A Rude Awakener [TIB Exploration 1]
Raoul Caria was the absolute best. Top of the world. No-one could touch him.
"Is there anyone out there who can hold a candle to me?!" He asked, arms outstretched to the crowd who watched him in awed silence. "Don't answer all at once, now."
...Then he woke up.
..
A wave of dread washed over him as he opened his eyes and realized he'd fallen asleep on the floor; an unpleasant reminder of simpler times when he suffered from anemia (and bedwetting, and hopefully never both at once). It was a mixed relief as he got hold of his senses and concluded his sleep had been an unnatural thing neither his nor his small body's fault; this was no more than an awkward surprise.
Another awkward surprise was looking up and around at the garish testaments to mankind all around him, all of which he took in as he stood and shook off his scarf of the floor dirt he couldn't see but knew beyond a doubt was there. Only when he'd taken in every last piece of godawful artwork as far as he could see did he realize there were other kids his age nearby, some of whom looked just as lost as he.
"Hey hey hey!" He barked aloud to everybody and nobody at once. "Whooooo here wants to tell me what the hell is going on?"