Chapter 5: I WANT TO KNOW. CAN YOU SHOW ME
“It’s really very surprising Robert. I’ve actually been waiting for you for a while now. You’re the last piece we’ve all been waiting to meet.”
“Okay, first off, I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Secondly, if you could stop the thing you’re doing with the lights… however you’re doing it” he pointed to the flashing light bulb over him, “…yeah I’d really, really appreciate it. And thirdly, what exactly do you mean by “’we’ve’ been waiting”? Who’s we?”
"Here" she said, pointing to the book on the table that definitely didn't catch the eye till this moment. She picked it up and flipped it open. Elizabeth Garner and Taylor Carlyle, your sisters… foster sisters, attended her funeral. They were the first ones here, and the first of the eight of you guys to be cleared on what's actually going on here."
"What do you mean by 'what's actually going…"
"Makayla Fackler was here two years ago, similar predicament. Only difference is she asked less questions than you’re asking right now. Was definitely the most charming of all eight of you. Jacob Fackler died a year ago so his consignment might never be accessed.
“Hold on, Jacob’s dead?”
“Abdul Javani was seeking refuge in this building after being shot. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how exactly he was able to get the password right. But now that I think about it, all he actually needed to do was to open the door" she smiled, paying little to no attention to the look of complete confusion hooked on Robert's face. "Jonathan Fackler visited here a couple weeks to his infamous journey to the North. Which is one of the many reasons he's in prison, awaiting the final procedures regarding his death sentence in a couple days’ time."
"Wait, what the hell are you—? Jacob’s dead, Jonathan’s in prison? Makayla’s charming? Javani was shot? And since when are Elly and Taylor on time? I'm still so confused right now" he said. "And isn't that seven people including me? Where's the eighth? Where's?”
"Mary?"
"Exactly. Where's Mary?" He said, still trying to piece together what exactly he was being lured so delicately into.
"Mary disappeared the night of Miss Maya's passing. She's the only one that might know something we don't. And to justify that cause, there wasn't any consignment left for her."
"What? What are you even…? What do you mean by consign…? I'm so fucking confused right now" He said, abruptly getting up from his rather uncomfortable chair and gently massaging his head that felt like it was about to burst open any moment.
"I know it's a hard pill to swallow Robert but…"
"No shit Erica, I didn't even know I was sick and you're telling me it's a hard pill to swallow? I have no idea what the fuck all of this is. But once again, it's my fault. Look, I only came here to find out what happened to my aunt. This, all this" he said gesticulating to the grand building, “…is way more than what I bargained for. And by the way, just a little glimmering question. If Aunt Mia is dead, and the only eight people she cared for either know about this already, are dead, in prison or vanished into thin air, who the fuck are you Erica?" He asked, summoning the boldness to look at her eyeball to eyeball, his eyes gradually depicting more and more restlessness.
Taking a deep sigh, she whispered, "They did warn me about you."
"What'd you say? What’s that supposed to mean?"
"You mind taking a seat? This might jolt you a little."
"Thanks, but no, I'd rather stand."
"Okay then. Let's try this one last time", she cracked her knuckles, closed her eyes, and then took a deep inhale. The lights around the building began to tinkle, every one gradually bursting and consequently dying out, until there was nothing left but darkness. That was when her eyelids lifted up and Robert's murky eyes met a set of fuming red ones. Very, very different from the calm purple ones she had graced him with to begin with. "Robert Banter Barrison" she said in an astonishingly deep and resonating voice, "open your eyes" she added, gradually lifting off the chair and then off the ground, her smooth legs dangling a couple feet in the air, Robert following suit a couple seconds later. "I want you… to see". At that exact moment, Robert's eyes immediately changed color, instantly resembling Erica's red ones. His consciousness swiftly travelled to the deepest depths of "The Hidden". In less than a couple seconds, he found himself wandering in a completely different space, time, and reality. Erica floating undauntedly just in front of him.
And then, she began her narration. "In the beginning, there was darkness. But after sacrifices of time, effort and energy, the universes were created. Man was gifted monsters, the powers to defeat them, and the subtle gift of intuition." She swiped the air like one would do when using a tablet or android, and a different reality appeared. No longer one of pitch-black darkness, but one of something that looked even worse. Blood, pain, hunger and torment. The light was too dim to fully uncover this reality's details but it was audible enough to give your goosebumps, goosebumps. “The creators deemed it fit to try and correct what they felt was a mistake, and so in one sudden action, they sacrificed themselves to their own creations, but also chose to live on and multiply through them.” She swiped again and this time, four glimmering rays of light, and four murky voids of darkness were floating right in the empty space in front of them. "So, with the last piece of decent energy they had left in them, the supreme beings forged eight separate rings. Each of the rings possessing the ability to rule, dictate, and control a particular realm. Every single power in existence is a product of the eight gifts entrusted to every generation by a guardian. This generation's guardian, was your Aunt Mia, whom I took over from after her sudden passing" she said, looking thunderously at Robert, the fear still looming in his glowing red eyes. "These gifts are now the responsibility of the eight of you. Or at least the seven that still breathe. And although you are indeed the last one to receive a consignment, you my friend, also have a responsibility. A gift awaiting you, whether or not you choose to accept it. This Robert, is what's actually going on.” At that exact moment, the facade of that reality came to an abrupt end, leaving Robert prey in the hands of gravity, falling without caution on the wooden floor, while Erica gracefully got down on her feet, then sat back down on the chair beside her.
"For a number of years now Robert, I’ve been keeping my eyes on you. Knew this day would come one way or the other. You’ve been looking for a reason to die. Well… I think you’ve got the perfect excuse now. Any more questions Robert?" She asked, crossing her legs, and looking back at the dark-skinned male writhing in pain as he tried picking himself up from the floor
Chapter 6: VIEWS"Yeah I got a question" Robert said, picking himself off the floor. "What the fuck was that?" He said, staring blankly at her."That was the answer to all of your questions. Most of them at least" she corrected, with the most expressionless look on her face."What in the… no no no it's a dream. It's all a dream, and I'm going to wake up sooner or later" he said massaging his head. "Wake up" he slapped himself. "Wake up. Please wake up" he said still hurting what he thought was his unconscious self. "You know Robert, dreams are a product of what has happened, what might happen, or what is yet to come to pass. So, either way, you're kind of stuck with me… and with this" she said running her tender fingers slowly on the wooden box. "Come on now Banter, it's your consignment" she smiled. "What?" He turned back to her. "I'm not taking that shit. I have no interest whatsoever in being a superhero.""Do you think this is a marvel or DC movie or something? You think you’re
Chapter 7: If You’re Reading This…“Come on Robert, you can do this. Two, Zero, Zero, zero”, he mumbled to himself, inputting the code into the space made for it on the box. “Yeah. That’s got to be the right one. Right?” He tried opening the box, but still, it was locked tighter than the wardrobe a black mother would hide candy. “Fuck!” he yelled, throwing the box from his bed to the thin walls of his apartment, echoing with a loud thud. “Robert!” His upstairs neighbor yelled. “Sorry Miss Crawford. It won’t happen again”, he shakily said, walking towards the box and picking it up as carefully as he could. “It better not. You know what happened the last time.”“Yes Ma’am, and I’m sorry” he repeated, sounding a little more frustrated now. Now, he began to pay more attention to the details of the mysterious ‘pandora-like’ box. Its indecisive patterns had to tell a message, right? Slowly caressing the box with his hands, he tried the more mental approach to opening this rather annoyin
Chapter 8: LOVE AT…“Robert, do you have even the slightest clue on the kind of deep shit you put me through? Standing in front of such a prospective investor and not being able to say a thing? I have never been so infuriated in my entire life.”“Including the time when your bride…”“Yes, including the time when my bride left me at the altar. Thank you for bringing up that painful and unnecessary piece of information Trevor.”“Welcome” He answered, taking a sip of the hot cocoa he had wrapped around his fingers. “Sir I honestly…”“Have a legitimate excuse this time? Is that what you want to say? Do you know how long I had to stall for you, and still, you didn’t show up? I…” he held himself back, trying not to get excessively angry now. “I had to talk about politics Robert. Goddamned politics!” he slammed his hand on the long table in front of him, jolting both Rob and Trevor. “I have never been so disgusted with myself in my entire life.”“Including the time when you…”“Don’t even da
Chapter 9: Pandora’s Box“You’ve got to be fucking with me. I hate my life”, He said standing on the wrong end of a bungalow’s prison-like gate, the spaces between the bars giving him enough room to peep through. “You have now reached your…”“Shut up, would you?” he said, switching off his phone and slipping it into his jean pocket. He assessed the gate, trying to calculate how far and high he would need to job to get over it. Could’ve just knocked or rattled the padlock to get attention from whoever was in the house though. “I mean, it’s doable but I haven’t parkoured in a long long time.” He added, stretching out and watching the passerby’s around to see if anyone was paying too much attention the stunt he was about to pull. Turns out when your weekend’s cut short and you’re back in town attending meetings, filing reports and going for appointments, nobody really gives a shit. “Ok then, let’s give it a shot, shall we?” He took off his backpack and flung it over the gate, landing w
Chapter 10: Family is DeadThe Jeers and cheers engulfing the betting center were way too loud to unhear or avoid. If it wasn’t two grown ass men arguing at one side of the room, it was a hopeless, middle-aged one, praying to every single god he knew so they would help him out. "What the fuck is he doing man. He's gonna lose the race if he keeps riding like that." The impatient gambler said, banging his table. "Calm down Mike, he's gonna make it work okay?""Does his horse have athlete's foot or something? Get your head in the game Nine" He screamed, getting up from his table and barking at the television"Trust me. He's gonna make it work.""How the hell would you know Javani? You saw him win already?""Well I wouldn't say that? But I bet three hundred on his ass, so he'd better win" he said, adjusting his face cap."Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the most one-sided races I've ever seen. Dean Drury in number three is leading by a longshot" the commentator said in an ever-enthu
Chapter 11: I FEEL IT COMING"Come on Rizla, I need to get to the office, let me in.""I'm sorry Robert but I have been given strict instructions from the management themselves to bar your entry into the office. Into the entire building to be honest.”"Come on big guy, you're really going to fuck me over like this? After all the stuff we've been through?""I'm sorry Robbie.""Remember that one time when you got sick and you couldn't write your letter to explain to the management why exactly you got sick? Who wrote the letter for you?""It was you" the buff security guard said, his arms still folded across his chest."And that time you wanted to buy a laptop? Who not only got you the perfect one, but also set it up and gave you fifa20”?"It was you" Rizla said, even sadder"So please man, just let me in, and say I clocked in by twelve or something. We’ll be able to sort ourselves out from the—""It's three in afternoon Robe–""Yes I know it's three in the afternoon but just lie to them
Chapter 12: Naked TruthThirteen Years Ago"Hey Jacob? You in there?" The tiny, tender voice echoed from the wrong end of door."Go away Robert. I'm not in the mood to talk to anybody right now." He said sitting moody on his comfy-looking bed. "I know you don't want to talk to anyone right now Jake, so guess who I was able to call up – ""Robbie not this again –""Mwah ha ha ha, I'm the Boogeyman" the short, skirmish little kid burst into the room without a care. The cape of curtains dangling down his back, and the little paper plate mask he managed to cut two eye holes into, were too tacky to criticize. "You ever had a nightmare Jacob?" He said in voice he tried to make as deep as possible. "What are you doing Robert?" He said, unable to muster enough energy to confront the excuse for a cheer-up tactic."Who's Robert? I know nothing of such a person. But I bet he's a handsome, well built, smart young man" he said, his cape flying with the breeze the ceiling fan gently blew."Reall
Chapter 13: Someone Forgot the Popcorn"Left hand, Right hand, Waves, Vase from cremation. Left hand, right hand, waves, vase from cremation" he repeated, trying to make sense of the carvings on his 'giftbox'. "Makes no sense." He said, gently dropping the box back on the bed, and looking at his hands. "Come on Robbie. We can do this. Let's try this one more time." He stood up from the pile of clothes he'd fallen on, completely naked but he cared little to nothing about that. Something was going on, and he was going to find out. Walking up to the mirror, he eyed his reflection, taking note of any and everything he possibly could. His murky eyes, black, relaxed afro, his fading mustache, tense jaw and his chubby cheeks, everything on his face. His almost fading abs that were gradually starting to be replaced by a pot belly and his loopy chest. "Good. Let's try this again, shall we?" Reaching for the ring, still lying on his poorly laid bed, he eyed every single detail on it. Not that