Zam's World Is Only His Castle, Save For The People That Visit. He Has No Control Over Who They Are,

Zam's world is only his castle, save for the people that visit. He has no control over who they are, no control over when they come and go. He cannot leave.

People come and tell story's to him, they mistake him for a traveler too and expect some in exchange. He wishes he had his own stories. instead he retells what hes heard from others, inserting himself into their lives and changing details to fit him.

One visitor comes a second time, this time with a companion. Zam had been alone for most the month and was more than eager to talk with them. Distracted by the new person, (new details, new colors, new movements), he retells the story from the first visitor.

They immediately catch on, waiting for him to finish before asking him about it, about his situation. He's nervous to answer, most think hes a traveler who happens to have decided to live here, but with enough questions he tells them.

Anything past the edges of the castle dissolves into the sharp blue, when he was younger (younger is the wrong word, time isn't something you can count on for its consistency here. When he knew less. When he could count how many stories hes heard on one hand.) he tried to touch it only for it to solidify and burn.

They leave soon after, he hides away in the tower from any visitors until he can make out their voices. He's standing by his door when they finally introduce themselves, Mapicc and Ro. With all his anxious hesitance he opens the door and goes back down.

They brought him new foods to try, something that made his eyes well up, and Ro had to carefully explain his tears. Zam tells them about one visitor who came after they found out, someone who could slide in-between the gaps in his door and walls and comforted him when he refused to leave his bed. More stories are told, there's always more, and eventually they have to leave again, disappearing into the not-quite-as-pointed-blue.

It's always clear to him after someone leaves, the warmth he feels goes with them. He can't explain it but the stories make him more real. That without them he simply wouldn't exist. Once they leave he feels the chills set in again, worse now that he was used to the warmth.

He could only wait for their return.