Two: Activity
I let out a raspy sigh as I set to work unwrapping the paper around the cheese, bacon and salad roll I just bought. As usual, I had earned myself a headache from over focusing on lectures, thus making it harder for me to eat due to nausea. But I knew I was hungry so I had no choice but to voice myself to swallow the chunks of tasty morsels. Now that I was on a break between my now and my next lecture, I had time to let my mind wander a little for a short period of time.
My mind instantly dredged up thoughts of Majora's Mask but before I could really think about any aspect of it in particular, I remembered that I should probably be taking up another job right now. There were always superstitious individuals in the world, ones that would need constant reassuring over things that weren't of any real concern. It was my job to reassure those people and deal with any incidences that were actually real. I didn't take jobs very often and business was often slow anyway so I was lucky if I got a job once a month. But lately, the frequency of the calls I was receiving was increasing which would have concerned me if I didn't know what I was doing.
Just recently, in fact, I had made some protective charms for some girl in her mid-teens who was concerned that her demon summoning ritual had actually worked. Luckily for her, it was a false one she had learnt about on a shady site so no demons would be coming after her any time soon. I told her this and sent her some charms for reassurance. Honestly, kids shouldn't be messing around with things like that – demons are difficult for the inexperienced to deal with.
I sensed a sudden presence beside me, prompting me to snap my head to the side, my white hair fluttering around me. Upon brushing the irritating strands of hair back, I took in the appearance of a boy about my age. He had tousled, chocolate hair that hung partially over his lifeless, pale green eyes. I got the feeling that he had been sitting there for some time without my knowing. I chuckled, returning to slowly eating my sandwich.
"Quiet as usual, Oliver," I said to the boy lowly, not wanting to startle him by speaking too loudly. He turned slightly towards me, his face void of any sort of emotion as per usual. I often tell him he needs to brighten up but he stubbornly reminds me that he's perfectly happy and that I need to stop trying to change his mood. He reached into the breast pocket of his puffy vest, drawing out a notebook. He tossed it to me and I caught it single handily.
My eyes glimpsed over the words written. As always, he had found me a job. I keep telling him that I have a separate phone number specifically for people to call me about that kind of thing but, since business was always slow, he would go out of his way to find someone in need. I honestly don't know how he does it and frankly, I don't want to know.
"So I'm to exorcise some Shadows. No problem, business as usual. They're probably just paranoid anyway, the shadows I mean," I stated. "Shadows always get pissed when their owner dies without them." Long explanation short, if someone dies in the dark or in any other place where their shadow is not visible, it does not go along with them into the afterlife. As a fault of this, they wander the world searching for their owner and generally scaring the balls off people. Some turn malevolent however, so they require exorcising before that can happen.
This kind of job requires little time to complete so I'll probably head out to do that after my last lecture of the day.
And pay was decent too; fifty bucks can feed me for a week. My main problem was, the more time I spent away from home, the less time I would get to study which meant that I would have even less time to play video games which was something I needed to do in order to survive.
Anyway, time to change topics to something much more interesting – Majora's Mask. "Hey," I began, catching Oliver's attention and drawing him away from his constant staring at the clouds. "I came across our old Majora's Mask cartridge the other day." Surprise dashed across Oliver's chubby features for a moment. "Well, the one we stole of Ben every now and then anyway," I added pointlessly with a giggle.
"How?" he asked simply in a very slight whisper that I only just caught. He glared right into my eyes, something he generally avoided doing which meant that he was dead serious right now, despite not being able to show it in his expression. I looked away from him, staring down at the grass as I tried my best to come up with some kind of explanation for him. Well, I didn't know myself to be honest. I just found the thing in an electronics store.
"I don't know. The last time I saw it was the last time I saw Ben," I mused thoughtfully. "That was nine years ago." Oliver looked away from me, his gaze slowly turning back towards the sky above. He sat there for a few moments, tracking the movement of the wisps of clouds.
"Damaged?" he asked simply.
"Nope, roughed up and full of glitches but that just made the game better. But obviously, it's been through some shit," I explained. I noticed that there was traces of pain in his eyes now, most likely caused by my rising tone and from the memories of an old acquaintance of ours. Anyway, whatever it was, he'd get over it like he always does.
"Leave it alone," he uttered, much to my surprise. "We don't need it." His words angered me a little – I found it and as such, I was going to play the heck out of it for old times' sake. I do indeed need it in order to relive some of my childhood and remind myself of an old friend. To this day, I don't think he really considered me to be his friend but back then, I sure did.
"No, I'm going to play it. It's caught my interest already," I replied stubbornly. Oliver let out a hoarse sigh before returning to his silence. I stared at him for a few moments, glaring, before I pulled myself to my feet. I felt too ill and pissed off now to continue eating so I dumped my half-eaten sandwich in the trash can and turned my back on Oliver. It was time for the final lecture of the day where generally, no bullshit goes on. That was one of the main reasons why I liked University.
"Be careful, Vivian," I heard him mutter as I walked away at a brisk pace.
"Are you sure they're gone?" questioned a frail old man as I began to pack away all my equipment into the trunk of my car. I hated it when they would question me on my work; if I tell you the spirit, demon or monster is gone then it his gone with the wind. My eyes never lie and neither do my methods. Call it arrogant or overly self-confident but if I didn't trust in my abilities, I simply wouldn't be able to cope with this kind of job.
"If they weren't, I would still be sitting in that pentagram lighting candles and muttering," I replied blithely as he handed me a wad of bills. I flicked through them, assuring he wasn't ripping me off before I shoved them back into my pocket. He exhaled heavily in relief, drawing his shawl closer as a cool breeze tugged at our clothes. He thanked me, bowing his balding head at me before he scurried back into the apartment block as quickly as a fleeing crab.
I paid no mind to him as I began to think about what I had just witnessed. There were many more of those Shadows than I had expected, a scene I hadn't had the pleasure of seeing for quite some time now. That kind of phenomena was usually brought on by the present of powerful ghost since shadows and ghosts are both classed as spirits with shadows being weaker than ghosts for obvious reasons. Now, I hadn't heard any complaints about larger ghost yet, but I have noticed a sudden up-rise in the amount of shadows. They appear generally in semi dark place, places that are light enough to cast shadows but dim enough to keep attention away from them.
The reason they grouped around places where strong ghosts are is because they give of a sort of signal to them, one that comforts them in some way and makes them feel wanted. Some ghosts even enlist the help of these shadows, which is why many of them become malevolent. However, it is mostly demons who work spirits that way.
Well, it looks like I'm going to have to communicate with some ghosts soon and see what's going on. I grimaced at the thought; they were tricky to reason with since they were either too messed up by their regrets, too far away from the ethereal plane or simply too big of an asshole to answer my inquiries. Well, that and the risk of possession. Therefore, I tended to avoid speaking with them.
But, it would avoid a bunch of bullshit on the long term. Anyway, enough of exorcising for tonight, I have things to study and research along with a very interesting game to play. Speaking of that game, despite knowing what was coming next, I couldn't help but wish for more, yearn for something unexpected to happen. It had surprised me so far so maybe, just maybe, my wish could be fulfilled for once.
Lucky for me, the traffic had been favorable and I arrived home just after night fall. I threw my backpack on the floor with a slump, the sound quickly muffled by the cluttered status of the room. Massaging my shoulder, I yawned as I stuck a protection seal onto my door. I didn't want to risk having to deal with more of those shadow things right now, especially in my own home. I have been burnt by those things and it hurts like hell and takes a great deal of work to shake off.
I lay on my belly on my sofa, my arms hanging off the edge, my legs crossed over my backside. The room was entirely dark, save for the bright, flickering screen of my television. Again, I had received an electric shock whilst switching on my Nintendo 64. Now that was concerning; I wasn't sure if I would be able to replace that thing. Anyway, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen as I explored the slightly altered version of one of my favorite games as a child.
As usual, the tiles and color pallets were off and everyone was still known as Ben but apart from that, nothing was out of the ordinary. This time, I worked all the way up and through Snowhead Temple. It was surprisingly difficult, even for a gamer of my experienced. It was most likely due to the sudden glitches in the tiles, resulting in spaces where I would just fall continuously which forced me to reset the game. This frustrated me to no end but I did eventually complete it.
I then realized that I had missed one of the fairies somewhere, prompting me to almost throw the controller in a fit of rage. Being the kind of gamer I was, I hissed through my teeth and decided to perform the infamous 4th day glitch. When I get to that damn fairy I swear I'll strangle her first. I had to Google how to glitch it again, since a busy nine years would easily make anyone forget trivial things. I guffawed loudly once I managed to do it but my cheers soon died down once I turned my attention back to the screen.
I found that Link was now standing before Skull Kid, in the Majora boss fight room towards the end of the game. Skull Kid was hovering about Link, silently, simply staring at him. No, he wasn't staring at Link; he was staring straight through the screen – at me. Grinning at the surprise, I attempted to move around and explore the arena, Skull Kid following Link's avatar yet keeping his eyes on me no matter where I moved. He never appeared here so naturally, I was perplexed.
I shrugged, figuring I might as well fight. However, it appeared that Link was simply unwilling to comply with my rapid movement of the controller. He appeared to be standing stock still now, as if the sight of Skull Kid caused him to stand stock still in fright. I sighed in frustration, figuring that I'd just have to reset the game again if it wasn't going to work with me here.
Suddenly, the tiles and every inch of color in the room began to fade to lighter and lighter shades, to the point where everything in the room was nearly white in color. I knitted my brows together once some text popped up on the screen. "You're not sure why, but you apparently had a reservation…" I read out loud. I had read that text somewhere before and I got the feeling that I hadn't just heard it within the confines of the game. Moments after the text disappeared, more words appeared, this time a question. "Go to the lair of the temple's boss?" I read. There was the option to choose 'yes' or 'no'.
I was upset that I was skipping crucial parts of the game in order to satisfy whatever requirements this glitch of a game needed but, since it clearly had some sort of message it was trying to convey to me, I decided to simply go with yes and not bother with the negative. The words 'Dawn of a New Day' appeared as usual, but with a subtext of 'WELCOME' at the bottom. Curious, I grinned in anticipation as the game loaded the next scene.
My lips parted slightly, the smile disappearing from my face as I took in the new world I had been presented with.
Hey, what if I could change the game? Make it into anything I wanted it to be…
That wouldn't be right; you got to play it how it is.
That's boring, isn't it? If I knew how to, I'd change it for sure.
What would you do then?
"I'd make it into my personal play room," I muttered out loud, both his words and my words echoing in my mind as I remembered a conversation that had been long since buried by piles of other junk. I let my eyes take it what I was seeing before me, surprised that I had found such a memory in correlation with the view before me.
Link was standing in a twilight-zone version of Clock Town with nary an inhabitant to be seen. After a moment of paralyzing surprise, I decided to get moving and explore this twisted place. So many textures were missing and mixed up with others; it looked like a gruesome patchwork, in fact. Most of these tiles were water tiles that Link would simply refuse to walk onto. Therefore, I had to weave a beeline around these tiles. I also noticed that the music was eerily peaceful here, familiar. Upon stopping and listening to it carefully, I realized that it was the Song of Healing in reverse with the occasional twisted laugh of the Happy Mask Salesman.
An air of depression seemed to hang over the town as I explored, soon finding that there was no way out of the place – even playing Link's Ocarina failed in teleporting me away from here. I tried to enter the various buildings in Clock Town, but I soon found that none of the villagers, whose names had returned to normal, were willing to let me in. All they would say to me is "You've been met with a terrible fate, haven't you," before refusing to speak to me again. I had this nagging suspicion that the game was not only trying to tell me a story, but it was trying to scare me as well. But, considering my upbringing, this only inquired a sense of amusement and curiosity within me.
I scoured the town for any evidence of what I was meant to do next. Before long, I found myself standing before the laundry pool, wondering if there was anything I had missed. I sat in my own thoughts for some time, trying desperately to figure out just what the game was trying to tell me. I had a hunch, a hunch that I had gained the moment things started to seem amiss but I refused to believe in it. Hell, I still didn't trust it, but it wasn't like it was wrong though – it was a very likely possibility.
Once I returned my attention to the screen, I saw that Link was no longer where I had left him standing; he was flailing around in the water. Shocked, I spammed the buttons in an attempt to get him out of there before he ended himself and thus ending my investigation of Clock Town. Finally, I did manage to get him out, just before he drowned. Immediately after doing so, I heard Skull Kid's scream blast through the speakers as, the screen fading to black momentarily. Once it zoned in again, I saw that the Link Statue that appears when the song Elegy of Emptiness is played.
I actually was quite fond of that statue in my childhood, having found it rather cute. But right now, I it only vexed me as I moved away from it. Moments later it spawned directly behind Link, following him as I guided him through the contorted spaces of Clock Town. Not being too bothered by its presence, I decided to simply continue trying to get into the houses and search for any more information. All the while, the statue haunted me, not that I was really paying attention to it.
This seemed to anger it, since it began to spawn more frequently, sometimes right in front of me and restricting my walking space. Eventually, the game dumped me out, transitioning into a black screen with a text box telling me that it was the dawn of another new day. This time, there was no subtext. I was pissed off by this but I let it whisk me away since I had no choice in the matter.
Now, Link was standing atop Clock Tower, facing off against Skull Kid. He was silent once more and the moon loomed menacingly overhead, watching the scene below with some kind of sick joy. As to be expected, I instantly tried to fend him off with some arrows, not sure what else to do. However, to my shock, Skull Kid giggled, "That won't do you any good." Link was picked up off the ground, igniting into flames in the process, killing him instantly. My eyes widened at this, having not have expected it at all.
The screen faded back in, allowing me to attempt to attack Skull Kid a few more times, each try ending in the same animation. I gave up on the third try and apparently, so did the game. By this time, the game simply froze, or at least, I thought it did since nothing was moving. That was until Link fell to the ground, lying sprawled out with his head tilted towards the camera. A few moments later, that text appeared again, the same phrase everyone in Clock Town had used.
"You've been met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" It then kicked me out to the title screen where the profiles appear to have been changed. Ben's profile was still there, but mine was non-existent, replaced instead with 'YOUR TURN'. I checked the time, seeing that it was only midnight. I bit my lip, remembering that if I didn't study for my upcoming exam, I wouldn't be able to pass my course. I figured that I'd just check out the other file and see how things went.
It didn't take me long, the file lead me to the exact same scene I had escaped mere moments ago. Discouraged and frustrated, I flicked the television and Nintendo 64 off, zapping myself on both machines in the process. I dumped my controller on the floor, sucking my singed finger gingerly.
I sat in the dark, my mind blank as I tried in vain to process what I had just seen. Frankly, I was tired, and it wasn't just from playing for hours – it was from trying to understand. I was beginning to think that this was some kind of sick joke, a mockery of the death of a kid who had nothing to do with anything really. I relaxed into the sofa, realizing that I had been sitting bolt upright with all my muscles tensed that entire time.
Whoever had made this was going to need sunblock for where they're going. I had a dark sense of humor, sure, but mocking the dead was just asking for trouble. I suddenly felt the need to destroy that thing, be rid of it before it could cause any more trouble. But, I felt like that would be pointless. I now realized where all that physical damage to the card came from.
Okay, screw my study. If I needed to, I could just do through University again. I scanned my brain for any information regarding that card, including the very last time I saw it, my brain stubbornly reminding me that it was the very last day I saw Ben before his death. I always believed it had drowned with him in that lake which was a logical explanation to why I hadn't come into contact with it since recently.
I growled in frustration at the realization that my memories could not provide any further information on the topic. All I knew about Ben's death was that he drowned; nothing more. I don't know if he was murdered, or if it was suicide or an accident. The newspapers always made it out to be a mysterious death that had little explanation to it. I began to think that he was murdered and that the people who did him in took his game and hacked it to tell his story.
But that was pointless and naive of me to believe. Perhaps Ben himself was doing this – a haunting maybe. That seemed much more likely to me but if it was haunted, it would be likely that I would have started experiencing other evidence of being haunted. I glanced towards the seal on my door, questioning whether I should take it off and see if anything happens. I then remembered why I put it there and changed my mind.
I needed more evidence, both in the game and in reality.
But for now, I decided to abandon my investigation and get some study done before bed so I at least felt as though I had made some progress. I needed to pass my course in order to get the job I wanted; the cushy, well-paying job I had selected to pursue. Oliver probably had another job for me tomorrow too that I would need to at least be half awake for. Speaking of Oliver, I should bring him over and play the game with him; his gut feelings were almost always right.
Being too lazy and frustrated and worn out to move, I decided, again, to fall asleep on the couch.
"Delve deeper."
