《Nothing is Perfect》 Prologue Nothing is Perfect Prologue Where am I? What happened? Why can¡¯t I remember anything? First, I need to calm down. Closing my eyes, I breath inward and hold my breath for about ten seconds. After counting to ten I release the air within me. My grandfather always told me that chaos is the enemy and that panic is their weapon. Being a war veteran, it made sense as to why he would give such advice. Thinking about it now I am grateful for his words. Because looking at my surrounding, it¡¯s taking every ounce of strength not to scream at the cost of rupturing my lungs. It¡¯s a black void. I think. In my honest opinion my surroundings can easily be described as indescribable. There¡¯s nothing to see, yet I can feel this uneasy swirl of movement. Like the darkness itself is moving and its engulfing every part of my body. It¡¯s suffocating. Where the hell I am? Any attempt to move my body is futile. It¡¯s as if my bones are made of lead and my muscles have the strength of loose taffy. So, all I can do is wait. Wait in this void with nothing to see, nothing to feel, nothing to hear. I don¡¯t know how long I can stand being here before madness overtakes me. If anything, I would much prefer death than this hell for much longer. ¡°Then congratulations! Your wish has been granted. Son of man your time within your mortal coil is over.¡± A voice. I can hear an ever-present feminine voice. I can hear her but searching for a person within this void is impossible. Wait, I think she just said something important. My time within my mortal coil is over. What does she mean by that? ¡°Has mankind become infected with stupidity in the time I wasn¡¯t looking? I said you are dead. Dead! Do you understand foolish boy? You D. I. E. D. That spells died if you could not spell either.¡± The voice is insulting me. Mocking my questions and telling me horrible jokes like I am dead. I can¡¯t be dead! I am alive right now! Now stop telling me these horrible jokes and let me out of this hellhole! ¡°You humans all act the same way. Why is it impossible for you accept that you have died. The fact that you are even here alone should be proof enough. But it is fine if you don¡¯t have to believe me. Since you believe me to be a teller of jokes, a jester, then I have a joke for you. I in fact love to tell jokes.¡± The atmosphere within void is beginning the change. The endless black is becoming a deadly violent. A chill fills the air and reaches down my throat and grabs ahold of my spine. If I had full control of my body I would probably be shivering. Whatever joke this mysterious voice wants to tell me, I have feeling it won¡¯t be funny. ¡°Son of man, what is your name?¡± My name. She wants to know my name. Is this suppose to be the set up for her joke? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know my name. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Of course, you don¡¯t know. The traumatic emotions that come with death always affect the mind in the worse of ways. The memory is the first to go. I do pity you a little. Only a little. If you did remember who you were it would ruin the punchline for my joke.¡± I have amnesia? Are you trying to say that because I died, I can¡¯t remember who I am? ¡°Give the boy a prize for having a brain! If I was your mother, I would cry tears of joy that you aren¡¯t the complete disappointment I thought you would be.¡± If what you say is true, then who am I? Stop beating around the bush! Just tell me! Since you know so much, tell me who I am and how I died. ¡°Patience, patience. Besides you should know that you don¡¯t have the power to be making any demands. It¡¯s actually cute how you believe that I have to answer any of your questions. But fear not, I am a merciful and generous person. I will continue telling my wonderful joke.¡± I don¡¯t care about your joke! ¡°Oh, but I think you do Matthew Smith. It¡¯s a joke I made specifically for you.¡± Matthew Smith. Is that my name? My head begins to throb uncontrollably. I feel pain, unimaginable pain. I want to scream. I want tear at my skull and rip out my own grey matter. What¡¯s happening to me? ¡°Regaining your memory. Now the fun can begin. Matthew Smith, you were born in a small town in Arizona. Your father, Edward Smith, was a drug lord pretending to be baker and even owned a small business as a cover. He was very successful, I¡¯m actually surprised you never inherited his ability to succeed, but I digress. Edward then met your mother Sarah, who at the time was training to be a practitioner of medicine, and it was a match made in hell. How beautiful. In the name of love, your father used your mother¡¯s money and body. Eventually this led to your conception. When the chains of commitment threaten to bind Edward, like any foolish man, he ran at the first chance. This led to your mother being penniless and you fatherless.¡± Listening to her is making me sick. I don¡¯t remember any of this. It has to be lies! What she is saying can¡¯t be true. I remember! I remember my mother telling me that dad died in a car accident.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Of course, your mother lied to you boy. Children are so gullible. So easy to fool with lies and misleading truths. In your mother¡¯s case, your father was dead. He was dead to her anyway. Now let me continue with your story. Where was I? Oh yes, you are a bastard. When your father left, your mother took charge of the bakery. Seeing as she no longer had the money for schooling, it was the only thing that she could do to keep the two of you alive. Sarah was depressed beyond belief about this and she took out her frustrations on you. The son of the man that took everything from her. Moving on to your years in preschool¡­¡± The more she speaks, the more I begin to remember. The more I remember, the more pain I begin to feel. The more pain I feel, the louder she speaks to me. It¡¯s as if this voice is getting some sadistic pleasure from my misery. I want her to stop, but I¡¯m powerless. Is this hell? ¡°Pay attention Matthew, I am almost done. Through most of your time in school you were bullied. Then when you retuned home your mother would verbally, emotional, and physically abuse you. There was no light within your pathetic life to be found. Hehe, oops apologize that was rude. Then one day during elementary school you actually made a friend. Good for you! Do you remember the name of this important friend Matthew?¡± Mya. Mya Goodman. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mya was your childhood friend. Despite your awkward nature, she accepted you. You loved her and followed her everywhere. The two of you were inseparable. Actually, it was more like she could not be rid of you, but that is just my opinion. All was right with the world as long as you had her by your side. But life is never that simple. High school is a wonderful place if the rumors about your world are meant to be trusted. It was during this time your world began to crumble.¡± Stop! Stop talking! I don¡¯t want to hear anymore! I don¡¯t want to remember! ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t interrupt, I¡¯m getting to the best part. One day after class you could not find your precious Mya anywhere. So, you went to look for her. You looked everywhere, but eventually found her behind the school¡¯s gym. Matthew, do you remember what you saw?¡± No! No, I don¡¯t! I don¡¯t want to remember! Stop talking! I don¡¯t know anything! I don¡¯t remember anything! ¡°Please don¡¯t play dumb now. Of course, you remember. It¡¯s something you wish with all your heart to forget. The irony of that memory is that it is something you will always remember. How did it feel I wonder? My understanding of humanity is somewhat lacking. It¡¯s embarrassing to admit. So, I have to ask. How did it feel seeing the woman you loved with one of the boys that had tormented you for years?¡± In that moment when she asked that question, the emotions from that memory flooded my body. Betrayal, hatred, confusion, and rage. So much rage. I couldn¡¯t believe she would do that to me. I thought we promised to always be together. ¡°Foolish boy, you weren¡¯t even dating the girl. Whatever, your idiocy is your own. What you did next is far more interesting anyway.¡± What I did next? ¡°Yes, the actions you had taken when rage overtook your vision and reason. It was as if you were a different person. An animal you could say. Confronting the boy when he was alone, then screaming your head off about ¡°She¡¯s mine!¡± and ¡°You will never have her!¡± It was all quiet amusing to behold. Hehehehe. Then when smashed his face with a steel pipe, it was something I completely did not expect. Hahahaha!¡± I did what? I beat someone with a pipe. No, I didn¡¯t just harm him. ¡°You killed him and hid the body. All done with a smile filled with madness on your face. It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen you give.¡± No, I didn¡¯t mean to kill him. I just wanted to scare him! I wanted to teach him a lesson! It was an accident. I am not a murder! ¡°You are more pathetic than I originally thought if you actually believe such words. A kill is a kill, there are no grey areas. What confused me though is why you confessed this sin to your beloved?¡± What did I do? I told Mya? ¡°Honestly, if you kept quiet about the act and seriously courted her afterward, she would have been yours. But no, you lost all sense of logic and told her everything. All while stating some crazy nonsense about then being able to always be together. It is no wonder as to why she looked at you as though you were a monster.¡± The image of her horrified eyes pierced my already fragile soul. In that my moment I couldn¡¯t help but think how beautiful she was. Her long silky brown hair. Her skin tanned by the sun and lovable freckles found on her soft cheeks. She was absolutely beautiful, but those eyes told me one thing. That a future with this girl would be impossible. ¡°And what did you do when you realized this? You don¡¯t have to answer this time because I will tell you.¡± Shut up! Shut up! Stop talking! Stop talking! Don¡¯t say another word! ¡°You¡­¡± Shut up! ¡°In a fit of rage¡­¡± Shut up! Shut up! ¡°Killed her with your own hands.¡± SHUT UP!!! ¡°Your thirst for blood was quite unquenchable it seems. Well killing people is like eating potato chips, its impossible to stop after having one. Hahahahah!¡± This feeling. I don¡¯t know what it is. Her laughter. Hearing it grow louder and louder fills me with this feeling. It¡¯s consuming my very existence. Soaking into my bones and corrupting my soul. This venomous feeling. ¡°Realizing what you had done, you reflected upon your entire life. Though you didn¡¯t know it, you were abandoned by your father, unwanted by your mother, abused by that same mother, bullied by your peers, and betrayed by the only light held within your life. Then in a fit of rage you extinguished that light forever. You could not live with the guilt and jumped off the highest building you could find. That is your story. The pathetic story of Matthew Smith. Hahahahahha!¡± Despair. If I was to identify the feeling that is currently plaguing me, it would be despair. ¡°You wanted to hear a joke Matthew and so I have told one. Your entire life has been nothing but one humongous joke. Is there anything more humorous than that? Hahahahah!¡± The voice speaks, but I no longer care. I¡¯m dead. Nothing matters anymore. Clearly this is hell. This is my hell. The voice I have been hearing is no doubt a demon, if not the devil herself. ¡°That¡¯s rude. To call my home your own personal hell is a little uncalled for.¡± If this is not hell, then I don¡¯t know what is. ¡°Clearly. I have no doubt there are a lot of things you do not know. This is my domain, not hell.¡± If this is not hell, then why am I here? What are you? The Devil? God? ¡°You can call me whatever you like. I do not care, because it does not matter to me. On the matter of why you are here, I can give the answer to that. I want to make a deal with you.¡± A deal? What kind of deal? ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. It¡¯s the kind of deal you where I can give everything you ever wanted. Love. Power. Women. Take your pick it can all be yours.¡± ¡­¡­. What would I need to do? ¡°Simple. I just need you to reincarnate in another world.¡± Chapter 1 Inhale. Exhale. On a crowed sidewalk a young boy was running as if his life depended on it. That¡¯s because in his mind, it did. Weaving through the many bodies that occupied the area, the boy¡¯s memory of each of their faces and physical features was nothing but a blur. Peering over his shoulder the boy looked behind and found his pursuer still hot on his trail. The sight of this made his heart jump and his blood turn cold. With renewed vigor he put more power into his legs. His only thoughts were those only pertaining to escape. That was until he felt an intense pain coming from his tail. The boy gritted his teeth as to not release a bark of shock. Too much noise would bring unwanted attention. Turning his entire body to find the source of this hurtful stimulus, he found his tail under the shoe of passing man. ¡°E-excuse me!¡± The boy¡¯s voice was fierce yet polite. ¡°Oh! Sorry there beasty.¡± After the man gave a somewhat sincere apology, he lifted his foot. Ignoring the slight slur, the boy once again began his desperate dash for freedom. Though there was still a slight sting felt from his tail, he didn¡¯t let it distract him. If he got distracted again the already shortening distance between him and his pursuer would shorten even quicker. The look of desperation was beginning to become visible on the boy¡¯s visage. His stamina was running low and the places to hide for shelter were nowhere in sight. Frantically scanning his surroundings, the boy looked for anything that could help him in this situation. On his left were tall buildings made from layered brick and cement. In front of him were people, of varying shapes, sizes, and colors, occupying themselves while they trek to their desired destination. To his right was an asphalt road filled with rushing vehicles. Some of the vehicles that passed the boy had three wheels and others up to sixteen. The cacophony of noise that surrounded the boy did nothing to aid in his concentration. It was the sound of a city after all. On most days the boy was used to it, but today it was like a foreign enemy that greeted him at the worst of times. Is there really nothing I can do? This sucks! The boy thought to himself. Then after a flash of inspiration, or a thought of complete desperation, he leapt onto the street. Powerless to prevent the boy¡¯s foolish action, the hooded figure that was pursuing the boy glared in frustration. The hooded figure stood at five feet eleven inches and the hood and cloak that covered his entire body was colored a midnight black. The only facial feature that could be seen was his mouth, which at that moment was frowning. ¡°Did you lose him?¡± Breaking from the constantly moving crowd of people was another person wearing a similar hood. Unlike the previous figure, this person was obviously shorter and younger. The voice was of a young boy and haggard from the long chase. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± The taller hooded figure, whose voice spoke in stern masculine tone, continued to gaze at the fleeting backside of the boy who just jumped into the middle of the road. ¡°Then, where is he?¡± The boy in the hood turned his head fervently in both directions trying to find his target. The hooded young man that stood beside him felt his eyebrow twitch for only second. Instead of answering with words the hooded young man pointed to the escapee currently dodging speeding vehicles in the road. If not for the danger of the situation, someone might have thought the tailed boy¡¯s awkward movements to be comical. ¡°Oh. Well you only live once. Go get him Allen.¡± The hooded boy then turned to his companion and motion with hands toward the road. ¡°Hell no!¡± While violently shaking his head within the cover of his hood, Allen denied the sudden order. ¡°Huh? Why not? Don¡¯t you want your wallet back?¡± The boy in the hood tilted his head slightly clockwise. They had been chasing this thief for nearly an hour. Stopping now would render all their effort pointless. ¡°Yes, but I value my bones and organs remaining within my body more. Besides I can always make more money.¡± Allen released a heavy sigh. It was as if he had already resigned to his fate.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Yeah, with that job you don¡¯t have.¡± The boy¡¯s sudden remark caused Allen to turn towards him. Peering past the hood, revealed the boy¡¯s emerald green and a frustratedly cocky grin. ¡°Fine! You¡¯re right. What do you expect me to do?¡± ¡°Follow him obviously.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die if I get hit!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll die from hunger if you don¡¯t. C¡¯mon we don¡¯t have time to argue all day. Just man up and run into traffic.¡± Moments later the roar of an eighteen wheeler¡¯s engine stormed past them. This caused both them to gulp down an excess of saliva. ¡°Ok let¡¯s go then.¡± Allen once again heaved a heavy sigh. Steeling his resolve, he took one step and then another. Edging closer to the asphalt road, Allen could feel the rushing wind graze his skin as a mobile vehicle flew past him. Each of his breaths became shorter and his back became drenched from cold sweat. Focusing his vison in front of him, he saw the figure of the thief still attempting to make his way to the other side. This boy had chestnut brown hair, animalistic ears, and a long furry tail. From his view, Allen could see the fear of possible death within the boy¡¯s eyes and from the paleness of his skin. Then the thief peered in his direction, and the fear was replaced by the desperate look from before. With desperation once again becoming his motive, the thief ran forward all while dodging being ran over. This goes way beyond the normal determination of a local pickpocket. Allen thought to himself. It was after he had this thought, that he felt a presence missing from his side. Looking back to the sidewalk from whence he came, Allen furrowed his brow. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going. Running out there seems dangerous. So, I¡¯m going to run to find an intersection where I can cross. That way I can hopefully find a way to cut him off while you chase him from behind.¡± After those final words escaped from the hooded boy¡¯s lips, he dashed back into the sea of people. ¡°¡­I might actually set him on fire one of these days. Damnit Ryner.¡± After putting a dangerous mental note in his mind for later, Allen returned his attention back to the thief. Who, at that moment, was nearly at the other end of the street. Another vehicle sped behind from where Allen stood. Narrowing his gaze, he tighten every muscle in his body. Since he was already in this situation there was no going back. There was only forward to victory or death. So, with this in mind, Allen did something he hadn¡¯t done in years. He threw caution completely out the window and onto the street to be hit by traffic. Without looking either direction, he ran with all his might. A wheel grazed his ankle causing him to trip. Intimately kissing the ground beneath him, Allen instinctively raised the upper half of his body. Another wheel then passed where his head used to be. Returning to his senses, after padding down his entire upper body, Allen again began his mad dash to the other side of the street. It felt like miles of non-stop sprinting, but in reality, was only 60 feet. This domain where vehicles roamed to quickly reach their destination was merciless. And the lives that foolishly crossed it were considered forfeit by the drivers inside. Reaching the other side, Allen then released a breath that he unknowingly held in. ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± He whispered to no one particular. Allen padded his entire body and found that everything was where they were supposed to be. Then he examined the cloak of his hood. There were multiple tears and signs that it had been trampled by something heavy. ¡°Well mostly. This was my favorite cloak too. I am going to make this brat pay.¡± Though whether he meant financially or through blood, not even the gods knew. A burning rage consumed Allen¡¯s entire being. Shifting his eyes forward, a fire of determination could be seen in them. Inhale. Exhale. Resting within a darken alley was the young thief. His lungs on fire and his legs equally had the strength of putty. The boy¡¯s skin was drenched in sweat, so much so that his ripped grey shirt and brown shorts were sticking to him. His mind was racing. He couldn¡¯t believe his luck. On the one hand, he did just survive the perils of an occupied road and managed not becoming roadkill. On the other, he didn¡¯t know whether or not his chaser within the black cloak was still behind him. ¡°This makes no sense!¡± The boy screamed to the heavens. It was foolish to him. What person in their right minds would go so far to recover five silver pieces? This amount wasn¡¯t even enough for a single night at an inn. So, the boy wondered as to why the man in the hood was so desperate for so little. The grip of his right hand tighten. In the hand was a small brown pouch. Looking at it caused a bit of guilt and pity to prick at the boy¡¯s heart. Feeling the weight of his sin he leaned harder against the stone wall behind him. Looking up at the grey sky above, it looked as if it would rain at any moment. The image of a teenage girl with long brown hair and similar ears emerged in his mind. In her hair was a cute red ribbon hairpin. ¡°Sis, what should I do?¡± The boy prayed for guidance from the only family he had left. Praying to the gods would be pointless. To the boy, they had abandoned him long ago. ¡°I. Found. You.¡± An ominous voice filled the alley where the boy was resting. With his ears and all his hair standing at attention, the boy slowly turned toward the source of the voice. His heart immediately sank. What he saw was a demon. A frightening demon in the body of a man. At the entrance of the alley stood a man whose body was almost completely covered by a jet-black cloak. All the boy could see was the man¡¯s crimson eyes that showed hints of crazed maddens and his mouth which was curled in the most twisted of smiles. He¡¯s pissed! The na?ve boy came to an obvious conclusion. The fatigue he felt before vanished in an instant. A little soreness could never compare to whatever hell this crazed man had in store for him. So, he ran, and the chase began anew.