The Riddle Of Id

This is a first revision of this story and a renewed version will be posted soon.

The Riddle of Id

I have no Idea how I got to this point, or why I am here. All I know is that I let him out and I don’t know-… well I don’t know what to do. I guess I should start at the beginning and how I got into this whole mess because I have no idea how to get out. My name is Walter Jones and I live with my grandparents on the outskirts of town. I go to Winder Middle School, which is the bane of my existence. I don’t fit in and because of it I get picked on, not only by students but by teachers also. The worst of them all that pick on me is Danny, or Big Dan as his goons call him and every week I become his target. One day right after math I heard Big Dan talking about dropping a stink bomb in his science class right in front of Mr. Greg. In passing under my breath I said to myself “ Yeah right, Dan. You’re as spineless as a jellyfish.” “Spineless as a jellyfish! I’ll make you feel like a jelly fish!” roared Dan. “ Today is Thursday and dumpster day to all our victims, I hope you like dumpster diving.” As I walked away I thought to myself, “Great. Another chameleon day where I need to blend into my surroundings and avoid Big Dan.” As I made the customary run home, hiding behind trashcans and in the shadows, I found an unfamiliar ally that I had never seen before. I heard the goons and ran to find a hiding spot. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a trunk that looked like it was thrown out of a moving truck and the only thing holding it together was the metal ornamentation on the edges. I dashed to it and climbed in not seeing anyone before I shut the lid. The few seconds I was inside the trunk felt like a lifetime. Or maybe it was that time had stood still. Waiting, listening it sounded like the goons had passed by till I heard a huge “thud” on the top of the trunk. Cursing I kicked the side of the trunk and put my head into my hands. Little did I know what impact my foot had against the side of the trunk. I felt warmth on my face, but I was still enclosed in the trunk I didn’t hear yelling from the gang or Big Dan. Then I lifted my head and saw that the side of the trunk had opened like a door. I pulled myself toward the opening and stretched for a better view. Through the crack I could see a world of strange creatures. I saw hippos with wings, unicorns, dragons, imps, and monkeys with eight legs. I pulled myself out of the trunk and to my amazement there was a sign saying, “Welcome to the Land of Imagination.” Taken aback I looked around and asked myself, “How do I get back home?” Without warning the sign sprouted arms, legs, and a mouth which said to me “The way back home will be three tasks to test your will.”

“What kind of tasks?” I asked.

“The tasks can be found if you mount a flying hippo,” said the sign, having completely disregarded my question. Then the signs arms and legs got sucked back into its body and became a simple sign again. With no other explanation I found a hippo, climbed atop his back and off we went. The air whipped past my head as we flew for what felt like miles and miles. We hit the ground and I fell off the hippo into the dirt and mud. Through the mud my body rolled like a rag doll. The hippo didn’t waste any time and took off like a shot. I stopped rolling just shy of a new sign that said, “Welcome to the Land of Nightmares.” Pulling myself to my feet someone said to me “Looking for the way home?” I looked around and saw a human, or what looked like a human, in a very small cage hanging off of a building. “Yes I am. Can you tell me the way?” I asked. “ The way for you to get home is to face your three greatest fears, two of which are behind me in this building through those doors,” said the man in the cage.

“I just have to face my three greatest fears and I can go home!” I sarcastically quoted back. ”Great, I’ll never get home then.” “How do you know? “ asked the caged man. “Have you ever faced any of your fears?” “No,” I replied. “Then what have you got to lose?” the man pointed out. “Nothing, I guess” I noted to myself as I walked towards the first door, turned the knob and jumped in headfirst.

I found myself after walking through the door, in a huge spacious building. This building had no wall but tons of huge shelves and racks it reminded me of a warehouse. While l walked between the shelves I heard a clamoring of noise it was Big Dan and his gang. Before I could do anything they caught up to me. Big Dan tackled me and yelled at me “ You think you’re so big!”

I retorted, “What are you going to do? Sick your goons on me?”

“No” Big Dan said,” you’re my jelly fish to pummel.”

As he reared back to punch me in the face I yelled and pointed over his left shoulder and yelled, “What in the world is that?!” All of Dan’s goons looked but he didn’t. He replied, “You expect me to fall for a crappy trick like that?” I, through clenched teeth said, “No but I do expect you to wet yourself when you see that minatour!” As he turned to look I threw a strong right hook and caught Big Dan square in the jaw and ran to the nearest rack climbing as high as I could go. At the top of the rack in the midst of the confusion I threw two boxes down onto the ground and yelled “It’s a minatour! “ After I heard the first two boxes thud on the ground I was surprised to hear more even bigger thuds follow them, as though there was some sort of giant in this building. I looked to see where I had thrown the boxes but they where nowhere to be found. Upon a second look I saw a giant creature that had the head of a bison, the arms of a human, and the legs of a bull. It was a minatour and it was attacking Dan and his gang! At that time I had realized that I was still in the world of imagination and Dan and his gang were not entirely real but some of my fears put into physical form so I could face it to get home. After the minatour dispensed with the imaginary bullies he turned to me and said in a loud booming voice, “ You have conquered your fear of standing up for yourself. Only two more fears remain.” As soon as he had finished speaking he collapsed into a pile of books and boxes. I guess that was what was in the boxes I threw. No sooner than the pile of books had stopped moving did I find myself back with that strange man in a cage.

“One fear down and two to go,” I thought to myself as I walked towards the other door. As I stepped through the door there was the strangest sensation, first of tingling, next of lightness. All at once I felt as though I was a being torn from time and space. The very next thing I knew was that I was getting ripped out of the trunk, through which I entered this world, this Land of Imagination, by a police officer. Before I could say or do anything the officer pinned me against his car and started yelling things in my ear,” You are charged with the assault and battery of Arnold Jones.” He then threw me in the back of his car. Sitting there thinking how I couldn’t, I wouldn’t attack my own grandfather. As soon as those thoughts raced through my mind I became frantic, and out of control. I took anything and everything I could get my hands on and destroyed, or tried to destroy it. I punched, kicked, and screamed at the tops of my lungs, but to no avail. Slowly I began to gain control of my emotions and myself though I was still flailing about ripping and tearing at the doors trying to free myself. I tore at the door one last time with full control of my emotion while looking at the floor. When I finally looked up I saw a tear in the door of the police car. At that moment I realized that I was still in the land of imagination, that I really hadn’t been found in the trunk and I really didn’t attack my grandfather, and, ultimately, I had the power to change the course of this event. At that moment I thought of whom in the world could have attacked my imaginary grandfather and suddenly out of the bushes Big Dan emerged and yelled at the officers “You stupid pigs! I was the one who attacked the old man and you guys are idiots.” The police officers after letting me out of the car, chased after Dan. I ran to my grandfather’s house to see how he was doing. When I got there he was on a stretcher. I went up to him and he told me “You have now defeated your second fear, that being the fear of not having the ability to help someone you love because they are out of your reach.” All at once I was again taken from where I stood and brought to that strange building. Both of the doors where now boarded up and the only thing left was the person in the cage.

“Looking for your fear?” said the voice from the cage.

“Yes. Can you tell me where I can find it?” I replied.

“Yes, you can find your fear right here,” said the voice. As he said that the cage lowered. When the hit the ground the whole world around me went dark and all I could see was the cage breaking open and a figure emerging out of it. All of a sudden the words “Who are you?” escaped my mouth, and a reply came from the voice. “Who am I you ask, well shouldn’t you know by now? I am your greatest fear, I am you without mercy, I am an exaggeration of your emotions, I am Id!” spat the voice. “Id what’s an Id” I cried. “I am your Id and an Id is the most primitive of desires, and emotions in you. I live on emotion, I care not for others, I do my own will and will get what I want,” said Id. “What do you want, and why do you need me?” I asked. “Funny you should ask, Walter Jones, I ask you the same thing, what do you want and why do you need me?” Id retorted. “I dunno, I just came to be here and want to go home. As for you I have no idea why I would need or want a monster like you,” I whispered. “I need you to get to your world. I want to take your place, to live through your body but as myself in the real world. Those are the things I want and what I will get in a matter of time. As for you I need you to take my place in that cage, in my subconscious to live till the end of time,” said Id. “No!” I screamed, as I thought of my grandparents with this lunatic. “ I thought if I conquered my three greatest fears I could return home, that was what I was told!” I yelled. “Ah yes the fears, you have mastered two of the three, and because this is your imagination that is what you need to do, but if you cannot defeat you third and greatest fear, which is me, you have to stay here till the end of time,” said id. “So what do I have to do? Fight you?” I asked. “No all you have to do is solve my riddle,” replied Id.

“A battle of wits will now begin

where the loser is caged and freedom the conqueror wins.

Never again will the winner see

the loser’s face but live life worry-free.

In this land the loser will find

the Riddle of Id, a window to my mind,

that says backwards is forwards, and up is down.

Reality and imagination spin round and round.

The riddle will test your emotions great.

You might defeat Id, deciding both our fates.

You make the choice and I’ll tell you what’s true

who’s returning home, me or you.”

Id finished his riddle and stood in front of me with his hands in fists expecting me to pick one. Here is where I began my story and I still don’t know what to do. “Can I ask you questions?” I asked. “Sure” Id said, “Whatever you want.” “So after my choice that is when I receive the consequence of my actions?” I questioned. “Yes,” said Id. “So either I get to go home or stay here in the cage?” I asked. “Yes,” said Id. “Why do you want to go to my world,” I asked. “What makes you want to go back?” questioned Id. “ I uh, I dunno,” I stammered. “That world doesn’t want you, that is how you feel isn’t it,” said Id. “Yes,” I said. “Well then why do you want to go back?” said Id. “ I have no idea,” I stated. “But you still haven’t told me why you want to go.” “I want to go for self gratification, to feed my own ambition, to live out my desires, and to live a life rather than sit in a cage and rot. I also want to go and take advantage of others,” stated Id. “Well if that is your choice it is time to make mine,” I said, as I looked at Ids fists outstretched towards me. “I choose, your heart!” I yelled. Id’s countenance was crushed after I said that. “You have made the right choice and are free to return to your land” Id said. “How did you know what to choose?” Id asked. “My grandfather always told me that my greatest fear could be my greatest foe or biggest help. As I faced my fears I came to that understanding and used it to my strengths,” I said. “For me to return to my own world I would need to know your reason for this charade and understand how you feel and to do that I need your heart,” I said. “I have been outwitted and you are free to return to your world,” proclaimed Id. Immediately after he spoke those words I found myself in the trunk through which I had entered that world, I pulled myself out and found Big Dan standing in front of the trunk with his cronies by his side. “I hope you are ready to eat garbage, because that’s what I’m feeding you tonight!” yelled Dan as his goons laughed. I stood up out of the trunk walked towards Dan till I was inches away from him. He stood at least four inches shorter than I. “What?” yelled Dan. Without missing a beat I punched Dan in the face and knocked him out. His goons all stared, awestruck, and then ran away like little girls. I started walking home to my grandfather’s house and remembered the trunk. I walked over to the trunk and found an old skateboard that had been thrown aside to wheel it home on. I took the trunk home because I knew that my adventures in The Land of Imagination had just begun.