Chapter 3: Dreams
"Beep beep!" "Beep beep!" The grating sound of an alarm clock; oh, it's already dawn, huh? I wanted to sleep *yawn* for another five minutes as I was going back to sleep, I heard a thumping sound that grew louder and louder until suddenly *bam* "Ouch what was that?" As I opened my eyes, there was gramps staring at me, which reminded me that gramps would be teaching me today.
"Lou, do you know what time it is?" Gramps asked angrily. "I'm sorry grandad," I replied, while holding my head. That hurt a lot. I forgot that Gramps wants to train me, so I guess I should get moving or gramps will smack me again.
When I step outside after getting ready, I notice gramps flexing his arm. "Grandad I'm ready what do I do now" As I was saying this, I was thinking to myself, "What will happen?" "What will Gramps do?" hmmmm…
"Get ready, Lou, we're having a hand-to-hand combat." 'What!' I exclaimed, surprised, "but grandad, I don't know any martial arts!" Gramps said it was fine because the best way to learn martial art is to experience it firsthand, "raise your hands!" What was gramps thinking a 10-year-old fighting a big old man?; So as gramps said I followed him and put my guard up. "Now, Lou, as you can see, there's a bell beside my pockets, and I'd like you to take that bell from me. There is only one rule, and that is to never give up."
As Gramps stated, I have my doubts that this will be easy! I lowered my body and attempted to dash in, shouting "aghhhhhhhhh." Suddenly, I hear a sweep and screech sound, and I'm on the grounds, and my back hurts "haachaaatatata!" Gramps burst laughing and said, "Lou, you can't just rush in and shout aghhh! Remember that your opponent will capture you before you even reach them, and you must devise a good plan of action."Hooo this will be difficult. Gramps isn't going to go easy on me.
Time passes. *Pant* This is my last plan after many attempts and failures. I'm going to run up to him and grapple him, then get the bell he-he! I sprint in, jump, and plan to force my arm into gramps' knee, but gramps dodges at the last moment, wallop! while my face is on the artificial grassy ground, I say to Gramps, "I'm exhausted, Gramps, I can't move anymore." As I was facing the ground, Gramps approached me and bent down, saying, "okay Lou, that's it for today, let's eat lunch."
My entire body hurts, and there are bruises all over the place. My body has turned sludgy, and I'm hungry. I rolled over to face the sky, wondering if I could really survive like this, if I could really get that bell *sigh* I guess I'd never know if I never tried. I get up and go clean my body and head over to eat lunch.
I devoured my lunch; I've never eaten so much before; after lunch, Gramps teaches me about basic mathematics, basic science, and history. "There are a ton of unique power types on special stigma's that only a special pilot can use," I learned about stigma and their pilot, "Grandad, how can I pilot Stigma?" I ask gramps with bright eyes," Gramps explained to me that in order to learn to pilot a stigma, I would need to attend an elite university where they would teach me everything, but in order to be accepted, there would be an entrance test so that only the exceptional could enter!
After the long afternoon "Hnggggggggg" I can finally unwind after a long day of gramps training. Huh? Is that Kol?, "Hey Kol it's me Lou" as I called out to Kol and approached him."Hey, Lou"He responded while holding his book under his left arm.
"So, what are your plans? Kol, are you going back to the secret location?" Kol gives me a nod, and I decide to go there with him again. "I'll play with Kol, Gramps," I shouted back, and Gramps replied, "Ok."
While walking with Kol, I told him that Gramps had begun to train me. "Oh, that's why you're covered in bruises." Kol replied, While looking at my bruises. "Grampa told me that if I can get the bell on his left leg close to the pockets, we're moving to the second part of the training, after the hard training I was exhausted I couldn't move a single muscle in my body I became a slob or slushy jelly". Grampa also teaches me basic math, science, and history. "Hey Kol, do you know anything about Stigma and Pilots?" Kol responded with a puzzled expression. "Yes, Lou, they pilot a large scale robots and are university elites. I read about them in a book and would like to see one stigma user one day."
After a lengthy journey filled with ups and downs, scrapes of metals along the road, and tight spots, we finally arrive at the secret base. "Kol, this area is as nice to look at as ever," as we can hear the wind cooling breaths and see the district in the horizons distance.
While I yelled out his name, I noticed his face fixed on the book, silently reading it, as if he doesn't see what's going on around him. I walked quietly behind him, calling out to him a few times in a gentle voice, "Kol, what are you reading?" And he flinched a little, his face flushed with surprise, and he looked completely befuddled. Kol responded by saying that he was so focused on reading the book he doesn't hear me and he's reading a chaper about stigma. "What's your dream, Lou?" He ask me. I answered him ; "to travel the world and get out of this rut with Gramps, to live in a luxurious house, and to eat a variety of delicious foods! What about you, Kol? What are your dreams and aspirations?"
"You know, Lou, my ambition is simple: I want to be the best scientist in the world like my mother. I grew up without her ; the only one on my side is my father, who is also a good technician. Dad told me that when I was a child, mom left for work and never returned, whether it was a few days, a month, or a year. Sometimes I think mom doesn't like me, but dad will always be there to tell me mom loves me more than anything in the world, and she left this book for me, so when I read it, I feel like mom is always beside me, and I miss her terribly. That is why, when I grow up, I plan to be a good scientist and figure out what happened to my mother."
I'm speechless after hearing Kol's life, which is why he always brings that book with him wherever he goes, as if it was her mother's memento. "Then don't worry, Kol, I'll be the best elite pilot using stigma, and you'll be the best scientist on the entire planet," I replied with a confident expression. Kol looked at me with a joyous face and replied "Thank you Lou" we both started laughing it's really a strange long day.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
real_layuki
real_layuki Hello, author here, and thank you for taking the time to read my work. I greatly appreciate your efforts, and I hope you enjoyed it.
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