loudly. Casey looked back and whispered. "You never asked." Casey took aim at the next one and fired twice back to back. Direct hits in both eyes again. "Do we even need to fight these things??" Andy asked the group watching Casey hit them with ease. Casey looked at Andy and calmly said, "They can still smell us." We looked back at the dinosaurs and could see them shaking off the pain. They took a second to smell the wind in our direction, and began to run toward us once more. "This is going to be interesting" I said with hesitation. They were close now, and only getting closer.
          The dinosaurs charged at us now. We all dodged and were ready to fight for our lives. The second one snapped behind us and roared as it tried ram us all with its head. "ME, JAKE, AND ANDY WILL TAKE THE UGLY ONE. YOU GUYS TAKE THE OTHER UGLY ONE!!!" Ted shouted across the battlefield. Mitri, Casey, Nate, and I  began to split off and try to kill one of the dinosaurs, while the others dodged and began to handle the other. Mitri charged at the foot of the monster and slashed at its leg. It didn't like that. It looked down and swatted him away with its enormous tail. Casey took advantage of the dinosaur being turned around to face Mitri and fired volley after volley of arrows into the back of its neck. It turned around to face Casey, and as it did I took the opportunity to run under its legs and swing my new sword at the soft flesh on the inside of its thighs. The dinosaur let out a roar of pain an began to sway back and forth from the gashes in its legs. "GO FOR THE LEGS!!!!" I yelled to the other team dodging the beasts stomps. Nate slid under the monster and sunk his wolves teeth into its soft thigh. The giant cried out in pain and tried to shake Nate from its leg, but Nate wouldn't let go.  Mitri picked himself up off the ground and ran back under the beast to cut him on the leg one more time. He dodged the dinosaurs attempt to try and bite him and Casey picked two arrows from his back and shot them both into the side of the other leg. The T-Rex swayed heavily and finally collapsed on its side crausing the ground to rumble. It laid on the ground trying to snap at me as I dodged the falling giant, and as it opened its jaw, Casey fired three arrows back to back in the roof of its mouth. The giant stopped biting the air around it and laid its head down dead. The other team began slicing its legs to get the same effect. Andy ran under the beast and swung as hard he could at the back of the beasts leg. The ax was so big and powerful it nearly cleaved the entire limb off. It must have struck a tendon because almost immediately the leg buckled and it fell on its side. Ted dodged the wild snapping of the beast, and slashed at its neck leaving a big bleeding cut. The beast opened its mouth gasping for air and Jake saw the opportunity to throw his spear as hard as he could, to where it went through the roof of the things mouth, and out the top of its head. The T-Rex laid its head down, and stopped moving for good.
          Jake walked up to the head of the creature and pulled his spear out. "Filthy beast" he said with a disgusted look. We all caught our breaths and marveled at the giants that laid dead at our feet. "I would have put money on them." Said Mitri still keeled over breathing heavily. We all chuckled a little as we sucked the air into our lungs as hard as we could. There was only one without a bead of sweat on his brow, and that was Casey. He placed his bow on his back once more and proceeded to walk to the gate. We all turned to look at him walking away like a champ, and the dinosaur that I was in charge of handling started to move again. Andy, Mitri, and Nate all stepped back terrified because they were so close to it. It looked around and roared once more. We all readied our weapons and stared at the now moving head of the beast that was starting to pick itself up on legs we thought were more than useless. An arrow flew like a blur straight into the monsters mouth. It landed with a hard thud in its throat and pierced through the back of its neck, covered in fragments of bone from its spine. It laid back down. If it wasn't dead before, it was now. We all looked back at Casey who stood with a straight face. He lowered his bow and turned his back once again. We could only hear him say "Don't let your guard down." 
          We dragged the carcasses into the village. If two dead giants were useful for anything, it was food. The sun slowly started to descend over the far wall of the village, and I began to become exhausted. I ran my hand over the bandages on my chest. It took a lot of energy to fight those things. Energy I didn't have. The villagers began to carve up the giant and start a fire in a large hole in the ground. I was starving, and more than ready for something to be on my stomach. Ted walked over to my side. "You and your friends fight very well" he looked pleased with the display of bloodshed that he was speaking of, "I have no doubt you and your team will be able to destroy the heart Wes. I can point you in the right direction tomorrow morning, and you can be on your way. We all deeply appreciate what you and your friends have done here for us." I looked back and smiled at him. I nodded than we walked over to the fire where the meat was being cooked. Nate, Casey, Mitri, and Andy walked over beside me. "Good to see you can still handle yourself bud." Andy said in a sarcastic tone. I didn't have the energy to answer, so all I did was smile back at him. They all grinned back. The meat from the dead giants was being passed around to everyone and we all dug in when we received our shares. Jake walked over and addressed me. "Hey Wes, I was thinking. I maybe if you had another guy watching your back, the journey to the heart wouldn't be so difficult. I could be of help. I'm good in a fight, and know my way out of a bad situation." I looked at him with a mouth full of meat. "I would be honored if you came with us." He was pleased to hear my answer and retorted with a "Hell yes."
          The beasts were stripped to the bone, and all of the villagers had their own fill of food. I was stuffed, and couldn't eat anymore if I tried. My brothers and I all started toward the longhouse making jokes about how we were invincible as a team. For a second, I started to think so. I had cheated death, and a few days after that, I plant a T-Rex in the ground. It felt good to know about how many challenges we faced and over came together. It felt even better to realize that this apartment was losing at its own game. We walked through the doors of the house and walked over to what I never thought I would see anywhere in this hellish place. Actual beds. Enough for everyone. I waltzed over to one and fell onto it. It was like a dream to feel a mattress again. I looked over at my brothers and they all looked the same way. I almost couldn't wait for tomorrow to begin our march to the heart. Whatever lay in our way would die a long with the rest of the monsters we faced. I closed my eyes and thought all about what it would finally be like to go home after this was over, and slowly, I fell asleep.

Day 44

Churchill Downs Day 44: "Come in and sit" Ted said in a very welcoming voice. Nate looked around at the longhouse. "So you rule these people?" Andy asked. Ted looked like he couldn't really answer the question, but was going to try. "When I arrived here after being sucked into this place at the door, I landed on the snowy mountain. I was with others when I came here, but they died days after we landed. Seems there is a wolf problem here. After the deaths of my comrades I decided to walk in the only direction that was away from the wretched mountain. I came across these people and they were not exactly inviting when I did. I fought for my right to be one of them, just so happened that I ended up beating them all." Nate stopped Ted before he went on. He was impressed with the story, but only had one question. "So you landed on the mountain?" Ted paused. "Yes. I don't exactly remember the day, or even how. My companions and I were all in a group." Ted looked at the floor. "The mountain is where they are buried." The four looked at Ted and understood the pain that was losing someone to this foul apartment. Ted looked back up at the group. "But it's alright. Three times as many wolves are buried there too. I made sure of that." The brave four all looked at Ted and could see in his eyes that he had seen death. That he had seen a lot of it. That he had cause a lot of it. Mitri sighed as he got Ted's attention. "We had to bury Wes up there." Ted had suspected something like that. He knew that the lack of their fifth member was probably not going to be happy tale. "I want to know everything" he said, "I want to know how you all arrived here, and I want to know how my friend died." The group began the long string of stories that was their journey. They all conversed for hours, speaking of who they all were and how they came to be trapped in this place. They made sure to leave no detail out either. Ted had earned their respect with the loss of his friends, they wanted him to know everything.

          "So" Ted answered, "That is what's been happening." Ted took a moment to absorb all that he was told. "The plan with Emma and Sam doesn't seem half bad. It is true that there is an exit to this place, and maybe we can all leave here." Nate and the others looked confused. "You knew about the exit??" Casey asked. "Of course." Ted answered, "As the head of all of these people, I kind of have to be aware of these things." The group fell into even a deeper confusion. "But if you knew, why aren't you trying to get there yourself??" Mitri asked as though he was mildly angry at all the knowledge that Ted had collected. "I couldn't leave these people alone. They needed my guidance to defend themselves from the outside." Nate didn't like Ted's answer. "From wolves?? These people seem to be more than capable from just defending themselves from wolves!! They nearly killed us!!" Ted looked over at Nate and calmly stated, "There are more than just wolves in this valley." The group looked at Ted and decided there was probably a lot of truth to what he was saying. They knew there were deeply evil things other than just wolves in this place. They knew that they were a lot harder to kill too. "Than what will you do Ted?" asked Mitri, "Stay here forever?" Ted looked at the roof. "That's where you four come in. I will leave once the apartment has died. Maybe I can save some of these people. I will tell you exactly how to get to the heart. How to kill it is beyond my knowledge though." The group stood as not to waste anymore time. "Than when can we leave?" Nate said impatiently. "Tomorrow" Ted answered, "After a nights rest, and a full belly." The group looked at each other quickly and decided Ted was right. They would stay there for the night, and leave at dawn.

          "How did you come to be here?" I asked Jake from behind him as we walked through the jungle. "I landed in the valley ahead. Never touched the mountain other than to go look for wolves meat. Which is how I stumbled across you laying face up and unconscious of course. By the way, what the hell was that thing through the hole in the cave's floor that had obviously left you on the ledge?? Must have been huge." I looked at the ground remembering what had happened that day. "It was an ice giant. It surprised me and the others I was with. It grabbed me and we fell through the cave. That's all I remember." I told Jake all about my adventure with the people I was with. I told him everything I could. Who they were, what we were doing, how we came to be here. Everything. "So Emma and Sam are headed to find an exit huh?" I tried to keep my pace with him as I walked. "Yeah" I answered back, "It's the only plan we have." Jake glanced back at me and smiled a little. "It's about time someone tried to beat this place. Feels like years since I got here and started living in that village. We don't try and leave it much. Our chief and I are the only protection we have to the things outside. We can't afford to leave the people defenseless." I understood his cause. If I was in his position I would want to save the lives of as many people as I could too. "We're almost there" Jake said calmly to me, "Just a little further." I gripped my chest in pain. I figured my lungs would soon be full of blood. I spat red on the ground to clear my throat. "Good" I said, "I can't cheat death twice." I looked around at the forest that was starting to clear, and the ground that started to descend into a valley. I looked at the smoke rising from what seemed like houses. "Guhhhhhhh...." I sounded behind Jake and spat up some more blood. "Damn, just a little farther Wes, come on, stay with me." He tried to encourage me as best he could to keep away from my second death. "Only a few more yards friend."

          We entered the village like we had just gotten back from war. I was only held up by my arm being around the back of Jake's neck. "SOMEONE HELP!!!! I HAVE WOUNDED!!!!" The villagers began to pour out of their houses and rush to our aid. I could see the peripherals of my eyes start to go black, and start to slowly creep toward the center of my vision. The people gathered around me on Jake's shoulder to look at my damaged frame. I must have been a sight to draw so many alarmed faces. "Get back!!! I'm a doctor!!!!" shouted one of the villagers. I could see him slipping through the crowd in our direction with what seemed like a type of mattress. "Cheif!! Come see this man!!!" One villager shouted. An armored man slipped through the crowd that looked almost familiar. I dropped to my knees in pain, and right before I slipped into blackness again I looked up once more. Behind the man in armor stood Nate, Casey, Mitri, and Andy. I could see them stopping in their tracks, and staring at their once dead brother, now right in front of them. I tried to get words out, words that would express my happiness in seeing them again, but only managed to spit up more blood at their feet. My knees no longer able to support my body buckled. I fell on my stomach, and passed out in the warm dirt.

          

Day 43

Churchill Downs Day 43: It was dark. So this is what it was like to be dead. It was strange... Like being asleep. I thought of my comrades I let down. I thought about the fight with the giant, and the loss of gravity all before it went black. I remember my fall. My brothers and loved ones were all gone now, and replaced by a silence. It was so dark. What would become of me? I wished I could get back to my team and help, I knew they needed me, I could feel it. I can't let this happen. I must get back. I must get back. I will get back. I must get up and travel back... but nothing. No I wasn't going to stop. I had been so resistant. I wasn't going to let this apartment kill me. Not like this. "wes..." What was that?? It sounded again, "Wes...." Andy? Maybe Casey? "Wes!!" The sound wouldn't stop. "WES!!!! GET UP NOW!! WE HAVE TO LEAVE!!!" The voice sounded... familiar... and just like that I could feel the cold breath enter my lungs once again. I could feel my blood start flowing in my veins. I could hear my heart start to beat again. I took a long inhalation of the cold air, and slowly, opened my eyes.

          I looked at the figure above of me shouting. "WES LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!! THE WHOLE PLACE IS CAVING IN!!!!!" Without wondering anything else, I took his out stretched hand and was yanked to my feet. "CAN YOU MOVE??" I struggled to get the word out. ".....yeah..." He threw me over his shoulder and as I was being lifted to his back, I looked and saw the massive hole in the roof of what looked like an icy cave. The giant must have fallen through that. Then I looked through another hole in the floor. The giant went straight through and must have tossed me to the close ledge looking over where it fell through by accident. "WE'RE ALMOST OUT, DON'T STOP BREATHING NOW!!" I wasn't about to. We saw the light of the entrance of the cave, and exited quickly. The cave entrance behind us collapsed in on itself to forever seal the beasts tomb. I was placed on the soft snow looking straight up into the sky. The man that saved me gave a great sigh, and walked over to the side of the mountain to look out at the mist. "Jesus Wes, what in the hell did you get yourself into that time?" I sat up to get a better look at the friendly and couldn't imagine who was staring back at me. "...ugh.." I grabbed for air, "How are you here...?" The man looked over and simply gave the answer everyone else gave. He came to my door and was sucked in. "Auburn was having a lame weekend, so I came to see what you guys were up to here." He chuckled "You didn't disappoint." "Oh" I said in an amused voice, "Then It's good to see you too Jake."

          Jake McPheeters was like another one of the already many brothers I had. "How did you survive?" I took no time to get straight to the point. He looked at me almost smiling. "I found a village not far from where we are in a jungle valley" he said "The people there are friendly... for the most part." I stopped and only really paid attention to one word he said. "JUNGLE?" I asked amazed. "Yeah" he retorted, "Right below this mountain." I thought of my brothers on the journey for the heart. They were probably days ahead of me anywhere else but that village. I wondered when I would see them again. If I would see them again. The thought of their own deaths turned my stomach. I cannot wait here. I slowly placed one of my hands on the ground, and tried to raise myself up to my feet. "WOAH BUDDY, I don't think so. You're not going anywhere for a while Wes." I looked at Jake as seriously as I could through the pain of what I was sure was all types of contusions. "I have to go. Anywhere but here Jake. I have to find everyone." Jake took a moment to pause. He didn't ask me about what had happened, or who I was with, he just said, "Not without me." Jake picked up a type of spear with wolf skulls fashioning the handle. "I'll tell you everything Jake, but we need to get to that village first. I think the warm feeling in my chest isn't just from seeing you." I coughed up a bit of blood on the snow. "I don't know how good I'll be in a fight Jake, I'm sorry." He simply smiled helping me up. "Than get behind me."