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.
January 31, 2017
January 25, 2017
021 - Ghost
Sean led a very troubled life. He was known by the police as a drug maker and dealer, burglar, and also researched as a suspect for multiple robberies. There was no expression more suited that 'a pain in the ass' to qualify Sean.
One time, Sean organized a store robbery. He was used to act in group, but this time he only called his friend Aiden.
"Hey it's Sean. You up for tonight ?"
"Fuck no dude. This one is too crazy. I'm out, man."
"I need this cash for tomorrow. I can't go alone."
"Just call Eric or Tom man. I'm sure they're up."
"No they're not. You're the only one."
"Okay okay but 50:50 alright ?"
"I need to have enough for tomorrow. I can't let you half."
"Then you do it alone."
"Alright 50:50. See you 7:10pm in the alley near the store, alright ?"
In Sean's head, the plan was flawless. Just barge in with guns out, get the money and leave. Easy as pie. Same as always. But what Sean didn't realize is that most of his successful robberies were mostly because of luck. And this time, luck wasn't on his side.
When Aiden and Sean met at the designed location, Aiden tried to reason Sean one last time. And his fears were justified : sure, the store held a lot of money waiting to be taken, but the security was top notch. More than in any other store they managed to rob so far. But Sean didn't want to hear it. For him, the money was all that mattered. In fact, nobody knew if he was really driven by bravery or plain stupidity.
"Dude, we're gonna be fine. It's just like usual." Sean said.
Sean did a hand signal to Aiden, and both rushed inside the store. "FREEZE !" Sean shouted, holding his gun towards the cashier. In the meantime, Aiden was going around the store, making sure that nobody tried to do anything funny, like calling the police. Sean approached the counter, and tried to reach for the register.
"You think you're going to get away with this ?" the cashier asked.
Sean laughed. "Yeah, why ?"
Merely a few seconds later, Sean heard a gunshot. It was coming from Aiden's side. Did he just fire his gun to shoot a civilian ? That wasn't part of the plan. But then he heard a painful grunt coming from the same spot. Unmistakably, this came from Aiden. He was the one who got shot. Sean turned his head towards the location and shouted Aiden's name, but that was his last mistake. Before he even had time to turn his head back, the cashier pulled out a gun from behind the counter, and without hesitation, shot straight to Sean's chest twice. Unlike his late friend, Sean didn't even have time to grunt. He simply collapsed there, on the floor, and after a couple of seconds, passed out in a pool of his own blood.
And that evening, Sean died.
Officially.
Because in reality, Sean woke up. He had no idea where he was, or how much time had passed since the incident. When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of a man he never saw before.
"Hello Sean, I am Travis. From now on, you are dead."
"What… ? I'm dead… ?"
"Yes. In official documents, you have reported dead. It's only a matter of time until your documents and warrants are considered classified by the police."
Sean didn't really understand what was going on. Not only his head was still fuzzy, trying to realize that he survived, but he was also told that he was supposed to be dead. What did this mean ? For the day that followed, Sean was too weak to move, but he slowly learned to live again. And eventually, he was healed enough to go out.
What he saw was… a small village. This time, Sean was even more lost, and had absolutely no idea where he was. He saw quite a lot of people, but he was unmistakably in the countryside. Outside of the small hospital was Travis, who was waiting for him.
"Oh great, you're awake now ?" he said, after noticing Sean leaving.
"Where are we ?"
"Ghost Town."
"Ghost… Wait, what ?"
"There's no official name, but you can call it Ghost Town."
"The fuck is that name ?"
"Well, all its inhabitants are ghosts, just like you."
"So, you mean… that everyone here is officially dead, but in reality they aren't ?"
"Pretty good ! You're smarter than you look."
"What's that ?"
Travis didn't reply. He simply laughed, and walked away. But after a few seconds he stopped, and turned back to inform Sean about something.
"Oh, by the way, don't try to leave the town. I can't guarantee your safety if you do so."
"What do you mean ?"
"They're still looking for you. The cops. They probably know that a Ghost Town exists, somewhere."
Sean still wanted to go back. Seeing if Aiden was alive, and paying back the person who could kill him if he doesn't. But he decided to follow Travis's recommendation for now.
Life wasn't so bad in Ghost Town. It was a bit crummy, but he had a place to stay. The inhabitants were quite nice, so nice that it was hard to realize that they were all former criminals. Food was very inexpensive, and most of it was given for free, including booze. The more he thought about it, the more Sean appreciated this new life. He could get used to this.
A week later, Sean headed to the tavern, and ordered a beer. After drinking four of those, he was starting to get more than tipsy. As he was almost falling into slumbering, the bartender tried to strike a conversation.
"So, you're new here, right ?"
"Oh yeah… Been here for a week tops…"
"How did you get here ? Suicide attempt ? Overdose ?"
"Nah, I got shot during a robbery."
"A robbery ?"
"Yeah… I was mostly in sellings drugs though. Just needed cash to pay someone."
"Paying someone ? Like who ?"
"The guy who runs a market, called um… Phyler ?"
"Oh I heard about it. Big drug circle, yeah ?"
"Yeah… They're big. Don't know how they got this big though…"
"So who's the guy who runs it ?"
"They call him Mike…"
"Mike Setcher ?"
"Uh yeah, that his name. What, you know him ?"
"I've heard of him. Do you see him personally ?"
"I saw him a couple times… at the hideout."
"Phyler's hideout ?"
"Yeah… downtown where I live. They use a front, they sell sports equipment or some shit."
"You mean the store on Demeter Street ?"
"Yeah, that's it. Why do you need to know that ?"
And suddenly, the whole tavern laughed. Sean was stratled by this unwarranted reaction and looked around him.
"What ?" he asked.
He turned back to the bartender, who was also laughing.
"What's so funny ??"
"Oh, nothing. You just told us the identity and location of the head of the drugs market leader we've been chasing for months."
"What the fuck ? You guys are cops ?"
"Do you really think that a Ghost Town exists ? Come on. Get real."
The bartender grabbed his gun from behind the counter, and pointed it at Sean's forehead.
"Sorry, Sean. Ghosts don't exist."
One time, Sean organized a store robbery. He was used to act in group, but this time he only called his friend Aiden.
"Hey it's Sean. You up for tonight ?"
"Fuck no dude. This one is too crazy. I'm out, man."
"I need this cash for tomorrow. I can't go alone."
"Just call Eric or Tom man. I'm sure they're up."
"No they're not. You're the only one."
"Okay okay but 50:50 alright ?"
"I need to have enough for tomorrow. I can't let you half."
"Then you do it alone."
"Alright 50:50. See you 7:10pm in the alley near the store, alright ?"
In Sean's head, the plan was flawless. Just barge in with guns out, get the money and leave. Easy as pie. Same as always. But what Sean didn't realize is that most of his successful robberies were mostly because of luck. And this time, luck wasn't on his side.
When Aiden and Sean met at the designed location, Aiden tried to reason Sean one last time. And his fears were justified : sure, the store held a lot of money waiting to be taken, but the security was top notch. More than in any other store they managed to rob so far. But Sean didn't want to hear it. For him, the money was all that mattered. In fact, nobody knew if he was really driven by bravery or plain stupidity.
"Dude, we're gonna be fine. It's just like usual." Sean said.
Sean did a hand signal to Aiden, and both rushed inside the store. "FREEZE !" Sean shouted, holding his gun towards the cashier. In the meantime, Aiden was going around the store, making sure that nobody tried to do anything funny, like calling the police. Sean approached the counter, and tried to reach for the register.
"You think you're going to get away with this ?" the cashier asked.
Sean laughed. "Yeah, why ?"
Merely a few seconds later, Sean heard a gunshot. It was coming from Aiden's side. Did he just fire his gun to shoot a civilian ? That wasn't part of the plan. But then he heard a painful grunt coming from the same spot. Unmistakably, this came from Aiden. He was the one who got shot. Sean turned his head towards the location and shouted Aiden's name, but that was his last mistake. Before he even had time to turn his head back, the cashier pulled out a gun from behind the counter, and without hesitation, shot straight to Sean's chest twice. Unlike his late friend, Sean didn't even have time to grunt. He simply collapsed there, on the floor, and after a couple of seconds, passed out in a pool of his own blood.
And that evening, Sean died.
Officially.
Because in reality, Sean woke up. He had no idea where he was, or how much time had passed since the incident. When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of a man he never saw before.
"Hello Sean, I am Travis. From now on, you are dead."
"What… ? I'm dead… ?"
"Yes. In official documents, you have reported dead. It's only a matter of time until your documents and warrants are considered classified by the police."
Sean didn't really understand what was going on. Not only his head was still fuzzy, trying to realize that he survived, but he was also told that he was supposed to be dead. What did this mean ? For the day that followed, Sean was too weak to move, but he slowly learned to live again. And eventually, he was healed enough to go out.
What he saw was… a small village. This time, Sean was even more lost, and had absolutely no idea where he was. He saw quite a lot of people, but he was unmistakably in the countryside. Outside of the small hospital was Travis, who was waiting for him.
"Oh great, you're awake now ?" he said, after noticing Sean leaving.
"Where are we ?"
"Ghost Town."
"Ghost… Wait, what ?"
"There's no official name, but you can call it Ghost Town."
"The fuck is that name ?"
"Well, all its inhabitants are ghosts, just like you."
"So, you mean… that everyone here is officially dead, but in reality they aren't ?"
"Pretty good ! You're smarter than you look."
"What's that ?"
Travis didn't reply. He simply laughed, and walked away. But after a few seconds he stopped, and turned back to inform Sean about something.
"Oh, by the way, don't try to leave the town. I can't guarantee your safety if you do so."
"What do you mean ?"
"They're still looking for you. The cops. They probably know that a Ghost Town exists, somewhere."
Sean still wanted to go back. Seeing if Aiden was alive, and paying back the person who could kill him if he doesn't. But he decided to follow Travis's recommendation for now.
Life wasn't so bad in Ghost Town. It was a bit crummy, but he had a place to stay. The inhabitants were quite nice, so nice that it was hard to realize that they were all former criminals. Food was very inexpensive, and most of it was given for free, including booze. The more he thought about it, the more Sean appreciated this new life. He could get used to this.
A week later, Sean headed to the tavern, and ordered a beer. After drinking four of those, he was starting to get more than tipsy. As he was almost falling into slumbering, the bartender tried to strike a conversation.
"So, you're new here, right ?"
"Oh yeah… Been here for a week tops…"
"How did you get here ? Suicide attempt ? Overdose ?"
"Nah, I got shot during a robbery."
"A robbery ?"
"Yeah… I was mostly in sellings drugs though. Just needed cash to pay someone."
"Paying someone ? Like who ?"
"The guy who runs a market, called um… Phyler ?"
"Oh I heard about it. Big drug circle, yeah ?"
"Yeah… They're big. Don't know how they got this big though…"
"So who's the guy who runs it ?"
"They call him Mike…"
"Mike Setcher ?"
"Uh yeah, that his name. What, you know him ?"
"I've heard of him. Do you see him personally ?"
"I saw him a couple times… at the hideout."
"Phyler's hideout ?"
"Yeah… downtown where I live. They use a front, they sell sports equipment or some shit."
"You mean the store on Demeter Street ?"
"Yeah, that's it. Why do you need to know that ?"
And suddenly, the whole tavern laughed. Sean was stratled by this unwarranted reaction and looked around him.
"What ?" he asked.
He turned back to the bartender, who was also laughing.
"What's so funny ??"
"Oh, nothing. You just told us the identity and location of the head of the drugs market leader we've been chasing for months."
"What the fuck ? You guys are cops ?"
"Do you really think that a Ghost Town exists ? Come on. Get real."
The bartender grabbed his gun from behind the counter, and pointed it at Sean's forehead.
"Sorry, Sean. Ghosts don't exist."
January 24, 2017
020 - Dr.Azima
If I were to tell you the most popular urban legend at the moment, I wouldn't hesitate to mention Dr.Azima. Even though this name would make most people picture a weird drug dealer who claims to mass produce shuttles to heaven, Dr.Azima was, in fact, a real doctor. A doctor who, supposedly, could fix anything.
Dr.Azima was gifted. And not the super smart type. More like the sorcerer type. Obviously, because of this factor, numerous fake tales emerged, and the real powers of Dr.Azima were shrouded in myths, transforming him into a completely fictional character to the general public.
Dr.Azima did not have a office. Rather, he travelled around the world, always evasive. But all the time, Dr.Azima hides in plain sight. Everyone interested in the urban legend, at some point, had an opinion about what Dr.Azima looks like. Some pictured a mad scientist. Some imagined a spy in a big trench coat. But the only ones who were right, were those who thought that Dr.Azima looked extremely normal. He didn't need to hide, or to run. Because everyone who ever saw his face, knowing that he was Dr.Azima, were mysteriously unable to remember his appearance after meeting him.
Dr.Azima didn't need appointments. He didn't need a mailbox, or a secretary, or even any kind of medical instruments. To find a client, he simply sat somewhere, and waited. He spends days, alone, in any public places just to find the perfect patient. A patient with a big problem. A patient who needs help that nobody else could bring. And after a couple days on the watch, he found a client.
James was your average, stereotypical miserable employee with a boring 9-5 job. Mid-forties, a marriage in shambles, and none of his three kids enjoy having him around, a feeling which is reciprocated. When asked about what he does in life, he would probably answer that he moves papers around, adding that he's waiting for death in case you ask after a couple of bottles.
Now, you are probably wondering what kind of therapy Dr.Azima was about to perform. Antidepressants ? Ineffective. Injecting motivation ? Boring. A bullet in James's head ? That's the one ! ... Just kidding. No, Dr.Azima used a technique that nobody else could do. He called that 'Reprogramming'.
When Dr.Azima saw James walking, looking at his feet, he called.
"James, come here."
James stopped, and looked at him.
"Do I know you ?"
"Please sit here. I have a good story to tell you."
James hesitated, but he didn't really care about anything. So, with a sigh of resignation, came to sit next to Dr.Azima.
"James. When you were a kid, what did you want to become ?"
"You told me you were going to tell me a story."
"That's what I'm going to do next. But first, just answer my question."
"I don't know, hmm... At first I really wanted to become a superhero, but then I thought that supercriminals were cooler. You see-"
"So you wanted to be a high class criminal ?"
"What ? Nooo. No no no, haha, it was just-"
"A kid's imagination."
"Yeah, yeah. That's it."
"What do you think about it, today ? Do you think being a supercriminal is cool ?"
"I mean, in a way… but it's illegal, and very dange-"
Without even waiting for the rest of the sentence, Dr.Azima raised his right arm, and promptly slammed it straight on James's forehead.
"Be at peace. Dr.Azima will take care of you."
And the magic began.
Dr.Azima's power was incredibly complex, but after years of experience, it became really easy to use, and he could use it to its full capacity. To put it simply, every person on the planet has a 'Mind World'. Unconsciously, their conscience is engulfed in the Mind World. The Mind World was made of everything the person felt. Connections, emotions, hobbies, fears… The Mind World influenced the person based on those aspects, but it also grew with the person's experience. People do feel their Mind World superficially, and sometimes other people's Mind World, but it contained more information that any person could consciously interpret. Dr.Azima's power was the ability to explore other people's Mind World at will.
When he entered James's Mind World, he saw exactly what he expected to see. A vast, almost empty space filled with dark and depressing colors. Occasionally, a few objects with bright colors could be seen. Most of them were placed in a giant heap in the corner. Presumably, that heap contained all of his earlier memories, which were put aside after entering his life of hopping between tiring jobs, living in a horrible household and experiencing entire uneventful years.
At the center of the area, a giant, unmissable statue of a woman was looking down in disdain. Unmistakably, that would be his wife, who was represented as a figure of authority and control. Around the giant statue were other, smaller statues of faceless men, traditionally meaning a high suspicion of infidelity. And finally, all around the place, many family mementos could be seen, like portraits, photos… There were also other kinds of memories, like baby clothes and toys. However, those were very dusty, symbolizing that just like the heap of his early memories, it was simply there, like a memorial. James remembered feeling a bit of joy about being a father, but did not feel it in the present.
Secretly, Dr.Azima loved those boring people, just like James. Why ? Because they were so easy to change. Actually, Dr.Azima's power wasn't only the ability to explore the Mind World, but it also allowed him to change it at will. And once again, he cracked his knuckles in anticipation for his favorite part of the job : the makeover. In his current state, James was like an empty box, simply waiting to be filled. But without the doctor's intervention, he could have stayed empty all his life. And this was about to change.
Dr.Azima felt like the statue of the wife was a distraction. With a swift karate chop, he cut the monument diagonally, then watched it collapse. After getting rid of the rubble, he then gathered all the family stuff, and simply threw it on top of the heap. At some point, he considered getting rid of the heap, but he feared that without those past memories, James could completely lose his sanity, which was obviously not the intent here.
As a final touch, Dr.Azima added a few elements to the area, including rudimentary decoration and a touch of bright colors. One last time, he looked from a distance to appreciate his masterpiece. He he was ready to release the beast that he just created. And finally, both woke up.
James was sitting there on a bench. He felt like he was missing something. For a moment, he even wondered who he was. But then he remembered… he was James. And that's it… ? He looked on his right and saw a man sitting next to him. Slowly, without saying a word, the man stood up and went away. Suddenly, James felt something. For some reason, he knew that the man who just left was important.
"Wait ! Who are you ?"
But the man did not stop. And with another similar feeling, James thought that following him was a bad idea. So, he just tried his best to forget it.
James went home, like usual. Like usual ? At this point, he was doing everything following his mechanical memory. As he stood there in the entrance, a vaguely familiar woman came up to him.
"You finally decide to come home, uh ? What the hell were you doing ?"
James didn't answer. He was trying to recall who the woman in front of him was.
"Oh my god, you forgot to get the groceries again, you goddamn dumbass ! Go back out there before it gets dark !" the woman continued.
James still didn't answer.
"What ? You're deaf today ? I told you to get out there and-"
"How about you shut the fuck up for one second ?" he interrupted, with an annoyed voice.
The woman took a step back, with a shocked face.
"Don't tell me you started drinking again !"
"What ? I didn't drink anything ! I don't even know who you are !"
"James ? What's gotten into you ?"
"Look, I don't know what you're saying or who you are, but if you're here just to piss me off, you better get out of my house right now."
James went in his room. When he entered and looked at the pictures that were exposed, he understood, but at the same time, he didn't. The woman he met at the entrance was his wife… but why did he forget her ? What really happened today ? Again, he thought of the man who was on the bench next to him. James looked back at the pictures, and learned that he had children, too. But, why ? He never wanted to have children. Did his wife coerce him into making children, as well ? He took the time to gather his thoughts, and came to a decision. Whatever was happening right now was definitely a sign. And he decided to go according to it. From now on, HE was the one to choose how to shape his own life.
Two years. That was enough for James to turn his life around. He managed to get back in shape by losing more than 30 kilograms, divorced a wife he didn't even know he had and let her take care of kids he didn't remember wanting. Unaware of what job he had, he quit it promptly as soon as he got a call from his company asking about his whereabouts.
At last, he managed to fulfill what he remembered was one of his early adulthood dreams : owning and managing a bar. Truly, compared to almost his entire life, those last two years were the real adventure for James.
One night on an usually calm day, it was approaching time to close up. But there were still two people. The first one happened to be a regular. A miserable employee, who hated his job, and even his own life. Though he felt pity for him, James always felt a strange feeling of compassion and understanding towards this guy. The second man was here for the first time. After ordering his drink, he did nothing more than looking blankly at his glass, sometimes grinning and chuckling. He looked quite normal, but James was a bit uneasy around him. Also, he reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Intrigued by this newcomer, James tried to strike a conversation.
"So, you're from around here ?"
"I'm from everywhere." the newcomer replied.
"That's not an answer. You live somewhere, yeah ?"
"Sometimes I do, yes."
"What do you mean sometimes ?"
"You know. I keep being on the hunt."
"Hunt ? For what ?"
"A job."
"Sorry." James chuckled. "I'm not hiring."
The newcomer looked at the regular, who was about to pass out from a visibly excessive alcohol consumption, and smiled.
"Don't worry. I already found one."
Dr.Azima was gifted. And not the super smart type. More like the sorcerer type. Obviously, because of this factor, numerous fake tales emerged, and the real powers of Dr.Azima were shrouded in myths, transforming him into a completely fictional character to the general public.
Dr.Azima did not have a office. Rather, he travelled around the world, always evasive. But all the time, Dr.Azima hides in plain sight. Everyone interested in the urban legend, at some point, had an opinion about what Dr.Azima looks like. Some pictured a mad scientist. Some imagined a spy in a big trench coat. But the only ones who were right, were those who thought that Dr.Azima looked extremely normal. He didn't need to hide, or to run. Because everyone who ever saw his face, knowing that he was Dr.Azima, were mysteriously unable to remember his appearance after meeting him.
Dr.Azima didn't need appointments. He didn't need a mailbox, or a secretary, or even any kind of medical instruments. To find a client, he simply sat somewhere, and waited. He spends days, alone, in any public places just to find the perfect patient. A patient with a big problem. A patient who needs help that nobody else could bring. And after a couple days on the watch, he found a client.
James was your average, stereotypical miserable employee with a boring 9-5 job. Mid-forties, a marriage in shambles, and none of his three kids enjoy having him around, a feeling which is reciprocated. When asked about what he does in life, he would probably answer that he moves papers around, adding that he's waiting for death in case you ask after a couple of bottles.
Now, you are probably wondering what kind of therapy Dr.Azima was about to perform. Antidepressants ? Ineffective. Injecting motivation ? Boring. A bullet in James's head ? That's the one ! ... Just kidding. No, Dr.Azima used a technique that nobody else could do. He called that 'Reprogramming'.
When Dr.Azima saw James walking, looking at his feet, he called.
"James, come here."
James stopped, and looked at him.
"Do I know you ?"
"Please sit here. I have a good story to tell you."
James hesitated, but he didn't really care about anything. So, with a sigh of resignation, came to sit next to Dr.Azima.
"James. When you were a kid, what did you want to become ?"
"You told me you were going to tell me a story."
"That's what I'm going to do next. But first, just answer my question."
"I don't know, hmm... At first I really wanted to become a superhero, but then I thought that supercriminals were cooler. You see-"
"So you wanted to be a high class criminal ?"
"What ? Nooo. No no no, haha, it was just-"
"A kid's imagination."
"Yeah, yeah. That's it."
"What do you think about it, today ? Do you think being a supercriminal is cool ?"
"I mean, in a way… but it's illegal, and very dange-"
Without even waiting for the rest of the sentence, Dr.Azima raised his right arm, and promptly slammed it straight on James's forehead.
"Be at peace. Dr.Azima will take care of you."
And the magic began.
Dr.Azima's power was incredibly complex, but after years of experience, it became really easy to use, and he could use it to its full capacity. To put it simply, every person on the planet has a 'Mind World'. Unconsciously, their conscience is engulfed in the Mind World. The Mind World was made of everything the person felt. Connections, emotions, hobbies, fears… The Mind World influenced the person based on those aspects, but it also grew with the person's experience. People do feel their Mind World superficially, and sometimes other people's Mind World, but it contained more information that any person could consciously interpret. Dr.Azima's power was the ability to explore other people's Mind World at will.
When he entered James's Mind World, he saw exactly what he expected to see. A vast, almost empty space filled with dark and depressing colors. Occasionally, a few objects with bright colors could be seen. Most of them were placed in a giant heap in the corner. Presumably, that heap contained all of his earlier memories, which were put aside after entering his life of hopping between tiring jobs, living in a horrible household and experiencing entire uneventful years.
At the center of the area, a giant, unmissable statue of a woman was looking down in disdain. Unmistakably, that would be his wife, who was represented as a figure of authority and control. Around the giant statue were other, smaller statues of faceless men, traditionally meaning a high suspicion of infidelity. And finally, all around the place, many family mementos could be seen, like portraits, photos… There were also other kinds of memories, like baby clothes and toys. However, those were very dusty, symbolizing that just like the heap of his early memories, it was simply there, like a memorial. James remembered feeling a bit of joy about being a father, but did not feel it in the present.
Secretly, Dr.Azima loved those boring people, just like James. Why ? Because they were so easy to change. Actually, Dr.Azima's power wasn't only the ability to explore the Mind World, but it also allowed him to change it at will. And once again, he cracked his knuckles in anticipation for his favorite part of the job : the makeover. In his current state, James was like an empty box, simply waiting to be filled. But without the doctor's intervention, he could have stayed empty all his life. And this was about to change.
Dr.Azima felt like the statue of the wife was a distraction. With a swift karate chop, he cut the monument diagonally, then watched it collapse. After getting rid of the rubble, he then gathered all the family stuff, and simply threw it on top of the heap. At some point, he considered getting rid of the heap, but he feared that without those past memories, James could completely lose his sanity, which was obviously not the intent here.
As a final touch, Dr.Azima added a few elements to the area, including rudimentary decoration and a touch of bright colors. One last time, he looked from a distance to appreciate his masterpiece. He he was ready to release the beast that he just created. And finally, both woke up.
James was sitting there on a bench. He felt like he was missing something. For a moment, he even wondered who he was. But then he remembered… he was James. And that's it… ? He looked on his right and saw a man sitting next to him. Slowly, without saying a word, the man stood up and went away. Suddenly, James felt something. For some reason, he knew that the man who just left was important.
"Wait ! Who are you ?"
But the man did not stop. And with another similar feeling, James thought that following him was a bad idea. So, he just tried his best to forget it.
James went home, like usual. Like usual ? At this point, he was doing everything following his mechanical memory. As he stood there in the entrance, a vaguely familiar woman came up to him.
"You finally decide to come home, uh ? What the hell were you doing ?"
James didn't answer. He was trying to recall who the woman in front of him was.
"Oh my god, you forgot to get the groceries again, you goddamn dumbass ! Go back out there before it gets dark !" the woman continued.
James still didn't answer.
"What ? You're deaf today ? I told you to get out there and-"
"How about you shut the fuck up for one second ?" he interrupted, with an annoyed voice.
The woman took a step back, with a shocked face.
"Don't tell me you started drinking again !"
"What ? I didn't drink anything ! I don't even know who you are !"
"James ? What's gotten into you ?"
"Look, I don't know what you're saying or who you are, but if you're here just to piss me off, you better get out of my house right now."
James went in his room. When he entered and looked at the pictures that were exposed, he understood, but at the same time, he didn't. The woman he met at the entrance was his wife… but why did he forget her ? What really happened today ? Again, he thought of the man who was on the bench next to him. James looked back at the pictures, and learned that he had children, too. But, why ? He never wanted to have children. Did his wife coerce him into making children, as well ? He took the time to gather his thoughts, and came to a decision. Whatever was happening right now was definitely a sign. And he decided to go according to it. From now on, HE was the one to choose how to shape his own life.
Two years. That was enough for James to turn his life around. He managed to get back in shape by losing more than 30 kilograms, divorced a wife he didn't even know he had and let her take care of kids he didn't remember wanting. Unaware of what job he had, he quit it promptly as soon as he got a call from his company asking about his whereabouts.
At last, he managed to fulfill what he remembered was one of his early adulthood dreams : owning and managing a bar. Truly, compared to almost his entire life, those last two years were the real adventure for James.
One night on an usually calm day, it was approaching time to close up. But there were still two people. The first one happened to be a regular. A miserable employee, who hated his job, and even his own life. Though he felt pity for him, James always felt a strange feeling of compassion and understanding towards this guy. The second man was here for the first time. After ordering his drink, he did nothing more than looking blankly at his glass, sometimes grinning and chuckling. He looked quite normal, but James was a bit uneasy around him. Also, he reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Intrigued by this newcomer, James tried to strike a conversation.
"So, you're from around here ?"
"I'm from everywhere." the newcomer replied.
"That's not an answer. You live somewhere, yeah ?"
"Sometimes I do, yes."
"What do you mean sometimes ?"
"You know. I keep being on the hunt."
"Hunt ? For what ?"
"A job."
"Sorry." James chuckled. "I'm not hiring."
The newcomer looked at the regular, who was about to pass out from a visibly excessive alcohol consumption, and smiled.
"Don't worry. I already found one."
January 22, 2017
019 - Best Joke Ever
Two scientists walk into a bar. The first one says "I'd like some H2O".
The second scientist hesitated for a moment. He knew he was not naturally witty and his research partner often stole the spotlight, but he realized it was his time to shine. In a flash, he remembered the classic joke that would take place in this very similar situation. He pictured it immediately :
"And I'd like some H2O too !" he would say, proud of himself, possibly getting a few genuine laughs from the people around the bar, maybe even for this cute girl he saw in the corner of his eye when he entered.
But he didn't. Instead, he considered the odds of failing, and the consequences. To him, failing meant looking stupid to everyone around, even though, for a very long time, he was looking for someone to tell him how funny he thought he was. What he just wanted was to be validated, maybe even appreciated by some. I mean, a man can dream, right ?
Seemingly lost in his thoughts, the second scientist eventually came to realize that an excruciatingly long time of four seconds had passed since his colleague placed his order. This realization from the second scientist hit him even harder when he saw the part-time bartender, looking at him in the eyes. "What am I even doing ?" he thought to himself.
It was time to act, at last. Time, however, was against him. 5 seconds had passed now. Is it too late to go back and still make this joke ? I mean, it could be still be funny. Oh god, but what if it's not, and he makes even more a fool of himself by wasting everyone's time just to reference that shitty joke he heard once ?
Yes, shitty. That's how he was describing the joke now. The second scientist had now started to make excuses. He knew, but at the same time, didn't want to admit that he was pathetic, so he blamed it on the joke, which was shitty now, apparently. What did this joke even do to him ? Potentially making him look like a moron, that's what.
Six seconds. There was no turning back. The second scientist could not bear the pressure any longer. But somehow, he did, as his order was still not coming up. It was like he forgot how to breathe. By the second, he was feeling more and more uncomfortable. A distracted eye was now looking at the girl in the bar. She looked disgusted at him, because he was stupid and unfunny. Well, actually, she was just looking over the bar with a neutral expression and without thinking about anything in particular, but what the second scientist thought she was thinking made more sense, considering how much of a pathetic guy he is.
Eventually, the concern reached his colleague, who directed a "Hmm ?" towards the second scientist, in an attempt to free him from the despair that was eating him alive. At that moment, he snapped, but only partially. With all the little amount of mental strength he has, he tried to rely on his human instincts to find a solution to his issue.
"Uuhhh" he managed to say, still facing the bartender. YES ! Now that is a step forward. Feeling proud of the way he managed to reset his awkward silence timer, the second scientist was now at least 10% at peace, and resumed thinking about his order.
But this time, even if he managed to take the joke out of his head, a feeling of crippling anxiety came to knock at his brain's door for his hourly visit. In the second that followed, he analysed all the shit he just went through. The scenario he made in his head. The fact that no one likes him because he's a disgusting loser. The fact that everyone was waiting for him to answer, but he couldn't. What the hell was even wrong with him, honestly ?
Focus. Focus on your order. End this for good, right now. That's what he told himself. So he focused. But he realized that he did not know what drink he even wanted in the first place. After a short session of telling himself how much he sucked for the 142nd time of the day, he took the initiative and gave himself the objective of always thinking of his order before entering a bar. Little did he know, he would realize 2 days later that he did not enforce this new rule at all, which would trigger his 89th session of telling himself how much he sucked for that day.
In a halo of holy light, literal savior sent by the gods, a person stepped up and gave him a helping hand. But that person was not a saint, he was simply the part-time bartender, who was thinking that he doesn't get paid enough to deal with weird customers like the second scientist.
"Do you want some water too, sir ?"
The problem was cut down to a much simple one : answering the question. It was pretty much the same thing as the initial situation, but he did feel relieved. He also realized that the bartender knew immediately what H2O means. But then again, everyone knows what H2O means, right ? No. NO. STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS GOD DAMN JOKE. It was not the time for indecision.
He saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Like a merciful blessing, he finally knew how to answer. He felt it. The words were making their way out of his lungs, modulated by his vocal chords. At long last, he was to put an end to his misery. He did not even really know what he was about to say, but did he care ? No, he did not. In a couple of milliseconds, he was about to be free. There was no way he could feel the crippling depression that has been devouring him for years ever again. And then, with a slight hint of pride, he said :
"Me too, thanks."
The second scientist hesitated for a moment. He knew he was not naturally witty and his research partner often stole the spotlight, but he realized it was his time to shine. In a flash, he remembered the classic joke that would take place in this very similar situation. He pictured it immediately :
"And I'd like some H2O too !" he would say, proud of himself, possibly getting a few genuine laughs from the people around the bar, maybe even for this cute girl he saw in the corner of his eye when he entered.
But he didn't. Instead, he considered the odds of failing, and the consequences. To him, failing meant looking stupid to everyone around, even though, for a very long time, he was looking for someone to tell him how funny he thought he was. What he just wanted was to be validated, maybe even appreciated by some. I mean, a man can dream, right ?
Seemingly lost in his thoughts, the second scientist eventually came to realize that an excruciatingly long time of four seconds had passed since his colleague placed his order. This realization from the second scientist hit him even harder when he saw the part-time bartender, looking at him in the eyes. "What am I even doing ?" he thought to himself.
It was time to act, at last. Time, however, was against him. 5 seconds had passed now. Is it too late to go back and still make this joke ? I mean, it could be still be funny. Oh god, but what if it's not, and he makes even more a fool of himself by wasting everyone's time just to reference that shitty joke he heard once ?
Yes, shitty. That's how he was describing the joke now. The second scientist had now started to make excuses. He knew, but at the same time, didn't want to admit that he was pathetic, so he blamed it on the joke, which was shitty now, apparently. What did this joke even do to him ? Potentially making him look like a moron, that's what.
Six seconds. There was no turning back. The second scientist could not bear the pressure any longer. But somehow, he did, as his order was still not coming up. It was like he forgot how to breathe. By the second, he was feeling more and more uncomfortable. A distracted eye was now looking at the girl in the bar. She looked disgusted at him, because he was stupid and unfunny. Well, actually, she was just looking over the bar with a neutral expression and without thinking about anything in particular, but what the second scientist thought she was thinking made more sense, considering how much of a pathetic guy he is.
Eventually, the concern reached his colleague, who directed a "Hmm ?" towards the second scientist, in an attempt to free him from the despair that was eating him alive. At that moment, he snapped, but only partially. With all the little amount of mental strength he has, he tried to rely on his human instincts to find a solution to his issue.
"Uuhhh" he managed to say, still facing the bartender. YES ! Now that is a step forward. Feeling proud of the way he managed to reset his awkward silence timer, the second scientist was now at least 10% at peace, and resumed thinking about his order.
But this time, even if he managed to take the joke out of his head, a feeling of crippling anxiety came to knock at his brain's door for his hourly visit. In the second that followed, he analysed all the shit he just went through. The scenario he made in his head. The fact that no one likes him because he's a disgusting loser. The fact that everyone was waiting for him to answer, but he couldn't. What the hell was even wrong with him, honestly ?
Focus. Focus on your order. End this for good, right now. That's what he told himself. So he focused. But he realized that he did not know what drink he even wanted in the first place. After a short session of telling himself how much he sucked for the 142nd time of the day, he took the initiative and gave himself the objective of always thinking of his order before entering a bar. Little did he know, he would realize 2 days later that he did not enforce this new rule at all, which would trigger his 89th session of telling himself how much he sucked for that day.
In a halo of holy light, literal savior sent by the gods, a person stepped up and gave him a helping hand. But that person was not a saint, he was simply the part-time bartender, who was thinking that he doesn't get paid enough to deal with weird customers like the second scientist.
"Do you want some water too, sir ?"
The problem was cut down to a much simple one : answering the question. It was pretty much the same thing as the initial situation, but he did feel relieved. He also realized that the bartender knew immediately what H2O means. But then again, everyone knows what H2O means, right ? No. NO. STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS GOD DAMN JOKE. It was not the time for indecision.
He saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Like a merciful blessing, he finally knew how to answer. He felt it. The words were making their way out of his lungs, modulated by his vocal chords. At long last, he was to put an end to his misery. He did not even really know what he was about to say, but did he care ? No, he did not. In a couple of milliseconds, he was about to be free. There was no way he could feel the crippling depression that has been devouring him for years ever again. And then, with a slight hint of pride, he said :
"Me too, thanks."
018 - Afterlives, Part 2
This is a two-part story. See Part 1 here.
When Peter saw Alan, he felt something that he hadn't felt since his own death. Not something on a physical level, but more on an emotional one. In one sudden burst, he realized that he still had his ties with the world of the living.
Peter tried to avoid him, and just wandered away purposely from his usual spot. But Alan noticed him.
"Peter ?"
"Oh, Alan ! I didn't see you there…"
"Did you die today too ?"
"Oh, no, I've been here for a while."
Alan was a bit relieved, but had no incentive to continue the conversation. It was getting a bit awkward between the two, but Peter finally broke the silence.
"So, what do you think of this place ?"
"Peter, I don't want to be here. I want to go back."
"You know you can't, right ?"
"Man, I don't care. I can't stay here. I have to see my wife."
"I'm sorry, but it's-"
"Dude, if you can't help me, just go away. I don't have time for this."
Peter was a bit shook. He really expected to have a heartwarming reunion with one of his dearest childhood friends, but he didn't expect to meet him under these circumstances.
"Hey, no need to be like that, okay ? I'll see if someone can help."
Alan didn't answer, but manifested a slight hint of curiosity towards the offer. Peter immediately went to ask one of the higher-ups at the afterlife office, Victor.
Victor was an old-timer here, but just like everyone in this world, he kept his appearance from the time he died, so he looked like a man in his thirties. Victor died in World War One, and just like Peter today, came to find the world of the dead fascinating, so he stayed to see the evolution of the world. Despite not having experienced the world of the living for more than a century, he was simply a mountain of knowledge, always fascinating to speak to.
"Victor, I have something to ask you." said Peter, after barging in Victor's office.
"Ask away, my friend. What story do you want to hear ?"
"Not a story this time. I want to know something about this world."
"Oh. Well, what is it ?"
"It's not possible to come back to the world of the living, right ?"
"No one ever succeeded, no."
"I see… but is it possible to simply SEE the world of the living ?"
Victor was hesitant for a moment. Clearly, Peter asked a good question there, and even the most knowledgeable man in the area had trouble answering it.
"Have you ever heard about the Last View ?"
"No. What is it ?"
"Well, with the Last View, you can have a vision of the current living world. Usually, the vision will be about something you have deep ties to, in their current state."
"Like a love interest ?"
"For example, yes."
"That's amazing ! Why did I never hear about this ?"
"Because it only happens once, just before you get flushed."
"Flushed ??"
"Yes… not to mention, it's not guaranteed to show you something you need, or want to see. It's just usually related to your past life."
"That is still interesting… But it's a secret, right ?"
"Sort of. Some people are aware, but we don't want deliberately wanting to disturb the peace, for the sole purpose of getting flushed."
"But is it that bad if people are flushed ? I mean, there are a lot more people who come here every day."
"Flushing is a very complicated process. And dangerous for those who do it, too. We try to minimize the amount of people flushed."
Peter and Victor continued their discussion, but this time on more trivial subjects. Victor loved to share stories he heard from other dead people. This time, he mentioned the time of the second World War, where there was such an influence at the office that he was always keeping himself busy. After a bit, Peter realized he had to hurry and get back to Alan, whose turn was soon coming up.
As he got back into the hall of the afterlife office, Alan was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, he asked the lady behind the table.
"Hey, have you seen a guy named Alan go through here ?"
"Do I look like I memorize the names of those people ? I don't even read them most of the time."
"Oh, that's true…"
"Come to think of it, I saw you talk with that guy before."
"That guy ?"
"Yes, the same guy who ran away not so long ago. He was about to do something stupid, I'm telling you."
Immediately, Peter ran outside. He looked everywhere around the office, but found no one. The area had changed a lot since he first arrived, at the beginning of the year. What was initially an empty space at first, was a city by itself now. And in this vast and populated city, Alan was nowhere to be seen. He asked many people about a man who ran away, got a lot of confused 'I don't know' or shrugs, and sometimes vague answers about something they thought they saw or heard, but nothing very interesting.
After several hours, Peter finally found him. Alan was sitting there, his back against the wall, crying. Peter already knew the reason why he was crying, and he also knew that words were meaningless in that situation. He knew he had something important to say, but at the same time, he considered the costs. He wanted to fulfill his friend's wish, but it implied sending him to disappear forever. Peter didn't want to make that horrible choice.
"I'm sorry, man… I just… want to go back…" said Alan, trying his best not to sob in front of his friend.
"Oh, trust me, I've seen worse. Some guys even try to start fights because of that."
Alan laughed a little. But he was still as sad as before.
"Do you know… if there's a way ?" he said, looking at Peter.
"There's no way you can go back, but…"
"But ? But what ?"
"Alan. How much do you want to see your family ?"
"I want it more than anything else ! Just tell me !"
"There is a way, but you can only do it once, and you'll disappear forever afterwards."
"Just once, yes ! That will be enough ! Tell me what it is !"
"Okay, just follow me then."
Alan and Peter got up and walked. Alan was in a hurry, so he forced Peter to go faster. In the end, they could run without worrying about being tired, so they did it, even though Peter preferred the calm of simply walking.
Eventually, they arrived at some sort of outpost. Those outposts all had a handful of people who were always here, and they acted like the police of this world. Peter simply got to the first officer and said :
"He's a clandestine."
Immediately, the officers grabbed Alan, and brought him inside the station.
"What are you doing ??" shouted Alan, trying to fight back.
"That's what you wanted, right ? You'll see them again."
"I will ?"
"Trust me, you will. Now go."
Peter was about to go away, but he stopped.
"It was nice to meet you again, Alan. I doubt this will make you leave this world happier, but I hope so." he said, just before going back to the afterlife office. Alan didn't say anything in response.
For some time, this incident with one of his former friends made him quite depressive, but he eventually got back in the mood, mostly thanks to his habits of meeting newly dead people. He never asked anyone about how it went for Alan. Deep inside, he never wanted to know the answer. But he was always haunted by the most important question of mankind : "Did I do the right thing ?". Every day, a lot of people came to the office. Some shared their stories, some preferred to remain silent. Some then went on to enjoy the communal life of this world, but some became more like hermits. Everyone was different, even in death. Peter always found this fascinating, as if death was the hidden beauty of life.
2017 was coming to an end. As the next year was coming up, Peter decided to spend the last day with Victor. Together, they shared many stories. This time, Victor talked about the events he actuallly lived. It was way more depressing than the usual, because ironically, Victor's life got way better after he died. The conversation went on for hours, always with a good vibe, but Peter was a bit worried about the new year, and ended up asking about matters on his mind.
"If I understand correctly… Everyone here will disappear before 2018 ?"
"That's the idea, yes."
"But where do all these people go ? They get flushed ?"
"Oh, it's more complicated than that. They stay forever in their own separate world, which is made of the current version of this world."
"What ? Like, they live in a copy of the world ?"
"Pretty much. I find that absolutely boring. But that's the only way we managed to not overload the world with the people who died since the beginning of time."
"I see… and only employees stay here indefinitely, yeah ?"
"Most of them stay forever, yeah. That's their punishment for leading a 'bad life', so they say."
Talking with Victor, Peter realized that he didn't want to live in a copy of the current world for eternity. He needed to see the world evolve. He still wanted to discover new things, even indirectly, through the stories of the dead.
"Is there a way to get employed here, even if you didn't have a bad life ?"
Victor had the biggest smile on his face.
"I knew you would say that, sooner or later. Well, there is a way, but you have to take someone's spot."
"Someone's spot ?"
"Normally, it's a more complicated process, but I knew you would accept so… You can enter !" he shouted in the direction of the door.
The door opened. And Peter saw something he didn't expect to see, even a year after witnessing the unbelievable. It was Todd. The very first person he met in this new world was there.
"I knew you could get a day off !" said Peter, all very excited to see Todd.
"It's not really a day off, but it counts." he replied.
"I heard I could get your spot, what does that mean for you ?"
"Well, I told you about my mother, right ? And there's this thing called Last View…"
Immediately, Peter understood what Todd meant, and became sad. He looked in the direction of Victor, who was pretending to be oblivious to the touching scene between the two.
"Listen." Todd said, bringing Peter back to his senses. "I know what I'm doing. And you will do a much better job than me. Okay ? Don't think about me."
They hugged each other. They still had time before midnight, so they talked as much as they could. Until, unfortunately, Todd had to leave. For the second time now, they parted, but this time was the last. With a bittersweet wave, they said goodbye to each other. Dying after you're dead… still today, this was a very strange concept to Peter.
January 1st, 2018. A car is driving on an empty road, in the middle of an abandoned city. Bit by bit, the car is getting closer to a woman, standing there on the empty road. She looks completely alone, disoriented, and lost. Instinctively, the woman gets on the sidewalk, after noticing the car arriving. While the car is pulling over next to her, she looks at the logo on the side. 'Death Cab'.
"So I'm really dead, huh ?" she asked, almost rhetorically.
The driver grinned.
"Don't worry. It's only the beginning."
When Peter saw Alan, he felt something that he hadn't felt since his own death. Not something on a physical level, but more on an emotional one. In one sudden burst, he realized that he still had his ties with the world of the living.
Peter tried to avoid him, and just wandered away purposely from his usual spot. But Alan noticed him.
"Peter ?"
"Oh, Alan ! I didn't see you there…"
"Did you die today too ?"
"Oh, no, I've been here for a while."
Alan was a bit relieved, but had no incentive to continue the conversation. It was getting a bit awkward between the two, but Peter finally broke the silence.
"So, what do you think of this place ?"
"Peter, I don't want to be here. I want to go back."
"You know you can't, right ?"
"Man, I don't care. I can't stay here. I have to see my wife."
"I'm sorry, but it's-"
"Dude, if you can't help me, just go away. I don't have time for this."
Peter was a bit shook. He really expected to have a heartwarming reunion with one of his dearest childhood friends, but he didn't expect to meet him under these circumstances.
"Hey, no need to be like that, okay ? I'll see if someone can help."
Alan didn't answer, but manifested a slight hint of curiosity towards the offer. Peter immediately went to ask one of the higher-ups at the afterlife office, Victor.
Victor was an old-timer here, but just like everyone in this world, he kept his appearance from the time he died, so he looked like a man in his thirties. Victor died in World War One, and just like Peter today, came to find the world of the dead fascinating, so he stayed to see the evolution of the world. Despite not having experienced the world of the living for more than a century, he was simply a mountain of knowledge, always fascinating to speak to.
"Victor, I have something to ask you." said Peter, after barging in Victor's office.
"Ask away, my friend. What story do you want to hear ?"
"Not a story this time. I want to know something about this world."
"Oh. Well, what is it ?"
"It's not possible to come back to the world of the living, right ?"
"No one ever succeeded, no."
"I see… but is it possible to simply SEE the world of the living ?"
Victor was hesitant for a moment. Clearly, Peter asked a good question there, and even the most knowledgeable man in the area had trouble answering it.
"Have you ever heard about the Last View ?"
"No. What is it ?"
"Well, with the Last View, you can have a vision of the current living world. Usually, the vision will be about something you have deep ties to, in their current state."
"Like a love interest ?"
"For example, yes."
"That's amazing ! Why did I never hear about this ?"
"Because it only happens once, just before you get flushed."
"Flushed ??"
"Yes… not to mention, it's not guaranteed to show you something you need, or want to see. It's just usually related to your past life."
"That is still interesting… But it's a secret, right ?"
"Sort of. Some people are aware, but we don't want deliberately wanting to disturb the peace, for the sole purpose of getting flushed."
"But is it that bad if people are flushed ? I mean, there are a lot more people who come here every day."
"Flushing is a very complicated process. And dangerous for those who do it, too. We try to minimize the amount of people flushed."
Peter and Victor continued their discussion, but this time on more trivial subjects. Victor loved to share stories he heard from other dead people. This time, he mentioned the time of the second World War, where there was such an influence at the office that he was always keeping himself busy. After a bit, Peter realized he had to hurry and get back to Alan, whose turn was soon coming up.
As he got back into the hall of the afterlife office, Alan was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, he asked the lady behind the table.
"Hey, have you seen a guy named Alan go through here ?"
"Do I look like I memorize the names of those people ? I don't even read them most of the time."
"Oh, that's true…"
"Come to think of it, I saw you talk with that guy before."
"That guy ?"
"Yes, the same guy who ran away not so long ago. He was about to do something stupid, I'm telling you."
Immediately, Peter ran outside. He looked everywhere around the office, but found no one. The area had changed a lot since he first arrived, at the beginning of the year. What was initially an empty space at first, was a city by itself now. And in this vast and populated city, Alan was nowhere to be seen. He asked many people about a man who ran away, got a lot of confused 'I don't know' or shrugs, and sometimes vague answers about something they thought they saw or heard, but nothing very interesting.
After several hours, Peter finally found him. Alan was sitting there, his back against the wall, crying. Peter already knew the reason why he was crying, and he also knew that words were meaningless in that situation. He knew he had something important to say, but at the same time, he considered the costs. He wanted to fulfill his friend's wish, but it implied sending him to disappear forever. Peter didn't want to make that horrible choice.
"I'm sorry, man… I just… want to go back…" said Alan, trying his best not to sob in front of his friend.
"Oh, trust me, I've seen worse. Some guys even try to start fights because of that."
Alan laughed a little. But he was still as sad as before.
"Do you know… if there's a way ?" he said, looking at Peter.
"There's no way you can go back, but…"
"But ? But what ?"
"Alan. How much do you want to see your family ?"
"I want it more than anything else ! Just tell me !"
"There is a way, but you can only do it once, and you'll disappear forever afterwards."
"Just once, yes ! That will be enough ! Tell me what it is !"
"Okay, just follow me then."
Alan and Peter got up and walked. Alan was in a hurry, so he forced Peter to go faster. In the end, they could run without worrying about being tired, so they did it, even though Peter preferred the calm of simply walking.
Eventually, they arrived at some sort of outpost. Those outposts all had a handful of people who were always here, and they acted like the police of this world. Peter simply got to the first officer and said :
"He's a clandestine."
Immediately, the officers grabbed Alan, and brought him inside the station.
"What are you doing ??" shouted Alan, trying to fight back.
"That's what you wanted, right ? You'll see them again."
"I will ?"
"Trust me, you will. Now go."
Peter was about to go away, but he stopped.
"It was nice to meet you again, Alan. I doubt this will make you leave this world happier, but I hope so." he said, just before going back to the afterlife office. Alan didn't say anything in response.
For some time, this incident with one of his former friends made him quite depressive, but he eventually got back in the mood, mostly thanks to his habits of meeting newly dead people. He never asked anyone about how it went for Alan. Deep inside, he never wanted to know the answer. But he was always haunted by the most important question of mankind : "Did I do the right thing ?". Every day, a lot of people came to the office. Some shared their stories, some preferred to remain silent. Some then went on to enjoy the communal life of this world, but some became more like hermits. Everyone was different, even in death. Peter always found this fascinating, as if death was the hidden beauty of life.
2017 was coming to an end. As the next year was coming up, Peter decided to spend the last day with Victor. Together, they shared many stories. This time, Victor talked about the events he actuallly lived. It was way more depressing than the usual, because ironically, Victor's life got way better after he died. The conversation went on for hours, always with a good vibe, but Peter was a bit worried about the new year, and ended up asking about matters on his mind.
"If I understand correctly… Everyone here will disappear before 2018 ?"
"That's the idea, yes."
"But where do all these people go ? They get flushed ?"
"Oh, it's more complicated than that. They stay forever in their own separate world, which is made of the current version of this world."
"What ? Like, they live in a copy of the world ?"
"Pretty much. I find that absolutely boring. But that's the only way we managed to not overload the world with the people who died since the beginning of time."
"I see… and only employees stay here indefinitely, yeah ?"
"Most of them stay forever, yeah. That's their punishment for leading a 'bad life', so they say."
Talking with Victor, Peter realized that he didn't want to live in a copy of the current world for eternity. He needed to see the world evolve. He still wanted to discover new things, even indirectly, through the stories of the dead.
"Is there a way to get employed here, even if you didn't have a bad life ?"
Victor had the biggest smile on his face.
"I knew you would say that, sooner or later. Well, there is a way, but you have to take someone's spot."
"Someone's spot ?"
"Normally, it's a more complicated process, but I knew you would accept so… You can enter !" he shouted in the direction of the door.
The door opened. And Peter saw something he didn't expect to see, even a year after witnessing the unbelievable. It was Todd. The very first person he met in this new world was there.
"I knew you could get a day off !" said Peter, all very excited to see Todd.
"It's not really a day off, but it counts." he replied.
"I heard I could get your spot, what does that mean for you ?"
"Well, I told you about my mother, right ? And there's this thing called Last View…"
Immediately, Peter understood what Todd meant, and became sad. He looked in the direction of Victor, who was pretending to be oblivious to the touching scene between the two.
"Listen." Todd said, bringing Peter back to his senses. "I know what I'm doing. And you will do a much better job than me. Okay ? Don't think about me."
They hugged each other. They still had time before midnight, so they talked as much as they could. Until, unfortunately, Todd had to leave. For the second time now, they parted, but this time was the last. With a bittersweet wave, they said goodbye to each other. Dying after you're dead… still today, this was a very strange concept to Peter.
January 1st, 2018. A car is driving on an empty road, in the middle of an abandoned city. Bit by bit, the car is getting closer to a woman, standing there on the empty road. She looks completely alone, disoriented, and lost. Instinctively, the woman gets on the sidewalk, after noticing the car arriving. While the car is pulling over next to her, she looks at the logo on the side. 'Death Cab'.
"So I'm really dead, huh ?" she asked, almost rhetorically.
The driver grinned.
"Don't worry. It's only the beginning."
January 21, 2017
017 - Afterlives, Part 1
Most of the time, Peter had luck on his side. But on that fateful day of January 1st, 2017, life decided otherwise. Because of heavy traffic, and also a lot of people driving around the area of his workplace, Peter had to park far away from his usual spot, and ran as fast as he could. Then again, the odds weren't in his favor, as it started raining. Heavily, in fact. Long story short, a lot of things happened, and Peter found himself tripping and falling right in the middle of the road, and was hit by a bus shortly after, despite the driver's attempt to slam the brakes on a nearly drowned road.
Peter had trouble realizing that he was dead. Come to think of it, not many people are prepared to wake up and realize they are dead. He was simply there, on the ground. He opened his eyes, and saw a completely different world appear before him. It was basically the same, but still with a huge difference. There was no one. Not a single person was here. Except… him.
Confused, he got up, and checked his body. It was intact… but at the same time, he was quite sure that he couldn't have survived this accident. Suddenly, in the middle of the eerie silence, he heard a faint noise. A familiar noise, gradually becoming clearer and clearer. It was a car. Instinctively, and just like his previous misadventure taught him, he got out of a way to let the car go through. The car was a bit weird-looking, like it wasn't designed by a human. And despite the road being completely empty, it was moving quite slow. Eventually, the car pulled over just next to Peter, who was simply standing there in confusion.
"Hop in, dude." the driver said.
The driver seemed… normal. A man quite young, looking very bored. But under all these circumstances, Peter had to ask.
"Where am I ?"
"You're dead. Now come in and let's get this over with."
Peter knew he was dead. No one can survive being hit by a bus, not in this situation. But it seemed so… unreal. Is this really it ? Is it what being dead looks like ? Just living in some kind of alternate world ?
"Are you saying this is the world of the dead ?"
"Heh, at least you learn quick. Yes, that's it. Now can you please get in the damn car ?"
Eventually, Peter looked at the car. It had some kind of company logo on the side. 'Death Cab'. Well, at least that was explicit enough. After a few seconds of hesitation, Peter decided it would be best if he just did as he was told to do for now, and got in the car. But he was simply so curious about the whole thing, so he resumed asking questions.
"So, you pick up people who died ?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it."
"And that's it ? You don't do anything else ?"
"Nope. It's not like I have a choice, anyway."
"What do you mean you don't have a choice ?"
"That's what you get when you lead a bad life, as they say. You get assigned to do these tasks forever."
"You mean like in Hell ?"
"There's no Hell or Heaven here, man. It's just this world. Bad or Good, we all live here."
"All ? Like, everyone who ever lived ?"
The driver went silent for a moment. Did Peter say something wrong ?
"What day is it today ?" asked the driver.
"Well… It's the New Year, January 1st 2017, right ?"
"Yeah… and that's why there's no one here."
"You mean that there's only people who died today here ?"
"All the people who died in 2017, actually."
"Oh god, that's why it's so lonely… You too ?"
"Oh no, I died long ago. But I'm an employee here, it's different."
Peter had too many questions, but he felt like none of them were relevant now. So he just tried to get comfortable, and let himself go. At that time, he realized that he didn't feel tired anymore. He also didn't feel hungry, or thirsty, or… anything. It didn't even feel like he had a real body.
Eventually, Peter began to see other people. But mostly, he saw cars. Many cars. And they were all resembling the one he was riding in right now. Weird design, but still looking like a functional car. After a while, he noticed the road had a lot of those 'Death Cabs'.
"Where are you bringing me to, anyway ?"
"The nearest afterlife office."
"Afterlife office ? What for ?"
"Well, you have to get your residency card, most of all. Can't have stray souls around here."
"More paperwork ? This sounds like I'm just in the normal world all over again."
"Ha ha ha, well, both worlds are made up by humans. It's not very surprising that they look so much alike."
Along the way, Peter chatted a lot with the driver, who was also happy to break the silence on his very monotonous job. The driver's name was revealed to be Todd, after a bit of opening up to each other. Even though they had completely different past lives, Peter and Todd got along very well. Being dead since 2005, Todd asked a lot about how 2016 was. Despite seeing the buildings and environments evolving through the world of the living, being part of the society brought a completely different perspective that Todd was missing. What were people wearing ? What were the new trends ? All those questions that Todd could only answer by asking the newly dead.
After a while, the car stopped.
"We're there." said Todd.
"Oh, already ? Time flies."
"Yeah, it tends to when you feel the same every day. It's even hard to remember what year we're in."
"Will I see you again ?"
"I don't think so. I never got out of this car for the past 10 years or so."
"Wow. Uh, well, maybe one day if you get a day off…"
"Ha ha, no, I don't think so. Thank you anyway, you were one of the best passengers I had. I'll remember you for sure."
Peter knew that this was simply Todd's job, but this moment was very bittersweet nonetheless, and they waved at each other with a smile. The car departed to fetch another person probably just as disoriented as Peter.
There was quite a long line of people waiting inside the so-called 'afterlife office'. All those people were dead the same day ? Quite interesting. Being curious, he tried to start a conversation with the lady in front of him.
"Hey, so… how did you, um… die ?"
"Suicide. Don't wanna talk about it."
And that's when the conversation ended. He still wasn't sure about what he would do during his stay, but he was already feeling a bit uneasy with all those just-dead people. And after a while, his turn came up.
"Name ?" asked the woman behind the table.
"Peter Dennis."
"Cause of Death ?"
"Hit by the bus, I think ? Is that important ?"
The woman looked up. "If you want your card, yes it is."
"What does the card do, anyway ?"
"If you don't have it you're considered a drifter. If they catch you being a drifter, you can end up flushed."
"Flushed ?"
"They destroy your soul. Just like that, woosh ! I've heard it's painless, though. Well, just like everything when you're dead, but…"
"Wait, hold on. You can DIE here ? Even if we're all already dead ?"
"You can't 'die'. You're just erased if they decide you deserve it."
"They ?"
"Hey, enough questions. That's not important. Just take your card and go."
To Peter, those questions WERE important, but he decided to let it go anyway, it was not worth the trouble. And in the end, he got the famous 'residency card'. That was always a strange concept to him.
As he got out of the building. A realization hit him. What was he going to do now ? What was his purpose ? When he was alive, Peter kept thinking about Heaven and Hell, but he would never imagine this something in-between, which was now the reality. It's not nothingness, it's not a flashy magical world, and it's not like real life either. It's just… this. This almost identical world, where everything has already ended.
In this world, Peter learned that 'living' didn't exist. There was only 'being there'. Everything was the same, every single day. The same disoriented people. The same people asking for something to do. The same people who want to go back, but can't. Even people who wanted to die once again, and ended up begging to be flushed. Those ones were just… painful to see. But 'being there' wasn't so bad, Peter thought. Following Todd's recommendation, he went on to ask many recently dead about their previous life. At first, he felt a bit stupid to ask. Because, well, the world didn't change that much in a matter of days. But as weeks, and then months passed by, Peter came to hear very interesting stories.
Out of the majority of the dead in this world, Peter had the most fulfilling occupation, and was even happier there than where he was in the normal world. Through that hobby, he even managed to cut all his emotional ties to his friends and families. Honestly, he was way better off without knowing how life was going for them.
But it never goes very well for those who are too optimistic. As he was approaching the middle of 2017, Peter got to the afterlife office like usual. He was such a regular that he even shook hand with the staff everyday, despite not working there. But for the first time ever, he saw a familiar face. From a distance, he simply knew that he recognized the guy from afar, but as he went forward in the queue, it became clearer.
This guy was none other than Alan… one of Peter's childhood friends.
This is a two-part story. Read Part 2 here.
Peter had trouble realizing that he was dead. Come to think of it, not many people are prepared to wake up and realize they are dead. He was simply there, on the ground. He opened his eyes, and saw a completely different world appear before him. It was basically the same, but still with a huge difference. There was no one. Not a single person was here. Except… him.
Confused, he got up, and checked his body. It was intact… but at the same time, he was quite sure that he couldn't have survived this accident. Suddenly, in the middle of the eerie silence, he heard a faint noise. A familiar noise, gradually becoming clearer and clearer. It was a car. Instinctively, and just like his previous misadventure taught him, he got out of a way to let the car go through. The car was a bit weird-looking, like it wasn't designed by a human. And despite the road being completely empty, it was moving quite slow. Eventually, the car pulled over just next to Peter, who was simply standing there in confusion.
"Hop in, dude." the driver said.
The driver seemed… normal. A man quite young, looking very bored. But under all these circumstances, Peter had to ask.
"Where am I ?"
"You're dead. Now come in and let's get this over with."
Peter knew he was dead. No one can survive being hit by a bus, not in this situation. But it seemed so… unreal. Is this really it ? Is it what being dead looks like ? Just living in some kind of alternate world ?
"Are you saying this is the world of the dead ?"
"Heh, at least you learn quick. Yes, that's it. Now can you please get in the damn car ?"
Eventually, Peter looked at the car. It had some kind of company logo on the side. 'Death Cab'. Well, at least that was explicit enough. After a few seconds of hesitation, Peter decided it would be best if he just did as he was told to do for now, and got in the car. But he was simply so curious about the whole thing, so he resumed asking questions.
"So, you pick up people who died ?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it."
"And that's it ? You don't do anything else ?"
"Nope. It's not like I have a choice, anyway."
"What do you mean you don't have a choice ?"
"That's what you get when you lead a bad life, as they say. You get assigned to do these tasks forever."
"You mean like in Hell ?"
"There's no Hell or Heaven here, man. It's just this world. Bad or Good, we all live here."
"All ? Like, everyone who ever lived ?"
The driver went silent for a moment. Did Peter say something wrong ?
"What day is it today ?" asked the driver.
"Well… It's the New Year, January 1st 2017, right ?"
"Yeah… and that's why there's no one here."
"You mean that there's only people who died today here ?"
"All the people who died in 2017, actually."
"Oh god, that's why it's so lonely… You too ?"
"Oh no, I died long ago. But I'm an employee here, it's different."
Peter had too many questions, but he felt like none of them were relevant now. So he just tried to get comfortable, and let himself go. At that time, he realized that he didn't feel tired anymore. He also didn't feel hungry, or thirsty, or… anything. It didn't even feel like he had a real body.
Eventually, Peter began to see other people. But mostly, he saw cars. Many cars. And they were all resembling the one he was riding in right now. Weird design, but still looking like a functional car. After a while, he noticed the road had a lot of those 'Death Cabs'.
"Where are you bringing me to, anyway ?"
"The nearest afterlife office."
"Afterlife office ? What for ?"
"Well, you have to get your residency card, most of all. Can't have stray souls around here."
"More paperwork ? This sounds like I'm just in the normal world all over again."
"Ha ha ha, well, both worlds are made up by humans. It's not very surprising that they look so much alike."
Along the way, Peter chatted a lot with the driver, who was also happy to break the silence on his very monotonous job. The driver's name was revealed to be Todd, after a bit of opening up to each other. Even though they had completely different past lives, Peter and Todd got along very well. Being dead since 2005, Todd asked a lot about how 2016 was. Despite seeing the buildings and environments evolving through the world of the living, being part of the society brought a completely different perspective that Todd was missing. What were people wearing ? What were the new trends ? All those questions that Todd could only answer by asking the newly dead.
After a while, the car stopped.
"We're there." said Todd.
"Oh, already ? Time flies."
"Yeah, it tends to when you feel the same every day. It's even hard to remember what year we're in."
"Will I see you again ?"
"I don't think so. I never got out of this car for the past 10 years or so."
"Wow. Uh, well, maybe one day if you get a day off…"
"Ha ha, no, I don't think so. Thank you anyway, you were one of the best passengers I had. I'll remember you for sure."
Peter knew that this was simply Todd's job, but this moment was very bittersweet nonetheless, and they waved at each other with a smile. The car departed to fetch another person probably just as disoriented as Peter.
There was quite a long line of people waiting inside the so-called 'afterlife office'. All those people were dead the same day ? Quite interesting. Being curious, he tried to start a conversation with the lady in front of him.
"Hey, so… how did you, um… die ?"
"Suicide. Don't wanna talk about it."
And that's when the conversation ended. He still wasn't sure about what he would do during his stay, but he was already feeling a bit uneasy with all those just-dead people. And after a while, his turn came up.
"Name ?" asked the woman behind the table.
"Peter Dennis."
"Cause of Death ?"
"Hit by the bus, I think ? Is that important ?"
The woman looked up. "If you want your card, yes it is."
"What does the card do, anyway ?"
"If you don't have it you're considered a drifter. If they catch you being a drifter, you can end up flushed."
"Flushed ?"
"They destroy your soul. Just like that, woosh ! I've heard it's painless, though. Well, just like everything when you're dead, but…"
"Wait, hold on. You can DIE here ? Even if we're all already dead ?"
"You can't 'die'. You're just erased if they decide you deserve it."
"They ?"
"Hey, enough questions. That's not important. Just take your card and go."
To Peter, those questions WERE important, but he decided to let it go anyway, it was not worth the trouble. And in the end, he got the famous 'residency card'. That was always a strange concept to him.
As he got out of the building. A realization hit him. What was he going to do now ? What was his purpose ? When he was alive, Peter kept thinking about Heaven and Hell, but he would never imagine this something in-between, which was now the reality. It's not nothingness, it's not a flashy magical world, and it's not like real life either. It's just… this. This almost identical world, where everything has already ended.
In this world, Peter learned that 'living' didn't exist. There was only 'being there'. Everything was the same, every single day. The same disoriented people. The same people asking for something to do. The same people who want to go back, but can't. Even people who wanted to die once again, and ended up begging to be flushed. Those ones were just… painful to see. But 'being there' wasn't so bad, Peter thought. Following Todd's recommendation, he went on to ask many recently dead about their previous life. At first, he felt a bit stupid to ask. Because, well, the world didn't change that much in a matter of days. But as weeks, and then months passed by, Peter came to hear very interesting stories.
Out of the majority of the dead in this world, Peter had the most fulfilling occupation, and was even happier there than where he was in the normal world. Through that hobby, he even managed to cut all his emotional ties to his friends and families. Honestly, he was way better off without knowing how life was going for them.
But it never goes very well for those who are too optimistic. As he was approaching the middle of 2017, Peter got to the afterlife office like usual. He was such a regular that he even shook hand with the staff everyday, despite not working there. But for the first time ever, he saw a familiar face. From a distance, he simply knew that he recognized the guy from afar, but as he went forward in the queue, it became clearer.
This guy was none other than Alan… one of Peter's childhood friends.
This is a two-part story. Read Part 2 here.
January 18, 2017
016 - 5 Leaf Clover
Following a massive uprising of common citizens regarding the current state of politics, a new law was eventually passed. This law was supposed to be nothing life-changing, except for one single person in the country. A person designated with a country-wide random draw would be designated "Common Sense Consultant". This came from an initiative pushed by the government, in order to supposedly inject the wisdom of common people in an area that was deemed too closed off, especially in a situation of democracy. The problem is, the chosen person wasn't exactly the kind they expected to see.
Gabriela was, to a stranger, an ordinary person. Nothing about her would strike anyone as odd, even though she always wore her best depressed face. But what people didn't realize, is that she had this constant facial expression for a reason : she always had the worst luck. In… everything.
More often than not, when she's driving, her road is paved with red lights. She often steps in dog poop, always with the wrong foot. Always loses at any kind of lottery, and even at random guesses. And so on… And all of that also goes back to her childhood. Back then, she was called the '5 Leaf Clover' referencing her awful bad luck.
One day, as she goes outside to check her mail, a surprising letter from the government was there, apparently urgent as well. It was a job offer. A very interesting one also… "Common Sense Consultant". Honestly, she had no idea what it was, and didn't even care until she saw the expected paycheck. So she called to accept the offer right away. What could go wrong ?
Now, what people didn't realize when the Common Sense Consultant - or CSC - position was invented is that the designated person isn't a real consultant, it's a lab rat. Around the CSC, there is a small group dedicated to exploring what kind of activities a common person partakes in. This idea was initially thought as some way to make politicians more aware of 'normal conditions', but ultimately this became a thoughtless stalking and monitoring.
However, the result turned out very interesting. The politicians discovered that the average person always misses due times due to sleeping through alarms. That they get struck by lightning once a week. That rain often starts when a normal person goes off to buy groceries.
After those observations, the politicians started to enjoy the idea of conforming to the needs of the common people of today, so they began to work of new concepts to apply and maybe making new laws. As a result, several surreal propositions were made. Those included the implementation of new public services such as free nighttime hearing aids, isolation hats and umbrella rental spots.
One time, Gabriela was summoned to an official government assembly. After arriving 40 minutes late because of 3 different accidents in traffic, she was consequently applauded for by almost all its members. Still half asleep due to a terrible night, she was wondering if she stepped on some kind of celebration. And she was right : it was a celebration for her. Apparently, due to the inspiration she brought to the politicians, the popularity polls came up better than ever. She was told to keep on doing such a great job. She didn't object… this time.
As time went on, Gabriela didn't bring up so many great ideas any more, as the committee experimented solutions to cure the commoners' many problems, like choking on their own meal multiple times, tripping in the stairs or having their order stuck in a dispensing machine. But after a while, not only they ran out of budget, but they were also told that while the initiative was appreciated, there were much bigger problems to focus on. That surprised them greatly, because to them, those problems were all a commoner would have.
What initially was a great opportunity turned out to be a nightmare to Gabriela. Simultaneously being praised and scolded for her habits - especially being late everytime, despite not being her fault - and having to be monitored 24/7 turned out to be a great deal of stress. The last straw was when her monthly check got blasted by the wind and ended up lost in the rain. And then, she decided to resign. Three times. Because her resignation letter was forgotten by the post office twice in a row.
In the committee, they re-evaluated the purpose of the CSC and thought up of a great idea : a full group of people to observe and listen to. They spent an hour deciding between putting 5 or 7 members in this group, and eventually decided to go with 6. And then, like last, they made random draws among the populations to determine who would be the winners.
The next day, Gabriela went to check her mail. Under her fragile package that was partially destroyed during the delivery, she saw a bunch of letter. All from the government. 1… 2… 6 of them. And then she thought. "Not this time". She then simply closed her mail box and went back to sleep.
Gabriela was, to a stranger, an ordinary person. Nothing about her would strike anyone as odd, even though she always wore her best depressed face. But what people didn't realize, is that she had this constant facial expression for a reason : she always had the worst luck. In… everything.
More often than not, when she's driving, her road is paved with red lights. She often steps in dog poop, always with the wrong foot. Always loses at any kind of lottery, and even at random guesses. And so on… And all of that also goes back to her childhood. Back then, she was called the '5 Leaf Clover' referencing her awful bad luck.
One day, as she goes outside to check her mail, a surprising letter from the government was there, apparently urgent as well. It was a job offer. A very interesting one also… "Common Sense Consultant". Honestly, she had no idea what it was, and didn't even care until she saw the expected paycheck. So she called to accept the offer right away. What could go wrong ?
Now, what people didn't realize when the Common Sense Consultant - or CSC - position was invented is that the designated person isn't a real consultant, it's a lab rat. Around the CSC, there is a small group dedicated to exploring what kind of activities a common person partakes in. This idea was initially thought as some way to make politicians more aware of 'normal conditions', but ultimately this became a thoughtless stalking and monitoring.
However, the result turned out very interesting. The politicians discovered that the average person always misses due times due to sleeping through alarms. That they get struck by lightning once a week. That rain often starts when a normal person goes off to buy groceries.
After those observations, the politicians started to enjoy the idea of conforming to the needs of the common people of today, so they began to work of new concepts to apply and maybe making new laws. As a result, several surreal propositions were made. Those included the implementation of new public services such as free nighttime hearing aids, isolation hats and umbrella rental spots.
One time, Gabriela was summoned to an official government assembly. After arriving 40 minutes late because of 3 different accidents in traffic, she was consequently applauded for by almost all its members. Still half asleep due to a terrible night, she was wondering if she stepped on some kind of celebration. And she was right : it was a celebration for her. Apparently, due to the inspiration she brought to the politicians, the popularity polls came up better than ever. She was told to keep on doing such a great job. She didn't object… this time.
As time went on, Gabriela didn't bring up so many great ideas any more, as the committee experimented solutions to cure the commoners' many problems, like choking on their own meal multiple times, tripping in the stairs or having their order stuck in a dispensing machine. But after a while, not only they ran out of budget, but they were also told that while the initiative was appreciated, there were much bigger problems to focus on. That surprised them greatly, because to them, those problems were all a commoner would have.
What initially was a great opportunity turned out to be a nightmare to Gabriela. Simultaneously being praised and scolded for her habits - especially being late everytime, despite not being her fault - and having to be monitored 24/7 turned out to be a great deal of stress. The last straw was when her monthly check got blasted by the wind and ended up lost in the rain. And then, she decided to resign. Three times. Because her resignation letter was forgotten by the post office twice in a row.
In the committee, they re-evaluated the purpose of the CSC and thought up of a great idea : a full group of people to observe and listen to. They spent an hour deciding between putting 5 or 7 members in this group, and eventually decided to go with 6. And then, like last, they made random draws among the populations to determine who would be the winners.
The next day, Gabriela went to check her mail. Under her fragile package that was partially destroyed during the delivery, she saw a bunch of letter. All from the government. 1… 2… 6 of them. And then she thought. "Not this time". She then simply closed her mail box and went back to sleep.
January 17, 2017
015 - Legion of Warriors
For the longest time, humanity only had to worry about themselves when it came to war. There wasn't any threat voiced by anyone else than other humans. That was perfect, considering how much they liked to fight among themselves.
One day, an observatory received an unknown signal. After a bit of study, it could be interpreted as a sound. And this sound could be described as… 'unearthly'. It was like nothing else on this planet. Not too low or too sharp, didn't sound like it belong to nature or any animal. It was truly extra-terrestrial. After days of intensive analysis, the group of scientists on this task eventually found something incredible. The signal wasn't a message, or at least it wasn't ONLY a message; it also came with its own decryption key. When the scientists discovered its existence, it was truly one of the most incredible human discoveries… except, ironically, it didn't come from humans. This key was a bijective process that could transform any signal into a signal of another nature. And that way, they managed to interpret the true nature of the signal, and made it known to the world.
"We are coming. Assemble the Legion of Warriors."
This message could have scared everyone… but it didn't. Not the slightest. After the release of this information to the public, there were only two kinds of reactions : laughing or ignoring. Frankly speaking, it had no impact whatsoever. But eventually, there was one man who fought to make people realize the importance of this message.
It was Dr.Malik Migs, one of the scientists who captured and decoded the signal. When even the rest of the team didn't believe it could be something worth exploring, he was the one who stood up and made this transmission the number one priority. Perhaps somewhere, he wanted that threat to be real. What if humanity was finally united to fight against a common, unknown enemy ?
For months, he focused on this task, and this task alone. Showing humanity that there was a real threat, something that needed to be seen and understood by all. Multiple times, he tried to organize press conferences, but from the second one, there wasn't any interest anymore, and he was basically called a crazy scientist. He tried to analyze the signal further. But whatever he tried, he couldn't find any proof that it didn't come from Earth, for the simple reason that it was captured by a device made my man, making an implicit transformation that would remove all foreign aspects. And this is how he got the idea that could finally prove it : make it possible to detect where the signal came from, while consdering outer space as a source.
Eventually, another weird signal came. Dr.Migs was immediately thrilled, and tried to use the upgraded device to determine the source. Before it was even decoded, he could pinpoint the location. And it came from… Earth. "That can't be right", he thought. Eventually, in a matter of minutes, the decryption was complete.
"Tomorrow, parts of Earth will be erased."
Dr.Migs was surprised, worried, but mostly confused. Unless his own detector had problems, this signal came from Earth, and not from space. How was that possible ? So, this was a prank after all ?
"Doctor, why are you so troubled ?"
This voice came from behind Dr.Migs, who turned back to see a man he had never seen before.
"Who are you ?"
"Simply a messenger."
"A… messenger ? Sent by who ?"
"Well, I thought you already knew by now ? By who you call the 'aliens'"
Dr.Migs frowned. "Did you come to make fun of me ?"
"Oh, not at all. I came to help you make things change. It will pay off in the end, don't worry."
"Wait, so did you send… ?"
"Of course. We couldn't send that kind of signal from where we live."
"But, you can send people ?"
"No. I am speaking through one of your own. I just wanted to congratulate you for the decryption of the message. But now I must leave you."
"Wait ! What did you mean by 'erased' ?"
"Oh, don't worry. You won't be in it."
Then suddenly, the man collapsed on the floor, and was completely motionless. Dr.Migs went to check on him. He actually expected him to be simply asleep, but he was completely dead.
When the police came, Dr.Migs explained everything that happened. He feared that moment, and he had a reason to do so. As he half-expected, after hearing his explanation, the police decided to arrest him. Countless times, he tried to resist, and scream that he had to inform people of the imminent catastrophe, but to the police, it was simply arresting another crazy person.
Sometime during the night, Dr.Migs was woken up by the noise of keys against his cell door. As he opened his eyes, he saw exactly what he expected to : someone unlocking his cell. The person who did it was a guard. He didn't understand at first, but then he looked at the guard. He was making a huge smile. Then he understood.
"You're… the 'messenger', right ?"
"Call me Obeona. It will be easier for the future. Now get out."
Dr.Migs didn't have to ask further questions, and simply got out of his cell. Obeona walked him outside, but strangely, everyone in the jail was asleep.
"Did you do that ?" asked Dr.Migs.
"Oh yeah, last time I think I killed that poor guy... I realized I can just shut them down temporarily. It's funny humans can do that."
Eventually, both reached the outside, and walked a bit together.
"Why are you doing this ?" asked the doctor.
"Because of you."
"Of me ?"
"When the sun rises, humanity will be in a major crisis. Let's see if you were right."
And like last time, the guard collapsed on the ground. This time, sleeping, thankfully. But it will hurt when he wakes up…
One his way home, Dr.Migs saw a huge flash, that lasted for maybe half a second. It was so intense, he had no idea where it was coming from. But he saw it. And sure enough, everybody saw it. When he got back home, and turned on his TV, it was the main topic on every channel. But the topic was not the flash itself, it was something much more terrible. During the time of the flash, entire cities… disappeared. All around the world, many flashes were seen, all at the same time, and there was nothing left on the cities that were targeted. Just a massive, cylindrical shaped hole. And there began, the 'major crisis' that Obeona warned him about.
…
Nicholas always wanted to help the people. To everyone around him, it was something obvious, like encoded in his genes : a strong will to be a hero. He tried to be of use in any way he could, and that's why he was a volunteer firefighter, among other things. But it wasn't enough. And then, just as many other people, his life changed during the 'Flash of Terror' incident that stroke the Earth 6 months before.
The day it happened, and also the day that followed, people were in front of their TV or computers almost 24/7. They just could not miss any development. In the end, the incident made around 20 million victims, officially missing, presumably dead. The doctor who found out about this before anyone suddenly became a major figure, but that wasn't the interesting part for Nicholas. Because as a result of this, the UN hastily created a new organization to be put in charge of the situation, and called it the 'World Defense Committee' or WDC. And this committee eventually voted to bring out an urgent project to life : the Legion of Warriors.
Truth to be told, no one knew what the Legion of Warriors was for. But following that incident, it is as if all form of reality and rationality was discarded in order to combat this unknown threat. And so, the Legion of Warriors was created, as adviced by Dr.Malik Migs, who was an honorary member of the committee.
Nicholas was simply thrilled by the idea of the Legion of Warriors. It was not only the perfect opportunity to participate in something huge, but also the goal couldn't be any better, as it was literally to save the Earth. The final recruitment phase was planned for 6 months later, so from the time of the announcement, Nicholas trained like he never did before. He HAD to be ready.
His journey was not without trouble. More often than not, he pushed himself too hard, because time was against him and he tried to make the best use of it. In addition to making his body as strong as possible, he trained in stamina, speed, agility, strategy and even use of firearms.
During one of his sessions, he met another man named Charlie. It turned out that, even though Charlie's motivation wasn't as intense as him, they had the same objective. So, during the 2 last months before the recruitment, they trained together. Charlie had a very different story. He was one of the 'miracles'. This is the name that people gave to those who barely escaped the 'Flash of Terror'. His hometown suddenly disappeared while he was coming home, and barely a few meters away from the entrance of the city, which made him stop just in front of the newly formed crater. Not only he lost a lot to this event, including his family and many friends, but he also realized that this kind of luck could be nothing less than a sign. And that is why his resolve made him relate to Nicholas.
The day before the recruitment began, Nicholas went to say farewell to his family. There were tears, but they always knew it would end like this, with him departing to save the world one way or another. Charlie was also there, but he had no family to go back to one last time. Finally, the two of them travelled to the meeting, in order to get recruited.
When they arrived, Nicholas was thrilled to be part of the Legion of Warriors. But soon, his dream ended up broken in pieces. Not because he was refused, quite the opposite : because he was accepted way too easily. The Legion of Warriors wasn't actually a group made with the strongest, it was simply a group composed by 'crazy people who don't value their own life', as stated by some members of the committee. Because since the event, the more time passed, the less the WDC cared about the threat. Everyone simply acknowledged the terrible events that occured 6 months ago. And, well, that was about it. No other attacks. In fact, the whole world stopped caring. "What if it will never happen again, and we should just happy to be part of the survivors ?"
Nicholas was absolutely disgusted. The Legion of Warriors, as it appeared before him, was nothing but a shell of its former intentions. Now, it was simply a joke.
"Pitiful, right ?"
A voice came from behind Nicholas and Charlie, who turned their heads.
"What ?" asked Charlie.
"This event. Nobody actually believes in the Legion of Warriors."
And before the two had time to comment… the man collapsed on the floor. Immediately after, someone starting speaking in the microphone, so the two turned their heads back.
"My dear citizens of Earth. This is the most ridiculous display I have ever seen. Truly, I expected more of you. It looks like you won't take it more seriously unless I go on you harder, so… we'll do it harder."
After a few seconds, the man speaking fell down on the ground, then came something that anyone could recognize everywhere. A huge, blinding flash, merely half a second long. Nicholas and Charlie looked around him, and they saw it. The military buildings were nowhere to be seen. Those were the buildings where all the committee officials were gathered, and, secretly, laughing about the idea of a Legion of Warriors.
The crowd became extremely panicked and disoriented, then Charlie had an idea. He pulled out of his phone, and started monitoring news feeds, soon joined by Nicholas and many other volunteers in the area. It was the same horror all over again. Cities vaporized. Millions dead. After hearing this news, many volunteers started to scatter, probably to go back to their home.
Nicholas was furious. He trained relentlessly, made so many sacrifices, and came all the way just to see humanity getting ridiculed ? He wasn't going to let that go. He ran to the microphone and started speaking.
"Everyone, stay here, please !"
The crowd went silent, and started listening to Nicholas for a moment.
"What did you come here for ? The humanity is in great danger, and it is our responsibility to protect it !"
"But this was a fake ! It's just useless !" replied someone in the audience.
"No, this is not useless ! Sure, this time the committee believed that this was just a stupid project, but we can bring it back to life ! We need it more than ever ! We need the Legion of Warriors to protect the Earth from the danger !"
Nicholas didn't convince everybody. But he never stopped talking, until he ran out of things to say. In the end, about ten people, including Charlie, remained around the rally point. All of them were motivated by the same idea.
After some months of training, a new Legion of Warriors was formed. Nicholas was officially recognized as the leader of the Legion, though he insisted that he wasn't good enough for it. Charlie eventually became the vice-leader, and he mostly helped the discussion between the Legion and the committee, who eventually started to make better decisions.
At some point, the Legion had more than a hundred warriors. Not all of them were aware of Nicholas's first speech, but they were definitely here for the same reason. And soon after, 'they' arrived. The aliens. Through the signals decrypted by scientists around the world, they could pinpoint the landing point of the aliens, so that the Legion could go there and eliminate the intruders in a fight to the death. And this happened regularly.
The general public never knew what the aliens looked like, but the Legion of Warriors was constantly on the move. Eventually, all the nations formed alliances to protect the Earth. Many collaborated to bring up armament, protections, and other methods of relief, notably to help broken families and reconstruct the destroyed cities. After years of the Legion existing, you could say that humanity was in World War III. But this was another kind of World War. It was the whole World, against everyone else.
…
In a remote observatory, the famous Dr.Migs was working on a new device, that could supposedly absorb the beams that were attacking the Earth. This was still a prototype, but he was always hard at work.
"You never stop working." said a man behind him.
It was the janitor. Oh well, he wasn't fooling anybody. It was Obeona.
"Well, you're sending us stronger stuff, so we have to fight back. I can't let you guys win, you know ?"
Obeona laughed. "Oh, Doctor. You really don't understand yet ?"
Dr.Migs froze for a second, and looked behind him.
"What do you mean, don't understand ?"
"Do you have any idea how ridiculously tiny and weak the Earth is ?"
"What's your point ?"
"There's no 'us', Doctor. There's just me."
"Just… you ?"
"I'm simply helping you because you believed that a common enemy could resolve humanity's problems. I could have made Earth disappear long ago."
Dr.Migs had never taken the time to consider what kind of enemy the world was facing. But as he looked up and saw Obeona's wide smile, he understood the real threat in front of him.
"So none of the 'aliens' are real ? It's just a game to you ?"
"Call it what you want. I'm just fooling around. Everyone in my race could wipe off your solar system in seconds."
"Then why didn't you…"
"Because humans are interesting, Doctor. Sure, they are weak and selfish, but unlike us, they are curious. They have dreams. Ideas. They try new things. And sometimes, they even collaborate."
"And you don't ?"
"Power isn't everything, Doctor. You humans may have a lot of problems, but you're a race worth saving. You taught me that."
For the years that came, the 'aliens' never stopped attacking the Earth. But the Legion of Warriors was always growing. Nicholas, the brave warrior who became leader, was a living legend. Truly, belonging in the Legion alone was considered a symbol of heroism, and the world worked together in this noble cause.
And through war, humanity finally knew peace.
One day, an observatory received an unknown signal. After a bit of study, it could be interpreted as a sound. And this sound could be described as… 'unearthly'. It was like nothing else on this planet. Not too low or too sharp, didn't sound like it belong to nature or any animal. It was truly extra-terrestrial. After days of intensive analysis, the group of scientists on this task eventually found something incredible. The signal wasn't a message, or at least it wasn't ONLY a message; it also came with its own decryption key. When the scientists discovered its existence, it was truly one of the most incredible human discoveries… except, ironically, it didn't come from humans. This key was a bijective process that could transform any signal into a signal of another nature. And that way, they managed to interpret the true nature of the signal, and made it known to the world.
"We are coming. Assemble the Legion of Warriors."
This message could have scared everyone… but it didn't. Not the slightest. After the release of this information to the public, there were only two kinds of reactions : laughing or ignoring. Frankly speaking, it had no impact whatsoever. But eventually, there was one man who fought to make people realize the importance of this message.
It was Dr.Malik Migs, one of the scientists who captured and decoded the signal. When even the rest of the team didn't believe it could be something worth exploring, he was the one who stood up and made this transmission the number one priority. Perhaps somewhere, he wanted that threat to be real. What if humanity was finally united to fight against a common, unknown enemy ?
For months, he focused on this task, and this task alone. Showing humanity that there was a real threat, something that needed to be seen and understood by all. Multiple times, he tried to organize press conferences, but from the second one, there wasn't any interest anymore, and he was basically called a crazy scientist. He tried to analyze the signal further. But whatever he tried, he couldn't find any proof that it didn't come from Earth, for the simple reason that it was captured by a device made my man, making an implicit transformation that would remove all foreign aspects. And this is how he got the idea that could finally prove it : make it possible to detect where the signal came from, while consdering outer space as a source.
Eventually, another weird signal came. Dr.Migs was immediately thrilled, and tried to use the upgraded device to determine the source. Before it was even decoded, he could pinpoint the location. And it came from… Earth. "That can't be right", he thought. Eventually, in a matter of minutes, the decryption was complete.
"Tomorrow, parts of Earth will be erased."
Dr.Migs was surprised, worried, but mostly confused. Unless his own detector had problems, this signal came from Earth, and not from space. How was that possible ? So, this was a prank after all ?
"Doctor, why are you so troubled ?"
This voice came from behind Dr.Migs, who turned back to see a man he had never seen before.
"Who are you ?"
"Simply a messenger."
"A… messenger ? Sent by who ?"
"Well, I thought you already knew by now ? By who you call the 'aliens'"
Dr.Migs frowned. "Did you come to make fun of me ?"
"Oh, not at all. I came to help you make things change. It will pay off in the end, don't worry."
"Wait, so did you send… ?"
"Of course. We couldn't send that kind of signal from where we live."
"But, you can send people ?"
"No. I am speaking through one of your own. I just wanted to congratulate you for the decryption of the message. But now I must leave you."
"Wait ! What did you mean by 'erased' ?"
"Oh, don't worry. You won't be in it."
Then suddenly, the man collapsed on the floor, and was completely motionless. Dr.Migs went to check on him. He actually expected him to be simply asleep, but he was completely dead.
When the police came, Dr.Migs explained everything that happened. He feared that moment, and he had a reason to do so. As he half-expected, after hearing his explanation, the police decided to arrest him. Countless times, he tried to resist, and scream that he had to inform people of the imminent catastrophe, but to the police, it was simply arresting another crazy person.
Sometime during the night, Dr.Migs was woken up by the noise of keys against his cell door. As he opened his eyes, he saw exactly what he expected to : someone unlocking his cell. The person who did it was a guard. He didn't understand at first, but then he looked at the guard. He was making a huge smile. Then he understood.
"You're… the 'messenger', right ?"
"Call me Obeona. It will be easier for the future. Now get out."
Dr.Migs didn't have to ask further questions, and simply got out of his cell. Obeona walked him outside, but strangely, everyone in the jail was asleep.
"Did you do that ?" asked Dr.Migs.
"Oh yeah, last time I think I killed that poor guy... I realized I can just shut them down temporarily. It's funny humans can do that."
Eventually, both reached the outside, and walked a bit together.
"Why are you doing this ?" asked the doctor.
"Because of you."
"Of me ?"
"When the sun rises, humanity will be in a major crisis. Let's see if you were right."
And like last time, the guard collapsed on the ground. This time, sleeping, thankfully. But it will hurt when he wakes up…
One his way home, Dr.Migs saw a huge flash, that lasted for maybe half a second. It was so intense, he had no idea where it was coming from. But he saw it. And sure enough, everybody saw it. When he got back home, and turned on his TV, it was the main topic on every channel. But the topic was not the flash itself, it was something much more terrible. During the time of the flash, entire cities… disappeared. All around the world, many flashes were seen, all at the same time, and there was nothing left on the cities that were targeted. Just a massive, cylindrical shaped hole. And there began, the 'major crisis' that Obeona warned him about.
…
Nicholas always wanted to help the people. To everyone around him, it was something obvious, like encoded in his genes : a strong will to be a hero. He tried to be of use in any way he could, and that's why he was a volunteer firefighter, among other things. But it wasn't enough. And then, just as many other people, his life changed during the 'Flash of Terror' incident that stroke the Earth 6 months before.
The day it happened, and also the day that followed, people were in front of their TV or computers almost 24/7. They just could not miss any development. In the end, the incident made around 20 million victims, officially missing, presumably dead. The doctor who found out about this before anyone suddenly became a major figure, but that wasn't the interesting part for Nicholas. Because as a result of this, the UN hastily created a new organization to be put in charge of the situation, and called it the 'World Defense Committee' or WDC. And this committee eventually voted to bring out an urgent project to life : the Legion of Warriors.
Truth to be told, no one knew what the Legion of Warriors was for. But following that incident, it is as if all form of reality and rationality was discarded in order to combat this unknown threat. And so, the Legion of Warriors was created, as adviced by Dr.Malik Migs, who was an honorary member of the committee.
Nicholas was simply thrilled by the idea of the Legion of Warriors. It was not only the perfect opportunity to participate in something huge, but also the goal couldn't be any better, as it was literally to save the Earth. The final recruitment phase was planned for 6 months later, so from the time of the announcement, Nicholas trained like he never did before. He HAD to be ready.
His journey was not without trouble. More often than not, he pushed himself too hard, because time was against him and he tried to make the best use of it. In addition to making his body as strong as possible, he trained in stamina, speed, agility, strategy and even use of firearms.
During one of his sessions, he met another man named Charlie. It turned out that, even though Charlie's motivation wasn't as intense as him, they had the same objective. So, during the 2 last months before the recruitment, they trained together. Charlie had a very different story. He was one of the 'miracles'. This is the name that people gave to those who barely escaped the 'Flash of Terror'. His hometown suddenly disappeared while he was coming home, and barely a few meters away from the entrance of the city, which made him stop just in front of the newly formed crater. Not only he lost a lot to this event, including his family and many friends, but he also realized that this kind of luck could be nothing less than a sign. And that is why his resolve made him relate to Nicholas.
The day before the recruitment began, Nicholas went to say farewell to his family. There were tears, but they always knew it would end like this, with him departing to save the world one way or another. Charlie was also there, but he had no family to go back to one last time. Finally, the two of them travelled to the meeting, in order to get recruited.
When they arrived, Nicholas was thrilled to be part of the Legion of Warriors. But soon, his dream ended up broken in pieces. Not because he was refused, quite the opposite : because he was accepted way too easily. The Legion of Warriors wasn't actually a group made with the strongest, it was simply a group composed by 'crazy people who don't value their own life', as stated by some members of the committee. Because since the event, the more time passed, the less the WDC cared about the threat. Everyone simply acknowledged the terrible events that occured 6 months ago. And, well, that was about it. No other attacks. In fact, the whole world stopped caring. "What if it will never happen again, and we should just happy to be part of the survivors ?"
Nicholas was absolutely disgusted. The Legion of Warriors, as it appeared before him, was nothing but a shell of its former intentions. Now, it was simply a joke.
"Pitiful, right ?"
A voice came from behind Nicholas and Charlie, who turned their heads.
"What ?" asked Charlie.
"This event. Nobody actually believes in the Legion of Warriors."
And before the two had time to comment… the man collapsed on the floor. Immediately after, someone starting speaking in the microphone, so the two turned their heads back.
"My dear citizens of Earth. This is the most ridiculous display I have ever seen. Truly, I expected more of you. It looks like you won't take it more seriously unless I go on you harder, so… we'll do it harder."
After a few seconds, the man speaking fell down on the ground, then came something that anyone could recognize everywhere. A huge, blinding flash, merely half a second long. Nicholas and Charlie looked around him, and they saw it. The military buildings were nowhere to be seen. Those were the buildings where all the committee officials were gathered, and, secretly, laughing about the idea of a Legion of Warriors.
The crowd became extremely panicked and disoriented, then Charlie had an idea. He pulled out of his phone, and started monitoring news feeds, soon joined by Nicholas and many other volunteers in the area. It was the same horror all over again. Cities vaporized. Millions dead. After hearing this news, many volunteers started to scatter, probably to go back to their home.
Nicholas was furious. He trained relentlessly, made so many sacrifices, and came all the way just to see humanity getting ridiculed ? He wasn't going to let that go. He ran to the microphone and started speaking.
"Everyone, stay here, please !"
The crowd went silent, and started listening to Nicholas for a moment.
"What did you come here for ? The humanity is in great danger, and it is our responsibility to protect it !"
"But this was a fake ! It's just useless !" replied someone in the audience.
"No, this is not useless ! Sure, this time the committee believed that this was just a stupid project, but we can bring it back to life ! We need it more than ever ! We need the Legion of Warriors to protect the Earth from the danger !"
Nicholas didn't convince everybody. But he never stopped talking, until he ran out of things to say. In the end, about ten people, including Charlie, remained around the rally point. All of them were motivated by the same idea.
After some months of training, a new Legion of Warriors was formed. Nicholas was officially recognized as the leader of the Legion, though he insisted that he wasn't good enough for it. Charlie eventually became the vice-leader, and he mostly helped the discussion between the Legion and the committee, who eventually started to make better decisions.
At some point, the Legion had more than a hundred warriors. Not all of them were aware of Nicholas's first speech, but they were definitely here for the same reason. And soon after, 'they' arrived. The aliens. Through the signals decrypted by scientists around the world, they could pinpoint the landing point of the aliens, so that the Legion could go there and eliminate the intruders in a fight to the death. And this happened regularly.
The general public never knew what the aliens looked like, but the Legion of Warriors was constantly on the move. Eventually, all the nations formed alliances to protect the Earth. Many collaborated to bring up armament, protections, and other methods of relief, notably to help broken families and reconstruct the destroyed cities. After years of the Legion existing, you could say that humanity was in World War III. But this was another kind of World War. It was the whole World, against everyone else.
…
In a remote observatory, the famous Dr.Migs was working on a new device, that could supposedly absorb the beams that were attacking the Earth. This was still a prototype, but he was always hard at work.
"You never stop working." said a man behind him.
It was the janitor. Oh well, he wasn't fooling anybody. It was Obeona.
"Well, you're sending us stronger stuff, so we have to fight back. I can't let you guys win, you know ?"
Obeona laughed. "Oh, Doctor. You really don't understand yet ?"
Dr.Migs froze for a second, and looked behind him.
"What do you mean, don't understand ?"
"Do you have any idea how ridiculously tiny and weak the Earth is ?"
"What's your point ?"
"There's no 'us', Doctor. There's just me."
"Just… you ?"
"I'm simply helping you because you believed that a common enemy could resolve humanity's problems. I could have made Earth disappear long ago."
Dr.Migs had never taken the time to consider what kind of enemy the world was facing. But as he looked up and saw Obeona's wide smile, he understood the real threat in front of him.
"So none of the 'aliens' are real ? It's just a game to you ?"
"Call it what you want. I'm just fooling around. Everyone in my race could wipe off your solar system in seconds."
"Then why didn't you…"
"Because humans are interesting, Doctor. Sure, they are weak and selfish, but unlike us, they are curious. They have dreams. Ideas. They try new things. And sometimes, they even collaborate."
"And you don't ?"
"Power isn't everything, Doctor. You humans may have a lot of problems, but you're a race worth saving. You taught me that."
For the years that came, the 'aliens' never stopped attacking the Earth. But the Legion of Warriors was always growing. Nicholas, the brave warrior who became leader, was a living legend. Truly, belonging in the Legion alone was considered a symbol of heroism, and the world worked together in this noble cause.
And through war, humanity finally knew peace.
January 16, 2017
014 - News Weekly 29
Michael was an ordinary person. He went through hardships in his life, like many people. He had friends around him despite some occasional problems, like many people. His job wasn't paying that much but still a comfortable amount, like many people. But unlike many people, Michael was an avid collector.
He did not collect everything, no, but he still had items of interest. Most of them were magazines, sometimes rare books, occasionally other kind of art pieces. In the underground community of collectors, Michael had a handful of admirers. He had always a good sense of business, and had an eye for rare pieces. But his biggest quality, most of all, was the ability to find anything he wanted. Within days, he could get anything, whether just uncommon or very rare, shipped to his house. Now, this didn't seem like an impressive ability to anyone familiar with the internet, but Michael was way above it. Sometimes, he could find pieces so rare that they were never listed on any shop, and at best mentioned once in an obscure chatroom. But he had connections so strong, that some in the business like to say that "he has a worldwide arm reach".
One night, Michael was going back home from an auction. Like almost everytime, he had a good haul. Most of this stuff was actually for reselling, however, because he needed a way to fund his habits. Now, Michael may be a big shot in the collector world, but his passion devoured him so much that he never minded his own environment. Because that night, he made the terrible mistake of taking a shortcut. Four men were apparently doing business in the street he decided to take. Michael had no desire to know what the business was, but it was too late.
"Get the fuck out of here." said one of them.
"I'm sorry, I'm just… it's faster through that street, I'm going home."
"I said get the fuck out."
Michael figured it was best to not upset them, so he started to turn around. But suddenly…
"Hey ! What are you carrying ?"
Before he had a chance to turn back and explain, one of the men went to grab Michael's bag. He looked in it and asked him
"That shit's expensive ?"
"Oh yeah, kind of"
"Well thanks for the gift, man. Now get the fuck out of here."
"Hey, I can't give-"
Just then, Michael received a violent punch to the face. Unfortunately, that triggered a much disastrous event. Struck by the powerful blow, Michael started falling. His head hit a slightly displaced brick in the wall, resulting in another hit to the back of his head. Immediately, Michael passed out from the concussion. After realising that, the four suspicious men had to run off, leaving Michael alone. He was found two hours later by a police patrol, and brought to an hospital.
Michael likes to stay informed. He liked being able to get every new thing he collected as soon as possible, and even stuff he didn't collect, to plan for his future sales. However, this habit had to come to a half, if only temporarily. Because that night, Michael didn't wake up.
Ten days later, he finally opened his eyes. He was in a hospital. But why was he there ? Oh, right. His memory was a bit hazy, but he remembered the incident in the street. In hindsight, he should have taken another road that night. He realized that he had no idea what day it was. All he could see, through his window, was that it was probably early in the morning. He looked for a remote to call the nurse, and pressed the button. It was only about thirty seconds, but the wait was killing him. Finally, the nurse arrived.
"You're awake ! That's wonderful. How do you feel ?"
"What day is it ?" he asked, disregarding the original question.
"Oh, well, it's Thursday."
Thursday ? He didn't like that answer. Clearly, he remembered that the auction took place on a Saturday, that couldn't be good.
"You mean… Thursday the 19th ?"
"No, no, we're the 26th. January 26th."
Oh god. Michael calculated quickly in his head. It had been eleven days since he got attacked in that street. He missed so much. Several releases. Two auctions. And probably a handful of online deals.
"Okay, okay, I want to go back home. Can I go ?"
"No, sir. We have to let you rest a bit now, and we'll release you when you're good to go."
"I AM good to go ! Just bring me home !"
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait."
Michael realized truly how much he missed. Truly, this was a tragedy for him. And not just for his belongings, but also for his reputation. What would the others think of him now ?
"Can I use a computer ?"
"Not now, sorry. I have to go now. Get some rest."
Get some rest ? What a joke. Michael had lost eleven days of his life. For all he knew, he could have missed anything. He reached the remote to the TV and turned it on. Apparently, a few things happened… but the world didn't change during those days. Good for him. Usually, Michael doesn't watch TV. In fact, he doesn't have one. He usually goes on the internet to read them, but his medium of choice was a magazine that condensated all the news for a week, followed by some interviews and analysis, and even sometimes small exclusive leaks, but rarely spicy. He always liked it, despite them not having many readers. It was called News Weekly. Come to think of it, it was one of his favorite collections, and also one of his newest. The magazine was quite young, and the audience didn't seem to care too much.
Two days later, the hospital ruled him good enough to leave, but still a bit early. First things first, Michael went to his local press office to grab some of his missing stuff. He goes to grab the latest News Weekly, #30. Wait. 30 ? Now that wasn't right. He always kept track of his collections, and he knew the last one he had was #28. But then he remembered. He wasted almost 2 weeks in that hospital. He went to the counter.
"Hey, do you still have the number 29 of News Weekly ?"
"Oh, I'm afraid nobody does."
"What do you mean by that ?"
"This one doesn't sell so much, usually. But this time, there were so many people out there wanting to get it. It went out of stock everywhere, and now they're super popular."
"Are you kidding me ?"
"Nah, I'm serious. But you can find it anyway, right ?"
Michael knew that he had everything at arm's reach, but… he never expected to do research like this for News Weekly. He went back to his place and looked up his usual spots, and started to dig up. It was… something weird. Nothing came up. Then he thought, did the guy at the press office lie to him ? So he made a simple research of the News Weekly #29. And there, he found multiple discussions about that edition. It was confirmed now. There was actually something happening with it. How could this be ?
Then, Michael was curious to see how his sales fluctuated. He looked through his various auction or reselling accounts, and saw that he did make some good money out of it. Then, Michael went to see how much his bank account had now. And then, he saw something that he could not believe. It was… completely empty. There was nothing left. All his money, gone. Completely panicked, Michael immediately called his bank, gave his account details, and waited anxiously for the explanation.
"Sir, we have here the details of your fluctuations. Apparenlty, you used your card a lot for this past week. So we eventually closed it in order to see if you were really behind all those payments, but you never answered."
"Well of course I never answered, I was in a fuc- I was in a coma !"
"We're sorry sir, we haven't heard word from you. Do you want to reopen your card ?"
"No, please, cancel it. There's something wrong. I never paid for all of that."
Michael was too angry to hear the rest, so he hung up. He went back a bit on his search of News Weekly #29. What the hell happened with this magazine. They all said there was something very special in it, but none of them talked in detail. Instead of waiting, he decided to call one his peers in the business, Charles. If he ever had a question too difficult to figure out himself, he called Charles.
"Hey there, Michael. I've heard about what happened to you. I checked on you last Monday."
"Uh, thanks Charles, I appreciate. Look, I've got a question here…"
"It's News Weekly, right ?"
"Yeah. Why can't I find the #29 anywhere ?"
"They pulled it away from the stores, all of them."
"What ? I thought many people bought them !"
"That is also true. And both are for the same reason."
"What reason ?"
"They had some kind of misprint… And between the pages, there was a list of leaked account numbers."
"Oh god… was there mine in it ?"
"I don't know, I couldn't get one of them either. Don't tell me you… ?"
"I think that's it… I lost everything in that."
The rest of the conversation was mostly about Charles trying to find solutions for Michael, but to no avail. They weren't exactly friends, though Charles tried to be. But Michael was always some kind of special character, almost married to his hobby. The discussion ended on "I'll see what I can do" from Charles.
Michael's next got a call. It was from the police. They asked him to go to the station so he could talk about the time he got assaulted. He thought he didn't have time for this, but did not want to get into any more trouble.
"Good news, sir. We got the person who sent you to the hospital."
"What ? You got him ?"
"He's called Steve Dockman. He was known from us as some kind of informer, worked with some criminal rings. Weird guy."
"And the others ?"
"Didn't say anything about accomplices. It was pretty hard to link him to your agression, too."
Michael then had a brief interview with the officer, then got to leave and go home. He knew he had to settle something. He found the number of the agency that made News Weekly, and called them.
"Hello, News Weekly. Can I help you ?"
"I'd like to talk to who the hell put the account details on your magazine !"
"Sir, like we declared, this was a misprint. We are sorry if anyone you know got in trouble."
"Hey, I asked you to let me talk to whoever did this !"
"Sir, I can't- Alright, just a moment."
After a while, a different person picked up.
"Michael, this is Edward. What is the problem ?"
"Oh, Edward, there you are. Are you the one who fucked me over ?"
"Michael, this is a misunderstanding. Yes, it's my fault, but I didn't leak your account details."
"So you know there was mine !"
"Yes, but there's something. One of our journalists hid it intentionally."
"Your journalist ?"
"Yeah, he got fired. He told us he got the info from his friend, who's in jail now apparently."
"Wait. Was his friend Steve ?"
"Yeah, you know him ?"
Michael finally got it. And he knew what he had to do.
"Thanks, Edward. I got what I needed."
"No problem, and if you ever need something…"
"Actually, can you send me your #29 issue in compensation ?"
"What, is this a joke ? You really want that ?"
"I'm never joking. And thank you."
That day, Michael had an auction, and it was finishing late. This time, not so much of a good auction. But the main event was for later. He was a bit tired, so he thought, maybe he could take a shortcut to his house. He went into this small street, and he saw three men inside, doing some kind of business. This time, he knew what business they were up to.
"Hey, you. Get out." he heard.
"I'm sorry, but is one of you a journalist for News Weekly ?"
There was a pause. One of the men spoke up.
"Oh shit, you're that Michael guy, right ?"
"So you leaked my account details ?"
"You sent my best friend to prison, you piece of shit. Just because you wanted to get a fucking shortcut." he said to Michael, while moving menacingly towards him.
"Well, I got something to say too."
Michael pulled a gun from his bag, and pointed it at his almost-assaillant.
"Maybe you can compensate by giving me back my money."
"Woah there ! I didn't spend your money or anything, dude. Drop that gun."
"Not my problem. Give me what you got."
"Shit, man. You're crazy."
The guy eventually gave him his wallet.
"Thank you, now I'd like to go home."
After a week, Michael finally got back to all his habits. As people liked to say, he "got back in business". Eventually, he even got a special copy of News Weekly #29 from his friend Edward who worked for the magazine. He sat there, comfortably in his chair, reading the magazine. But, after a few pages, he closed it.
"Man, why do I even buy this stuff ? It sucks."
He got up from his chair, and put it back in his collection, where it belonged.
He did not collect everything, no, but he still had items of interest. Most of them were magazines, sometimes rare books, occasionally other kind of art pieces. In the underground community of collectors, Michael had a handful of admirers. He had always a good sense of business, and had an eye for rare pieces. But his biggest quality, most of all, was the ability to find anything he wanted. Within days, he could get anything, whether just uncommon or very rare, shipped to his house. Now, this didn't seem like an impressive ability to anyone familiar with the internet, but Michael was way above it. Sometimes, he could find pieces so rare that they were never listed on any shop, and at best mentioned once in an obscure chatroom. But he had connections so strong, that some in the business like to say that "he has a worldwide arm reach".
One night, Michael was going back home from an auction. Like almost everytime, he had a good haul. Most of this stuff was actually for reselling, however, because he needed a way to fund his habits. Now, Michael may be a big shot in the collector world, but his passion devoured him so much that he never minded his own environment. Because that night, he made the terrible mistake of taking a shortcut. Four men were apparently doing business in the street he decided to take. Michael had no desire to know what the business was, but it was too late.
"Get the fuck out of here." said one of them.
"I'm sorry, I'm just… it's faster through that street, I'm going home."
"I said get the fuck out."
Michael figured it was best to not upset them, so he started to turn around. But suddenly…
"Hey ! What are you carrying ?"
Before he had a chance to turn back and explain, one of the men went to grab Michael's bag. He looked in it and asked him
"That shit's expensive ?"
"Oh yeah, kind of"
"Well thanks for the gift, man. Now get the fuck out of here."
"Hey, I can't give-"
Just then, Michael received a violent punch to the face. Unfortunately, that triggered a much disastrous event. Struck by the powerful blow, Michael started falling. His head hit a slightly displaced brick in the wall, resulting in another hit to the back of his head. Immediately, Michael passed out from the concussion. After realising that, the four suspicious men had to run off, leaving Michael alone. He was found two hours later by a police patrol, and brought to an hospital.
Michael likes to stay informed. He liked being able to get every new thing he collected as soon as possible, and even stuff he didn't collect, to plan for his future sales. However, this habit had to come to a half, if only temporarily. Because that night, Michael didn't wake up.
Ten days later, he finally opened his eyes. He was in a hospital. But why was he there ? Oh, right. His memory was a bit hazy, but he remembered the incident in the street. In hindsight, he should have taken another road that night. He realized that he had no idea what day it was. All he could see, through his window, was that it was probably early in the morning. He looked for a remote to call the nurse, and pressed the button. It was only about thirty seconds, but the wait was killing him. Finally, the nurse arrived.
"You're awake ! That's wonderful. How do you feel ?"
"What day is it ?" he asked, disregarding the original question.
"Oh, well, it's Thursday."
Thursday ? He didn't like that answer. Clearly, he remembered that the auction took place on a Saturday, that couldn't be good.
"You mean… Thursday the 19th ?"
"No, no, we're the 26th. January 26th."
Oh god. Michael calculated quickly in his head. It had been eleven days since he got attacked in that street. He missed so much. Several releases. Two auctions. And probably a handful of online deals.
"Okay, okay, I want to go back home. Can I go ?"
"No, sir. We have to let you rest a bit now, and we'll release you when you're good to go."
"I AM good to go ! Just bring me home !"
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait."
Michael realized truly how much he missed. Truly, this was a tragedy for him. And not just for his belongings, but also for his reputation. What would the others think of him now ?
"Can I use a computer ?"
"Not now, sorry. I have to go now. Get some rest."
Get some rest ? What a joke. Michael had lost eleven days of his life. For all he knew, he could have missed anything. He reached the remote to the TV and turned it on. Apparently, a few things happened… but the world didn't change during those days. Good for him. Usually, Michael doesn't watch TV. In fact, he doesn't have one. He usually goes on the internet to read them, but his medium of choice was a magazine that condensated all the news for a week, followed by some interviews and analysis, and even sometimes small exclusive leaks, but rarely spicy. He always liked it, despite them not having many readers. It was called News Weekly. Come to think of it, it was one of his favorite collections, and also one of his newest. The magazine was quite young, and the audience didn't seem to care too much.
Two days later, the hospital ruled him good enough to leave, but still a bit early. First things first, Michael went to his local press office to grab some of his missing stuff. He goes to grab the latest News Weekly, #30. Wait. 30 ? Now that wasn't right. He always kept track of his collections, and he knew the last one he had was #28. But then he remembered. He wasted almost 2 weeks in that hospital. He went to the counter.
"Hey, do you still have the number 29 of News Weekly ?"
"Oh, I'm afraid nobody does."
"What do you mean by that ?"
"This one doesn't sell so much, usually. But this time, there were so many people out there wanting to get it. It went out of stock everywhere, and now they're super popular."
"Are you kidding me ?"
"Nah, I'm serious. But you can find it anyway, right ?"
Michael knew that he had everything at arm's reach, but… he never expected to do research like this for News Weekly. He went back to his place and looked up his usual spots, and started to dig up. It was… something weird. Nothing came up. Then he thought, did the guy at the press office lie to him ? So he made a simple research of the News Weekly #29. And there, he found multiple discussions about that edition. It was confirmed now. There was actually something happening with it. How could this be ?
Then, Michael was curious to see how his sales fluctuated. He looked through his various auction or reselling accounts, and saw that he did make some good money out of it. Then, Michael went to see how much his bank account had now. And then, he saw something that he could not believe. It was… completely empty. There was nothing left. All his money, gone. Completely panicked, Michael immediately called his bank, gave his account details, and waited anxiously for the explanation.
"Sir, we have here the details of your fluctuations. Apparenlty, you used your card a lot for this past week. So we eventually closed it in order to see if you were really behind all those payments, but you never answered."
"Well of course I never answered, I was in a fuc- I was in a coma !"
"We're sorry sir, we haven't heard word from you. Do you want to reopen your card ?"
"No, please, cancel it. There's something wrong. I never paid for all of that."
Michael was too angry to hear the rest, so he hung up. He went back a bit on his search of News Weekly #29. What the hell happened with this magazine. They all said there was something very special in it, but none of them talked in detail. Instead of waiting, he decided to call one his peers in the business, Charles. If he ever had a question too difficult to figure out himself, he called Charles.
"Hey there, Michael. I've heard about what happened to you. I checked on you last Monday."
"Uh, thanks Charles, I appreciate. Look, I've got a question here…"
"It's News Weekly, right ?"
"Yeah. Why can't I find the #29 anywhere ?"
"They pulled it away from the stores, all of them."
"What ? I thought many people bought them !"
"That is also true. And both are for the same reason."
"What reason ?"
"They had some kind of misprint… And between the pages, there was a list of leaked account numbers."
"Oh god… was there mine in it ?"
"I don't know, I couldn't get one of them either. Don't tell me you… ?"
"I think that's it… I lost everything in that."
The rest of the conversation was mostly about Charles trying to find solutions for Michael, but to no avail. They weren't exactly friends, though Charles tried to be. But Michael was always some kind of special character, almost married to his hobby. The discussion ended on "I'll see what I can do" from Charles.
Michael's next got a call. It was from the police. They asked him to go to the station so he could talk about the time he got assaulted. He thought he didn't have time for this, but did not want to get into any more trouble.
"Good news, sir. We got the person who sent you to the hospital."
"What ? You got him ?"
"He's called Steve Dockman. He was known from us as some kind of informer, worked with some criminal rings. Weird guy."
"And the others ?"
"Didn't say anything about accomplices. It was pretty hard to link him to your agression, too."
Michael then had a brief interview with the officer, then got to leave and go home. He knew he had to settle something. He found the number of the agency that made News Weekly, and called them.
"Hello, News Weekly. Can I help you ?"
"I'd like to talk to who the hell put the account details on your magazine !"
"Sir, like we declared, this was a misprint. We are sorry if anyone you know got in trouble."
"Hey, I asked you to let me talk to whoever did this !"
"Sir, I can't- Alright, just a moment."
After a while, a different person picked up.
"Michael, this is Edward. What is the problem ?"
"Oh, Edward, there you are. Are you the one who fucked me over ?"
"Michael, this is a misunderstanding. Yes, it's my fault, but I didn't leak your account details."
"So you know there was mine !"
"Yes, but there's something. One of our journalists hid it intentionally."
"Your journalist ?"
"Yeah, he got fired. He told us he got the info from his friend, who's in jail now apparently."
"Wait. Was his friend Steve ?"
"Yeah, you know him ?"
Michael finally got it. And he knew what he had to do.
"Thanks, Edward. I got what I needed."
"No problem, and if you ever need something…"
"Actually, can you send me your #29 issue in compensation ?"
"What, is this a joke ? You really want that ?"
"I'm never joking. And thank you."
That day, Michael had an auction, and it was finishing late. This time, not so much of a good auction. But the main event was for later. He was a bit tired, so he thought, maybe he could take a shortcut to his house. He went into this small street, and he saw three men inside, doing some kind of business. This time, he knew what business they were up to.
"Hey, you. Get out." he heard.
"I'm sorry, but is one of you a journalist for News Weekly ?"
There was a pause. One of the men spoke up.
"Oh shit, you're that Michael guy, right ?"
"So you leaked my account details ?"
"You sent my best friend to prison, you piece of shit. Just because you wanted to get a fucking shortcut." he said to Michael, while moving menacingly towards him.
"Well, I got something to say too."
Michael pulled a gun from his bag, and pointed it at his almost-assaillant.
"Maybe you can compensate by giving me back my money."
"Woah there ! I didn't spend your money or anything, dude. Drop that gun."
"Not my problem. Give me what you got."
"Shit, man. You're crazy."
The guy eventually gave him his wallet.
"Thank you, now I'd like to go home."
After a week, Michael finally got back to all his habits. As people liked to say, he "got back in business". Eventually, he even got a special copy of News Weekly #29 from his friend Edward who worked for the magazine. He sat there, comfortably in his chair, reading the magazine. But, after a few pages, he closed it.
"Man, why do I even buy this stuff ? It sucks."
He got up from his chair, and put it back in his collection, where it belonged.
January 15, 2017
013 - Kill, Die, Repeat
It's just like any other day. I get out. We walk. I am anxious. I just wish I won't encounter anyone today. Earlier, a guy shot himself. That guy was just crazy. I wonder what dumb excuse he made for himself.
We reach the rally point. Nothing's happening yet. Good. I grant myself a moment of relief and exhale. Many people are as tense as I am. I want to say that it will be okay. But it won't. So I don't say anything.
Commander gets orders. What are they ? I don't want to hear about it. Don't tell us. Oh no. We have to move again. I don't want to. But do I have a choice ? I'll just do it then.
We're walking. I hear we'll have to fight soon. I don't want to. But there is some time before then. I can just relax then. Great. But we'll have to be ready anytime. So I stop relaxing. Did I even start relaxing in the first place ?
We're told to stop. We stop. I don't like where this is going. He's going to tell us to take position. He's going to tell us to take position. Any time now. He tells us to take position. I knew it. We take position. This is the worst moment of my life. Just like it was all the other times. But maybe this one is really the worst ?
He just told us to go. We go. Oh no. I know where we are going to. And I don't want to go there. I hear the first shot. Then 3 more. Then I can't count anymore. Mine still hasn't fired. I want to fire it. Just to see what it does. I fire. It didn't hit but I still regret it. It seemed fun at first. Guy near me yells. Probably got shot. I want to check how he is. But I don't want to die. I don't want him to die either. I go near him. A bullet flies past me. I take cover. Guy is still down. I wait for it to calm down a bit. A dead man can't save lives, right ? Any minute now, I'm going to help him. I hear someone yelling. What is it about ? Oh, I should get moving. Right. So, I move. I do as I was trained to. There's something in my line of sight. Or is it someone ? I can't tell if it's an ally or not. I think the correct choice is no. I get ready. I shoot. One down. I killed it. It's dead. How do I know ? Because even if it isn't right now, it will be, soon. I'm having a good run. Still not dead. I proceed. I help shoot one more of those. I move on. I take one out, again. It's good. It's good… It's good ? Oh no. I got hit. In the shoulder. I try to stand still. I can't. I fall. But that's not what I should do. I get up. Another bullet. Then 3 more. Sounds familiar. I fall on my back. Everything feels cold. My work is done. Good work, me.
…
It's just like any other day. I get out. We walk. I am anxious. I just wish I won't encounter anyone today. I remember what I heard yesterday. Many people died last week. Similar situation and all. That's just crazy. Just like that guy. The one who shot himself not so long ago. I guess what's going to happen is kinda awful. But I'm prepared.
We reach the rally point. Nothing's happening yet. Good, I think. I would love to grant myself a moment of relief and exhale. Everyone is as tense as I am. I want to say that last time went okay. But it didn't. So I don't say anything.
Commander gets orders. Actually, I know what they are. But I don't want to hear about it. We have to move again. I don't want to. But do I have a choice ? I'll just do it then.
We're walking. I know we'll have to fight soon. I don't want to. But there is some time before then. About 3 minutes, in fact. I can just relax then. Great. But we'll have to be ready. So I stop relaxing. Did I even start relaxing in the first place ?
We're told to stop. We stop. I don't like where this is going. He's going to tell us to take position. He tells us to take position. We take position. This is the worst moment of my life. Just like it was all the other times. But I know the next one is actually going to be worst.
He just told us to go. We go. They will come from there. Because it's the same as what last week's guys went through. I go where I can. I expect to get shot soon. But I don't. At least not me. The guy near me gets shot. He's dead. How do I know ? Because even if he isn't right now, he will be, soon. I move on with the others. I shoot. One down. Another one comes and shoots in my direction. I take way too many bullets. Oh god. It hurts. No one told me that it hurts like that. I try to live. But I die. My work is done. Good work, me.
…
It's just like any other day. I know what happened last week and two weeks ago. Also, a guy shot himself. It's like tradition now. We walk. Let's just get to the point.
Rally point. Nothing's happening yet. Someone exhales and tries to relax. What the hell. We're not here for that. Our job is to die. And I'm going to do it. Everybody knows last time didn't go okay. No need to lie about it.
Commander gets orders. We have to move again. Didn't have to wait for him to say it.
We're walking. Fight soon. Not sure if I want to. But that's my job. 3 minutes. No relax.
We stop. We take position. That's probably the lowest point of my life. But worst moment ? That's for later.
He just told us to go. We go. They're coming. Just like the other times. I move on. Comrade gets shot. He should have seen it coming. I shoot. It's dead. How do I know ? Because that's how it works. Any minute now. I move on. Get shot. Here we go. I fall down. My work is done. Good work, me.
…
This afternoon will be like any other day. We will get out. We will walk. And the rest is the usual. Our job. Those guys who went out the last 3 weeks. How did they keep their sanity ? They must have a trick.
I look at my firearm near me. I get an idea. At this moment, I'm basically a genius. I load it. I hold it against my chin. How did nobody think about this ? I guess today, I'm going to finish work early. Good work, me.
We reach the rally point. Nothing's happening yet. Good. I grant myself a moment of relief and exhale. Many people are as tense as I am. I want to say that it will be okay. But it won't. So I don't say anything.
Commander gets orders. What are they ? I don't want to hear about it. Don't tell us. Oh no. We have to move again. I don't want to. But do I have a choice ? I'll just do it then.
We're walking. I hear we'll have to fight soon. I don't want to. But there is some time before then. I can just relax then. Great. But we'll have to be ready anytime. So I stop relaxing. Did I even start relaxing in the first place ?
We're told to stop. We stop. I don't like where this is going. He's going to tell us to take position. He's going to tell us to take position. Any time now. He tells us to take position. I knew it. We take position. This is the worst moment of my life. Just like it was all the other times. But maybe this one is really the worst ?
He just told us to go. We go. Oh no. I know where we are going to. And I don't want to go there. I hear the first shot. Then 3 more. Then I can't count anymore. Mine still hasn't fired. I want to fire it. Just to see what it does. I fire. It didn't hit but I still regret it. It seemed fun at first. Guy near me yells. Probably got shot. I want to check how he is. But I don't want to die. I don't want him to die either. I go near him. A bullet flies past me. I take cover. Guy is still down. I wait for it to calm down a bit. A dead man can't save lives, right ? Any minute now, I'm going to help him. I hear someone yelling. What is it about ? Oh, I should get moving. Right. So, I move. I do as I was trained to. There's something in my line of sight. Or is it someone ? I can't tell if it's an ally or not. I think the correct choice is no. I get ready. I shoot. One down. I killed it. It's dead. How do I know ? Because even if it isn't right now, it will be, soon. I'm having a good run. Still not dead. I proceed. I help shoot one more of those. I move on. I take one out, again. It's good. It's good… It's good ? Oh no. I got hit. In the shoulder. I try to stand still. I can't. I fall. But that's not what I should do. I get up. Another bullet. Then 3 more. Sounds familiar. I fall on my back. Everything feels cold. My work is done. Good work, me.
…
It's just like any other day. I get out. We walk. I am anxious. I just wish I won't encounter anyone today. I remember what I heard yesterday. Many people died last week. Similar situation and all. That's just crazy. Just like that guy. The one who shot himself not so long ago. I guess what's going to happen is kinda awful. But I'm prepared.
We reach the rally point. Nothing's happening yet. Good, I think. I would love to grant myself a moment of relief and exhale. Everyone is as tense as I am. I want to say that last time went okay. But it didn't. So I don't say anything.
Commander gets orders. Actually, I know what they are. But I don't want to hear about it. We have to move again. I don't want to. But do I have a choice ? I'll just do it then.
We're walking. I know we'll have to fight soon. I don't want to. But there is some time before then. About 3 minutes, in fact. I can just relax then. Great. But we'll have to be ready. So I stop relaxing. Did I even start relaxing in the first place ?
We're told to stop. We stop. I don't like where this is going. He's going to tell us to take position. He tells us to take position. We take position. This is the worst moment of my life. Just like it was all the other times. But I know the next one is actually going to be worst.
He just told us to go. We go. They will come from there. Because it's the same as what last week's guys went through. I go where I can. I expect to get shot soon. But I don't. At least not me. The guy near me gets shot. He's dead. How do I know ? Because even if he isn't right now, he will be, soon. I move on with the others. I shoot. One down. Another one comes and shoots in my direction. I take way too many bullets. Oh god. It hurts. No one told me that it hurts like that. I try to live. But I die. My work is done. Good work, me.
…
It's just like any other day. I know what happened last week and two weeks ago. Also, a guy shot himself. It's like tradition now. We walk. Let's just get to the point.
Rally point. Nothing's happening yet. Someone exhales and tries to relax. What the hell. We're not here for that. Our job is to die. And I'm going to do it. Everybody knows last time didn't go okay. No need to lie about it.
Commander gets orders. We have to move again. Didn't have to wait for him to say it.
We're walking. Fight soon. Not sure if I want to. But that's my job. 3 minutes. No relax.
We stop. We take position. That's probably the lowest point of my life. But worst moment ? That's for later.
He just told us to go. We go. They're coming. Just like the other times. I move on. Comrade gets shot. He should have seen it coming. I shoot. It's dead. How do I know ? Because that's how it works. Any minute now. I move on. Get shot. Here we go. I fall down. My work is done. Good work, me.
…
This afternoon will be like any other day. We will get out. We will walk. And the rest is the usual. Our job. Those guys who went out the last 3 weeks. How did they keep their sanity ? They must have a trick.
I look at my firearm near me. I get an idea. At this moment, I'm basically a genius. I load it. I hold it against my chin. How did nobody think about this ? I guess today, I'm going to finish work early. Good work, me.
January 13, 2017
012 - Thunder Grizzly
In the wrestling world, there was no one who didn't know the name of Thunder Grizzly. Even though many agreed that this was a dumb name, including the wrestler himself, after years it held a strong connotation of respect, and even slight nobility.
Being a huge wrestling fan, there was hardly any moment in Nathan's life where he didn't want to grow and become a wrestler himself. He spent days, nights, weekends watching his idols, sometimes from new events, sometimes from old classics. Knowing that he managed to carry his dream from childhood to adulthood was already a huge accomplishment in itself, in fact probably better than his actual career.
When Nathan made his debut as Thunder Grizzly, he wasn't exactly popular, at least for his first year in the business. More often than not, he was quite heavily criticized for having an uninteresting fighting style and character. Assuming that they did care enough about him to write a piece, some journalists went quick on ruling Thunder Grizzly off as "pathetic wannabe superstar". His fans today like to think that he made himself into a better wrestler as a response to the critics, but in fact, he never once cared about them. His guideline wasn't "how can I get better reviews and access to bigger events ?", it was more in the lines of "how can I evolve and become an inspiration ?".
Thunder Grizzly was a major star during the past 9 years. An inspiration to many, and even a known figure to the uninitiated. At some point, he barely needed an ad campaign anymore to make himself noticed. Though he liked the stage and looked forward to it every time, the unexpected meetings with fans were always the best moments of his life. Honestly, life couldn't be any better for him.
"I am sorry to inform you that we have diagnosed you with pancreatic cancer."
…However, life could always become worse. Nathan learned that the hard way.
3 months before the diagnosis, Thunder Grizzly was feeling a bit weaker than usual. Some said it's just stress. But he never really felt stress. Some said it was due to his nutrition. But he always kept a healthy diet. Some ran out of ideas and said it was just a bad day. He agreed, because he didn't know what else it could be. But then, the bad day transformed into a bad week, then a bad month. Eventually, he started losing appetite, and felt pain across his body more than usual. The last straw was when 5 minutes before entering stage, Thunder Grizzly felt an intense nausea. After throwing up but trying to stay strong, he eventually collapsed and the show had to be cancelled.
After hearing the terrifying news, Nathan wasn't very sure how to react. He thought of his career. He thought of his fans. He thought of his wife and kids. But he didn't think about his own sake. So immediately, he asked the doctor if he could ever live his life again, just like nothing happened. As Nathan feared, the doctor slowly shook his head in response. "Surgery is not possible in your case."
Nathan eventually left the room with a million thoughts. How did this happen ? What will happen next ? Why him ? Why now ? He had to think about considering chemotherapy, that it could improve his quality of life for what remained of his life. Remained of his life ? That thought alone made him even more sad.
The next day, Nathan had to contact his agent, Diana. Though there had been some conflicts between them in the early years, they grew to be very close friends, so he knew he could trust her. He called her in the morning.
"Hey Nathan. Are you feeling okay ?"
"Uhh, for now I am."
"So what did the doc said ? When can you get back to the stage ?"
"Oh, well, he said… I may have… you know…"
"What is it ?"
"…Cancer."
There was a weird silence. For a handful of seconds, it was like both of them didn't believe in what Nathan just said.
"Are you serious ?"
"You know I wouldn't joke about that."
"Okay, I need to see you this afternoon. I'll tell you later when I'm available."
In the following afternoon, after realizing the amplitude of the condition, Diana basically told him to prepare for his retirement. For Nathan, this word was a lot more painful than cancer. But after denying it for a while, he had to come to terms with the idea. Together, they worked on a new campaign that would mark the end of his career.
After confirming all details with his agency, Nathan moved on to what could be called the beginning of the end. First of all, he made a press conference explaining his condition, which drew a lot of fan support. Like every time, Nathan was moved by all the positive reactions he got with this announcement. But this time, it was even more intense. Before making it, he felt like he was betraying his fans, and thought he would disappoint them. But even though a small minority were furious and/or disappointed, the vast majority saluted his courage, and willingness to tell it straight to his fans.
Thunder Grizzly had a lifelong rival, named Peter, who was mostly known as 'Ironskull'. Though not as popular as Thunder Grizzly, Ironskull was a solid contender and famous for his very strong head, hence the name. He was notorious for his Ironskull Dive, a simple though very efficient move in which he simply lunged headfirst at his opponent, dealing a hit strong enough to incapacitate most enemies.
This wasn't really a secret among the community, but despite the heated fights between the two rivals, Nathan and Peter were best friends. They met when they were first starting, and trying to make it big. Eventually, due to a more conventional style, Ironskull got accepted into bigger events faster than Thunder Grizzly. As Ironskull was getting more and more popular and basically asked for stronger opponents, someone finally rose to the challenge. The organizers kept it a secret from Peter until the last moment. It was a no-name, Thunder Grizzly, willing to take the rising star Ironskull to a duel. Due to the excitement of the two fighters, the match was an amazing spectacle, and it is still referred today as one of the most exciting matches of their respective careers. It was also the match that sent them straight to stardom, and sealed their friendship for eternity.
But that day, Nathan didn't ask to meet his rival Ironskull. He wanted to see his best friend, Peter. For the first time, their reunion started off way too solemn, diverging from the usual banter they engage in. Peter knew what the reunion was about without needing to ask.
"So, you are getting out of the game ?"
"You know what happened to me last week. It's not reasonable for me to continue."
"You sure you can't fight anymore ?"
"The doc told me it's a bad idea, and it will only complicate things."
Peter soon ran out of things to say. Throughout the conversation, he tried to avoid the subject. But he did go back to it sometimes, reminding Nathan about how much his fans loved Thunder Grizzly, how everyone around him was supportive, and so on. But this didn't cheer up Nathan enough, who was most of the time staring at the floor. Then, Peter had an idea.
"One last fight."
Nathan finally raised his head up.
"What ?"
"We have to do one last fight before you retire. Thunder Grizzly versus Ironskull."
"You know I can't do that anymore, I already told you."
"But is that what you really want ? Will you not have any regrets on your deathbed ? You are still good enough to stand. You can still fight and do things. You have to seize the opportunity, man."
As Peter went on, Nathan realized that his friend was absolutely right. He knew that no matter what, death was inevitable. So what if he had to risk a bit of his lifetime ? The reward was way too high to pass on the offer. And so, Nathan agreed to the proposition, and immediately called Diana to arrange a match.
The news of that upcoming match caused a massive reaction from his fans and even a major part of the wrestling community. The last match between the two lifelong rivals, Ironskull and Thunder Grizzly. For that moment, Nathan had to be ready. Even though he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, he decided to go see his doctor about it. The doctor wasn't really fond of the idea, but nonetheless agreed to it, but only if it was only for this one time, and some precautions were taken.
The day of the match, Nathan felt incredibly anxious. More than his first match. More than any of his matches. He couldn't disappoint anyone. All those people were here to see the last match of his career. Eventually, he made his entrance, and the audience cheered with an intensity strong enough to pierce the skies. Ironskull was already on stage, and even though he liked to keep an angry persona for his character, he could not avoid making a genuine smile as his rival entered the ring.
The match itself was nothing special, but every single move brought out so much reaction from the audience, that it seemed like it was the most interesting match ever disputed. None of the previous matches ended up like this between the two, but this time both agreed to a draw, after an intense encounter. For the duration of the match, Nathan managed to forget about all his problems. He didn't care if he was going to die soon. He was doing what he loved, and his fans enjoyed seeing him doing what he loved. It was at this moment, at the end of the match, under the thunderous applause of all the audience, that he understood where he could find happiness. One last time, he pulled out his mask, revealing his huge smile, followed by him screaming "THANK YOU EVERYONE !", which made the audience cheer even louder.
After that, Nathan lived a peaceful life. He first thought was that he wasn't going to like it, but he managed to appreciate it, thanks to his goodbye match. Some days were better, some days were worse - mostly those spent in a hospital. He spent time with his family, friends, and of course his best friend Peter, who eventually quit wrestling a couple years after their last match, mostly due to a lack of character definition now that his rival was gone.
Four years later. Peter entered Nathan's hospital room with a DVD in his hand. Nathan didn't even need to ask what was on it, in fact he didn't say anything. Peter loaded the DVD to play on the room's TV, and both watched something that they came to know by heart by now : the first match that defined their rivalry. Nobody said a word. When it was over, Peter asked :
"I have our last match as well. You want to see it ?"
Nathan simply nodded. During the viewing of those two videos, Peter had trouble keeping tears away from his cheeks, but he tried anyway.
"I was in pretty good shape then… I should get back to the gym soon." Nathan joked.
This took Peter by surprise, but they both laughed. Peter was happy to see that until the end, his best friend kept his joy intact. And truth to be told, Nathan had merely a week ahead of him. Right now, Nathan could barely move anymore, and was under almost constant administration of morphine. Talking was an effort to him. For the past month, Peter was visiting him every other day, and they talked about whatever Nathan felt like talking about.
On Nathan's last day, not only Peter was present. His wife, his children, and even Diana were also there. The room was filled with sadness, but Nathan kept on trying to bring light to it.
"You're making weird faces… did somebody die or something… ?"
Peter and Diana had a bittersweet laugh, but his family wasn't exactly feeling like doing so. There was basically no conversation, just depressing talk back and forth, sometimes broken by a joke, often from Nathan and occasionally from Peter. Eventually, after saying goodbye, everyone left the room except for Diana.
"Nathan, do you miss it ? The stage ?"
"Oh, you know… It's in the past now… I've done my time there."
"Well, you might be the only one here who thinks so."
"What do you mean… Diana ?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she put a DVD she brought into the DVD player, and launched the movie that was on it. Before leaving the room, she told Nathan one last thing.
"It will be hard, but we will try to not miss you too much. However, we will never forget about you."
Nathan was alone now. Just him and the DVD. At first, he thought that it was going to be another replay of some of his matches. Actually, a teenage boy was on camera, and started speaking. The kid spoke a lot about Thunder Grizzly. He told the camera about how much he was a great wrestler, and how sad he was that it was over, after so many years of making his fans dream. After he finished speaking, another person came up and did the same. Then another. It went on for about an hour, but Nathan never got tired of it. During the viewing of that movie, all the tears he held back with his silly jokes flowed out of his body. He felt relieved to be alone in the room, so that he didn't have to think about another funny bit to keep his cover intact.
That night, Nathan died. But Thunder Grizzly was still there. On video. On television. But most of all, in the heart of all his fans.
Being a huge wrestling fan, there was hardly any moment in Nathan's life where he didn't want to grow and become a wrestler himself. He spent days, nights, weekends watching his idols, sometimes from new events, sometimes from old classics. Knowing that he managed to carry his dream from childhood to adulthood was already a huge accomplishment in itself, in fact probably better than his actual career.
When Nathan made his debut as Thunder Grizzly, he wasn't exactly popular, at least for his first year in the business. More often than not, he was quite heavily criticized for having an uninteresting fighting style and character. Assuming that they did care enough about him to write a piece, some journalists went quick on ruling Thunder Grizzly off as "pathetic wannabe superstar". His fans today like to think that he made himself into a better wrestler as a response to the critics, but in fact, he never once cared about them. His guideline wasn't "how can I get better reviews and access to bigger events ?", it was more in the lines of "how can I evolve and become an inspiration ?".
Thunder Grizzly was a major star during the past 9 years. An inspiration to many, and even a known figure to the uninitiated. At some point, he barely needed an ad campaign anymore to make himself noticed. Though he liked the stage and looked forward to it every time, the unexpected meetings with fans were always the best moments of his life. Honestly, life couldn't be any better for him.
"I am sorry to inform you that we have diagnosed you with pancreatic cancer."
…However, life could always become worse. Nathan learned that the hard way.
3 months before the diagnosis, Thunder Grizzly was feeling a bit weaker than usual. Some said it's just stress. But he never really felt stress. Some said it was due to his nutrition. But he always kept a healthy diet. Some ran out of ideas and said it was just a bad day. He agreed, because he didn't know what else it could be. But then, the bad day transformed into a bad week, then a bad month. Eventually, he started losing appetite, and felt pain across his body more than usual. The last straw was when 5 minutes before entering stage, Thunder Grizzly felt an intense nausea. After throwing up but trying to stay strong, he eventually collapsed and the show had to be cancelled.
After hearing the terrifying news, Nathan wasn't very sure how to react. He thought of his career. He thought of his fans. He thought of his wife and kids. But he didn't think about his own sake. So immediately, he asked the doctor if he could ever live his life again, just like nothing happened. As Nathan feared, the doctor slowly shook his head in response. "Surgery is not possible in your case."
Nathan eventually left the room with a million thoughts. How did this happen ? What will happen next ? Why him ? Why now ? He had to think about considering chemotherapy, that it could improve his quality of life for what remained of his life. Remained of his life ? That thought alone made him even more sad.
The next day, Nathan had to contact his agent, Diana. Though there had been some conflicts between them in the early years, they grew to be very close friends, so he knew he could trust her. He called her in the morning.
"Hey Nathan. Are you feeling okay ?"
"Uhh, for now I am."
"So what did the doc said ? When can you get back to the stage ?"
"Oh, well, he said… I may have… you know…"
"What is it ?"
"…Cancer."
There was a weird silence. For a handful of seconds, it was like both of them didn't believe in what Nathan just said.
"Are you serious ?"
"You know I wouldn't joke about that."
"Okay, I need to see you this afternoon. I'll tell you later when I'm available."
In the following afternoon, after realizing the amplitude of the condition, Diana basically told him to prepare for his retirement. For Nathan, this word was a lot more painful than cancer. But after denying it for a while, he had to come to terms with the idea. Together, they worked on a new campaign that would mark the end of his career.
After confirming all details with his agency, Nathan moved on to what could be called the beginning of the end. First of all, he made a press conference explaining his condition, which drew a lot of fan support. Like every time, Nathan was moved by all the positive reactions he got with this announcement. But this time, it was even more intense. Before making it, he felt like he was betraying his fans, and thought he would disappoint them. But even though a small minority were furious and/or disappointed, the vast majority saluted his courage, and willingness to tell it straight to his fans.
Thunder Grizzly had a lifelong rival, named Peter, who was mostly known as 'Ironskull'. Though not as popular as Thunder Grizzly, Ironskull was a solid contender and famous for his very strong head, hence the name. He was notorious for his Ironskull Dive, a simple though very efficient move in which he simply lunged headfirst at his opponent, dealing a hit strong enough to incapacitate most enemies.
This wasn't really a secret among the community, but despite the heated fights between the two rivals, Nathan and Peter were best friends. They met when they were first starting, and trying to make it big. Eventually, due to a more conventional style, Ironskull got accepted into bigger events faster than Thunder Grizzly. As Ironskull was getting more and more popular and basically asked for stronger opponents, someone finally rose to the challenge. The organizers kept it a secret from Peter until the last moment. It was a no-name, Thunder Grizzly, willing to take the rising star Ironskull to a duel. Due to the excitement of the two fighters, the match was an amazing spectacle, and it is still referred today as one of the most exciting matches of their respective careers. It was also the match that sent them straight to stardom, and sealed their friendship for eternity.
But that day, Nathan didn't ask to meet his rival Ironskull. He wanted to see his best friend, Peter. For the first time, their reunion started off way too solemn, diverging from the usual banter they engage in. Peter knew what the reunion was about without needing to ask.
"So, you are getting out of the game ?"
"You know what happened to me last week. It's not reasonable for me to continue."
"You sure you can't fight anymore ?"
"The doc told me it's a bad idea, and it will only complicate things."
Peter soon ran out of things to say. Throughout the conversation, he tried to avoid the subject. But he did go back to it sometimes, reminding Nathan about how much his fans loved Thunder Grizzly, how everyone around him was supportive, and so on. But this didn't cheer up Nathan enough, who was most of the time staring at the floor. Then, Peter had an idea.
"One last fight."
Nathan finally raised his head up.
"What ?"
"We have to do one last fight before you retire. Thunder Grizzly versus Ironskull."
"You know I can't do that anymore, I already told you."
"But is that what you really want ? Will you not have any regrets on your deathbed ? You are still good enough to stand. You can still fight and do things. You have to seize the opportunity, man."
As Peter went on, Nathan realized that his friend was absolutely right. He knew that no matter what, death was inevitable. So what if he had to risk a bit of his lifetime ? The reward was way too high to pass on the offer. And so, Nathan agreed to the proposition, and immediately called Diana to arrange a match.
The news of that upcoming match caused a massive reaction from his fans and even a major part of the wrestling community. The last match between the two lifelong rivals, Ironskull and Thunder Grizzly. For that moment, Nathan had to be ready. Even though he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, he decided to go see his doctor about it. The doctor wasn't really fond of the idea, but nonetheless agreed to it, but only if it was only for this one time, and some precautions were taken.
The day of the match, Nathan felt incredibly anxious. More than his first match. More than any of his matches. He couldn't disappoint anyone. All those people were here to see the last match of his career. Eventually, he made his entrance, and the audience cheered with an intensity strong enough to pierce the skies. Ironskull was already on stage, and even though he liked to keep an angry persona for his character, he could not avoid making a genuine smile as his rival entered the ring.
The match itself was nothing special, but every single move brought out so much reaction from the audience, that it seemed like it was the most interesting match ever disputed. None of the previous matches ended up like this between the two, but this time both agreed to a draw, after an intense encounter. For the duration of the match, Nathan managed to forget about all his problems. He didn't care if he was going to die soon. He was doing what he loved, and his fans enjoyed seeing him doing what he loved. It was at this moment, at the end of the match, under the thunderous applause of all the audience, that he understood where he could find happiness. One last time, he pulled out his mask, revealing his huge smile, followed by him screaming "THANK YOU EVERYONE !", which made the audience cheer even louder.
After that, Nathan lived a peaceful life. He first thought was that he wasn't going to like it, but he managed to appreciate it, thanks to his goodbye match. Some days were better, some days were worse - mostly those spent in a hospital. He spent time with his family, friends, and of course his best friend Peter, who eventually quit wrestling a couple years after their last match, mostly due to a lack of character definition now that his rival was gone.
Four years later. Peter entered Nathan's hospital room with a DVD in his hand. Nathan didn't even need to ask what was on it, in fact he didn't say anything. Peter loaded the DVD to play on the room's TV, and both watched something that they came to know by heart by now : the first match that defined their rivalry. Nobody said a word. When it was over, Peter asked :
"I have our last match as well. You want to see it ?"
Nathan simply nodded. During the viewing of those two videos, Peter had trouble keeping tears away from his cheeks, but he tried anyway.
"I was in pretty good shape then… I should get back to the gym soon." Nathan joked.
This took Peter by surprise, but they both laughed. Peter was happy to see that until the end, his best friend kept his joy intact. And truth to be told, Nathan had merely a week ahead of him. Right now, Nathan could barely move anymore, and was under almost constant administration of morphine. Talking was an effort to him. For the past month, Peter was visiting him every other day, and they talked about whatever Nathan felt like talking about.
On Nathan's last day, not only Peter was present. His wife, his children, and even Diana were also there. The room was filled with sadness, but Nathan kept on trying to bring light to it.
"You're making weird faces… did somebody die or something… ?"
Peter and Diana had a bittersweet laugh, but his family wasn't exactly feeling like doing so. There was basically no conversation, just depressing talk back and forth, sometimes broken by a joke, often from Nathan and occasionally from Peter. Eventually, after saying goodbye, everyone left the room except for Diana.
"Nathan, do you miss it ? The stage ?"
"Oh, you know… It's in the past now… I've done my time there."
"Well, you might be the only one here who thinks so."
"What do you mean… Diana ?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she put a DVD she brought into the DVD player, and launched the movie that was on it. Before leaving the room, she told Nathan one last thing.
"It will be hard, but we will try to not miss you too much. However, we will never forget about you."
Nathan was alone now. Just him and the DVD. At first, he thought that it was going to be another replay of some of his matches. Actually, a teenage boy was on camera, and started speaking. The kid spoke a lot about Thunder Grizzly. He told the camera about how much he was a great wrestler, and how sad he was that it was over, after so many years of making his fans dream. After he finished speaking, another person came up and did the same. Then another. It went on for about an hour, but Nathan never got tired of it. During the viewing of that movie, all the tears he held back with his silly jokes flowed out of his body. He felt relieved to be alone in the room, so that he didn't have to think about another funny bit to keep his cover intact.
That night, Nathan died. But Thunder Grizzly was still there. On video. On television. But most of all, in the heart of all his fans.
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