Perspectives from the Food Court V:
The Final Perspective
by Jason "BoneparteOzaki" Bertovich
©2000 by Jason Bertovich and Matthew Atanian
Boy Scouts ½ created by Matthew Atanian
The Final Perspective
by Jason "BoneparteOzaki" Bertovich
©2000 by Jason Bertovich and Matthew Atanian
Boy Scouts ½ created by Matthew Atanian
Author's Notes, part I:
Welcome Perspectives readers, BoneparteOzaki here with the some Notes for you all…
Welcome to the final installment of the Boy Scouts ½ spin-off series Perspectives from the Food Court. Before I begin, I must take the time to thank anyone who took the time to read these short stories and to those who actually enjoyed them (little joke…~_^) It has been an extremely satisfying experience as an author to stretch myself a little as a writer and it has given me ideas to use in future works.
Thanks also go out to Matt who gave me the opportunity to intrude into his domain and not simply saying “This is my smegging series, go to smegging hell you smegging smeg-head!”
Okay, as I said before, this is the final installment of Perspectives. This one is different than the others as it is written in a 4 act structure. Just thought I let you know that ahead of time. Okay, On with the show…
Welcome to the final installment of the Boy Scouts ½ spin-off series Perspectives from the Food Court. Before I begin, I must take the time to thank anyone who took the time to read these short stories and to those who actually enjoyed them (little joke…~_^) It has been an extremely satisfying experience as an author to stretch myself a little as a writer and it has given me ideas to use in future works.
Thanks also go out to Matt who gave me the opportunity to intrude into his domain and not simply saying “This is my smegging series, go to smegging hell you smegging smeg-head!”
Okay, as I said before, this is the final installment of Perspectives. This one is different than the others as it is written in a 4 act structure. Just thought I let you know that ahead of time. Okay, On with the show…
Act the First:
“The Fantastic Reality about the Goddess Fenira”
The room was dark. Very dark. And cold. It was very, very cold. Fenira shivered slightly. The only small source of light in this cold room was a small shaft focused on the steel folding chair that Fenira was sitting on.
Fenira looked around to her surroundings. From the little light she had, she could make out that the room wasn’t furnished and she looked to be the only one there. At least she thought she was the only one there.
Comfortable?
Fenira jerked her head around at the intrusion. “Who said that!?!”
I did.
“Who’s ‘I?’” Fenira asked nervously.
I’m the one who’s asking you if you’re comfortable.
Fenira again looked around. She could not see anyone else in the room with her. “Where are you? Are you here?” Fenira asked growing more nervous of her situation.
In a matter of speaking, yes. I’m sort of here. For all purposes, you can think of me as being here.
Fenira began to dislike this situation even more. Being here was bad enough, but being here with some weird… Fenira stretched for a word to fit her concept… this presence was even worse. “Why am I here?” Fenira asked.
Well, where were you before you were here?
Fenira thought for a moment. “Well, I remember being in another room with John and Jason…” Fenira paused. “John and Jason! Where are they?!?” Fenira shouted.
Your friends are fine.
“But where are they?” Fenira insisted.
Is that really important?
“Yes! I think It’s VERY important!” Fenira shouted.
*sigh* They have their own sessions to deal with, as you do here and now. Is that sufficient?
“Not really.” Fenira replied sarcastically.
Needless to say, you’ll be reunited with them soon. Your reunion will be quicker if we stop wasting time on pointless matters.
“I don’t think it’s pointless.” Fenira shot back.
Can we please get on with this? I have things to do too, ya know. Now, you were saying something about being with John and Jason?
Fenira glared back at the darkness, but finally realized that her question would not be answered and that she would have to continue on. “I was in a room like this with John and Jason. I remember… something…” Fenira paused and struggled with the thought.
Yes…?
“I remember… I…” Fenira furrowed her brow in concentration. “Jason!” Fenira shouted suddenly.
What about Mr. Bertovich?
“His hands… his hands…” Fenira thought harder. “His hands were…they were…BLOODY! That’s it! His hands were covered in blood!” Fenira was then struck with a new thought. “Why would his hands be covered in blood?!?” The darkness was silent. Fenira looked around. “Hey! I asked you a question! Why were Jason’s hands covered in blood!”
The darkness was silent. A few moments passed.
Tell me about Mr. Hoelscher.
“Why didn’t you answer my question? I want to know!” Fenira shot back.
Tell me about Mr. Hoelscher.
“Oh, so now you want to change the subject?!? Dammit! I want an answer first!” Fenira shouted.
Tell me about Mr. Hoelscher.
Fenira sighed. This was getting her nowhere. She began to calm herself. “John? Well, he was…” Fenira thought back. “John didn’t really do much of anything. Neither did Jason for that matter. We just sat there.”
Oh…?
“We just sat in a circle. Then…” Fenira thought hard again. “Then…Then I was here. How did I get here?”
And before the three of you were together, how did you get there?
Fenira was struck dumb by her question being answered with another question. “How did I get there? Well I…I…I don’t know. I remember Ty and then…” Fenira paused and suddenly choked up. “Oh…God!…” Fenira felt a stream of cold tears running down her face.
Hmmm…I see. Maybe we should start at the beginning. That is the whole purpose of why I brought you here.
“Wha…?” Fenira queried between sniffles.
I said we should start at the beginning. Now, I want you to answer all my questions honestly and we’ll be done with this in no time. Understand?
Fenira nodded and hoped that this ordeal would be over and done with. “Okay…”
Ah…excellent. Where to start? I guess I should begin with your name.
“Fenny Lin.” Fenira answered. Immediately, pain seared her tear stained face as an invisible hand had seemingly “bitch-slapped” her.
Now, now. Tsk, tsk. What did I say about answering the questions honestly?
Fenira was struck dumb again. The shock of the hit had stunned her, but not because it hurt terribly, but it had come from an invisible source.
“Fenira.” Fenira answered back nervously.
See? That wasn’t so hard, now was it? And where do you work?
“Fil…” Fenira caught herself. “Goddess for The Divine Agency.”
Oh? And what do you do there?
Fenira was silent. She looked down at her knees and then clenched her hands in each other. A fresh tear rolled down her face. Suddenly, she jerked in pain as she was struck again by the invisible hand.
I don’t like doing that. Now, please answer the question.
“I relieve suffering.” Fenira answered blankly. She braced herself for another blow.
You relieve suffering? Hmmm…yes, I guess that is a fair description of your occupation. You seem nervous. I told you, you will only be punished if you are not honest. Now, tell me, what do you recall of the events that led you to be here tonight?
“Do I have to?” Fenira asked, but it sounded more like a plea for mercy. Her answer came in the form of another harsh blow to her cheek causing her to fall from her chair. She broke into a fresh weeping spell.
Now, now, this will not do. We can’t have you lying here crying. It will ruin your pretty face. Now, please sit back down and tell me about you and Mr. Ty.
Fenira looked up from the floor. “How do you know about Ty?”
Oh, I know many things. Many, many things. But we’re not here to talk about me. Besides, I’m oh so dull. It’s you I’m more interested in. Now, please tell me about the events of the last couple days. After that, you can join your friends Jason and John. Would you like that?
Fenira nodded shakily and took her seat. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up to the ceiling for no reason. “It was such a crazy couple of days. The whole universe seemed to have come undone at the seams. I guess it was Thursday that it all began…”
Thursday…
Fenny Lin sat in her apartment reading a book. It was one of those rare days off. She looked over her meager belongings scattered over her place. As a Goddess she could wish for anything she could ever want and live anywhere she ever wanted. However, Fenny felt more content now than she had felt in centuries.
What she had here in this single space apartment, as meager and as little as it was, it was hers. She bought it with her money that she earned from her department store job. She purchased these things and crammed them in her little living space.
She was covered by an odd sense. She actually, almost, maybe, felt Mortal. It was odd. Fenny wasn’t sure, but she thought she liked it. She could see how Mortals got some sort of satisfaction out of this meager existence.
Today, for example, was her day off. If she was still hanging at the central office, she would lounge around, like she did every day, and this day would add to nought. But this day was to be savored and enjoyed. She looked back at her book. Poetry by Keats and Blake. Fenny smiled and returned to her book. “And they seemed like such normal lads when I met then oh so long ago… shame about that poor Keats boy…” Fenny mused to herself and delved herself back into the literature.
A moment later, the tranquillity was broken by a phone ringing. Fenny sighed and rolled her eyes. She wiggled her fingers and the phone floated from its place on her coffee table and into her hand. She may have felt mortal, but there were still advantages to being a goddess…
“Hello, The Bouncy One speaking.” Fenny spoke into the receiver.
“Um…er….Hi, Fenny.” The voice replied.
“Jason honey! How ya been? The big date’s tomorrow night right? Got anything special planned?”
“Well….actually…er…no. I haven’t given it much thought.” Jason answered.
“Well, I heard good things about this new Sushi Bar in Northampton. Supposedly very authentic and they even have the karaoke and everything.” Fenny chattered as she looked back down at her book.
“Sushi bar? Actually, that might be perfect! She’s part Japanese!” Jason exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh really?” Fenny asked. Of course this was not really a coincidence. She knew all along about Jason’s new love. But she played dumb.
“This could be cool. Though…um…I’ve never had sushi before…” Jason answered.
“It’s pretty good. Personally, I’m more of a ramen person myself, though. It sounds like you two will have a good time. Glad I could be of some help, Romeo.”
“Fenny wait! Don’t hang up yet. There wasn’t a reason why I called!” Jason interrupted, thinking that Fenny was about to hang up.
“Oh? This wasn’t about my famous romance advice?” Fenny asked.
“Fenny,” Jason began, much more serious, “have you heard from John these last few days?” Jason asked this with a concerned tone.
“Um…no. I haven’t actually.” Fenny answered.
“You haven’t seen him even at work?” Jason asked.
“No…I can’t recall seeing him there, but then again, we work in different departments.”
“Damn.” Jason moaned silently.
“Whats’ wrong?” Fenny asked.
“Well, He said that he wanted to talk to me a couple of days ago. But now I can’t find him. I stopped by his apartment, and it looks like no one’s been home for a few days. The newspapers have accumulated. I’m very worried. No one seems to know where he is,” Jason explained.
“That is weird. Tell you what, I’ll keep an ear to the ground. If he comes my way I’ll let him know to let you know that’s he’s fine.”
“I guess that’s all I can do right now. I’d hate to think that he was in trouble of any kind,” Jason agreed.
“Keep in touch and let me know if anything comes up.”
“Will do. Wish me luck for tomorrow,” Jason requested.
“Knock her socks off. Later,” Fenny obliged and then pushed the off button. Fenny put the phone down and looked down at her book. She placed a bookmark in her place, something about a Grecian Urn, and closed it. She placed the book at the foot of the chair she was relaxing in.
Fenny placed her hands to her temples and concentrated. (Putting her hands to her temples was purely non-effective, but it made her feel better as it was traditional.) She began searching for John through his emotions. She was having trouble pinning him down.
Finally, something faint came to her. Fenny was immediately flooded by a tidal wave of emotion all at once. Pain, Fear, Jealousy, Anger, but something even darker loomed at the center of this tornado…The desire for destruction. Fenny gasped as she broke herself away from the flood. John was far away, wherever he was. He was facing this alone and no one could help him. Help him from himself.
“Oh John…” Fenny mentally took a step back, “I never knew what you really had inside. Why didn’t I see it before? Was this dark emotion so buried that it hid itself even from me?” Fenny asked aloud. A moment later her question and train of thought were answered and interrupted by a knock on her apartment door.
Fenny walked over to the door and peeked through the peep-hole. Through the tiny hole and saw a average built gentleman wearing black sunglasses, a black trenchcoat, complete with black gloves. He smirked at the door as he stroked his goatee and brushed his gloved hand through his scruffy hair. In his other hand was a black fedora. He looked straight at the peephole and grinned.
Fenny lurched back in shock and let out a small ‘eep.’ She slowly backed away from the door taking slow steps backward. How did THEY find me?!? Did my sisters tell them?!? No! They wouldn’t betray me like that to send one of THOSE guys after me! I gotta think! Fenny thought frantically.
Through the door a voice called out. “Fenira…” Fenny let out another ‘eep.’ The voice continued, “Fenira, would you be so kind as to allow me in? I really must have a word with you.”
Fenny began to panic. I’m gonna have to buy some time! “Um…There is no Fenira that lives here! Try another apartment!” Fenny shouted back.
Outside in the hall, the stranger shook his head and ‘tsk’ed’ to himself at the reply. “Fenira, Fenira, Fenira…what am I gonna do with you?” He asked himself.
Inside the apartment Fenny scrambled madly. She knew that all she bought was a minute at most as he was gonna come in whether she let him in or not. She looked over to the kitchen and inspiration struck. She moved her hand toward the kitchen and a cabinet opened and a metal cookie sheet flew across the room into her hands. She smiled evilly. Come on in, you bastard…I got a surprise for ya!
A moment later, the stranger complied with her wish as he began to walk through the door, or rather, he phased himself through as one would walk through air. He looked around the apartment for a moment and then saw Fenny bring down the metal cookie sheet down on his head.
The stranger stumbled back a moment as he dropped his hat and He staggered a moment and looked at Fenny. “What the…?” was all the stranger got out before Fenny brought the cookie sheet down on him again and dented it nicely. His sunglasses fell off and the stranger fell face forward to her hardwood floor.
Fenny dropped the sheet and breathed a sigh of relief. “Sweet dreams demon.” Fenny then grabbed his arms and slowly dragged him from the floor to a chair…
An Hour later…
A “Wake up!” followed by a glass of ice cold water brought the stranger out of his nap. He shook his head and water sprayed like a dog shaking himself after a bath. Fenny put the empty glass on the table and then sat down on the edge of the same table and looked straight ahead at the stranger. She finally got a good look at him without his glasses. His eyes were yellow and slit like a cat’s. His mouth also had two small fangs peeking past his lips. Another interesting detail was that under the coat it didn’t really look like he was wearing much. He wasn’t naked, but he wasn’t wearing pants and a shirt per se, but rather it looked like a one piece black leotard that slightly shimmered.
The stranger tried to get his bearings. He looked down and then realized that he was tied to the chair. He smirked. “Please Fenira,” he started sarcastically, “couldn’t you have thought up something better than simply tying me up? You know that physical objects offer no boundaries to me.”
Fenny simply smirked back. “Oh really? Well, I’m not stopping you. Try.”
“Eh?”
“I said ‘try.’ Go ahead. Escape. I can’t stop you,” Fenny answered.
The stranger relaxed his body. A moment passed and he opened his eyes. He smiled and looked down. Then he frowned. He was still tied. He closed his eyes again and relaxed his body. He opened his eyes and looked down. He frowned even more. Fenny could see that he was beginning to panic.
“I don’t think you can, can you?” Fenny asked seriously. “I know all about you demons and your limitations. Yes, it’s true that you simply pass through physical objects with so much a thought, BUT… it doesn’t work when you’ve worn yourself out, now does it?” Fenira grinned.
The stranger could feel the perspiration form on his brow. She was right. He had drained all his energy in phasing through the door, and the two blows to the head earlier didn’t help matters much either. “So…now what?” Was all the stranger could think to say.
“Now? Now you tell me why you’re here,” Fenny answered in a serious tone.
“The Agency sent me,” the stranger answered back.
“And why did the Agency find it necessary to send one of its ‘search demons’ after little old me?” Fenny asked.
The stranger grew a disgusted look on his face. “Oh come off it with the coy routine! You know damn well why I was sent!” the stranger angrily answered, “Unlike you, us ‘search demons’ actually do the job we’re supposed to do!” he added.
“Oh! So you wanna invade my place and then give me a superior attitude to boot!?!” Fenny shot back angrily.
“Oh! You’re one to act all indignant about this! Don’t forget that if you hadn’t gone against the rules, I wouldn’t even be here! I’m not the one who’s in the wrong here Fenira! Don’t forget that little fact.”
“Oh, I’m WRONG am I?!? Excuse me, but why am I suddenly so perverse in the eyes of the agency?!?” Fenny shouted.
“You want the list?!?” The stranger shouted back.
“LIST?!?”
“Well besides the basic crime of interfering with the mortals, there’s also the matter of impersonating a love goddess,” the stranger stated.
“How dare you! IMPERSONATING?!? I’m the best damn love goddess that this beleaguered little world has! Love isn’t something that you can have a detached antiseptic approach to! It requires a watchful eye, and a individual that cares,” Fenny responded to the charges.
“I agree one hundred percent, except there’s one problem.”
“What?!?” Fenny shouted.
“YOU’RE NOT A LOVE GODDESS!!!” the stranger screamed back with a vicious venom in his voice.
Fenny paused for a moment and then took a deep breath. “SO WHAT?!?” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“So what?!? So what?!? You have the gall to ask that question out loud?!?” the stranger shouted incredulously.
“Yes, I have the gall to ask that question out loud! Who cares if I wasn’t assigned to be a love goddess. So what?!? I’m doing the job now! That’s all that should matter now!” Fenny screamed.
The stranger tried to calm himself but felt his control slipping. “Oh! That’s all very nice and convenient for you isn’t it? Yes! Let’s have the world revolve about what Fenira wants! That’s all very grand!” The stranger shouted with a bitter sarcasm, but he wasn’t finished. “Yes, it would be very nice if the universe ran that way, but it don’t! While you’re off impersonating a love goddess. The job you’re supposed to be doing isn’t being done!” The stranger noticed that Fenny’s eyes shifted for a moment. “Oh! That’s right, you forgot about the old job, didn’t you? You remember your old job don’t you? A God…”
“My old job was to relieve suffering! That’s all I did! Nothing wrong with that!” Fenny interrupted defensively.
“Oh! ‘to relieve suffering.’ Is that the self-delusion that you’ve made for yourself?!? Such a nice little euphemism for what you used to do!”
“Shut up!” Fenny shouted.
“You can’t even face the fact of what you used to do, can you? That’s why you’ve done this! You can’t admit that you used to be a…”
“SHUT UP!!!” Fenny screamed placing her hands over her ears. “SHUT UP!!!”
“LOOK AT YOURSELF! YOU ARE AND ALWAY WILL BE…” the stranger screamed.
“SHUT UP!!!” Fenny screamed desperately.
“…a Goddess of Death,” the stranger finished. He then took a breath.
Fenny simply dropped to the floor on her knees and shook her head. A fresh stream of tears was falling down her face. Her dark hair fell in front of her face. A moment later a soft sob was uttered past her lips.
The shouting match was now over. The stranger sighed as he shifted in his chair. Fenny continued to stoop over on the floor. “I didn’t like doing that Fenira.”
“Just leave me alone. Please.” Was all Fenny could squeak.
“You know I can’t do that. I have to do my job.” The stranger responded. “and so do you.”
Fenny suddenly got the angry, bitter look back on her face as she looked over at the tied demon. “And what do you know about my job?!? Do you really have any FUCKING idea what my job is like?!? DO YOU?!?” Fenny shouted as she knocked the glass off the table, causing it to fall and smash into shards. Fenny stared at the stranger with a cold harsh look. Her eyes grew gray and hollow as she continued to stare, causing the stranger to shift uncomfortably in his chair.
“You think it’s all so easy, don’t you?” Fenny asked rhetorically. “They tell you, ‘Oh, for the rest of eternity, you do this.’ And then you’re supposed to go around doing your job with no emotion behind it.” Fenny looked up and breathed deeply, “It ain’t that simple anymore. I couldn’t stand it. Being a Goddess of Death isn’t so detached.”
“You relieve people’s suffering. There’s nothing wrong with that. You said it yourself,” the stranger spoke out.
“That reasoning only takes you so far. Yes, I relieve suffering. When an old man who clings to life begs to die, I’m a godsend. But what about everything else?!? What about the atrocities of war and plague?!? Every time they happen, I have to be there! I have had to watch millions of normal people and children die in agony! I’ve been the one they’ve cursed as an evil being! I couldn’t stand it! I can’t stand it! I won’t stand it!!!” Fenny shouted in a fresh tirade and tears.
“That’s why you did it didn’t you? It wasn’t to be insubordinate. It was to make amends to the universe for your part in life’s cycle?”
“A goddess of death only brings pain and suffering wherever she roams. A goddess of love brings about happiness and joy…and yes, even the chance for new life. Is that so wrong?!?” Fenny asked.
The stranger softened for a moment. “No. No, it’s not wrong at all. In fact, I actually understand.”
“You do?”
“Don’t be surprised. We’ve all have our crosses to bear. Being a goddess and being a demon isn’t so different,” the stranger answered.
“How?” Fenny queried.
“It’s all about following orders with complete detachment. Sometimes, I just can’t keep that detachment. I always thought there was something wrong with me. There are some things in this job that make my blood run colder than it already is,” the stranger answered.
Fenny wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at the stranger clearly. She saw that he was actually being sincere, or doing a damn fine job faking it. “What kind of things?”
The stranger’s eyes shifted. “I don’t like talking about it. A lot of my cohorts would love telling you, but I’m not like that…”
Fenny looked hard and gave him a scrutinizing look. “I actually believe you.” She motioned her arms and the ropes disappeared. The stranger looked down in disbelief and then stood up to stretch his arms.
“Why?” the stranger asked.
“Even if your eyes are yellow and cat-like, they can’t hide emotion. You’re being sincere, I feel it,” Fenny pointed to her chest, “here.”
“Thank you,” the stranger replied and then rubbed his head and winced. “Still wish you hadn’t hit me so hard.”
“Sorry, but I had to cover my bases. Nothing personal,” Fenny apologized. Then she turned serious again. “So now where do we stand?”
The stranger turned serious as well. “Well, I was supposed to tell you that you must return to the agency.”
“Or what?” Fenny asked cautiously.
“Termination,” the stranger stated quietly.
“From the agency?” Fenny queried, feeling a nauseous feeling grow in the pit of her stomach.
“No,” the stranger answered giving her a look that told her exactly what she already knew.
Fenny felt the strength give out in her legs again and she shakily took a seat on the chair by the table. She placed her hand on her forehead. “Fuck,” was all she could manage to mumble then she looked at the stranger and mumbled out, “They’re really serious aren’t they?”
The stranger took the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down. He looked straight at Fenny and nodded his head then he did something that surprised her. He took her hand into his. “They’re very serious.”
Fenny deepened the frown on her face. She then waived her arms and a bottle of scotch and two glasses materialized on the table. She took the bottle and poured two half glassed of scotch and took one. “Join me. I need a drink and I don’t drink alone.”
The stranger complied and took a glass. Fenny held her glass out and toasted, “Here’s to being fucked.” And then guzzled the amber liquid. The stranger took a sip and put down the glass.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” the stranger spoke while looking at Fenny.
Fenny refilled her glass and gulped down another. “Huh?” she mumbled while refilling for a third glass.
“You do have a chance for escape. If you leave here and go away, far away, and if you keep a low profile, the agency may not find you. Of course by low profile, I mean that you couldn’t use any of your powers,” the stranger clarified.
“Yeah right,” Fenny shot back nonchalantly. “Like I can suddenly disappear without a trace and the Agency wouldn’t find me. What about you?”
“You can disappear, if I never found you in the first place.” The stranger smirked.
Fenny did a spit-take with her fourth glass of scotch when she heard this. “Excuse me?!?”
“I’ll tell them that you left town before I could confront you. I’ll volunteer to search for you. After a few months, I’ll report that you’ve disappeared without a trace. You could then lead a ‘normal’ life. Though you would really have to live like a mortal, no powers whatsoever. No materializing material goods. No scanning emotions. No nothing. The first time you did that, they’d sense you in an instant. Your guard would always have to be up. You would probably have to change your appearance as well,” the stranger answered back in such a dead-seriousness that Fenny could believe his sincerity.
“But why? Why help me escape the Agency? Especially with such a high risk to yourself? If they discovered your deception, then you’d be on their bad list too,” Fenny asked, concerned.
The stranger shifted his eyes again and then closed them. He rubbed his eyes and bridge of his nose with his one hand and frowned slightly. He appeared to be thinking hard about something. He then opened his eyes and stared again at Fenny. “I have my own amends with the universe I must make.” Then he picked up the glass and gulped down the rest of his first glass. He then grabbed the bottle and poured himself his second and Fenny’s fifth. He then sipped it and continued, “Time is short. If this is to work, there can be no delays.”
Fenny nodded in agreement and put down her unfinished scotch. She got up from the table and stretched her arms. “Thank you. You’re willing to do all this for me and put yourself in such high risk and…” she paused, “I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Ty.” The stranger answered.
“That’s an interesting name.” Fenny replied.
“Not really. They gave all us demons short names. It’s easier for them to remember us then.” Ty grinned sardonically. Fenny grinned back.
“Well, Thank you, Ty.” Fenny said softly. She then kissed him lightly on the cheek, causing the pale demon to blush slightly.
Now seeing that this was an extremely interesting turn of events and things are finally starting to make a turn for the better, the universe decided that it was time for things to turn for the worse. By ‘for the worse,’ it means that at that exact moment, the front door of Fenny’s apartment collapsed as a large black trench-coat clad man kicked it down. Behind him, four more people walked in. All dressed in black, like Ty, there were four male demons of various height and weight, and one female demon with long black hair tied in a single pig-tail. Their black designer sunglasses might of concealed their eyes, but Fenny knew that they were demons just like Ty.
Fenny turned angrily to Ty, “You bastard! You were setting me up!!!”
Ty shook his head viciously, “I didn’t! I swear!”
The apparent leader, a tall lanky demon with short hair and a thick five o’clock shadow stepped forward. “No, No Fenira. He’s actually telling the truth. He didn’t even know we were here.”
The female demon stepped forward. “You can understand then, why we’re so disappointed in him. Helping a fugitive is very serious business.”
The leader stuck his hand out to shush the female demon. “Enough, Shi!”
“Sorry, Gez,” the female demon named Shi said as she did an apologetic bow and stepped back.
“Well, well, well, Ty. I must say that you surprise me. You were willing to betray both the Agency and our honor for a simple goddess. Tsk Tsk,” Gez started.
Ty stepped forward, “I didn’t do it just for her. I did it because it’s time that someone stopped blindly following orders and thought for themselves for a change! Just because she did that, is that any reason to destroy her?!?”
Gez lightly clapped his hands and looked to the others. They followed suit and they too began to quietly clap. “Bravo, Ty. I always thought that you we’re an impetuous, stupid fool. However, having heard you speak so eloquently, I realize that I was right.”
Ty sneered at the comment as did Fenny. Ty then straightened up and started to speak again. “I may be a fool, but…”
However as he began to speak, Gez turned around, smiled, and interrupted him. “As interesting as it is to listen to you pontificate about the virtues of independent thought, it matters not. You’re guilty of attempting to aid a fugitive goddess. That is punishable by non-existence. As for your goddess friend, she doesn’t appear to have any intention of changing her mind.” He then looked to his companions. “Kill them both.”
As he gave the order, from under their coats they pulls out what looked like semi-automatic nine millimeter handguns with laser-sights attached. Gez turned back to Ty and Fenny. “Goodbye.”
Fenny thought that this would be a good moment to speak out and buy some precious time, “Um excuse me? But how can you kill a goddess? I’m immortal. Guns don’t work.”
Gez smiled. “Oh these are special guns. Issued to us by the agency for when these types of circumstances arise.”
Fenny had a bad thought that bothered her. “The Agency gave you weapons for killing an immortal?!?”
“Oh yes their R&D is quite effective in those matters.” Gez replied.
“But…but…how? Why?” Fenny stammered while thinking of what reason would the divine agency need weapons.
“Oh, you’d be surprised what kind of technology arises when one immortal being needs to kill another immortal being.” Gez kept that same arrogant ‘Bond-villain’ smile the whole conversation which was starting to really bother Fenny. “Of course, I know exactly what you’re doing. You trying to stall us and are praying for some miracle to save you. Very boring Fenira, even for you.” He then pointed to the female demon Shi. “Shi, kill her first.”
“Gladly,” Shi said with a happy grin, like a child asked if they would like another piece of cake. She pointed the gun at Fenny and a red laser dot appeared on her chest.
The world seemed to move in slow motion. Shi began to slowly squeeze the trigger. Ty, even though he thought it was a futile and incredibly stupid thing to do, charged at Fenny and the pair stumbled toward a window. As the shot went off, Ty felt a burning sensation dig it’s way into the back of his shoulder and exiting the front barely missing Fenny’s face by centimeters. Of course that was a minor detail as the pair was now crashing through a window of a 7th story apartment and they were speeding toward the alley below.
Ty began to desperately hope that Fenny was preparing herself for the crash because if she wasn’t, then this was going to hurt like hell.
Fenny had gotten over the initial shock of both Ty’s stupid heroism and their flying out her apartment. She also realized that in a moment she was going to slam into hard pavement with Ty on top of her. She began to concentrate and then looked at Ty. His eyes were closed hard and he was squeezing tightly.
A moment passed and nothing. “Um, Ty?” Fenny spoke. Ty continued to hug tightly and kept his eyes closed. Fenny spoke again. “Um, Ty? You mind letting me go?”
Ty opened his eyes and looked. The pair were now floating a few inches above the pavement. Ty released his grip and slipped the last few inches to the concrete. Fenny corrected herself and looked around.
“You mind telling me when you’re going to do something that crazy ahead of time next time?” Fenny asked.
“Sorry. I was kinda running on instincts there.” Ty looked up and saw the shattered window. “You’ve got to get out of here! Quick, teleport away and lay low, I’ll delay them!”
Ty began to push Fenny out of the alley. “Hey! I’m not leaving you here like this! If you can’t escape a rope, there’s no way you can escape them!” Fenny shouted.
“There’s no time! I’m tying you down! Get out of here!” Ty shouted back.
“Not without you! Come on!” Fenny shouted as she grabbed Ty’s arm and pulled him down the alley. Ty winced in pain as she yanked on his arm. He felt a warm tingling sensation move all across his shoulder and arm.
In the apartment, Gez and Shi both blinked for a moment. After that, they looked at each other, then to their three companions. They all took turns looking at one another. After that, Gez decided to speak. “Get down there and stop them from getting away!!!!”
The three other demons ran out of the apartment and stomped down the hall and down the steps. Shi and Gez ran to the window, only to see Fenny and Ty exit the alley. Gez punched the wall in frustration and then he and Shi ran out the door like the other three.
Fenny slammed the door of her station wagon. Ty slid over to the passenger seat. Fenny then reached into her pockets and suddenly got a panicked look. She had forgotten her car keys in her apartment! “Oh… Screw it!” Fenny shouted and pointed to the ignition. The car started on its own and Fenny slammed the gas peddle and peeled away from the apartment complex.
A moment later, her back window shattered as shots rang out. Fenny ducked her head in hopes of avoiding the projectiles. In her rearview mirror she saw both Shi and Gez join their three companions. A moment later, she turned the corner and they were out of sight. She hit the gas harder and the car slowly accelerated faster. Fenny turned onto the road that led straight out of town.
At the apartment, Gez stomped his foot down angrily. “Dammit! We let them get away! If the Agency doesn’t get them, then they’ll settle for my ass!!! FUCK!!!”
“Don’t worry, Gez. We’ll get them. They can’t go forever, they’ll have to stop running eventually,” Shi consoled.
Gez gave her an incredulous look. But then he looked down at her and saw her smile. He lightened a little. Then he looked over to his cohorts and noticed that they were grinning. “Hey! Do you think that you could be any dumber?!? They’re getting away! Get after them Jackasses!” Gez shouted. The other three scrambled and ran back into another alley. Gez looked at Shi. “So hard to get good help these days.”
A few miles down the road. Fenny passed the sign that alerted drivers that they were entering Holyoke. Fenny breathed a small sigh of relief. Though she wasn’t out of danger just yet, she had managed to buy herself some precious time. Time that she could use to make a plan and escape. “That was a close one, but it will take them a few minutes to even start to give chase, plus they don’t know where we’re going, so technically, the advantage is ours.”
“Do even we know where we’re going?” Ty asked quietly.
“Well…Um…technically…no. BUT…At least we’re still alive, and that’s the important thing! Right?” Fenny asked Ty. A moment passed and Ty was silent. “Right?” Still silence. “Ty?” Fenny asked and looked over in his direction. “Ty!”
Ty was a shade paler than before and his eyes were starting to roll into the back of his head. He was gripping his shoulder as a yellowish liquid ran over his black hand. Fenny nearly swerved the car off the road before pulling herself together. “Ty! You’ve been shot!”
Ty giggled and groaned at the comment. “I think I already knew that Fenira, but thanks for informing me.”
“This is serious! You’re…um…bleeding?” Fenny stammered while Ty nodded at the assessment. “You’re bleeding and we can’t go into a hospital!”
“Told ya you should of left me behind,” Ty reprimanded.
“Don’t talk like that! It isn’t doing anyone any good! I just need to think, that’s all.” Fenny reprimanded back. She thought for a moment. Her eyes brightened and then she pointed to her steering wheel and clicker her fingers. The car began to steer itself down the road. Fenny then turned her attention to the back and started rooting around the back seat area. “Aha! I knew that this would be useful one day!” Fenny shouted as she pulled from the back a small first aid kit.
Fenny opened the kit and started by pulling out some gauze pads. She then helped Ty take off the coat which she threw in the back seat. Afterwards, she took a pair of pads and placed them over the entrance and exit wounds. Then she taped the pads in place. “Now keep applying pressure! It may not be much, but it will help stop the bleeding for now!” Fenny instructed. Ty weakly nodded. The car continued to roll down the highway.
As the evening approached and darkness settled, Fenny looked down and groaned. Ty continued to look at the scenery pass as the car went through the wooded highway. Fenny shook him to grab his attention. “Um…Ty? Problem. We’re almost out of gas.”
“Universe just won’t cut us a break, huh?” Ty joked. Fenny gave him a serious look informing him that she wasn’t in the mood. “Okay, okay, Let me think.” He paused and furrowed his pale brow. “Okay, here’s what we do. We’re going to take the car off the road down the highway and hide it. Then we’ll spend the night in the woods. If we’re lucky, we’ll be safe and they won’t detect us.”
Fenny thought for a moment and then pulled the car off the road. She then drove the car deeper into the woods as the darkness increased around them. She stopped the car and turned the engine off. “Okay, Let’s get to work!” Fenny stated.
The pair exited the car and began to pile fallen branches and dead leaves over the station wagon so to make it invisible to those looking at it far away. Then she reached in her back seat and pulled a couple of blankets, her first aid kit, and a flashlight from the glove compartment. Ty grabbed his coat. The pair looked at the car again and then set off into the woods as the sun finished setting.
A little while later, the pair found a cave cropping out from the side of a small hill. Fenny flashed her light inside and checked it out. She then motioned for Ty to follow her inside, which he did.
Fenny began by laying down the first blanket and then motioned for Ty to sit by her. Ty crawled over and slumped down on the first blanket. “Take off the coat.” Fenny instructed. Ty complied and tossed the coat aside. Fenny looked him over and assessed the situation. “Okay. Take off your shirt.”
Ty looked at Fenny for a moment. “It doesn’t come off.”
Fenny arched an eyebrow. “Are you telling me, that shiny black get-up is your actual body?” Ty nodded at the question.
“It’s a type of ethereal thing. The blood, too. It helps us manipulate matter and space.” Ty explained.
“That’s useful, though pretty damn weird.” Fenny replied.
“Well, we all can’t be blessed with Goddess powers, some of us have to get by with what we were given.” Ty pouted.
Fenny giggled and then motioned for him to come to her. She peeled the old bandages, which were soaked with crusted yellow, and she began to prepare a new dressing. She began by placing fresh pads on the wounds and then by wrapping layer after layer of gauze to keep pressure on the wound.
“How did you learn this?” Ty asked incredulously.
“A long while back, I posed as a WWII army field nurse. Some of it has remained useful,” Fenny answered. Ty nodded. Fenny finished the wrapping and Ty moved his arm slowly to test out his range of motion, which wasn’t much.
The pair sat there in the cave wrapped in the other blanket, with the flashlight being the only source of light anywhere. As thus the evening crawled with the pair twitching at every twig snapping and rustling of the leaves. Fenny decided to speak as they looked at the partially hidden moon out the entrance of the cave. “Wish I’d brought the scotch.”
“As soon as everything cools down, I’ll treat you at a bar somewhere.” Ty answered.
“And how are you going to pay?” Fenny inquired.
“Somehow. It’s a promise.” Was all he said in return. Fenny let it go and that and thus nuzzled up against him to preserve the warmth, for even though he was a demon, he was warm…
The Next Day, Friday…
“Wish we could’ve taken the car,” Fenny whined as she and Ty marched in the woods.
“Yeah, but without the keys we could only start it with magic. If we would’ve done that, we would’ve been caught in ten seconds time. Besides, it was out of gas,” Ty reasoned and he looked around the forest. “Besides, as long as we’re off the main roads, we’re safer.”
“Yeah, but we have no idea where we are. Or where were going for that matter,” Fenny complained.
“I know where we’re going,” Ty answered.
“Oh? Is that so?” Fenny asked, disbelieving.
Ty pointed to the small stream to their left. “We are following downstream, right?” Fenny nodded. “Okay, so what do we know about fresh water streams? They inevitably lead to some sort of civilization. We’ll follow it for a while and eventually we’ll come to a town or something. We’ll secure some transportation there and we’ll be off again,” Ty explained.
“I think you’re making it up as you go,” Fenny ribbed.
“No doubt. But we’re still alive and as long as we’re that, we’re in good hands,” Ty joked back.
And thus the pair marched down the stream in the woods. The day progressed from morning to noon, until dusk. And as night began to fall, Fenny was beginning to wonder if this stream was ever gonna lead to some sort of civilization. She also began to realize that she really took her goddess powers for granted. She looked over at Ty in the darkness and smiled slightly. She had only knew him a day, but she had already began to trust him unconditionally. She couldn’t quite explain it. Darkness grew and soon it was night and the stars came out. Fenny looked up.
“It’s very pretty out here. In the city you can’t see the stars very well,” Fenny said out loud.
“I remember when mortals used to think that the stars were deities,” Ty responded.
“I wouldn’t mind having my own star,” Fenny mused.
“You already are,” Ty answered.
“What?”
Ty turned to her as they walked. “Well, you’re bright…and warm,” Ty answered embarrassed.
Fenny giggled lightly. “Well, I guess there are worse things.”
Ty looked up and noticed the crescent in the sky. “I’m more like the moon. Cold and dead.”
Fenny looked up. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. The moon outshines all the stars in the sky. It’s special in it’s own right,” Fenny turned to Ty and smiled.
Ty took the thought and processed it. A moment later he nodded in approval. Then he took his arm and wrapped it around Fenny’s shoulders.
The pair continued to walk in the woods at night. Fenny felt the warmth from Ty’s arm and looked at his face. He was half-smiling and half-frowning. Like he was happy, but also felt guilty about his happiness.
“Ty…” Fenny began.
“Hey!!!” Ty shouted, thus interrupting Fenny. He pointed out a slight light in the distance. A clearing in the direction of the road. Ty started moving toward it. “Come on! Maybe it’s a good sign!”
“I hope so,” Fenny answered as she picked up her pace. It was a sign. A neon sign to be exact. A Starbuck’s Coffee sign to be even more exact. Fenny looked at Ty. Ty looked back. They shrugged their shoulders and walked inside.
The clean establishment was empty of customers. Of course, since there was a lack of customers, there was only one employee. A young plain faced girl wearing the traditional Starbuck’s uniform and working the counter. Ty motioned to Fenny that he was going over to a table, and he tried to hide his face and eyes from the counter girl, not that she would pay him much mind.
Fenny looked to the girl and smiled. She barely raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment. “Can I help you?” she asked, bored.
“Yes. Two mochachinos, extra sweet,” Fenny answered. Then she glanced at the clock and saw that it was 11:50 at night. They had been in the woods a lot longer than she realized. “Wow, it’s late.”
“Wow, you can tell time,” the girl replied monotonously. “Four bucks even.”
Fenny dug out four crumpled bills from her jeans pocket and laid them on the counter. She took her drinks to the corner table where Ty was waiting with his back to the counter.
“Nice girl,” Fenny said out loud.
“Well, if you had to work a Friday night in a coffeehouse, wouldn’t you be pissed?” Ty asked.
“Point.” Fenny replied and took a sip of her coffee. The hot creamy sweet liquid melted in her mouth and she savored it. Especially after the last couple days, she had she deserved this little pampering.
Ty drank his as well, though not as elaborately as Fenny. He watched Fenny take another sip and then close her eyes and savor the flavor. However, in the process she had gotten some cream on her nose which caused Ty to laugh out.
“What?” Fenny queried, wondering what was so funny. “What?!?” she shouted annoyed. Ty continued to laugh and pointed at his nose. Fenny grasped the idea and wiped her nose. After a moment of silence, they both began to laugh.
The tranquillity of the moment was ruined as at that moment, five people walked into the shop and waked to the counter. These five people caused Fenny to drop her coffee to the floor.
No, they didn’t physically walk up to Fenny and knock her drink to the ground, but they disturbed her so much that she became paralyzed with fear. Ty, at that point, too dropped his coffee. He grew a concerned look and turned around.
At the counter, the one called Shi spoke, “I can’t believe we’ve been out all day and not a trace of them, they couldn’t have gotten far. I mean…” Then she looked over and saw them. She then muttered an expletive and grabbed Gez’s arm and turned him around.
Fenny and Ty stood up, not knowing what else to do. The Starbuck’s girl mumbled something about all the weirdos that come in on her shift. The five demons all turned their attention to the two fugitives, not believing their incredible luck. They reached inside their coats and pulled out their guns, causing the Starbuck’s girl to scream in terror and duck under the counter.
Ty saw them point in their general direction. Ty then shoved Fenny to the ground hard as the hail of gunfire ripped into him like a storm. Bullet after bullet slammed into his body as yellow fluid began to ooze onto the floor. Loud explosions racked inside Fenny’s head as she watched Ty convulse and writhe as the shots tore through him. A moment later it was over.
In the silence, Fenny crawled over to the collapsed Ty who lay on the floor oozing his lifeforce everywhere. The other five dropped empty clips onto the stained floor and reached into their pockets for fresh ones.
“Ty! TY!! TYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!” Fenny screamed as he continued to jerk on the floor. Fenny rolled him on his back and laid his head in her lap. “Ty! You fool! Why do you always have to play the hero! Didn’t you know it was futile?!?” Fenny shouted with tears running down her face.
Ty turned his bloody face toward Fenny and began to gasp. “Fenira…” he managed out. “I need to tell you something…before I die…” he choked out.
Fenny tried to shush him but he shook his head and continued to grimace in pain as he continued to speak. “It’s…about your…sisters…” he started.
“My sisters?” Fenny asked.
“They we’re reprimanded…by the Agency…” Ty continued. “They were questioned… and tortured… until they told where you were. That’s… how I found you,” Ty explained in agony.
“Don’t think about that now! Please hang on to what you have left!” Fenny cried.
“No! I must tell… you everything. They refused to tell us where you were… at first… So… they executed Jordiko…” Ty gasped.
“Jordiko…?!?” Fenny shouted.
“After that…Sonyarina gave in and told us where you were…”
“And then what?!?” Fenny screamed.
“After that…they executed…her too. They shot them both in the back of the head. I was there,” Ty confessed.
“You were?!?”
“I saw…everything. And those five were there…too… They shot them. I helped you…because I couldn’t live with…what I done.” Ty grimaced in agony. Then he took Fenny’s hand into his yellow stained one. “Fenira…please…forgive…me…”
Having said that, Ty rolled his eyes into the back of his head and let the breath go out of his body. Fenny fell silent and closed her eyes.
Shi looked around at the sudden silence. “Boy, he sure hung in there didn’t he?” She smirked, causing the others to laugh lightly.
“Well Doll, It’s time to join your boyfriend,” Gez said as he locked his clip in place.
Fenny stood up and stared straight ahead at the quintet. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. He was someone who saw my nature and understood who I was. There were once two others who understood me, too. But now they’re gone, too. They’re all dead. They’re all dead. THEY’RE ALL DEAD!!! YOU KILLED THEM!!!” Fenny screamed at the top of her lungs.
Suddenly, the tables and chairs began to quake and rumble by some unknown force. The five demons looked around at the activity. Fenny stood there and stared at them.
“You killed the few people who actually understood me. You killed them without mercy and with no just reason.” The rumbling continued and grew slightly more violent. “Now…you will receive no mercy. No Mercy from the Goddess of DEATH!!!!” Fenny screamed as she slammed her fist down on a pair of tables.
Suddenly all five of the demons flew back from a force that knocked them off their feet and into the counter. They scrambled to get to their feet and watched in awe as something happened to the goddess.
Her skin grew pale. Beyond the normal pale however. This was ashen white. And from her eyes flowed two small streams of black tears that stained her face. Her hair turned even blacker than before. So black that it seemed to absorb light itself. Her clothes shredded themselves and she stood with her ashen pale nude body exposed. A pair of black raven wings extended from her back. A black and silver robe began to wrap itself around her waist and torso and breasts. And in her hands a sterling silver scythe appeared. A cold light radiated from her.
“Angela Morritere.” Fenira shouted. “The Angel of Death! The Reaper of lost souls. Now those who show no mercy will receive NO MERCY!!!” She shouted as she approached them.
The five demons looked at each other in frightened haze. They really weren’t expecting this! They did the only logical thing…They opened fire.
Bullet after bullet simply turned from her and continued their journey as if deflected by an unseen shield. The demons looked that their guns in shock.
“These things are supposed to kill GODS!!! What the fuck?!?” The slightly chubby demon shouted. A moment later he began to convulse and twitch. Fenira stood there and motioned her hand and closed it into a fist. A moment later the demon’s neck jerked violently and he collapsed to the floor.
The others looked at each other in horror. Gez continued to back away and Shi stood motionless. Fenira smiled evilly. She waved both her hands in a mirror fashion. The two unnamed demons started moving involuntarily and they faced each other. They each lifted their gun-hands toward each other. Fenira smiled even more. The two demons placed the barrels of their guns at each others foreheads.
“Bang,” Fenira whispered, and at that instant the two demons literally blew each others’ minds. Shi screamed in terror which drew Fenira’s attention. Fenira turned toward the quaking female demon. “I’m sorry, am I frightening you? If I remember correctly, you were supposed to be the funny one? Isn’t that right?” Fenira asked as she walked up to the paralyzed demon-girl.
Fenira lifted her head up by pushing her finger on her chin. “It’s not very funny to laugh about killing someone. Don’t you have a heart?” Fenira asked. Shi simply yammered in terror. “Why don’t we find out?” Fenira asked coyly. She backed away and raised the scythe high. Shi stood motionless and weeped like a infant. Fenira smiled even more and brought the scythe down. Shi screamed, but her scram was silenced a moment later when the scythe buried itself in her chest.
Then she yanked the tool from the dead demon’s body and turned to Gez who had resigned to cowering on the floor. She walked over to him and raised the scythe.
“What are you?!?” Gez shouted.
“Don’t you know? I’m now what you wanted me to be. Aren’t you glad?” Fenira asked and then brought the scythe down burying it between his eyes. A small stream of yellow began to flow from the wound and ran down his shocked face.
The interview room…
So you then killed them all swiftly and without mercy?
Fenira felt the warm tears run down her face. “Yes.” Was all she muttered.
And how did that make you feel?
Fenira closed her eyes and the tears that flowed down her face turned black. “It felt good,” she said quietly and without emotion.
I see. Well what a most interesting story Fenira. Thank you for your cooperation.
Having ‘said’ that, Fenira disappeared from the room and only the folding chair and shaft of light remained.
Fenira looked around to her surroundings. From the little light she had, she could make out that the room wasn’t furnished and she looked to be the only one there. At least she thought she was the only one there.
Comfortable?
Fenira jerked her head around at the intrusion. “Who said that!?!”
I did.
“Who’s ‘I?’” Fenira asked nervously.
I’m the one who’s asking you if you’re comfortable.
Fenira again looked around. She could not see anyone else in the room with her. “Where are you? Are you here?” Fenira asked growing more nervous of her situation.
In a matter of speaking, yes. I’m sort of here. For all purposes, you can think of me as being here.
Fenira began to dislike this situation even more. Being here was bad enough, but being here with some weird… Fenira stretched for a word to fit her concept… this presence was even worse. “Why am I here?” Fenira asked.
Well, where were you before you were here?
Fenira thought for a moment. “Well, I remember being in another room with John and Jason…” Fenira paused. “John and Jason! Where are they?!?” Fenira shouted.
Your friends are fine.
“But where are they?” Fenira insisted.
Is that really important?
“Yes! I think It’s VERY important!” Fenira shouted.
*sigh* They have their own sessions to deal with, as you do here and now. Is that sufficient?
“Not really.” Fenira replied sarcastically.
Needless to say, you’ll be reunited with them soon. Your reunion will be quicker if we stop wasting time on pointless matters.
“I don’t think it’s pointless.” Fenira shot back.
Can we please get on with this? I have things to do too, ya know. Now, you were saying something about being with John and Jason?
Fenira glared back at the darkness, but finally realized that her question would not be answered and that she would have to continue on. “I was in a room like this with John and Jason. I remember… something…” Fenira paused and struggled with the thought.
Yes…?
“I remember… I…” Fenira furrowed her brow in concentration. “Jason!” Fenira shouted suddenly.
What about Mr. Bertovich?
“His hands… his hands…” Fenira thought harder. “His hands were…they were…BLOODY! That’s it! His hands were covered in blood!” Fenira was then struck with a new thought. “Why would his hands be covered in blood?!?” The darkness was silent. Fenira looked around. “Hey! I asked you a question! Why were Jason’s hands covered in blood!”
The darkness was silent. A few moments passed.
Tell me about Mr. Hoelscher.
“Why didn’t you answer my question? I want to know!” Fenira shot back.
Tell me about Mr. Hoelscher.
“Oh, so now you want to change the subject?!? Dammit! I want an answer first!” Fenira shouted.
Tell me about Mr. Hoelscher.
Fenira sighed. This was getting her nowhere. She began to calm herself. “John? Well, he was…” Fenira thought back. “John didn’t really do much of anything. Neither did Jason for that matter. We just sat there.”
Oh…?
“We just sat in a circle. Then…” Fenira thought hard again. “Then…Then I was here. How did I get here?”
And before the three of you were together, how did you get there?
Fenira was struck dumb by her question being answered with another question. “How did I get there? Well I…I…I don’t know. I remember Ty and then…” Fenira paused and suddenly choked up. “Oh…God!…” Fenira felt a stream of cold tears running down her face.
Hmmm…I see. Maybe we should start at the beginning. That is the whole purpose of why I brought you here.
“Wha…?” Fenira queried between sniffles.
I said we should start at the beginning. Now, I want you to answer all my questions honestly and we’ll be done with this in no time. Understand?
Fenira nodded and hoped that this ordeal would be over and done with. “Okay…”
Ah…excellent. Where to start? I guess I should begin with your name.
“Fenny Lin.” Fenira answered. Immediately, pain seared her tear stained face as an invisible hand had seemingly “bitch-slapped” her.
Now, now. Tsk, tsk. What did I say about answering the questions honestly?
Fenira was struck dumb again. The shock of the hit had stunned her, but not because it hurt terribly, but it had come from an invisible source.
“Fenira.” Fenira answered back nervously.
See? That wasn’t so hard, now was it? And where do you work?
“Fil…” Fenira caught herself. “Goddess for The Divine Agency.”
Oh? And what do you do there?
Fenira was silent. She looked down at her knees and then clenched her hands in each other. A fresh tear rolled down her face. Suddenly, she jerked in pain as she was struck again by the invisible hand.
I don’t like doing that. Now, please answer the question.
“I relieve suffering.” Fenira answered blankly. She braced herself for another blow.
You relieve suffering? Hmmm…yes, I guess that is a fair description of your occupation. You seem nervous. I told you, you will only be punished if you are not honest. Now, tell me, what do you recall of the events that led you to be here tonight?
“Do I have to?” Fenira asked, but it sounded more like a plea for mercy. Her answer came in the form of another harsh blow to her cheek causing her to fall from her chair. She broke into a fresh weeping spell.
Now, now, this will not do. We can’t have you lying here crying. It will ruin your pretty face. Now, please sit back down and tell me about you and Mr. Ty.
Fenira looked up from the floor. “How do you know about Ty?”
Oh, I know many things. Many, many things. But we’re not here to talk about me. Besides, I’m oh so dull. It’s you I’m more interested in. Now, please tell me about the events of the last couple days. After that, you can join your friends Jason and John. Would you like that?
Fenira nodded shakily and took her seat. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up to the ceiling for no reason. “It was such a crazy couple of days. The whole universe seemed to have come undone at the seams. I guess it was Thursday that it all began…”
Thursday…
Fenny Lin sat in her apartment reading a book. It was one of those rare days off. She looked over her meager belongings scattered over her place. As a Goddess she could wish for anything she could ever want and live anywhere she ever wanted. However, Fenny felt more content now than she had felt in centuries.
What she had here in this single space apartment, as meager and as little as it was, it was hers. She bought it with her money that she earned from her department store job. She purchased these things and crammed them in her little living space.
She was covered by an odd sense. She actually, almost, maybe, felt Mortal. It was odd. Fenny wasn’t sure, but she thought she liked it. She could see how Mortals got some sort of satisfaction out of this meager existence.
Today, for example, was her day off. If she was still hanging at the central office, she would lounge around, like she did every day, and this day would add to nought. But this day was to be savored and enjoyed. She looked back at her book. Poetry by Keats and Blake. Fenny smiled and returned to her book. “And they seemed like such normal lads when I met then oh so long ago… shame about that poor Keats boy…” Fenny mused to herself and delved herself back into the literature.
A moment later, the tranquillity was broken by a phone ringing. Fenny sighed and rolled her eyes. She wiggled her fingers and the phone floated from its place on her coffee table and into her hand. She may have felt mortal, but there were still advantages to being a goddess…
“Hello, The Bouncy One speaking.” Fenny spoke into the receiver.
“Um…er….Hi, Fenny.” The voice replied.
“Jason honey! How ya been? The big date’s tomorrow night right? Got anything special planned?”
“Well….actually…er…no. I haven’t given it much thought.” Jason answered.
“Well, I heard good things about this new Sushi Bar in Northampton. Supposedly very authentic and they even have the karaoke and everything.” Fenny chattered as she looked back down at her book.
“Sushi bar? Actually, that might be perfect! She’s part Japanese!” Jason exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh really?” Fenny asked. Of course this was not really a coincidence. She knew all along about Jason’s new love. But she played dumb.
“This could be cool. Though…um…I’ve never had sushi before…” Jason answered.
“It’s pretty good. Personally, I’m more of a ramen person myself, though. It sounds like you two will have a good time. Glad I could be of some help, Romeo.”
“Fenny wait! Don’t hang up yet. There wasn’t a reason why I called!” Jason interrupted, thinking that Fenny was about to hang up.
“Oh? This wasn’t about my famous romance advice?” Fenny asked.
“Fenny,” Jason began, much more serious, “have you heard from John these last few days?” Jason asked this with a concerned tone.
“Um…no. I haven’t actually.” Fenny answered.
“You haven’t seen him even at work?” Jason asked.
“No…I can’t recall seeing him there, but then again, we work in different departments.”
“Damn.” Jason moaned silently.
“Whats’ wrong?” Fenny asked.
“Well, He said that he wanted to talk to me a couple of days ago. But now I can’t find him. I stopped by his apartment, and it looks like no one’s been home for a few days. The newspapers have accumulated. I’m very worried. No one seems to know where he is,” Jason explained.
“That is weird. Tell you what, I’ll keep an ear to the ground. If he comes my way I’ll let him know to let you know that’s he’s fine.”
“I guess that’s all I can do right now. I’d hate to think that he was in trouble of any kind,” Jason agreed.
“Keep in touch and let me know if anything comes up.”
“Will do. Wish me luck for tomorrow,” Jason requested.
“Knock her socks off. Later,” Fenny obliged and then pushed the off button. Fenny put the phone down and looked down at her book. She placed a bookmark in her place, something about a Grecian Urn, and closed it. She placed the book at the foot of the chair she was relaxing in.
Fenny placed her hands to her temples and concentrated. (Putting her hands to her temples was purely non-effective, but it made her feel better as it was traditional.) She began searching for John through his emotions. She was having trouble pinning him down.
Finally, something faint came to her. Fenny was immediately flooded by a tidal wave of emotion all at once. Pain, Fear, Jealousy, Anger, but something even darker loomed at the center of this tornado…The desire for destruction. Fenny gasped as she broke herself away from the flood. John was far away, wherever he was. He was facing this alone and no one could help him. Help him from himself.
“Oh John…” Fenny mentally took a step back, “I never knew what you really had inside. Why didn’t I see it before? Was this dark emotion so buried that it hid itself even from me?” Fenny asked aloud. A moment later her question and train of thought were answered and interrupted by a knock on her apartment door.
Fenny walked over to the door and peeked through the peep-hole. Through the tiny hole and saw a average built gentleman wearing black sunglasses, a black trenchcoat, complete with black gloves. He smirked at the door as he stroked his goatee and brushed his gloved hand through his scruffy hair. In his other hand was a black fedora. He looked straight at the peephole and grinned.
Fenny lurched back in shock and let out a small ‘eep.’ She slowly backed away from the door taking slow steps backward. How did THEY find me?!? Did my sisters tell them?!? No! They wouldn’t betray me like that to send one of THOSE guys after me! I gotta think! Fenny thought frantically.
Through the door a voice called out. “Fenira…” Fenny let out another ‘eep.’ The voice continued, “Fenira, would you be so kind as to allow me in? I really must have a word with you.”
Fenny began to panic. I’m gonna have to buy some time! “Um…There is no Fenira that lives here! Try another apartment!” Fenny shouted back.
Outside in the hall, the stranger shook his head and ‘tsk’ed’ to himself at the reply. “Fenira, Fenira, Fenira…what am I gonna do with you?” He asked himself.
Inside the apartment Fenny scrambled madly. She knew that all she bought was a minute at most as he was gonna come in whether she let him in or not. She looked over to the kitchen and inspiration struck. She moved her hand toward the kitchen and a cabinet opened and a metal cookie sheet flew across the room into her hands. She smiled evilly. Come on in, you bastard…I got a surprise for ya!
A moment later, the stranger complied with her wish as he began to walk through the door, or rather, he phased himself through as one would walk through air. He looked around the apartment for a moment and then saw Fenny bring down the metal cookie sheet down on his head.
The stranger stumbled back a moment as he dropped his hat and He staggered a moment and looked at Fenny. “What the…?” was all the stranger got out before Fenny brought the cookie sheet down on him again and dented it nicely. His sunglasses fell off and the stranger fell face forward to her hardwood floor.
Fenny dropped the sheet and breathed a sigh of relief. “Sweet dreams demon.” Fenny then grabbed his arms and slowly dragged him from the floor to a chair…
An Hour later…
A “Wake up!” followed by a glass of ice cold water brought the stranger out of his nap. He shook his head and water sprayed like a dog shaking himself after a bath. Fenny put the empty glass on the table and then sat down on the edge of the same table and looked straight ahead at the stranger. She finally got a good look at him without his glasses. His eyes were yellow and slit like a cat’s. His mouth also had two small fangs peeking past his lips. Another interesting detail was that under the coat it didn’t really look like he was wearing much. He wasn’t naked, but he wasn’t wearing pants and a shirt per se, but rather it looked like a one piece black leotard that slightly shimmered.
The stranger tried to get his bearings. He looked down and then realized that he was tied to the chair. He smirked. “Please Fenira,” he started sarcastically, “couldn’t you have thought up something better than simply tying me up? You know that physical objects offer no boundaries to me.”
Fenny simply smirked back. “Oh really? Well, I’m not stopping you. Try.”
“Eh?”
“I said ‘try.’ Go ahead. Escape. I can’t stop you,” Fenny answered.
The stranger relaxed his body. A moment passed and he opened his eyes. He smiled and looked down. Then he frowned. He was still tied. He closed his eyes again and relaxed his body. He opened his eyes and looked down. He frowned even more. Fenny could see that he was beginning to panic.
“I don’t think you can, can you?” Fenny asked seriously. “I know all about you demons and your limitations. Yes, it’s true that you simply pass through physical objects with so much a thought, BUT… it doesn’t work when you’ve worn yourself out, now does it?” Fenira grinned.
The stranger could feel the perspiration form on his brow. She was right. He had drained all his energy in phasing through the door, and the two blows to the head earlier didn’t help matters much either. “So…now what?” Was all the stranger could think to say.
“Now? Now you tell me why you’re here,” Fenny answered in a serious tone.
“The Agency sent me,” the stranger answered back.
“And why did the Agency find it necessary to send one of its ‘search demons’ after little old me?” Fenny asked.
The stranger grew a disgusted look on his face. “Oh come off it with the coy routine! You know damn well why I was sent!” the stranger angrily answered, “Unlike you, us ‘search demons’ actually do the job we’re supposed to do!” he added.
“Oh! So you wanna invade my place and then give me a superior attitude to boot!?!” Fenny shot back angrily.
“Oh! You’re one to act all indignant about this! Don’t forget that if you hadn’t gone against the rules, I wouldn’t even be here! I’m not the one who’s in the wrong here Fenira! Don’t forget that little fact.”
“Oh, I’m WRONG am I?!? Excuse me, but why am I suddenly so perverse in the eyes of the agency?!?” Fenny shouted.
“You want the list?!?” The stranger shouted back.
“LIST?!?”
“Well besides the basic crime of interfering with the mortals, there’s also the matter of impersonating a love goddess,” the stranger stated.
“How dare you! IMPERSONATING?!? I’m the best damn love goddess that this beleaguered little world has! Love isn’t something that you can have a detached antiseptic approach to! It requires a watchful eye, and a individual that cares,” Fenny responded to the charges.
“I agree one hundred percent, except there’s one problem.”
“What?!?” Fenny shouted.
“YOU’RE NOT A LOVE GODDESS!!!” the stranger screamed back with a vicious venom in his voice.
Fenny paused for a moment and then took a deep breath. “SO WHAT?!?” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“So what?!? So what?!? You have the gall to ask that question out loud?!?” the stranger shouted incredulously.
“Yes, I have the gall to ask that question out loud! Who cares if I wasn’t assigned to be a love goddess. So what?!? I’m doing the job now! That’s all that should matter now!” Fenny screamed.
The stranger tried to calm himself but felt his control slipping. “Oh! That’s all very nice and convenient for you isn’t it? Yes! Let’s have the world revolve about what Fenira wants! That’s all very grand!” The stranger shouted with a bitter sarcasm, but he wasn’t finished. “Yes, it would be very nice if the universe ran that way, but it don’t! While you’re off impersonating a love goddess. The job you’re supposed to be doing isn’t being done!” The stranger noticed that Fenny’s eyes shifted for a moment. “Oh! That’s right, you forgot about the old job, didn’t you? You remember your old job don’t you? A God…”
“My old job was to relieve suffering! That’s all I did! Nothing wrong with that!” Fenny interrupted defensively.
“Oh! ‘to relieve suffering.’ Is that the self-delusion that you’ve made for yourself?!? Such a nice little euphemism for what you used to do!”
“Shut up!” Fenny shouted.
“You can’t even face the fact of what you used to do, can you? That’s why you’ve done this! You can’t admit that you used to be a…”
“SHUT UP!!!” Fenny screamed placing her hands over her ears. “SHUT UP!!!”
“LOOK AT YOURSELF! YOU ARE AND ALWAY WILL BE…” the stranger screamed.
“SHUT UP!!!” Fenny screamed desperately.
“…a Goddess of Death,” the stranger finished. He then took a breath.
Fenny simply dropped to the floor on her knees and shook her head. A fresh stream of tears was falling down her face. Her dark hair fell in front of her face. A moment later a soft sob was uttered past her lips.
The shouting match was now over. The stranger sighed as he shifted in his chair. Fenny continued to stoop over on the floor. “I didn’t like doing that Fenira.”
“Just leave me alone. Please.” Was all Fenny could squeak.
“You know I can’t do that. I have to do my job.” The stranger responded. “and so do you.”
Fenny suddenly got the angry, bitter look back on her face as she looked over at the tied demon. “And what do you know about my job?!? Do you really have any FUCKING idea what my job is like?!? DO YOU?!?” Fenny shouted as she knocked the glass off the table, causing it to fall and smash into shards. Fenny stared at the stranger with a cold harsh look. Her eyes grew gray and hollow as she continued to stare, causing the stranger to shift uncomfortably in his chair.
“You think it’s all so easy, don’t you?” Fenny asked rhetorically. “They tell you, ‘Oh, for the rest of eternity, you do this.’ And then you’re supposed to go around doing your job with no emotion behind it.” Fenny looked up and breathed deeply, “It ain’t that simple anymore. I couldn’t stand it. Being a Goddess of Death isn’t so detached.”
“You relieve people’s suffering. There’s nothing wrong with that. You said it yourself,” the stranger spoke out.
“That reasoning only takes you so far. Yes, I relieve suffering. When an old man who clings to life begs to die, I’m a godsend. But what about everything else?!? What about the atrocities of war and plague?!? Every time they happen, I have to be there! I have had to watch millions of normal people and children die in agony! I’ve been the one they’ve cursed as an evil being! I couldn’t stand it! I can’t stand it! I won’t stand it!!!” Fenny shouted in a fresh tirade and tears.
“That’s why you did it didn’t you? It wasn’t to be insubordinate. It was to make amends to the universe for your part in life’s cycle?”
“A goddess of death only brings pain and suffering wherever she roams. A goddess of love brings about happiness and joy…and yes, even the chance for new life. Is that so wrong?!?” Fenny asked.
The stranger softened for a moment. “No. No, it’s not wrong at all. In fact, I actually understand.”
“You do?”
“Don’t be surprised. We’ve all have our crosses to bear. Being a goddess and being a demon isn’t so different,” the stranger answered.
“How?” Fenny queried.
“It’s all about following orders with complete detachment. Sometimes, I just can’t keep that detachment. I always thought there was something wrong with me. There are some things in this job that make my blood run colder than it already is,” the stranger answered.
Fenny wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at the stranger clearly. She saw that he was actually being sincere, or doing a damn fine job faking it. “What kind of things?”
The stranger’s eyes shifted. “I don’t like talking about it. A lot of my cohorts would love telling you, but I’m not like that…”
Fenny looked hard and gave him a scrutinizing look. “I actually believe you.” She motioned her arms and the ropes disappeared. The stranger looked down in disbelief and then stood up to stretch his arms.
“Why?” the stranger asked.
“Even if your eyes are yellow and cat-like, they can’t hide emotion. You’re being sincere, I feel it,” Fenny pointed to her chest, “here.”
“Thank you,” the stranger replied and then rubbed his head and winced. “Still wish you hadn’t hit me so hard.”
“Sorry, but I had to cover my bases. Nothing personal,” Fenny apologized. Then she turned serious again. “So now where do we stand?”
The stranger turned serious as well. “Well, I was supposed to tell you that you must return to the agency.”
“Or what?” Fenny asked cautiously.
“Termination,” the stranger stated quietly.
“From the agency?” Fenny queried, feeling a nauseous feeling grow in the pit of her stomach.
“No,” the stranger answered giving her a look that told her exactly what she already knew.
Fenny felt the strength give out in her legs again and she shakily took a seat on the chair by the table. She placed her hand on her forehead. “Fuck,” was all she could manage to mumble then she looked at the stranger and mumbled out, “They’re really serious aren’t they?”
The stranger took the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down. He looked straight at Fenny and nodded his head then he did something that surprised her. He took her hand into his. “They’re very serious.”
Fenny deepened the frown on her face. She then waived her arms and a bottle of scotch and two glasses materialized on the table. She took the bottle and poured two half glassed of scotch and took one. “Join me. I need a drink and I don’t drink alone.”
The stranger complied and took a glass. Fenny held her glass out and toasted, “Here’s to being fucked.” And then guzzled the amber liquid. The stranger took a sip and put down the glass.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” the stranger spoke while looking at Fenny.
Fenny refilled her glass and gulped down another. “Huh?” she mumbled while refilling for a third glass.
“You do have a chance for escape. If you leave here and go away, far away, and if you keep a low profile, the agency may not find you. Of course by low profile, I mean that you couldn’t use any of your powers,” the stranger clarified.
“Yeah right,” Fenny shot back nonchalantly. “Like I can suddenly disappear without a trace and the Agency wouldn’t find me. What about you?”
“You can disappear, if I never found you in the first place.” The stranger smirked.
Fenny did a spit-take with her fourth glass of scotch when she heard this. “Excuse me?!?”
“I’ll tell them that you left town before I could confront you. I’ll volunteer to search for you. After a few months, I’ll report that you’ve disappeared without a trace. You could then lead a ‘normal’ life. Though you would really have to live like a mortal, no powers whatsoever. No materializing material goods. No scanning emotions. No nothing. The first time you did that, they’d sense you in an instant. Your guard would always have to be up. You would probably have to change your appearance as well,” the stranger answered back in such a dead-seriousness that Fenny could believe his sincerity.
“But why? Why help me escape the Agency? Especially with such a high risk to yourself? If they discovered your deception, then you’d be on their bad list too,” Fenny asked, concerned.
The stranger shifted his eyes again and then closed them. He rubbed his eyes and bridge of his nose with his one hand and frowned slightly. He appeared to be thinking hard about something. He then opened his eyes and stared again at Fenny. “I have my own amends with the universe I must make.” Then he picked up the glass and gulped down the rest of his first glass. He then grabbed the bottle and poured himself his second and Fenny’s fifth. He then sipped it and continued, “Time is short. If this is to work, there can be no delays.”
Fenny nodded in agreement and put down her unfinished scotch. She got up from the table and stretched her arms. “Thank you. You’re willing to do all this for me and put yourself in such high risk and…” she paused, “I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Ty.” The stranger answered.
“That’s an interesting name.” Fenny replied.
“Not really. They gave all us demons short names. It’s easier for them to remember us then.” Ty grinned sardonically. Fenny grinned back.
“Well, Thank you, Ty.” Fenny said softly. She then kissed him lightly on the cheek, causing the pale demon to blush slightly.
Now seeing that this was an extremely interesting turn of events and things are finally starting to make a turn for the better, the universe decided that it was time for things to turn for the worse. By ‘for the worse,’ it means that at that exact moment, the front door of Fenny’s apartment collapsed as a large black trench-coat clad man kicked it down. Behind him, four more people walked in. All dressed in black, like Ty, there were four male demons of various height and weight, and one female demon with long black hair tied in a single pig-tail. Their black designer sunglasses might of concealed their eyes, but Fenny knew that they were demons just like Ty.
Fenny turned angrily to Ty, “You bastard! You were setting me up!!!”
Ty shook his head viciously, “I didn’t! I swear!”
The apparent leader, a tall lanky demon with short hair and a thick five o’clock shadow stepped forward. “No, No Fenira. He’s actually telling the truth. He didn’t even know we were here.”
The female demon stepped forward. “You can understand then, why we’re so disappointed in him. Helping a fugitive is very serious business.”
The leader stuck his hand out to shush the female demon. “Enough, Shi!”
“Sorry, Gez,” the female demon named Shi said as she did an apologetic bow and stepped back.
“Well, well, well, Ty. I must say that you surprise me. You were willing to betray both the Agency and our honor for a simple goddess. Tsk Tsk,” Gez started.
Ty stepped forward, “I didn’t do it just for her. I did it because it’s time that someone stopped blindly following orders and thought for themselves for a change! Just because she did that, is that any reason to destroy her?!?”
Gez lightly clapped his hands and looked to the others. They followed suit and they too began to quietly clap. “Bravo, Ty. I always thought that you we’re an impetuous, stupid fool. However, having heard you speak so eloquently, I realize that I was right.”
Ty sneered at the comment as did Fenny. Ty then straightened up and started to speak again. “I may be a fool, but…”
However as he began to speak, Gez turned around, smiled, and interrupted him. “As interesting as it is to listen to you pontificate about the virtues of independent thought, it matters not. You’re guilty of attempting to aid a fugitive goddess. That is punishable by non-existence. As for your goddess friend, she doesn’t appear to have any intention of changing her mind.” He then looked to his companions. “Kill them both.”
As he gave the order, from under their coats they pulls out what looked like semi-automatic nine millimeter handguns with laser-sights attached. Gez turned back to Ty and Fenny. “Goodbye.”
Fenny thought that this would be a good moment to speak out and buy some precious time, “Um excuse me? But how can you kill a goddess? I’m immortal. Guns don’t work.”
Gez smiled. “Oh these are special guns. Issued to us by the agency for when these types of circumstances arise.”
Fenny had a bad thought that bothered her. “The Agency gave you weapons for killing an immortal?!?”
“Oh yes their R&D is quite effective in those matters.” Gez replied.
“But…but…how? Why?” Fenny stammered while thinking of what reason would the divine agency need weapons.
“Oh, you’d be surprised what kind of technology arises when one immortal being needs to kill another immortal being.” Gez kept that same arrogant ‘Bond-villain’ smile the whole conversation which was starting to really bother Fenny. “Of course, I know exactly what you’re doing. You trying to stall us and are praying for some miracle to save you. Very boring Fenira, even for you.” He then pointed to the female demon Shi. “Shi, kill her first.”
“Gladly,” Shi said with a happy grin, like a child asked if they would like another piece of cake. She pointed the gun at Fenny and a red laser dot appeared on her chest.
The world seemed to move in slow motion. Shi began to slowly squeeze the trigger. Ty, even though he thought it was a futile and incredibly stupid thing to do, charged at Fenny and the pair stumbled toward a window. As the shot went off, Ty felt a burning sensation dig it’s way into the back of his shoulder and exiting the front barely missing Fenny’s face by centimeters. Of course that was a minor detail as the pair was now crashing through a window of a 7th story apartment and they were speeding toward the alley below.
Ty began to desperately hope that Fenny was preparing herself for the crash because if she wasn’t, then this was going to hurt like hell.
Fenny had gotten over the initial shock of both Ty’s stupid heroism and their flying out her apartment. She also realized that in a moment she was going to slam into hard pavement with Ty on top of her. She began to concentrate and then looked at Ty. His eyes were closed hard and he was squeezing tightly.
A moment passed and nothing. “Um, Ty?” Fenny spoke. Ty continued to hug tightly and kept his eyes closed. Fenny spoke again. “Um, Ty? You mind letting me go?”
Ty opened his eyes and looked. The pair were now floating a few inches above the pavement. Ty released his grip and slipped the last few inches to the concrete. Fenny corrected herself and looked around.
“You mind telling me when you’re going to do something that crazy ahead of time next time?” Fenny asked.
“Sorry. I was kinda running on instincts there.” Ty looked up and saw the shattered window. “You’ve got to get out of here! Quick, teleport away and lay low, I’ll delay them!”
Ty began to push Fenny out of the alley. “Hey! I’m not leaving you here like this! If you can’t escape a rope, there’s no way you can escape them!” Fenny shouted.
“There’s no time! I’m tying you down! Get out of here!” Ty shouted back.
“Not without you! Come on!” Fenny shouted as she grabbed Ty’s arm and pulled him down the alley. Ty winced in pain as she yanked on his arm. He felt a warm tingling sensation move all across his shoulder and arm.
In the apartment, Gez and Shi both blinked for a moment. After that, they looked at each other, then to their three companions. They all took turns looking at one another. After that, Gez decided to speak. “Get down there and stop them from getting away!!!!”
The three other demons ran out of the apartment and stomped down the hall and down the steps. Shi and Gez ran to the window, only to see Fenny and Ty exit the alley. Gez punched the wall in frustration and then he and Shi ran out the door like the other three.
Fenny slammed the door of her station wagon. Ty slid over to the passenger seat. Fenny then reached into her pockets and suddenly got a panicked look. She had forgotten her car keys in her apartment! “Oh… Screw it!” Fenny shouted and pointed to the ignition. The car started on its own and Fenny slammed the gas peddle and peeled away from the apartment complex.
A moment later, her back window shattered as shots rang out. Fenny ducked her head in hopes of avoiding the projectiles. In her rearview mirror she saw both Shi and Gez join their three companions. A moment later, she turned the corner and they were out of sight. She hit the gas harder and the car slowly accelerated faster. Fenny turned onto the road that led straight out of town.
At the apartment, Gez stomped his foot down angrily. “Dammit! We let them get away! If the Agency doesn’t get them, then they’ll settle for my ass!!! FUCK!!!”
“Don’t worry, Gez. We’ll get them. They can’t go forever, they’ll have to stop running eventually,” Shi consoled.
Gez gave her an incredulous look. But then he looked down at her and saw her smile. He lightened a little. Then he looked over to his cohorts and noticed that they were grinning. “Hey! Do you think that you could be any dumber?!? They’re getting away! Get after them Jackasses!” Gez shouted. The other three scrambled and ran back into another alley. Gez looked at Shi. “So hard to get good help these days.”
A few miles down the road. Fenny passed the sign that alerted drivers that they were entering Holyoke. Fenny breathed a small sigh of relief. Though she wasn’t out of danger just yet, she had managed to buy herself some precious time. Time that she could use to make a plan and escape. “That was a close one, but it will take them a few minutes to even start to give chase, plus they don’t know where we’re going, so technically, the advantage is ours.”
“Do even we know where we’re going?” Ty asked quietly.
“Well…Um…technically…no. BUT…At least we’re still alive, and that’s the important thing! Right?” Fenny asked Ty. A moment passed and Ty was silent. “Right?” Still silence. “Ty?” Fenny asked and looked over in his direction. “Ty!”
Ty was a shade paler than before and his eyes were starting to roll into the back of his head. He was gripping his shoulder as a yellowish liquid ran over his black hand. Fenny nearly swerved the car off the road before pulling herself together. “Ty! You’ve been shot!”
Ty giggled and groaned at the comment. “I think I already knew that Fenira, but thanks for informing me.”
“This is serious! You’re…um…bleeding?” Fenny stammered while Ty nodded at the assessment. “You’re bleeding and we can’t go into a hospital!”
“Told ya you should of left me behind,” Ty reprimanded.
“Don’t talk like that! It isn’t doing anyone any good! I just need to think, that’s all.” Fenny reprimanded back. She thought for a moment. Her eyes brightened and then she pointed to her steering wheel and clicker her fingers. The car began to steer itself down the road. Fenny then turned her attention to the back and started rooting around the back seat area. “Aha! I knew that this would be useful one day!” Fenny shouted as she pulled from the back a small first aid kit.
Fenny opened the kit and started by pulling out some gauze pads. She then helped Ty take off the coat which she threw in the back seat. Afterwards, she took a pair of pads and placed them over the entrance and exit wounds. Then she taped the pads in place. “Now keep applying pressure! It may not be much, but it will help stop the bleeding for now!” Fenny instructed. Ty weakly nodded. The car continued to roll down the highway.
As the evening approached and darkness settled, Fenny looked down and groaned. Ty continued to look at the scenery pass as the car went through the wooded highway. Fenny shook him to grab his attention. “Um…Ty? Problem. We’re almost out of gas.”
“Universe just won’t cut us a break, huh?” Ty joked. Fenny gave him a serious look informing him that she wasn’t in the mood. “Okay, okay, Let me think.” He paused and furrowed his pale brow. “Okay, here’s what we do. We’re going to take the car off the road down the highway and hide it. Then we’ll spend the night in the woods. If we’re lucky, we’ll be safe and they won’t detect us.”
Fenny thought for a moment and then pulled the car off the road. She then drove the car deeper into the woods as the darkness increased around them. She stopped the car and turned the engine off. “Okay, Let’s get to work!” Fenny stated.
The pair exited the car and began to pile fallen branches and dead leaves over the station wagon so to make it invisible to those looking at it far away. Then she reached in her back seat and pulled a couple of blankets, her first aid kit, and a flashlight from the glove compartment. Ty grabbed his coat. The pair looked at the car again and then set off into the woods as the sun finished setting.
A little while later, the pair found a cave cropping out from the side of a small hill. Fenny flashed her light inside and checked it out. She then motioned for Ty to follow her inside, which he did.
Fenny began by laying down the first blanket and then motioned for Ty to sit by her. Ty crawled over and slumped down on the first blanket. “Take off the coat.” Fenny instructed. Ty complied and tossed the coat aside. Fenny looked him over and assessed the situation. “Okay. Take off your shirt.”
Ty looked at Fenny for a moment. “It doesn’t come off.”
Fenny arched an eyebrow. “Are you telling me, that shiny black get-up is your actual body?” Ty nodded at the question.
“It’s a type of ethereal thing. The blood, too. It helps us manipulate matter and space.” Ty explained.
“That’s useful, though pretty damn weird.” Fenny replied.
“Well, we all can’t be blessed with Goddess powers, some of us have to get by with what we were given.” Ty pouted.
Fenny giggled and then motioned for him to come to her. She peeled the old bandages, which were soaked with crusted yellow, and she began to prepare a new dressing. She began by placing fresh pads on the wounds and then by wrapping layer after layer of gauze to keep pressure on the wound.
“How did you learn this?” Ty asked incredulously.
“A long while back, I posed as a WWII army field nurse. Some of it has remained useful,” Fenny answered. Ty nodded. Fenny finished the wrapping and Ty moved his arm slowly to test out his range of motion, which wasn’t much.
The pair sat there in the cave wrapped in the other blanket, with the flashlight being the only source of light anywhere. As thus the evening crawled with the pair twitching at every twig snapping and rustling of the leaves. Fenny decided to speak as they looked at the partially hidden moon out the entrance of the cave. “Wish I’d brought the scotch.”
“As soon as everything cools down, I’ll treat you at a bar somewhere.” Ty answered.
“And how are you going to pay?” Fenny inquired.
“Somehow. It’s a promise.” Was all he said in return. Fenny let it go and that and thus nuzzled up against him to preserve the warmth, for even though he was a demon, he was warm…
The Next Day, Friday…
“Wish we could’ve taken the car,” Fenny whined as she and Ty marched in the woods.
“Yeah, but without the keys we could only start it with magic. If we would’ve done that, we would’ve been caught in ten seconds time. Besides, it was out of gas,” Ty reasoned and he looked around the forest. “Besides, as long as we’re off the main roads, we’re safer.”
“Yeah, but we have no idea where we are. Or where were going for that matter,” Fenny complained.
“I know where we’re going,” Ty answered.
“Oh? Is that so?” Fenny asked, disbelieving.
Ty pointed to the small stream to their left. “We are following downstream, right?” Fenny nodded. “Okay, so what do we know about fresh water streams? They inevitably lead to some sort of civilization. We’ll follow it for a while and eventually we’ll come to a town or something. We’ll secure some transportation there and we’ll be off again,” Ty explained.
“I think you’re making it up as you go,” Fenny ribbed.
“No doubt. But we’re still alive and as long as we’re that, we’re in good hands,” Ty joked back.
And thus the pair marched down the stream in the woods. The day progressed from morning to noon, until dusk. And as night began to fall, Fenny was beginning to wonder if this stream was ever gonna lead to some sort of civilization. She also began to realize that she really took her goddess powers for granted. She looked over at Ty in the darkness and smiled slightly. She had only knew him a day, but she had already began to trust him unconditionally. She couldn’t quite explain it. Darkness grew and soon it was night and the stars came out. Fenny looked up.
“It’s very pretty out here. In the city you can’t see the stars very well,” Fenny said out loud.
“I remember when mortals used to think that the stars were deities,” Ty responded.
“I wouldn’t mind having my own star,” Fenny mused.
“You already are,” Ty answered.
“What?”
Ty turned to her as they walked. “Well, you’re bright…and warm,” Ty answered embarrassed.
Fenny giggled lightly. “Well, I guess there are worse things.”
Ty looked up and noticed the crescent in the sky. “I’m more like the moon. Cold and dead.”
Fenny looked up. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. The moon outshines all the stars in the sky. It’s special in it’s own right,” Fenny turned to Ty and smiled.
Ty took the thought and processed it. A moment later he nodded in approval. Then he took his arm and wrapped it around Fenny’s shoulders.
The pair continued to walk in the woods at night. Fenny felt the warmth from Ty’s arm and looked at his face. He was half-smiling and half-frowning. Like he was happy, but also felt guilty about his happiness.
“Ty…” Fenny began.
“Hey!!!” Ty shouted, thus interrupting Fenny. He pointed out a slight light in the distance. A clearing in the direction of the road. Ty started moving toward it. “Come on! Maybe it’s a good sign!”
“I hope so,” Fenny answered as she picked up her pace. It was a sign. A neon sign to be exact. A Starbuck’s Coffee sign to be even more exact. Fenny looked at Ty. Ty looked back. They shrugged their shoulders and walked inside.
The clean establishment was empty of customers. Of course, since there was a lack of customers, there was only one employee. A young plain faced girl wearing the traditional Starbuck’s uniform and working the counter. Ty motioned to Fenny that he was going over to a table, and he tried to hide his face and eyes from the counter girl, not that she would pay him much mind.
Fenny looked to the girl and smiled. She barely raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment. “Can I help you?” she asked, bored.
“Yes. Two mochachinos, extra sweet,” Fenny answered. Then she glanced at the clock and saw that it was 11:50 at night. They had been in the woods a lot longer than she realized. “Wow, it’s late.”
“Wow, you can tell time,” the girl replied monotonously. “Four bucks even.”
Fenny dug out four crumpled bills from her jeans pocket and laid them on the counter. She took her drinks to the corner table where Ty was waiting with his back to the counter.
“Nice girl,” Fenny said out loud.
“Well, if you had to work a Friday night in a coffeehouse, wouldn’t you be pissed?” Ty asked.
“Point.” Fenny replied and took a sip of her coffee. The hot creamy sweet liquid melted in her mouth and she savored it. Especially after the last couple days, she had she deserved this little pampering.
Ty drank his as well, though not as elaborately as Fenny. He watched Fenny take another sip and then close her eyes and savor the flavor. However, in the process she had gotten some cream on her nose which caused Ty to laugh out.
“What?” Fenny queried, wondering what was so funny. “What?!?” she shouted annoyed. Ty continued to laugh and pointed at his nose. Fenny grasped the idea and wiped her nose. After a moment of silence, they both began to laugh.
The tranquillity of the moment was ruined as at that moment, five people walked into the shop and waked to the counter. These five people caused Fenny to drop her coffee to the floor.
No, they didn’t physically walk up to Fenny and knock her drink to the ground, but they disturbed her so much that she became paralyzed with fear. Ty, at that point, too dropped his coffee. He grew a concerned look and turned around.
At the counter, the one called Shi spoke, “I can’t believe we’ve been out all day and not a trace of them, they couldn’t have gotten far. I mean…” Then she looked over and saw them. She then muttered an expletive and grabbed Gez’s arm and turned him around.
Fenny and Ty stood up, not knowing what else to do. The Starbuck’s girl mumbled something about all the weirdos that come in on her shift. The five demons all turned their attention to the two fugitives, not believing their incredible luck. They reached inside their coats and pulled out their guns, causing the Starbuck’s girl to scream in terror and duck under the counter.
Ty saw them point in their general direction. Ty then shoved Fenny to the ground hard as the hail of gunfire ripped into him like a storm. Bullet after bullet slammed into his body as yellow fluid began to ooze onto the floor. Loud explosions racked inside Fenny’s head as she watched Ty convulse and writhe as the shots tore through him. A moment later it was over.
In the silence, Fenny crawled over to the collapsed Ty who lay on the floor oozing his lifeforce everywhere. The other five dropped empty clips onto the stained floor and reached into their pockets for fresh ones.
“Ty! TY!! TYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!” Fenny screamed as he continued to jerk on the floor. Fenny rolled him on his back and laid his head in her lap. “Ty! You fool! Why do you always have to play the hero! Didn’t you know it was futile?!?” Fenny shouted with tears running down her face.
Ty turned his bloody face toward Fenny and began to gasp. “Fenira…” he managed out. “I need to tell you something…before I die…” he choked out.
Fenny tried to shush him but he shook his head and continued to grimace in pain as he continued to speak. “It’s…about your…sisters…” he started.
“My sisters?” Fenny asked.
“They we’re reprimanded…by the Agency…” Ty continued. “They were questioned… and tortured… until they told where you were. That’s… how I found you,” Ty explained in agony.
“Don’t think about that now! Please hang on to what you have left!” Fenny cried.
“No! I must tell… you everything. They refused to tell us where you were… at first… So… they executed Jordiko…” Ty gasped.
“Jordiko…?!?” Fenny shouted.
“After that…Sonyarina gave in and told us where you were…”
“And then what?!?” Fenny screamed.
“After that…they executed…her too. They shot them both in the back of the head. I was there,” Ty confessed.
“You were?!?”
“I saw…everything. And those five were there…too… They shot them. I helped you…because I couldn’t live with…what I done.” Ty grimaced in agony. Then he took Fenny’s hand into his yellow stained one. “Fenira…please…forgive…me…”
Having said that, Ty rolled his eyes into the back of his head and let the breath go out of his body. Fenny fell silent and closed her eyes.
Shi looked around at the sudden silence. “Boy, he sure hung in there didn’t he?” She smirked, causing the others to laugh lightly.
“Well Doll, It’s time to join your boyfriend,” Gez said as he locked his clip in place.
Fenny stood up and stared straight ahead at the quintet. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. He was someone who saw my nature and understood who I was. There were once two others who understood me, too. But now they’re gone, too. They’re all dead. They’re all dead. THEY’RE ALL DEAD!!! YOU KILLED THEM!!!” Fenny screamed at the top of her lungs.
Suddenly, the tables and chairs began to quake and rumble by some unknown force. The five demons looked around at the activity. Fenny stood there and stared at them.
“You killed the few people who actually understood me. You killed them without mercy and with no just reason.” The rumbling continued and grew slightly more violent. “Now…you will receive no mercy. No Mercy from the Goddess of DEATH!!!!” Fenny screamed as she slammed her fist down on a pair of tables.
Suddenly all five of the demons flew back from a force that knocked them off their feet and into the counter. They scrambled to get to their feet and watched in awe as something happened to the goddess.
Her skin grew pale. Beyond the normal pale however. This was ashen white. And from her eyes flowed two small streams of black tears that stained her face. Her hair turned even blacker than before. So black that it seemed to absorb light itself. Her clothes shredded themselves and she stood with her ashen pale nude body exposed. A pair of black raven wings extended from her back. A black and silver robe began to wrap itself around her waist and torso and breasts. And in her hands a sterling silver scythe appeared. A cold light radiated from her.
“Angela Morritere.” Fenira shouted. “The Angel of Death! The Reaper of lost souls. Now those who show no mercy will receive NO MERCY!!!” She shouted as she approached them.
The five demons looked at each other in frightened haze. They really weren’t expecting this! They did the only logical thing…They opened fire.
Bullet after bullet simply turned from her and continued their journey as if deflected by an unseen shield. The demons looked that their guns in shock.
“These things are supposed to kill GODS!!! What the fuck?!?” The slightly chubby demon shouted. A moment later he began to convulse and twitch. Fenira stood there and motioned her hand and closed it into a fist. A moment later the demon’s neck jerked violently and he collapsed to the floor.
The others looked at each other in horror. Gez continued to back away and Shi stood motionless. Fenira smiled evilly. She waved both her hands in a mirror fashion. The two unnamed demons started moving involuntarily and they faced each other. They each lifted their gun-hands toward each other. Fenira smiled even more. The two demons placed the barrels of their guns at each others foreheads.
“Bang,” Fenira whispered, and at that instant the two demons literally blew each others’ minds. Shi screamed in terror which drew Fenira’s attention. Fenira turned toward the quaking female demon. “I’m sorry, am I frightening you? If I remember correctly, you were supposed to be the funny one? Isn’t that right?” Fenira asked as she walked up to the paralyzed demon-girl.
Fenira lifted her head up by pushing her finger on her chin. “It’s not very funny to laugh about killing someone. Don’t you have a heart?” Fenira asked. Shi simply yammered in terror. “Why don’t we find out?” Fenira asked coyly. She backed away and raised the scythe high. Shi stood motionless and weeped like a infant. Fenira smiled even more and brought the scythe down. Shi screamed, but her scram was silenced a moment later when the scythe buried itself in her chest.
Then she yanked the tool from the dead demon’s body and turned to Gez who had resigned to cowering on the floor. She walked over to him and raised the scythe.
“What are you?!?” Gez shouted.
“Don’t you know? I’m now what you wanted me to be. Aren’t you glad?” Fenira asked and then brought the scythe down burying it between his eyes. A small stream of yellow began to flow from the wound and ran down his shocked face.
The interview room…
So you then killed them all swiftly and without mercy?
Fenira felt the warm tears run down her face. “Yes.” Was all she muttered.
And how did that make you feel?
Fenira closed her eyes and the tears that flowed down her face turned black. “It felt good,” she said quietly and without emotion.
I see. Well what a most interesting story Fenira. Thank you for your cooperation.
Having ‘said’ that, Fenira disappeared from the room and only the folding chair and shaft of light remained.
Act the Second:
“Being John Hoelscher”
“When you’re talking to yourself,
And Nobody’s home.
You can’t fool yourself,
You came into this world alone.
Alone.”
- Guns ‘n’ Roses ‘Estranged’
And Nobody’s home.
You can’t fool yourself,
You came into this world alone.
Alone.”
- Guns ‘n’ Roses ‘Estranged’
The room was dark. Very dark. And cold. It was very, very cold. John Hoelscher shivered slightly. The only small source of light in this cold room was a small shaft focused on the steel folding chair that John was sitting on.
John looked around to his surroundings by moving his eyes only. From the little light he had, he could make out that the room wasn’t furnished and he looked to be the only one there. At least he thought he was the only one there.
Hello, Mr. Hoelscher.
John barely twitched a muscle. Instead he simply focused his eyes his eyes forward and toward the darkness of the room.
Are you comfortable?
John took the question in but continued to sit there. Then from behind him a voice rang out. “Don’t answer that!”
John knew who spoke. He had been listening to him talk for a long time. His arrogant voice, full of self confidence yet suave and compelling. He stepped out of the shadows with his white uniform and long red hair. John had simply begun to refer to him as “Touga-John” because both his physical appearance and vocal distinctiveness were like Touga Kiyrou from the anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena.
“That’s right! I’ll do all the speaking here!” another voice shot out. From the shadows stepped the second familiar figure. His voice was also arrogant and full of self-confidence, but unlike the first it was more focused and maybe even a little psychotic. Dressed in his blue suit with the matching red ‘power tie’, John had simply dubbed him “Jinnai-John” because his physical appearance and vocal distinctiveness were similar to Katsuhiko Jinnai from the anime series El Hazard: The Magnificent World.
“Quiet, both of you,” came the third familiar quiet voice. John closed his eyes again and opened them., When he reopened his eyes, the third figure sat on the floor staring back at him. Almost smug in his navy slacks and white short-sleeved dress shirt with the turquoise t-shirt peeking underneath. John had dubbed him “Shinji-John” because his physical and vocal presence were extremely similar to Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
John finally decided to move his body and when he did it was to place his face into his hands. “My god, my sub-conscience is even more fucked than I thought,” he muttered. He had formed three dysfunctional personalities in his own head and worse than that, he based them off anime’s he had watched. This was obviously a classic cry for help.
Well, by judging you’re three friends, I would have to agree.
John looked up at hearing the new voice again and decided to give it some attention. “I’m sorry. I’ve been ignoring you haven’t I? So…which side of my personality are you?” John asked the presence.
The presence actually chuckled at hearing this. I’m not any Mr. Hoelscher. I’m a distinctive being of my own accord.
“You dare to place HIM in the same category as US!?!” Jinnai-John shouted.
Watch it laughing-boy.
John grinned at the remark, he was beginning to like this “person” even if he couldn’t see him. Actually, he was more relieved that this one was simply just a voice. He had had enough of voices becoming real after these last few days.
You’re not perturbed by me are you? Fenira…I’m sorry. Fenny was quite upset by me.
“Really? Fenny?” John asked quizzically. He thought back a moment. “I was just with Fenny and Jason wasn’t I?” John asked.
That’s right. Do you remember how you three came to be together this evening?
John furrowed his brow and concentrated. “You know what? I don’t. Is that bad?” John asked. Touga-John rolled his eyes, Jinnai-John groaned, and Shinji-John simply nodded.
No, it’s quite alright. Fenira had the same problem. How about before? Do you remember what happened before you were together?
John looked around at the three figures. “I was with them.”
Really? Where?
“In the White Room,” John answered.
What is this ‘White Room?’
“The White Room is very similar to this one. There’s a chair in the middle. Though…It’s much better lit.” John looked down, “and it doesn’t have hardwood floors. It has tile-work,” John answered.
I see. And before you were in the White Room, do you remember where you were?
John thought for a second. “I remember…” John paused and frowned. “I remember…”
Yes?
“I remember the truck coming at me very fast. And then…” John thought back.
Yes?
“Well…I remember the truck. I remember the White Room. That’s all I can really recall.” John finished.
Interesting. And can you tell me what happened in the White Room?
John thought a moment and seemed to ease himself. “Oh that’s easy, I remember exactly what happened in the White Room.”
What exactly happened?
John grinned a little, “I died.”
Oh?
“Yes. I died in the White Room. Then I was in a room with Fenny and Jason. Then I was here.” John suddenly gave a thoughtful look, “Funny, I didn’t imagine the afterlife being like this.”
That is most intriguing Mr. Hoelscher. However, aren’t you at the least bit disturbed by the fact that you now are dead?
“You would think that , wouldn’t you? But to be honest, after the mess that the last few days have been, I finally feel a sense of calm I haven’t felt in a long time. Ain’t that right guys?” John asked his three selves. Jinnai-John hrumphed in bitterness. Touga-John looked disgusted. Shinji-John cracked a broad smile and nodded his head, like he was in on some great secret.
I see. Why don’t you tell me about the last few days.
“Well, these last few days weren’t really that interesting,” John replied.
Okay, okay. Why don’t do start with Friday afternoon? Is that okay?
“Sure, no problem. Though, you’ll find it pretty dull.” John shrugged.
Humor me.
“Okay. It’s your time anyway. I’ve gotten nothing better to do anyway. Okay… Friday… Friday… Hmmm…” John paused for a moment and collected his thoughts. “Well, I had been on the road since Tuesday night and…”
Friday Afternoon…
A large green metal sign posted by the roadside came into view. It told of various cities and highway exits that were coming up ahead somewhere in the future. John looked at it with relative indifference, or at least he tried to convince himself that it was with indifference. The sign said the following:
John looked around to his surroundings by moving his eyes only. From the little light he had, he could make out that the room wasn’t furnished and he looked to be the only one there. At least he thought he was the only one there.
Hello, Mr. Hoelscher.
John barely twitched a muscle. Instead he simply focused his eyes his eyes forward and toward the darkness of the room.
Are you comfortable?
John took the question in but continued to sit there. Then from behind him a voice rang out. “Don’t answer that!”
John knew who spoke. He had been listening to him talk for a long time. His arrogant voice, full of self confidence yet suave and compelling. He stepped out of the shadows with his white uniform and long red hair. John had simply begun to refer to him as “Touga-John” because both his physical appearance and vocal distinctiveness were like Touga Kiyrou from the anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena.
“That’s right! I’ll do all the speaking here!” another voice shot out. From the shadows stepped the second familiar figure. His voice was also arrogant and full of self-confidence, but unlike the first it was more focused and maybe even a little psychotic. Dressed in his blue suit with the matching red ‘power tie’, John had simply dubbed him “Jinnai-John” because his physical appearance and vocal distinctiveness were similar to Katsuhiko Jinnai from the anime series El Hazard: The Magnificent World.
“Quiet, both of you,” came the third familiar quiet voice. John closed his eyes again and opened them., When he reopened his eyes, the third figure sat on the floor staring back at him. Almost smug in his navy slacks and white short-sleeved dress shirt with the turquoise t-shirt peeking underneath. John had dubbed him “Shinji-John” because his physical and vocal presence were extremely similar to Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
John finally decided to move his body and when he did it was to place his face into his hands. “My god, my sub-conscience is even more fucked than I thought,” he muttered. He had formed three dysfunctional personalities in his own head and worse than that, he based them off anime’s he had watched. This was obviously a classic cry for help.
Well, by judging you’re three friends, I would have to agree.
John looked up at hearing the new voice again and decided to give it some attention. “I’m sorry. I’ve been ignoring you haven’t I? So…which side of my personality are you?” John asked the presence.
The presence actually chuckled at hearing this. I’m not any Mr. Hoelscher. I’m a distinctive being of my own accord.
“You dare to place HIM in the same category as US!?!” Jinnai-John shouted.
Watch it laughing-boy.
John grinned at the remark, he was beginning to like this “person” even if he couldn’t see him. Actually, he was more relieved that this one was simply just a voice. He had had enough of voices becoming real after these last few days.
You’re not perturbed by me are you? Fenira…I’m sorry. Fenny was quite upset by me.
“Really? Fenny?” John asked quizzically. He thought back a moment. “I was just with Fenny and Jason wasn’t I?” John asked.
That’s right. Do you remember how you three came to be together this evening?
John furrowed his brow and concentrated. “You know what? I don’t. Is that bad?” John asked. Touga-John rolled his eyes, Jinnai-John groaned, and Shinji-John simply nodded.
No, it’s quite alright. Fenira had the same problem. How about before? Do you remember what happened before you were together?
John looked around at the three figures. “I was with them.”
Really? Where?
“In the White Room,” John answered.
What is this ‘White Room?’
“The White Room is very similar to this one. There’s a chair in the middle. Though…It’s much better lit.” John looked down, “and it doesn’t have hardwood floors. It has tile-work,” John answered.
I see. And before you were in the White Room, do you remember where you were?
John thought for a second. “I remember…” John paused and frowned. “I remember…”
Yes?
“I remember the truck coming at me very fast. And then…” John thought back.
Yes?
“Well…I remember the truck. I remember the White Room. That’s all I can really recall.” John finished.
Interesting. And can you tell me what happened in the White Room?
John thought a moment and seemed to ease himself. “Oh that’s easy, I remember exactly what happened in the White Room.”
What exactly happened?
John grinned a little, “I died.”
Oh?
“Yes. I died in the White Room. Then I was in a room with Fenny and Jason. Then I was here.” John suddenly gave a thoughtful look, “Funny, I didn’t imagine the afterlife being like this.”
That is most intriguing Mr. Hoelscher. However, aren’t you at the least bit disturbed by the fact that you now are dead?
“You would think that , wouldn’t you? But to be honest, after the mess that the last few days have been, I finally feel a sense of calm I haven’t felt in a long time. Ain’t that right guys?” John asked his three selves. Jinnai-John hrumphed in bitterness. Touga-John looked disgusted. Shinji-John cracked a broad smile and nodded his head, like he was in on some great secret.
I see. Why don’t you tell me about the last few days.
“Well, these last few days weren’t really that interesting,” John replied.
Okay, okay. Why don’t do start with Friday afternoon? Is that okay?
“Sure, no problem. Though, you’ll find it pretty dull.” John shrugged.
Humor me.
“Okay. It’s your time anyway. I’ve gotten nothing better to do anyway. Okay… Friday… Friday… Hmmm…” John paused for a moment and collected his thoughts. “Well, I had been on the road since Tuesday night and…”
Friday Afternoon…
A large green metal sign posted by the roadside came into view. It told of various cities and highway exits that were coming up ahead somewhere in the future. John looked at it with relative indifference, or at least he tried to convince himself that it was with indifference. The sign said the following:
Highway 12 - Exit 4: 34 Mi.M
US Highway 40 - Exit 3: 57 Mi. Cincinnati - Exit 2: 86 Mi. Kettering - Exit 1: 110 Mi. |
“You know you’re not fooling anyone by acting indifferent,” came Shinji-John’s voice from the back seat. “We all know that it’s not really a coincidence that you’re going to Kettering.”
“Who says I’m going to Kettering? Maybe I’m waiting 34 miles and then I’ll take Highway 12,” John shot back.
“Sure. You expect us to believe that? John…We know everything about you. We are inside your head,” Touga-John rebutted.
“Then why don’t you go back to being inside my head and shut the hell up!” John shouted back. Having one backseat driver was annoying, but having three at one time who were also psychoanalyzing everything he did was downright unbearable.
“How dare you shout at your ruler!” Jinnai-John shouted indignantly.
“If my feet weren’t needed on the peddles, I do a lot more than just shout at you,” John growled. “I sense hostility,” Touga-John mused.
“Gee, I wonder why?” John answered back sarcastically. John thought back to when he finally couldn’t outrun them anymore.
After Tuesday’s initial shock of seeing the figments of his imagination coming to life and wanting to follow him, he managed to keep ahead of them. He would blindly travel in one direction then suddenly would pull off the highway and then turn around.
He didn’t have a destination, he just knew that as long as he was driving they couldn’t hound him. He was safe with his solitude when he was driving. That was the only piece of mind he had right now.
Unfortunately, that piece of mind wasn’t very long lived. For whenever John would stop driving, they were waiting for him. Pulling off to refill his gas tank. They would be inside the convenience store. Stopping to eat at a small off the highway diner. They would be at the next table. And they would always comment on his running away to him. John would quickly leave and get back on the road, the highway his only solitude.
And so it went on, until John, finally tired of not being able to stop, pulled over to the side of the road and turned off his engines. He stepped out of the car and sat on the hood of his car and closed his eyes.
A moment later he opened them and saw them standing there, almost looking chummy, staring back.
“You didn’t keep me waiting.” John started.
“No need to. You’re finally ready to take us,” Touga-John answered. Shinji-John appeared to give a momentary sneer behind Touga-John’s back, but quickly became stoic again.
“Maybe,” John replied.
“No maybes! You are taking us!” Barked Jinnai-John.
“Where to?” John asked.
“You know where,” Shinji-John answered back staring straight into his eyes.
“I’m tired of traveling.” John sighed.
“Only a little further to go. If we start now and drive straight, we should make it before Saturday,” Touga-John commented while mentally doing some math.
“Oh? Is it that so?” John commented. “Is getting there by Saturday important?”
“No! Of course not!” barked Jinnai-John. “We’re wasting time! Let’s go!”
John arched an eyebrow. He didn’t trust Jinnai-John. In fact he didn’t trust any of them, but he couldn’t out run them anymore. He was too tired to do that anymore. “Get in,” John said. Touga-John and Jinnai-John entered in the back seat.
Shinji-John hesitated for a moment and walked up to John. He began to whisper in his ear. “You’re safe until we get there,” He said in a quiet harshness.
“Where exactly are we going?” John asked again.
“You know. The scene of your crime,” Shinji-John whispered back.
“What crime?” John asked puzzled.
Shinji-John actually looked surprised. “You really don’t understand do you? You don’t get what’s going on around you, do you?” He quietly sighed. “It doesn’t matter, you’ll find out when we get there.”
“But I still don’t know where we’re going. Really.” John stated.
“Who really knows where they’re going?” Shinji-John asked philosophically.
“But how will I get there then?” John insisted.
“Just start driving. You’ll take us straight there. Trust me,” Shinji-John answered. He then joined the others in the back seat, who appeared to begin interrogating him about the conversation. However, Shinji-John appeared to be playing dumb.
“Trust you? Yeah, like that would be a good idea…” John sighed. He shrugged his shoulders and entered the drivers side and started the ignition. He pulled onto the road and started heading south. At that point the three immediately began their nagging.
Now in the late afternoon with the sun beginning to set in the western horizon, John drove with three figments of his imagination. The scenery was whizzing by as John kept a steady foot on the accelerator. A brief silence overcame the car as the exit for Highway 12 came and went and they continued driving.
“Well, guess we’re not going that way,” Touga-John said with a certain amount of coy smugness.
“Just shut up,” John muttered.
“Won’t it be nice to see all the old sights again? The high school? Hey! Maybe we can drop in on your parents while we’re at it,” Touga-John stated with some amusement.
“I rather not,” Shinji-John quietly replied.
“Baby,” Jinnai-John added.
“Why are we going to Kettering? There’s nothing there!” John asked annoyed.
“Oh really? Nothing? You’re parents still live there. Don’t you want to see them?” Touga-John asked.
“I thought you said you knew me? Why do you think I live in Massachusetts?” John snapped back.
“Oh please, that excuse worked on all your friends, but not on us,” Touga-John smirked.
“I just want to get this over with,” Shinji-John said to himself.
“Get what over with?” John asked while trying to keep his attention on the road. “Does this have to do with my ‘crime?’”
“Everything has to do with your crime John, didn’t you know that?” Shinji-John answered and then went back to staring out the window. The other two gave each other a worried look.
John looked at the three in his rear view mirror. He sighed again. He was being pushed around by his own sub-conscience and he didn’t even know why. Worse yet, he was letting them do it to him. Why? That was the big question John’s head. Why were they taking him back home? His old home in Kettering, Ohio. Something about a crime he committed. But what crime? He didn’t remember committing one.
Then John was struck with a new thought. Why do people usually bring someone back to the scene of a crime? John thought about this for a moment. Then he thought of an answer. To punish them. John thought for a moment and realized that they intended to punish him for some crime he had committed. That was their intention from the beginning.
John felt angry. Not at the three figments of his imagination, but rather at himself for blindly following their orders like a sheep. He began to angrily grit his teeth.
“Oh, I see now. You’re pretty damn clever,” John sneered.
“Oh? What’s this all about?” Touga-John asked.
“I figured it out. The reason why you were pulling me along to come back home.” John immediately jerked the wheel to his left and the car jerked violently to the left, straight into the next lane of oncoming traffic.
“What the hell are you doing?!?” Jinnai-John shouted, “I order you to stop!”
“Or what? You’ll punish me? Isn’t that what this was all about to begin with? Isn’t that what the dreams really were? Anyway, what difference does it make? But hell, if I’m going out…I’m dragging you along!” John grinned with a slightly crazed look.
“This is insane John, why would we want to hurt you?” Touga-John asked.
“You’re right, I am insane,” was John’s reply. Touga-John and Jinnai-John looked at each other with very worried expressions. Shinji-John scooted up and spoke behind John’s ear with a small smile.
“You finally figured it out?” Shinji-John asked.
“Most of it,” John answered back as cars swerved to the left and right to avoid the speeding car going the wrong way.
“It won’t make a scrap of difference, ya know?” Shinji-John remarked.
“Oh?” John queried.
“I don’t need Kettering to punish you,” Shinji-John answered and then leaned back in the back seat.
“What does that mean…?” John asked before noticing the bright high-beams directly in his face as a semi-tractor trailer came closer to John’s view. Suddenly, all he saw was light. Almost a pure heavenly light as it were. It certainly didn’t seem to belong to a truck.
The White Room…
You could imagine John’s surprise then, when the light faded and he found himself where he had always seemed to end up -- The White Room.
John saw the steel folding chair sitting in the center. The soft light reflecting off the whitewash walls and white-tiled floor. “How did I get here?” John asked out loud.
“Where did you expect to go?” Shinji-John asked in the stillness.
John turned to face him. Shinji-John stood there with his arms crossed and with Touga-John and Jinnai-John standing behind him very still. He started to grin. “You really thought you were gonna escape by killing yourself?”
John gulped. “Yes.”
Shinji-John walked straight up to him and bore his stare straight into John. “You’re a fool. I told you that you we’re going to return to the scene of your crime. Don’t think you’ll escape that. I won’t allow that.”
“You won’t? What about them?” John asked pointing to the others.
Shinji-John snapped his fingers and the pair disappeared. “Oh them? They’re unimportant, but they were useful in bringing you here. Now that they served their purpose, I can finally wash my hands of them.” Shinji-John said angrily.
“It was you all along? You were behind this whole thing?” John asked incredulously.
“You’re surprised? I told you that I was bringing you back to the scene of your crime,” Shinji-John muttered.
“But what crime?!? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” John shot back defensively.
Shinji-John grew an angry look, but it soon melded into a twisted smile. “Well, that’s why we’re here aren’t we? It’s time for your punishment to begin.”
Holy Ghost Medical Center…
Dr. Joseph Brown ran down the corridor to the entrance of the emergency room. As he flew past the ER lobby, he noticed the rush and hustle of various members of the ER staff who were attending other duties this Friday night.
Brown, a proud looking African-American man was the current chief resident at Holy Ghost. When word came over to them that a massive collision had occurred near the Highway 12 exit on Interstate 713, he knew that they were in for a long night.
Apparently, someone swerved into oncoming traffic and collided into a tractor-trailer which in turn caused twelve others to collide with various other vehicles before the chaos had ended. Brown shook his head in disbelief at hearing these reports. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to think too much about them because ambulances were pulling in to bring the first round of injured.
Through the sliding doors, two EMT’s wheeled in a gurney, Brown immediately took charge and directed them to follow him. EMT’s continued to pump oxygen into the passenger of the gurney. His neck was held still in a orange oversized brace, and blood soaked the gauze that was wrapped places on his body.
“Okay, what we got?” Brown asked while directing the gurney down the corridor into the room.
The first EMT spoke. “Twenty year old male, heavy blood loss, possible neck trauma.”
“He has one of those Medi-alert pedants,” the second EMT added and pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it lightly to Brown. Brown in turn read the contents on the back then turned to the nurse following him.
“Get me three units of B-negative.” Brown ordered. The nurse nodded and ran down the corridor. A second resident, Dr. John Sax, joined him as they wheeled him into the room.
“Ugh! What the hell happened?” Sax commented on seeing the passenger’s mangled body.
“He’s the kid that collided with the semi.” the first EMT commented.
“Crazy bastard. We running a toxicology?” Sax asked Brown.
“Let’s just concentrate on saving him first,” Brown responded as the four of them hoisted him cautiously from the gurney onto the table, careful to not cause any more damage.
Brown took a good look at John’s bloody face and torso and sighed. Then he went about his task…
The White Room…
“Let’s see now, where to begin? Yes, yes! I know! Let’s go to when you were 15, shall we?” Shinji-John asked excitedly.
“Wha…? Why?”
“Oh, come now. It’s just us two now. Let’s not play games. You remember what happened when you were 15 don’t you?” Shinji-John asked.
“We moved from Seattle to Kettering.” John answered after a brief pause.
“Exactly. You moved from your home in Seattle to Kettering, Ohio. You had to start a brand new school, a brand new life. How did you feel?” Shinji-John asked.
“I felt fine. It was no big deal.” John replied.
“Oh really?” Shinji-John began, “Well, let’s see for ourselves shall we?” Having said that, Shinji-John waved his arm and the white room began to change. John looked around him and realized that he was now standing in the hallway of his old high school.
The initial shock of being back in Kettering was perturbing, but what was even more perturbing was the fact that John saw himself at 15 walking the halls. John took a step forward but Shinji-John held him back. John continued to watch as the 15 year old version of himself walked down the rows of lockers while looking a scrap of paper. He was dressed in navy slacks with a short sleeve white dress shirt with a turquoise t-shirt peeking underneath.
“So I used to dress like you, big deal.” John remarked to the grinning Shinji-John.
15 year old John continued down the rows of lockers. A moment later a small group of students walked by. One paused and looked over to the confused 15 year old John. “Hey, aren’t you that new kid?”
“Um…yeah. I’m John,” 15 year old John answered timidly.
A short brunette looked 15 year old John up and down. “Who dressed you?” She then began to laugh which caused the others to laugh and they in turn walked away. A minute later the halls were empty again and 15 year old John punched a locker.
“Remember this?” Shinji-John asked.
“I was new, it had to be expected,” John replied defensively.
“Yeah, but it still bugged you, didn’t it?” Shinji-John asked.
“Well, maybe I was a little shy,” John admitted.
“Shy? You were quiet. Timid. Introverted. And most of all you were alone. Remember how you always used to sit by yourself at lunch? But that all changed didn’t it? I remember that day.” Shinji-John explained and with a wave of his arm the scenery changed a little and a slightly older version of John appeared there.
He looked about 16 now, and he was still alone. He watched as groups of students walked by him without even giving him a glimpse.
“Still alone. No one even knew who you were and you had been there a full year,” Shinji-John mused.
16 year old John walked down the quiet halls alone with his head sadly hung. He then paused and looked up and saw something that changed his life. It was a small poster. ‘Student Elections! Register now!’ followed by garbage about positions and requirements and what not. 16 year old John just looked up and stared at it for a long while.
“That’s where it all began to change wasn’t it?” Shinji-John asked.
“That where I came along,” Jinnai-John spoke as he reentered the scene.
“What are you talking about?” John asked.
Jinnai-John stepped forward and pointed to 16 year old John. “No one was going to vote for that quiet nobody. No, if you wanted to be known you had to make a splash. That’s where I came along. Someone to help you make grandiose promises and who was willing to be cunning and even devious,” Jinnai-John explained.
“And it worked didn’t it? You won the student election. Sure, you had to compromise your own morals and had to sometimes be a royal jerk, but at least now people knew who you were. It was worth it right?” Shinji-John pontificated.
“Not quite,” answered Touga-John as he too reappeared and Jinnai-John disappeared. “Being the student president was fine because people weren’t ignoring you anymore. Unfortunately, it didn’t help your social skills much.”
The scene around them slightly changed again as the halls again aged a little and the decoration changed. Now, 17 year old John, just re-elected president of the student council in a suspicious election, walked down the hall with his head held high. Maybe a little too high.
“Okay, so maybe I let it go to my head a little,” John admitted.
“Go to your head? You? Never!” Shinji-John taunted. Meanwhile, 17 Year Old John walked down the hall and bumped into a smaller girl, also 17, whom John looked long at hard before speaking.
“Hi Jen! I’m glad I bumped into you!” 17 Year old John nervously chattered.
The girl looked at John and looked slightly hesitant. “Um…Hi John,” she finally said.
“I was wondering…Um…” He began to touch the tips of his fingers together, “Maybe…you would accompany me to the junior prom. As Student council president I can secure us the best table and everything.” 17 year old John asked trying to sound impressive, but sounding more scared.
“Gee John,” The girl started before shifting her eyes, “I would love too, but you see…I already am going with someone else. Whoa! Look what time it is, I’m late for class! Bye John,” the girl yammered and then ran down the hall leaving 17 year old John alone with his head once again hung low.
“Even though they knew who you were, You still didn’t have many friends did you?” Shinji-John asked.
“Sure, with all your new power and social standing and you couldn’t even talk to a girl without scaring her away. Then I came along and helped you didn’t I? I helped you act more socially acceptable. Suddenly you were in all the best cliques and going to all the best parties,” Touga-John answered.
“And so what if you had to go around pretending to be something you weren’t. You were popular! That’s all that really matters,” Shinji-John stated and Touga-John disappeared.
“Well, What’s wrong with that? At least I wasn’t alone all the time!” John shouted back.
Shinji-John held up his finger, “Ah ha! And now we come to what you did! Let’s see the crime in action!” Shinji-John stated and waved his arm again. This time the scenery changed again and the hall was mixed with decorations for the new fall semester. 18 year old and three time student council president John walked down the hall with his compliment of followers and ‘friends’ to either of his sides or directly behind him.
A moment later a slightly younger boy entered the hall looking at a small scrap of paper and then looking over the lockers. The clique stopped for a moment and turned to look at him. Billy, one of John’s ‘friends’ looked him over and spoke. “Hey, aren’t you that new kid that transferred from the private academy?” he asked.
“Um yeah. I’m Joe,” he responded timidly and then looked over to John. John looked back and felt the junior’s stare burn into him. There thr junior stood with his navy slacks and dress shirt and there John stood with his circle of compatriots. John looked back one last time and then turned to his friends.
“Come on guys, we don’t have time to waste on him.” And then he continued down the hall. A moment later the scene vanished and John was standing in the White Room again.
“Well, I’ll be! Did you actually hear the words that came out of your mouth?” Shinji-John asked.
John looked down for a moment and scuffled his feet slightly. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.” Shinji-John mocked.
“I said YES!” John shouted back.
“And don’t you have anything to say in your defense?” Shinji-John asked.
“No,” was all John managed.
“It was okay until that point. You see, because even though you had compromised your morals and began to pretend to be something you weren’t really, you did it to help yourself, never to hurt others. But then…BUT THEN! You go and do this! Did you forget that you were exactly like that boy?!?” Shinji-John interrogated.
“If I said anything to him, they might have seen through me.” John muttered. “No one ever came to me.”
“So it was okay to hurt someone else because you had gone through it?” Shinji-John demanded.
“No. It’s just…” John stammered.
“It’s nothing! You are guilty! Guilty of attempted murder!” Shinji-John shouted.
John stepped back in surprise. “Murder?!? Wait a sec…”
“Yes, murder! You saw what you used to be and you feared that it might come back to harm you! So you decided to kill it by putting down what you used to be! I would say that you most certainly are guilty. You tried to take a quiet lad and slowly you allowed him to become warped and compromised and finally you tried to rid yourself of him! You tried to rid yourself…OF ME!!!” Shinji-John shouted.
“You?!?” John stammered.
“The original John Hoelscher. The quiet lad who sat alone at lunch and was ignored by everyone. At least I was true to myself and I never kidded myself about where I stood. But You had to go and corrupt that innocence. And then! And then, you leave town for Massachusetts! You told all your ‘friends’ that you didn’t get along with your parents, but the truth is that you wanted a clean start so you could forget what you did! You didn’t want to admit that you sold yourself out for a few fleeting moments of fake happiness,” Shinji-John ranted.
Shinji-John started walking toward John, who in turn began to slowly back away. John put his hands out to keep the other away. “Let’s be a little rational about this…”
Shinji-John stared straight into John’s eyes. “The judgment has been made. The punishment will begin.” And he wrapped his hands around John’s throat and began to squeeze.
John felt the pressure on his neck as Shinji-John began to squeeze even harder. “Please…Don’t do this.”
“You expect me to let you live after you would have gladly killed me?” Shinji-John asked and then paused the throttling. He mused this for a moment and then squeezed even harder. John felt the room began to grow darker and the white light was becoming very blurry…
Holy Ghost Medical Center…
“He’s crashing!” Brown shouted to Sax as the monitors all began to flatline on the EKG.
“What the hell just happened?!?” Sax asked in the confusion.
“I don’t know, one minute we’re giving him fresh blood and suddenly he goes into cardiac arrest! Help me here!” Brown shouted as pulled out a set of paddles and started rubbing them together.
“Clear!” Sax shouted and Brown placed the paddles on John’s chest. A brief spasm of the torso and then stillness. The EKG was still flat.
“More!” Brown order and rubbed the paddles again.
“Clear!” Sax shouted and brown again placed the paddles on John’s chest. Again there was a brief spasm and then nothing.
“Again!” Brown shouted and repeated the process, with still no results. “Again, Dammit!” Brown shouted and proceeded to start the process again, but this time Sax stopped him and shook his head.
“He’s gone Joe.” Sax stated and took the defibulaters out of his hands.
“Dammit!” Brown shouted and he slammed his hand on a nearby instrument table. “Okay. Mark the time of death at…” Brown looked up at the clock, “Friday, 11:59 PM.”
The Interview Room…
So you are dead?
John took the question just posed and mulled it around in his head. “Yes.”
“Oh most definitely,” Jinnai-John agreed.
“I concur,” Touga-John added while Shinji-John simply nodded in self satisfaction at his doing.
Then how does that explain them still being here?
“Well…” John began and then paused and looked at the three figures, “if modern beliefs hold up… then I would guess this is… Hell?”
Hell? You think are still being punished?
“That would explain it, wouldn’t it?” John answered and then was struck by a new thought. “Does that mean that you’re the Devil?”
A moment later John, Shinji-John, Touga-John, and Jinnai-John all vanished and all that was left was the chair and the shaft of light.
“Who says I’m going to Kettering? Maybe I’m waiting 34 miles and then I’ll take Highway 12,” John shot back.
“Sure. You expect us to believe that? John…We know everything about you. We are inside your head,” Touga-John rebutted.
“Then why don’t you go back to being inside my head and shut the hell up!” John shouted back. Having one backseat driver was annoying, but having three at one time who were also psychoanalyzing everything he did was downright unbearable.
“How dare you shout at your ruler!” Jinnai-John shouted indignantly.
“If my feet weren’t needed on the peddles, I do a lot more than just shout at you,” John growled. “I sense hostility,” Touga-John mused.
“Gee, I wonder why?” John answered back sarcastically. John thought back to when he finally couldn’t outrun them anymore.
After Tuesday’s initial shock of seeing the figments of his imagination coming to life and wanting to follow him, he managed to keep ahead of them. He would blindly travel in one direction then suddenly would pull off the highway and then turn around.
He didn’t have a destination, he just knew that as long as he was driving they couldn’t hound him. He was safe with his solitude when he was driving. That was the only piece of mind he had right now.
Unfortunately, that piece of mind wasn’t very long lived. For whenever John would stop driving, they were waiting for him. Pulling off to refill his gas tank. They would be inside the convenience store. Stopping to eat at a small off the highway diner. They would be at the next table. And they would always comment on his running away to him. John would quickly leave and get back on the road, the highway his only solitude.
And so it went on, until John, finally tired of not being able to stop, pulled over to the side of the road and turned off his engines. He stepped out of the car and sat on the hood of his car and closed his eyes.
A moment later he opened them and saw them standing there, almost looking chummy, staring back.
“You didn’t keep me waiting.” John started.
“No need to. You’re finally ready to take us,” Touga-John answered. Shinji-John appeared to give a momentary sneer behind Touga-John’s back, but quickly became stoic again.
“Maybe,” John replied.
“No maybes! You are taking us!” Barked Jinnai-John.
“Where to?” John asked.
“You know where,” Shinji-John answered back staring straight into his eyes.
“I’m tired of traveling.” John sighed.
“Only a little further to go. If we start now and drive straight, we should make it before Saturday,” Touga-John commented while mentally doing some math.
“Oh? Is it that so?” John commented. “Is getting there by Saturday important?”
“No! Of course not!” barked Jinnai-John. “We’re wasting time! Let’s go!”
John arched an eyebrow. He didn’t trust Jinnai-John. In fact he didn’t trust any of them, but he couldn’t out run them anymore. He was too tired to do that anymore. “Get in,” John said. Touga-John and Jinnai-John entered in the back seat.
Shinji-John hesitated for a moment and walked up to John. He began to whisper in his ear. “You’re safe until we get there,” He said in a quiet harshness.
“Where exactly are we going?” John asked again.
“You know. The scene of your crime,” Shinji-John whispered back.
“What crime?” John asked puzzled.
Shinji-John actually looked surprised. “You really don’t understand do you? You don’t get what’s going on around you, do you?” He quietly sighed. “It doesn’t matter, you’ll find out when we get there.”
“But I still don’t know where we’re going. Really.” John stated.
“Who really knows where they’re going?” Shinji-John asked philosophically.
“But how will I get there then?” John insisted.
“Just start driving. You’ll take us straight there. Trust me,” Shinji-John answered. He then joined the others in the back seat, who appeared to begin interrogating him about the conversation. However, Shinji-John appeared to be playing dumb.
“Trust you? Yeah, like that would be a good idea…” John sighed. He shrugged his shoulders and entered the drivers side and started the ignition. He pulled onto the road and started heading south. At that point the three immediately began their nagging.
Now in the late afternoon with the sun beginning to set in the western horizon, John drove with three figments of his imagination. The scenery was whizzing by as John kept a steady foot on the accelerator. A brief silence overcame the car as the exit for Highway 12 came and went and they continued driving.
“Well, guess we’re not going that way,” Touga-John said with a certain amount of coy smugness.
“Just shut up,” John muttered.
“Won’t it be nice to see all the old sights again? The high school? Hey! Maybe we can drop in on your parents while we’re at it,” Touga-John stated with some amusement.
“I rather not,” Shinji-John quietly replied.
“Baby,” Jinnai-John added.
“Why are we going to Kettering? There’s nothing there!” John asked annoyed.
“Oh really? Nothing? You’re parents still live there. Don’t you want to see them?” Touga-John asked.
“I thought you said you knew me? Why do you think I live in Massachusetts?” John snapped back.
“Oh please, that excuse worked on all your friends, but not on us,” Touga-John smirked.
“I just want to get this over with,” Shinji-John said to himself.
“Get what over with?” John asked while trying to keep his attention on the road. “Does this have to do with my ‘crime?’”
“Everything has to do with your crime John, didn’t you know that?” Shinji-John answered and then went back to staring out the window. The other two gave each other a worried look.
John looked at the three in his rear view mirror. He sighed again. He was being pushed around by his own sub-conscience and he didn’t even know why. Worse yet, he was letting them do it to him. Why? That was the big question John’s head. Why were they taking him back home? His old home in Kettering, Ohio. Something about a crime he committed. But what crime? He didn’t remember committing one.
Then John was struck with a new thought. Why do people usually bring someone back to the scene of a crime? John thought about this for a moment. Then he thought of an answer. To punish them. John thought for a moment and realized that they intended to punish him for some crime he had committed. That was their intention from the beginning.
John felt angry. Not at the three figments of his imagination, but rather at himself for blindly following their orders like a sheep. He began to angrily grit his teeth.
“Oh, I see now. You’re pretty damn clever,” John sneered.
“Oh? What’s this all about?” Touga-John asked.
“I figured it out. The reason why you were pulling me along to come back home.” John immediately jerked the wheel to his left and the car jerked violently to the left, straight into the next lane of oncoming traffic.
“What the hell are you doing?!?” Jinnai-John shouted, “I order you to stop!”
“Or what? You’ll punish me? Isn’t that what this was all about to begin with? Isn’t that what the dreams really were? Anyway, what difference does it make? But hell, if I’m going out…I’m dragging you along!” John grinned with a slightly crazed look.
“This is insane John, why would we want to hurt you?” Touga-John asked.
“You’re right, I am insane,” was John’s reply. Touga-John and Jinnai-John looked at each other with very worried expressions. Shinji-John scooted up and spoke behind John’s ear with a small smile.
“You finally figured it out?” Shinji-John asked.
“Most of it,” John answered back as cars swerved to the left and right to avoid the speeding car going the wrong way.
“It won’t make a scrap of difference, ya know?” Shinji-John remarked.
“Oh?” John queried.
“I don’t need Kettering to punish you,” Shinji-John answered and then leaned back in the back seat.
“What does that mean…?” John asked before noticing the bright high-beams directly in his face as a semi-tractor trailer came closer to John’s view. Suddenly, all he saw was light. Almost a pure heavenly light as it were. It certainly didn’t seem to belong to a truck.
The White Room…
You could imagine John’s surprise then, when the light faded and he found himself where he had always seemed to end up -- The White Room.
John saw the steel folding chair sitting in the center. The soft light reflecting off the whitewash walls and white-tiled floor. “How did I get here?” John asked out loud.
“Where did you expect to go?” Shinji-John asked in the stillness.
John turned to face him. Shinji-John stood there with his arms crossed and with Touga-John and Jinnai-John standing behind him very still. He started to grin. “You really thought you were gonna escape by killing yourself?”
John gulped. “Yes.”
Shinji-John walked straight up to him and bore his stare straight into John. “You’re a fool. I told you that you we’re going to return to the scene of your crime. Don’t think you’ll escape that. I won’t allow that.”
“You won’t? What about them?” John asked pointing to the others.
Shinji-John snapped his fingers and the pair disappeared. “Oh them? They’re unimportant, but they were useful in bringing you here. Now that they served their purpose, I can finally wash my hands of them.” Shinji-John said angrily.
“It was you all along? You were behind this whole thing?” John asked incredulously.
“You’re surprised? I told you that I was bringing you back to the scene of your crime,” Shinji-John muttered.
“But what crime?!? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” John shot back defensively.
Shinji-John grew an angry look, but it soon melded into a twisted smile. “Well, that’s why we’re here aren’t we? It’s time for your punishment to begin.”
Holy Ghost Medical Center…
Dr. Joseph Brown ran down the corridor to the entrance of the emergency room. As he flew past the ER lobby, he noticed the rush and hustle of various members of the ER staff who were attending other duties this Friday night.
Brown, a proud looking African-American man was the current chief resident at Holy Ghost. When word came over to them that a massive collision had occurred near the Highway 12 exit on Interstate 713, he knew that they were in for a long night.
Apparently, someone swerved into oncoming traffic and collided into a tractor-trailer which in turn caused twelve others to collide with various other vehicles before the chaos had ended. Brown shook his head in disbelief at hearing these reports. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to think too much about them because ambulances were pulling in to bring the first round of injured.
Through the sliding doors, two EMT’s wheeled in a gurney, Brown immediately took charge and directed them to follow him. EMT’s continued to pump oxygen into the passenger of the gurney. His neck was held still in a orange oversized brace, and blood soaked the gauze that was wrapped places on his body.
“Okay, what we got?” Brown asked while directing the gurney down the corridor into the room.
The first EMT spoke. “Twenty year old male, heavy blood loss, possible neck trauma.”
“He has one of those Medi-alert pedants,” the second EMT added and pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it lightly to Brown. Brown in turn read the contents on the back then turned to the nurse following him.
“Get me three units of B-negative.” Brown ordered. The nurse nodded and ran down the corridor. A second resident, Dr. John Sax, joined him as they wheeled him into the room.
“Ugh! What the hell happened?” Sax commented on seeing the passenger’s mangled body.
“He’s the kid that collided with the semi.” the first EMT commented.
“Crazy bastard. We running a toxicology?” Sax asked Brown.
“Let’s just concentrate on saving him first,” Brown responded as the four of them hoisted him cautiously from the gurney onto the table, careful to not cause any more damage.
Brown took a good look at John’s bloody face and torso and sighed. Then he went about his task…
The White Room…
“Let’s see now, where to begin? Yes, yes! I know! Let’s go to when you were 15, shall we?” Shinji-John asked excitedly.
“Wha…? Why?”
“Oh, come now. It’s just us two now. Let’s not play games. You remember what happened when you were 15 don’t you?” Shinji-John asked.
“We moved from Seattle to Kettering.” John answered after a brief pause.
“Exactly. You moved from your home in Seattle to Kettering, Ohio. You had to start a brand new school, a brand new life. How did you feel?” Shinji-John asked.
“I felt fine. It was no big deal.” John replied.
“Oh really?” Shinji-John began, “Well, let’s see for ourselves shall we?” Having said that, Shinji-John waved his arm and the white room began to change. John looked around him and realized that he was now standing in the hallway of his old high school.
The initial shock of being back in Kettering was perturbing, but what was even more perturbing was the fact that John saw himself at 15 walking the halls. John took a step forward but Shinji-John held him back. John continued to watch as the 15 year old version of himself walked down the rows of lockers while looking a scrap of paper. He was dressed in navy slacks with a short sleeve white dress shirt with a turquoise t-shirt peeking underneath.
“So I used to dress like you, big deal.” John remarked to the grinning Shinji-John.
15 year old John continued down the rows of lockers. A moment later a small group of students walked by. One paused and looked over to the confused 15 year old John. “Hey, aren’t you that new kid?”
“Um…yeah. I’m John,” 15 year old John answered timidly.
A short brunette looked 15 year old John up and down. “Who dressed you?” She then began to laugh which caused the others to laugh and they in turn walked away. A minute later the halls were empty again and 15 year old John punched a locker.
“Remember this?” Shinji-John asked.
“I was new, it had to be expected,” John replied defensively.
“Yeah, but it still bugged you, didn’t it?” Shinji-John asked.
“Well, maybe I was a little shy,” John admitted.
“Shy? You were quiet. Timid. Introverted. And most of all you were alone. Remember how you always used to sit by yourself at lunch? But that all changed didn’t it? I remember that day.” Shinji-John explained and with a wave of his arm the scenery changed a little and a slightly older version of John appeared there.
He looked about 16 now, and he was still alone. He watched as groups of students walked by him without even giving him a glimpse.
“Still alone. No one even knew who you were and you had been there a full year,” Shinji-John mused.
16 year old John walked down the quiet halls alone with his head sadly hung. He then paused and looked up and saw something that changed his life. It was a small poster. ‘Student Elections! Register now!’ followed by garbage about positions and requirements and what not. 16 year old John just looked up and stared at it for a long while.
“That’s where it all began to change wasn’t it?” Shinji-John asked.
“That where I came along,” Jinnai-John spoke as he reentered the scene.
“What are you talking about?” John asked.
Jinnai-John stepped forward and pointed to 16 year old John. “No one was going to vote for that quiet nobody. No, if you wanted to be known you had to make a splash. That’s where I came along. Someone to help you make grandiose promises and who was willing to be cunning and even devious,” Jinnai-John explained.
“And it worked didn’t it? You won the student election. Sure, you had to compromise your own morals and had to sometimes be a royal jerk, but at least now people knew who you were. It was worth it right?” Shinji-John pontificated.
“Not quite,” answered Touga-John as he too reappeared and Jinnai-John disappeared. “Being the student president was fine because people weren’t ignoring you anymore. Unfortunately, it didn’t help your social skills much.”
The scene around them slightly changed again as the halls again aged a little and the decoration changed. Now, 17 year old John, just re-elected president of the student council in a suspicious election, walked down the hall with his head held high. Maybe a little too high.
“Okay, so maybe I let it go to my head a little,” John admitted.
“Go to your head? You? Never!” Shinji-John taunted. Meanwhile, 17 Year Old John walked down the hall and bumped into a smaller girl, also 17, whom John looked long at hard before speaking.
“Hi Jen! I’m glad I bumped into you!” 17 Year old John nervously chattered.
The girl looked at John and looked slightly hesitant. “Um…Hi John,” she finally said.
“I was wondering…Um…” He began to touch the tips of his fingers together, “Maybe…you would accompany me to the junior prom. As Student council president I can secure us the best table and everything.” 17 year old John asked trying to sound impressive, but sounding more scared.
“Gee John,” The girl started before shifting her eyes, “I would love too, but you see…I already am going with someone else. Whoa! Look what time it is, I’m late for class! Bye John,” the girl yammered and then ran down the hall leaving 17 year old John alone with his head once again hung low.
“Even though they knew who you were, You still didn’t have many friends did you?” Shinji-John asked.
“Sure, with all your new power and social standing and you couldn’t even talk to a girl without scaring her away. Then I came along and helped you didn’t I? I helped you act more socially acceptable. Suddenly you were in all the best cliques and going to all the best parties,” Touga-John answered.
“And so what if you had to go around pretending to be something you weren’t. You were popular! That’s all that really matters,” Shinji-John stated and Touga-John disappeared.
“Well, What’s wrong with that? At least I wasn’t alone all the time!” John shouted back.
Shinji-John held up his finger, “Ah ha! And now we come to what you did! Let’s see the crime in action!” Shinji-John stated and waved his arm again. This time the scenery changed again and the hall was mixed with decorations for the new fall semester. 18 year old and three time student council president John walked down the hall with his compliment of followers and ‘friends’ to either of his sides or directly behind him.
A moment later a slightly younger boy entered the hall looking at a small scrap of paper and then looking over the lockers. The clique stopped for a moment and turned to look at him. Billy, one of John’s ‘friends’ looked him over and spoke. “Hey, aren’t you that new kid that transferred from the private academy?” he asked.
“Um yeah. I’m Joe,” he responded timidly and then looked over to John. John looked back and felt the junior’s stare burn into him. There thr junior stood with his navy slacks and dress shirt and there John stood with his circle of compatriots. John looked back one last time and then turned to his friends.
“Come on guys, we don’t have time to waste on him.” And then he continued down the hall. A moment later the scene vanished and John was standing in the White Room again.
“Well, I’ll be! Did you actually hear the words that came out of your mouth?” Shinji-John asked.
John looked down for a moment and scuffled his feet slightly. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.” Shinji-John mocked.
“I said YES!” John shouted back.
“And don’t you have anything to say in your defense?” Shinji-John asked.
“No,” was all John managed.
“It was okay until that point. You see, because even though you had compromised your morals and began to pretend to be something you weren’t really, you did it to help yourself, never to hurt others. But then…BUT THEN! You go and do this! Did you forget that you were exactly like that boy?!?” Shinji-John interrogated.
“If I said anything to him, they might have seen through me.” John muttered. “No one ever came to me.”
“So it was okay to hurt someone else because you had gone through it?” Shinji-John demanded.
“No. It’s just…” John stammered.
“It’s nothing! You are guilty! Guilty of attempted murder!” Shinji-John shouted.
John stepped back in surprise. “Murder?!? Wait a sec…”
“Yes, murder! You saw what you used to be and you feared that it might come back to harm you! So you decided to kill it by putting down what you used to be! I would say that you most certainly are guilty. You tried to take a quiet lad and slowly you allowed him to become warped and compromised and finally you tried to rid yourself of him! You tried to rid yourself…OF ME!!!” Shinji-John shouted.
“You?!?” John stammered.
“The original John Hoelscher. The quiet lad who sat alone at lunch and was ignored by everyone. At least I was true to myself and I never kidded myself about where I stood. But You had to go and corrupt that innocence. And then! And then, you leave town for Massachusetts! You told all your ‘friends’ that you didn’t get along with your parents, but the truth is that you wanted a clean start so you could forget what you did! You didn’t want to admit that you sold yourself out for a few fleeting moments of fake happiness,” Shinji-John ranted.
Shinji-John started walking toward John, who in turn began to slowly back away. John put his hands out to keep the other away. “Let’s be a little rational about this…”
Shinji-John stared straight into John’s eyes. “The judgment has been made. The punishment will begin.” And he wrapped his hands around John’s throat and began to squeeze.
John felt the pressure on his neck as Shinji-John began to squeeze even harder. “Please…Don’t do this.”
“You expect me to let you live after you would have gladly killed me?” Shinji-John asked and then paused the throttling. He mused this for a moment and then squeezed even harder. John felt the room began to grow darker and the white light was becoming very blurry…
Holy Ghost Medical Center…
“He’s crashing!” Brown shouted to Sax as the monitors all began to flatline on the EKG.
“What the hell just happened?!?” Sax asked in the confusion.
“I don’t know, one minute we’re giving him fresh blood and suddenly he goes into cardiac arrest! Help me here!” Brown shouted as pulled out a set of paddles and started rubbing them together.
“Clear!” Sax shouted and Brown placed the paddles on John’s chest. A brief spasm of the torso and then stillness. The EKG was still flat.
“More!” Brown order and rubbed the paddles again.
“Clear!” Sax shouted and brown again placed the paddles on John’s chest. Again there was a brief spasm and then nothing.
“Again!” Brown shouted and repeated the process, with still no results. “Again, Dammit!” Brown shouted and proceeded to start the process again, but this time Sax stopped him and shook his head.
“He’s gone Joe.” Sax stated and took the defibulaters out of his hands.
“Dammit!” Brown shouted and he slammed his hand on a nearby instrument table. “Okay. Mark the time of death at…” Brown looked up at the clock, “Friday, 11:59 PM.”
The Interview Room…
So you are dead?
John took the question just posed and mulled it around in his head. “Yes.”
“Oh most definitely,” Jinnai-John agreed.
“I concur,” Touga-John added while Shinji-John simply nodded in self satisfaction at his doing.
Then how does that explain them still being here?
“Well…” John began and then paused and looked at the three figures, “if modern beliefs hold up… then I would guess this is… Hell?”
Hell? You think are still being punished?
“That would explain it, wouldn’t it?” John answered and then was struck by a new thought. “Does that mean that you’re the Devil?”
A moment later John, Shinji-John, Touga-John, and Jinnai-John all vanished and all that was left was the chair and the shaft of light.
Act the Third:
“Crimes of the Heart”
The room was dark. Very dark. And cold. It was very, very cold. Jason Bertovich shivered slightly. The only small source of light in this cold room was a small shaft focused on the steel folding chair that Jason was sitting on.
Jason however had failed to really take any of this in as he was currently rocking himself back and forth over and over. His clothes were stained with bright red blood as were his hands are arms. As he ran his fingers through his hair, the brown hair became stained with the red ooze. He continued to rock himself as if this would reassure him.
Mr. Bertovich?
Jason ignored it and continued to rock slightly and then ran his fingers through his hair again.
Mr. Bertovich, I know you can hear me.
Jason stopped rocking and opened his eyes to focus on the sound of the ‘voice.’
That’s better. Now, are you comfortable?
“No.” Jason answered.
I apologize then, we’ll try to hurry this along then.
“No.” Jason responded.
No? What do you mean?
“No.” Jason mutter and then began to slightly rock himself again.
Mr. Bertovich, this isn’t very helpful to anyone.
“No.” Jason muttered again while rocking himself. “No. No. No. NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!” Jason began shouting.
What is this all about?
“No, Nicole! Don’t do anything! No! Please don’t!” Jason shouted out.
Ah…Ms. Porter. Is she involved in this as well?
“Don’t hurt her! Please!” Jason screamed out in the darkness.
Was Ms. Porter in danger?
“I’ll kill you!!!” Jason screamed in anger and then fell off the chair and put himself in a fetal position. “I didn’t mean to…”
Didn’t mean to what? Mr. Bertovich, what did you do?
“I never meant to hurt anyone, Nicole. I just…No! Don’t touch me!!!” Jason screamed out and closed his eyes in his curled position.
Who did you hurt Mr. Bertovich? Was it Ms. Porter?
“Oh…God! I’m a killer! I’m a killer!” Jason began to weep on the floor and then he finally looked up. “Please…help me…” He pleaded.
I want to, Mr. Bertovich…Jason. But you must help me. Tell me, what exactly happened to you?
“It was supposed to be so wonderful. Why God did this happen?!?” Jason shouted from the floor.
Why don’t we start at the beginning?
Friday Evening…
The small cream-colored coupe pulled up along the street. Jason turned the engine off and unfastened his seat-belt. He then paused and adjusted the rearview mirror. He positioned it so he could see himself in it. Then he proceeded to brush the hair back with his hands and to give himself one last look over. He then opened the driver side door and stepped out into the street.
He looked around and examined the apartment numbers on the buildings around him. He found the one he was looking for and began his approach. Jason climbed the steps and then noticed a bicycle parked next to a phone pole. Jason went to the door and knocked.
“I’m coming!” came the voice on the other side, Jason felt his heart jump a little, then the door opened and he felt a little disappointed.
It wasn’t Nicole answering the door, it was the other sister, Kirstin. She gave him a warm smile. “She’s just finishing getting ready for you, she’ll be ready in a moment, come on in!” Kirstin said. Jason had an odd sense of deja vu. Her demeanor reminded him incredibly of his mother.
Jason stepped in and followed Kirstin into the apartment. “Can I offer you anything to drink?” she asked.
“No thanks,” Jason answered and took in the scenery. It was a rather cozy place in fact. Jason could easily see three people living here comfortably. Kirstin guided him into the living room where Sarah Porter, the older sister, was sitting reading a small leatherbound book. She looked up and sat up immediately. She straightened herself and placed a bookmark in her tome and closed the book. She gave a look to Kirstin who nodded and retreated to the kitchen area where another young man was ssitting at the table, which had cards scattered over it.
“Okay, Aaron, you were explaining that certain cards can’t be used anymore,” she began to the boy.
“Well, you can still use them, but not in tournament play,” he answered.
“Well, then why make them?” Kirstin asked confused.
“Well, they weren’t banned at first, but people found all these tricks with them and it threw the game out of balance and then…” The boy continued quietly droning about the topic.
Jason turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. Here eyes staring at him running up and down, making Jason very uncomfortable.
“You look nice,” she said approvingly. “Most guys don’t bother wear ties on dates anymore.”
Jason began to feel like he was being judged at a cattle-raising competition. “Well, it goes with the jeans.” He replied pointing to the blue denim.
“I want her back home around midnight. Is that clear?” she asked in dead seriousness.
“I’ll probably have her back before that. We’re mainly going to get a bite to eat and maybe a movie. Nothing special. This is a ‘get to know you better’ kind of affair.” Jason answered. Then he realized that the term ‘affair’ probably wasn’t the best choice of words though, Sarah didn’t seem to notice.
“So, how long have you been living in Holyoke?” Sarah asked.
“About nine months. I moved there last winter in time for the Spring semester. I got a job at the mall and basically try to scrape out a living on what I earn and what my parents send along to help out,” Jason answered, looking around at the apartment. “Nice place you got here. Two bedroom, bath, kitchen and living room?”
Sarah took in the answer and then the question. “Why yes it is.”
“Lucky. I live in a tiny two room hovel. And one of the rooms contains my shower,” Jason said as he examined a few pictures hung on the wall.
“That’s sounds cramped,” Sarah contributed.
“May it ever be so humble, there’s no place like home,” Jason agreed. “But it’s just me, so it’s not too bad…if I had a roommate, then it be bad…”
Sarah grinned at the comment and nodded in understanding, thinking that if she and her sisters shared one room and how close they’d probably come to killing each other over normal arguments. “You like living by yourself?” she asked, interested.
“I could do without certain things. Doing my own laundry sucks, plus it’s expensive and I can’t really boast having a master chef’s kitchen, but I get by. It took a little while, but I’m getting used to Holyoke and Massachusetts.” Then he grinned and pointed to a bandage on his face, “Now all we need is for Massachusetts to get used to me.”
Sarah took the comment in and before she could reply someone interrupted her. “Sarah! I’m ready, is Jason here yet?” Nicole asked as she walked into the room and then stopped and noticed him standing there. “Sarah, why didn’t you tell me he was here? Have you been giving him the third degree?” Nicole reprimanded.
“Nah, I just got here and me and her were just discussing living here,” Jason spoke up.
Nicole gave her sister a scrutinizing look but then relented and lightened her mood. “So, you ready to go?” she asked Jason.
“Well I am, and you appear to be,” Jason stated and then turned to exit the apartment. Before he left the room he turned to Sarah. “Don’t worry, I’ll be good.” He grinned, causing Sarah to crack a small smile. Jason and Nicole turned to exit and bumped into Kirstin and her friend. “Have a good time Nicole!” Kirstin said brightly.
“What about you two? Any plans?” Nicole asked her twin.
“Me and Aaron are going to stay in tonight and watch a couple movies. Sarah and Matty are going out on the town,” Kirstin explained.
“Well, you two have fun,” Nicole replied.
“You too!” Kirstin beamed. Nicole and Jason turned to exit the door when Jason turned to the pair.
“…and Kirstin, always keep two islands untapped to keep him second-guessing,” Jason commented, which caused a grin from the boy and a look of slight confusion from Kirstin.
“You play?” he asked.
“They used to call me ‘The Blue and White Thunder of D&L Cards,’” Jason answered.
“We’ll have to play sometime,” he commented.
“I’ll have my cards mailed to me,” Jason stated and then closed the door. Nicole turned to him and arched an eyebrow.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Just a little card humor. He plays a game I used to play,” Jason explained to which Nicole nodded. They then turned to leave the porch and to walk down the steps.
However a noise interrupted them. “Meow?”
Nicole turned and noticed the little white and black cat sitting on the corner of the porch mewing. “Neko-chan!” Nicole shouted and walked over and picked the cat up and hugged him tightly which caused the cat to purr. “You naughty kitty! You’ve been gone two days and had me worried sick!” she reprimanded.
She put the cat down on the porch which caused the cat to almost appear sorrowful.
“So this is the pet penguin?” Jason asked. Then he paused for thought. “Two days? Isn’t that quite a long time to be gone? Most cats tend to only leave home for a few hours or so.”
“Neko-chan is always doing this. He runs off and disappears for a period of time and always comes back home, usually drenched for some reason…” Nicole explained.
“Hmmm…that’s odd,” he mused.
“But he’s mine,” Nicole said proudly and picked him up again and walked over to Jason. “Neko-chan, meet Jason, my date for tonight.”
At that moment, you would swear that the cat actually scowled at hearing the words ‘my date.’ Jason held out his hand to pet the top of Neko-chan’s head. Neko-chan took it as an opportunity to sharpen his claws on his competition and thus swiped his paws out at Jason’s hand.
“Ouch!” Jason shouted as he pulled back his hand and arm. On his arm above the bandage line was three small red scratches. “That’s smarts.”
“Neko-chan! What’s gotten into you!” she reprimanded the cat, who you would swear was now wearing a smug expression. “That’s not the way you act!” The cat began to run his head up against her and purr softly. “Are you okay?” Nicole asked Jason.
“I’m fine, it’s just a small scratch. A little aggressive, isn’t he?” Jason asked.
“Normally, he’s so well behaved,” Nicole explained.
“Except for the disappearing spells,” Jason added.
“Well…yeah. Why? Do you know what’s up with him?” Nicole asked.
Jason took the question and thought about it for a minute. “Well, I used to have a male cat for a long time. He used to be very aggressive and would disappear for long periods of time.”
“So?” Nicole queried.
“Well, the reason he disappeared was because he was…um…oh…y’know… ‘alleycatting’ around town,” Jason explained with slight trepidation.
Nicole took it in and a moment later slightly blushed. Neko-chan looked a little confused. “Oh,” she said with slight embarrassment. “How did you fix the situation?”
“Well everything was fine after we had him neutered. He wasn’t very hostile anymore,” Jason explained.
Upon hearing the word ‘neutered’ however, Neko-chan’s eyes slightly bulged in fear and he began to hiss and swipe at Jason again causing him to jump back a little.
“Neko-chan! What’s gotten into you?” she asked trying to hold the swiping cat still. She then opened the front door and shoved the cat inside and closed it “Naughty kitty!” she breathed as she closed the door, thus putting Neko-chan back inside.
“Ready to go?” Jason asked.
“Let’s do it,” Nicole agreed and the pair walked down the steps.
Inside the apartment, Aaron and Kirstin played Magic: The Gathering. Aaron held his hand up and poked from card to card, unsure which to play. On the other side of the table, Kirstin had three cards in her hand…and two islands untapped. “I’ll get him for this.” He muttered under his breath and then smiled at his opponent, the most beautiful girl in the world. Well, to him, anyway.
Meanwhile, Neko-chan sat on the floor and stared at the closed door. He mewed pathetically. He couldn’t believe it. There was someone else! He narrowed his eyes. Nicole was his first. Neko-chan made a quiet resolution: The new guy must be destroyed!!!
Inside the car Nicole and Jason buckled themselves in and Jason started the ignition. “I just wanted to say that you look nice.” Jason said and then blushed slightly. Nicole was dressed in a dark blue sweater with a matching floral print long skirt.
“Thank you,” Nicole accepted quietly.
“So what’s the plan?” Jason asked.
“Well, you said I could go anywhere and have anything I wanted,” Nicole stated happily.
“Well…something like that. So what do you want? What wish can I grant?” Jason said giving a small servant bow.
“What I want…Hmm…” Nicole began giving the question some thought. “I want you to surprise me.” She giggled and smiled.
“One surprise coming up,” Jason replied as he put the car in drive and the two were off.
A while later, Jason held the door open as Nicole walked through. An attractive blonde girl with her hair tied in a bun, dressed in a kimono walked up to them. “Greetings customer-san! Welcome to the Rising Sun Sushi Bar. I’m…” The blonde paused for a moment and looked like she was trying to remember something, “…I’m Anako. Would you like Smoking or Non?”
Nicole looked at Jason and gave him a skeptical look. Jason whispered in her ear, “I’m sure it’s just for ambiance.”
“I sure hope so.” Nicole whispered back.
“Sir? Smoking or Non?” The blonde asked which caught Jason’s attention. Jason then got a good look at the hostess. He could swear he’d seen her before…
“Angela?” He asked. The blonde immediately perked up at hearing the name and pointed to herself.
“Do I know you…?” She studied him for a moment. “Wait a sec! Yeah! It was…um…Josh?” The blonde asked.
“Close. It’s Jason.” He corrected.
“Do you two know each other?” Nicole asked, trying to break into the conversation.
“Oh! Nicole, this is Angela.” He pointed to the blonde. “She was a nurse at the hospital when I was attacked.” Jason explained. “I never would guess that you would work here too.” Nicole simply nodded in understanding.
“Well, unfortunately being a nurse doesn’t pay both my rent and tuition. I want to be a doctor someday.” Angela explained. “I wish I could talk, but I have to take care of other customers or Mr. Segawa will get upset. Besides, you look to be on a date.” Nicole and Jason both slightly blushed and nodded.
“Non-smoking please.” Jason asked and Angela or ‘Anako’ as she was known to the customers showed them to a table set around a large round stage in the center of the restaurant. Jason and Nicole sat down and took the two menus handed to them.
“So, have you ever had Japanese cuisine before?” Nicole asked.
“Honestly? No.” Jason answered and then opened the menu.
“Sushi is interesting. You have to get used to it though. I think you’ll like the Vinegar sugar rice that makes Sushi.” Nicole explained.
“I thought Sushi was raw fish?” Jason asked.
“Actually, Sashimi is raw fish. Sushi are dishes served with sashimi and the vinegar sugar rice.” Nicole explained. Jason simply nodded his head. Nicole then took his menu out of his hand and folded it on the tabled. “Here, I’ll order for both of us,” she stated simply and began to peruse her own menu. Jason simply put his face on his hand and sighed contently as Nicole had her vision obscured by the menu.
A few moments later Angela walked up and pulled out a small pad. “Are you ready to order?”
Nicole put the menu down and handed both to Angela. “Two orders of ramen and the sushi platter for two, and a pot of green tea,” she ordered. Angela nodded and wrote it down.
“Anything else?” Angela inquired.
“That will be fine,” Nicole stated.
“Well, while you wait, do you want to look through the song collection book for tonight’s Karaoke competition?” Angela asked.
“What kind of karaoke?” Jason asked.
“Well we have both American and Japanese songs in both Japanese or English lyrics,” Angela explained. Jason looked at Nicole and she simply shrugged. Jason nodded and a minute later Angela carried over a large tome of music selections. Jason took it and began to flip through it nodding and shaking his head as he went past pages.
Jason then began to nod happily and grin childishly. He took a pen and wrote down the number and the song and placed it in his pocket. Nicole arched an eyebrow. “What did you pick?” she asked.
“Now,” he said, holding out his index finger and wagging it, ”that is a secret.” He grinned causing her to gain a even more strange look. Jason then handed the book over to Nicole who also looked through it and quickly made a selection and also wrote it down and stuffed the paper in her pocket.
“I take it, that you won’t tell me yours?” Jason asked.
“A little mystery will keep you interested for a long time,” she smiled thinking to all the mysteries that she herself were trying to solve or had solved. Currently her most perplexing was the enigma that was her sisters’ friend Matty Hayes and how she was connected to Matt Atanian.
“Speaking of mysteries, I still don’t know a whole lot about you. I know that you have a cat, two sisters, are part Japanese…” He then paused and smiled, “and are brilliant, gorgeous and kind.”
“Well, the equals as much as what I know about you. I know that you work at the Electronics Boutique, live by yourself, have only been living here within a year…” and then she paused and smiled, “and are handsome, decent, and brave.”
Jason looked into her eyes. “Flattery will get you everything.”
She looked back. “I always get what I want anyway.”
Suddenly there was an awkward silence and tension that fell between them. Jason then let out a nervous cough. “Well, who wants to start?”
Nicole loosened up and spoke. “Let’s hear more about you.”
Jason took a sip of water and thought for a moment. “Well, I originally come from a small backwater town called Smithfield, Pennsylvania located deep in the backwoods of Southwestern PA. My parents raised me and sent me to private school where I was horribly scarred, then I graduated and decided after a few years of school down there that I needed a change of scene. So I picked up and moved north, hoping that it would invigorate me.”
Nicole blinked a couple times. “My what an interesting life you’ve led to be able to sum it up in a paragraph,” she replied.
“What can I say, I’m a simple guy. Though, I do have this fascination with Asian culture that has always stuck with me,” Jason responded.
“Oh?” Nicole inquired. She then noticed that Jason was sort of staring at her. “Stop picturing me in a formal kimono with geisha make-up,” she stated blankly as she sipped her water.
It was Jason’s turn to blink. “How did you know?”
“You’re a guy.” She stated matter-of-factly. Then she took her water and sipped it again. “And no sailor fuku either.”
Jason blinked again in surprise as she had been dead-on. Damn, this girl is amazing!
Soon Angela brought over a tray and started laying dishes and bowls out on the table. She handed them each a pair of chopsticks and then bowed and turned her attention to other tables. Jason snapped the chopsticks in two pieces and started by going after the ramen.
“You use chopsticks pretty well,” noticed Nicole as she held a pink piece of sashimi in between her two sticks, preparing to dip it in a brownish sauce. She then held the sticks up. “Here, open up, this is good.”
Jason slurped the noodles already in his mouth and swallowed. Then he opened his mouth and let Nicole feed him the sashimi. He paused to think about what he was eating. It had a slightly slick feel, but a rather nice light texture and interesting taste. Jason then picked up a piece with his sticks and looked over the dipping sauces.
“Try the red one, it’s pretty good,” Nicole recommended. Jason did such and put the sashimi in Nicole’s mouth. A moment later she frantically grabbed her tea and gulped down a cup and the then let out a heavy breath.
“That’s a bit spicier than I normally like it,” she said. Jason began to giggle at her blushed face, which Nicole soon joining in.
And the meal continued relatively quietly with Nicole and Jason sharing stories over Sashimi and Tempura. Nicole learned about Jason’s aspirations while Jason learned the complex history that was the Porter family tree. Since this story is not about the Porter family history, we won’t go into that today.
As the meal was approaching its completion, a small Asian man walked up on the stage and pulled out a microphone. Angela walked up on stage with him in her wooden sandals. “Ah, Kobanwa ladies and gentlemen! I’m am Mr. Segawa and welcome to The Rising Sun’s Friday Night Karaoke contest!” The patrons politely clapped and then he continued. “Anako-san will be going around every table with a sign-up sheet. After we have filled up, then we will start the contest.” More polite clapping followed. “And tonight’s winner will receive this trophy that Anako-san is holding.” Angela held up a large gold cup and the audience clapped enthusiastically. “So good luck to everyone!” Mr. Segawa proclaimed and then walked off the stage. Anako took the clipboard and started walking around the tables. Several minutes later she came up to Jason and Nicole.
“You still entering?” Angela asked.
“Try to keep me away,” Jason stated as he looked at the sign-up sheet. Then he frowned slightly. “We got a decent wait,” he told Nicole.
Nicole signed her name too and shrugged. “I don’t mind. It lets me scout the competition.” She smiled.
“Yeah, but that won’t change the fact that I’m winning tonight.” Jason challenged.
“Didn’t I just tell you that I always get what I want?” Nicole challenged back and then stared into his eyes, causing the uneasy tension to return.
And so the competition began. Some singers were okay, some were not. Some were pretty decent singers in either language and some were pretty much tone deaf. Finally Mr. Segawa walked up the stage after a semi-decent rendition of ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ and announced, “Our next competitor is Mr…Jason…Betrovich?” He finished. Jason stood up and walked to the stage and took the microphone.
“It’s Bertovich actually, but everyone calls me Jason or Jay.” Then he took the sheet music from Angela and pointed for the music to begin playing. The stage was quiet and Jason bowed his head for effect.
Then the rock blared across the speakers as five notes blared over and Jason looked up to the crowd who looked on. Jason began to sing…
Jason however had failed to really take any of this in as he was currently rocking himself back and forth over and over. His clothes were stained with bright red blood as were his hands are arms. As he ran his fingers through his hair, the brown hair became stained with the red ooze. He continued to rock himself as if this would reassure him.
Mr. Bertovich?
Jason ignored it and continued to rock slightly and then ran his fingers through his hair again.
Mr. Bertovich, I know you can hear me.
Jason stopped rocking and opened his eyes to focus on the sound of the ‘voice.’
That’s better. Now, are you comfortable?
“No.” Jason answered.
I apologize then, we’ll try to hurry this along then.
“No.” Jason responded.
No? What do you mean?
“No.” Jason mutter and then began to slightly rock himself again.
Mr. Bertovich, this isn’t very helpful to anyone.
“No.” Jason muttered again while rocking himself. “No. No. No. NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!” Jason began shouting.
What is this all about?
“No, Nicole! Don’t do anything! No! Please don’t!” Jason shouted out.
Ah…Ms. Porter. Is she involved in this as well?
“Don’t hurt her! Please!” Jason screamed out in the darkness.
Was Ms. Porter in danger?
“I’ll kill you!!!” Jason screamed in anger and then fell off the chair and put himself in a fetal position. “I didn’t mean to…”
Didn’t mean to what? Mr. Bertovich, what did you do?
“I never meant to hurt anyone, Nicole. I just…No! Don’t touch me!!!” Jason screamed out and closed his eyes in his curled position.
Who did you hurt Mr. Bertovich? Was it Ms. Porter?
“Oh…God! I’m a killer! I’m a killer!” Jason began to weep on the floor and then he finally looked up. “Please…help me…” He pleaded.
I want to, Mr. Bertovich…Jason. But you must help me. Tell me, what exactly happened to you?
“It was supposed to be so wonderful. Why God did this happen?!?” Jason shouted from the floor.
Why don’t we start at the beginning?
Friday Evening…
The small cream-colored coupe pulled up along the street. Jason turned the engine off and unfastened his seat-belt. He then paused and adjusted the rearview mirror. He positioned it so he could see himself in it. Then he proceeded to brush the hair back with his hands and to give himself one last look over. He then opened the driver side door and stepped out into the street.
He looked around and examined the apartment numbers on the buildings around him. He found the one he was looking for and began his approach. Jason climbed the steps and then noticed a bicycle parked next to a phone pole. Jason went to the door and knocked.
“I’m coming!” came the voice on the other side, Jason felt his heart jump a little, then the door opened and he felt a little disappointed.
It wasn’t Nicole answering the door, it was the other sister, Kirstin. She gave him a warm smile. “She’s just finishing getting ready for you, she’ll be ready in a moment, come on in!” Kirstin said. Jason had an odd sense of deja vu. Her demeanor reminded him incredibly of his mother.
Jason stepped in and followed Kirstin into the apartment. “Can I offer you anything to drink?” she asked.
“No thanks,” Jason answered and took in the scenery. It was a rather cozy place in fact. Jason could easily see three people living here comfortably. Kirstin guided him into the living room where Sarah Porter, the older sister, was sitting reading a small leatherbound book. She looked up and sat up immediately. She straightened herself and placed a bookmark in her tome and closed the book. She gave a look to Kirstin who nodded and retreated to the kitchen area where another young man was ssitting at the table, which had cards scattered over it.
“Okay, Aaron, you were explaining that certain cards can’t be used anymore,” she began to the boy.
“Well, you can still use them, but not in tournament play,” he answered.
“Well, then why make them?” Kirstin asked confused.
“Well, they weren’t banned at first, but people found all these tricks with them and it threw the game out of balance and then…” The boy continued quietly droning about the topic.
Jason turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. Here eyes staring at him running up and down, making Jason very uncomfortable.
“You look nice,” she said approvingly. “Most guys don’t bother wear ties on dates anymore.”
Jason began to feel like he was being judged at a cattle-raising competition. “Well, it goes with the jeans.” He replied pointing to the blue denim.
“I want her back home around midnight. Is that clear?” she asked in dead seriousness.
“I’ll probably have her back before that. We’re mainly going to get a bite to eat and maybe a movie. Nothing special. This is a ‘get to know you better’ kind of affair.” Jason answered. Then he realized that the term ‘affair’ probably wasn’t the best choice of words though, Sarah didn’t seem to notice.
“So, how long have you been living in Holyoke?” Sarah asked.
“About nine months. I moved there last winter in time for the Spring semester. I got a job at the mall and basically try to scrape out a living on what I earn and what my parents send along to help out,” Jason answered, looking around at the apartment. “Nice place you got here. Two bedroom, bath, kitchen and living room?”
Sarah took in the answer and then the question. “Why yes it is.”
“Lucky. I live in a tiny two room hovel. And one of the rooms contains my shower,” Jason said as he examined a few pictures hung on the wall.
“That’s sounds cramped,” Sarah contributed.
“May it ever be so humble, there’s no place like home,” Jason agreed. “But it’s just me, so it’s not too bad…if I had a roommate, then it be bad…”
Sarah grinned at the comment and nodded in understanding, thinking that if she and her sisters shared one room and how close they’d probably come to killing each other over normal arguments. “You like living by yourself?” she asked, interested.
“I could do without certain things. Doing my own laundry sucks, plus it’s expensive and I can’t really boast having a master chef’s kitchen, but I get by. It took a little while, but I’m getting used to Holyoke and Massachusetts.” Then he grinned and pointed to a bandage on his face, “Now all we need is for Massachusetts to get used to me.”
Sarah took the comment in and before she could reply someone interrupted her. “Sarah! I’m ready, is Jason here yet?” Nicole asked as she walked into the room and then stopped and noticed him standing there. “Sarah, why didn’t you tell me he was here? Have you been giving him the third degree?” Nicole reprimanded.
“Nah, I just got here and me and her were just discussing living here,” Jason spoke up.
Nicole gave her sister a scrutinizing look but then relented and lightened her mood. “So, you ready to go?” she asked Jason.
“Well I am, and you appear to be,” Jason stated and then turned to exit the apartment. Before he left the room he turned to Sarah. “Don’t worry, I’ll be good.” He grinned, causing Sarah to crack a small smile. Jason and Nicole turned to exit and bumped into Kirstin and her friend. “Have a good time Nicole!” Kirstin said brightly.
“What about you two? Any plans?” Nicole asked her twin.
“Me and Aaron are going to stay in tonight and watch a couple movies. Sarah and Matty are going out on the town,” Kirstin explained.
“Well, you two have fun,” Nicole replied.
“You too!” Kirstin beamed. Nicole and Jason turned to exit the door when Jason turned to the pair.
“…and Kirstin, always keep two islands untapped to keep him second-guessing,” Jason commented, which caused a grin from the boy and a look of slight confusion from Kirstin.
“You play?” he asked.
“They used to call me ‘The Blue and White Thunder of D&L Cards,’” Jason answered.
“We’ll have to play sometime,” he commented.
“I’ll have my cards mailed to me,” Jason stated and then closed the door. Nicole turned to him and arched an eyebrow.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Just a little card humor. He plays a game I used to play,” Jason explained to which Nicole nodded. They then turned to leave the porch and to walk down the steps.
However a noise interrupted them. “Meow?”
Nicole turned and noticed the little white and black cat sitting on the corner of the porch mewing. “Neko-chan!” Nicole shouted and walked over and picked the cat up and hugged him tightly which caused the cat to purr. “You naughty kitty! You’ve been gone two days and had me worried sick!” she reprimanded.
She put the cat down on the porch which caused the cat to almost appear sorrowful.
“So this is the pet penguin?” Jason asked. Then he paused for thought. “Two days? Isn’t that quite a long time to be gone? Most cats tend to only leave home for a few hours or so.”
“Neko-chan is always doing this. He runs off and disappears for a period of time and always comes back home, usually drenched for some reason…” Nicole explained.
“Hmmm…that’s odd,” he mused.
“But he’s mine,” Nicole said proudly and picked him up again and walked over to Jason. “Neko-chan, meet Jason, my date for tonight.”
At that moment, you would swear that the cat actually scowled at hearing the words ‘my date.’ Jason held out his hand to pet the top of Neko-chan’s head. Neko-chan took it as an opportunity to sharpen his claws on his competition and thus swiped his paws out at Jason’s hand.
“Ouch!” Jason shouted as he pulled back his hand and arm. On his arm above the bandage line was three small red scratches. “That’s smarts.”
“Neko-chan! What’s gotten into you!” she reprimanded the cat, who you would swear was now wearing a smug expression. “That’s not the way you act!” The cat began to run his head up against her and purr softly. “Are you okay?” Nicole asked Jason.
“I’m fine, it’s just a small scratch. A little aggressive, isn’t he?” Jason asked.
“Normally, he’s so well behaved,” Nicole explained.
“Except for the disappearing spells,” Jason added.
“Well…yeah. Why? Do you know what’s up with him?” Nicole asked.
Jason took the question and thought about it for a minute. “Well, I used to have a male cat for a long time. He used to be very aggressive and would disappear for long periods of time.”
“So?” Nicole queried.
“Well, the reason he disappeared was because he was…um…oh…y’know… ‘alleycatting’ around town,” Jason explained with slight trepidation.
Nicole took it in and a moment later slightly blushed. Neko-chan looked a little confused. “Oh,” she said with slight embarrassment. “How did you fix the situation?”
“Well everything was fine after we had him neutered. He wasn’t very hostile anymore,” Jason explained.
Upon hearing the word ‘neutered’ however, Neko-chan’s eyes slightly bulged in fear and he began to hiss and swipe at Jason again causing him to jump back a little.
“Neko-chan! What’s gotten into you?” she asked trying to hold the swiping cat still. She then opened the front door and shoved the cat inside and closed it “Naughty kitty!” she breathed as she closed the door, thus putting Neko-chan back inside.
“Ready to go?” Jason asked.
“Let’s do it,” Nicole agreed and the pair walked down the steps.
Inside the apartment, Aaron and Kirstin played Magic: The Gathering. Aaron held his hand up and poked from card to card, unsure which to play. On the other side of the table, Kirstin had three cards in her hand…and two islands untapped. “I’ll get him for this.” He muttered under his breath and then smiled at his opponent, the most beautiful girl in the world. Well, to him, anyway.
Meanwhile, Neko-chan sat on the floor and stared at the closed door. He mewed pathetically. He couldn’t believe it. There was someone else! He narrowed his eyes. Nicole was his first. Neko-chan made a quiet resolution: The new guy must be destroyed!!!
Inside the car Nicole and Jason buckled themselves in and Jason started the ignition. “I just wanted to say that you look nice.” Jason said and then blushed slightly. Nicole was dressed in a dark blue sweater with a matching floral print long skirt.
“Thank you,” Nicole accepted quietly.
“So what’s the plan?” Jason asked.
“Well, you said I could go anywhere and have anything I wanted,” Nicole stated happily.
“Well…something like that. So what do you want? What wish can I grant?” Jason said giving a small servant bow.
“What I want…Hmm…” Nicole began giving the question some thought. “I want you to surprise me.” She giggled and smiled.
“One surprise coming up,” Jason replied as he put the car in drive and the two were off.
A while later, Jason held the door open as Nicole walked through. An attractive blonde girl with her hair tied in a bun, dressed in a kimono walked up to them. “Greetings customer-san! Welcome to the Rising Sun Sushi Bar. I’m…” The blonde paused for a moment and looked like she was trying to remember something, “…I’m Anako. Would you like Smoking or Non?”
Nicole looked at Jason and gave him a skeptical look. Jason whispered in her ear, “I’m sure it’s just for ambiance.”
“I sure hope so.” Nicole whispered back.
“Sir? Smoking or Non?” The blonde asked which caught Jason’s attention. Jason then got a good look at the hostess. He could swear he’d seen her before…
“Angela?” He asked. The blonde immediately perked up at hearing the name and pointed to herself.
“Do I know you…?” She studied him for a moment. “Wait a sec! Yeah! It was…um…Josh?” The blonde asked.
“Close. It’s Jason.” He corrected.
“Do you two know each other?” Nicole asked, trying to break into the conversation.
“Oh! Nicole, this is Angela.” He pointed to the blonde. “She was a nurse at the hospital when I was attacked.” Jason explained. “I never would guess that you would work here too.” Nicole simply nodded in understanding.
“Well, unfortunately being a nurse doesn’t pay both my rent and tuition. I want to be a doctor someday.” Angela explained. “I wish I could talk, but I have to take care of other customers or Mr. Segawa will get upset. Besides, you look to be on a date.” Nicole and Jason both slightly blushed and nodded.
“Non-smoking please.” Jason asked and Angela or ‘Anako’ as she was known to the customers showed them to a table set around a large round stage in the center of the restaurant. Jason and Nicole sat down and took the two menus handed to them.
“So, have you ever had Japanese cuisine before?” Nicole asked.
“Honestly? No.” Jason answered and then opened the menu.
“Sushi is interesting. You have to get used to it though. I think you’ll like the Vinegar sugar rice that makes Sushi.” Nicole explained.
“I thought Sushi was raw fish?” Jason asked.
“Actually, Sashimi is raw fish. Sushi are dishes served with sashimi and the vinegar sugar rice.” Nicole explained. Jason simply nodded his head. Nicole then took his menu out of his hand and folded it on the tabled. “Here, I’ll order for both of us,” she stated simply and began to peruse her own menu. Jason simply put his face on his hand and sighed contently as Nicole had her vision obscured by the menu.
A few moments later Angela walked up and pulled out a small pad. “Are you ready to order?”
Nicole put the menu down and handed both to Angela. “Two orders of ramen and the sushi platter for two, and a pot of green tea,” she ordered. Angela nodded and wrote it down.
“Anything else?” Angela inquired.
“That will be fine,” Nicole stated.
“Well, while you wait, do you want to look through the song collection book for tonight’s Karaoke competition?” Angela asked.
“What kind of karaoke?” Jason asked.
“Well we have both American and Japanese songs in both Japanese or English lyrics,” Angela explained. Jason looked at Nicole and she simply shrugged. Jason nodded and a minute later Angela carried over a large tome of music selections. Jason took it and began to flip through it nodding and shaking his head as he went past pages.
Jason then began to nod happily and grin childishly. He took a pen and wrote down the number and the song and placed it in his pocket. Nicole arched an eyebrow. “What did you pick?” she asked.
“Now,” he said, holding out his index finger and wagging it, ”that is a secret.” He grinned causing her to gain a even more strange look. Jason then handed the book over to Nicole who also looked through it and quickly made a selection and also wrote it down and stuffed the paper in her pocket.
“I take it, that you won’t tell me yours?” Jason asked.
“A little mystery will keep you interested for a long time,” she smiled thinking to all the mysteries that she herself were trying to solve or had solved. Currently her most perplexing was the enigma that was her sisters’ friend Matty Hayes and how she was connected to Matt Atanian.
“Speaking of mysteries, I still don’t know a whole lot about you. I know that you have a cat, two sisters, are part Japanese…” He then paused and smiled, “and are brilliant, gorgeous and kind.”
“Well, the equals as much as what I know about you. I know that you work at the Electronics Boutique, live by yourself, have only been living here within a year…” and then she paused and smiled, “and are handsome, decent, and brave.”
Jason looked into her eyes. “Flattery will get you everything.”
She looked back. “I always get what I want anyway.”
Suddenly there was an awkward silence and tension that fell between them. Jason then let out a nervous cough. “Well, who wants to start?”
Nicole loosened up and spoke. “Let’s hear more about you.”
Jason took a sip of water and thought for a moment. “Well, I originally come from a small backwater town called Smithfield, Pennsylvania located deep in the backwoods of Southwestern PA. My parents raised me and sent me to private school where I was horribly scarred, then I graduated and decided after a few years of school down there that I needed a change of scene. So I picked up and moved north, hoping that it would invigorate me.”
Nicole blinked a couple times. “My what an interesting life you’ve led to be able to sum it up in a paragraph,” she replied.
“What can I say, I’m a simple guy. Though, I do have this fascination with Asian culture that has always stuck with me,” Jason responded.
“Oh?” Nicole inquired. She then noticed that Jason was sort of staring at her. “Stop picturing me in a formal kimono with geisha make-up,” she stated blankly as she sipped her water.
It was Jason’s turn to blink. “How did you know?”
“You’re a guy.” She stated matter-of-factly. Then she took her water and sipped it again. “And no sailor fuku either.”
Jason blinked again in surprise as she had been dead-on. Damn, this girl is amazing!
Soon Angela brought over a tray and started laying dishes and bowls out on the table. She handed them each a pair of chopsticks and then bowed and turned her attention to other tables. Jason snapped the chopsticks in two pieces and started by going after the ramen.
“You use chopsticks pretty well,” noticed Nicole as she held a pink piece of sashimi in between her two sticks, preparing to dip it in a brownish sauce. She then held the sticks up. “Here, open up, this is good.”
Jason slurped the noodles already in his mouth and swallowed. Then he opened his mouth and let Nicole feed him the sashimi. He paused to think about what he was eating. It had a slightly slick feel, but a rather nice light texture and interesting taste. Jason then picked up a piece with his sticks and looked over the dipping sauces.
“Try the red one, it’s pretty good,” Nicole recommended. Jason did such and put the sashimi in Nicole’s mouth. A moment later she frantically grabbed her tea and gulped down a cup and the then let out a heavy breath.
“That’s a bit spicier than I normally like it,” she said. Jason began to giggle at her blushed face, which Nicole soon joining in.
And the meal continued relatively quietly with Nicole and Jason sharing stories over Sashimi and Tempura. Nicole learned about Jason’s aspirations while Jason learned the complex history that was the Porter family tree. Since this story is not about the Porter family history, we won’t go into that today.
As the meal was approaching its completion, a small Asian man walked up on the stage and pulled out a microphone. Angela walked up on stage with him in her wooden sandals. “Ah, Kobanwa ladies and gentlemen! I’m am Mr. Segawa and welcome to The Rising Sun’s Friday Night Karaoke contest!” The patrons politely clapped and then he continued. “Anako-san will be going around every table with a sign-up sheet. After we have filled up, then we will start the contest.” More polite clapping followed. “And tonight’s winner will receive this trophy that Anako-san is holding.” Angela held up a large gold cup and the audience clapped enthusiastically. “So good luck to everyone!” Mr. Segawa proclaimed and then walked off the stage. Anako took the clipboard and started walking around the tables. Several minutes later she came up to Jason and Nicole.
“You still entering?” Angela asked.
“Try to keep me away,” Jason stated as he looked at the sign-up sheet. Then he frowned slightly. “We got a decent wait,” he told Nicole.
Nicole signed her name too and shrugged. “I don’t mind. It lets me scout the competition.” She smiled.
“Yeah, but that won’t change the fact that I’m winning tonight.” Jason challenged.
“Didn’t I just tell you that I always get what I want?” Nicole challenged back and then stared into his eyes, causing the uneasy tension to return.
And so the competition began. Some singers were okay, some were not. Some were pretty decent singers in either language and some were pretty much tone deaf. Finally Mr. Segawa walked up the stage after a semi-decent rendition of ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ and announced, “Our next competitor is Mr…Jason…Betrovich?” He finished. Jason stood up and walked to the stage and took the microphone.
“It’s Bertovich actually, but everyone calls me Jason or Jay.” Then he took the sheet music from Angela and pointed for the music to begin playing. The stage was quiet and Jason bowed his head for effect.
Then the rock blared across the speakers as five notes blared over and Jason looked up to the crowd who looked on. Jason began to sing…
Kimi no koto o suki datte
ano uwasa wa hontou sa
sou sa nete mo samete mo
sakeyou to shite mo DAME sonna fuu ni komaranai de
Hoka no koi o oidashite kimi no naka e irikomu
sore wa ikenai koto kai
yuugure ga chikazuite kodomo ga kaeru kai
kyoo no dekigoto wa “moeteru ai” seikaku ni tsutaerareru hazu
Juukyuu ji no NEWS!
(Juukyuu ji no NEWS aa nagareru)
Onegai, bokutachi no nako o
Ah! (ah!) semanai de shijitsu no KISS o
hi no nai kono machi koi shite kemuri o age you
(hi no nai kono machi koishite)
Ah!(ah!) ABOUT ni ikite wa ikenai
nai mo no nedari?
ano uwasa wa hontou sa
sou sa nete mo samete mo
sakeyou to shite mo DAME sonna fuu ni komaranai de
Hoka no koi o oidashite kimi no naka e irikomu
sore wa ikenai koto kai
yuugure ga chikazuite kodomo ga kaeru kai
kyoo no dekigoto wa “moeteru ai” seikaku ni tsutaerareru hazu
Juukyuu ji no NEWS!
(Juukyuu ji no NEWS aa nagareru)
Onegai, bokutachi no nako o
Ah! (ah!) semanai de shijitsu no KISS o
hi no nai kono machi koi shite kemuri o age you
(hi no nai kono machi koishite)
Ah!(ah!) ABOUT ni ikite wa ikenai
nai mo no nedari?
The music faded and the crowd applauded loudly. Jason took a bow and then handed the microphone back to Mr. Segawa as he walked back on stage. The Asian man turned to Jason and spoke quietly.
“Pretty good. Is there a young girl here who you were singing about?” He asked with a nudge.
“Maybe,” was Jason’s wry response and then walked back to his table. Nicole applauded again as he sat down.
“I’m impressed,” Nicole said with a smile.
“You’re up. Knock em dead,” Jason encouraged. Mr. Segawa looked around the stage then continued with the show.
“Our next contestant is Nicole…Porter.” Nicole stood and walked to the stage. “Boy she looks cute! I’ll bet she’ll knock our socks off!” Mr. Segawa joked as Nicole took the Microphone. Nicole bowed lightly at the compliment and took the lyrics sheet from Angela and looked to the crowd. The stage grew quiet and Nicole pointed off the stage to indicate that she wanted the music to start.
Slowly a pop tune came over the speakers with a light gong in the background. Nicole took the microphone with both hands, closed her eyes and began to sing lightly, yet sensuously.
“Pretty good. Is there a young girl here who you were singing about?” He asked with a nudge.
“Maybe,” was Jason’s wry response and then walked back to his table. Nicole applauded again as he sat down.
“I’m impressed,” Nicole said with a smile.
“You’re up. Knock em dead,” Jason encouraged. Mr. Segawa looked around the stage then continued with the show.
“Our next contestant is Nicole…Porter.” Nicole stood and walked to the stage. “Boy she looks cute! I’ll bet she’ll knock our socks off!” Mr. Segawa joked as Nicole took the Microphone. Nicole bowed lightly at the compliment and took the lyrics sheet from Angela and looked to the crowd. The stage grew quiet and Nicole pointed off the stage to indicate that she wanted the music to start.
Slowly a pop tune came over the speakers with a light gong in the background. Nicole took the microphone with both hands, closed her eyes and began to sing lightly, yet sensuously.
Iya desu wa dame desu wa
anata to mo arou o-kata ga
BAKEMONO no yuuwaku ni
O-kokoro o midasareru nante
Daiji-na shimei o seotta o-kata
watakushi namida o shinonde
anata o kitae-naosu wa
Kakugo o nasaimase
ao no MUCHI de gozaimasu
sono tarunda o-kokoro o
chikara komete tataki naoshimasu
ikemasen narimasen
ai wa kiyoku tadashii mono
ai shiau futari ni wa
chi no tsunagari ga ichiban desu
Jurai no mirai o mamoru tame desu
jaaku-na oni ni chikazukeba
watakushi ga sabakimasu wa
gaman o nasaimase
hora mada mada tarimasen
sono mayoi ga kieru made
kono kusari de shibatte agemasu!
anata to mo arou o-kata ga
BAKEMONO no yuuwaku ni
O-kokoro o midasareru nante
Daiji-na shimei o seotta o-kata
watakushi namida o shinonde
anata o kitae-naosu wa
Kakugo o nasaimase
ao no MUCHI de gozaimasu
sono tarunda o-kokoro o
chikara komete tataki naoshimasu
ikemasen narimasen
ai wa kiyoku tadashii mono
ai shiau futari ni wa
chi no tsunagari ga ichiban desu
Jurai no mirai o mamoru tame desu
jaaku-na oni ni chikazukeba
watakushi ga sabakimasu wa
gaman o nasaimase
hora mada mada tarimasen
sono mayoi ga kieru made
kono kusari de shibatte agemasu!
Then she began to sway to the music, innocently, yet seductively. Jason was blown away, her singing voice was so girlish and sweet, but it seemed to hide something. Jason watched her dance to the bridge in the music while she waited for her next part to come up. Then she laughed wickedly and began to sing again…
hora hora ikemasen
kono itami ni tae nasai
hito muchi goto sakebi nasai
hizamazuite yurushi koinasai
mada mada narimasen
oojosama to oyobinasai
sugaritsuite o nakinasai
omoi no mama izimete agemasu
hora hora ikemasen
saa itami ni taenasai
sugaritsuite o nainasai
hazamazuite yurushi o koinasai
Wo ho ho ho!
Oujo-sama to oyobi!
Oujo-sama to oyobi!!!
Kono!
Wo ho ho ho!!!
Kono itami ni taeru no yo!
Wo ho ho ho!!!
Taete, taete, ureshinaki o shinasai!
Wo ho ho ho! Wo ho ho ho! Wo ho ho ho!…
kono itami ni tae nasai
hito muchi goto sakebi nasai
hizamazuite yurushi koinasai
mada mada narimasen
oojosama to oyobinasai
sugaritsuite o nakinasai
omoi no mama izimete agemasu
hora hora ikemasen
saa itami ni taenasai
sugaritsuite o nainasai
hazamazuite yurushi o koinasai
Wo ho ho ho!
Oujo-sama to oyobi!
Oujo-sama to oyobi!!!
Kono!
Wo ho ho ho!!!
Kono itami ni taeru no yo!
Wo ho ho ho!!!
Taete, taete, ureshinaki o shinasai!
Wo ho ho ho! Wo ho ho ho! Wo ho ho ho!…
Nicole continued to laugh wickedly as the music faded out and when it did she simply handed the microphone back to the smiling Angela and walked back to her table to the deafening silence.
A moment later a single person began to clap, and then a second followed , then more and more until the whole restaurant was applauding loudly and cheering too. Jason then took the initiative and stood up to clap which more followed and Nicole soon changed what was an ovation into a standing ovation!
Mr. Segawa nervously walked up to the stage. He appeared flushed and was physically wiping the sweat off his tan brow. He simply muttered one word into the microphone and then went to sit back down… “Sugoi…”
Soon the commotion settled down and Angela brought up the next contestant while Jason looked at Nicole. “So what were you singing about that got Mr. Segawa so…um…interested?” Jason asked.
Nicole closed her eyes and held out her index finger. “Now…” She then broadened her smile, “that is a secret!” Jason simply slumped face first on the table.
A few hours later as the evening was approaching midnight, Jason and Nicole stepped out of the restaurant. In Nicole’s hands was the ‘gold’ (actually it was brass) cup trophy. She smiled smugly as Jason held the door for her. The door closed behind and them and Jason jogged to catch up.
“I still say the judge was biased,” Jason pouted.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nicole smirked, “but I also won a free dinner for two, so we can come back sometime and you can ‘avenge your honor.’”
“Guess I better start practicing now,” Jason remarked then grinned, “Lovely Sakura.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and let out a heavy breath. “ I knew it was a mistake to tell you my middle name!”
“It was a joke,” he replied defensively. Then he nodded his head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, just call me Nicole, that’s all. When people call me Sakura, it makes me feel like I’m a walking cultural exhibit. I’d hate to think that you were dating because of some simple fascination with Asia.” She said sadly.
Jason then turned her around and put both his hands on her shoulders, “Don’t ever think that! I’m dating you because you are an intelligent, decent, and beautiful woman. I want to date you, not your heritage.”
Nicole looked up to him and smiled. “Thank you.” Then she closed her eyes and waited. Jason felt a hesitation set in, but he began to move his face closer toward hers…
“Awwwww….Ain’t that fucking cute?” came a snide gruff voice which interrupted the ensuing moment of romance. “It’s our little smart-ass and his Jap-loving girlfriend.” From the darkness of the alley near the lot came the brute who had made the racist comment on Sunday and then almost killed him on Monday.
Jason pushed Nicole to behind him and then stepped forward. “Stay behind me Nicole,” he ordered. Then he stepped forward. “I’m surprised to see you in public.”
The brute grinned and showed that he lacked quite a few teeth. “Well, I was just telling my friend the same thing. We were out driving and then he points to me and says ‘ain’t that the car of that prick who made it so we can’t go out in the daytimes in the lot of that Jap restaurant?’ Then I says, ‘Why yes it is. Must be our lucky day.’” He spit a wad of phlegm on the blacktop lot.
“Your friend? But I don’t see anyone…?” Jason thought out loud and then frantically turned around to see the second brute come up from behind Nicole, who let out half a scream before she was muzzled by the brute’s hand.
“Nicole!” Jason shouted out. Then he turned to the first brute who was grinning evilly. “Please! Don’t hurt her!”
“Hurt her? We wouldn’t dream of it,” he said while still grinning. The second brute pulled out a hunting knife and held it to her face. Nicole went pale at seeing the blade which reeked of a copper-smell. “That is, if she don’t do anything foolish like scream.”
Jason felt a heat rush to his temples. He was gritting his teeth and his fist were tightening up into a pair of fist. He could feel his fingernails actually digging into his palms.
“You see! We belief what the bible says about ‘eye for an eye’ and all that shit. You’re little friend here hurt my balls real damn good. So it’s only fitting that she make them fell allllllll better,” the brute said with a sneer. The second brute holding Nicole ran his free hand down to her skirt waistband and slipped his finger s little under it, causing Nicole to whimper in panic.
“You son of a bitch!” Jason shouted. He could feel warm drops of blood run down his hand as his fingernails broke the skin.
The brute lost the grin and pulled out his own hunting knife. “Of course, that will be after we kill you!” Then the brute charge him. The brute stabbed his arm out in hopes of catching him.
At that moment, Jason swerved to his left and the arm flew past him. Jason then grabbed the arm and brought it down against his knee with both his hands. There was a snap and a crunch and then a sudden spray of wetness followed by an inhuman scream of agony.
When Jason rubbed his eyes clear, he saw that he had broken the brutes arm with the self-defense move he learned while kickboxing in high school. It worked so well that the bone had broken the skin and was jutting out at a sickening angle. The knife lay on the ground where the brute had dropped it. Thank you Coach Pastuers, thought Jason.
The brute shook his head in pain but decided to grab the knife with his other hand and swiped again at Jason. Jason ducked the swipe and again, remembering his old self-defense moves, deflected his arm away from him. Unfortunately, that meant that he deflected the knife away from him but toward the brute who a second later succeeded in jabbing it into his own neck. Suddenly there was a gush of hot steaming blood that caught Jason in the chest. The racist then fell back and kicked a few times before going still.
“Billy!” the second brute shouted, throwing Nicole to the blacktop hard, causing her to cry out in pain and grab her shoulder. The brute ran over to his fallen compatriot. “Billy! What he do to you?!?”
Jason didn’t hesitate however and while the second brute’s guard was down, Jason tackled the brute from behind his knees and thus put him down on the ground. Jason immediately crawled over and rested his knees on the brute’s upper arms so he could punch back. Then he raised his closed fist.
Jason screamed out and brought the fist down on the brute’s face. There was a ‘thud’ and a groan. He brought up his other fist and brought it down as hard as he could. Again there was a ‘thud’ and a groan. Then he did it again and again there was a ‘thud.’ He continued to do this with all his power and anger behind it. Then suddenly there was no ‘thud’ followed by his fist. Instead there was a sickenly moist ‘crunch’ followed by another and then another. The brute had stopped kicking and struggling to get free. Jason looked down and saw that he had been holding two rocks in his hands and he had successfully caved in the second man’s face until it was no longer recognizable as human. Jason dropped the rocks in disbelief. He didn’t remember picking them up. In his anger he must have just… grabbed them without thinking…
Jason stood up from the dead man and looked over to his companion who still had the knife sticking out of his throat. Jason saw Nicole standing there with a horrified look on her face. She held her shoulder gingerly.
“Nicole! Are you alright?!?” Jason asked frantically and he took a step toward her. Nicole quickly took a frightened step back. Jason stopped in his tracks. He looked at her as she shook in terror at his approaching. Jason looked down and saw all the blood that soaked his clothes and hands. Then he looked up to the quivering Nicole and then again stepped toward her and she as quickly took a step back.
“Nicole…” Jason stammered, “I’m not going to hurt you. It’s over now.” Nicole shook her head in fear and Jason could see the tears roll down her face. “I didn’t mean to do it, Nicole. It’s just…” He continued to stammer. “I just didn’t want them to hurt you. I couldn’t…bear the thought of you being hurt.”
He took a step back and turned around and studied the carnage around him, “I didn’t mean to… kill… them, I just acted out.” Then the horrible realization dawned on him and he fell to his knees. “Oh my GOD! I killed them! I killed them! I didn’t want to…” Jason cried out.
He buried his head into his hands and began to weep at what he had done. He had not simply killed them, but he had killed them with the savagery of a animal. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t mean to…” he began to chant.
Nicole slowly walked up to him and cautiously put her hand on his shoulder. He immediately batted it away and screamed, “DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” which caused Nicole to jerk back in fright. Jason then rolled up into a fetal position and went into a catatonic state. Nicole ran toward the restaurant leaving him with his victims and his guilt.
The Waiting Room…
Well, well, well. You’ve had quite a night haven’t you?
“I didn’t mean to do it,” Jason said from his curled up position on the floor.
Of course you did.
“Wha…?” Jason muttered. He then sat up and looked into the darkness. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason inquired wiping the tears from his face.
It was your intention to kill them all along. It was your intention to kill them since Sunday.
“What are you talking about?!?” Jason shouted.
You were always going to kill them. That was the whole intention.
Then from the darkness a figure walked out and looked down at Jason and smirked. Jason rubbed his eyes with this blood-stained hands and shook his head in disbelief . “No… it can’t be…” Jason shouted to the figure.
The figure was him, Jason Bertovich, in the flesh standing before himself wearing a smirk.
You did it because I made you do it.
A moment later a single person began to clap, and then a second followed , then more and more until the whole restaurant was applauding loudly and cheering too. Jason then took the initiative and stood up to clap which more followed and Nicole soon changed what was an ovation into a standing ovation!
Mr. Segawa nervously walked up to the stage. He appeared flushed and was physically wiping the sweat off his tan brow. He simply muttered one word into the microphone and then went to sit back down… “Sugoi…”
Soon the commotion settled down and Angela brought up the next contestant while Jason looked at Nicole. “So what were you singing about that got Mr. Segawa so…um…interested?” Jason asked.
Nicole closed her eyes and held out her index finger. “Now…” She then broadened her smile, “that is a secret!” Jason simply slumped face first on the table.
A few hours later as the evening was approaching midnight, Jason and Nicole stepped out of the restaurant. In Nicole’s hands was the ‘gold’ (actually it was brass) cup trophy. She smiled smugly as Jason held the door for her. The door closed behind and them and Jason jogged to catch up.
“I still say the judge was biased,” Jason pouted.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nicole smirked, “but I also won a free dinner for two, so we can come back sometime and you can ‘avenge your honor.’”
“Guess I better start practicing now,” Jason remarked then grinned, “Lovely Sakura.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and let out a heavy breath. “ I knew it was a mistake to tell you my middle name!”
“It was a joke,” he replied defensively. Then he nodded his head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, just call me Nicole, that’s all. When people call me Sakura, it makes me feel like I’m a walking cultural exhibit. I’d hate to think that you were dating because of some simple fascination with Asia.” She said sadly.
Jason then turned her around and put both his hands on her shoulders, “Don’t ever think that! I’m dating you because you are an intelligent, decent, and beautiful woman. I want to date you, not your heritage.”
Nicole looked up to him and smiled. “Thank you.” Then she closed her eyes and waited. Jason felt a hesitation set in, but he began to move his face closer toward hers…
“Awwwww….Ain’t that fucking cute?” came a snide gruff voice which interrupted the ensuing moment of romance. “It’s our little smart-ass and his Jap-loving girlfriend.” From the darkness of the alley near the lot came the brute who had made the racist comment on Sunday and then almost killed him on Monday.
Jason pushed Nicole to behind him and then stepped forward. “Stay behind me Nicole,” he ordered. Then he stepped forward. “I’m surprised to see you in public.”
The brute grinned and showed that he lacked quite a few teeth. “Well, I was just telling my friend the same thing. We were out driving and then he points to me and says ‘ain’t that the car of that prick who made it so we can’t go out in the daytimes in the lot of that Jap restaurant?’ Then I says, ‘Why yes it is. Must be our lucky day.’” He spit a wad of phlegm on the blacktop lot.
“Your friend? But I don’t see anyone…?” Jason thought out loud and then frantically turned around to see the second brute come up from behind Nicole, who let out half a scream before she was muzzled by the brute’s hand.
“Nicole!” Jason shouted out. Then he turned to the first brute who was grinning evilly. “Please! Don’t hurt her!”
“Hurt her? We wouldn’t dream of it,” he said while still grinning. The second brute pulled out a hunting knife and held it to her face. Nicole went pale at seeing the blade which reeked of a copper-smell. “That is, if she don’t do anything foolish like scream.”
Jason felt a heat rush to his temples. He was gritting his teeth and his fist were tightening up into a pair of fist. He could feel his fingernails actually digging into his palms.
“You see! We belief what the bible says about ‘eye for an eye’ and all that shit. You’re little friend here hurt my balls real damn good. So it’s only fitting that she make them fell allllllll better,” the brute said with a sneer. The second brute holding Nicole ran his free hand down to her skirt waistband and slipped his finger s little under it, causing Nicole to whimper in panic.
“You son of a bitch!” Jason shouted. He could feel warm drops of blood run down his hand as his fingernails broke the skin.
The brute lost the grin and pulled out his own hunting knife. “Of course, that will be after we kill you!” Then the brute charge him. The brute stabbed his arm out in hopes of catching him.
At that moment, Jason swerved to his left and the arm flew past him. Jason then grabbed the arm and brought it down against his knee with both his hands. There was a snap and a crunch and then a sudden spray of wetness followed by an inhuman scream of agony.
When Jason rubbed his eyes clear, he saw that he had broken the brutes arm with the self-defense move he learned while kickboxing in high school. It worked so well that the bone had broken the skin and was jutting out at a sickening angle. The knife lay on the ground where the brute had dropped it. Thank you Coach Pastuers, thought Jason.
The brute shook his head in pain but decided to grab the knife with his other hand and swiped again at Jason. Jason ducked the swipe and again, remembering his old self-defense moves, deflected his arm away from him. Unfortunately, that meant that he deflected the knife away from him but toward the brute who a second later succeeded in jabbing it into his own neck. Suddenly there was a gush of hot steaming blood that caught Jason in the chest. The racist then fell back and kicked a few times before going still.
“Billy!” the second brute shouted, throwing Nicole to the blacktop hard, causing her to cry out in pain and grab her shoulder. The brute ran over to his fallen compatriot. “Billy! What he do to you?!?”
Jason didn’t hesitate however and while the second brute’s guard was down, Jason tackled the brute from behind his knees and thus put him down on the ground. Jason immediately crawled over and rested his knees on the brute’s upper arms so he could punch back. Then he raised his closed fist.
Jason screamed out and brought the fist down on the brute’s face. There was a ‘thud’ and a groan. He brought up his other fist and brought it down as hard as he could. Again there was a ‘thud’ and a groan. Then he did it again and again there was a ‘thud.’ He continued to do this with all his power and anger behind it. Then suddenly there was no ‘thud’ followed by his fist. Instead there was a sickenly moist ‘crunch’ followed by another and then another. The brute had stopped kicking and struggling to get free. Jason looked down and saw that he had been holding two rocks in his hands and he had successfully caved in the second man’s face until it was no longer recognizable as human. Jason dropped the rocks in disbelief. He didn’t remember picking them up. In his anger he must have just… grabbed them without thinking…
Jason stood up from the dead man and looked over to his companion who still had the knife sticking out of his throat. Jason saw Nicole standing there with a horrified look on her face. She held her shoulder gingerly.
“Nicole! Are you alright?!?” Jason asked frantically and he took a step toward her. Nicole quickly took a frightened step back. Jason stopped in his tracks. He looked at her as she shook in terror at his approaching. Jason looked down and saw all the blood that soaked his clothes and hands. Then he looked up to the quivering Nicole and then again stepped toward her and she as quickly took a step back.
“Nicole…” Jason stammered, “I’m not going to hurt you. It’s over now.” Nicole shook her head in fear and Jason could see the tears roll down her face. “I didn’t mean to do it, Nicole. It’s just…” He continued to stammer. “I just didn’t want them to hurt you. I couldn’t…bear the thought of you being hurt.”
He took a step back and turned around and studied the carnage around him, “I didn’t mean to… kill… them, I just acted out.” Then the horrible realization dawned on him and he fell to his knees. “Oh my GOD! I killed them! I killed them! I didn’t want to…” Jason cried out.
He buried his head into his hands and began to weep at what he had done. He had not simply killed them, but he had killed them with the savagery of a animal. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t mean to…” he began to chant.
Nicole slowly walked up to him and cautiously put her hand on his shoulder. He immediately batted it away and screamed, “DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” which caused Nicole to jerk back in fright. Jason then rolled up into a fetal position and went into a catatonic state. Nicole ran toward the restaurant leaving him with his victims and his guilt.
The Waiting Room…
Well, well, well. You’ve had quite a night haven’t you?
“I didn’t mean to do it,” Jason said from his curled up position on the floor.
Of course you did.
“Wha…?” Jason muttered. He then sat up and looked into the darkness. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason inquired wiping the tears from his face.
It was your intention to kill them all along. It was your intention to kill them since Sunday.
“What are you talking about?!?” Jason shouted.
You were always going to kill them. That was the whole intention.
Then from the darkness a figure walked out and looked down at Jason and smirked. Jason rubbed his eyes with this blood-stained hands and shook his head in disbelief . “No… it can’t be…” Jason shouted to the figure.
The figure was him, Jason Bertovich, in the flesh standing before himself wearing a smirk.
You did it because I made you do it.
Act the Fourth:
“Perspectives, Reflections, and Conclusions”
“It’s the end of the World as we know it,
It’s the end of the World as we know it,
It’s the end of the World as we know it,
and I feel fine.”
- REM
It’s the end of the World as we know it,
It’s the end of the World as we know it,
and I feel fine.”
- REM
Jason stood up in his bloody attire in shock and looked at himself. “You’re me.”
Phbt! Not even close! I’m not you, the second Jason replied. I’m something far, far greater than being just you. I’m you, I’m John, I’m Fenny, yes, I’m even Angela and the two thugs. I’m all of them. I am the one known as The Author. The second Jason smiled and snapped his fingers. An instant later Fenny and John reappeared.
“What do you mean? ‘The Author?!?’” Jason asked confused.
Exactly what I just said. I am the Author. I created this universe and I created you, The Author stated.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Jason said out loud.
Please! If it made sense, it wouldn’t be a very interesting story, now would it? The Author responded.
“I don’t believe you.” Jason proclaimed.
Would you like a demonstration? Fine… The Author pulled out a pen and a small notepad and scribbled something down. There…that should suffice.
Jason looked around the still dark room and then to Fenny and John who still looked confused and frightened by their own ordeals. Jason then balled his fist and slugged John square in the gut. John coughed and doubled over in pain.
“Jason! What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Fenny shouted.
“I don’t know what came over me,” Jason stated blankly as he stared at his own fist in disbelief.
Care to see the proof now? The Author asked. The Author then handed his pen and pad over to Jason who read it over and then gasped.
“What’s it say?” John asked holding his stomach. Jason flipped the pad over and showed them.
‘Jason looked around the still dark room and then to Fenny and John who still looked confused and frightened by their own ordeals. Jason then balled his fist and slugged John square in the gut. John coughed and doubled over in pain.’
“What the hell?!?” Fenny exclaimed.
You believe me now? Sorry John, but I couldn’t very well have him punch Fenny. You understand don’t you? The Author asked.
John nodded in understanding, though still hurting from the punch. Fenny looked around in confusion, expecting something else. Jason simply sat down on the chair.
“It’s true, isn’t it? We’re not real. We’re simply puppets that you control,” Jason asked from his seat with a frown.
Oh, I wouldn’t say that you were ‘puppets.’ Yes, you did what I wrote you to do, but you do have a life of your own, The Author explained.
“What do you mean?” John asked then he let go of his side. He looked down, “Hey! It doesn’t hurt anymore!”
Well, It’s wouldn’t be fair to keep you in pain for this conversation, especially after what you three have been through, The Author said with a smile. Have a seat please, and I’ll explain the value of creation.
Fenny and John took a seat on the floor next to Jason’s chair. The three looked at The Author as he put his hands in his pockets.
Okay, who wants to tell me what they know about the ‘Holy Trinity?’
Jason raised his hand and then answered, “The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three unique beings that make up one divine whole. It’s the basis of Christianity.”
Right. Now think of writing as another type holy trinity. Except this time you have ‘God the Author,’ ‘God the Character,’ and ‘God the Reader.’ The Author took in the blank expressions and continued, I see that you’re confused. Okay, I’ll explain further. God the Father is the Creator of the Universe. God the Son is a creation of God the Father to spread his works on the Earth he created. God the Holy Spirit then carries the works and word of both God the Father and God the Son to others. They are all unique, but they are all the same thing. That’s the exact way the writer’s holy trinity works.
I am God the Author. I created this universe and I created you. You are God the Character or Characters. You spread my works by acting out my prose and dialogue. The person reading this right now is God the Reader. Like the Holy Spirit, he will read of your deeds in my universe and spread it to others. Do you understand?
The trio nodded and then stood up. Then Fenny took the initiative and spoke up, “So, you’re saying that everything that has happened was because you wrote it that way and right now, someone is reading about this?”
The Author took in the question, tilted his head from side to side and then spoke, Well…yeah, for the most part you could say that.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” John asked.
Well, if you want to break that down, then it really will be confusing. It’s easeir to say that what Fenny just said is essentially right.
“So it was because of you that I’m a cold blooded killer?” Jason asked.
“And that I’m now dead?” John added.
“And everything I’ve ever cared about has been destroyed including my desire to bring love into the world?” Fenny contributed.
The Author simply nodded and then put his hands into his pockets and then leaned against the wall.
Jason was the first to grow angry and walked over to The Author. “Why?!? Why would you put your own creation through such hell?!? You, of all people, know what we went through and how much it hurt each of us!” Jason shouted, while Fenny and John nodded in agreement.
The Author looked up and straight into Jason’s eyes. You wanna know why? Jason nodded. The answer is simple. “ Why not?”
Jason took this in and examined it for a moment and then grew purple in the face with rage. “What kind of answer is THAT?!!??!?”
The Author then put up his hands. Okay, okay, maybe that wasn’t the best answer. Okay, let me give you a better one. I wanted to end the story.
“But why?” John asked.
Why end the story? Because I wanted to go onto other things. Do you realize when I created your universe, it was meant to be a one shot deal to put into words why I hate my job? Unfortunately, then the whole thing snowballed and I found myself devoting more and more time to this world. I have other ambitions. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life telling the further adventures of Fenira the Goddess, John the schizophrenic shoe salesman, and Jason the unluckiest bastard on earth. Therefore, for me to finally break free of you all, I had to end the story.
“But that doesn’t explain why you put us through all those horrible things.” Jason responded.
Well, that was purely aesthetic, The Author stated.
“What’s so aesthetic about it?” Fenny asked.
Well, think about it. I had you all end your tale at the eleventh hour at the end of a 7 day cycle. Now that was fitting. If the story had continued onto the next day, then there was so much that could happen. These endings were conclusive. They put a period at the end of the final sentence. People pretty much know that there’s no more story to tell. The Author then thought for a second and looked to his three characters. Actually, the story is still going on isn’t it? Oh dear, this will not do at all. I must find a way to conclude this section and finish the whole damn thing now.
Jason, Fenny, and John all looked to each other nervously. “Are you saying that we’re not completely done yet?” Jason asked.
Well, not this second. But don’t worry, I’ll end it soon enough. The Author then pulled out his pad and pen and started to scribble down something.
Fenny and John looked desperately to Jason as he should do something. Jason sighed and nodded and then looked to The Author. “Excuse me.”
The Author didn’t look up from his pad. Yeah? I’m kinda busy this moment, hold on a few minutes and we’ll wrap this up.
Jason then started to walk over to The Author and spoke up. “So you’re righting our ending are you?”
Yeah. Now, please let me finish, The Author answered testily. Jason kept walking toward him however.
“The way I see it, there is one way we can keep the story from ending,” Jason stated blankly.
Hmm? The Author looked up from his pad and noticed how close Jason was standing to him. How’s that?
“Well…” He said and then stared straight into his eyes, “I can kill you, then you can’t finish writing the ending.” Then Jason placed his hands on The Author’s throat.
Wait a sec! Are you sure you know what you’re doing?!? The Author shouted as he dropped his pen and pad to try to pry Jason’s hands from around his neck.
“Actually, you of all people should know what I’m doing. You’re the one who made me a cold-blooded killer.” Jason blankly stated and then squeezed harder causing The Author’s face to turn purple. Jason squeezed harder and then released. The Author slumped down the wall and fell face first on the floor dead.
Fenny and John walked over and examined the body. John felt for a pause and then shook his head. Fenny put her arms around Jason and he looked up in sorrow for what he had to do.
“Well, Now what?” John asked as he stood up from the The Author’s body.
“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But at least we’re still here.” Jason sighed. The he turned his attention to the body again. Suddenly, the floor began to tremble and the walls of the room crumbled around them revealing a field around them.
“What’s going on?” Fenny asked, frightened.
“Why does everyone assume that I know the answers?” Jason shouted as he looked out over the horizon of green plains. At that moment there was a slight hum. Everyone turned their attention to the body and noticed that it had begun to glow. Suddenly a brilliant dome of light exploded out and expanded. It passed through Jason, Fenny, and John and then continued on extending in all directions.
“What’s happening?!?” Jason shouted as Fenny clung harder.
“When we killed The Author we triggered something!” John shouted. Suddenly, he looked around him and his eyes bulged out. “What do you guys want?” He shouted to the air. “You want to take me somewhere? Where?” He continued to talk to the air.
“John, what are you doing?” Jason asked. “There’s no one there!”
“Why are you being nice to me now?” John asked Shinji-John, Jinnai-John, and Tougu-John and they walked around him patting him on the shoulder.
“Ty!” Fenny shouted as she let go of Jason and ran to something that was obviously invisible to Jason. “You’re alive!”
“Fenny! Now you’re doing it! What’s going on?!?” Jason cried out.
“I’ve made my amends. Now we can be together,” Ty told Fenny as he embraced her. Fenny hugged him tighter.
“Oh…Ty…” Fenny cried.
“Guys! There’s nothing there! What do you see?!?” Jason shouted to his friends.
“Thank you guys.” John told his personalities.
“GUYS!!!” Jason screamed. Then suddenly he stepped back in horror as he watched Fenny and John suddenly disintegrated and all that was left were their clothes and two puddles of orange goo.
The Porter residence…
Aaron looked up from his cards and tapped three lands and laid down his card. “Ha!” He smirked.
Kirstin then tapped two islands, laid down a counterspell, and grinned. “Jason was right, that trick does work.”
Aaron groaned and chucked his new card into the graveyard. Suddenly the cards quaked slightly. Then the whole table began to rumble. Then the cabinets and cupboards began to shake. “Earthquake?” Aaron asked.
“In Massachusetts?” Kirstin stated nervously. Then suddenly the apartment began to rip itself at the seams, causing plates, glasses, and cookware to tumble out of the cupboards. “Aaron!” Kirstin shouted as she grabbed onto Aaron.
“Just hold on Kirstin, this will all blow over! Hopefully…” Aaron answered back unsure. Then they looked out the window and saw a wall of light scream toward them…
A moment later the house was quiet as the quaking stopped and the house was silent. Two sets of clothes lay scattered over the table and chairs and puddles of orangish slime oozed over the cards…
“Neko-chan!” Nicole shouted to her pet cat. Neko-chan leapt up and purred as she snuggled him to her bosom. A moment later a puddle of orange slime oozed out from under the door to the porch of the Porter residence….
Matty and Sarah walked down the street. Suddenly the Earth lurched from underneath them and threw them to the hard concrete.
“Matty!” Sarah shouted as she lost her footing.
“Sarah! Are you okay?” Matty shouted as she stumbled over to her friend. What the devil is going on?!? Since when do WE have earthquakes?
“Matt, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you,” Sarah said surreally to Matty, who blinked a couple times.
“Sarah?” Suddenly, both she and Sarah lost their cohesiveness…
"Gillian Anderson?!? What are you doing in my bedroom?!?" A boy in a red baseball cap asked his pillows. "And why are you taking your clothes off?!?!?" Then the boy thought about what he just said. "What am I saying?!? Let me help you!"
The boy jumped onto the bed in the blink of an eye. He also turned into a puddle of orange goo a blink of an eye later...
“My red haired sweet, you’ve come back!” a tall lanky boy shouted as he embraced his goddess and she planted a wet kiss on his mouth. A moment later, all that was left was a orange puddle with a leather glove and a tome of Shakespeare floating in it…
“Akane! I’ve found you at last! I’m finally home!” An Asian boy shouted joyfully in the middle of a supermarket before melting along with everyone else there…
Jason looked at the two puddles that used to be his friends. He felt a solitary tear roll down his cheek. Then his ears perked up as he heard a rumbling in the distance. He turned toward the horizon and gasped as he saw a tidal wave of orange coming his way. “Oh… Shit…” He muttered before being swept away…
Jason struggled to bring himself to surface in the thick soupy liquid. He gasped as he tried to get air. For a moment, he swore he could hear singing…
Phbt! Not even close! I’m not you, the second Jason replied. I’m something far, far greater than being just you. I’m you, I’m John, I’m Fenny, yes, I’m even Angela and the two thugs. I’m all of them. I am the one known as The Author. The second Jason smiled and snapped his fingers. An instant later Fenny and John reappeared.
“What do you mean? ‘The Author?!?’” Jason asked confused.
Exactly what I just said. I am the Author. I created this universe and I created you, The Author stated.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Jason said out loud.
Please! If it made sense, it wouldn’t be a very interesting story, now would it? The Author responded.
“I don’t believe you.” Jason proclaimed.
Would you like a demonstration? Fine… The Author pulled out a pen and a small notepad and scribbled something down. There…that should suffice.
Jason looked around the still dark room and then to Fenny and John who still looked confused and frightened by their own ordeals. Jason then balled his fist and slugged John square in the gut. John coughed and doubled over in pain.
“Jason! What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Fenny shouted.
“I don’t know what came over me,” Jason stated blankly as he stared at his own fist in disbelief.
Care to see the proof now? The Author asked. The Author then handed his pen and pad over to Jason who read it over and then gasped.
“What’s it say?” John asked holding his stomach. Jason flipped the pad over and showed them.
‘Jason looked around the still dark room and then to Fenny and John who still looked confused and frightened by their own ordeals. Jason then balled his fist and slugged John square in the gut. John coughed and doubled over in pain.’
“What the hell?!?” Fenny exclaimed.
You believe me now? Sorry John, but I couldn’t very well have him punch Fenny. You understand don’t you? The Author asked.
John nodded in understanding, though still hurting from the punch. Fenny looked around in confusion, expecting something else. Jason simply sat down on the chair.
“It’s true, isn’t it? We’re not real. We’re simply puppets that you control,” Jason asked from his seat with a frown.
Oh, I wouldn’t say that you were ‘puppets.’ Yes, you did what I wrote you to do, but you do have a life of your own, The Author explained.
“What do you mean?” John asked then he let go of his side. He looked down, “Hey! It doesn’t hurt anymore!”
Well, It’s wouldn’t be fair to keep you in pain for this conversation, especially after what you three have been through, The Author said with a smile. Have a seat please, and I’ll explain the value of creation.
Fenny and John took a seat on the floor next to Jason’s chair. The three looked at The Author as he put his hands in his pockets.
Okay, who wants to tell me what they know about the ‘Holy Trinity?’
Jason raised his hand and then answered, “The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three unique beings that make up one divine whole. It’s the basis of Christianity.”
Right. Now think of writing as another type holy trinity. Except this time you have ‘God the Author,’ ‘God the Character,’ and ‘God the Reader.’ The Author took in the blank expressions and continued, I see that you’re confused. Okay, I’ll explain further. God the Father is the Creator of the Universe. God the Son is a creation of God the Father to spread his works on the Earth he created. God the Holy Spirit then carries the works and word of both God the Father and God the Son to others. They are all unique, but they are all the same thing. That’s the exact way the writer’s holy trinity works.
I am God the Author. I created this universe and I created you. You are God the Character or Characters. You spread my works by acting out my prose and dialogue. The person reading this right now is God the Reader. Like the Holy Spirit, he will read of your deeds in my universe and spread it to others. Do you understand?
The trio nodded and then stood up. Then Fenny took the initiative and spoke up, “So, you’re saying that everything that has happened was because you wrote it that way and right now, someone is reading about this?”
The Author took in the question, tilted his head from side to side and then spoke, Well…yeah, for the most part you could say that.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” John asked.
Well, if you want to break that down, then it really will be confusing. It’s easeir to say that what Fenny just said is essentially right.
“So it was because of you that I’m a cold blooded killer?” Jason asked.
“And that I’m now dead?” John added.
“And everything I’ve ever cared about has been destroyed including my desire to bring love into the world?” Fenny contributed.
The Author simply nodded and then put his hands into his pockets and then leaned against the wall.
Jason was the first to grow angry and walked over to The Author. “Why?!? Why would you put your own creation through such hell?!? You, of all people, know what we went through and how much it hurt each of us!” Jason shouted, while Fenny and John nodded in agreement.
The Author looked up and straight into Jason’s eyes. You wanna know why? Jason nodded. The answer is simple. “ Why not?”
Jason took this in and examined it for a moment and then grew purple in the face with rage. “What kind of answer is THAT?!!??!?”
The Author then put up his hands. Okay, okay, maybe that wasn’t the best answer. Okay, let me give you a better one. I wanted to end the story.
“But why?” John asked.
Why end the story? Because I wanted to go onto other things. Do you realize when I created your universe, it was meant to be a one shot deal to put into words why I hate my job? Unfortunately, then the whole thing snowballed and I found myself devoting more and more time to this world. I have other ambitions. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life telling the further adventures of Fenira the Goddess, John the schizophrenic shoe salesman, and Jason the unluckiest bastard on earth. Therefore, for me to finally break free of you all, I had to end the story.
“But that doesn’t explain why you put us through all those horrible things.” Jason responded.
Well, that was purely aesthetic, The Author stated.
“What’s so aesthetic about it?” Fenny asked.
Well, think about it. I had you all end your tale at the eleventh hour at the end of a 7 day cycle. Now that was fitting. If the story had continued onto the next day, then there was so much that could happen. These endings were conclusive. They put a period at the end of the final sentence. People pretty much know that there’s no more story to tell. The Author then thought for a second and looked to his three characters. Actually, the story is still going on isn’t it? Oh dear, this will not do at all. I must find a way to conclude this section and finish the whole damn thing now.
Jason, Fenny, and John all looked to each other nervously. “Are you saying that we’re not completely done yet?” Jason asked.
Well, not this second. But don’t worry, I’ll end it soon enough. The Author then pulled out his pad and pen and started to scribble down something.
Fenny and John looked desperately to Jason as he should do something. Jason sighed and nodded and then looked to The Author. “Excuse me.”
The Author didn’t look up from his pad. Yeah? I’m kinda busy this moment, hold on a few minutes and we’ll wrap this up.
Jason then started to walk over to The Author and spoke up. “So you’re righting our ending are you?”
Yeah. Now, please let me finish, The Author answered testily. Jason kept walking toward him however.
“The way I see it, there is one way we can keep the story from ending,” Jason stated blankly.
Hmm? The Author looked up from his pad and noticed how close Jason was standing to him. How’s that?
“Well…” He said and then stared straight into his eyes, “I can kill you, then you can’t finish writing the ending.” Then Jason placed his hands on The Author’s throat.
Wait a sec! Are you sure you know what you’re doing?!? The Author shouted as he dropped his pen and pad to try to pry Jason’s hands from around his neck.
“Actually, you of all people should know what I’m doing. You’re the one who made me a cold-blooded killer.” Jason blankly stated and then squeezed harder causing The Author’s face to turn purple. Jason squeezed harder and then released. The Author slumped down the wall and fell face first on the floor dead.
Fenny and John walked over and examined the body. John felt for a pause and then shook his head. Fenny put her arms around Jason and he looked up in sorrow for what he had to do.
“Well, Now what?” John asked as he stood up from the The Author’s body.
“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But at least we’re still here.” Jason sighed. The he turned his attention to the body again. Suddenly, the floor began to tremble and the walls of the room crumbled around them revealing a field around them.
“What’s going on?” Fenny asked, frightened.
“Why does everyone assume that I know the answers?” Jason shouted as he looked out over the horizon of green plains. At that moment there was a slight hum. Everyone turned their attention to the body and noticed that it had begun to glow. Suddenly a brilliant dome of light exploded out and expanded. It passed through Jason, Fenny, and John and then continued on extending in all directions.
“What’s happening?!?” Jason shouted as Fenny clung harder.
“When we killed The Author we triggered something!” John shouted. Suddenly, he looked around him and his eyes bulged out. “What do you guys want?” He shouted to the air. “You want to take me somewhere? Where?” He continued to talk to the air.
“John, what are you doing?” Jason asked. “There’s no one there!”
“Why are you being nice to me now?” John asked Shinji-John, Jinnai-John, and Tougu-John and they walked around him patting him on the shoulder.
“Ty!” Fenny shouted as she let go of Jason and ran to something that was obviously invisible to Jason. “You’re alive!”
“Fenny! Now you’re doing it! What’s going on?!?” Jason cried out.
“I’ve made my amends. Now we can be together,” Ty told Fenny as he embraced her. Fenny hugged him tighter.
“Oh…Ty…” Fenny cried.
“Guys! There’s nothing there! What do you see?!?” Jason shouted to his friends.
“Thank you guys.” John told his personalities.
“GUYS!!!” Jason screamed. Then suddenly he stepped back in horror as he watched Fenny and John suddenly disintegrated and all that was left were their clothes and two puddles of orange goo.
The Porter residence…
Aaron looked up from his cards and tapped three lands and laid down his card. “Ha!” He smirked.
Kirstin then tapped two islands, laid down a counterspell, and grinned. “Jason was right, that trick does work.”
Aaron groaned and chucked his new card into the graveyard. Suddenly the cards quaked slightly. Then the whole table began to rumble. Then the cabinets and cupboards began to shake. “Earthquake?” Aaron asked.
“In Massachusetts?” Kirstin stated nervously. Then suddenly the apartment began to rip itself at the seams, causing plates, glasses, and cookware to tumble out of the cupboards. “Aaron!” Kirstin shouted as she grabbed onto Aaron.
“Just hold on Kirstin, this will all blow over! Hopefully…” Aaron answered back unsure. Then they looked out the window and saw a wall of light scream toward them…
A moment later the house was quiet as the quaking stopped and the house was silent. Two sets of clothes lay scattered over the table and chairs and puddles of orangish slime oozed over the cards…
“Neko-chan!” Nicole shouted to her pet cat. Neko-chan leapt up and purred as she snuggled him to her bosom. A moment later a puddle of orange slime oozed out from under the door to the porch of the Porter residence….
Matty and Sarah walked down the street. Suddenly the Earth lurched from underneath them and threw them to the hard concrete.
“Matty!” Sarah shouted as she lost her footing.
“Sarah! Are you okay?” Matty shouted as she stumbled over to her friend. What the devil is going on?!? Since when do WE have earthquakes?
“Matt, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you,” Sarah said surreally to Matty, who blinked a couple times.
“Sarah?” Suddenly, both she and Sarah lost their cohesiveness…
"Gillian Anderson?!? What are you doing in my bedroom?!?" A boy in a red baseball cap asked his pillows. "And why are you taking your clothes off?!?!?" Then the boy thought about what he just said. "What am I saying?!? Let me help you!"
The boy jumped onto the bed in the blink of an eye. He also turned into a puddle of orange goo a blink of an eye later...
“My red haired sweet, you’ve come back!” a tall lanky boy shouted as he embraced his goddess and she planted a wet kiss on his mouth. A moment later, all that was left was a orange puddle with a leather glove and a tome of Shakespeare floating in it…
“Akane! I’ve found you at last! I’m finally home!” An Asian boy shouted joyfully in the middle of a supermarket before melting along with everyone else there…
Jason looked at the two puddles that used to be his friends. He felt a solitary tear roll down his cheek. Then his ears perked up as he heard a rumbling in the distance. He turned toward the horizon and gasped as he saw a tidal wave of orange coming his way. “Oh… Shit…” He muttered before being swept away…
Jason struggled to bring himself to surface in the thick soupy liquid. He gasped as he tried to get air. For a moment, he swore he could hear singing…
It all returns to nothing…
It all comes tumbl’n down, tumbl’n down, tumbl’n down!
It all returns to nothing…
I just keep lett’n me down, lett’n me down, lett’n me down!
It all comes tumbl’n down, tumbl’n down, tumbl’n down!
It all returns to nothing…
I just keep lett’n me down, lett’n me down, lett’n me down!
Was he hearing things? Was there really a gospel choir singing as he was drowning in orange goo? Those were the only questions he managed to ask himself before he was pulled under and lost consciousness…
Jason awoke with a start as he could feel the scratchy sand irritating his face. He sat up and looked around. He was on a small island. He looked out and all he saw was a sea of orange. He sat down and again and placed his head in his hands.
“Now what?” He groaned. A moment later, another groan came and Jason jerked toward the noise.
He quickly scampered toward the noise and saw it was a person lying on the other side of the tiny island. He looked down and gasped. “Nicole?!?”
She lay there, wrapped in gauze and a hospital gown, a bandage over her one eye. She looked up to him. “You sicken me,” she stated without any emotion and then turned away from him and stared blankly to the sea.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!…” Jason screamed to the heavens from his little island and then buried his hands in his head to cry…
Well? What do you think?
Jason lifted his head from his palms and noticed that he was back in the room. With him was The Author, a backwards hat upon his head, who smiled as he sat backwards on the steel chair.
“What the hell just happened?” Jason asked confused.
Oh come on! If anyone would, I knew YOU would appreciate the ‘End of Evangelion’ ending scenario the most. I thought it was quite entertaining.
Jason stood up and walked up The Author. “You were planning this the whole time?” he asked.
The Author nodded and grinned.
“You’re sadistic,” Jason said with a sneer.
No, I’m creative. He replied with a smirk.
“You knew that I couldn’t hurt you, so you played along and strung along the audience too,” Jason confronted.
Well, it built up some nice suspense, didn’t it? The Author then stood up. But seriously, I really must end this story. So what do you think? I was thinking of having the whole story be a dream sequence and then have you wake up in bed back in Smithfield, PA and thus give the audience an acceptable cop-out ending.
“Is it even worth fighting it anymore?” Jason asked sheepishly.
Not with me it ain’t, The Author replied happily.
“Fine, let’s get on with it, make my whole existence a meaningless memory.” Jason resigned sadly.
Oh, don’t sound so melodramatic about it. You’ll still exist, you just won’t be updated, The Author chided. Then he pulled out his pen and pad and went to scribble something.
“Wait!” Came a voice from the darkness.
Huh? The Author muttered as he lifted his head.
From the darkness Nicole Porter stepped into the light. Jason dropped his head back and let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Oh! I must give you credit! You had to throw one last curveball at me before you finished me.” Jason said bitterly.
“Actually, He didn’t send me, Jason,” Nicole stated.
“Oh really?” he replied. He then turned his attention to The Author. “Do you really expect me to fall for this?”
Hey! I’m as confused as you are. I wasn’t planning on writing her again, with the possible exception of a collaborative side-story, The Author defended himself.
“Okay, If you’re not from him, then how did you get here?” Jason asked Nicole.
“Well, I’m not really Nicole. Well, at least the Nicole that you know. I’m a representation and emissary to help you,” Nicole answered.
You’re here to help him? Who sent you? The Author asked.
“I think you already know who. Jason, there is a way that the three of you can go on living your lives.” Nicole announced.
“Oh? How?” Jason inquired.
“This guy wasn’t telling you the complete truth. It is true that he created the characters that you are today, but he didn’t create this universe. Someone else did.” Nicole explained.
“Who?” Jason asked.
“The Other Author. The original author. He created me and my sisters and many others. Now, he can save you,” Nicole answered.
Jason arched his eyebrow. “How?” He asked suspiciously.
“You simply allow yourselves to become a part of our universe. It is the same as this, but now your actions will be dictated by a new author,” Nicole said with a smile.
“And what’s so great about being under someone else’s control?” Jason asked annoyed.
“Well, He hasn’t tried to kill any of his characters yet, and He’s had a stake in this universe a lot longer than him,” Nicole said as she pointed to The Author.
He can’t do this! This is my story dammit! The Author shouted angrily.
‘I disagree.’ Came another voice from the darkness. A moment later, out stepped a young man in a black trench-coat and a black fedora.
What? The Author asked the new person.
‘I said that I disagreed. Remember Jason…’ Then he stopped and looked at Jason. ‘I meant him, not you.’ He said pointing to The Author. ‘Remember Jason, I created this universe. I have final decree over all things that happen here. Because of what you’ve done, you done massive damage to my established time-line,’ The Other Author chided.
Oh yeah…Sorry, my bad, The Author apologized. So what are you going to do? The Author asked.
‘I’m going to finish this story and return the universe to some semblance of normality. You can take a rest from this point on,’ The Other Author proclaimed.
The Author grinned. Well, You’ve got your work cut out for ya, but if you wanna finish it, be my guest. I’m curious to see what you’ll come up with. The Author smiled and then got up from the chair and began to walk away.
Well, Then I’ll be going. Good luck to all of you. No hard feelings? The Author asked Jason. Jason simply hrumphed in anger. I deserved that. Well, later all.
‘Hey Jason!’ The Other Author shouted, and The Author stopped. ‘We Still on to do that collaborative project?
Yeah, E-mail me some time and we’ll discuss it again, The Author answered as he walked into the darkness. Soon the light echo of his footsteps stopped.
The Other Author looked to Nicole. ‘Thank you for your help. Now, I’ll return you to where you belong.’ A moment later, Nicole vanished and it was just Jason and the The Other Author. The Other Author snapped his fingers and instantly John and Fenny appeared.
‘Boy, you three have caused me no end of trouble. Now I have to rework all the endings for both timeline purposes, general acceptability by the readers, and keeping things you’ve learned in perspective.’ The Other Author rubbed his chin and thought hard.
The Other Author sat there for a moment and then pointed to Fenny. ‘Okay, Fenny. Now we’ve got a pickle with you. In order for the ending to be socially acceptable by the reader we can’t have the death of your sisters. That’ll leave WAY too much emotional baggage on people and you. However, if we change the timeline to not have that happen, the likelyhood of you meeting Ty is now jeopardized.’ The Other author rubbed his chin and then sat up. ‘Okay! I think I’ve got it! This won’t work out perfect, but it leads to many good possibilities for the future.’ The Other Author pulled out a Laptop computer and began typing. A moment later Fenny disappeared.
Then The Other Author turned to John. ‘You’re also difficult to rewrite. By finally encountering your guilt about your running away from yourself, it will make you a better person for the future. You learned that you have to accept yourself for who you are and that can be important to the audience. So your ending also won’t be perfect, but in the end it will work out. I’ll try to go easy on you.’ The Other Author began typing again and then John disappeared leaving just Jason and Him alone.
‘Thank God he didn’t write you too far into a corner. I have a decent fix for you. the audience will like it, and finally you get a break. How’s that sound?’ The Other Author asked Jason.
“It sounds great. Though I feel guilty that the others have to suffer,” Jason explained.
‘Don’t worry. It will all work out in the end. Are you ready to go?’ The Other Author asked.
“Let’s do it,” Jason responded confidently. The Other Author began to type furiously and a few moments later, Jason faded away and with him the room. The Other Author looked around, hit enter and then vanished…
The Divine Agency, Monday Afternoon…
Sonyarina walked around the Goddess lounge and slumped down on the couch next to Jordiko. They had just returned from talking to their ‘little sister’ Fenira about the dangers of interfering with the mortals, but it didn’t do much good.
“I think we’re getting old,” Jordiko complained.
“Nah. Fenira’s always been that way. She can take care of herself,” Sonyarina consoled.
Suddenly, a black trench-coat clad man quickly walked into the lounge, dropped an envelope on Jordiko’s lap and quickly walked out of the other exit without saying a word.
“Hey! You dropped something!” Jordiko shouted.
“Hey! Look at the envelope. It’s addressed to us!” Sonyarina exclaimed. “Open it.”
Jordiko did such and pulled out the white sheet of paper and looked it over. She covered her mouth and then let Sonyarina look at it as well, who in turn also gasped.
The letter read:
Sonyarina and Jordiko:
You don’t know who I am but, I know who you are. This concerns your sister Fenira. She is in grave danger and therefor you two are also in grave danger. You must seek her after she arrives home on THURSDAY AFTERNOON. That is very important and don’t forget that. Then all three of you must go into hiding and take on new identities. This is not a joke. The agency KNOWS about Fenira’s activities and are prepared to punish you as well. Hopefully, you will be safe and the Agency will not find you if I can help it. I will try to help you in whatever way I can. After you go into hiding, you must not contact anyone in the Agency or use your powers. If you do so then you are putting yourself in GRAVE danger. Maybe one day we will meet again. Maybe one day I can join you. Tell Fenny, that this is all for her.
Signed,
A Friend
Jordiko and Sonyarina read the letter again and looked at each other. They then calmly nodded and walked out of the room. They had much to do and little time to do it.
Holy Ghost Medical Center, Friday Night…
Joeseph Brown slammed his fist on the table. He was angry. A young man had just died on his table and he couldn’t save him. He turned and looked at the boy. Only twenty years old and in shambles. “Why did you do something like this? You had everything to live for!” Brown shouted to the body.
“Let it go Joe! Let the kid go,” Sax said reassuringly.
“WHY DID YOU GO AND DO THIS?!?” he shouted to the heavens and slammed his fist down on the boy’s body.
“Joe!” Sax shouted. Brown slammed his fist down again as if it would make him feel better. It didn’t and he turned away disgusted at himself.
Now, curiously, an amazing thing happened. Brown’s slamming on John’s chest had begun pumping blood back into the body. And repeated hits had began a pattern. This was noticed when a tiny blip came to life on the EKG.
“Holy Shit! The kid’s alive!” Sax shouted.
“Hot Damn!” Brown shouted in disbelief, but immediately grabbed a fresh pair of gloves. “Let’s not lose him a second time!” Brown shouted to Sax who went to work on the boy’s chest…
Northhampton, MA, Friday Night…
A late model Chevolet pick-up truck cruised down the streets of Northhampton. It’s occupants, two large gentlemen. One had an ungroomed face and one had a large squashed nose. Both were missing more than a few teeth. Also, both were currently wanted by the law.
“God Dammit Billy! We can’t even go out in public!” the one with the nose whined.
“Shut yar damn yap Jim! I’m trying to think,” the ungroomed one barked. The car was silent for a moment. Then they drove past a restaurant.
“Hey Billy! Ain’t that the car that belongs to that guy who made it so we can’t go out in public?” Jim asked.
The ungroomed one turned his head. “Why yes it is. Must be our lucky day.” Billy grinned. “Well turn around on the next street and come back. We’ll show that sumbitch.”
The truck sped along the street. The two occupants were laughing about their plans. So they were quite unhappy to hear police sirens. “Dammit!” Billy shouted and pulled the truck over.
Officer Stan Kelly had been parked at the corner of Round House Plaza. He then saw a pick-up truck fly through a intersection stop sign. He rolled his eyes, pulled out, and activated his sirens. The truck pulled over and Kelly stepped out and walked up to the driver-side window.
“Is there a problem officer?” The ungroomed one asked.
“License and registration, sir.” Kelly ordered. The ungroomed man handed them over and Kelly took them back the cruiser and starting entering information. Then he thought about the two men he had just seen. Missing teeth. Squashed nose. Ungroomed. Now where did I hear that before? Kelly pulled out his notepad on a hunch and smacked himself in the forehead. Of course!
Kelly unsnapped his holster and slowly walked to the car. He handed the license back to the man.
“Is there a problem officer?” The man asked again.
“Well, you ran a stop sign. That’s one problem. Also,” Kelly lifted his gun into view, “would you mind stepping out of the car please?”
Jason awoke with a start as he could feel the scratchy sand irritating his face. He sat up and looked around. He was on a small island. He looked out and all he saw was a sea of orange. He sat down and again and placed his head in his hands.
“Now what?” He groaned. A moment later, another groan came and Jason jerked toward the noise.
He quickly scampered toward the noise and saw it was a person lying on the other side of the tiny island. He looked down and gasped. “Nicole?!?”
She lay there, wrapped in gauze and a hospital gown, a bandage over her one eye. She looked up to him. “You sicken me,” she stated without any emotion and then turned away from him and stared blankly to the sea.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!…” Jason screamed to the heavens from his little island and then buried his hands in his head to cry…
Well? What do you think?
Jason lifted his head from his palms and noticed that he was back in the room. With him was The Author, a backwards hat upon his head, who smiled as he sat backwards on the steel chair.
“What the hell just happened?” Jason asked confused.
Oh come on! If anyone would, I knew YOU would appreciate the ‘End of Evangelion’ ending scenario the most. I thought it was quite entertaining.
Jason stood up and walked up The Author. “You were planning this the whole time?” he asked.
The Author nodded and grinned.
“You’re sadistic,” Jason said with a sneer.
No, I’m creative. He replied with a smirk.
“You knew that I couldn’t hurt you, so you played along and strung along the audience too,” Jason confronted.
Well, it built up some nice suspense, didn’t it? The Author then stood up. But seriously, I really must end this story. So what do you think? I was thinking of having the whole story be a dream sequence and then have you wake up in bed back in Smithfield, PA and thus give the audience an acceptable cop-out ending.
“Is it even worth fighting it anymore?” Jason asked sheepishly.
Not with me it ain’t, The Author replied happily.
“Fine, let’s get on with it, make my whole existence a meaningless memory.” Jason resigned sadly.
Oh, don’t sound so melodramatic about it. You’ll still exist, you just won’t be updated, The Author chided. Then he pulled out his pen and pad and went to scribble something.
“Wait!” Came a voice from the darkness.
Huh? The Author muttered as he lifted his head.
From the darkness Nicole Porter stepped into the light. Jason dropped his head back and let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Oh! I must give you credit! You had to throw one last curveball at me before you finished me.” Jason said bitterly.
“Actually, He didn’t send me, Jason,” Nicole stated.
“Oh really?” he replied. He then turned his attention to The Author. “Do you really expect me to fall for this?”
Hey! I’m as confused as you are. I wasn’t planning on writing her again, with the possible exception of a collaborative side-story, The Author defended himself.
“Okay, If you’re not from him, then how did you get here?” Jason asked Nicole.
“Well, I’m not really Nicole. Well, at least the Nicole that you know. I’m a representation and emissary to help you,” Nicole answered.
You’re here to help him? Who sent you? The Author asked.
“I think you already know who. Jason, there is a way that the three of you can go on living your lives.” Nicole announced.
“Oh? How?” Jason inquired.
“This guy wasn’t telling you the complete truth. It is true that he created the characters that you are today, but he didn’t create this universe. Someone else did.” Nicole explained.
“Who?” Jason asked.
“The Other Author. The original author. He created me and my sisters and many others. Now, he can save you,” Nicole answered.
Jason arched his eyebrow. “How?” He asked suspiciously.
“You simply allow yourselves to become a part of our universe. It is the same as this, but now your actions will be dictated by a new author,” Nicole said with a smile.
“And what’s so great about being under someone else’s control?” Jason asked annoyed.
“Well, He hasn’t tried to kill any of his characters yet, and He’s had a stake in this universe a lot longer than him,” Nicole said as she pointed to The Author.
He can’t do this! This is my story dammit! The Author shouted angrily.
‘I disagree.’ Came another voice from the darkness. A moment later, out stepped a young man in a black trench-coat and a black fedora.
What? The Author asked the new person.
‘I said that I disagreed. Remember Jason…’ Then he stopped and looked at Jason. ‘I meant him, not you.’ He said pointing to The Author. ‘Remember Jason, I created this universe. I have final decree over all things that happen here. Because of what you’ve done, you done massive damage to my established time-line,’ The Other Author chided.
Oh yeah…Sorry, my bad, The Author apologized. So what are you going to do? The Author asked.
‘I’m going to finish this story and return the universe to some semblance of normality. You can take a rest from this point on,’ The Other Author proclaimed.
The Author grinned. Well, You’ve got your work cut out for ya, but if you wanna finish it, be my guest. I’m curious to see what you’ll come up with. The Author smiled and then got up from the chair and began to walk away.
Well, Then I’ll be going. Good luck to all of you. No hard feelings? The Author asked Jason. Jason simply hrumphed in anger. I deserved that. Well, later all.
‘Hey Jason!’ The Other Author shouted, and The Author stopped. ‘We Still on to do that collaborative project?
Yeah, E-mail me some time and we’ll discuss it again, The Author answered as he walked into the darkness. Soon the light echo of his footsteps stopped.
The Other Author looked to Nicole. ‘Thank you for your help. Now, I’ll return you to where you belong.’ A moment later, Nicole vanished and it was just Jason and the The Other Author. The Other Author snapped his fingers and instantly John and Fenny appeared.
‘Boy, you three have caused me no end of trouble. Now I have to rework all the endings for both timeline purposes, general acceptability by the readers, and keeping things you’ve learned in perspective.’ The Other Author rubbed his chin and thought hard.
The Other Author sat there for a moment and then pointed to Fenny. ‘Okay, Fenny. Now we’ve got a pickle with you. In order for the ending to be socially acceptable by the reader we can’t have the death of your sisters. That’ll leave WAY too much emotional baggage on people and you. However, if we change the timeline to not have that happen, the likelyhood of you meeting Ty is now jeopardized.’ The Other author rubbed his chin and then sat up. ‘Okay! I think I’ve got it! This won’t work out perfect, but it leads to many good possibilities for the future.’ The Other Author pulled out a Laptop computer and began typing. A moment later Fenny disappeared.
Then The Other Author turned to John. ‘You’re also difficult to rewrite. By finally encountering your guilt about your running away from yourself, it will make you a better person for the future. You learned that you have to accept yourself for who you are and that can be important to the audience. So your ending also won’t be perfect, but in the end it will work out. I’ll try to go easy on you.’ The Other Author began typing again and then John disappeared leaving just Jason and Him alone.
‘Thank God he didn’t write you too far into a corner. I have a decent fix for you. the audience will like it, and finally you get a break. How’s that sound?’ The Other Author asked Jason.
“It sounds great. Though I feel guilty that the others have to suffer,” Jason explained.
‘Don’t worry. It will all work out in the end. Are you ready to go?’ The Other Author asked.
“Let’s do it,” Jason responded confidently. The Other Author began to type furiously and a few moments later, Jason faded away and with him the room. The Other Author looked around, hit enter and then vanished…
The Divine Agency, Monday Afternoon…
Sonyarina walked around the Goddess lounge and slumped down on the couch next to Jordiko. They had just returned from talking to their ‘little sister’ Fenira about the dangers of interfering with the mortals, but it didn’t do much good.
“I think we’re getting old,” Jordiko complained.
“Nah. Fenira’s always been that way. She can take care of herself,” Sonyarina consoled.
Suddenly, a black trench-coat clad man quickly walked into the lounge, dropped an envelope on Jordiko’s lap and quickly walked out of the other exit without saying a word.
“Hey! You dropped something!” Jordiko shouted.
“Hey! Look at the envelope. It’s addressed to us!” Sonyarina exclaimed. “Open it.”
Jordiko did such and pulled out the white sheet of paper and looked it over. She covered her mouth and then let Sonyarina look at it as well, who in turn also gasped.
The letter read:
Sonyarina and Jordiko:
You don’t know who I am but, I know who you are. This concerns your sister Fenira. She is in grave danger and therefor you two are also in grave danger. You must seek her after she arrives home on THURSDAY AFTERNOON. That is very important and don’t forget that. Then all three of you must go into hiding and take on new identities. This is not a joke. The agency KNOWS about Fenira’s activities and are prepared to punish you as well. Hopefully, you will be safe and the Agency will not find you if I can help it. I will try to help you in whatever way I can. After you go into hiding, you must not contact anyone in the Agency or use your powers. If you do so then you are putting yourself in GRAVE danger. Maybe one day we will meet again. Maybe one day I can join you. Tell Fenny, that this is all for her.
Signed,
A Friend
Jordiko and Sonyarina read the letter again and looked at each other. They then calmly nodded and walked out of the room. They had much to do and little time to do it.
Holy Ghost Medical Center, Friday Night…
Joeseph Brown slammed his fist on the table. He was angry. A young man had just died on his table and he couldn’t save him. He turned and looked at the boy. Only twenty years old and in shambles. “Why did you do something like this? You had everything to live for!” Brown shouted to the body.
“Let it go Joe! Let the kid go,” Sax said reassuringly.
“WHY DID YOU GO AND DO THIS?!?” he shouted to the heavens and slammed his fist down on the boy’s body.
“Joe!” Sax shouted. Brown slammed his fist down again as if it would make him feel better. It didn’t and he turned away disgusted at himself.
Now, curiously, an amazing thing happened. Brown’s slamming on John’s chest had begun pumping blood back into the body. And repeated hits had began a pattern. This was noticed when a tiny blip came to life on the EKG.
“Holy Shit! The kid’s alive!” Sax shouted.
“Hot Damn!” Brown shouted in disbelief, but immediately grabbed a fresh pair of gloves. “Let’s not lose him a second time!” Brown shouted to Sax who went to work on the boy’s chest…
Northhampton, MA, Friday Night…
A late model Chevolet pick-up truck cruised down the streets of Northhampton. It’s occupants, two large gentlemen. One had an ungroomed face and one had a large squashed nose. Both were missing more than a few teeth. Also, both were currently wanted by the law.
“God Dammit Billy! We can’t even go out in public!” the one with the nose whined.
“Shut yar damn yap Jim! I’m trying to think,” the ungroomed one barked. The car was silent for a moment. Then they drove past a restaurant.
“Hey Billy! Ain’t that the car that belongs to that guy who made it so we can’t go out in public?” Jim asked.
The ungroomed one turned his head. “Why yes it is. Must be our lucky day.” Billy grinned. “Well turn around on the next street and come back. We’ll show that sumbitch.”
The truck sped along the street. The two occupants were laughing about their plans. So they were quite unhappy to hear police sirens. “Dammit!” Billy shouted and pulled the truck over.
Officer Stan Kelly had been parked at the corner of Round House Plaza. He then saw a pick-up truck fly through a intersection stop sign. He rolled his eyes, pulled out, and activated his sirens. The truck pulled over and Kelly stepped out and walked up to the driver-side window.
“Is there a problem officer?” The ungroomed one asked.
“License and registration, sir.” Kelly ordered. The ungroomed man handed them over and Kelly took them back the cruiser and starting entering information. Then he thought about the two men he had just seen. Missing teeth. Squashed nose. Ungroomed. Now where did I hear that before? Kelly pulled out his notepad on a hunch and smacked himself in the forehead. Of course!
Kelly unsnapped his holster and slowly walked to the car. He handed the license back to the man.
“Is there a problem officer?” The man asked again.
“Well, you ran a stop sign. That’s one problem. Also,” Kelly lifted his gun into view, “would you mind stepping out of the car please?”
Epilogue
It was mid-December in Holyoke and the ground was covered with a dusting of snow that had fallen since the last thaw. Jason ran out the door of his apartment building, stopped and opened his mailbox, and then continued out.
Dammit! I’m gonna be late! I hope Nicole isn’t mad for waiting… he thought to himself while walking down to the lot where his car was parked. They had a lunch date.
As he walked down the sidewalk, he ran into a familiar sight. John Hoelscher.
John was pushing himself up the sidewalk in his wheelchair. Both his legs were still in casts and the lacerations on his face were starting to fade. “Hey John!” Jason shouted as he waved.
“Hey Jay. How’s it going?” John asked as he put the brake on his chair.
“No complaints. On my way to a lunch date with Nicole.” Jason answered.
“Sounds like you two have a good thing going. Don’t screw it up,” John remarked quietly.
“I don’t plan to. So, how much longer you going to be in the chair?” Jason asked.
“Oh, a whiles still. The casts will come off soon, but then I have to rehab and everything. The doctor said that it was a miracle that I’m even alive, let alone having a good prognosis to walk again. I’m counting my blessings. Well, I won’t keep you,” John said quietly as he rolled on up the street.
Jason simply nodded his head and watched him go. Ever since the accident, John had changed. He was a lot quieter that he had been before, but also he seemed to be a lot more relaxed and at peace with himself. He’d never told him what had happened in the accident in Ohio or why he was in Ohio in the first place, but Jason knew that when he was ready to tell someone, John would.
Jason turned and continued down the street. The wind whipped a little and he pulled the zipper on his fleece pull-over tighter. His hair was a little longer and a slight amount of stubble was growing on his chin. John wasn’t the only one changed from this fall in Massachusetts. Jason was actually content for the first time in a long time. He had a new job, working for a small radio station on copy editing. His and Nicole’s relationship was blossoming into something really promising and he didn’t have to live in fear anymore.
He remembered when he got the call the morning after his first date with Nicole on how they had two suspects for his attack. He came in, and sure enough, it was them.
Jason let out a chuckle when thinking about it. This was the amusing part. They were currently, both, serving lengthy sentences. Not only for the attack, but also for all of the other crimes they had committed that the police hadn’t know about. As soon as they were brought in, they tried to sell each other out and in turn incriminated each other. The trial had to be one of the shortest in history as Jaosn only came in for one day to testify, along with all the other witnesses.
Jason walked up and unlocked his door. He sat in the driver’s seat and decided to briefly check his mail. There were a few bills and a few cards. Jason looked at the first postcard. There was no return address or postmark. Jason decided to look it over…
Dear Jason,
I know that you’ve been worried since I disappeared about two months ago. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you anything about it. I’m currently living with ‘family’ and we are all fine.
If anyone asks where I am, do NOT tell them anything about this letter. I’m sorry, but if I get more specific then you and everyone else would be in danger. Currently, I am safe. My family and I are happy. Don’t worry about me. Maybe one day I’ll see you and John again. If not, have a happy and good life. Don’t let that girl go. Otherwise, I’ll come back there and make you regret it. ^_^
Your friend, The Bouncy One,
Fenny Lin
Jason looked it over again. He breathed a sigh of relieve. He had wondered what had happened all those weeks ago. Both Fenny and John had vanished. John came back in a wheelchair and Fenny vanished without a trace. Now, at least he had word from Fenny that she was alive.
Jason checked his watch again and swore. Nicole had probably been waiting at the restaurant now for fifteen minutes wondering where he was. Well, maybe she decided to order for the two of them while she waited. Jason and Nicole had come to frequent the Sushi place Fenny recommended when she took him home from the hospital all those weeks ago.
He decided to look at the other card and then be off. This was a weird postcard. It too, had no return address or postmark, or even a picture. It was simple white card. He flipped it over and read the one sentence message:
Dammit! I’m gonna be late! I hope Nicole isn’t mad for waiting… he thought to himself while walking down to the lot where his car was parked. They had a lunch date.
As he walked down the sidewalk, he ran into a familiar sight. John Hoelscher.
John was pushing himself up the sidewalk in his wheelchair. Both his legs were still in casts and the lacerations on his face were starting to fade. “Hey John!” Jason shouted as he waved.
“Hey Jay. How’s it going?” John asked as he put the brake on his chair.
“No complaints. On my way to a lunch date with Nicole.” Jason answered.
“Sounds like you two have a good thing going. Don’t screw it up,” John remarked quietly.
“I don’t plan to. So, how much longer you going to be in the chair?” Jason asked.
“Oh, a whiles still. The casts will come off soon, but then I have to rehab and everything. The doctor said that it was a miracle that I’m even alive, let alone having a good prognosis to walk again. I’m counting my blessings. Well, I won’t keep you,” John said quietly as he rolled on up the street.
Jason simply nodded his head and watched him go. Ever since the accident, John had changed. He was a lot quieter that he had been before, but also he seemed to be a lot more relaxed and at peace with himself. He’d never told him what had happened in the accident in Ohio or why he was in Ohio in the first place, but Jason knew that when he was ready to tell someone, John would.
Jason turned and continued down the street. The wind whipped a little and he pulled the zipper on his fleece pull-over tighter. His hair was a little longer and a slight amount of stubble was growing on his chin. John wasn’t the only one changed from this fall in Massachusetts. Jason was actually content for the first time in a long time. He had a new job, working for a small radio station on copy editing. His and Nicole’s relationship was blossoming into something really promising and he didn’t have to live in fear anymore.
He remembered when he got the call the morning after his first date with Nicole on how they had two suspects for his attack. He came in, and sure enough, it was them.
Jason let out a chuckle when thinking about it. This was the amusing part. They were currently, both, serving lengthy sentences. Not only for the attack, but also for all of the other crimes they had committed that the police hadn’t know about. As soon as they were brought in, they tried to sell each other out and in turn incriminated each other. The trial had to be one of the shortest in history as Jaosn only came in for one day to testify, along with all the other witnesses.
Jason walked up and unlocked his door. He sat in the driver’s seat and decided to briefly check his mail. There were a few bills and a few cards. Jason looked at the first postcard. There was no return address or postmark. Jason decided to look it over…
Dear Jason,
I know that you’ve been worried since I disappeared about two months ago. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you anything about it. I’m currently living with ‘family’ and we are all fine.
If anyone asks where I am, do NOT tell them anything about this letter. I’m sorry, but if I get more specific then you and everyone else would be in danger. Currently, I am safe. My family and I are happy. Don’t worry about me. Maybe one day I’ll see you and John again. If not, have a happy and good life. Don’t let that girl go. Otherwise, I’ll come back there and make you regret it. ^_^
Your friend, The Bouncy One,
Fenny Lin
Jason looked it over again. He breathed a sigh of relieve. He had wondered what had happened all those weeks ago. Both Fenny and John had vanished. John came back in a wheelchair and Fenny vanished without a trace. Now, at least he had word from Fenny that she was alive.
Jason checked his watch again and swore. Nicole had probably been waiting at the restaurant now for fifteen minutes wondering where he was. Well, maybe she decided to order for the two of them while she waited. Jason and Nicole had come to frequent the Sushi place Fenny recommended when she took him home from the hospital all those weeks ago.
He decided to look at the other card and then be off. This was a weird postcard. It too, had no return address or postmark, or even a picture. It was simple white card. He flipped it over and read the one sentence message:
Don’t you just love happy endings?
- T.O.A.
- T.O.A.
T.O.A? Jason thought to himself? He didn’t know any T.O.A. “Weird.” He commented to himself. Then he started the ignition and pulled out of the lot to meet Nicole. Suddenly he had a weird feeling of déjà vu.
Was there some really important meaning behind that card? Jason then shook his head and laughed. “Nah…” Then he continued down the road.
Was there some really important meaning behind that card? Jason then shook his head and laughed. “Nah…” Then he continued down the road.
The End
Author’s Notes, Part II:
Well. It’s all said and done with. That’s it for the Perspectives from the Food Court. What a weird, wild ride it’s been.
Thanks to anyone who read these stories. Thanks to anyone who commented favorably on them. And thanks to anyone who eagerly waited the several months for this final chapter. I hope it didn’t disappoint, maybe enlightened, and entertained you.
Thanks to Matt and all the other BS½ writers. Your work helped me get through my creative slump.
If you were wondering what Nicole was singing about, I won’t print a translation here, but go to Aeka’s ‘S’ Shrine and see why I couldn’t put it here. Also see why Mr. Segawa was so flushed. ^_^ BTW, The song Jason was singing was ‘7 o’clock News’, the opening theme to Kodomo no Omocha. Here’s a translation:
Thanks to anyone who read these stories. Thanks to anyone who commented favorably on them. And thanks to anyone who eagerly waited the several months for this final chapter. I hope it didn’t disappoint, maybe enlightened, and entertained you.
Thanks to Matt and all the other BS½ writers. Your work helped me get through my creative slump.
If you were wondering what Nicole was singing about, I won’t print a translation here, but go to Aeka’s ‘S’ Shrine and see why I couldn’t put it here. Also see why Mr. Segawa was so flushed. ^_^ BTW, The song Jason was singing was ‘7 o’clock News’, the opening theme to Kodomo no Omocha. Here’s a translation:
The rumor that I love you is true
Yes I do, whether I am asleep or awake
No use trying to avoid you
No reason to be embarrassed like that
Kicking out all other loves, I am getting into you
Do you think that that is such a bad idea
Twilight is approaching quickly, children go home together
Today’s affair, one of “Burning Love” which I should be able to report to you
7 o’clock news!
(& o’clock news Ah! It’s on the air!)
Please report our relationship
Ah! (ah!) Do not blame me for a kiss’s reality
Love is causing this town to smoke, fire isn’t doing it!
Ah! (ah!) We shouldn’t live halfheartedly
Am I crying for what is impossible?
Yes I do, whether I am asleep or awake
No use trying to avoid you
No reason to be embarrassed like that
Kicking out all other loves, I am getting into you
Do you think that that is such a bad idea
Twilight is approaching quickly, children go home together
Today’s affair, one of “Burning Love” which I should be able to report to you
7 o’clock news!
(& o’clock news Ah! It’s on the air!)
Please report our relationship
Ah! (ah!) Do not blame me for a kiss’s reality
Love is causing this town to smoke, fire isn’t doing it!
Ah! (ah!) We shouldn’t live halfheartedly
Am I crying for what is impossible?
Will any of these people return again? Well, Maybe Final isn’t as final as it sounds. Let’s just say that I do plan to one day return to the BS ½ universe, but that is somewhere off in the future. I have other projects that require my divided attention.
Thank you and goodnight, readers. As always, if you have any comments, criticism, or questions about this or any of the Perspectives stories, just send it along to [email protected].
Now, let’s give it over to Matt, who despite popular beliefs, didn’t actually write the ending, that was just a creative twist, and his final perspective on Perspectives…
Thank you and goodnight, readers. As always, if you have any comments, criticism, or questions about this or any of the Perspectives stories, just send it along to [email protected].
Now, let’s give it over to Matt, who despite popular beliefs, didn’t actually write the ending, that was just a creative twist, and his final perspective on Perspectives…
Matt's Final Perspective
Wow.
Not quite what I was expecting… but quite excellent.
It’s interesting that Jason included a rather large refrence to End of Evangelion in this story, as Perspectives and Evangelion unfolded in a similar mannor. Both started off funny, and both ended quite seriously, both ending with a message on the nature of reality.
I’d hardly call this an end, though. As is said within the story, these characters will continue to exist within the Boy Scouts ½ Universe. In fact, I had already made a refrence to Jason in part 16, which happens after this story, so I am quite glad he didn’t screw things up by erasing the events of Perspectives.
We can still hope to see a continuance of Perspectives outside of brief refrences in the main series, as well. I know that Jason plans to write a Perspectives/Kanny’s Lab story featuring Jason and Nicole. Also, I had had an idea for a Perspectives story brewing in my head for a while which I am still quite keen to do. Jason’s made things a bit challanging for me by putting Fenny into… for lack of a better term, shall we say, “Goddess Protection Program?” I had hoped to include all three of the Perspectives trio, after all. Who’s to say that I won’t find a way to still include her? And Jason has said that he hopes to one day return to the BS½ Universe… Maybe it will be with a sequle to Perspectives, and maybe it will be with something new. Either way, I look forward to it.
I must say that I am thrilled that I get to be the hero in this story. Who’d have thunk it? Still, I cannot help but wonder if Jason was inspired to include The Author and The Other Author by a certain match in the second Boy Scouts ½ Anime Deathmatch? Well, I’m not saying that was where he got the idea, but it is an interesting theory.
(Jason has since told me in the time between my original writing of these notes and my finely getting the story online that he had in fact had the idea before my writing of BS½ ADMII, so I guess it was all just one of those wonderful coincidences that the cosmos likes to throw at us now and then…)
Well, this now closes out Perspectives from the Food Court. To think this all started with brief cameo apearences in part 11… What a long, strange trip it has been…
Not quite what I was expecting… but quite excellent.
It’s interesting that Jason included a rather large refrence to End of Evangelion in this story, as Perspectives and Evangelion unfolded in a similar mannor. Both started off funny, and both ended quite seriously, both ending with a message on the nature of reality.
I’d hardly call this an end, though. As is said within the story, these characters will continue to exist within the Boy Scouts ½ Universe. In fact, I had already made a refrence to Jason in part 16, which happens after this story, so I am quite glad he didn’t screw things up by erasing the events of Perspectives.
We can still hope to see a continuance of Perspectives outside of brief refrences in the main series, as well. I know that Jason plans to write a Perspectives/Kanny’s Lab story featuring Jason and Nicole. Also, I had had an idea for a Perspectives story brewing in my head for a while which I am still quite keen to do. Jason’s made things a bit challanging for me by putting Fenny into… for lack of a better term, shall we say, “Goddess Protection Program?” I had hoped to include all three of the Perspectives trio, after all. Who’s to say that I won’t find a way to still include her? And Jason has said that he hopes to one day return to the BS½ Universe… Maybe it will be with a sequle to Perspectives, and maybe it will be with something new. Either way, I look forward to it.
I must say that I am thrilled that I get to be the hero in this story. Who’d have thunk it? Still, I cannot help but wonder if Jason was inspired to include The Author and The Other Author by a certain match in the second Boy Scouts ½ Anime Deathmatch? Well, I’m not saying that was where he got the idea, but it is an interesting theory.
(Jason has since told me in the time between my original writing of these notes and my finely getting the story online that he had in fact had the idea before my writing of BS½ ADMII, so I guess it was all just one of those wonderful coincidences that the cosmos likes to throw at us now and then…)
Well, this now closes out Perspectives from the Food Court. To think this all started with brief cameo apearences in part 11… What a long, strange trip it has been…
Updated Note from Matt
Hello, all! Matt speaking to you from the far flung future of 2012... Twelve years since this story was originally written! In preparing it for posting on the new BS½ website, I noticed that in his notes Jason supplied an e-mail address. Not sure if that is still a valid address. I know it isn't the one he and I currently correspond with. If he's comfy with the thought of me sharing that one with y'all, I'm sure you'll soon see an "Updated Updated Note from Matt" below. But, as an alternitive, I'd invite anyone who has "comments, criticism, or questions about this or any of the Perspectives stories" as Jason requested to take them to the forum on this website and post in the Perspectives section.
Twelve years... I'm old...
Twelve years... I'm old...
Disclaimer
Elements of End of Evangelion, Jusenkyo curses and the character of Ryoga from Ranma ½, and the songs or song fragments to be found within this story are all used without permission of whoever owns ‘em.