Chapter 1 – The Golden Butterfly
Sunday, August 26, 2012 / Townsend Household / 5:00 PM
The setting sun beat down through the open window of Sam Locke's room. The loud buzzing of cicadas, interspersed with the laughter of children enjoying the last few days of their summer break, filled the air. Sam was perched at his computer looking out the window and hoping for the slight breeze to come in and cool down the room. Despite living in the generally chilly northeastern United States town of Danann, it still got muggy in the summer and today was no different. He turned back to his monitor and skimmed the open webpage. He had been reading some comments on a random message board but had little interest in the topic. To be fair, it was just a way to pass the time until dinner.
Sam let out a loud sigh and looked out the window again seeing young children running around outside. School was about to pick up again and he would be a junior in high school. Unlike most of his fellow classmates, there was not a sense of dread with the thought of going back to the rote school routine. In fact, Sam rather enjoyed classes. However, there was the sense of anxiety with the people he would have to face.
Amongst most of the students he was seen as a loner but it had not always been that way. When he was younger he had a plethora of friends and was quite sociable, but that was in the past…before he lost someone important to him, eight years ago.
After that, he started to avoid most people. They tried to have him open up to them, but he never wanted to talk about it. He hated when people reminded him of what he lost. Soon enough people got tired of Sam ignoring them and after some time they started drifting away. Even many he had considered his friends had abandoned him.
Sam closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to dispel those memories. It was not something that he wanted to dwell on.
A short chime stirred him from his thoughts, and an image notification alerted him to a chat message with one of the few friends he had, Daniel Park.
Hexatonic: yo Sam. how ya doing?
Caliburn: hey. i'm fine Dan
Dan wasn't like the others. Back then, Dan never asked Sam to tell him about the incident. He was smarter than that. Even after the others started avoiding Sam, Dan would still join him for lunch and group up with him on projects. He made an effort to keep sticking by Sam, and above all else, he just spoke to him like a normal person. Sam appreciated that and Dan was one of the few people he opened up to.
Hexatonic: cool. hey, check out the first thread on the student forum
Caliburn: k
Sam went over to the student forum for his school. His eyes were drawn to the top thread, which was entitled "School Rumor: The Other World". His expression fell and he scoffed in disbelief.
Caliburn: you serious?
Hexatonic: just read it
Dan was an extremely intelligent guy, and it wasn't like him to be into supernatural hogwash. However, Sam relented. He sighed and began to read through the thread.
Apparently, the rumor involved a website that showed a live video feed of their town, or what they assumed what was their town. The video feed was fuzzy and hard to see, but it looked like the main street of Danann. However, it had a green hue. There were overgrown plants everywhere and the buildings were dilapidated. The camera would change feeds every thirty seconds showing different parts of the town in the unkempt state. A link was attached to the thread, which was odd because the school forum had disallowed links. He had avoided the temptation of clicking it.
This is probably just some elaborate hoax. Sam reasoned with himself.
Caliburn: i thought you weren't the superstitious type…who wrote this anyway?
Hexatonic: i'm not and no idea.
Caliburn: what did the admins say?
Hexatonic: they tried deleting the thread, but it won't go down…kinda strange if you ask me
Caliburn: probably some troll just getting some kicks
Hexatonic: yea, but it's all anyone will talk about, and it beats the annoying complaints about school starting up again... if you follow the link and give an email address, a phone app will be sent. no one is sure what it does…all it says is that it'll only work in the future at a specific location
Caliburn: wait….did you follow that link?
Hexatonic: uhh…nah i just heard it from someone
Caliburn: riiiight…cause this sounds like some sort of identity theft scam
Hexatonic: tell me about it…
Sam was not convinced in the slightest. He took a look at the thread again and couldn't believe what he was reading. It all sounded like utter nonsense and it was weird that Dan had even brought it up. He was more of a realist about these sorts of things…It suddenly dawned on him; Dan had slightly ulterior motives about mentioning this to him.
Oh man…I bet he is going to drag me into this nonsense isn't he? Sam groaned.
Dan had a penchant for wanting to dispel rumors, ever since they started hanging out. It was odd but Sam believed it started when someone started spreading rumors about the two quiet boys years ago. Sam never heard what the rumors were, but he had a good idea of what it might have entailed, seeing how fervent Dan was at getting them disproven. It had eventually grown to Dan wanting to dispel all sorts of rumors. For someone so smart, he could be a little overzealous about things.
Caliburn: hold on….are you trying to go about messing with this? you CAN'T be this gullible…can you?
Hexatonic: WHAT?! no. nah! no. …no
Sam mentally sweat dropped. Nailed it…
Hexatonic: Anyway, did you get your class assignments? What homeroom are you in?
It was obvious that Dan was trying to quickly change the subject. His nervous habit of typing in proper grammar was propping up.
I may as well go along with this. Sam drew out a long sigh and shook his head. They concluded their conversation with small talk about the upcoming school year and agreed to meet up a few days before classes started to hang out.
While he was mulling about this turn of events, a cool breeze managed to make its way through the window, adequately cooling the room down. He turned to close the window and caught a glimpse of a bright flicker out of the corner of his eye. It was a glowing golden butterfly flittering about his room.
Strange…how did that get in here? Sam pondered as he gazed into the glowing figure.
The color was absolutely exotic and its movements enraptured Sam. He couldn't help but to gaze upon the graceful figure. As he stared into the figure, he felt his head begin to swirl and his vision fade into black.
As soon as his vision came into focus, Sam found himself in a bizarre new environment. He frantically started surveying his surroundings. He was standing on a checkerboard patterned circular rotunda with six pillars holding up an overhanging roof, all of which seemed to be set in a vast star lit backdrop. Finally, he saw a glow of golden light coming from behind him and turned to the source.
"What the hell?!" he shouted as he fell on his back from shock. It was a massive golden door with enormous eyes that periodically shifted as if searching for something. High up near the center of the door, Sam could barely make out a stone figure that seemed chained to the huge structure. It was unlike anything he had ever seen and he caught himself shivering with fright.
"Welcome," said a deep voice coming from behind him. Sam turned his head to see the source of the greeting. In the center of the arena was a man wearing a mask adorned with a butterfly design.
The figure bowed as he continued, "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Philemon, a dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness. Now for a simple test, can you state your name?"
Sam just stared at the man for a moment, in disbelief of the whole situation. His quivering stopped after seeing the man, and he quickly picked himself up off the floor, slightly embarrassed he let someone see him in such a state. While his mind raced with a million questions to ask masked man, he had an inkling to do as the man said before asking questions. It took him a moment to recollect his composure before he was capable of answering Philemon.
"My name is Samuel Locke, Sam for short."
The masked figure nodded, "Splendid! Thank you for sharing your name with me. Few can retain their identity while in this domain. You have passed my test."
Why am I being tested, and what is up with this place? Sam guarded himself. While he didn't sense any malevolence from the masked man, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"But tell me, do you know about the many selves that are harbored within you? The selves suffused with divine love? The selves capable of demonic cruelty," Philemon paused and spread his arms out in a lecturing gesture, "People live by wearing innumerable different masks. You yourself have faced a troubling experience in the past, and you disguise that pain and your fears with a cold mask…"
Sam's eyes narrowed after hearing that. What does this guy know about me…and how? He began to glare at the masked figure. It wasn't that he was wrong, but to hear it so bluntly and from a complete stranger was disquieting.
Whether Philemon noticed Sam's glare, he made no change in his tone as he continued, "Despite that, you have a firm grip of your true identity, you realize that you wear those masks, and you are unbending when it comes to your ideals. I respect your strong will. In return I grant this power. Persona. It is the power to summon the selves within you. The gods and demons you harbor."
Sam was getting tired of this information dump. Everything Philemon had been telling him just added to the multitude of questions the boy had for the man.
He held his hands up in order to get a word in, "Hold on! Just what is this place, what is up with that door?! And what do you mean power?"
"I can answer your first and third questions. The second one is not for me to answer at this time," replied the man.
Sam was about to protest but was stopped by Philemon continuing, "This place is the collective unconscious. Think of it as the entirety of humanity's subconscious thoughts and feelings that has taken the form of this location. It lies in the backdrop of the Sea of Souls, a place where all souls originate and return.
"As for your power, it called 'Persona', and it is a way for you to battle the shadows that lurk within the hearts of mankind."
He saw from Sam's furrowed brow that the rush of information and his relative vagueness was starting to wear the boy out and he chuckled lightly.
"You'll come to understand in due time," he said in a nurturing tone. However, he quickly changed to a more serious voice as he continued, "Just know that your future and the fate of your loved ones are in a precarious position…you will have to take responsibility for the consequences of the choices you will make."
My loved ones? Precarious position? What sort of mess have I gotten into? He's starting to make me sound like some sort of hero...No thanks. Sam was starting to get concerned as Philemon kept with his speech.
"However, while the choices you make are yours alone, you won't be unaided in your journey. A subordinate of mine will assist you in your journey, and I will be watching over you. Furthermore the bonds you make during your experience will provide you with greater strength than you can imagine."
Sam huffed but relented for now, "I'm not sure I understand, but I'll take your word for it." All of this was a bit much and he had so many more questions, but he figured that he wasn't going to get many more answers that made sense.
The masked figure simply nodded, "Now you must return to your proper time and place."
As soon as Philemon said that, Sam's vision began to blur in similar fashion as when he entered the strange realm.
"Sam…Sam" spoke a soft voice.
Sam awoke from his daze to see a young boy at the doorway to his room. After taking a look at the boy he started to scan the room for the butterfly, but after a quick inspection he could not find it. He turned to face the boy.
"Oh, hey Glenn. What's up?" He asked with a smile. Glenn was the Townsends' ten year old son. He stayed in the room next to Sam. In the eight years that he stayed with them, Sam grew to treat the boy as a younger brother, and Glenn saw him as an elder sibling.
"Ma wanted me to tell you to wash up and come down for dinner…Are you okay?" Glenn showed concern over Sam's odd behavior.
Sam nodded and smiled in order to relieve the boy, "Yea, I guess I was napping or something. Tell your mom I'm on my way down."
Glenn smiled, nodded, and quickly went down the stairs. He was eager to eat dinner. As Sam walked out of the room, he let out a sigh, wondering if everything was just a dream. It definitely felt real enough, and while he was slightly frightened of what he saw, he was definitely intrigued.
On the other side of his closed window, a golden butterfly fluttered about.
Monday, August 27, 2011 / ? / 00:00 AM
Darkness permeated throughout the building, and the atmosphere was hazy and oppressive. In the center a figure could be seen sitting atop a large set of crates. The being began to chuckle as its eyes began to glow a sickly yellow color.
"So you've finally begun to move, 'eh Philemon?" mused the figure as a thin smile crept up on its face. It turned to face its accomplice who was facing three large monitors and typing away.
"All the preparations have been completed and we will be able to initiate the first phases of the plan," The person at the computer was a male and his glasses could be seen from the faint glow of the monitors, but nothing else could really be gleaned.
He then began to complain about his work, "I still don't understand why you have me working on such a menial task. Are you not able to conjure up this on your own? I should be continuing my research on the data collected from the anti-shadow weapon and those children from four months ago. In comparison, this really just seems like a waste of ti– " He was stopped by a piercing glare from the glowing eyed figure.
It turned the man's chair in order to have him facing it and then began to grin wickedly, "Just think of it as a side project. It will all fit, in the grand scheme of everything. I'm having you work on it to provide some legitimacy, and my powers have been preventing anyone from tracing you…" However its expression quickly turned sour and he spoke with a booming voice, "You should know better than to question me. Do I make myself clear?"
The bespectacled man froze for a moment and began to quiver in terror. He silently nodded, fearing what the being would do if it heard his voice.
"Good," the figure did not enjoying employing the services of this human, but if it was to further the plan, then there was not much of a choice.
A troubling contradiction indeed. There were other pawns, but this one had experience in dealing with personas, shadows, and anti-shadow weapons. In addition, he had the tech savvy to set up its plan.
It glanced over at the man who quickly turned back to the monitor to avoid its gaze, "When you are done, send the messages; in the mean time, I'll go see our acquaintance about her end of the deal."
With that the black figure vanished, leaving the quaking man to continue working at his computer.
A/N: This has a few revisions and edits. The real A/N about vague reasons why I haven't uploaded is in the new chapter.
Well here is the start of a new story. Hopefully everything goes well. If you have any tips or criticisms please let me know. It is good to see things from multiple perspectives. Major props to MoldyJellyBean who has been giving me tips and been a big help. Check out his AMAZING story Persona: the Nameless. Thanks!