《The odd eternity of John Wright》


 Ch1

    Death was looming just a few meters away. I was about to die. This was going to be my grave. In some dark and unknown place where hostile creatures numbered greatly. What a nightmare.


    My feet were quivering, hands were shaky, and my face cramped up while beads of cold sweat dripped down on my back and forehead, drenching my clothes that stuck to my body like glue.


    I looked around me. More and more pairs of yellow balls popped into existence. I felt it. Their ferocity with each horrendous sound that they made. The feral hunger in their eyes, where an easy opportunity for a feast presented itself to them. Their bloodlust that sent shivers down my spine. I felt it all.


    RUN!


    The voice inside my head shouted at me to move. As always, a very wise advice. Can¡¯t argue with it.


    I ran with everything that my body could muster. Straining every muscle, every ounce of strength until nothing was left to exhaust. There really wasn¡¯t anything complicated about it. It''s one of the world¡¯s best proven strategy for survival. Tuck tail and run away. It¡¯s very effective in most situations, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case with mine. Results may vary.


    Everywhere, anywhere, there wasn¡¯t a place that I could call ¡®safe¡¯. It was pitch black and everything else was covered in the veil of obscurity. The window, which was my only available light source, faded away just a few moments ago and I didn¡¯t know where it went or how to bring it back. There was something more pressing than having no vision, though.


    How long did I still have before I get attacked?


    Any second now, I guessThis book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    My heart was in overdrive. I felt nauseous while having the urge to vomit, thinking that my heart will fail anytime soon if this kept up. It wasn¡¯t a good situation to be in, but I need to endure. I wanted to live. I don¡¯t want to die in a damn place like this. I dreamt that my final moments on Earth were to be cradled in the hands of a beautiful maiden while she sung me a lullaby until my eyelids grew heavy and then I''d drift off into a sweet and eternal slumber.


    That clearly wont happen here. But a man can dream once in his life before he dies, right?


    Something clawed at my right arm and I panicked with a girly shout. Not really the manliest of responses, but who cares? I turned in the opposite direction of where it came from, but something else bit at my left leg. Two of them to be exact. And then more things came to claw or take a bite.


    Everything in the darkness pulled me down into the ground and pinned me with their weight. It felt like a mountain suddenly appeared on top of me. Crushing me flat while I suffocated from the pressure.


    I screamed and shouted for this suffering to end. My voice filled the darkness with unsightly despair as I went on with the pleading for my release. Unending, unrelenting, they did not stop. For how many hours, for how many days, they tasted every single part of me. It sounded perverted and lewd, but trust me, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just painful. Not in the good BDSM, masochist-sadist way, though.


    ¡°No¡­ please. Someone help¡­¡± no matter how hard I called and for how many times I repeated the same sentence over and over, rescue didn¡¯t come. Not even a response. I¡¯d yet to realize it, but there was one truth laid out before me. It¡¯s something so simple that it should have been obvious to me the very moment that I got here. But with the stress and confusion from this hellhole that I¡¯ve suddenly been thrown in, it got pushed in the back of my mind. It''s a single definite thing that I¡¯m a hundred percent sure of now and I don¡¯t think it will change anytime soon.


    I¡¯m alone.


    Yes, I am. And what am I going to do about it? Nothing. Because there wasn¡¯t anything that could be done. I couldn¡¯t resist them as they tore my flesh away piece by agonizing piece. I even had trouble screaming out in pain as my lungs were already tapping out. I¡¯m just waiting for the ¡®You have died'' because the game is over, and there is no ¡®Continue?¡¯ that comes afterwards. Any second now.


    ¡­


    .a¡­


    How am I not dead yet?

 Ch2

    You might think that achieving eternal life would be quite an extraordinary feat. Living forever to experience everything that the world could offer. Passing through the ages and seeing history unfold first hand. Amazing, right? Wrong. In fact, it¡¯s an eternal torture in disguise to fool the masses. Why do I think so? I¡¯ve experienced it, or I¡¯m still experiencing it. Forget days, forget months, and honestly, I¡¯ve lost track already while enduring all the pain, the hardship and the suffering. There were no breaks, no weekends, no paid leaves, nothing. It goes on and on without a stop.


    It still baffled me how I couldn''t die without eating, drinking, or even from the creatures here that were having a wonderful feast of my flesh and blood. Undying, immortal, death less, eternal, fuck those things. I don¡¯t want it. I just want to go to sleep and die happily like the rest of the people in the world. Are you saying I¡¯m suicidal? Not if I can¡¯t die.


    Anger, desperation, and dark emotions that a fat and bullied high school student would feel. I have it all. It fueled me to move my hands slowly to my side until I could stretch it out and punctured my fingers into the ground and then pushed off. I slowly turned around with a painful grunt so that I would be lying face down. Imagine if I could see my current self in the mirror. I would surely see bloodshot eyes, a killing glare, an angry snarl with which my teeth could be seen, and a few veins protruding on my face. I could very well fit the common drug addict along the street trope.


    Crawl


    As my mind dictated, I crawled with my blistering fingers digging into the ground and then pulled myself forward a centimeter at a time. It might have been a pace akin to that of a snail, but progress is still progress no matter how small and miniscule it might be. And I got all the time to spend in the world and then some.


    If I don''t do anything now, then this endless suffering would consume me. Both mind and body. And do you know what happens after that? I don¡¯t, and I definitely don¡¯t want to find out.


    I cursed every inch of the way. With every pull, I promised that I¡¯d get even with whatever it was that¡¯s nibbling on my toes. My preferred destination? A tropical paradise. If that isn¡¯t available, then a convenience store would do fine or, you know what? Send me the coordinates of the nearest gun shop. I¡¯m going to have fun hunting some game. My fingers are twitching for something to strangle.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Speaking of wild game, I miss my kitchen and all of the ingredients I stored inside my fridge. Where I can cook some budget mouthwatering food for myself on the weekends. My mind sometimes went blank due to hunger, even though I didn¡¯t need to eat anything to stay alive. Water isn¡¯t a problem most of the time when I can drink my never ending saliva reservoir, but when that demanding stomach of mine craves for something edible, I don¡¯t know what to do. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything nearby that I can sink my teeth in and eat.


    I, uh¡­


    I suddenly took a bite out of something to my right. I don¡¯t know what it was, where it¡¯s been from, or heaven forbid the viruses or germs that it carried, but it tasted great. Better than eating nothing, of course. It¡¯s not Michelin star calibre or even comparable to the food that I made, but it has a taste. An irony, funky, past its expiration date flavor. And it¡¯s addicting. Like drugs, but not like drugs.


    My memory¡¯s been hazy after that. I wasn¡¯t aware for how long of a time I¡¯d spent or how much I¡¯d consumed, but I kept on going. They took something from me, I take it back twofold. An eye for an eye, and a finger for something that I hoped wasn¡¯t its reproductive organ.


    If it¡¯s going to be a long and bumpy road ahead of me, then I needed all the positive vibes that I could get from eating. You know, I have to admit that this is the equivalent of doing drugs. Maybe that¡¯s why depressed people that have depressing problems do heroin and cocaine. To escape reality until by chance they can get out of it by sheer will and move on with their lives, or if someone out there graciously extends their hand to help a sad soul in the dumps.


    I¡¯m enjoying it, they¡¯re enjoying me, it¡¯s a win-win situation. No one gets hurt in all of this. Well, technically there were, but I wasn''t dying and that¡¯s what¡¯s important. Not like I can overdose from binge eating these bastards because dopamine is a great way to fix your day.


    I suddenly had the urge to laugh. You see? I¡¯m having fun right now. It¡¯s been a while since I laughed this hard. It just goes to show how enjoying the little things in life when you¡¯re at your lowest is advisable to pull yourself together. By the way, who was the downer that said addiction is an illness? He clearly needs a taste of this in his life.

 Ch3

    At some point in time, I realized that I was completely alone now. Before, what I meant when I said that last time was that, I, a normal human being, am completely alone in a dark and unknown recess of some vast and untold torture merry-go-round filled with unknown and hungry creatures crazy for flesh and blood. But now, well, I¡¯m completely alone in a dark and unknown recess of some vast and untold torture merry-go-round with nothing else but me on that ride to hell. The reason for my lonesome situation? I kind of ate them all.


    I know, I know, it sounds horrible and gruesome. A tragedy in the eyes of our fellow internet junkies and SJWs from reddit. They might even be creating a thread right now about it. I''ll downvote everysingle one of you.


    It wasn¡¯t my fault that I got hungry. And they were also quite nice to munch on when I finally got my head straight. I needed all the carbs I could get and it¡¯s not like there weren''t any of them left. I could still hear some noise here and there, skittering and prancing somewhere, I think. Or maybe, it¡¯s just my head playing a sinister game where a mischievous mind played tricks on its master until he goes insane.


    I felt the crushing mountain disappear from my body now that those creatures were gone. The empty feeling on my back was new to me, though. Kind of like when the dentist takes off your braces after a few years of correcting your misaligned teeth that you¡¯ve gotten so used to it to the point that it felt weird being without the pressure. And oh boy, do I love the pressure.


    I stood up and just stayed like that for quite some time. I finally regained the ability to stand again after everything that has happened. My body felt good and now I¡¯m free from any restraints. I felt giddy that my journey to an undeserved punishment has ceased, but I felt lonely. Why am I thinking like this? I should be happy that my suffering¡¯s done and gone. I don¡¯t know. Should I be?Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Of course


    The voice inside my head seemed to think so. But sometimes, I''d beg to differ.


    I suddenly had the urge to laugh out loud and giggle like a child afterwards. The only problem that I have now is this stupid spontaneous laughter of mine that I can¡¯t seem to fix no matter how much I try to stop it from happening. It just happens without my consent. An unnecessary and involuntary action, is what it is. Also, I sometimes get lost in my own thoughts and even forget what I¡¯m doing from time to time, too.


    Being by oneself makes your mind wander into weird places with no one to talk to or nothing to entertain yourself with. No man can live alone without anybody else¡¯s company. Otherwise, they¡¯d go nuts from the silence or lack of communication. Lose a few screws in the process, go mental after a while and then shoot some people up in broad daylight while having the best moments of their life. All sunshine and rainbows in a bloody rain of hell fire and gunpowder. A good thing I got that voice inside my head to talk with. Although, he doesn¡¯t reply most of the time that I do start a conversation. I think he¡¯s a bit snobby, but everybody needs a Wilson in their isolated life.


    I started walking forward, and I have to say, this felt so much easier than when I was crawling. It feels like I¡¯m accomplishing much more now. No more are the days that I kiss the ground. No more are the days that I weep in sorrow. This day, I¡¯m a new man. A man that walks on his own two feet. Now, where the hell are these feet of mine taking me to?


    ¡°That¡¯s not good¡± I never thought that would happen. Tripping on something after all this time, and right after I just started walking. What comedic timing.


    ¡°¡­ shit¡± oh, another big surprise. Did I forget to mention before that I have basophobia? No? Are you sure? Well, now you know more about me.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± I repeated it once more for emphasis because I couldn¡¯t have said it any more than that. I blacked out soon after. My brain just pushed that red button to shut itself down before it reached critical point. And do you know what happens at critical point? Something critical, that¡¯s for sure.


    I fucking hate this place.

 Ch4

    Lights on, lights out, lights on, lights out¡ªand the cycle continues. There weren¡¯t even any lights to turn off or on. It was my own consciousness that¡¯s being toyed with by gravity. A natural sadist of nature. Second only to sunlight on a cloudless summer day.


    Same question as I had last time. How long will this vertical torture last? I prefer this one than the crawl, though. At least I won¡¯t be remembering most of it because I¡¯m in la-la land. Dreaming away, the good ol'' times. When I could still see what¡¯s around me. The ugliness of it all because beauty is highly subjective to the eye of the beholder.


    Now that I could listen to my own thoughts in silence, howling winds ripping my eardrums not included, I can reevaluate myself in a much deeper sense. Lately, I think I¡¯ve been using profane words much more often than I¡¯m used to, and I''ve become somewhat uncouth unlike the well manner kid that I was brought up to be. That¡¯s a given though, as it is an expression to let my woes be heard in a heavier tone. But was that really the reason?


    Also, my perception of the world seemed much grimmer. Before, when I remembered the days in the diner while I crawled for dear life, a thin smile formed on my lips and it alleviated my mood somewhat, but now I can only find the faults in everything that has happened there.


    The obvious adultery of that friendly woman in red, an abusive uncle towards his nephew who kept on nodding to the side, the smiling con-artist who persuaded me to take a not so desirable loan for his ¡®miraculous and game changing'' product, and an extremely religious middle-aged man who wouldn¡¯t stop preaching for me to join him on a Saturday night¡¯s prayer session. I think the last one that I mentioned was a homosexual with how he unabashedly examined all the men that entered the diner, myself included.


    I¡¯m not a homophobic dick who cringes and clicks his tongue whenever I see a gay person walk down the street, though. I have an acquaintance whom I got along with quite fine like that. I¡¯d say we were even close friends that could share some dark secrets with one another. It¡¯s just that ¡®religious¡¯ guy¡¯s ways of ¡®getting to know each other'' gets on my nerves. Prayer session? I¡¯d be surprised if you¡¯d ever get to leave his house after you''ve entered the tiger''s den.


    I¡¯m criticizing everyone, but what about me? I¡¯m not much different than them. A lousy, trouble making son who couldn''t even do anything to save his parents deteriorating relationship. My dear hometown friends who also had their fare share of problems, I left behind to escape the reality that I ran away from. Must have gotten them very worried when I packed everything and left without saying a word. I doubt my parents noticed five years ago that I wasn¡¯t even there anymore. Too busy fighting over who¡¯ll own what property, who takes custody of the rebellious teenager, and what happens to the dog. I should¡¯ve taken Rustle with me back then. At least I considered him more of a family member than those who birthed me did.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Not much of a proper and well-thought-out solution leaving the nest so early, but it was one that I did so willingly. People don¡¯t put much value on the things that they have when they can still hold it in their hands until it¡¯s gone up and disappeared, but I think I made a wise decision. I only have myself to look after in this world. Look at how I ended up in this mess. Tried to be a hero in a silly looking costume, wearing his tight briefs outside with a stained blanket for a cape to save a child crying out for help. The only thing missing is my VIP ticket to a psychiatric ward. First class room with my own complementary talking chair.


    I wonder what happened to that little girl, though. I carelessly threw her from the third floor of a collapsing apartment building. But now that I think about it, did I just outright kill her myself? Would she have survived the fall? I don¡¯t know. Trifling questions that didn''t need to be bothered with because it¡¯s already been done. Never dwell too long in the past, otherwise you may never be able to look forward ever again.


    ¡­ what a splendid red thread for you to have found me, lost one


    Hmm? I¡¯m not falling anymore? My feet are planted safely on the ground and I''m surprisingly conscious to notice it, but I don¡¯t remember landing or anything though. It should have been painful as hell, too.


    Although, you are torn and tainted with unnecessary fabric


    Hey, that¡¯s new. The voice inside my head''s the first one to strike up a conversation this time around. Did I finally get through to him? Is this it? The start of a budding relationship between me and him?


    I laughed uncontrollably once more from this momentous occasion. There it goes again. I¡¯m kind of a lost cause now, I think. Soon, I¡¯ll be eating my own shit from my adult diaper and then using it as a hat afterwards. What thrilling and joyful fun would that be? So much, of course. When you''re a lunatic without any sense of reason, you''d find the world to be a much happier place.


    No matter, for I will weave you


    The both of us laugh together in harmony. Honestly, I find the man to be a tad bit creepy.

 Ch5

    Once, twice, thrice, and a few more cries. That was how many times my body and limbs were torn or gouged out and then put back into place by an enigmatic force beyond comprehension. It played with my body without hesitation or asking for my consent. I felt like a helpless toy. A genuine Barbie doll. Only, I¡¯m a man, so maybe Ken?


    Firmly interwoven


    Something tells me that this voice isn¡¯t the usual voice inside my head. It''s different. Malevolent, even. Maybe it¡¯s an imposter? But what kind of audacity does it have to replace my precious friend. Although, I feel like it doesn¡¯t even consider me as a friendly acquaintance, but more of a person it needs to look after otherwise it wouldn¡¯t exist anymore. A symbiotic relationship is better than having none at all.


    So, here we go again and honestly, I¡¯m getting tired of this bullshitery that I often find myself in. It''s more of an annoying routine now rather than a spontaneous unfortunate event that happens once in a while. Pain, pain, go away. Come again another day. Or you know what? Don¡¯t ever come again. No one likes you. Just stay in your dark corner and brood over the things that you did wrong ever since you were conceived. Existing was one of it.


    Harsh? It¡¯s the ugly truth. No one wants to hear or even say it, but someone has to. It¡¯s for their own good so that they can change for the better. That is what¡¯s really important in someone that you want to start a relationship with. Trust. Trust that he or she can be blunt enough to point out your horrendous flaws without sugarcoating any of it to make it seem bearable to others. If it¡¯s severe enough of a problem, they can inform you about it before the housewives around the neighborhood start gossiping and spread it to the others in a single afternoon tea. No need for any roundabout ways when they can just be dead frank.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    In the same way as Fate¡¯s asphyxiating hold


    Let¡¯s leave the emphatic voice to its own devices for now. I couldn''t care less what it¡¯s doing to me anymore. My chorus of painful grunts would just reach deaf ears. So, shut it and man the fuck up, or whatever the hell that means. If it hurts, it hurts. If you need to scream to distract yourself from the pain, then do it. There¡¯s no shame in that. Not when there isn''t a crowd to feast their eyes on a once in a while spectacle of embarrassing yourself. But, if there is, it will forever stay on the internet after some idiot attention whore posts it online. At least you¡¯re going to be number one for once. On the trending page, that is.


    Reality can be such a fickle child


    Talkative as ever. This guy, I¡¯m assuming it''s a male because of the masculine voice, talks so much in a bewildering way. Fate that, death this, reality being a naive child waiting to get lured by a piece of candy into a white van. There¡¯re so much confusing words coming out of his goddamn mouth that I just want to sew it shut to let him hear his own thoughts to see how stupid he sounds. And again, I¡¯m assuming he has a mouth. Maybe he¡¯s really just a disembodied voice. Who knows.


    A single nudge and it will sway with but a moments passing


    I sometimes think the insane one here is him and not me. Well, I¡¯m also insane for listening to it so attentively, so we connect as fellow mental patients at the asylum on top of the hill. Maybe someday we¡¯d get to see each other eye to eye and then we¡¯d candidly discuss topics of who¡¯s middle finger looks more like a worm. Someday. But definitely not a Friday.


    I know of how you grow tired of lending your ears to this old fool. I won¡¯t hinder you any further on your journey


    Did it just read my mind and found out how annoying a one-way conversation was? It must have. I hope it realizes how much of a pervert a mind reader is, too. I see you hiding in the corner there, Professor X, and I don¡¯t condone what you¡¯re doing to your students.


    Now, where the hell am I? This isn¡¯t my usual pitch black and gloomy darkness that I¡¯m comfortable with.

 Ch6

    The birds were chirping in delight. These hands of mine were raised up to the skies above in praise and to show might. The Sun gave me a morning kiss to wake me up from my eternal nightmare. Only, there¡¯s one oddity that I can¡¯t seem to pass over.


    "I¡¯m fucking black!?"


    Just to be clear, I have nothing against people with a darker skin tone. Hell, I love Oprah and admired Nelson Mandela. It¡¯s just that last I remembered, I¡¯m a skinny white kid from down the street. And let me clarify what I just said before some people begin to rain upon me profanity. Everything that I can see, from left to right, up or down and anywhere else for that matter is in monochrome. Most of the things in my surroundings are pure, unadulterated white, but some of them are of the opposite, like that giant glaring sun over there. Black as night. This whole experience felt like an old movie from the past. Only, it¡¯s in HD quality with a better flow and no static. The script and storyboard are garbage quality, though.


    With my sight returned to me, I explored my new environment with fervor. And this was what I noticed afterwards.


    ¡°Why¡¯s everything so¡­ normal?¡± I tilted my head slightly to the side, as I found the normalcy to be quite surprising.


    It seemed as though I was at an opening just outside of a dense forest, and to my front was a far-reaching meadow of grass and cattle that occupied the landscape. Their numbers were in the hundreds, and their mooing was a harmony with which irritated my ears to no end. Other than that, I found the place to have a calming atmosphere. I could just lay here and let the cattle graze while I take one fine and long rest that I so deserve considering all the hardships I''ve been through. And even if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d still do it.


    I laughed like a silly kid in Disneyland, but it was a genuine laugh this time without any of the craziness mixed in. Nothing beats a tranquil spirit in times of peace. However, I do find it to be very bland. Boring, even.


    My hands and feet were itching to do something other than to lie around and do nothing. The time that I¡¯d spent breaking every single fiber of my being to push forward to get to some place other than the dark abyss instilled into me a longing for an impossible task. But now that I was finally here, I kind of missed my insufferable situation before. To a certain extent.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Was I really that much of a masochist that I hadn''t realized it until now? Is finding the love for struggling in dire circumstances even considered as being a masochist? Will I ever see the color yellow again? Can Yamcha make a comeback and beat the ever living shit out of the people who mocked him before? And let¡¯s all be honest here. Everyone, including myself, still think that he¡¯s a useless character. Question after question of asking myself whether I am, or am not.


    The Sun soon called it a day, and the white Moon and his goons took over the night sky with a black mantle. I raised my eyebrow at a conspicuously peculiar dust storm that formed a few kilometers or so away from where I sat. Only seeing things in black and white has its perks.


    The herd of cattle scattered and fled to wherever cows went in times of crisis. I watched them move those juicy muscles and noticed that I was salivating. Should I just take a bite out of one them to sate my hunger? I¡¯ll do it later, but it¡¯s been noted inside my head as a top priority after this.


    The dust storm steadily approached as the seconds ticked by and I squinted my eyes to look at what was making that odd trail of dust in the middle of this meadow. And lo and behold, the mother of all cattle has arrived. Or should I say, father? A hulking behemoth of a bull was charging at me in full stride.


    The snarl on its face and anger in its eyes distinctively had me as its target of rage. I mean, what else could attract its ire besides a noticeable black guy standing in the middle of its herd of defenseless females? Someone cosplaying as Hitler and doing the Sieg Heil salute on national television, of course. Heil, mein F¨¹hrer!


    Nervous? Afraid? Almost about to shit myself? No. I¡¯m done with being a coward. I''m fearless now.


    I awaited in anticipation for our face-off with my arms held up and my fist clenched tightly, ready to strike at whatever comes my way. I was prepared to fight. However, I assessed the situation once more and doubts began to flood my mind as I saw it in its glorious stature in front of me. Before I knew it, it bellowed once and impaled me using its horns. It had swift and agile movements unfit for a bull its size. And frankly speaking, that''s dumb and cheating.


    Such an idiotic move


    I heard the voice sigh in disappointment. But in other news, I guess nothing¡¯s changed much from back then. How thrilling.

 Ch7

    Do you know that feeling when someone stabs you in the back with a knife? No? Haven¡¯t experienced it yet? Well, me neither, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking. But, do you know that feeling when a fifteen-feet tall mass of destruction impales you with one of its horns. You don''t? Well, luckily enough I know that feeling. So, let me tell you all about my awful experience.


    I got dragged across the meadow, flung into the air, and then continuously got stomped on by a rampaging china shop''s worst nightmare. I valiantly fought back, of course. A slap here, a kick there and an occasional middle finger there. I¡¯d say we were about even on how much damage we caused to one another. I can even say I came out on top with how much I insulted its mother.


    It let loose another bellow and its blood-red eyes stared at me with undisguised aggression and hatred. Understandable, really. I came in willy-nilly without any prior arrangements to its harem of female cattle and it¡¯s only showing me who''s the alpha bovine here that can breed with those plump and juicy ladies. With its sheer mass and height, its reproductive organ should also be of equal proportion. I can only offer my heartfelt condolences to the fallen female cattle here. Died of a too big dick to fit.


    Jokes aside, I¡¯m coughing up black blood. My arms and torso, which took most of the beating, were numb and had a lot of broken bones from what I could tell. The place where I got impaled, my lower abdomen, had a huge gaping hole the size of a fist. I¡¯m more worried about getting tetanus than Mr. Beefstew over there coming in for another round. Living your whole life with a creepy smile and uncontrolled spasms is very inconvenient for daily interactions with society.


    My body may look battered and weak, but I could still move nimbly enough to make a quick dash towards the forest. I can only pray that it doesn¡¯t come barging right in like my ex. You know, I had a flat-screen TV that I paid with three months¡¯ worth of my earnings and she just took it from my apartment before she left when we broke up. The gall that she had. Boy, am I lucky to have found myself out of that relationship. Even with how much I bawled my eyes out for a month.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I wheezed and coughed while I made a run for it. Praise be that it didn¡¯t follow me. I could finally take a short breather.


    I flopped on the ground face first like a fish out of water with my adrenaline fading away oh-so slowly. My fears, I thought that I had conquered them before but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. It was only just the pain. And my stupidity influenced me in the wrong way again which caused my most doubtful of choices to win over my rationality. On the upside, my body heals faster than the gaping holes and tears on my wallet.


    I need to think more clearly and rationally from now on, otherwise I¡¯m very worried that the voice inside my head would stress itself to death. I think I should just let it sit on the driver¡¯s seat and take the wheel from me. Considering I don¡¯t even have a driver''s license to begin with.


    After a while, I calmed down and everything went back to normal. The first train of thought that came to mind was that I needed something to fight back at whatever it is that comes my way from now on. Gigantic bulls, creatures of darkness and malevolent voices. I¡¯d probably see something much more sinister sometime soon considering my track record. And before that happens, I need a deterrent. If only I could somehow summon that window selection with an array of weapons and tools of warfare again. A knife or something to cut things would be nice.


    I heard something mooing and turned my head to the right, and there I saw my unsuspecting meal for the day.


    ¡°Can I?¡± I inspected my soon-to-be new friend from a distance as to not startle it away.


    But after some thought, I decided otherwise. A relaxing journey on top of a cow was such a surreal but tempting idea, you see. What do you call that thing again that they wrap around the horse''s face to steer it? I remembered being lectured a while back by a patron of the diner who was a coachman, but I can¡¯t seem to recall what it was called¡ª


    ¡°A halter!¡± I clapped my hands together in realization.


    With my words and sudden action, the white window appeared before me. It dropped a chain on the ground and then disappeared into oblivion once more. The blood drained from my face as I knew I made another huge mistake. But wasn¡¯t a halter supposed to be made out of rope or leather?

 Ch8

    O foul beast, let ye be bound. Or thy shall lay ye to rest in thou makers arms!


    I swung the chain haphazardly in the air, thinking that I was a cowboy trying to wrangle her into the pen. I was clearly having way too much fun chasing down a frightened cow deep inside a dense forest, but I was trying to make up for all of the lost time. Let me find some form of enjoyment before the world starts throwing horse shit in my way again.


    Also, I coudn''t tell if I was wearing any clothes or not. It felt like I¡¯m naked when I looked down, but I noticed a discrepancy with my skin that sways a little bit whenever I moved around. I think that¡¯s my shirt. If not, well, my skin¡¯s too loose now that it¡¯s flapping around with the wind. How disturbing would that be? Not so much when you factor in that I don¡¯t give a damn anymore. Okay, maybe a little. But don¡¯t let that distract you from the fact that the cow just got stuck in a giant web. Wait. What?


    ¡°Web. A huge web¡­ spiders?¡± I muttered.


    Question and answer time! What sort of anxiety disorder did I tell you before? A; fear of clowns. B; fear of falling. Or C; fear of eggplants. If you answered A or C, then you weren¡¯t paying close enough attention to what I said before and I¡¯d be genuinely hurt if that was the case. Now, if you answered B. Ding ding ding! You''ve won a grand prize of nothing. But that meant that we¡¯re bonding. Now, I¡¯ll tell you something wonderful about me again. I absolutely¡ª


    Something skittered loud enough for me to hear its audible steps. The tingling awareness that another monster crept closer filled my body with a jolt of suspense. The cow didn¡¯t seem so exhilarated, though. I can see her struggling, but that futility didn¡¯t bode well for her.


    Her distress caught the attention of more unseen creatures, most probably other arachnids. A chorus of skittering from the trees fanned my already trembling heart to increase the beat of its drums. Thump, thump, its fast-rhythmic play. My whole body was entranced by its splendid performance. However, the voice inside my head begged to differ.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    You¡¯re forgetting to breathe


    Ah, yes. That. With how much my heart pounded, the same could be said opposite for my lungs. I¡¯m breath taken by the sight, as you may say. My head felt light, too. I think I was about to faint.


    I laughed maniacally as they came in like a dam that broke and water flooded the land. From a foot to almost a meter in height. Hairy and long legs that climbed almost anything with numerous eyes that surveyed the area and fearsome fangs to puncture the defenseless. They also have the innate ability to lay traps for capturing unsuspecting prey like her. They had it all. Everything that an assassin of the dark ever needed in its arsenal of death.


    Should I just stand still and wait till they pass, or should I make a move now? Although, I think that it¡¯s too late. My crazed laughter already gave my position away.


    I ran to the captured cattle as fast as I could. My eyes set its sight on my predetermined goal and this time, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.


    She might have sensed my arrival and moos oh-so loudly for everyone to hear. She must have been saying ¡®come save me, my darling prince¡¯ in cattle speak. Don¡¯t you worry, you precious little thing. I¡¯m coming for you.


    As I was about to reach her, I quickly made a sharp turn to my right. Following that, I grabbed the smallest spider there that caught my interest and ran off into the sunset. The clear look of betrayal could be seen in her eyes. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I absolutely adore spiders. Do you think I¡¯ll trade away this perfectly laid out opportunity to capture one and tame it for something like you? Of course not, you idiot of a bovine.


    Moo!


    Yeah, well, you ran away and got yourself in this mess in the first place. If you didn¡¯t, you could have lived long enough to be served in a silver platter. Serves you right.


    Mooooooo!


    Sayonara. Till we meet again. I doubt it, though. But you never know, she might be able to pull off a miracle somehow. Her prayers to her divine cattle might be answered.


    Moo¡­ moooooooooo!?


    Oh, shit. They¡¯re already starting with the festivities.


    ¡°Don''t worry! You''re going to be fine!¡±


    Nah, she¡¯s dead meat.

 Ch9

    Taking on a pet requires a ton of time, discipline, knowledge, care, and most important of all love. What happens then, if I only have lots of love to give and nothing else? The result is a spoiled, little (it¡¯s a foot tall) spider staring at me with its beady and small (half an inch in diameter), black eyes.


    It has been a week since then and I¡¯m having quite the troublesome time. Having trouble in the sense that I couldn¡¯t stop feeding him insects. I knew that I was spoiling him too much, but I couldn¡¯t help not to. What can I say? My weakness for domesticated animals that acts stupidly cute and awkward knows no bounds. Although, the creature in front of me isn¡¯t domesticated at all. He''s a wild animal that I incidentally ¡®found'' skittering on the ground. I didn¡¯t kidnap him, okay? Oh heavens, no! I really found him all lonesome and abandoned, and I just had to take him home with me.


    Okay, maybe I did do it, but it¡¯s for the betterment of his future. I swear that it¡¯s for the best. I really do.


    ¡°Picasso, if you want to grow into a proper self-sustaining adult in the future, you always have to listen to what I say. Okay?¡± I said, knowing full well that he couldn''t understand a single word that came out of my mouth.


    I think even without my help he would turn into one, but due to my unnecessary interference with nature¡¯s due course, he¡¯s uselessly just following me around and waiting for food to be served. It''s nice, to be honest. He kind of reminded me of my old dog when he was just a little pup back then. Always behind me with his tail wagging from left to right whenever I look back.


    Even with my proud proclamation of guiding him, I had no inkling of a clue on how to do it myself. Depending on my next course of actions, the growth of this child is on the line. So, I don¡¯t really want to mess it up. But I think I¡¯ll just put that on hold in the meantime. First, I need to gather some opinions and advices from the pros. Google would have been the perfect choice.


    Also, you might wonder why I named him ¡®Picasso¡¯. It¡¯s because of his colorful skin that reminded me of one of the great painter¡¯s childish paintings that I saw on the internet. Not that I have something against his distinguished works, but it¡¯s just strokes of paint on a canvas. What¡¯s so special about it? Even a blind child with no hands can do it and it might even sell for millions after their death.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    It''s a tragedy, really. People can''t place much value on anything when that person''s still alive and kicking. Only after they''re gone that the money would roll in. What use would that be when he or she can''t even enjoy it.


    I noticed that he stopped following me from behind.


    ¡°A colorful and attractive bug? A big no-no for you, Picasso¡±


    He eyed a menacing insect that screamed the words ¡®extremely poisonous and deadly'', so I took him away before he could even do something reckless. You can never be too careful.


    And as you might have observed, I can see the colorful world once more. A miracle that I can¡¯t seem to remember when it happened. It just suddenly became this way without even realizing it myself. That comes with its own drawbacks, though. Like not being able to see anything in the dead of night and I¡¯m not black anymore. Now, I¡¯m just pussy white. What gives? In other news, I can positively confirm that I¡¯m not naked and am wearing the clothes that I had back then. I honestly thought those things ate it away.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked myself that question, though the answer could easily be answered without thinking too much about it. We were lost.


    I climbed the nearest tree as a vantage point and laughed again as all I saw in the horizon felt eerily similar wherever I looked. Trees. Trees as far as the eye could see. Picasso followed me up on the tree and settled on my right shoulder. Cute, as you might say, but a one-foot spider weighing over three pounds causes problems for my posture and back. It¡¯s one of my childhood fantasies to have an animal perching on my shoulders like this, so I won''t complain.


    As I was contemplating on what direction we should to, in the far off distance of the never-ending sea of trees, I saw a conspicuous trail of smoke that rose its way into the heavens. Smoke signified that there¡¯s a fire. Fire meant that someone rubbed two sticks together to create friction. You needed two hands to do that, and what sort of magnificent creature has hands? Monkeys, of course. Intellectual monkeys that knows how to be handy-dandy.


    I jumped down from the tree and took off in haste towards our new destination. There¡¯s been one thing weighing on my mind that¡¯s kept on pestering me for a while now and meeting someone else here might resolve that issue.


    Or it could be a hostile foe


    That too, but what are the chances of that happening?

 Ch10

    I sensed some sort of disturbance. Everything inside the forest seemed to be on edge. From the horde of insects that scattered everywhere, to the hundreds of exotic birds that suddenly flew towards the west in flocks. Even Picasso seemed livelier than usual. He crawled all over my body as if he was trying to find some place to hide in. There are only two holes that can possibly stretch big enough for him to fit and I¡¯m not willing to shelter him inside either of those holy sanctuaries. Other than being odd, it''s nothing to be alarmed about, I think. Mother Nature''s being unpredictable and bizarre as always.


    Something suddenly caught my attention as I sniffed the air a few times. I could smell a faint scent. It¡¯s something familiar. Something that''s on the tip of my tongue, but I just can¡¯t seem to remember what it was. Meat? Pork? Barbeque? I think I¡¯m just damn hungry.


    While I tried to recall what it was, I stumbled upon an obstacle along the way. A hundred-foot fall that lead to a roaring and raging river at the bottom which impeded my path.


    ¡°Can I jump over to the other side?¡± I took a look at my supposed landing spot and then my gaze fell down to the rapid flowing waters. There were rocks. Sharp, pointy, and painful looking rocks that should be fun to play with on a hot summer''s day.


    ¡°Of course, not¡± I sighed and quickly put my head to work into devising a plan to cross without falling to my impending water torture. I wonder what happens when I drown, though. That would be quite the mind-boggling question, and some dumb part of me wanted to find out the answer. Curiosity killed the cat, but this pussy has an unlimited amount of lives and not just a measly nine. Assuming that I have limitless lives, though.


    I surveyed my surroundings from left to right, but the opening seemed to stretch far off until my eyes couldn''t see it anymore. What would Bear Grylls do in a situation like this? I bet he¡¯d just ask his crew to cut the tape and use the chopper that''s on standby. Or you know, change venue and use the miracle of editing to make a small crack seem like the size of the Grand Canyon. The latter seems improbable, but given today¡¯s technology, I think they can make it possible.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Hey, stop it¡± finding a solution to a problem is an exceedingly difficult task especially when you¡¯ve got a spider making a cozy home on your body.


    ¡°Picasso, I need you to stop. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m bus¡ªAh!¡± A lightbulb popped up with a brilliant idea. If I manage to pull it off, I mean. If Spiderman or Tarzan can do it, then why can¡¯t I?


    I looked for the tallest and nearest tree to the opening that I could find and climbed it.


    ¡°¡­ will this work?¡± I asked my free-spirited companion that''s completely oblivious to the danger that I was about to put him through. Even when I was about to do something irresponsible and dangerous, he only just stared at me without any complaints. I think that¡¯s what you¡¯d call ¡®trust'', or maybe he just couldn¡¯t voice out his concerns. Whichever it is, I¡¯m still doing it.


    ¡°This will work. This will work. This will¡­¡± I¡¯ve always been terrified of the spotlight when it came down to business. And sometimes I even forget that I have a fear of falling when my anxiety gets the best of me. Although, I¡¯m grabbing onto a vine and swinging myself to the other side, so technically I¡¯m not falling. The beauty of technicalities.


    My hand gripped nature¡¯s self-made rope tightly before I screamed like a man raised by apes in the wild. But then my grip loosened just after a few feet from jumping off the branch.


    Unsurprisingly, we both fell down to the river with my consciousness filing for another vacation-leave again. I need to have a word with him about his constant and unapproved departure when he returns. If not, well, a new position would go vacant in the not so distant future. I¡¯d be glad to hire a more competent and dependable one.


    Besides my stupidity taking on an active role again, I thought I was more cautious, responsible, and overall wiser than my current self. It felt like I was one of the main casts of Dumb and Dumber or the Three Stooges. I¡¯m basically a retarded, hazardous, and nonsensical human being to be around with. What happened? Well¡ªShit happened.

 Ch11

    I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to the sky with a groan, surprised that I wasn¡¯t surrounded by suffocating water from head to toe. An oddly protruding rock formation a few meters before the raging waters broke my fall. A miracle, for sure. Although, my head felt heavy as if something¡¯s been wrapped tightly around it.


    With all the harrowing misfortune cursed upon me by the world, Lady Luck must have felt pity on this pour soul for once and showed her dazzling smile of affection. On the other hand, it worries me whenever someone looks at me with pity and I don¡¯t know why. Maybe it¡¯s my unyielding pride at work. Which is to say, doesn¡¯t amount to much anymore considering that I''d done all of those front-line services for so long. Honestly, it was fun and it did bring a lot of much needed experience for me to mature and to prepare myself for society, but sometimes smiling and being courteous all day long gets so tiring and annoying that you just get that urge of wanting to argue with someone over something so trifling. Scrambled or sunny-side-up. Depending on your answer, a debate will ensue.


    As I looked up, I saw that Picasso had made himself comfortable on the wall. Comfortable might be stretching it a bit when he¡¯s made a damn nest where I am and even right below me. There¡¯s not much to see anymore but silk. Seriously, how long was I out?


    ¡°Okay, I can do this. Here I go!¡± I pumped myself up for the inevitable climb. Something that I remembered online from my youthful searching through the internet (porn wasn¡¯t one of those things) about phobias and how to cure it was that they say it¡¯s all in your head. I just need to not focus on the very thing that causes me to blackout. It¡¯s also good to relax and distract yourself in the process, but confronting it and breaking through that mold of fear would be the most ideal course of action. Easier said than done, right? I tried doing it before when I went to an indoor rock-climbing gym near my apartment. Never got the courage to get past the first course. But if I do fail now, I can always rely on the safety net created by my friendly neighborhood spider.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    And what do you expect, it comes into play a few minutes after I started.


    ¡°This¡¯ll need some time¡ªshit¡± I sighed, as I got back up on my feet and tried again.


    After a gut-wrenching and arduous few hours of climbing and falling later, I took a short breather to recover my dying spirit before it reached nirvana. But that didn¡¯t mean my mind would. There was something that happened back there in that place which messed with my head. I don¡¯t know if it was time, pain, boredom, or some other unknown cause, but it did a huge number on me. It may even be the reliable ¡®all of the above'' when you¡¯re not exactly sure what to pick in a multiple-choice exam. You can never go wrong when there¡¯s an option that lets you choose everything instead of just one item. Most of the time it¡¯s wrong, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting distracted again¡± A sigh escaped my lips for the second time this day. Here I go again, distracting myself with unnecessary ramblings of the mind. It¡¯s fine if the world caters to me and time stops ticking, but it doesn¡¯t. I¡¯m wasting a lot of time just by this alone. Look, even Picasso seems to have gone to sleep already. Luckily for me, I don¡¯t need to sleep anymore. Now that I mention it, not getting a wink of sleep may also be up there on the choices. Wait a minute. What if there wasn¡¯t even a correct answer among them?


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I really need to stop this. I¡¯m jeopardizing my own progress at this point. I should make an example out of Picasso. I mean, look at the little fella. He practically spun a giant spider¡¯s nest with fabulous d¨¦cor and furniture. I have a question, though. How did that much silk fit inside his one-foot tall body? It¡¯s a mystery that I¡¯m very interested in finding out the answer. Constant production of silk takes how¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it again¡± I better just shut up and start climbing again. Maybe humming a song would do the job to refocus my unhinged mind. What was the tone of All Star again?


    I hummed the chorus of the song, but after a while I started laughing without reason again. I forgot that I also had that one other issue. Oh well, I can only try to fix one problem at a time. Look. I¡¯m blacking out again.

 Ch12

    Okay, here we go¡­ focus¡­ speed. I am speed¡ª


    Wait, wrong movie. I need something motivating for this almost impossible climb. What was it again where some very optimistic people climbed a snowy mountain and most of them froze to death?


    My fingers¡­ I can¡¯t feel my fingers anymore. The cold, it''s¡ª


    ¡°Ah, fuck it¡±


    Time to concentrate on the obstacle course again. I¡¯m limiting my idiocy to a few thoughts per day now, and what can I say? I¡¯m making progress. Miniscule progress that sometimes gets derailed from the objective, I might add. But still, it''s progress.


    I took a few calming breaths and then felt for the rocks above me, not daring to look down and destroy my budding accomplishment. I¡¯ve already made it half way to the top and I definitely don¡¯t want to stop while the glass is half full. See? I¡¯m more optimistic now, too. If not, then the downer, me, from a few days ago would have said ¡®glass half empty''. The correct mindset for achieving greatness and success, as they might say.


    My right hand stretched forward and then my left foot found its footing. After finding success, I mirrored what I did using the opposite limbs in a mechanical motion that I hoped wouldn¡¯t malfunction because it¡¯s made in China. Me? Chinese? Some part of me, like, one-sixteenth or something. I¡¯m not sure of the details, but I¡¯m pretty certain my grandfather had slit-like eyes, was a swindler back in the day with an iron-like grip on money and had dreadful family values that didn¡¯t waver in front of criticism. So, I assume that I have it in me to make low quality products that would last for a few days. Or maybe he¡¯s Japanese, to which I say is a Grand Slam for me. Quality rules them all with glorious nippon steel. Banzai!


    On the way, spider webs littered what little vision I had left besides rocks and soil. The little, cute critter made things harder because I couldn¡¯t see much anymore and that¡¯s why I needed to feel the places underneath the web before I could dedicate my hands or feet to move up. I think he thought easy mode was for pussies and decided that he needed to increase the difficulty by a notch.


    ¡°Picasso, can you, I don¡¯t know, settle down for a moment?¡± it seemed as though he wanted to play. Showering me with affection, aka his webs, and crawling all over my body with much gusto. Laughable as it may seem, it¡¯s somewhat distracting when you want something to get done. Not ¡®want¡¯, but ¡®need'' to get done.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He didn¡¯t listen and continued to scamper like a maniac on drugs. But from experience, I know that the euphoria doesn¡¯t last long and soon after, the consequences and guilt would kick in. Not that I did any drugs besides the prescriptions my doctor gave me, but those things in the void of darkness are close enough. And if it doesn¡¯t end, well, happy days. Happy days, indeed. See you in the afterlife, because that just means you¡¯ve overdosed.


    He grew bored after a while and went off to wherever direction he pleased, unlike me who¡¯s only possible way out is up. Correction, there¡¯s also the river right below me. Don¡¯t think about it, just ignore the image and move on. Yes. Move on. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. Wrong reference again, but who cares? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a catchy phrase from some kiddie movie about climbing. The closest thing I got with accordance to climbing is the ¡®Eye of the tiger¡¯. And what comes to mind when that song plays in my head is an American celebrating like an idiot atop a flight of stairs as if he just won the Olympics. Not much to work with, see? In the first place, I didn''t even like the original and its sequels. Just a bunch of scripted fights that made you think of how bad they portrayed boxing back then was because if you looked attentively, most if not all of the punches that they threw out didn''t even land on the opponent. Don''t even get me started on those over exagerrated movements from getting hit.


    Stop dawdling and lift yourself up! Push those legs, pull with your arms! Let¡¯s go!


    This is so tiring. My limbs are getting heavy. Why am I still doing this? Just to suffer? No. It¡¯s to sate my curiosity. And nothing¡¯s a more noble of cause than finding answers to the nagging questions of man. Pineapple or no pineapple on my pizza? Besides, I¡¯m one pull/step away from the finish line, so there¡¯s no point in stopping where I¡¯m at.


    I yelled at my triumphant grip of dirt and grass. My hands trembled in glee when I finally pushed myself up at the top. Also, a passing dance with a wiggle of the hips is mandatory for a successful venture. I finally made it to the other side.


    ¡°Picasso, let¡¯s go!¡± I called for my arachnid companion to come forth.


    With a flashy entrance of jumping up high in the air (I don¡¯t know how) while rapidly spinning like a top, he landed gracefully on top of my shoulders like an acrobatic genius.


    Dazzled at the marvelous acrobatic display, my eyes opened wide at the spider who gave me a questioning look thinking why was I staring so intently at him. He must have done some montage circus training while I strived to climb a fucking sixty-feet drop. Someday, I¡¯ll also have the spotlight like a shining star. Until then though, I need to fix my nerve-wracking stage fright and have a training montage of my own that would hover me over and beyond the prodigies that I¡¯d like to call Nature¡¯s blessed normies.


    Man, I really do have a lot of issues.

 Ch13

    It didn¡¯t take too long for me to reach my destination. Just a measly seven hours of slow-paced walking to get a taste of the scenery. The reason for my turtle¡¯s pace was because I felt that I was in grave danger when I ran in full stride, and if you hadn''t noticed, I don¡¯t have a fucking shell to hide in.


    Every time I went somewhat fast enough, the hairs on my arms and at the back of my neck stood up as if to forewarn me of something. It was like my instincts were telling me not to make too much of a noise so that I wouldn¡¯t attract any nearby predators'' attention. I also made use of stealth tactics to evade my¡ªwho am I kidding? I basically hid behind trees and warily looked around like a country bumpkin on his first fieldtrip to the big city. In my defense, it''s not just any old city though. It¡¯s a city in Mexico called Los Cabos. Even just entering a motel there and talking to the receptionist will pump you a lifetime''s worth of adrenaline than jumping out of a plane in the middle of a swamp filled with alligators. I¡¯d highly recommend it to everyone to try it out at least once, because that¡¯s all the chances you¡¯re going to get after their done strangling you in the dead of night.


    ¡°What do you make of these?¡± I whispered while expecting to hear a clear and concise answer, but I forgot that my companion was a spider that¡¯s only response was a staring contest. Speaking of which, where did the little guy went off to now? Oh, wait, I see him. He¡¯s just over to the side a couple feet away, going in circles like a dog about to mark its territory.


    There was a dozen or so people dressed in red robes and fancy jewelry. Almost all of them knelt on the ground in a circular formation around a gigantic pole with strange writings that was burning at its base. The only one who didn¡¯t kneel had his hands held up high in the air and shouted words which I couldn¡¯t understand. This was giving off a Call of Cthulhu vibe, but it¡¯s a damn shame we weren¡¯t anywhere near the ocean for a colossal octopus monster to pop up and preach of its amazing tentacles.


    The earth drummed a beat, growing louder each second that passed by. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s making that heart-shaking sound, but I know for a fact that there''s something coming. Something big because I felt it again, that oh-so familiar gnawing sense of dread. But that dread can gnaw all it wants because I¡¯ve had worse things that gnawed on me before.


    The world suddenly turned ominously dark. When I looked up to see what was going on, a kilometer in diameter black cloud in the sky encapsulated the area where we stood, blocking off the sun like the cuckold that it was. It seemed as though Picasso also shared the same sentiment of hiding under a rock. Wait, he¡¯s literally lifting a rock and using it as an impromptu hat/helmet. Well, ain¡¯t that cute.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Run away?¡± Should I?


    I laughed hysterically as I took in the lovecraftian scenery. On second thought, maybe I¡¯ll stick around and see where this mess goes. Why? For reasons I can¡¯t seem to comprehend about myself.


    The winds picked up and howled fiercely, while devastating bolts of lightning rained upon the vicinity, striking trees and people in a chaos of white flashes. They didn¡¯t seem to mind the danger that they were facing though, as they hadn¡¯t moved an inch even under heaven¡¯s rain of judgements. Remarkable. A true fanatic never doubts his beliefs, even when he has to restrain his own son onto a stone table just so he could stab him like the deranged fool that he is. That just shows how you¡¯re stupid and gullible enough to sacrifice your own kin for the words of someone you haven¡¯t even met face to face with. That obviously deserves a thumbs up. Two thumbs, even.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± I said, astonished at the sight before me. Those charred bodies got up and moved towards the pole with snappy and sporadic movements, like puppets played by a child with flimsy hands.


    They didn¡¯t stop until they got to the base, where they lied limp on the fire. If I didn¡¯t know any better, it looked like they were adding fuel to the fire. Human-charcoal style.


    The one who I assumed to be the leader of the cult, raised his voice loud enough to resonate in my ears. His words may be lost with the language barrier, but somehow, and I don¡¯t know why, understood that he was welcoming something.


    And then he got crushed to death.


    The giant pole suddenly grew arms and squished him like a bug. What the fuck? Just¡ª what the fuck?


    Pulsating orange veins protruded from the wood¡¯s surface, and it uprooted itself from the ground. Was this Tolkien¡¯s work coming to life? By the way, what was it called again? An Ent or something? Maybe this is a different species because it¡¯s man-made. This might be a twenty-first century Ent. With complementary cup holders and all.


    It grew muscular, which is to say very graphic with its bulging muscles. Look at those amazingly shaped biceps and deltoids that a body builder would envy. I don¡¯t even know how that¡¯s possible because it¡¯s dead wood that came out of a workshop, but I¡¯ll go along with it for now.


    After the transformation was over, it now looked like a wooden Greek God of war, but without a handsomely chiseled face, or a head and neck for that matter. There¡¯re also those watermelon sized balls to go along with its swinging gargantuan dick. No homo, but I think it looked kind of hot. Both figuratively and literally of course, because it¡¯s straight up on fire from shoulder to toe.


    In the face of this perfect body of mass destruction, stood a lone arachnid obstructing its way from slaughtering the other cult fanatics. David vs. Goliath in the flesh. I think I even heard some of those fanatics curse for not getting killed right away. But forget about those suicidal masochists, I have a bigger problem.


    ¡°Picasso!?¡± I yelled. Leave them unsupervised for one minute and next thing you know, they have a bottle of bleach in their hands or outright trying to kill themselves from the hazards of your own home.


    Kids these days grow up so fast.

 Ch14

    I bolted to grab Picasso and immediately dived to the side. I heard a loud crashing sound soon after while dirt and rocks flew everywhere. My timing was so impeccable that if I was half a second late, then my little spidy here would have turned into meat paste. Ready to be served in any McDonald¡¯s chain near you.


    I seemed to have angered the last two surviving fanatics, as they charged towards me while screaming ¡®My God is the greatest!¡¯. I may not have understood them, but I¡¯ll just put some words into their mouths to make our conversations more interesting for now. Can''t have the audience be bored of a bland interaction that they themselves couldn''t understand.


    Slow to react, one of them got a firm hold of my waist while the other followed up and had my left leg all to himself. They then looked up at me with the creepiest satisfied smile I¡¯d ever seen in my entire nineteen years of suffering on Earth. It''s disturbing how they found pleasure in ruining someone else¡¯s day. Well, if that¡¯s what they want, then I might as well drag them into my own crippling depression.


    ¡°Get off of me!¡± I yelled.


    Even with how my fists flirted and intimately came into contact with their face, they still carried that same disgusting smile with blood and saliva dripping down from their mouths while a few of their teeth were now broken or missing. Why can¡¯t they just let go? I know you want to kill yourselves, and I won''t judge you for it. You do you. This is a free world in which you can do anything and everything¡ª for a price. But don¡¯t drag me down along with your mindless beliefs. I already have myself to do that for me. And besides, there are more important things for me to do other than dying at the moment. Preventing my spidy here from killing himself is one of them. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say Picasso is also suicidal to a certain degree. Or maybe he¡¯s just too young and na?ve to determine what¡¯s dangerous and what¡¯s not.


    Cold sweat dripped down from my forehead when I saw the wooden God of war looming closer with a casual gait. Each earth-shaking step that it took, the more frantic I grew. The more frantic I grew, the faster my fists moved. With desperation comes the strength to overcome tribulations. And what does a cornered rat do? It bites damn hard like a deranged shopaholic looking for discounts on Black Friday.


    ¡°I¡­ said¡­ piss off!¡± I made it rain a fountain of blood. Theirs and mine. You couldn¡¯t even recognize them anymore along with my fists which were a bloody mess now. But those injuries will heal. I just don¡¯t know if getting crushed beyond recognition will. Note to self, when I have time in the future, try dropping a giant boulder on my arm to see if it does.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The one who held my waist lost consciousness from a few hard blows to his temple and then loosened his vice-like grip. Fucking finally. It felt like the bastard wouldn¡¯t let me go until I gave him some money for charitable purposes.


    Seeing progress, a vicious smile formed on my lips and I couldn¡¯t contain my laughter anymore. I laughed to my hearts content at their struggle to bring me down. This is kind of therapeutic in a twisted kind of way. When we had a seminar about temper issues back then, our school¡¯s therapist¡¯s simple advice was to take all of your frustrations out on a gigantic pillow or punching bag. And in this situation, I¡¯m going to happily oblige. But there wasn¡¯t any conveniently placed pillow right next to me, so the next best thing was for someone else¡¯s face to be its replacement. Even Picasso¡¯s helping me out to relieve some of my stress by not interfering and going away into the forest. Now that¡¯s a good boy.


    I got down on the ground and wrestled with the one who held my leg, rolling across the dirt and doing moves that I didn''t know I had it in me. While I enthusiastically unleashed my inner rage and spite on the man that still held on for dear life, the giant wooden monstrosity ignored us and went in front of the other fanatic that I knocked unconscious.


    It raised it¡¯s leg up and over him. I stopped pummeling for a moment to watch the gruesome execution that¡¯s about to happen. My gut tells me that the guy below it won¡¯t have any pleasant dreams tonight. He probably won¡¯t wake up anytime soon, or ever will for that matter.


    It dropped the ban hammer down on the poor man, and he immediately vanished from this game called Life. Honestly, I thought they were friends or something with how they invited the creeping monster into their own home. Would you like dinner? A bath? Or maybe¡­ murder everyone inside? Guess what it chose.


    With its second victim of the day finished and thrown into the pits of hell, it threateningly turned its body towards us. Seeing the coming of the Harbinger of Death, I started my engine once more and my piston like arms went back work.


    ¡°Look¡± I jabbed five times at his stomach.


    ¡°I think we got off on the wrong foot here¡± I got up even while he still held on and stomped on him with my other leg a few times before delivering a hard kick to his side.


    ¡°But we can start things over¡± I pummeled his face.


    ¡°You just have to let me go¡± for the laughs, I took a bite at his arm which drew a few drops of blood.


    ¡°What do you say¡­ buddy?¡± I nudged his body, but he didn¡¯t respond. That can only mean one thing.


    I made a new friend today.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we could work things out¡± I smiled candidly, as I freed my left foot before running away with the wind.


    I heard another loud crash from behind a few moments later. As soon as I made a new friend, he just decided to migrate to a faraway place for work. Somewhere where there¡¯s no reception or signal.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll send postcards and shit!¡± I laughed as I simultaneously grabbed Picasso who was trying to climb a tree before diving deeper into the forest. Safety¡¯s the number one priority, and this place here is definitely not where I want to spend my time at. Ever.


    But what I didn¡¯t know, was that the black cloud''s influence was also spreading its dark web across the land.

 Ch15

    I unexpectedly found my way out of the forest of doom. It only took me a few weeks of following a path that I miraculously stumbled upon while escaping what those fanatics called from the great beyond. And immediately after, a wall that rose high above the clouds greeted me. Obviously, I hastily went there to investigate the structure.


    I circled the lengthy wall from dusk till dawn until I finally saw a daunting gate that would make the one in Buckingham Palace prostrate itself in the presence of its greatness. It was made out of a black material that shined like jewelry underneath the sun, but it didn¡¯t seem to be made out of obsidian because I tried bashing a rock against it and it did nothing. Not even a dent. And here I thought I could make a quick buck.


    ¡°How do I get inside¡­¡± I pondered.


    Pushing the gate open and climbing over the wall was out of the question for obvious reasons. How about using the doorbell?


    I meticulously inspected the gate, but after a while of searching, I didn¡¯t find anything to let whoever it was inside know that I wanted in. Maybe if I shouted loud enough, someone inside might hear me. Scream for help, be a damsel in distress and whatnot. It triggers peoples¡¯ natural instinct to act like a half-minute hero for fame and recognition. I, myself, had proven that to be true.


    Should I dig underneath, instead?


    I looked for a sharp and pointy rock that will serve as my impromptu shovel and afterwards, I set Picasso free while I started digging to the side. It felt like I was a prisoner trying to escape, but instead of breaking free, I was making my way back in like the intellectual that I was. In this day and age, having shelter and free food that would be served to you on time every single day until your release, or if you¡¯re lucky enough, until you rot inside your cell was a dream come true for most people in third world countries. First step; attempt a bank robbery while wearing a colorful sock over your head. Second step; surrender to the police. Third step; drop your soap in the showers. Forth Step; (censored). Fifth step; Profit. No money, easy life,


    I was about a foot deep when I wobbled and fell to the side. The earth was shaking tremendously.


    ¡°At least I don¡¯t need to dig anymore¡± I said.


    I saw the gate slowly opening outwards with a loud scraping noise. It wasn¡¯t even halfway open when canisters flew out from the inside while releasing white smoke that covered the entire area.


    As the smoke subsided, I saw that men in white suits had surrounded me in a half circle formation. They wore on their backs what looked like the patented proton pack from Ghostbusters. I suddenly heard that oh-so familiar song from the 90¡¯s play in my head. If there¡¯s somethin¡¯ strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Definitely not these guys. They look shady as fuck.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Please, put your hands behind your head and refrain from doing anything¡ª suspicious¡± an individual stepped forward.


    Everyone else wore the same white mask that hid their face, but the man in front of me was the odd man out. He looked very appealing with his charming smile that could make women fall by the dozen and gentle lulling voice to heal the soul. The classic supporting character that made you think he was an ally of justice, but later on revealed that he¡¯s secretly the villain behind everything. Maybe I¡¯m biased because I think that all good-looking men other than me should die already.


    I complied for now and raised my hands up in the air, but it was accompanied by an impulsive laughter that made it seem like I was mocking them. I wasn¡¯t. Promise.


    ¡°What is so funny, if I may ask?¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay. Maybe a little¡± oops.


    ¡°What?¡±


    I suppressed a giggle by covering my mouth. Talk about bad timing. Dangerous looking men were pointing their unlicensed nuclear accelerators at me, and here I was, making a scene. For the sake of science though, what does those imitation ghostbuster thingamajigs do, exactly? The more important question was, how deadly were those things?


    In the first place, why were they so aggressive towards me? I haven¡¯t even done anything illegal that would warrant that kind of behavior. Yet, that is.


    ¡°So¡­ what next?¡± I asked.


    The man that seemed to be the leader of this wannabe Jabbawockeez group looked to the side and gestured at one of his men to do something. That person pulled out a small canister and threw it at my feet. It released a substance that resembled translucent jelly and expanded exponentially, covering my whole body in a matter of seconds.


    I should try to at least resist, right?


    I slowly moved my jaw and opened my mouth wide enough to take a huge bite. Every movement was strained because even if it looked soft to the eye, it was quite hard to move in it. It tasted very bitter, though. Unlike the store-bought jelly that I¡¯m so used to eating on a Saturday night movie fest. Popcorn? Hell no.


    As I chewed and swallowed, I kept my eyes locked on the people that were trying to apprehend me. Some stepped back in fright of the stranger doing strange things, while the others courageously stood their ground. Pretty boy over there seemed surprised¡ª interested even at what I was doing. He had the look of a kid that just found a new toy to play with.


    After I escaped my jelly-prison, I summoned the window and took out my chain halter. I discovered how to use it back when I was annoyed that it constantly fell off when I wrapped it around my waist. It yielded to an unforeseen yet convenient result. All I needed to do was to think of a place to put my chain halter in and poof, it magically appeared. I can¡¯t throw anything else inside of it, though. Its main use is to just pierce through the darkness of the night so that I can see the path ahead of me.


    I wrapped the chain tightly around my right fist. I may not seem like it, but I do have a few years of experience in fighting. Mainly got all of it from Tekken, though. Meaning, I¡¯m all bark and no bite.


    ¡°Well?¡± I laughed at their hostile intentions before charging head first. I don¡¯t even know if what I¡¯m doing is better than the alternative of surrendering peacefully, but¡ª


    Actions first, regrets later.

 Ch16

    If I recall correctly, proton packs worked like vacuum cleaners that sucked those that couldn¡¯t pass on to the afterlife. I don¡¯t quite remember it being able to blast holes through a person¡¯s chest like an alien weapon from some B-rated sci-fi movie. Well, the fight was clearly over before it even began and the people didn¡¯t even get to enjoy what they¡¯d paid for.


    I knelt on the ground with a look of utter shock as I saw my open chest. The loss of strength when your heart disappears into oblivion was definitely a new experience. In terms of unpleasantness, I think it¡¯s in the same category as going into an overly cramped elevator full of sweating people with ridiculously bad body odor mixed with everyone else¡¯s to create a horrid concoction that could be classified as a biological weapon in today¡¯s standards. How horrible would that be? A lot. Trust me on this. Once you enter, you¡¯ll never smell the same again.


    ¡°Secure the body and bring it in for¡ª¡±


    But as I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯ve had worse.


    The hole on my chest slowly closed up, but I couldn¡¯t say the same for my top.


    ¡°Look at what you did to my shirt!¡± I clicked my tongue.


    My shirt was already ragged and torn from the brief meeting with the behemoth of a bull, and the blast from a while ago created a very big and noticeable hole on it. I need to buy a new shirt after this. Preferably, something more durable that could withstand most of my problematic encounters with the hostile unknown. Save up for a good brand, like, I don¡¯t know, Supreme? But I think it¡¯s such a substantial waste of consumer money when there¡¯s a much cheaper alternative with almost the same, if not, better quality. The hype and exclusivity that it carries with the brand, though. Makes wearing one feel like your body¡¯s covered in gold. And who doesn¡¯t want to be a walking bank ready to get robbed? Definitely not this guy.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I got up and patted my chest to see that it was fine without a mark to be seen.


    ¡°Neutralize the target¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah. Wait. Hold on a sec¡ª¡± I frantically waved my hands to stop them.


    That didn¡¯t sound pleasing. If I understood correctly from my meager knowledge of playing CoD campaigns a few months prior, ¡®Neutralize¡¯ is a euphemism that¡¯s often used by the military. Basically, it¡¯s a polite term for getting rid of someone because they¡¯re a big headache to the government. Less people that protest on the streets, the better.


    They were synchronized with their execution and fired without mercy. If my body was truly going to be tested for its undying characteristic, then it has to be under this dire circumstance which could eliminate me from the face of the Earth without even leaving a speck of dust.


    Everything went by in a blinding flash of green light. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was awake through the whole ordeal or if I was dreaming. The moment felt so surreal.


    Once it was over, I stood still in a daze. Everything was the same. No missing limbs or disintegrated flesh. Just a prickly feeling that something else was wrong.


    ¡°Instruct HQ of an urgency to order those who are on stand-by to¡ª¡±


    I heard a sinister and maniacal laugh that could rival that of the Joker¡¯s. It eerily rang with an echo in my ears as I looked for the source among the people present. Maybe it was Heath Ledger. With everything that I¡¯ve seen so far, you never know if someone from the grave could come back to life.


    ¡°¡ªall personnel from every branch and district to arm themselves and converge at Gate-A¡±


    The voice sounded familiar. Like I¡¯ve heard of it before. Recently, too. I just couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it.


    ¡°Relay a message to our Lady Ruth for permission to release Her verses¡±


    I then found who it was. He stood before the crowd of men with his back turned towards me.


    ¡°Seal off the Gate until reinforcement arrives!¡±


    With his command, the gate slowly shut, leaving everyone else outside from the safety of its walls.


    Something clicked inside my head and then I noticed who he was. That average stature, natural jet black hair and overall plain appearance. I couldn''t mistake it for anyone else''s.


    It was me.