Among all researchers in the field of Immunology, Dr.Cheryl Jones was one of the most famous scientists of the century. Truly, you could say that her work was the foundation of a new age of human's understanding of health issues. She would bring out many breakthroughs, and a variety of solutions to the modern medical world. Her work was, to put it simply, worth of a Nobel Prize.
From the moment she wanted to study medicine, that was Cheryl's ambition. Or more accurately, her fantasy. For a while, she believed in it. 'Hope dies last', she loved to say. But the truth is, motivation alone does not make someone talented.
That motivation was enough for her to reach the status of a PhD student. Even though she braved failure after failure, she always managed to stand up. Most of the time, however, she didn't have time to stand up before falling down again. Her current position at the time was earned by not giving up, but no one except really satisfied. For the other professors, she was just 'there'. Her passion was outstanding, but that was the only thing outstanding about her. Needless to say, she was known to get on people's nerves quite easily.
Six years later. Cheryl still wasn't an accomplished researcher. As she realized how far she was from her fantasy, her only quality was withering. Unexpectedly, her coworkers were quite pleased by this change. Unfortunately, this peace was only the gateway to an aspect of Cheryl they didn't want to see.
Unlike on subjects she was passionate about, Cheryl wasn't exactly a calm and thoughtful person. Her true nature was more wild. As if the genes of a predator were encoded into her cells. When her alter ago awakens, everyone runs in terror. Metaphorically.
For six months, Cheryl isolated herself from her co-workers. She was never a very useful source of knowledge, methods or ideas, but she always played a role in her team. This time, she was determined to work alone. At first, she had no idea what she would be working on. But she worked on it. With time, 'it' turned into a clearer aim. And sometimes, 'it' changed. Because she was bored. Because she couldn't find anything. Because she couldn't move forward without the opinion of an expert. And that expert happened to be in the team she rejected. So every time, she found other ways to do it.
If it wasn't for the content of the monthly report of February, Cheryl would have been under fire. Her isolation brought up allegations of disruptive activities. But through her new results, she showed the other lab members something incredible. To be more accurate, she showed them a report that was garbage, except for one part. And it would have been sent into the trash where it belonged, if not for the intervention of a specific person.
The report was under peer reviewing by a fellow scientist. Dr.Yurich Wieczorek, an eminent researcher, stumbled upon her abnormal experiment results. Before the completion of the report, he insisted on having a discussion with Dr.Jones on that subject. Aware of her reputation among the research community, he tried to ask the right questions.
"You are the one who made all those experiments, right ?" asked Dr.Wieczorek.
"Of course it was me. Who else ?"
"In that case, don't you think there's something abnormal in this concentration level ?"
Cheryl looked at the data he was pointing at. In fact, she stared at it way too long to maintain credibility.
"Uuhh… not really, I mean. Well, it's… is there a problem with it ?"
"Oh, Lord." the reviewer sighed. "Do you still have the raw data ?"
Eventually, Cheryl managed to find the documents he was asking about. What she pulled out were unintelligible notes, written on paper that was crumpled before.
"Sorry, I thought this wouldn't be useful for later."
The reviewer explored through the raw data. He was hoping to find an inconsistency. The result she presented could have a grave underlying meaning, if true. However, he found no errors of any kind.
"There's something I don't understand. Why did you bother testing those two components together, instead of separately ?"
"Oh, well. Their structure is similar, so I thought they would unify well. Despite that fact, they have different behaviors when separate. So, I thought seeing them paired would do something… interesting ?"
Hearing this, Dr.Wieczorek was baffled. First, by the way she explained her idea. And second, because of the infantile, yet brilliant simplicity of the reasoning.
"So what you tested here is the concentration levels in the joined components ?"
"To put it simply, yes."
"And you still don't realize what those results mean ?"
Cheryl shook her head.
"It means you have created something new." he explained. "And this thing you made appears to hold a very large concentration of what we're trying to replicate."
"Oh ! So… that's a good thing, right ?"
"Well, yes ! YES, that's a good thing ! How can you not notice that ? You potentially created something amazing in your experiment ! Are you going to tell me that it was an accident ? That's bullshit !"
"I thought that it would be interesting. But usually, people tell me that my ideas are too stupid to explore, so… I never carried my ideas out, that's all. So, you're saying it's good ?"
"Listen. You need to stop worrying about what the others told you, okay ? You made… this. And I think that if you give them your report as if, they will reject it."
"Then, I'm condemned to fail ?"
"No. Because there will be my approval on it."
The discussion ended there. Cheryl didn't know how to act then. At once, she felt pride, a bit of anxiety, but mostly confusion.
"You will support my research ?"
"Yes. Now, I won't hold you any longer. You should go and prepare for your presentation."
At the end of the month, Cheryl's coworkers only had one question after her presentation. "Why did Dr.Wieczorek give you his approval ?". Unbeknownst to them, that was the exact question she wanted to be asked. Trying to hide her proud smile, Cheryl prepared to expose the true perspectives of her work. Carefully, she laid out all aspects of the experiment, following the advice she got.
That day, Cheryl became Dr.Jones.
This presentation sent a massive shock wave in the community. Her previous reputation completely shattered. Dr.Jones expanded on the subject with Dr.Wieczorek with a new project. After a few months of extra experiments, the conclusion was the one they expected. A new component with unfathomable features was discovered. In a matter of months, the paper released by 'Wieczorek & Jones' was a 'hit'. It even reached out to the curiosity of non-scientists. Supported by a wave of support in the community, the research was acclaimed. Big media started relaying it, announcing potential for breakthroughs in the medical world.
Her cunning and aggressive nature was what brought her there, so she kept up her hard work. What she was laughed at for previously, turned into one of her greatest qualities. Those who mocked her for her naivety were now praising her for her sound reasoning. Those who mocked her for her messiness were now praising her for her simple methods.
But Dr.Jones was not stupid. Behind all this effortless boot licking lied a putrid, disgusting smell. Jealousy. Greed. Disdain. And those negative feelings were coming from her former coworkers. They were harboring smiles so fake, you could see it was painful for them. Unfortunately for them, serendipity had its limits tested many times with Dr.Jones. But she always won in the end. Her collaboration with Dr.Wieczorek never ended. Even though the first paper kept being the best, results never stopped coming.
After a few years of prosperity in the research community, Dr.Jones was facing a new ordeal. And this new challenge, which was unlike all the others so far, started with a simple meeting. Felicia Gardner represented an influential group in the pharmaceutics industry. She came to see Dr.Jones with a proposition. A very simple one, in fact.
"We need you to announce that products made based on your research aren't safe."
After the formalities, the meeting only lasted 10 seconds at that point. This was enough time for Dr.Jones to realize that the person in front of her was like the devil.
"You want me to invalidate my own research ?"
"That's one way to put it."
"Tell me what you want, then."
"We want you to publish another paper on the substance you discovered. Anything that discredits the conclusion you submitted."
"What makes you think I will accept that ?"
"We are ready to make all the 'arrangements'. You don't need to worry about that aspect."
Definitely, Dr.Jones could, in no way, accept this proposition. When Ms.Gardner announced her conditions, the old Cheryl Jones was taken back from the grave. Internally debating the direction to take, she remembered her beginnings. The will to break through in the medical field. Find new ways to save lives. Make the world healthier and better.
"I refuse."
"Then, you are underestimating my offer."
Ms.Gardner pulled out an envelope from her bag, and gave her to the researcher. Dr.Jones opened it. She had no idea what was in it, but she feared its contents anyway.
"Oh… God."
In the envelope, there was no threat. No devilish contract. Just… an awful lot of money. At the sight of those contents, the original Cheryl Jones went back underneath. Dr.Jones asked herself. She asked the innovative, competitive Dr.Jones, instead of the weak and utopist Cheryl. What was the better option here ? And more importantly, what kind of person could refuse that offer ?
Seeing Dr.Jones's heavy mental struggle, the devil didn't even try to hide her smile. Not a smile of politeness, but a smile of victory.
"I… I need time to think about it." muttered Cheryl Jones, as she gave back the envelope, and left the room in a hurry.
"It was nice to meet you !" said Ms.Gardner, as her conquered prey left the room.
Dr.Jones needed to take some rest. But after three days off, following that meeting, nothing changed in her mind.
She was indecisive. Every second she happened to think about work, there was this question. What should I do ? What is the better way ? For me ? For us ? For the world ?
In the morning of her fourth day off, Dr.Jones received a call from her friend and partner, Dr.Wieczorek.
"Hello Cheryl. I have something important to tell you."
"What is it ?"
"I'm working a new paper, but you can't be a part of it. So don't try to contact me on the subject."
"Wait… but, why ? What is it about ?"
"I can't tell you that. I'm here to tell you that… you can't be on the project, okay ?"
"No, don't tell me… You didn't meet this Felicia, didn't you ?"
"Cheryl. Stop this. You lost track of your life. Goodbye."
"Wait, you piece of- !"
But he hanged up. And that was it. The last light of hope in Cheryl died, right then. Some people thought that this would only awaken a stronger Dr.Jones. What this event really did was create something awful. A person devoid of passion, of honesty. A person who can't feel trust anymore.
After being struck down, Dr.Cheryl Jones went back to being a normal researcher. Some time later, Dr.Wieczorek would go on to publish a paper. As expected, it disproved the first one they made together. Everything played right in the hands of that evil Ms.Gardner. Just imagining that woman being happy made Dr.Jones angry. At the same time, a dark part of her wished to have accepted the money. Eventually, all parts of Dr.Jones converged to hate herself, and her indecisiveness. She didn't act to keep her discovery alive, but she didn't take the offer either. She watched her utopia miserably crash and burn.
A few years later, Dr.Wieczorek became a part of a lawsuit. It was issued against Gardner's company. Taking down all actors in this horrible scheme. Seeing those news, Dr.Jones should have been happy, but she wasn't. She thought that this lawsuit couldn't validate her initial study again. And despite a few efforts to push another paper, she came to terms with the futility of this endless circle. In a way, she was kind of relieved that she didn't accept the money, considering the outcome.
What could have been the origin of a breakthrough, ended up buried deep underground. And not Dr.Jones, nor anyone around here could support it anymore. But even though she didn't feel it herself, she believed that somewhere, the flame of hope was still lit within someone. Someone who would fight to shed light on the forgotten discovery. Someone brave enough to face adversity in every situation. Someone talented enough to pursue the research with new elements.
And as the planet burns under their feet, their inhabitants wait for the rain of salvation.
March 4, 2017
March 1, 2017
031 - Solder of the Lost Gods, Part 3
This is a three-part story. Read part 1 and part 2 first.
As if to state the presence of a god, a storm was being drawn in the sky, loud and threatening. But in the middle of this roar of chaos, a silent, almost frozen scene was taking place.
Yoshiro, the detective had his sprint cut short by the stranger's reveal. At the same time, Yukie was contemplating the merciless demon, covered in white sheets.
"And now… You."
Only three words were necessary to make her stop and shiver and fear. And even though stood before her the murderer of her husband, she could do nothing.
The stranger took one step towards Yukie. As if shaken awake, Yoshiro began to move again, but was careful to not make sudden movements. Yukie's hand was trying to reach for her weapon, a knife hidden in her bag. She could do nothing but stare, frozen by fear. Her survival instinct wasn't helping much. She moved backwards, not sure where to put her feet.
After what seemed like hours, she realized that she couldn't find her knife. In a growing state of panic, she looked around her as she was stepping back. But the knife wasn't anywhere.
"Looking for this ?"
As the stranger said this, they showed Yukie the knife she was looking for. The tension was stronger than ever. Yukie could be assaulted at any moment. With a focused mind, Yoshiro was carefully sneaking around. For an unknown reason, the stranger didn't seem to acknowledge Yoshiro.
With a swift dash forward, the stranger jumped on Yukie, who tried to dodge the best she could. Aiming for her chest, the stranger managed to drive the knife closer the her shoulder. Yukie screamed in pain and fell down, making her evade the stranger's next strike. This time, it was over. She was lying there, clenching her wounded shoulder. The stranger stood above her, ready to finish her. With inhuman speed, Yoshiro rushed towards the stranger. He rammed through the assaillant, his shoulder forward. This heroic move saved Yukie, and defeated the stranger. Beaten, they were groaning in pain from the fractured limbs caused by the assault.
"I fucking got you, you piece of shit !" yelled Yoshiro, with a voice that sounded both proud and angry.
"It's my sister…" said Yukie.
"What ?"
"Under that mask… it can only be her. She was absent for some time, and she could have only taken the knife while I was at her house. Besides, she sounded very suspicious the whole time… "
"Your sister ?"
Impatient to finally unravel the mystery, Yoshiro pulled out the stranger's mask. After many weeks of chasing, the detective had finally caught his prey, red-handed. In front of him, the killer was… someone he had never seen before.
"Wait… who are you ?"
Behind the mask and sheets was a woman. So far, Yukie had the right guess. But despite all the work he put into the case, and all the people he had met along the way, Yoshiro could not identify that person. Yukie weakly raised her head to confirm the killer's identity. She had the same reaction as Yoshiro.
"What ? But… who the hell are you ?"
Surrounded by confused looks, the woman started to giggle. Until eventually, she almost bursted in laughter.
"You don't know anything… You damn fools ! You have no idea who you are messing with…"
Yoshiro noticed that the whole time, the woman was slowly moving her arm. As first, he thought that it was only a natural reaction of shaking, because of the pain. But when he finally landed his eyes on her hand, he noticed a small object in a wrap. And then, he realized what it was.
"NO !"
He tried to grab the item, but it was too late. With an incredibly fast movement, the woman threw the object in her mouth and swallowed. Shortly after, she started to make weird noises, until she had a seizure. Then, she fell unconscious, frothing. Yoshiro was not fast enough, only by a single second. But that was enough time for the woman to swallow her poison.
The killer was defeated, but there was not an ounce of joy among the two partners. Both knew that they were still far away from the truth. Rained started to pour, following the thunder. Yoshiro fell to his knees, as if all strength was drained from his body. Both went very pensive and silent, until Yukie was reminded of her wound. Yoshiro noticed, and helped her get on her feet so that they could go back to the city and get treated.
"Wait… If it is the work of an organization, the body won't be here when we come back." said Yukie.
"Are you sure ? You have to get healed quickly."
"It's fine… I was prepared for this, anyway. In fact, I was prepared for worse…"
Both worried and relieved, Yoshiro immediately started his investigation. He examined the mask. It was exactly the same as the others. The sword was nothing special, quite cheap in fact. Eventually, there was nothing left to examine, aside from the clothes. While he was doing his search, Yukie took a closer look at the woman's face. She was indeed in no capacity to indentify her, but she had a very… familiar feel. There was a strong possibility that Yukie saw that woman before, but never talked to her. Who could she be ?
"Hey, there's something in there." Yoshiro said.
The detective showed Yukie something. The moment Yukie saw it, she understood everything.
That clue was… a letter. Undoubtedly, this was the same as the one used to kill her husband.
"Don't open it !" she said to the detective.
"I know, I know. There is poison inside, right ?"
Of course. That was it. By looking at the woman's face alone, she didn't have a strong chance to recognize her. But with the letter, it was like two puzzle pieces fitting together.
The woman was the lady at the counter in the Ms.Sakamoto's inn. When Yukie visited the place, she met this lady. And then, she met Ms.Sakamoto, on the counter lady's recommendation. When she left, Ms.Sakamoto was instructing the counter lady about making letters. By looking at the shape of the letter, there was no doubt that, at the very least, the one the killer was holding was made with the same technique that Ms.Sakamoto taught.
"There's nothing left. We should go now." said the detective, concluding his investigation.
"I know who the killer is. Let's go there."
"You know who that lady is, in the end ?"
"Yes, but… this is not the culprit we're looking for. I'll tell you later… I should get to the doctor now."
Following a quick treatment and a good night of rest, Yukie took the time to get ready for another trip. Later in the morning, Yoshiro showed up where she was resting.
"Sorry, I had to negociate to do the trip… But I'm ready now. You're sure that you know who it is, right ?"
"I think I do."
"You… think ?"
"It's complicated. I'll tell you on the way."
And then, the both of them departed for a trip that should last a few days, towards the city where the inn was located. Along the way, Yukie shared all her thoughts and theories with the detective. He always had that impression before, but he showed a clear interest in what she said. He didn't want to assume that she a talent, because he had his doubt. What if she was only driven by hatred towards the person who killed her husband ?
After three days, they arrived at the city, and hurried to the inn. As she saw last time, the inn was surrounded by a bunch of strange-looking people. And when they entered, her doubts were confirmed.
By her sudden entrance, she interrupted one of the customers. That customer was arguing at the counter with no other than the owner, Ms.Sakamoto. That customer was Akane, Yukie's sister.
"How can you be there ?" Akane said loudly.
For the first time since she began her detective work, Yukie smiled. Well, not really. It wasn't a smile of joy, it was jubilation.
"I was right after all, it was you." said Yukie.
"What… What are you talking about ?" Akane asked, in a panic.
Yukie turned to Ms.Sakamoto.
"This inn is the home of your cult, right ?"
"What makes you think that ?" Ms.Sakamoto replied.
"You act like you are merely the owner of a simple inn, but you train all your employees here for another kind of 'work'. You send them all over the country, and make them act like a mysterious killer. The 'Soldier of the Lost Gods'."
"Those victims aren't planned by the killer. I thought I told you that the victims were collateral damage ?"
"That is what you make it look like. In reality, you lure most of your victims at a temple, like you did with me. With that method, you could build a zealous character that only killed if necessary. But in reality, those were the primary focus… Isn't that right, Akane ?"
Akane was nervous. The more Yukie spoke, the more she looked panicked and lost. The moment she looked for the exit, her eyes met with those of Yoshiro, burning with contempt.
"Don't even think about it." he said.
Akane turned to Ms.Sakamoto. "Please, do something ! I already paid you !"
"No." the owner responded.
"What ? What do you mean, 'no' ?"
"I won't defend you. You were an awful client. The police will take care of you."
Following those words, Yoshiro raised his arm as a signal. Then, from the outside, a handful of local officers barged into the inn, and arrested Akane. She became the prime suspect for the attempted assassination of Yukie. Akane screamed and struggled, staring at her sister with a furious look on her face.
"This is why your husband cheated with me, you cold bitch !"
"As I expected… you are also the one who ordered this one too, right ?"
Akane didn't respond, as she was forcefully being carried to the station. On his way out, Yoshiro saluted Yukie, who bowed in response. As her sister was leaving the scene, the inn was getting silent again.
"Just so you know.", Ms.Sakamoto said. "I will help you bring you sister down… but do not think you can expose me so easily. Many tried, and burned their wings. This is a warning."
"Thank you. But I intend to bring you down as well, given the time."
Ms.Sakamoto chuckled. "Oh, I know you will try. You have it in you."
Yukie was heading out of the inn to follow the police, but she was interrupted by Ms.Sakamoto.
"Wait. Your husband… I went there personally. If only I knew what kind of woman his wife was… "
"Then, I guess that makes us even. Sorry for killing your disciple."
After those events, Yukie went back to her hometown. Her thirst for answers was quenched enough for her to relax, if only for a couple of days. But in the end, could she really say that she had her revenge on the killer ? Probably not. Or, at least, not in the way she thought she would. But this was enough.
Just like she predicted, Ms.Sakamoto's business was still alive and well. The 'Soldier of the Lost Gods' was still working all over the country. Despite their knowledge, neither Yukie nor Yoshiro became targets. In a way, the fight against the killer was only beginning. On that thought, and by observing her own reaction, Yukie knew what really drove her to find the murderer. She was… excited. Eager to investigate once again.
One day, she was reunited with one of her friends, who was passing by. Kouta, the traveling merchant. After catching up for a bit, Kouta proposed to help her travel once again. There was one person she wanted to work with… the only person who shared her burning desire. A desire to solve the crimes of the most affluent killer of the era.
As if to state the presence of a god, a storm was being drawn in the sky, loud and threatening. But in the middle of this roar of chaos, a silent, almost frozen scene was taking place.
Yoshiro, the detective had his sprint cut short by the stranger's reveal. At the same time, Yukie was contemplating the merciless demon, covered in white sheets.
"And now… You."
Only three words were necessary to make her stop and shiver and fear. And even though stood before her the murderer of her husband, she could do nothing.
The stranger took one step towards Yukie. As if shaken awake, Yoshiro began to move again, but was careful to not make sudden movements. Yukie's hand was trying to reach for her weapon, a knife hidden in her bag. She could do nothing but stare, frozen by fear. Her survival instinct wasn't helping much. She moved backwards, not sure where to put her feet.
After what seemed like hours, she realized that she couldn't find her knife. In a growing state of panic, she looked around her as she was stepping back. But the knife wasn't anywhere.
"Looking for this ?"
As the stranger said this, they showed Yukie the knife she was looking for. The tension was stronger than ever. Yukie could be assaulted at any moment. With a focused mind, Yoshiro was carefully sneaking around. For an unknown reason, the stranger didn't seem to acknowledge Yoshiro.
With a swift dash forward, the stranger jumped on Yukie, who tried to dodge the best she could. Aiming for her chest, the stranger managed to drive the knife closer the her shoulder. Yukie screamed in pain and fell down, making her evade the stranger's next strike. This time, it was over. She was lying there, clenching her wounded shoulder. The stranger stood above her, ready to finish her. With inhuman speed, Yoshiro rushed towards the stranger. He rammed through the assaillant, his shoulder forward. This heroic move saved Yukie, and defeated the stranger. Beaten, they were groaning in pain from the fractured limbs caused by the assault.
"I fucking got you, you piece of shit !" yelled Yoshiro, with a voice that sounded both proud and angry.
"It's my sister…" said Yukie.
"What ?"
"Under that mask… it can only be her. She was absent for some time, and she could have only taken the knife while I was at her house. Besides, she sounded very suspicious the whole time… "
"Your sister ?"
Impatient to finally unravel the mystery, Yoshiro pulled out the stranger's mask. After many weeks of chasing, the detective had finally caught his prey, red-handed. In front of him, the killer was… someone he had never seen before.
"Wait… who are you ?"
Behind the mask and sheets was a woman. So far, Yukie had the right guess. But despite all the work he put into the case, and all the people he had met along the way, Yoshiro could not identify that person. Yukie weakly raised her head to confirm the killer's identity. She had the same reaction as Yoshiro.
"What ? But… who the hell are you ?"
Surrounded by confused looks, the woman started to giggle. Until eventually, she almost bursted in laughter.
"You don't know anything… You damn fools ! You have no idea who you are messing with…"
Yoshiro noticed that the whole time, the woman was slowly moving her arm. As first, he thought that it was only a natural reaction of shaking, because of the pain. But when he finally landed his eyes on her hand, he noticed a small object in a wrap. And then, he realized what it was.
"NO !"
He tried to grab the item, but it was too late. With an incredibly fast movement, the woman threw the object in her mouth and swallowed. Shortly after, she started to make weird noises, until she had a seizure. Then, she fell unconscious, frothing. Yoshiro was not fast enough, only by a single second. But that was enough time for the woman to swallow her poison.
The killer was defeated, but there was not an ounce of joy among the two partners. Both knew that they were still far away from the truth. Rained started to pour, following the thunder. Yoshiro fell to his knees, as if all strength was drained from his body. Both went very pensive and silent, until Yukie was reminded of her wound. Yoshiro noticed, and helped her get on her feet so that they could go back to the city and get treated.
"Wait… If it is the work of an organization, the body won't be here when we come back." said Yukie.
"Are you sure ? You have to get healed quickly."
"It's fine… I was prepared for this, anyway. In fact, I was prepared for worse…"
Both worried and relieved, Yoshiro immediately started his investigation. He examined the mask. It was exactly the same as the others. The sword was nothing special, quite cheap in fact. Eventually, there was nothing left to examine, aside from the clothes. While he was doing his search, Yukie took a closer look at the woman's face. She was indeed in no capacity to indentify her, but she had a very… familiar feel. There was a strong possibility that Yukie saw that woman before, but never talked to her. Who could she be ?
"Hey, there's something in there." Yoshiro said.
The detective showed Yukie something. The moment Yukie saw it, she understood everything.
That clue was… a letter. Undoubtedly, this was the same as the one used to kill her husband.
"Don't open it !" she said to the detective.
"I know, I know. There is poison inside, right ?"
Of course. That was it. By looking at the woman's face alone, she didn't have a strong chance to recognize her. But with the letter, it was like two puzzle pieces fitting together.
The woman was the lady at the counter in the Ms.Sakamoto's inn. When Yukie visited the place, she met this lady. And then, she met Ms.Sakamoto, on the counter lady's recommendation. When she left, Ms.Sakamoto was instructing the counter lady about making letters. By looking at the shape of the letter, there was no doubt that, at the very least, the one the killer was holding was made with the same technique that Ms.Sakamoto taught.
"There's nothing left. We should go now." said the detective, concluding his investigation.
"I know who the killer is. Let's go there."
"You know who that lady is, in the end ?"
"Yes, but… this is not the culprit we're looking for. I'll tell you later… I should get to the doctor now."
Following a quick treatment and a good night of rest, Yukie took the time to get ready for another trip. Later in the morning, Yoshiro showed up where she was resting.
"Sorry, I had to negociate to do the trip… But I'm ready now. You're sure that you know who it is, right ?"
"I think I do."
"You… think ?"
"It's complicated. I'll tell you on the way."
And then, the both of them departed for a trip that should last a few days, towards the city where the inn was located. Along the way, Yukie shared all her thoughts and theories with the detective. He always had that impression before, but he showed a clear interest in what she said. He didn't want to assume that she a talent, because he had his doubt. What if she was only driven by hatred towards the person who killed her husband ?
After three days, they arrived at the city, and hurried to the inn. As she saw last time, the inn was surrounded by a bunch of strange-looking people. And when they entered, her doubts were confirmed.
By her sudden entrance, she interrupted one of the customers. That customer was arguing at the counter with no other than the owner, Ms.Sakamoto. That customer was Akane, Yukie's sister.
"How can you be there ?" Akane said loudly.
For the first time since she began her detective work, Yukie smiled. Well, not really. It wasn't a smile of joy, it was jubilation.
"I was right after all, it was you." said Yukie.
"What… What are you talking about ?" Akane asked, in a panic.
Yukie turned to Ms.Sakamoto.
"This inn is the home of your cult, right ?"
"What makes you think that ?" Ms.Sakamoto replied.
"You act like you are merely the owner of a simple inn, but you train all your employees here for another kind of 'work'. You send them all over the country, and make them act like a mysterious killer. The 'Soldier of the Lost Gods'."
"Those victims aren't planned by the killer. I thought I told you that the victims were collateral damage ?"
"That is what you make it look like. In reality, you lure most of your victims at a temple, like you did with me. With that method, you could build a zealous character that only killed if necessary. But in reality, those were the primary focus… Isn't that right, Akane ?"
Akane was nervous. The more Yukie spoke, the more she looked panicked and lost. The moment she looked for the exit, her eyes met with those of Yoshiro, burning with contempt.
"Don't even think about it." he said.
Akane turned to Ms.Sakamoto. "Please, do something ! I already paid you !"
"No." the owner responded.
"What ? What do you mean, 'no' ?"
"I won't defend you. You were an awful client. The police will take care of you."
Following those words, Yoshiro raised his arm as a signal. Then, from the outside, a handful of local officers barged into the inn, and arrested Akane. She became the prime suspect for the attempted assassination of Yukie. Akane screamed and struggled, staring at her sister with a furious look on her face.
"This is why your husband cheated with me, you cold bitch !"
"As I expected… you are also the one who ordered this one too, right ?"
Akane didn't respond, as she was forcefully being carried to the station. On his way out, Yoshiro saluted Yukie, who bowed in response. As her sister was leaving the scene, the inn was getting silent again.
"Just so you know.", Ms.Sakamoto said. "I will help you bring you sister down… but do not think you can expose me so easily. Many tried, and burned their wings. This is a warning."
"Thank you. But I intend to bring you down as well, given the time."
Ms.Sakamoto chuckled. "Oh, I know you will try. You have it in you."
Yukie was heading out of the inn to follow the police, but she was interrupted by Ms.Sakamoto.
"Wait. Your husband… I went there personally. If only I knew what kind of woman his wife was… "
"Then, I guess that makes us even. Sorry for killing your disciple."
After those events, Yukie went back to her hometown. Her thirst for answers was quenched enough for her to relax, if only for a couple of days. But in the end, could she really say that she had her revenge on the killer ? Probably not. Or, at least, not in the way she thought she would. But this was enough.
Just like she predicted, Ms.Sakamoto's business was still alive and well. The 'Soldier of the Lost Gods' was still working all over the country. Despite their knowledge, neither Yukie nor Yoshiro became targets. In a way, the fight against the killer was only beginning. On that thought, and by observing her own reaction, Yukie knew what really drove her to find the murderer. She was… excited. Eager to investigate once again.
One day, she was reunited with one of her friends, who was passing by. Kouta, the traveling merchant. After catching up for a bit, Kouta proposed to help her travel once again. There was one person she wanted to work with… the only person who shared her burning desire. A desire to solve the crimes of the most affluent killer of the era.
February 25, 2017
030 - The Cry of a Lone Wolf
I long for the day where I'm gone forever
The day that no one will ever remember
Leaving a world who kept me in its chains
Unable to see who have the greatest brains
The things I could do I really were free
If only the masses would listen to me
Hear me, for I speak the truth of our kind
Or are you afraid of my wonderful mind ?
One day you will regret what you told me
You kill a smart man, you kill an idea
You didn't let me carry out my ascent
So please now at least, hear out my lament
Do not think I will just show you my weakness
There's just this one thing that I want to confess
How would my life be if I was confident
If I didn't need to act intelligent
You do not know me, you can't imagine
If friends were a food, I'd be in famine
In me, they only see a fool acting smart
Malicious intents which then tore me apart
Abandoned, forsaken, I have lived it all
Deprived of the courage I need to stand tall
I'm like a man who's lost in the desert
Who never left camp in fear of getting hurt
So please, let the world be aware of my plead
I don't want to die, I don't want to bleed
Let me seek love, my oasis in hell
Have someone in tears when I tell them farewell
I don't seek Heaven, but I seek joy
Give me your strength, and I will destroy
This part of me I hated for so long
And then I'll join you, where I belong
The day that no one will ever remember
Leaving a world who kept me in its chains
Unable to see who have the greatest brains
The things I could do I really were free
If only the masses would listen to me
Hear me, for I speak the truth of our kind
Or are you afraid of my wonderful mind ?
One day you will regret what you told me
You kill a smart man, you kill an idea
You didn't let me carry out my ascent
So please now at least, hear out my lament
Do not think I will just show you my weakness
There's just this one thing that I want to confess
How would my life be if I was confident
If I didn't need to act intelligent
You do not know me, you can't imagine
If friends were a food, I'd be in famine
In me, they only see a fool acting smart
Malicious intents which then tore me apart
Abandoned, forsaken, I have lived it all
Deprived of the courage I need to stand tall
I'm like a man who's lost in the desert
Who never left camp in fear of getting hurt
So please, let the world be aware of my plead
I don't want to die, I don't want to bleed
Let me seek love, my oasis in hell
Have someone in tears when I tell them farewell
I don't seek Heaven, but I seek joy
Give me your strength, and I will destroy
This part of me I hated for so long
And then I'll join you, where I belong
February 23, 2017
029 - Soldier of the Lost Gods, Part 2
This is a three-part story. Read Part 1 first.
The trip to the big city was a long one. More often than not, Yukie felt this uncomfortable feeling or wasting her time. On the other hand, Kouta, her newfound merchant friend, was serene. But the difference is, Kouta was doing his job in this situation.
During the trip, they made several stops on checkpoints and small villages. Every time, Yukie stopped to interrogate people. But nothing came out of those. And two days later, they arrived. When Yukie finally passed through the gates of the city, she hoped that this visit would prove useful. It was her last, and only lead on the case.
The crime scene was a temple, located in the area surrounding the city. This one, contrary to her village's temple, was way bigger and famous. Besides the people who came here to pray and give offerings, there was a different crowd. This one was smaller, but it consisted of people interested in the cases. Detectives of course, but also friends and families of the victims. The one they called 'Soldier of the Lost Gods' destroyed their lives.
When Yukie arrived, only two people were left from this crowd, both speaking to a detective. Eager to know more, Yukie approached them. They revealed to be the parents of one of the victims, who got killed no longer than three days ago.
"Are you related to the victim, too ?" the detective asked.
"Not this one. But my husband was killed by the same person."
"Another one, huh… how long has it been ?"
"A little more than a week ago."
"Oh, so you came from Kitamura-Nishi ?"
"No. Did something happen there too ?"
The detective looked at Yukie in doubt. The awkward silence made her kinda nervous.
"You… DON'T come from Kitamura-Nishi ? Someplace nearby, then ?"
"No, no. My village is more in the south."
"That's impossible. Someone got killed at the same time in Kitamura-Nishi, by the same person. The killer went there to desecrate the temple of Raijin and Fuujin."
Like in her previous interrogations, Yukie finished the discussion with more questions than answers. But this time, there was something she learned about the killer. Either they could teleport, or… there were several. This strengthened the conviction she had in the very beginning : this could be the work of a cult.
"I need to ask you some questions. Come with me at the station." said the detective.
After quite a long walk, both arrived at the detective's office. Inside, there were documents everywhere. The desk was very… messy, to say the least. Yukie couldn't read them all, but a good part of them were from similar cases. They all had the same clue… a mask left at the scene.
The detective, named Yoshiro, looked very tired. Behind his weary face, you could see some despair. There was no doubt that he was invested in his job. But probably a little too much.
"So, I'm sure the local police is handling the case in your area, so I don't know the specifics. What happened there ?"
Yukie told him everything she knew. The victim seemed to have died because of an unknown poison. A letter was found on his body, with traces of that poison. The desecrated statue was shattered by a sword, supposedly. And, the same mask as in the other cases.
"What was written on that letter ?" the detective asked.
"Nothing. They only found the poison, but the letter was blank."
"So, we have to assume that the victim… your husband, died by inhaling the poison himself ?"
"That is what the detectives concluded."
"But are you sure that the killer gave him the letter ?"
"Of course ! Who else ?"
"There is no doubt that the culprit gave the letter. But are we sure that the intent was to kill him ?"
"Obviously. They act alone, so it's obvious they were also the ones who wanted to ki-"
Yukie stopped talking. 'They act alone' ?. Wait a minute. That can't be right.
"Are you thinking about something ?" Yoshiro asked.
"You may be right… maybe the killer is simply some kind of messenger ?"
Yoshiro didn't answer, but took notes.
"What makes you think that ?" he asked.
"We know that two murders were committed around the same time, at different places, right ? Then, maybe this 'Soldier of the Lost Gods' isn't who we think they are."
"What do you think they are ?"
"Some sort of… figure. They represent something. It's a symbol."
"So, in the end, you are saying that they are a cult instead of a single person. How does that change anything ?"
Yukie felt a bit cornered by this question. When she thought she had a lead, it only brought her to square one. Even worse, she felt stuck in a rut. So, in the end, they are an organization that desecrates statues and kill those who oppose them ?
"I don't have any other questions. You can go now." the detective said.
"Wait ! Aren't you going to help me ?"
"Like I said, your case isn't under my jurisdiction. You'll have to talk with the detectives there."
"You say that, but you want to find the truth too, right ?"
"I, um..." Yoshiro sighed. "Look, yes, I want to know who is behind this. But I can't do anything here."
Both discussed for a while, until Yukie had to leave. "I'll tell you if I find something." she said to Yoshiro before going.
She went back to the crime scene for a while, until she realized that nothing else could be found there. The victim was strangled, the statues of the deities were smashed, and the same mask was found. Unfortunately, this one was a dead end. She started to regret her trip.
Yukie had one last thing to do in this city. Her sister lived in the area, so she thought she could pay her a visit. This turned out to be a longer side trip than expected, as night started to fall when she got there.
The reunion was half joy, half sadness. Her sister, Akane, knew about what happened with Yukie's husband.
"I am so sorry… did the police catch who did it ?"
"Not yet. It is a special case, too."
"What do you mean ?"
"The culprit is some kind of organization. They desecrate temples and kill those who oppose them."
"Oh, I've heard the rumors… the Soldier of the Lost Gods, right ?"
"That's what they're called, but I don't think this is only one person doing this. It must be some kind of network…"
Akane went into silence.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Yukie continued. "Maybe you don't want to talk about this ?"
"It's okay. Just… the kids, you know ?"
Contrary to Yukie, who never had children, Akane had three, respectively aged 4, 5 and 9 years old. They all seemed quite shy and didn't see their family often. Yet, they were curious about their aunt. Yukie beckoned the oldest, Aiko, to come see her. They talked about what Aiko was doing usually, what games she liked to play. But then, a harsh question came up.
"Auntie, how did uncle Sojiro die ?"
Yukie was trying to put her obsession with the case away. But then, she was taken back by this innocent, yet horrifying question.
"Someone sent him a letter with poison in it."
"Why didn't the killer use a knife ?"
"I have no idea. Maybe they didn't want to get blood on their clothes ?"
Aiko didn't seem satisifed with the answer, but she didn't ask other questions anyway. After a while, she went back in her room.
"You can stay here for a while if you want. My husband isn't here, so we have room for you." said Akane to her sister.
Yukie accepted, and immediately went to rest. She wasn't relieved, but still appreciated lying down for a moment. Even though her head was still full of questions, she didn't have too much trouble finding sleep.
In the morning, after a long slumber, she was woken up by the voices of the children, preparing for school. Akane was busy getting them ready, and didn't notice Yukie waking up. On her way out, Akane finally noticed her sister, and waved in a way of saying both 'hello' and 'see you later'.
With nothing else planned, she spent the whole day in the house or around it, walking in circles. She tried to connect the dots, and find a way to discover what's behind all this. But only based on what she knew right now, she couldn't find the answer she wanted.
When Akane came back home with the children, Yukie was still there. Reading notes, examining her clues over and over.
"Did you sleep well at least ?" Akane asked, in an attempt of humor.
"Yes. But I have to focus, and get the killers down."
As the mood turned serious again, the discussion ended, and only the children could be heard in the house. Dinner was also quite silent. However, someone broke it : it was Aiko.
"Auntie, have you found the killer yet ?"
"Not today. But soon, I will."
Akane, who was feeling very tired, went to bed earlier than the previous day. This time, Yukie didn't fall asleep very fast. Her eyes were for a long time, until her busy mind finally gave up.
*SLAM !* a noise jolted Yukie awake. But, neither Akane nor the children reacted. The noise wasn't that strong, but Yukie could still hear it clear. In the end, she only managed to wake up because her sleep was weak, due to all the stress she was facing.
Yukie got up, and walked slowly in the house. It seemed that the sound didn't come from outside, but more like someone hit the front door. As she got to the front door, she was extremely nervous. She didn't want to see what was beyond it. But with the small of amount courage she still had, she slid the door slightly… and thankfully, no one was there. However, a note was attached to the door.
"Tomorrow, Midnight. Tenjin Temple. - Yoshiro"
A note from Yoshiro… asking to meet him the next day. The Tenjin Temple was in the same area, so it was a short walk. In fact, it was closer to Akane's house than from the temple where they found the strangled victim.
The next day, Yukie prepared to meet Yoshiro. But deep inside, she knew that she had to be ready. In case something bad happened. There was no reason why Yoshiro had to leave a note on the door. Or how he knew that Yukie was staying here, at her sister's place. So this could only be a trap. But, who else knew about the collaboration between Yoshiro and her ? All things considered, she decided that bringing something to defend herself was mandatory. She borrowed a knife from Akane without telling her, and hid it between her clothes.
The time came. 10 minutes to midnight, and Yukie is sitting at the entrance of the Tenjin Temple. The more time passed, the more she regretted doing it. She thought that having a weapon would give her courage, but no.
But then, she heard something. Footsteps. Immediately, she raised her head, and looked in the distance. She couldn't sey from that far, but there was definitely a person. That person was slowly coming closer. Until at least she could recognize them.
It was Yoshiro. Looks like the note wasn't fake, after all. She let out a huge sigh of relief, and the tension went away. Still looking at Yoshiro, she got up, and walked towards the detective.
But suddenly, Yoshiro started running, as if something made him panic.
"YUKIE ! WATCH OUT !" he shouted.
Almost immediately following the scream, a violent noise was heard, as if a meteor hit the ground. The sound came from behind Yukie, who turned around in panic. In front of her… was a person. The person could not be seen clearly, because they were wearing white sheets all around. Around that person, were the collapsing remains of the statue of Tenjin.
Slowly, that person put their sword back into the sheath. They turned around, and faced the frightened woman. Even then, it was difficult to tell who was really standing before Yukie. Because that person was wearing a white mask, covering their face.
"And now… You."
This is a three-part story. Read Part 3 here.
The trip to the big city was a long one. More often than not, Yukie felt this uncomfortable feeling or wasting her time. On the other hand, Kouta, her newfound merchant friend, was serene. But the difference is, Kouta was doing his job in this situation.
During the trip, they made several stops on checkpoints and small villages. Every time, Yukie stopped to interrogate people. But nothing came out of those. And two days later, they arrived. When Yukie finally passed through the gates of the city, she hoped that this visit would prove useful. It was her last, and only lead on the case.
The crime scene was a temple, located in the area surrounding the city. This one, contrary to her village's temple, was way bigger and famous. Besides the people who came here to pray and give offerings, there was a different crowd. This one was smaller, but it consisted of people interested in the cases. Detectives of course, but also friends and families of the victims. The one they called 'Soldier of the Lost Gods' destroyed their lives.
When Yukie arrived, only two people were left from this crowd, both speaking to a detective. Eager to know more, Yukie approached them. They revealed to be the parents of one of the victims, who got killed no longer than three days ago.
"Are you related to the victim, too ?" the detective asked.
"Not this one. But my husband was killed by the same person."
"Another one, huh… how long has it been ?"
"A little more than a week ago."
"Oh, so you came from Kitamura-Nishi ?"
"No. Did something happen there too ?"
The detective looked at Yukie in doubt. The awkward silence made her kinda nervous.
"You… DON'T come from Kitamura-Nishi ? Someplace nearby, then ?"
"No, no. My village is more in the south."
"That's impossible. Someone got killed at the same time in Kitamura-Nishi, by the same person. The killer went there to desecrate the temple of Raijin and Fuujin."
Like in her previous interrogations, Yukie finished the discussion with more questions than answers. But this time, there was something she learned about the killer. Either they could teleport, or… there were several. This strengthened the conviction she had in the very beginning : this could be the work of a cult.
"I need to ask you some questions. Come with me at the station." said the detective.
After quite a long walk, both arrived at the detective's office. Inside, there were documents everywhere. The desk was very… messy, to say the least. Yukie couldn't read them all, but a good part of them were from similar cases. They all had the same clue… a mask left at the scene.
The detective, named Yoshiro, looked very tired. Behind his weary face, you could see some despair. There was no doubt that he was invested in his job. But probably a little too much.
"So, I'm sure the local police is handling the case in your area, so I don't know the specifics. What happened there ?"
Yukie told him everything she knew. The victim seemed to have died because of an unknown poison. A letter was found on his body, with traces of that poison. The desecrated statue was shattered by a sword, supposedly. And, the same mask as in the other cases.
"What was written on that letter ?" the detective asked.
"Nothing. They only found the poison, but the letter was blank."
"So, we have to assume that the victim… your husband, died by inhaling the poison himself ?"
"That is what the detectives concluded."
"But are you sure that the killer gave him the letter ?"
"Of course ! Who else ?"
"There is no doubt that the culprit gave the letter. But are we sure that the intent was to kill him ?"
"Obviously. They act alone, so it's obvious they were also the ones who wanted to ki-"
Yukie stopped talking. 'They act alone' ?. Wait a minute. That can't be right.
"Are you thinking about something ?" Yoshiro asked.
"You may be right… maybe the killer is simply some kind of messenger ?"
Yoshiro didn't answer, but took notes.
"What makes you think that ?" he asked.
"We know that two murders were committed around the same time, at different places, right ? Then, maybe this 'Soldier of the Lost Gods' isn't who we think they are."
"What do you think they are ?"
"Some sort of… figure. They represent something. It's a symbol."
"So, in the end, you are saying that they are a cult instead of a single person. How does that change anything ?"
Yukie felt a bit cornered by this question. When she thought she had a lead, it only brought her to square one. Even worse, she felt stuck in a rut. So, in the end, they are an organization that desecrates statues and kill those who oppose them ?
"I don't have any other questions. You can go now." the detective said.
"Wait ! Aren't you going to help me ?"
"Like I said, your case isn't under my jurisdiction. You'll have to talk with the detectives there."
"You say that, but you want to find the truth too, right ?"
"I, um..." Yoshiro sighed. "Look, yes, I want to know who is behind this. But I can't do anything here."
Both discussed for a while, until Yukie had to leave. "I'll tell you if I find something." she said to Yoshiro before going.
She went back to the crime scene for a while, until she realized that nothing else could be found there. The victim was strangled, the statues of the deities were smashed, and the same mask was found. Unfortunately, this one was a dead end. She started to regret her trip.
Yukie had one last thing to do in this city. Her sister lived in the area, so she thought she could pay her a visit. This turned out to be a longer side trip than expected, as night started to fall when she got there.
The reunion was half joy, half sadness. Her sister, Akane, knew about what happened with Yukie's husband.
"I am so sorry… did the police catch who did it ?"
"Not yet. It is a special case, too."
"What do you mean ?"
"The culprit is some kind of organization. They desecrate temples and kill those who oppose them."
"Oh, I've heard the rumors… the Soldier of the Lost Gods, right ?"
"That's what they're called, but I don't think this is only one person doing this. It must be some kind of network…"
Akane went into silence.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Yukie continued. "Maybe you don't want to talk about this ?"
"It's okay. Just… the kids, you know ?"
Contrary to Yukie, who never had children, Akane had three, respectively aged 4, 5 and 9 years old. They all seemed quite shy and didn't see their family often. Yet, they were curious about their aunt. Yukie beckoned the oldest, Aiko, to come see her. They talked about what Aiko was doing usually, what games she liked to play. But then, a harsh question came up.
"Auntie, how did uncle Sojiro die ?"
Yukie was trying to put her obsession with the case away. But then, she was taken back by this innocent, yet horrifying question.
"Someone sent him a letter with poison in it."
"Why didn't the killer use a knife ?"
"I have no idea. Maybe they didn't want to get blood on their clothes ?"
Aiko didn't seem satisifed with the answer, but she didn't ask other questions anyway. After a while, she went back in her room.
"You can stay here for a while if you want. My husband isn't here, so we have room for you." said Akane to her sister.
Yukie accepted, and immediately went to rest. She wasn't relieved, but still appreciated lying down for a moment. Even though her head was still full of questions, she didn't have too much trouble finding sleep.
In the morning, after a long slumber, she was woken up by the voices of the children, preparing for school. Akane was busy getting them ready, and didn't notice Yukie waking up. On her way out, Akane finally noticed her sister, and waved in a way of saying both 'hello' and 'see you later'.
With nothing else planned, she spent the whole day in the house or around it, walking in circles. She tried to connect the dots, and find a way to discover what's behind all this. But only based on what she knew right now, she couldn't find the answer she wanted.
When Akane came back home with the children, Yukie was still there. Reading notes, examining her clues over and over.
"Did you sleep well at least ?" Akane asked, in an attempt of humor.
"Yes. But I have to focus, and get the killers down."
As the mood turned serious again, the discussion ended, and only the children could be heard in the house. Dinner was also quite silent. However, someone broke it : it was Aiko.
"Auntie, have you found the killer yet ?"
"Not today. But soon, I will."
Akane, who was feeling very tired, went to bed earlier than the previous day. This time, Yukie didn't fall asleep very fast. Her eyes were for a long time, until her busy mind finally gave up.
*SLAM !* a noise jolted Yukie awake. But, neither Akane nor the children reacted. The noise wasn't that strong, but Yukie could still hear it clear. In the end, she only managed to wake up because her sleep was weak, due to all the stress she was facing.
Yukie got up, and walked slowly in the house. It seemed that the sound didn't come from outside, but more like someone hit the front door. As she got to the front door, she was extremely nervous. She didn't want to see what was beyond it. But with the small of amount courage she still had, she slid the door slightly… and thankfully, no one was there. However, a note was attached to the door.
"Tomorrow, Midnight. Tenjin Temple. - Yoshiro"
A note from Yoshiro… asking to meet him the next day. The Tenjin Temple was in the same area, so it was a short walk. In fact, it was closer to Akane's house than from the temple where they found the strangled victim.
The next day, Yukie prepared to meet Yoshiro. But deep inside, she knew that she had to be ready. In case something bad happened. There was no reason why Yoshiro had to leave a note on the door. Or how he knew that Yukie was staying here, at her sister's place. So this could only be a trap. But, who else knew about the collaboration between Yoshiro and her ? All things considered, she decided that bringing something to defend herself was mandatory. She borrowed a knife from Akane without telling her, and hid it between her clothes.
The time came. 10 minutes to midnight, and Yukie is sitting at the entrance of the Tenjin Temple. The more time passed, the more she regretted doing it. She thought that having a weapon would give her courage, but no.
But then, she heard something. Footsteps. Immediately, she raised her head, and looked in the distance. She couldn't sey from that far, but there was definitely a person. That person was slowly coming closer. Until at least she could recognize them.
It was Yoshiro. Looks like the note wasn't fake, after all. She let out a huge sigh of relief, and the tension went away. Still looking at Yoshiro, she got up, and walked towards the detective.
But suddenly, Yoshiro started running, as if something made him panic.
"YUKIE ! WATCH OUT !" he shouted.
Almost immediately following the scream, a violent noise was heard, as if a meteor hit the ground. The sound came from behind Yukie, who turned around in panic. In front of her… was a person. The person could not be seen clearly, because they were wearing white sheets all around. Around that person, were the collapsing remains of the statue of Tenjin.
Slowly, that person put their sword back into the sheath. They turned around, and faced the frightened woman. Even then, it was difficult to tell who was really standing before Yukie. Because that person was wearing a white mask, covering their face.
"And now… You."
This is a three-part story. Read Part 3 here.
February 19, 2017
028 - Soldier of the Lost Gods, Part 1
On a cold night, under a beautiful moon, the temple of Kuebiko was calm, as usual. In front of it, a single guard, sleeping. The Temple was a magnificent place, full of golden decorations and a variety of plants. The temple was, mostly, a checkpoint for pilgrimages. It represented a lesser deity of knoweldge and agriculture.
Strange sounds, resembling footsteps, could be heard. the guard raised his head, and looked in front of him. There was a single person, walking towards the temple. The guard stood up on his feet, and uttered a warning.
"The temple is closed ! Go back where you're from !"
The person didn't stop, and continued to walk with the same pace. At this point, the guard held a spear and pointed it towards the stranger.
"Stop ! I'm warning you !"
Again, the person didn't even slow down. But shortly after, they found themselves in front of the guard, blocking their way. Before, the guard couldn't see the face of the stranger, but now, he understood better. The stranger was wearing a white mask with a symbol in the middle. The symbol looked like a pentagon, cut by two lines in the middle. But the rest was… completely blank. Not even any holes for the eyes. To add to the mysterious design, the stranger was covered with long, white sheets all over the body.
"Who are you ? Remove your mask !"
The stranger didn't respond. The guard was growing suspicious of them. He moved his spear dangerously closer, but the mysterious person didn't even flinch.
"Are you… blind ?" the guard asked.
Much to his surprise, this time, the stranger replied, by nodding slightly. As if realizing his rudeness, the guard reformulated with different words.
"I'm sorry, but you aren't allowed here. You have to go back to your home."
The stranger shook their head.
"What do you mean, no ?"
The strange reached out in a bag, hidden among the different sheets, and pulled out a letter. The guard immediately snatched the letter from their hand, and opened it. As he opened the letter, a cloud of dust emerged, like trapped in the paper. In reflex, the guard coughed. Then, he coughed some more. And again… until he couldn't stop coughing. The letter was empty. Completely blank. But as the paper became spotted with blood, the guard understood that what he inhaled wasn't dust.
The guard fell down, slumping against the wall. He was doing his best to not die here, but in vain. Oh, the things he wanted to ask the stranger, who still wasn't looking at him the whole time, as if they enjoyed it. But eventually, moments before the guard's death, the stranged faced him and said.
"I am the Soldier of the Lost Gods. What you are experiencing right now is merely your punishment for interfering with my mission. May your soul rest for eternity."
In any other circumstances, the guard would have laughed at such a monologue. But as he laid there, at the mercy of this immaculate killer, he could do nothing but to pray for mercy. Until at least, he fell into eternal slumber.
Following the death of their last obstacle, the stranger entered the temple. They walked straight ahead, until they reached the statue of Kuebiko. From behind their back, the stranger reached for a hidden sword. It was concealed in the middle of the different sheets. They brandished the sword at the statue, and raised it above their head. With a swift, vertical strike, the deity was destroyed and shattered.
The last act of the stranger that night was removing their mask. Softly, they placed it on the shattered statue, as a signature for their act of desecration. Tightening the sheets to fight through the cold night, the stranger departed, and disappeared in the distance.
In the morning, many followers gathered around the sacred place. In the center of the crowd, a woman held the dead body in her arms and cried. She was the guard's wife. The other people could do nothing but pity her loss. Eventually, someone brought attention to the mask left at the scene. As she saw it, the woman did not recognize the symbol. But she swore to herself, and all the people gathered, that she wasn't going to rest until the killer was found.
Yukie, who was known for some time as the 'tragic widow', never let go of her self-made promise. The killer had to pay for their crimes. She initially investigated around the crime scene, but clues were running short. She then decided to venture around the country for clues. That was a week after the incident.
Her first stop was a nearby village, even smaller than the one she lived in. The difference, however, was the presence of a large inn where many travellers stayed. The inn was very well kept, and did not fail to its reputation. After entering, Yukie went to the counter and asked the lady behind it.
"Excuse me, have you seen this symbol ?"
Yukie brought up her most important clue : a drawing of the symbol that was on the mask, left at the scene.
"I am sorry, but I do not know. Do you want me to ask the director of the inn ?"
"Yes, please."
The lady at the counter came back with an older lady, Ms.Sakamoto. When she arrived, Yukie didn't hesitate, and presented her the symbol.
"This symbol… !" Ms.Sakamoto said, trying to hide her distress.
"Do you recognize it ?" asked Yukie.
"Where have you seen it ?"
"Someone killed my husband a week ago, and let a mask with this symbol on the scene."
Ms.Sakamoto was at a loss for words. Judging by how she looked, Yukie thought that she announced the end of the world.
"No good can come if you chase them."
"Them ? But who are they ?"
Ms.Sakamoto sighed. "This symbol… is the mark of the Lost Gods. They are gods that, as the legend says, tried to take control of the world, but were casted out."
"So… this is a cult, trying to bring glory to the Lost Gods ?"
"No, this is different. There is only one person wearing the symbol. They are called the 'Soldier of the Lost Gods'."
Will all this information, Yukie was overwhelmed. The Lost Gods ? A 'soldier' ? This made no sense. Why would a single person try to bring back gods who disappeared from the mythology ? And why did it require the desecration of temples ?
"I have one question." said Yukie. "How do you know all this ?"
"Because a person wearing that symbol came in, a few days after you said the murder occured."
"Did you meet them ?"
"Not directly. Another one of my employees was in charge at that time. But that person was wearing white cloth, and a mask."
While she was talking, Ms.Sakamoto pulled out the register and fetched the pages for that time. Eventually, she managed to get the right entry. "This is the name they signed in with." she said, before showing Yukie the page.
Kaminoshi. 'The Death of God.'
Yukie left the inn with more questions than answers. A one-person cult led for the glory of ancient, forgotten deities ? That was unheard of. She spent some time for the rest of the day, interrogating several inhabitants of the village. But none of them could recognize the symbol.
The last person Yukie interrogated was a merchant, named Kouta. Kouta was a bit large, but very welcoming and friendly. When Yukie showed her the symbol, he definitely had a reaction. Immediately, she was eager to hear about what he had to say.
"I remember seeing this symbol once, about a month ago. Ever heard of the desecration of the Okuninushi temple ?"
Yukie shook her head.
"Ah, well, that was in a big city. I was actually there when it happened. They even got me as a suspect for some time !"
"And you saw this symbol there ?"
"Yes. Near the scene of the crime, there was a mask with this symbol on it. Hard to forget."
"A mask ? I also saw this symbol on a mask !"
Yukie was deep in her thoughts for a moment, until she found an intriguing question to ask.
"You keep talking about a 'crime'… was this act considered a crime ?"
"Not the desecration. The murder. A monk was strangled was some sort of bead chain nearby. Supposedly, he tried keeping the masked person out of the temple."
Another murder ? This case was starting to be more and more complex. With all these developments, Yukie knew she wasn't going to stop, not now. She didn't know what business she was taking part in. But no matter what, she had to avenge her husband, by any means necessary.
The night was beginning to fall, and it was time for her to rest. Because she couldn't continue her journey right now, she decided to spend the night at the inn. Compared to other places she had been to, she noticed that the inn was kinda quiet. Even the people who were staying there. It was like the events perpuated by this 'soldier of the Lost Gods' in the area made the population worried.
One last time before going to sleep, Yukie met Kouta, who ended up spending the night at the same place.
"Are you going to the big city now ?" he asked.
"Yes. I need to know more about the murder you talked to me about."
"I knew it. You are really invested in this case, aren't you ?"
His enthusiasm left Yukie quite confused. For a moment, she noticed that the anger of her husband's death was getting weaker. Instead a thrill to unveil the mystery took control of her.
"I am also going to the big city tomorrow. Do you want me to get you there ?" Kouta offered.
Yukie accepted politely, saying that she would pay her part. "I know you will !" said Kouta before chuckling, and going to his room.
Trying to find sleep, Yukie couldn't keep her mind off the mysterious killer. A devotion towards ancient deities, desacration as their main activity. But also, two murders as collateral damage. There was no doubt that whoever this person was, they were really… singular. But at the same time, somehow fascinating, too.
As the day rose, it was time for Yukie to leave for the continuation of her journey. On her way out, she crossed paths with Ms.Sakamoto once again. She was preparing letters, and other kinds of arrangements with a woman. That woman seemed to be in charge of the counter at that time. When their eyes met, Ms.Sakamoto slightly bowed towards Yukie, acknowledging her and wishing her a good day.
Outside, Yukie met Kouta, preparing for the trip. She helped out, and shortly after, they were ready to go.
This is a three-part story. Read Part 2 here.
Strange sounds, resembling footsteps, could be heard. the guard raised his head, and looked in front of him. There was a single person, walking towards the temple. The guard stood up on his feet, and uttered a warning.
"The temple is closed ! Go back where you're from !"
The person didn't stop, and continued to walk with the same pace. At this point, the guard held a spear and pointed it towards the stranger.
"Stop ! I'm warning you !"
Again, the person didn't even slow down. But shortly after, they found themselves in front of the guard, blocking their way. Before, the guard couldn't see the face of the stranger, but now, he understood better. The stranger was wearing a white mask with a symbol in the middle. The symbol looked like a pentagon, cut by two lines in the middle. But the rest was… completely blank. Not even any holes for the eyes. To add to the mysterious design, the stranger was covered with long, white sheets all over the body.
"Who are you ? Remove your mask !"
The stranger didn't respond. The guard was growing suspicious of them. He moved his spear dangerously closer, but the mysterious person didn't even flinch.
"Are you… blind ?" the guard asked.
Much to his surprise, this time, the stranger replied, by nodding slightly. As if realizing his rudeness, the guard reformulated with different words.
"I'm sorry, but you aren't allowed here. You have to go back to your home."
The stranger shook their head.
"What do you mean, no ?"
The strange reached out in a bag, hidden among the different sheets, and pulled out a letter. The guard immediately snatched the letter from their hand, and opened it. As he opened the letter, a cloud of dust emerged, like trapped in the paper. In reflex, the guard coughed. Then, he coughed some more. And again… until he couldn't stop coughing. The letter was empty. Completely blank. But as the paper became spotted with blood, the guard understood that what he inhaled wasn't dust.
The guard fell down, slumping against the wall. He was doing his best to not die here, but in vain. Oh, the things he wanted to ask the stranger, who still wasn't looking at him the whole time, as if they enjoyed it. But eventually, moments before the guard's death, the stranged faced him and said.
"I am the Soldier of the Lost Gods. What you are experiencing right now is merely your punishment for interfering with my mission. May your soul rest for eternity."
In any other circumstances, the guard would have laughed at such a monologue. But as he laid there, at the mercy of this immaculate killer, he could do nothing but to pray for mercy. Until at least, he fell into eternal slumber.
Following the death of their last obstacle, the stranger entered the temple. They walked straight ahead, until they reached the statue of Kuebiko. From behind their back, the stranger reached for a hidden sword. It was concealed in the middle of the different sheets. They brandished the sword at the statue, and raised it above their head. With a swift, vertical strike, the deity was destroyed and shattered.
The last act of the stranger that night was removing their mask. Softly, they placed it on the shattered statue, as a signature for their act of desecration. Tightening the sheets to fight through the cold night, the stranger departed, and disappeared in the distance.
In the morning, many followers gathered around the sacred place. In the center of the crowd, a woman held the dead body in her arms and cried. She was the guard's wife. The other people could do nothing but pity her loss. Eventually, someone brought attention to the mask left at the scene. As she saw it, the woman did not recognize the symbol. But she swore to herself, and all the people gathered, that she wasn't going to rest until the killer was found.
Yukie, who was known for some time as the 'tragic widow', never let go of her self-made promise. The killer had to pay for their crimes. She initially investigated around the crime scene, but clues were running short. She then decided to venture around the country for clues. That was a week after the incident.
Her first stop was a nearby village, even smaller than the one she lived in. The difference, however, was the presence of a large inn where many travellers stayed. The inn was very well kept, and did not fail to its reputation. After entering, Yukie went to the counter and asked the lady behind it.
"Excuse me, have you seen this symbol ?"
Yukie brought up her most important clue : a drawing of the symbol that was on the mask, left at the scene.
"I am sorry, but I do not know. Do you want me to ask the director of the inn ?"
"Yes, please."
The lady at the counter came back with an older lady, Ms.Sakamoto. When she arrived, Yukie didn't hesitate, and presented her the symbol.
"This symbol… !" Ms.Sakamoto said, trying to hide her distress.
"Do you recognize it ?" asked Yukie.
"Where have you seen it ?"
"Someone killed my husband a week ago, and let a mask with this symbol on the scene."
Ms.Sakamoto was at a loss for words. Judging by how she looked, Yukie thought that she announced the end of the world.
"No good can come if you chase them."
"Them ? But who are they ?"
Ms.Sakamoto sighed. "This symbol… is the mark of the Lost Gods. They are gods that, as the legend says, tried to take control of the world, but were casted out."
"So… this is a cult, trying to bring glory to the Lost Gods ?"
"No, this is different. There is only one person wearing the symbol. They are called the 'Soldier of the Lost Gods'."
Will all this information, Yukie was overwhelmed. The Lost Gods ? A 'soldier' ? This made no sense. Why would a single person try to bring back gods who disappeared from the mythology ? And why did it require the desecration of temples ?
"I have one question." said Yukie. "How do you know all this ?"
"Because a person wearing that symbol came in, a few days after you said the murder occured."
"Did you meet them ?"
"Not directly. Another one of my employees was in charge at that time. But that person was wearing white cloth, and a mask."
While she was talking, Ms.Sakamoto pulled out the register and fetched the pages for that time. Eventually, she managed to get the right entry. "This is the name they signed in with." she said, before showing Yukie the page.
Kaminoshi. 'The Death of God.'
Yukie left the inn with more questions than answers. A one-person cult led for the glory of ancient, forgotten deities ? That was unheard of. She spent some time for the rest of the day, interrogating several inhabitants of the village. But none of them could recognize the symbol.
The last person Yukie interrogated was a merchant, named Kouta. Kouta was a bit large, but very welcoming and friendly. When Yukie showed her the symbol, he definitely had a reaction. Immediately, she was eager to hear about what he had to say.
"I remember seeing this symbol once, about a month ago. Ever heard of the desecration of the Okuninushi temple ?"
Yukie shook her head.
"Ah, well, that was in a big city. I was actually there when it happened. They even got me as a suspect for some time !"
"And you saw this symbol there ?"
"Yes. Near the scene of the crime, there was a mask with this symbol on it. Hard to forget."
"A mask ? I also saw this symbol on a mask !"
Yukie was deep in her thoughts for a moment, until she found an intriguing question to ask.
"You keep talking about a 'crime'… was this act considered a crime ?"
"Not the desecration. The murder. A monk was strangled was some sort of bead chain nearby. Supposedly, he tried keeping the masked person out of the temple."
Another murder ? This case was starting to be more and more complex. With all these developments, Yukie knew she wasn't going to stop, not now. She didn't know what business she was taking part in. But no matter what, she had to avenge her husband, by any means necessary.
The night was beginning to fall, and it was time for her to rest. Because she couldn't continue her journey right now, she decided to spend the night at the inn. Compared to other places she had been to, she noticed that the inn was kinda quiet. Even the people who were staying there. It was like the events perpuated by this 'soldier of the Lost Gods' in the area made the population worried.
One last time before going to sleep, Yukie met Kouta, who ended up spending the night at the same place.
"Are you going to the big city now ?" he asked.
"Yes. I need to know more about the murder you talked to me about."
"I knew it. You are really invested in this case, aren't you ?"
His enthusiasm left Yukie quite confused. For a moment, she noticed that the anger of her husband's death was getting weaker. Instead a thrill to unveil the mystery took control of her.
"I am also going to the big city tomorrow. Do you want me to get you there ?" Kouta offered.
Yukie accepted politely, saying that she would pay her part. "I know you will !" said Kouta before chuckling, and going to his room.
Trying to find sleep, Yukie couldn't keep her mind off the mysterious killer. A devotion towards ancient deities, desacration as their main activity. But also, two murders as collateral damage. There was no doubt that whoever this person was, they were really… singular. But at the same time, somehow fascinating, too.
As the day rose, it was time for Yukie to leave for the continuation of her journey. On her way out, she crossed paths with Ms.Sakamoto once again. She was preparing letters, and other kinds of arrangements with a woman. That woman seemed to be in charge of the counter at that time. When their eyes met, Ms.Sakamoto slightly bowed towards Yukie, acknowledging her and wishing her a good day.
Outside, Yukie met Kouta, preparing for the trip. She helped out, and shortly after, they were ready to go.
This is a three-part story. Read Part 2 here.
February 15, 2017
027 - Timeless Romance
Very rarely, like once every century, there is the possibility of having a rift in the space-time continuum. Most of the people who believed in this theory were quickly dismissed as 'nutty' scientists, and as a result, the general public was unaware.
One of the reasons why people didn't believe it is quite simple. "If it exists, why has there been no reports about seeing them ?". And to be frank, that was a good question. But the answer was quite disappointing. Because in fact, those rifts did appear as theorized, but at locations where no one could see them. In 2017, like it did many other times in history, a rift opened. But this time, it appeared at a visible location.
Damon was a teacher. In the day, he taught history at a local school near his town of residence, and for the rest of his time, he spent most of his time relaxing in his house in the countryside. Though he initially settled there for the comfort, the lack of an urban environment began to wear him down. With no partner, he felt quite alone.
On a unusual night, he was woken up by a weird sensation. He had trouble putting in into words, but he described it as if there was an earthquake that could only shake him, but not his house. Even though this shook him awake quite efficiently, he didn't feel compelled to check out the origin of that sensation. He simply looked over his body, didn't find anyting special, and went back to sleep.
The next morning, Damon was doing his usual routine, getting ready for work. On his way to the front door, he briefly looked at the window that had a view on his backyard. And there, he saw something weird. Some kind of black object was there, just floating in the middle of nowhere. Damon decided to ignore it, dismissing it as an hallucination. It was probably for the best, at the time.
Even though he managed to brush it off for the rest of the day, curiosity rose again where he came back home. He checked his backyard. Sure enough, he didn't hallucinate this morning : there WAS something weird. More than terrified, Damon was curious. He tried to get a better look. The closer he got to it, the more anxious he felt. What in hell could it be ? He peered into it and saw something really strange. He saw a field that looked very similar to the one around him. It took a bit of time, but he managed to confirm it. There was no doubt that what he saw was his own location.
However, this did not answer the most important question : what the hell was he looking at ? Clearly, this object didn't seem like a screen, and it was even floating in midair. Actually, you could barely describe that as floating. It was just… being there. Damon was way too curious to notify anyone, so he kept silent about it.
Everyday, once in the morning and for a couple hours after work, Damon went in his backyard and examined the weird object. He always came home with the anticipation of it not being here anymore, but it never moved, or even changed shape. Some times, he could observe some events unfolding, like people passing by in the distance. Eventually, he considered reporting it, because he came to not find it interesting at all.
One day, with his regular inspection, he noticed that he wasn't clearly seeing the field. Instead, he saw someone. A woman, who seemed to be checking out whatever camera was filming the scene. The woman was dressed in some old clothes. Not really believing this would work, Damon tried to start a conversation.
"Hello ?"
But surprisingly...
"Oh, hello !" the woman replied.
"Can you… like, see me ?"
"Yes ! What is this ?"
"What do you see ?"
"I see some strange object in the air… and I can see things inside."
Damon and the woman, who was named Sarah, discussed for a while about this situation. At some point, Damon felt compelled to ask.
"What year is it ?"
"Well, this is the year 1857, if I am not mistaken." Sarah answered.
Even more than when he initially discovered the strange object, Damon got a shiver through his spine. The discussion continued, and they were both made aware of this anomaly. Truly, this was an amazing experience. And this time, Damon went back to his original idea : never showing this object to anyone else. Both of them discussed for a while, until Sarah had to leave.
"Will you be here tomorrow ?" asked Damon.
"Yes, let us meet at that time !" she replied.
At that moment, Damon felt happy. Even though there was an infinite distance between them, he felt like this moment was precious.
The next day, with the fear of not seeing her again, Damon cautiously approached the object. And he saw her, sitting nearby the object where he could see her. He said her name, and she got up immediately. Once again, they discussed for a long time. And even though they couldn't see each other everyday, they tried their best to find a moment to talk.
Throughout the days, and soon weeks, a real link was forged between the two. When he stepped back a little to consider the relation he had with Sarah, Damon could only use one word. Love. For a while, he tried to hide it. But soon enough, he felt like confessing about his feelings. And thankfully, it was reciprocated. But 'thankfully' wasn't right. Because the more he grew attached to Sarah, the more he realize how unhealthy this relation could be, mostly for his mental health.
As time passed, Damon felt extremely conflicted. In one hand, he wanted to talk with Sarah for hours, notably about her life in this past time period, but on the other hand, he knew that the separation would feel awful. For some time, the meetings were less frequent, sometimes even delayed.
But then, on that fateful day, Damon came to the usual meeting hour, but saw nothing. He thought, that wasn't that big of a deal. Maybe she was late, or had unexpected responsabilities to attend to. But she never came. Not then, not 5 minutes later, not an hour later… not even four days later. This whole time, Damon was even more conflicted than usual. It was such a perfect time to forget everything and go back to his 'normal' life, but he desperately wanted to know what happened to Sarah. He simply wanted to see her again, to talk to her again.
The fifth day after her mysterious disappearence, Damon was still sitting there. He spent so much time monitoring it, that he was starting to fall asleep. But all of a sudden, a voice jolted him awake. He could recognize it instantly. Sarah. He looked up, and saw Sarah's face, crying.
"My love… I am sorry, but I can not keep seeing you anymore…"
"What happened ?"
"They think I am the one who created that thing… and they are casting me away !"
Damon denied it internally, but he knew what it meant. They will never be able to see each other anymore.
"Hold… hold on ! Are you in a hurry now ?" Damon asked.
Sarah nodded. "If what you said is true… I left you a message right here. You will find it ! I love you, Damon !"
After saying those harsh words through her tears, Sarah ran away, far where Damon couldn't even see her. For the first time, he tried to stick his arm through the object, but he immediately wished he hadn't. The object started to change shape, and even began to shrink. In a matter of seconds, the object became a single point, then disappeared.
Damon was suffering from shock. This whole situation was unreal, but nonetheless his heart was broken… for real. He recalled the last words he heard from Sarah. 'A message right here'… this could only mean one thing. In his shed, Damon grabbed a shovel. He went back to where the strange object was. And he started digging. The whole process lasted for about an hour, but Damon lost his notion of time. Any minute now.
Suddenly, the shovel hit something harder. Damon gasped at the sensation, threw the shovel away, and dug around that spot with his bare hands, fiercely. There was something. A small, wooden box. It seemed extremely ancient. But Damon knew immediately when this was buried. Anxiously, he opened it, and inside of it was a necklace. But not any necklace. It was the necklace that Sarah always wore.
What he thought would destroy his live, actually ended up saving him. By parting in those terms with his 'love from the past', Damon managed to move on fairly quickly. Despite that, he made sure to keep the necklace forever.
Later on, he gave it to his new wife, as a gift for her birthday. Damon didn't usually get emotional, but for the first time in years, his eyes got quite watery when asked if the necklace belonged to one of his ex-girlfriends.
"Yes. But she's far away, now."
One of the reasons why people didn't believe it is quite simple. "If it exists, why has there been no reports about seeing them ?". And to be frank, that was a good question. But the answer was quite disappointing. Because in fact, those rifts did appear as theorized, but at locations where no one could see them. In 2017, like it did many other times in history, a rift opened. But this time, it appeared at a visible location.
Damon was a teacher. In the day, he taught history at a local school near his town of residence, and for the rest of his time, he spent most of his time relaxing in his house in the countryside. Though he initially settled there for the comfort, the lack of an urban environment began to wear him down. With no partner, he felt quite alone.
On a unusual night, he was woken up by a weird sensation. He had trouble putting in into words, but he described it as if there was an earthquake that could only shake him, but not his house. Even though this shook him awake quite efficiently, he didn't feel compelled to check out the origin of that sensation. He simply looked over his body, didn't find anyting special, and went back to sleep.
The next morning, Damon was doing his usual routine, getting ready for work. On his way to the front door, he briefly looked at the window that had a view on his backyard. And there, he saw something weird. Some kind of black object was there, just floating in the middle of nowhere. Damon decided to ignore it, dismissing it as an hallucination. It was probably for the best, at the time.
Even though he managed to brush it off for the rest of the day, curiosity rose again where he came back home. He checked his backyard. Sure enough, he didn't hallucinate this morning : there WAS something weird. More than terrified, Damon was curious. He tried to get a better look. The closer he got to it, the more anxious he felt. What in hell could it be ? He peered into it and saw something really strange. He saw a field that looked very similar to the one around him. It took a bit of time, but he managed to confirm it. There was no doubt that what he saw was his own location.
However, this did not answer the most important question : what the hell was he looking at ? Clearly, this object didn't seem like a screen, and it was even floating in midair. Actually, you could barely describe that as floating. It was just… being there. Damon was way too curious to notify anyone, so he kept silent about it.
Everyday, once in the morning and for a couple hours after work, Damon went in his backyard and examined the weird object. He always came home with the anticipation of it not being here anymore, but it never moved, or even changed shape. Some times, he could observe some events unfolding, like people passing by in the distance. Eventually, he considered reporting it, because he came to not find it interesting at all.
One day, with his regular inspection, he noticed that he wasn't clearly seeing the field. Instead, he saw someone. A woman, who seemed to be checking out whatever camera was filming the scene. The woman was dressed in some old clothes. Not really believing this would work, Damon tried to start a conversation.
"Hello ?"
But surprisingly...
"Oh, hello !" the woman replied.
"Can you… like, see me ?"
"Yes ! What is this ?"
"What do you see ?"
"I see some strange object in the air… and I can see things inside."
Damon and the woman, who was named Sarah, discussed for a while about this situation. At some point, Damon felt compelled to ask.
"What year is it ?"
"Well, this is the year 1857, if I am not mistaken." Sarah answered.
Even more than when he initially discovered the strange object, Damon got a shiver through his spine. The discussion continued, and they were both made aware of this anomaly. Truly, this was an amazing experience. And this time, Damon went back to his original idea : never showing this object to anyone else. Both of them discussed for a while, until Sarah had to leave.
"Will you be here tomorrow ?" asked Damon.
"Yes, let us meet at that time !" she replied.
At that moment, Damon felt happy. Even though there was an infinite distance between them, he felt like this moment was precious.
The next day, with the fear of not seeing her again, Damon cautiously approached the object. And he saw her, sitting nearby the object where he could see her. He said her name, and she got up immediately. Once again, they discussed for a long time. And even though they couldn't see each other everyday, they tried their best to find a moment to talk.
Throughout the days, and soon weeks, a real link was forged between the two. When he stepped back a little to consider the relation he had with Sarah, Damon could only use one word. Love. For a while, he tried to hide it. But soon enough, he felt like confessing about his feelings. And thankfully, it was reciprocated. But 'thankfully' wasn't right. Because the more he grew attached to Sarah, the more he realize how unhealthy this relation could be, mostly for his mental health.
As time passed, Damon felt extremely conflicted. In one hand, he wanted to talk with Sarah for hours, notably about her life in this past time period, but on the other hand, he knew that the separation would feel awful. For some time, the meetings were less frequent, sometimes even delayed.
But then, on that fateful day, Damon came to the usual meeting hour, but saw nothing. He thought, that wasn't that big of a deal. Maybe she was late, or had unexpected responsabilities to attend to. But she never came. Not then, not 5 minutes later, not an hour later… not even four days later. This whole time, Damon was even more conflicted than usual. It was such a perfect time to forget everything and go back to his 'normal' life, but he desperately wanted to know what happened to Sarah. He simply wanted to see her again, to talk to her again.
The fifth day after her mysterious disappearence, Damon was still sitting there. He spent so much time monitoring it, that he was starting to fall asleep. But all of a sudden, a voice jolted him awake. He could recognize it instantly. Sarah. He looked up, and saw Sarah's face, crying.
"My love… I am sorry, but I can not keep seeing you anymore…"
"What happened ?"
"They think I am the one who created that thing… and they are casting me away !"
Damon denied it internally, but he knew what it meant. They will never be able to see each other anymore.
"Hold… hold on ! Are you in a hurry now ?" Damon asked.
Sarah nodded. "If what you said is true… I left you a message right here. You will find it ! I love you, Damon !"
After saying those harsh words through her tears, Sarah ran away, far where Damon couldn't even see her. For the first time, he tried to stick his arm through the object, but he immediately wished he hadn't. The object started to change shape, and even began to shrink. In a matter of seconds, the object became a single point, then disappeared.
Damon was suffering from shock. This whole situation was unreal, but nonetheless his heart was broken… for real. He recalled the last words he heard from Sarah. 'A message right here'… this could only mean one thing. In his shed, Damon grabbed a shovel. He went back to where the strange object was. And he started digging. The whole process lasted for about an hour, but Damon lost his notion of time. Any minute now.
Suddenly, the shovel hit something harder. Damon gasped at the sensation, threw the shovel away, and dug around that spot with his bare hands, fiercely. There was something. A small, wooden box. It seemed extremely ancient. But Damon knew immediately when this was buried. Anxiously, he opened it, and inside of it was a necklace. But not any necklace. It was the necklace that Sarah always wore.
What he thought would destroy his live, actually ended up saving him. By parting in those terms with his 'love from the past', Damon managed to move on fairly quickly. Despite that, he made sure to keep the necklace forever.
Later on, he gave it to his new wife, as a gift for her birthday. Damon didn't usually get emotional, but for the first time in years, his eyes got quite watery when asked if the necklace belonged to one of his ex-girlfriends.
"Yes. But she's far away, now."
February 10, 2017
026 - Anathema Road
Every day, Adam took his car to go to work. Preferring a more rural lifestyle, he didn't have a choice but to experience an hour long commute to get to work everyday. But to him, that wasn't really a problem. Except for one part of his trip, everyday.
About halfway through his commute, Adam always ended up in a small, rural road near the countryside. No matter what time of the day, whether it was in the morning or evening, Adam always felt a tense, unsettling atmosphere. He used to think that it was just him, and that creepiness was experienced through the lack of other cars and habitations, or even through the density of the small forests alongside the road. But no matter what, whenever Adam was driving on Anathema Road, he always forced himself to look straight ahead and forget everything else.
One time, Adam regretted letting his curiosity take control of his eyes for a second. Between two trees along the random, he noticed a silhuette. He didn't have the time nor the courage to give a clearer look, but that was sufficient to make him tense for the whole drive, and scared to even come back home in the evening.
One thing that didn't help was all the stories that Adam's wife told. They weren't settled in the countryside for a long time, but it seemed like she had done her research about the place. Many horrifying stories surrounded this place : car crashes, suicides, underground rings… Adam tried to avoid talking about it, but it would always come up, usually after she unearthed new juicy stories.
After only a couple months, Adam ended up on medication, under his doctor's advice. Apparently, his level of anxiety could be nocive to his general health. There was no doubt that this road was the major factor.
Throughout the days, Adam's anxiety issues didn't improve at all. He even started to doubt the medication. One evening, his eyes wandered again, and he saw something that could only exist in his worst nightmares. A plain white silhuette, in the middle of the road. Instinctively, Adam closed his eyes and slammed the brake as hard as he could. But when he opened his eyes, there was nothing.
At the psychologist's office, Adam was asked about what he thought was wrong in his life. He felt comfort while bringing up Anathema Road and its stories, but he could not name any other factor. Naturally, the psychologist concluded that Anathema Road was the sole problem. And so, he advised to try and use a different road. But Adam refused, since it was necessary to go through there unless he wanted to lengthen his drive by 20 minutes.
Following his psychologist's second proposition, Adam took a few days to rest. But nothing really changed. At this point in life, whenever Adam wasn't going through Anathema Road, he was thinking about it. About the bone-chilling stories. About what he saw… Most of his nightmares revolved about his memories of the place. And most of the time, the memories became twisted, making demons and abominations take shape in his mind. More often than not, the night would end early, and with a lot of sweat.
The last straw happened on an evening. Stressfully, Adam's eyes were unconsciously exploring the landscape of Anathema Road. After all this time, he knew all the trees, and the curves in the road, more than any other section he took. And suddenly, a monster surged from the woods and crossed the road. Adam screamed, and clenched his hands on the wheel. This time, Adam had to vanquish the monster that stood before him, so he accelerated as fast as he could, and slayed the demon. But after this, he realized that it was no demon… only a small, innocent animal. On the way home, Adam snapped and had a mental breakdown. The rest of the drive was filled with nervous sobbing.
As soon as he came home, Adam was comforted by his wife. After a long discussion, both came to an agreement : they had to move back into a more urban location. Definitely, Adam was too traumatized by those creepy, small countryside roads. When Adam started crying in his wife's arm, she made a smile that he couldn't see. And she simply said.
"Oh that's sad, living in the countryside was great. But it's your decision, right ?"
About halfway through his commute, Adam always ended up in a small, rural road near the countryside. No matter what time of the day, whether it was in the morning or evening, Adam always felt a tense, unsettling atmosphere. He used to think that it was just him, and that creepiness was experienced through the lack of other cars and habitations, or even through the density of the small forests alongside the road. But no matter what, whenever Adam was driving on Anathema Road, he always forced himself to look straight ahead and forget everything else.
One time, Adam regretted letting his curiosity take control of his eyes for a second. Between two trees along the random, he noticed a silhuette. He didn't have the time nor the courage to give a clearer look, but that was sufficient to make him tense for the whole drive, and scared to even come back home in the evening.
One thing that didn't help was all the stories that Adam's wife told. They weren't settled in the countryside for a long time, but it seemed like she had done her research about the place. Many horrifying stories surrounded this place : car crashes, suicides, underground rings… Adam tried to avoid talking about it, but it would always come up, usually after she unearthed new juicy stories.
After only a couple months, Adam ended up on medication, under his doctor's advice. Apparently, his level of anxiety could be nocive to his general health. There was no doubt that this road was the major factor.
Throughout the days, Adam's anxiety issues didn't improve at all. He even started to doubt the medication. One evening, his eyes wandered again, and he saw something that could only exist in his worst nightmares. A plain white silhuette, in the middle of the road. Instinctively, Adam closed his eyes and slammed the brake as hard as he could. But when he opened his eyes, there was nothing.
At the psychologist's office, Adam was asked about what he thought was wrong in his life. He felt comfort while bringing up Anathema Road and its stories, but he could not name any other factor. Naturally, the psychologist concluded that Anathema Road was the sole problem. And so, he advised to try and use a different road. But Adam refused, since it was necessary to go through there unless he wanted to lengthen his drive by 20 minutes.
Following his psychologist's second proposition, Adam took a few days to rest. But nothing really changed. At this point in life, whenever Adam wasn't going through Anathema Road, he was thinking about it. About the bone-chilling stories. About what he saw… Most of his nightmares revolved about his memories of the place. And most of the time, the memories became twisted, making demons and abominations take shape in his mind. More often than not, the night would end early, and with a lot of sweat.
The last straw happened on an evening. Stressfully, Adam's eyes were unconsciously exploring the landscape of Anathema Road. After all this time, he knew all the trees, and the curves in the road, more than any other section he took. And suddenly, a monster surged from the woods and crossed the road. Adam screamed, and clenched his hands on the wheel. This time, Adam had to vanquish the monster that stood before him, so he accelerated as fast as he could, and slayed the demon. But after this, he realized that it was no demon… only a small, innocent animal. On the way home, Adam snapped and had a mental breakdown. The rest of the drive was filled with nervous sobbing.
As soon as he came home, Adam was comforted by his wife. After a long discussion, both came to an agreement : they had to move back into a more urban location. Definitely, Adam was too traumatized by those creepy, small countryside roads. When Adam started crying in his wife's arm, she made a smile that he couldn't see. And she simply said.
"Oh that's sad, living in the countryside was great. But it's your decision, right ?"
February 7, 2017
025 - 4
- 4 -
Today, I decided to take a walk in the nearby park. It's so calm. I like it there. I go there whenever I want to feel comfortable, and alone. When I'm sitting there, near the lake, on my bench, nobody bothers me. But then, my mind wandered too far, and I remembered today's letter. With that thought, my happiness slips into a slight depression. Not enough to disturb my peace, however.
I go back home. The letter is still there, on my desk. "4". This number could only mean one thing. One cold, hard truth. I knew it, and I didn't try to fight it. My fate was decided now.
- 3 -
Waking up today was harder than usual. I tried to remember all the things I did yesterday, but nothing came up. I probably did something boring, like going out in the park again. Should I enjoy my time more ? I mean, I definitely should, especially after receiving that notice. So, today, I've decided… I'm going on a walk.
Today, I walked quite far. But I let myself go, and enjoyed the ride, as they say. This time I even got farther than usual. Some people gave me weird looks, and politely advised me to get back where I came from. This was not a bad idea, actually. My legs were killing me.
I noticed the letter on my desk. "3" was written. Strange number, isn't it ? Even though I have trouble remembering some things, I could still comprehend the meaning of this number. Who left it there ? That, I could not remember.
- 2 -
After my morning routine, something on my desk caught my eye. "2". Oh boy, has it been this long already ? The clock was ticking. But still, I wasn't sure of myself yet, so I just let it go.
I wasn't feeling ready for physical exercise today, so I thought it would be best to relax. I picked a book from my bookshelf, and comfortably sat in my chair. I had trouble following the story… but it was fine. I still had fun, nonetheless.
Despite all of this, part of me was concerned about the number of my desk. It meant I was halfway there. I tried to get the most of my day anyway, but this was hard to forget.
- 1 -
"1". That was the first thing I saw today. This was a cold, but necessary reminder. A picture flashes in my head. A letter with "4" on my desk… that was a painful thought. So terrifying, it even sent a shiver down my spine. I brushed it away as fast as I could.
I spent most of the day looking by my window. I've lived some terrible days because of depression, but this one was the worst. Everything that I've fought for was fleeting before my eyes. How could it happen ?
That evening, I never had that much trouble getting asleep. I felt that the next day would be the last.
- 0 -
As I open my eyes, I notice a charming, younger woman looking at me. Why she is doing that, I have no idea. I was simply lying in my bed and she was there. As she saw me slowly waking up, she starts to say something.
"Dad ?"
What is she talking about ? 'Dad' ?
"I'm sorry, but who are you ?" I respond.
The woman starts crying. Did I do something wrong ? I didn't even have time to apologize, and she already got up and went to leave the room.
"Hey, wait ! Who are you ?" I try to say, in order to let her stay for a while.
The woman stops. She waits for a little while, then turns back to me.
"If you can remember my name within 4 days, I'll get you out of here. I'll see you then, Dad."
- 5 -
Opening my eyes wasn't always pleasant. Well, depending on the day. But this time, a charming woman was looking at me. So, I would say that this day was great. Because I was quite intrigued by the woman's presence, I simply asked.
"Who are you ?"
The woman started crying. And in a hurry, like she was trying to hide her tears, she got out of the room.
After a few minutes, two women, dressed like nurses, barged into my room and came to my side. They told me to get up so that I could follow them, which I did.
I had no idea what was happening, but I started doing as advised. On my way out, I glanced at my desk. It was empty. But somehow, I expected to find something else. In the trash bin, however, I could see four balls of crumpled sheets of paper. That's curious…
Today, I decided to take a walk in the nearby park. It's so calm. I like it there. I go there whenever I want to feel comfortable, and alone. When I'm sitting there, near the lake, on my bench, nobody bothers me. But then, my mind wandered too far, and I remembered today's letter. With that thought, my happiness slips into a slight depression. Not enough to disturb my peace, however.
I go back home. The letter is still there, on my desk. "4". This number could only mean one thing. One cold, hard truth. I knew it, and I didn't try to fight it. My fate was decided now.
- 3 -
Waking up today was harder than usual. I tried to remember all the things I did yesterday, but nothing came up. I probably did something boring, like going out in the park again. Should I enjoy my time more ? I mean, I definitely should, especially after receiving that notice. So, today, I've decided… I'm going on a walk.
Today, I walked quite far. But I let myself go, and enjoyed the ride, as they say. This time I even got farther than usual. Some people gave me weird looks, and politely advised me to get back where I came from. This was not a bad idea, actually. My legs were killing me.
I noticed the letter on my desk. "3" was written. Strange number, isn't it ? Even though I have trouble remembering some things, I could still comprehend the meaning of this number. Who left it there ? That, I could not remember.
- 2 -
After my morning routine, something on my desk caught my eye. "2". Oh boy, has it been this long already ? The clock was ticking. But still, I wasn't sure of myself yet, so I just let it go.
I wasn't feeling ready for physical exercise today, so I thought it would be best to relax. I picked a book from my bookshelf, and comfortably sat in my chair. I had trouble following the story… but it was fine. I still had fun, nonetheless.
Despite all of this, part of me was concerned about the number of my desk. It meant I was halfway there. I tried to get the most of my day anyway, but this was hard to forget.
- 1 -
"1". That was the first thing I saw today. This was a cold, but necessary reminder. A picture flashes in my head. A letter with "4" on my desk… that was a painful thought. So terrifying, it even sent a shiver down my spine. I brushed it away as fast as I could.
I spent most of the day looking by my window. I've lived some terrible days because of depression, but this one was the worst. Everything that I've fought for was fleeting before my eyes. How could it happen ?
That evening, I never had that much trouble getting asleep. I felt that the next day would be the last.
- 0 -
As I open my eyes, I notice a charming, younger woman looking at me. Why she is doing that, I have no idea. I was simply lying in my bed and she was there. As she saw me slowly waking up, she starts to say something.
"Dad ?"
What is she talking about ? 'Dad' ?
"I'm sorry, but who are you ?" I respond.
The woman starts crying. Did I do something wrong ? I didn't even have time to apologize, and she already got up and went to leave the room.
"Hey, wait ! Who are you ?" I try to say, in order to let her stay for a while.
The woman stops. She waits for a little while, then turns back to me.
"If you can remember my name within 4 days, I'll get you out of here. I'll see you then, Dad."
- 5 -
Opening my eyes wasn't always pleasant. Well, depending on the day. But this time, a charming woman was looking at me. So, I would say that this day was great. Because I was quite intrigued by the woman's presence, I simply asked.
"Who are you ?"
The woman started crying. And in a hurry, like she was trying to hide her tears, she got out of the room.
After a few minutes, two women, dressed like nurses, barged into my room and came to my side. They told me to get up so that I could follow them, which I did.
I had no idea what was happening, but I started doing as advised. On my way out, I glanced at my desk. It was empty. But somehow, I expected to find something else. In the trash bin, however, I could see four balls of crumpled sheets of paper. That's curious…
February 4, 2017
024 - Dream Team, Part 2
This is a two-party story. Click here to read part one first.
Just like every night, Nick's group was walking through the fields of the dream world. But unlike the other nights, the target location was quite unusual.
Claire, the leader of the group, was always an inspiration to its members. Many people who are called to this world come and go, either because they die in it, or because they suddenly aren't called anymore, for a reason that she ignored. But Claire was different, because she had been doing this for no less than 11 years, which was way higher than the average time spent there. Claire knew every mountain, every field, every ocean. Throughout her time spent in this world, she became the reason why so many people survived. She was so used to this, that she forgot her adventures were nothing ordinary.
When Claire announced she was going to sacrifice herself so that her daughter could be found and live, everyone tried to reason her. But she didn't want to hear it, and instead the group found themselves following her, trying to talk her into trying another solution. The closer Claire got to the place she wanted to go to, the louder the discussion was. But no one tried to physically stop her, and for a good reason.
As Nick saw on his first day when she made a gun out of thin air, Claire wasn't only brave and persistent, she was also gifted. The story says that, after about a year of hunting monsters, she began to learn how to use special powers while in the dream world. With enough concentration, she could materialize objects like weapons to hunt targets, bend laws of physics to her will, or generally change the environment. In a way, Claire was lucid dreaming, turning her into a master of the Dream World. But even with this talent, she couldn't find her way out, unlike all those others who mysteriously stopped being summoned here. To her more than anyone else, this was the biggest mystery she wanted an answer to.
The group was still walking, but stopped because of a loud noise. The noise came from everywhere at once.
"It's god…" said Claire, who stopped moving altogether.
"Who ?" asked Nick.
"The god of the dream world… he's watching us !"
The noise was followed by a small moment of silence, until a new noise was made with the same intensity. Except this time, the noise was a voice.
"Claire. You have come so far in this world, yet you wish to end your journey in such an improper way ?" said the imposing voice.
"This is the only way ! My daughter's life is worth much more than mine !"
"I can see that you are telling the truth about this… but don't you want to keep living with her instead ?"
"Of course I do… But I have no choice. I am going to sacrifice myself, and you will tell them the location of my daughter !"
"Claire, why do you resent me so much ?"
"I never resented you. Not until you took my daughter and summoned her in this world !"
"You are wrong. I never select the candidates myself."
"What do you mean ?"
"After all this time, you still don't understand the reason why you and the others were chosen… Truly, you are a very interesting person."
"There's no reason why I'm here. You're just enjoying this !"
"You are wrong, again. Watching you doesn't bring me joy. It brings me sadness. If only you could understand the reason why you are summoned here, you could have been out of this world long ago."
"You're lying !"
"You know I would never lie to you, Claire. You have simply been near-sighted all this time. Even right now, you and your companions can't even see what is really happening."
During the discussion between Claire and the huge voice, the rest of the group were listening as well, their heards turned to the sky. But not all of them… After hearing this last statement, Nick stopped staring above, and looked around him. Someone was missing. Karl. Karl ?
"Karl ?" Nick asked around.
He looked in every direction, and eventually saw him. Karl was still walking in the same direction as before, as if the group never stopped. But when Nick noticed, it was almost too late. Karl was only a few meters away from the place where Claire wanted to die. It was a large cliff, surrounding a beautiful waterfall that Claire always loved watching whenever a mission took place near there.
"KARL !!" Nick yelled, repeatedly, as he was running towards his friend.
Following the yell, the rest of the group, including Claire, turned back to see Nick running, and they all started to run as well. When Nick arrived, Karl was only one step away from the waterfall.
"Karl, don't do it !"
"Nick. I've figured it out. The way to stop being summoned."
"What ? You mean you have to die in the dream world ?"
"Not at all… but the reason I'm about to jump is because I know how to get out."
At this moment, the rest of the group caught up, and stood there with Nick, trying to convince Karl.
"Please, don't sacrifice yourself for me !" said Claire. "I'm not the one who deserves to die !"
Karl laughed. "Oh, Claire. I'm not doing this only for you. The voice was right… you are really near-sighted."
"What do you mean ?" replied Claire.
"Tell me, Claire. How old is your daughter, now ?"
"She's 10 years old."
"I knew it. And you started coming in this world after you knew you were pregnant, right ?"
"Yes… but how do you know it ?"
"Because I know exactly the reason why we are all here. And also, the reason why some people completely stop being summoned."
"What is it ? Tell me !"
Karl waited a moment, looked at the floor, and took a long breath.
"Six months ago." Karl said, while raising his face up. "I took my car after a party, I wanted to bring my friends back to their place. I was completely drunk, but I thought this was a good idea anyway. And that night, three of my friends died. I was the only survivor. And when the police asked who was driving the car, I instinctively put all the blame on one of my dead friends to avoid going to jail."
There was a long silence. Nobody really wanted to comment on this awful story.
"But, what does it have to do with being summoned here ? I did not kill anyone." said Claire.
"That's not really the problem here. The problem is that… I hate myself. More than anyone. I think I am one of the most disgusting, awful people in the world. And ever since that incident, I have been summoned here every night."
Karl started to point at members of the group.
"Joanna, you hate yourself because you digged yourself into a hole by gaining weight, even though you already lacked self esteem. Kevin, you hate yourself because you cheated on your girlfriend multiple times, but can't bring yourself to tell her. And Nick… you hate yourself because you regret not listening to everyone who told you to get a higher education, and you're stuck with your shitty job. Am I wrong here ?"
Nick looked at the others. Everyone else did the same. None of them expected Karl to tell all those stories. Nick wasn't aware about all of them, but he knew those were simply mentioned, at random moments, during their adventures. And judging by everyone's reactions, all of them were true.
"You can all change yourselves, just like those who left did.", Karl continued. "But me… I can't do anything to bring my dead friends back."
And eventually, Karl turned to Claire, who was looking at him, with very expecting eyes.
"Claire… you hate yourself, because you always wanted to be a better mother. You blame yourself on every single problem that happened to your child. And I'm sure the reason why your daughter is here, is because she is starting to think that SHE is the problem, the reason why you are always so sad."
Claire started to cry. Thanks to Karl, she realized. She understood everything. Her tears were fueled by all the memories that flowed back in her head. All the times she blamed herself for her daughter's problems, all the time she made mistakes, intentionally or not, and went into depression because of it.
"Goodbye, everyone. I hope you will find the strength to leave this world." Karl said, just before facing the side of the cliff, ready to jump.
Suddenly, the ground on the cliff moved, and formed a wall just in front of Karl, who was forced to stop. He didn't even need to look behind him to know it was Claire, trying to stop him in any way she could. Karl raised his hand, and gently placed it on the artificial wall, who immediately crumbled.
"Just because you were always the one to do it, doesn't mean you are the only one who can do it." Karl said. Then, one last time, he looked back to the group, chuckled with a weak smile, and jumped.
Nick, just like everyone else, was frozen in shock. He could hear sobbing sounds coming from Claire, but he didn't have the courage to face her. For a moment there, everyone forgot their mission. They just stood there, thinking either about Karl, or about the story he told everyone. But suddenly, a voice unfroze time.
"Mommy ?"
Everyone looked around. A little girl was there, looking at Claire. Instantly, Claire jumped and embraced the girl on her knees, still crying.
"Mommy, where are we ? I want to go home." said the little girl.
"Don't worry, baby… we'll go home now… it's not your fault Mommy's been bad with you."
"It's not my fault you don't like me ?"
"Don't say that… I love you more than anything, baby… I'm sorry… for everything…"
Nick was watching the touching scene, unable to do or say anything. He felt like if he did the slightest movement, he would ruin everything that Claire fought 11 years for. Eventually, a light started to envelop the mother and daughter, and then, both disappeared, still hugging each other.
Even though they didn't reach their initial objective, the remaining members of the group felt themselves about to wake up in the real world. Nick thought that this was a gift from the god of the dream world, but he never knew the real reason. Before parting for the night, after all those events, Nick felt like he needed to say something.
"Everyone ! Remember what Karl said ! We need to stop hating ourselves ! You all, make your life so amazing that we'll never have to see each other again !"
The others didn't have time to respond, but Nick saw a couple of them nod in agreement. Satisfied with the fact that he got his message through, he then let himself wake up comfortably, in the real world.
When Nick woke up, he was laying in his bed. The night was quite long this time, but he didn't know exactly how much. He looked at his phone. He was more than two hours late to work, and had three missed calls from his boss. He hesitated to press the notification in order to call back… but instead, he swiped to remove it.
Nick sat on the edge of his bed, and began thinking seriously. Even though he had the motivation, he knew that he wasn't about to stop going to the dream world anytime soon.
What he thought was a wall preventing him from attaining happiness, began to shape into something else. A long, uphill road. And Nick was ready to climb it.
Just like every night, Nick's group was walking through the fields of the dream world. But unlike the other nights, the target location was quite unusual.
Claire, the leader of the group, was always an inspiration to its members. Many people who are called to this world come and go, either because they die in it, or because they suddenly aren't called anymore, for a reason that she ignored. But Claire was different, because she had been doing this for no less than 11 years, which was way higher than the average time spent there. Claire knew every mountain, every field, every ocean. Throughout her time spent in this world, she became the reason why so many people survived. She was so used to this, that she forgot her adventures were nothing ordinary.
When Claire announced she was going to sacrifice herself so that her daughter could be found and live, everyone tried to reason her. But she didn't want to hear it, and instead the group found themselves following her, trying to talk her into trying another solution. The closer Claire got to the place she wanted to go to, the louder the discussion was. But no one tried to physically stop her, and for a good reason.
As Nick saw on his first day when she made a gun out of thin air, Claire wasn't only brave and persistent, she was also gifted. The story says that, after about a year of hunting monsters, she began to learn how to use special powers while in the dream world. With enough concentration, she could materialize objects like weapons to hunt targets, bend laws of physics to her will, or generally change the environment. In a way, Claire was lucid dreaming, turning her into a master of the Dream World. But even with this talent, she couldn't find her way out, unlike all those others who mysteriously stopped being summoned here. To her more than anyone else, this was the biggest mystery she wanted an answer to.
The group was still walking, but stopped because of a loud noise. The noise came from everywhere at once.
"It's god…" said Claire, who stopped moving altogether.
"Who ?" asked Nick.
"The god of the dream world… he's watching us !"
The noise was followed by a small moment of silence, until a new noise was made with the same intensity. Except this time, the noise was a voice.
"Claire. You have come so far in this world, yet you wish to end your journey in such an improper way ?" said the imposing voice.
"This is the only way ! My daughter's life is worth much more than mine !"
"I can see that you are telling the truth about this… but don't you want to keep living with her instead ?"
"Of course I do… But I have no choice. I am going to sacrifice myself, and you will tell them the location of my daughter !"
"Claire, why do you resent me so much ?"
"I never resented you. Not until you took my daughter and summoned her in this world !"
"You are wrong. I never select the candidates myself."
"What do you mean ?"
"After all this time, you still don't understand the reason why you and the others were chosen… Truly, you are a very interesting person."
"There's no reason why I'm here. You're just enjoying this !"
"You are wrong, again. Watching you doesn't bring me joy. It brings me sadness. If only you could understand the reason why you are summoned here, you could have been out of this world long ago."
"You're lying !"
"You know I would never lie to you, Claire. You have simply been near-sighted all this time. Even right now, you and your companions can't even see what is really happening."
During the discussion between Claire and the huge voice, the rest of the group were listening as well, their heards turned to the sky. But not all of them… After hearing this last statement, Nick stopped staring above, and looked around him. Someone was missing. Karl. Karl ?
"Karl ?" Nick asked around.
He looked in every direction, and eventually saw him. Karl was still walking in the same direction as before, as if the group never stopped. But when Nick noticed, it was almost too late. Karl was only a few meters away from the place where Claire wanted to die. It was a large cliff, surrounding a beautiful waterfall that Claire always loved watching whenever a mission took place near there.
"KARL !!" Nick yelled, repeatedly, as he was running towards his friend.
Following the yell, the rest of the group, including Claire, turned back to see Nick running, and they all started to run as well. When Nick arrived, Karl was only one step away from the waterfall.
"Karl, don't do it !"
"Nick. I've figured it out. The way to stop being summoned."
"What ? You mean you have to die in the dream world ?"
"Not at all… but the reason I'm about to jump is because I know how to get out."
At this moment, the rest of the group caught up, and stood there with Nick, trying to convince Karl.
"Please, don't sacrifice yourself for me !" said Claire. "I'm not the one who deserves to die !"
Karl laughed. "Oh, Claire. I'm not doing this only for you. The voice was right… you are really near-sighted."
"What do you mean ?" replied Claire.
"Tell me, Claire. How old is your daughter, now ?"
"She's 10 years old."
"I knew it. And you started coming in this world after you knew you were pregnant, right ?"
"Yes… but how do you know it ?"
"Because I know exactly the reason why we are all here. And also, the reason why some people completely stop being summoned."
"What is it ? Tell me !"
Karl waited a moment, looked at the floor, and took a long breath.
"Six months ago." Karl said, while raising his face up. "I took my car after a party, I wanted to bring my friends back to their place. I was completely drunk, but I thought this was a good idea anyway. And that night, three of my friends died. I was the only survivor. And when the police asked who was driving the car, I instinctively put all the blame on one of my dead friends to avoid going to jail."
There was a long silence. Nobody really wanted to comment on this awful story.
"But, what does it have to do with being summoned here ? I did not kill anyone." said Claire.
"That's not really the problem here. The problem is that… I hate myself. More than anyone. I think I am one of the most disgusting, awful people in the world. And ever since that incident, I have been summoned here every night."
Karl started to point at members of the group.
"Joanna, you hate yourself because you digged yourself into a hole by gaining weight, even though you already lacked self esteem. Kevin, you hate yourself because you cheated on your girlfriend multiple times, but can't bring yourself to tell her. And Nick… you hate yourself because you regret not listening to everyone who told you to get a higher education, and you're stuck with your shitty job. Am I wrong here ?"
Nick looked at the others. Everyone else did the same. None of them expected Karl to tell all those stories. Nick wasn't aware about all of them, but he knew those were simply mentioned, at random moments, during their adventures. And judging by everyone's reactions, all of them were true.
"You can all change yourselves, just like those who left did.", Karl continued. "But me… I can't do anything to bring my dead friends back."
And eventually, Karl turned to Claire, who was looking at him, with very expecting eyes.
"Claire… you hate yourself, because you always wanted to be a better mother. You blame yourself on every single problem that happened to your child. And I'm sure the reason why your daughter is here, is because she is starting to think that SHE is the problem, the reason why you are always so sad."
Claire started to cry. Thanks to Karl, she realized. She understood everything. Her tears were fueled by all the memories that flowed back in her head. All the times she blamed herself for her daughter's problems, all the time she made mistakes, intentionally or not, and went into depression because of it.
"Goodbye, everyone. I hope you will find the strength to leave this world." Karl said, just before facing the side of the cliff, ready to jump.
Suddenly, the ground on the cliff moved, and formed a wall just in front of Karl, who was forced to stop. He didn't even need to look behind him to know it was Claire, trying to stop him in any way she could. Karl raised his hand, and gently placed it on the artificial wall, who immediately crumbled.
"Just because you were always the one to do it, doesn't mean you are the only one who can do it." Karl said. Then, one last time, he looked back to the group, chuckled with a weak smile, and jumped.
Nick, just like everyone else, was frozen in shock. He could hear sobbing sounds coming from Claire, but he didn't have the courage to face her. For a moment there, everyone forgot their mission. They just stood there, thinking either about Karl, or about the story he told everyone. But suddenly, a voice unfroze time.
"Mommy ?"
Everyone looked around. A little girl was there, looking at Claire. Instantly, Claire jumped and embraced the girl on her knees, still crying.
"Mommy, where are we ? I want to go home." said the little girl.
"Don't worry, baby… we'll go home now… it's not your fault Mommy's been bad with you."
"It's not my fault you don't like me ?"
"Don't say that… I love you more than anything, baby… I'm sorry… for everything…"
Nick was watching the touching scene, unable to do or say anything. He felt like if he did the slightest movement, he would ruin everything that Claire fought 11 years for. Eventually, a light started to envelop the mother and daughter, and then, both disappeared, still hugging each other.
Even though they didn't reach their initial objective, the remaining members of the group felt themselves about to wake up in the real world. Nick thought that this was a gift from the god of the dream world, but he never knew the real reason. Before parting for the night, after all those events, Nick felt like he needed to say something.
"Everyone ! Remember what Karl said ! We need to stop hating ourselves ! You all, make your life so amazing that we'll never have to see each other again !"
The others didn't have time to respond, but Nick saw a couple of them nod in agreement. Satisfied with the fact that he got his message through, he then let himself wake up comfortably, in the real world.
When Nick woke up, he was laying in his bed. The night was quite long this time, but he didn't know exactly how much. He looked at his phone. He was more than two hours late to work, and had three missed calls from his boss. He hesitated to press the notification in order to call back… but instead, he swiped to remove it.
Nick sat on the edge of his bed, and began thinking seriously. Even though he had the motivation, he knew that he wasn't about to stop going to the dream world anytime soon.
What he thought was a wall preventing him from attaining happiness, began to shape into something else. A long, uphill road. And Nick was ready to climb it.
February 2, 2017
023 - Dream Team, Part 1
Nick was a normal desk employee. Today, he is still a desk employee, but he heavily doubts he can still call himself normal. And that doubt began a week ago, when he started to have dreams that were beyond anything he could ever imagine.
For some reason, even though his workload was nothing out of the ordinary on that day, he began to feel very tired as soon as he got back home. He tried to fight it for a while, but it was futile. So instead of forcing himself, he laid on his bed and closed his eyes.
He didn't remember opening his eyes, but he had them open, and before his eyes was a strange scenery. He was in the middle of some mountains. He looked around, but couldn't recognize the place at all. Very quickly, he remembered that, no that long ago, he was in his bed. So by deductive logic, he came to the natural conclusion : "I'm dreaming !".
But that didn't feel right. When did dreaming start to feel so much like real life ? He could walk, talk, even feel the wind going by his face, but he was certain all of this was a dream. He tried every way of waking up, and eventually was down to his last idea : jumping off the mountain. Even though he was convinced nothing could happen to his body in real life, he couldn't bring himself to do it. What if ?
He had nothing else to do, but he felt like waiting wouldn't do anything good to help that situation. And so, he tried to go on an adventure in the moutains. Quite soon after departing, he started hearing noises. But not random noises. Voices. And unlike in his regular dreams, the voices were completely clear. They came from humans, no doubt about it. When the mysterious entities were close enough for him to see them, he half expected to see familiar faces, or weird creatures, or anything else that wasn't real. Because, you know, he was in a dream. But instead, the opposite happened. In front of him were five people, three men and two women, who all looked perfectly human and normal. And sure enough, Nick had never seen them before.
"Hey, we found him !" said one of the women, who was apparently leading the group.
All of them raised up the pace, and ran to Nick, who just stood there trying to process this whole situation. He tried to ask the question he wanted to answer the most :
"Where am-"
"Okay, just listen, we don't have time." interrupted one of the men. "We are all asleep right now and we have to defeat a monster to wake up, you got it ?"
Nick didn't get it.
"What ?"
"Urgh, we have to do the long version again… So, basically, you are dreaming right now and you were sent to this world along with us, and in order to be free we have to accomplish a mission every night. You're still with me there ?"
"So… this is real ?"
"Well, yes and no. We're in some kind of dream world so you could say that dreams aren't real but… you're not, like, imagining it. It's really happening, and you won't be able to wake up in real life if you don't do the mission."
Before Nick even have time to ask more questions, one of the women shouted to the group :
"Come on, let's move now ! We don't have time !"
And so, the group turned back towards where they were coming from, and starting walking quite fast. Because he still had a whole lot to ask, Nick walked close to the man who was answering him, in order to talk a bit more on the way there.
"So, we have to… like, slay some kind of monster ?"
"Yeah, but this time it's really easy. They are complete pacificists and they live nearby. We'll just stab it or something."
"Oh. I expected that you guys had to slay some demons, or dinosaurs, or…"
"Well, sometimes it's more complicated, yeah. But now the real problem is time."
"Time ?"
"Yeah. 5 minutes in this world is about one hour in real life. That's why we can't stay here forever."
"What, so… how long has it been since I fell asleep again ?"
"We all fall asleep around the same time, and we've been here for about half an hour, so… "
"Half an hour… Six hours in real life ?"
"About that much, yeah. I hope you didn't plan on waking up early, ha ha !"
Nick started thinking about himself in real life, quite panicked, considering six hours was usually the amount of sleep he had every night. But come to think of it, he fell asleep quite early, so he had about 3 hours of leverage.
"Fifteen minutes… I have to be awake in fifteen minutes maximum."
"It's good, then. We're almost there."
After a couple minutes, even quicker than he expected, the group stopped around a field where the grass was quite tall. The woman leading made a sign so that everyone would stop walking and be silent. Nick looked around to see what all the fuss was about, and then he saw it. The 'monster' that the group was about to hunt. It looked like some sort of mix between a pig and a sheep. On one hand, it looked quite gross, but on the other hand, it also looked like an animal that could actually exist in the real world.
The leading woman raised her hand. "It means she's going to kill it herself" whispered the man to Nick. He looked at the woman, trying to understand what she was about to do, until suddenly, a gun appeared in her right hand. She pointed it at the pig-sheep monstrosity and shot what seemed like a dozen bullets in a row. Sure enough, that was sufficient to kill the beast, who fell down in a pool of blood.
After a few seconds, Nick fell a strange sensation. But strangely, he felt like he had that sensation not long ago, just like an intense will to go to sleep…
"Wait, are we… going back to the real world now ?" he asked.
"Yeah, don't worry, it's normal… So, see you tomorrow !"
"Um, before then… what happens if you die in this world ?"
"Oh, well… you'll never wake up in real life."
Before he could even share his concerns regarding that answer, Nick's dream ended.
The first thing Nick did when he regained control of his body, was bolting out of his bed and checking his room from every angle. It was just the way he left it, like nothing ever happened. Well, in the real world, nothing ever actually happened. He tried to forget about all that happened during the night, constantly telling himself that this was just another dream that he thought was real at the moment, just like the others… but even he didn't believe it, for the simple reason that he remembered everything that just happened. Waking up in the mountains. Having a real discussion with real people. Hunting down an animal. He even remember the loud gun sound that still made his ears hurt a bit, even in the real world.
The next day, Nick was almost impatient to see if this phenomenon would occur again. When he got home from work, he just laid on his bed and waited. But unlike last time, he couldn't fall asleep immediately. A couple hours passed, and suddenly he felt the intense sensation of sleepiness again. This time, he recognized the cue, and laid on his bed in order to 'properly' pass out.
Unlike last time, he didn't appear alone in the mountains. He was in some sort of field near a lake, and the whole group he saw the previous night was also there. The man he was talking to the previous day recognized him and waved. Normally, Nick would freak out, but he already adapted to that crazy situation. So he smiled, and waved back.
After a whole week of crazy adventures, Nick managed to notice one thing. Not only he didn't feel any basic need in the dream world like hunger or bladder-related issues, but mostly, when he woke up in the real world, no matter how long the mission was, he was always perfectly rested, like never before in his life. And for the first time in years, Nick was always going to work feeling happy. While working, he was so energetic that he did a lot more than usual, and this got him some good points among the higher-ups. So he thought, maybe what he thought was a curse, was actually a blessing ?
That night, after the 'jump', Nick saw everyone in the group once again, but they were much more tense. The leading woman, who he learned was named Claire, was unusually nervous, and also shouting at the other members of the group, who were already walking without taking time to do even a quick mission briefing.
Eventually, Nick asked his friend in the dream world, Karl, about what was going on.
"It's Claire's daughter. She's the newcomer this week, but for now she's lost, like you were when we found you." Karl answered.
"What, really ? So we're going to look for her ?"
"Well, we could, but we only know she's in a far area, and the location is usually very inaccurate…"
"But, you found me last time, right ?"
"Oh, hum… That was mostly luck, actually. We weren't looking for you, but Claire insisted on looking around before going to the target, and she found you in those mountains."
Nick never took the time to realize that all that time, he was kept alive only thanks to Claire. At that moment, he really wanted to thank her. But it was a bit late now, and judging by the current situation, it wasn't a really good idea to mention right now.
"All right, but… how do we know that we're going to find her daughter in time ?" Nick continued.
"We don't. We aren't even heading there right now."
"What ? But where are we going then ? Slaying the target ?"
"No. She wants to bring her daughter into our group with the alternate way."
"The alternative way ? There is another way of getting the people to join the group ?"
"Yes, we all know it but… we've never used it before."
"Why not, if it doesn't require you to look for the person ?"
"Because… in order to do this, we have to sacrifice a member of our group."
This is a two-part story. Click here to see part two.
For some reason, even though his workload was nothing out of the ordinary on that day, he began to feel very tired as soon as he got back home. He tried to fight it for a while, but it was futile. So instead of forcing himself, he laid on his bed and closed his eyes.
He didn't remember opening his eyes, but he had them open, and before his eyes was a strange scenery. He was in the middle of some mountains. He looked around, but couldn't recognize the place at all. Very quickly, he remembered that, no that long ago, he was in his bed. So by deductive logic, he came to the natural conclusion : "I'm dreaming !".
But that didn't feel right. When did dreaming start to feel so much like real life ? He could walk, talk, even feel the wind going by his face, but he was certain all of this was a dream. He tried every way of waking up, and eventually was down to his last idea : jumping off the mountain. Even though he was convinced nothing could happen to his body in real life, he couldn't bring himself to do it. What if ?
He had nothing else to do, but he felt like waiting wouldn't do anything good to help that situation. And so, he tried to go on an adventure in the moutains. Quite soon after departing, he started hearing noises. But not random noises. Voices. And unlike in his regular dreams, the voices were completely clear. They came from humans, no doubt about it. When the mysterious entities were close enough for him to see them, he half expected to see familiar faces, or weird creatures, or anything else that wasn't real. Because, you know, he was in a dream. But instead, the opposite happened. In front of him were five people, three men and two women, who all looked perfectly human and normal. And sure enough, Nick had never seen them before.
"Hey, we found him !" said one of the women, who was apparently leading the group.
All of them raised up the pace, and ran to Nick, who just stood there trying to process this whole situation. He tried to ask the question he wanted to answer the most :
"Where am-"
"Okay, just listen, we don't have time." interrupted one of the men. "We are all asleep right now and we have to defeat a monster to wake up, you got it ?"
Nick didn't get it.
"What ?"
"Urgh, we have to do the long version again… So, basically, you are dreaming right now and you were sent to this world along with us, and in order to be free we have to accomplish a mission every night. You're still with me there ?"
"So… this is real ?"
"Well, yes and no. We're in some kind of dream world so you could say that dreams aren't real but… you're not, like, imagining it. It's really happening, and you won't be able to wake up in real life if you don't do the mission."
Before Nick even have time to ask more questions, one of the women shouted to the group :
"Come on, let's move now ! We don't have time !"
And so, the group turned back towards where they were coming from, and starting walking quite fast. Because he still had a whole lot to ask, Nick walked close to the man who was answering him, in order to talk a bit more on the way there.
"So, we have to… like, slay some kind of monster ?"
"Yeah, but this time it's really easy. They are complete pacificists and they live nearby. We'll just stab it or something."
"Oh. I expected that you guys had to slay some demons, or dinosaurs, or…"
"Well, sometimes it's more complicated, yeah. But now the real problem is time."
"Time ?"
"Yeah. 5 minutes in this world is about one hour in real life. That's why we can't stay here forever."
"What, so… how long has it been since I fell asleep again ?"
"We all fall asleep around the same time, and we've been here for about half an hour, so… "
"Half an hour… Six hours in real life ?"
"About that much, yeah. I hope you didn't plan on waking up early, ha ha !"
Nick started thinking about himself in real life, quite panicked, considering six hours was usually the amount of sleep he had every night. But come to think of it, he fell asleep quite early, so he had about 3 hours of leverage.
"Fifteen minutes… I have to be awake in fifteen minutes maximum."
"It's good, then. We're almost there."
After a couple minutes, even quicker than he expected, the group stopped around a field where the grass was quite tall. The woman leading made a sign so that everyone would stop walking and be silent. Nick looked around to see what all the fuss was about, and then he saw it. The 'monster' that the group was about to hunt. It looked like some sort of mix between a pig and a sheep. On one hand, it looked quite gross, but on the other hand, it also looked like an animal that could actually exist in the real world.
The leading woman raised her hand. "It means she's going to kill it herself" whispered the man to Nick. He looked at the woman, trying to understand what she was about to do, until suddenly, a gun appeared in her right hand. She pointed it at the pig-sheep monstrosity and shot what seemed like a dozen bullets in a row. Sure enough, that was sufficient to kill the beast, who fell down in a pool of blood.
After a few seconds, Nick fell a strange sensation. But strangely, he felt like he had that sensation not long ago, just like an intense will to go to sleep…
"Wait, are we… going back to the real world now ?" he asked.
"Yeah, don't worry, it's normal… So, see you tomorrow !"
"Um, before then… what happens if you die in this world ?"
"Oh, well… you'll never wake up in real life."
Before he could even share his concerns regarding that answer, Nick's dream ended.
The first thing Nick did when he regained control of his body, was bolting out of his bed and checking his room from every angle. It was just the way he left it, like nothing ever happened. Well, in the real world, nothing ever actually happened. He tried to forget about all that happened during the night, constantly telling himself that this was just another dream that he thought was real at the moment, just like the others… but even he didn't believe it, for the simple reason that he remembered everything that just happened. Waking up in the mountains. Having a real discussion with real people. Hunting down an animal. He even remember the loud gun sound that still made his ears hurt a bit, even in the real world.
The next day, Nick was almost impatient to see if this phenomenon would occur again. When he got home from work, he just laid on his bed and waited. But unlike last time, he couldn't fall asleep immediately. A couple hours passed, and suddenly he felt the intense sensation of sleepiness again. This time, he recognized the cue, and laid on his bed in order to 'properly' pass out.
Unlike last time, he didn't appear alone in the mountains. He was in some sort of field near a lake, and the whole group he saw the previous night was also there. The man he was talking to the previous day recognized him and waved. Normally, Nick would freak out, but he already adapted to that crazy situation. So he smiled, and waved back.
After a whole week of crazy adventures, Nick managed to notice one thing. Not only he didn't feel any basic need in the dream world like hunger or bladder-related issues, but mostly, when he woke up in the real world, no matter how long the mission was, he was always perfectly rested, like never before in his life. And for the first time in years, Nick was always going to work feeling happy. While working, he was so energetic that he did a lot more than usual, and this got him some good points among the higher-ups. So he thought, maybe what he thought was a curse, was actually a blessing ?
That night, after the 'jump', Nick saw everyone in the group once again, but they were much more tense. The leading woman, who he learned was named Claire, was unusually nervous, and also shouting at the other members of the group, who were already walking without taking time to do even a quick mission briefing.
Eventually, Nick asked his friend in the dream world, Karl, about what was going on.
"It's Claire's daughter. She's the newcomer this week, but for now she's lost, like you were when we found you." Karl answered.
"What, really ? So we're going to look for her ?"
"Well, we could, but we only know she's in a far area, and the location is usually very inaccurate…"
"But, you found me last time, right ?"
"Oh, hum… That was mostly luck, actually. We weren't looking for you, but Claire insisted on looking around before going to the target, and she found you in those mountains."
Nick never took the time to realize that all that time, he was kept alive only thanks to Claire. At that moment, he really wanted to thank her. But it was a bit late now, and judging by the current situation, it wasn't a really good idea to mention right now.
"All right, but… how do we know that we're going to find her daughter in time ?" Nick continued.
"We don't. We aren't even heading there right now."
"What ? But where are we going then ? Slaying the target ?"
"No. She wants to bring her daughter into our group with the alternate way."
"The alternative way ? There is another way of getting the people to join the group ?"
"Yes, we all know it but… we've never used it before."
"Why not, if it doesn't require you to look for the person ?"
"Because… in order to do this, we have to sacrifice a member of our group."
This is a two-part story. Click here to see part two.
January 31, 2017
022 - Bob's Pastry Shop
In a city notoriously filled with crime, there was only one person that everyone loved. Bob was a fairly old confectioner who never lost his passion for making delicious pastries. Every single time, he put all his finest ingredients, took care of them meticulously, and treated his creations with lots of love. Slurs were common around there, but insulting Bob's pastries were basically a blasphemy.
When he first came to the city, Bob opened a small, modest shop downtown. Because he wasn't very inspired, he simply called it "Bob's Pastry Shop". During the first months, Bob didn't make that many sales, but the small amount of customers he had almost all turned into regulars. Even though he did not desperate and continued to make his pastries with the same amount of care, he knew he had to face reality sooner or later : the shop had to close.
During what was supposed to be his last month of business, a new customer entered the shop. He was a quite tall, menacing man. Behind him, an even taller man was following. The first man asked :
"Are you Bob ?"
"Yes, it's me. What can I do for you ?"
"They say you make the best food in town. Prove it to me."
"I am sorry, sir ?"
"Hey, you deaf ? Give me something that I can taste."
Confused but also scared, Bob reached for one of his freshly made croissants, and gave it to the man. He took a bite, and started chewing. There was total silence. Bob didn't even want to make a sound. Slowly, the first man's facial expression started to change, from angry to neutral. Then he took another bite, and the process continued, until he finished the croissant. After a few more seconds of silence, he finally declared :
"This is the best thing I've ever eaten."
Bob couldn't hide his huge smile.
"I am glad you like it, sir."
"Heard you were about to close shop ?"
"Yes, that is correct. I can't support the rent anymore, unfortunately."
The first man took out his wallet.
"How much you need ?"
"I'm sorry ?"
"I said how much do you need to continue ?"
"Uuh… About 1500 to get through the month. Afterwards, I can-"
"Alright."
The first man opened his wallet, and took out exactly 1500 dollars. Bob looked down at the money in doubt.
"I, um… I can't accept it… I can't make a customer pay out my rent…"
"For the croissant then. With a small tip as bonus."
"Thank you… so much, sir !" said Bob, as he accepted the money.
"Take care of yourself, Bob. Next time I come here those croissants better be as good as that one."
The first man left. The second man was about to follow him, but he sneakily turned back to Bob and asked how much was the croissant. Bob made another big smile, put a dozen of them in a bag and handed it out to him. "A gift from the house." Bob said, before winking at the man. Later, Bob learned that the first man was none other than Tiger, the ringleader of the "Crazy Knife" gang, one of the three most active gangs in the city.
Eventually, one by one, big names of the underground came up in Bob's Pastry Shop, and none of them ever left disappointed. Over the years, everyone in the gangs knew Bob. He became everyone's friend. One time, members of two different gangs found themselves in the queue and had matters to 'discuss', but none of them wanted to start a fight that could potentially harm Bob or his shop. So they simply went out as far away as they could to settle their dispute.
But even though he tried to keep positivity at top levels, Bob had to face a terrifying reality : his friends were destined to die at any moment. The first real tragedy for Bob, was when Tiger died during a gunfight, two years after he heroically saved the shop with his donation. Naturally, Bob was invited to the funeral. Tiger's friends and family were there, and all of them were sad, but the sight of Bob being sad made the scene even more painful for them. After this tragic incident, Bob kept a portrait of Tiger in his shop. Unbeknownst to him at the time, this portrait became the first of the "Wall of Friends", slowly becoming bigger and bigger as violent fights bursted between the gangs.
25 years later, Bob's Pastry Shop was still alive and well. Even though it was a small effort, maintaining the Wall of Friends was not a vain one, in fact it did help reduce the crime rate, and fights between gangs. Slowly, gangs started to fade away. Some members managed to escape the underground hell. Some who remained tried their best to only use violence where it was strictly required. And some entire gangs agreed to disband all at once, in the vain hope that peace will someday settle in the city.
In a nearby city, there was a fairly new, but well known gang called the "Hecatomb". This gang was known for their barbaric ways. They didn't try to make people respect them, they just terrorized them for fun. Even though none of the other gangs wanted to step forward to bring them down, all of them agreed that the Hecatomb was an abomination, and definitely no one wanted to have any business with them.
One day, a man from the Hecatomb visited Bob's city, mostly for scouting purposes. Very early, he heard the story of Bob's Pastry Shop, and went there to talk with this mysterious "Bob". As he entered the shop, he forcefully went ahead of the queue and directly told Bob :
"Give me some of your shit. They say it's good."
"I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to wait in line-"
"FUCK OFF ! Give me what I want !"
Bob didn't even have time to properly hand out a pain au chocolat from his shelf that the man snatched it out of his hands, took a bite and immediately spit it on the floor without even tasting it.
"Tastes like SHIT !" the man yelled at Bob.
This was the last straw for a certain person in the queue. A local gang member, who was waiting in line, grabbed the man's collar, and said :
"Hey, what's your problem ?"
"Don't touch me, you fucking nigger !" the Hecatomb man replied.
The gang member didn't even hesitate. He grabbed the man's head and smashed it on the wall. This was the first fight in the history of Bob's Pastry Shop. Immediately after realizing what he had just done, the gang member stepped back and looked into Bob's saddened eyes.
"Bob, I'm so… I'm so sorry."
Bob didn't say anything, and just gave the gang member the most painful punishment there could exist in this place : the silent treatment. Bob simply stared at him with a look of disappointment. Ashamed, and trying his best to get Bob's forgiveness, the gang member immediately called the emergencies and dragged the Hecatomb man out of the shop, with the help of other customers in the queue.
A few hours later, the Hecatomb man woke up in the hospital. As soon as he could, he contacted the big names of the gang, and that was the beginning of the end. A week later, a squad was organized, and they ventured into Bob's city for one simple reason. They wanted vengeance. Just plain, simple, meaningless, cruel vengeance. In the middle of the day, from behind his counter, Bob saw a large group of people about to enter his shop. As the first one entered, Bob made his widest smile and said "Welcome ! How can I help you today ?"
Bob's funeral was the saddest, most solemn moment in the recent history of the city. Everyone was gathered. And this time, 'Everyone' meant something really close to its literal definition. The mayor and all living ex-mayors from the past 25 years were present. Many gang members, including the heads of the two biggest ones in the city. All the friends he made in the city. And also, hundreds of anonymous customers.
The truth of what happened next changes from one tale to another, but the current state of the city was not in the realm of legend, despite being in the realm of miracles. More than ever, the gangs disappeared. Crime rate massively dropped, getting the historically violent city out of the blacklists, with a rate even lower than average. And most of all, the Hecatomb gang mysteriously disappeared, with every attempt at a reconstruction destroyed before it had a chance to mature.
Bob's Pastry Shop was left opened as a memorial, after being cleaned from the unsightly mess that was made that fateful day. Near the entrance, the Wall of Friends stood proud, harboring the faces of many people who lost their lives in the past years. And above all those portraits, in a magnificent golden frame, was the face of the man who single handedly brought peace to the city. Everyone's friend, Bob.
When he first came to the city, Bob opened a small, modest shop downtown. Because he wasn't very inspired, he simply called it "Bob's Pastry Shop". During the first months, Bob didn't make that many sales, but the small amount of customers he had almost all turned into regulars. Even though he did not desperate and continued to make his pastries with the same amount of care, he knew he had to face reality sooner or later : the shop had to close.
During what was supposed to be his last month of business, a new customer entered the shop. He was a quite tall, menacing man. Behind him, an even taller man was following. The first man asked :
"Are you Bob ?"
"Yes, it's me. What can I do for you ?"
"They say you make the best food in town. Prove it to me."
"I am sorry, sir ?"
"Hey, you deaf ? Give me something that I can taste."
Confused but also scared, Bob reached for one of his freshly made croissants, and gave it to the man. He took a bite, and started chewing. There was total silence. Bob didn't even want to make a sound. Slowly, the first man's facial expression started to change, from angry to neutral. Then he took another bite, and the process continued, until he finished the croissant. After a few more seconds of silence, he finally declared :
"This is the best thing I've ever eaten."
Bob couldn't hide his huge smile.
"I am glad you like it, sir."
"Heard you were about to close shop ?"
"Yes, that is correct. I can't support the rent anymore, unfortunately."
The first man took out his wallet.
"How much you need ?"
"I'm sorry ?"
"I said how much do you need to continue ?"
"Uuh… About 1500 to get through the month. Afterwards, I can-"
"Alright."
The first man opened his wallet, and took out exactly 1500 dollars. Bob looked down at the money in doubt.
"I, um… I can't accept it… I can't make a customer pay out my rent…"
"For the croissant then. With a small tip as bonus."
"Thank you… so much, sir !" said Bob, as he accepted the money.
"Take care of yourself, Bob. Next time I come here those croissants better be as good as that one."
The first man left. The second man was about to follow him, but he sneakily turned back to Bob and asked how much was the croissant. Bob made another big smile, put a dozen of them in a bag and handed it out to him. "A gift from the house." Bob said, before winking at the man. Later, Bob learned that the first man was none other than Tiger, the ringleader of the "Crazy Knife" gang, one of the three most active gangs in the city.
Eventually, one by one, big names of the underground came up in Bob's Pastry Shop, and none of them ever left disappointed. Over the years, everyone in the gangs knew Bob. He became everyone's friend. One time, members of two different gangs found themselves in the queue and had matters to 'discuss', but none of them wanted to start a fight that could potentially harm Bob or his shop. So they simply went out as far away as they could to settle their dispute.
But even though he tried to keep positivity at top levels, Bob had to face a terrifying reality : his friends were destined to die at any moment. The first real tragedy for Bob, was when Tiger died during a gunfight, two years after he heroically saved the shop with his donation. Naturally, Bob was invited to the funeral. Tiger's friends and family were there, and all of them were sad, but the sight of Bob being sad made the scene even more painful for them. After this tragic incident, Bob kept a portrait of Tiger in his shop. Unbeknownst to him at the time, this portrait became the first of the "Wall of Friends", slowly becoming bigger and bigger as violent fights bursted between the gangs.
25 years later, Bob's Pastry Shop was still alive and well. Even though it was a small effort, maintaining the Wall of Friends was not a vain one, in fact it did help reduce the crime rate, and fights between gangs. Slowly, gangs started to fade away. Some members managed to escape the underground hell. Some who remained tried their best to only use violence where it was strictly required. And some entire gangs agreed to disband all at once, in the vain hope that peace will someday settle in the city.
In a nearby city, there was a fairly new, but well known gang called the "Hecatomb". This gang was known for their barbaric ways. They didn't try to make people respect them, they just terrorized them for fun. Even though none of the other gangs wanted to step forward to bring them down, all of them agreed that the Hecatomb was an abomination, and definitely no one wanted to have any business with them.
One day, a man from the Hecatomb visited Bob's city, mostly for scouting purposes. Very early, he heard the story of Bob's Pastry Shop, and went there to talk with this mysterious "Bob". As he entered the shop, he forcefully went ahead of the queue and directly told Bob :
"Give me some of your shit. They say it's good."
"I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to wait in line-"
"FUCK OFF ! Give me what I want !"
Bob didn't even have time to properly hand out a pain au chocolat from his shelf that the man snatched it out of his hands, took a bite and immediately spit it on the floor without even tasting it.
"Tastes like SHIT !" the man yelled at Bob.
This was the last straw for a certain person in the queue. A local gang member, who was waiting in line, grabbed the man's collar, and said :
"Hey, what's your problem ?"
"Don't touch me, you fucking nigger !" the Hecatomb man replied.
The gang member didn't even hesitate. He grabbed the man's head and smashed it on the wall. This was the first fight in the history of Bob's Pastry Shop. Immediately after realizing what he had just done, the gang member stepped back and looked into Bob's saddened eyes.
"Bob, I'm so… I'm so sorry."
Bob didn't say anything, and just gave the gang member the most painful punishment there could exist in this place : the silent treatment. Bob simply stared at him with a look of disappointment. Ashamed, and trying his best to get Bob's forgiveness, the gang member immediately called the emergencies and dragged the Hecatomb man out of the shop, with the help of other customers in the queue.
A few hours later, the Hecatomb man woke up in the hospital. As soon as he could, he contacted the big names of the gang, and that was the beginning of the end. A week later, a squad was organized, and they ventured into Bob's city for one simple reason. They wanted vengeance. Just plain, simple, meaningless, cruel vengeance. In the middle of the day, from behind his counter, Bob saw a large group of people about to enter his shop. As the first one entered, Bob made his widest smile and said "Welcome ! How can I help you today ?"
Bob's funeral was the saddest, most solemn moment in the recent history of the city. Everyone was gathered. And this time, 'Everyone' meant something really close to its literal definition. The mayor and all living ex-mayors from the past 25 years were present. Many gang members, including the heads of the two biggest ones in the city. All the friends he made in the city. And also, hundreds of anonymous customers.
The truth of what happened next changes from one tale to another, but the current state of the city was not in the realm of legend, despite being in the realm of miracles. More than ever, the gangs disappeared. Crime rate massively dropped, getting the historically violent city out of the blacklists, with a rate even lower than average. And most of all, the Hecatomb gang mysteriously disappeared, with every attempt at a reconstruction destroyed before it had a chance to mature.
Bob's Pastry Shop was left opened as a memorial, after being cleaned from the unsightly mess that was made that fateful day. Near the entrance, the Wall of Friends stood proud, harboring the faces of many people who lost their lives in the past years. And above all those portraits, in a magnificent golden frame, was the face of the man who single handedly brought peace to the city. Everyone's friend, Bob.
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