avoiceonthewind

'Gmork,' Atreyu stammered, and he couldn't keep his lips from trembling, 'can you tell me the way to the world of humans?'

A green spark shown in Gmork's eyes. He seemed to be laughing deep inside. 

'For you and your kind it's easy to get there. There's only one hitch: You can never come back. You'll have to stay forever. Do you want to?'

'What must I do?' Atreyu asked. His mind was made up. 

'What everyone else here has done before you. You must leap into the Nothing. Don't be afraid. It doesn't hurt.'

'I'm not afraid,' said Atreyu. 'But I never expected to get my hope back in a place like this. And thanks to you!' 

Gmork's eyes were like two thin green moons.

'You have nothing to hope for, sonny - whatever your plans may be. When you turn up in the world of humans, you won't be what you are here. That's the secret that no one in Fantastica can know... But as I speak, the Nothing is creeping in from all sides. Soon there will be no way out. If you stay and listen, your decision is already made, But you can still escape if you choose.'

The cruel line around Gmork's mouth deepened. Atreyu hesitated for just a moment. Then he whispered: 'Tell me the secret. What will I be in the world of humans?'