Manipulator

February 11, 1997
They took the wrong one. Isabel was left sleeping, but he was taken. She will never know him now, for he is The Kommandant's. Hopefully, Isabel will never need to find him.

I don't understand very well, but I brush it off. I go over to my window, trying to understand what happened to my friend. I see another person in the tree, napping in the sunset. I decide that it's Sorrin and close the window. I start to softly hum Mordred's Lullaby when a knock at my door catches my attention. Cherry looks in, sort of happy.
"What's up?" I grin.
"The boy woke up, sort of, and he's been asking for you." I feel a tremble of happiness. I slide down the banisters and take to the ground o the den merrily. Ryan's eyes are closed, but he's whispering my name.
I go and sit by him again. "I'm right here, Ryan." I murmur, laying my hand on his. He stops moaning and embraces my hand. He opens his eyes somewhat, and gives a frail smile to see me.
"Hey." He struggles to say. I signal his silence.
"You're in no condition to talk, Signor Tree boy." I joke, and he gives a feeble chuckle. I explain what I thought happened to him, and how he cracked his ribs. I find out later that he's fallen asleep. I kiss his cheek and I walk to my room. Sorrin scares me as I see him looking through my stuff. I pick up a frying pan (which was conveniently left in my box of food) and go to hit him. He vanishes immediately when the pan should've hit him. I turn to see Grandfather in my door.
"Come with me, Isabel." He orders, and I follow him. He takes me to his private study, and goes to the globe on his fireplace's mantle. Pressing a little island, the fire goes out and the entire wall comes out and splits in half to reveal a long winding staircase. "John is waiting for you at the bottom."
I look at his confused, "You're John, remember?"
"No," he says, "my name is Jacob." I look at the stairs again, trying to decide whether to go down or not. I take two steps into the darkness, and the wall seals itself. Keeping my hand on the wall, I travel slowly to the bottom. So this is what it feels like to be blind I realize. As I come to the bottom, a light rests on a large stage. A song comes to mind, but I wait before I sing.
"I will not make
The same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery
I will not break
The way you did, you fell so hard
I've learned the hard way
To never let it get that far
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalks
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me
But everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid." A single applause in the audience makes me jump. A man that looks almost exactly like Jacob comes forward, his warm chocolate eyes like my mother's.
"John Thomas?" He nods. I smile. "Hi Grandpa."
"Hello, Commander Herz." I'm taken back when I hear my mother's father call me that name. More voices emerge, more people calling me that horrid title.
"Don't call me that!" I scream at the people.
"As you command." The chorus replies.
I look to Grandfather. "What's going on!?" I cry a little. He gives me a comforting smile.
"We're showing respect to our leader."