User:Wutisdyssh

Wutisdyssh’s Story

 

It was a horrible thing, if one thought about it, but it was also a good thing. A good sign. I had been struck by that terrible affliction, amnesia-- veritably laser-guided. Why would that be a good thing, one might ask? Well, considering it, it’s a trope, almost a cliche for a hero of a story to wake up in some mysterious place with no memory of who he is. Does this mean I was the hero of something, destined to find my memory and my purpose? Maybe it was. But maybe not. Who knows?

 

Could I still remember how to sail my boat, and what her name was? I could. Could I remember what I had on board, and where I was heading to? I could. But could I remember who I was, or why I was dressed in this particular outfit most fashionable amongst characters in old radio dramas? I could not. How strange. I did remember my name, though.

 

I was in a little cabin of the craft when I awoke. It was a small cabin, but furnished with all the comfort I needed: a bed, a lamp, a little desk, and a painting on the wall. The latter occasionally rocked back and forth with the swaying of the vessel. Papers lay strewn on the desk in a disorganized rustle. I could not tell whether the motion of the boat had disturbed them, or if it had been the result of a hard night’s work on those documents. Their contents were mostly trivial; scribblings and doodles filled the pages. I found nothing in the desk or under the bed. With nothing of interest in this little room, I picked up my suitcase in the corner and went to leave. As I stepped out, I stopped to observe the painting. It depicted a quiet mountain lake with a little cabin on the far side.

 

Out on the deck of the little yacht, I looked up front in the direction of our destination. We were to land at a small beach about a mile away from the Town. What town? What importance did it have to deserve to be capitalized? Alas, I still could not remember. I stepped up the stairs at the front of the boat to ask the captain if he knew about it. There was nobody at the helm. There was nobody else on the ship, in fact. The boat was deserted, and sailed on its own.

 

An hour later, when we had been sailing through a thick fog for a while, the yacht came to a stop. I looked over the side. It had maneuvered itself against a small jutting of rocks on a beach. This was our destination, I concluded. I took my suitcase and stepped onto the wet stones, ready to walk out and find where I was going. It would have made for a fascinating scene for any viewer on the beach at that time. Out of the fog, a boat pulls ashore next to a long outcropping of rock. A figure steps off the side and onto the rocks. He stands majestically, this mysterious man in his trench coat, hat, and black suitcase, as a wave sprays up against the shore behind him. It would have been very majestic indeed, if he hadn’t slipped and fallen into the water on the next step.

 

I walked up the beach, sopping wet, and saw a small grassland stretching out in front of me. A wide dirt path cut through the middle of it, going a long way in either direction. A signpost was standing on the other side. I approached to see what it said.

 

<---TOWN : 1 MI

GRASSLAND : 5 MI --->

 

What was I to do? I remembered that I was supposed to be heading to the town, but was this the right one? Surely there couldn’t be another one nearby. Just as I started to turn that way, though, I bumped into something.

 

I looked down at what I had stumbled over. It was a little creature sitting there, looking at me. It had a round, oval body and was colored a dirty green. Two brown, squarish things that I suppose were its feet held it up. It had a strange, simple face, just eyes and a mouth, and it was looking at me.

 

I wondered. Was this one of the inhabitants of this strange land? I had surely seen stranger. I asked him a question.

 

“Hello,” I began. “Do you know which town is that way?”

 

He continued to look at me.

 

“Are you one of the citizens here? Can you help me around?”

 

He continued to give me that stare.

 

“Can you understand what I’m saying? Do you speak a different language?”

 

His expression remained unchanging.

 

How foolish of me, I thought. That’s not a citizen; that’s one of the creatures out in the fields. I’ll go to the town and see if anybody knows what this place is. I began walking down the path in the direction the sign told.

 

Excuse me, but… did you just talk to me?

 

I stopped. A voice had suddenly began to speak in my head. What was going on, I wondered? Who was talking in my head? Whoever it was, I hadn’t invited them in. Unless, maybe-- no, it couldn’t be. I turned around to look back at the little green creature.

 

Yes, you. Were you just asking me something?

 

“Oh, so you do live here. Do you know if I’m going the right way?”

 

How do I know if you’re going the right way? I don’t know where you’re headed. But that’s not what I was saying. You talked to me.

 

“Yes, well, I did talk to you. I thought you could give me directions.”

 

You talked to me! Oh, I’m so happy! Unless we end up especially lucky, little characters like me without notable personalities often end up overlooked.

 

“Erm, what exactly--”

 

But I’m happy because you talked to me. Most people don’t do that. They come to hit me with swords or sticks, or to shoot me with their bows, or to cast their spells on me. But you stopped to acknowledge me and talk to me. Oh, I’m so happy!

 

“Who? What’s going on? I don’t understand what you’re talking about-- but it’s nice to meet you, I suppose. My name is Wutisdyssh. Yours?”

 

A name? I’ve never been given a name. I just appeared here one day, just popped out of existence for some ranger to come along and beat up. We’re called walkers, but I’ve never been given a real name. Just another reason why nobody stops to talk.

 

“You’re a walker? I’ll call you that. Walker. That’s a good name.”

 

A name? A name! You gave me a name! That’s wonderful! Oh, I’m overjoyed! I was just a standard mook until now-- but you gave me a name! Now I’m more than that-- I could be a character now! A full-blown character, with a name and a personality!

 

“What an odd little fellow!” I thought to myself. “Oh, er, hm. Name, personality, that’s all very nice. Well, Walker, can you help me out like I asked?”

 

You’re going to the town? I’ll tell you all about the town. In fact, I’ll tell you about the whole area around here. I’d tell you about the whole country, if I knew! But promise that you’ll take me with you if you go anywhere! Opening Street gets awfully boring after a while. I’d like to get out and be different; I’d like to see the world!

 

“I suppose we will see the world, Walker. I’d love to travel too. In fact, I think I have some money that could get us somewhere. But before we do any of that, I need a few things. A hotel, and a hot meal.”

 

There’s a nice little inn in the town up ahead. They’ve got a place or two where you can find something to eat, too.

 

“Perfect, then! Just what I was looking for. Come on, Walker, let’s go.”

 

I picked up the little creature named Walker and put him on my shoulders. He was about as big as a small dog, but he was lighter than I would have imagined.

 

We’ll go out and meet some people in the town, right, Mr. Dish?

 

“Mr. Dish? Oh, well, people always have trouble pronouncing that. Wutisdyssh, what an odd name... yes, we’ll go out and mingle with the populace. I like meeting new people.”

 

That sounds wonderful.

 

I walked for a while down that dusty road, suitcase in one hand; the other supporting Walker.

 

Mr. Dish?

 

“Yes?”

 

This looks like it could be the start of an adventure, doesn’t it, Mr. Dish?

“I suppose it does, Walker. I suppose it does.”