Chapter 1: 1 Prologue
Authors note:
The first two chapters are by far the most boring, but please don't let this put you off! And I know some detail won't be 100%, but that's whats make's it less predictable…
Chapter One: Prologue.
Heavy backpack, fumes in the air, tired feet. No, I cannot say that I was particularly fit, or strong for that matter, but I always thought that if I push myself and took the harder route, it would help in the long run. It hasn't yet. It was as if my body was telling me, what you see is what you get, and theres no changing that. I, of course, have a small build. Determination wasn't going to change that.
Reaching the apartment building, taking my time fumbling with my keys to enjoy the sweet blissful relief I was getting, before trudging up six flights of stairs. Inside the building, soft yellows and creams covered the walls, contrasting the grey outside world. England, rarely, was ever depicted as a bright, colourful place; they're not wrong. The old architecture, bleak skies, and tight town streets, collecting gas emissions and keeping out the sun, freezes time, holding an ageing place in time, as the cities grew and boomed. That was something I appreciated though. It was beautiful.
I am a second year university student, and still, I feel like I don't know nearly enough as I should in order to start a career, make discoveries, understand the in workings of our planet. Will I ever know enough? Is there any point?
The past two World Wars involved soldiers fighting for their countries. Using hand-held weapons and living off what little they could have. Land and conquering was what mattered. But if another war was to begin…it'll be nothing live we have ever had. Sometimes I fear that there might not be a tomorrow. Hiroshirma is an example of that. The homes of so many people gone, but that was only a handful of years ago now…the bombs they make now are so much bigger.
I reached my floor and entered the apartment. Inside was warm. I walked passed the fridge, noticing a small note on it from mum:
Charlie,
Exchanged shifts with Benny, so I'm working
a 12hr today, won't be back till 6 tomorrow
morning.
We have ingredients for pasta if you
like.
Lots of Love
Mum.
Mums a nurse, always working odd shifts. Dad however, is on holiday with his new girlfriend in France. 'All the women love France' Dad once said after taking one of his previous ladies to France. The people working at his favourite restaurant probably know him too well now. It's always the same move. Has it worked?
Nope.
After unpacking my notes and books onto my bed, I went to cook dinner. I wasn't particularly gifted in cooking, but if I focus on sticking to the instructions, I MIGHT be able to get a decent meal.
Take that society, a women who can't cook.
********After Dinner********
Sitting on the couch, I tucked my legs underneath me and flicked onto the news and what I saw I almost couldn't comprehend.
BREAKING NEWS:
Paris booming: Firefighters and Ambulances are not enough:
Unknown suspects: Unknown survivors
Images of screaming people. Some fleeing, some helping others. Fire engines circle around the heart of the blaze.
I was stunned.
Maybe I should ring Dads cell phone number. They were probably at the hotel, packing to come back to England soon, but their flights will surely be delayed now. I stumbled to my feet, then as mechanically as ever, made my way over to the kitchen phone, stabbing each key in, and bringing the receiver up to my ear, breathing shakily.
*RING RING***RING RING****RI—
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
The tone stretched out.
I shuddered. Hung up, rang again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
After hanging up once more I almost screamed. My eye stung. I couldn't breath properly. I was ready to dial again when the phone rang instead. I picked up.
"H-hello?" I had to clear my voice.
"Oh sweetie are you ok? Have you seen the news?"
It was mum.
"Yea…"
"Its all over the hospital! I tried calling your father and nothing. Have you tried?"
I looked up at the clock.
"I've been trying to for the past 20 minutes."
"He's….He has probably just left his phone off again…"
"You alright mum?"
"Of course, just checking on you. I've got patients waiting, better go, love you. And let me know if you get hold of him."
I didn't know what to think. I was numb inside. So numb that it actually hurt to not feel anything. The TV was still playing in the background. I closed my eyes. Took a breath. Felt the sway of the world spinning around me. I exhaled, feeling nauseated as the world span faster and faster. Overwhelming in fact. Static filled my ears, roaring.
I opened my eyes. Blinked. Everything was calm and I was okay. I turned the TV off, shut off all the lights, and went to bed, and slept the whole night through. It was dreamless.
I woke, got up, went into the bathroom, washed my face, got dressed, went into the kitchen.
And stopped.
Mum was sitting on the couch, still in uniform, handbag at her feet, looking down. My stomach dropped. Mouth dry.
I turned around and put the jug on before heading back towards her, saying nothing, but sitting beside her.
I was not very good at this comforting sort of stuff, nor was I good at mourning. I just suppress it and forget it, hoping it doesn't comeback to me in a big hurricane.
And so in silence we sat, until the shrill of the jug - followed by the 'all done' ping, cut the silence in the air. I got up, made myself a coffee, and mum a sweetened tea. The first movement from her, was her accepting the tea, gripping the mug, whitening her knuckles. I was worried she could break it. More silence followed.
Mum and Dad were high school sweethearts. Had me at 19 years of age. Dad studied computer programming full time, while mum studied part time at nursing school. Against the odds, they made it work; me, mum and dad, together. At least it was fine until halfway through Elementary. Dad was growing bored with the relationship and craved something more… I don't know. 'fun'? But of course someone had to always be there for me. If Dad had it his was, he would have taken me out of school, and we would halve explored the world together. Dad always promised me of all the adventures we could have had. At such a young age, I was easily turned against Mum, but Mum was the realist. The sensible one. She knew that if we took me out of school and left, we would run out of money, I would be uneducated and doomed for a future, and all of us would be poor and miserable.
So Dad gambled. Not a lot, and we never really suffered for it. Not financially anyway. But the friends he made. The women he met. He became so distant. It was his way of still getting the kicks in life.
Whenever Dad looked after me and Mum was working, he would teach me card games like poker, and tell me stories. One of them was about a man named Andrew Ryan. A very rich man who rumoured to have built a city under the sea. A city, called Rapture. Oh how I wished I could go, and when I asked how to get there, Dad said if I could beat him in one game of cards, he'd tell me.
And you know what? I won.
He told me, Rapture is west of Iceland, and that Andrew Ryan wanted to escape the upper world, the societies expectations and create a free utopia. But it was also to be kept secret from the world as he fear it would be ruined. You either had to know Ryan to get in, or be smuggled.
Much younger me would marvel at the idea of this. I would ask how he knew, and if he knew, why did no one else know. He tapped his nose grinning. "A friend, of a friend, of a friend, of a friend."
This 'friend' was working for a man named Frank Fontaine. He of the largest criminal empires on earth, and could smuggle you in… for a price.
Where can I find this Frank Fontaine? That's when Mum came home, sending me off to bed and telling Dad off for teaching me his 'gambling ways'.
Dad was never a bad father. But it was too young for him to become a father. And so he would yearn for what he missed out on.
Because of Me.
Eventually he left. Mum never told him to leave, but she sure made it look like that was what she wanted. Only it wasn't. She never stopped loving him. She just didn't want to trap him any longer than she already had.
"Charlie…" Mums weak voice broke my thoughts.
"Mmmm?"
"I don't want to stay here anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to leave. Leave the city. No. The country."
"Why?"
"Because that's all you father wanted me to do. There were always plans for adventures that would never happen….and…" she sighed sadly, "… It's late. But it's better than never."
I contemplated what this meant? I remember well enough Dad's desire to conquer the world, I imagine that if it weren't for me, that what the would've done. "Where would we go?"
"We? No sweetie. Just me." She shakes her head.
I almost choked at what she just said, stunned. "You want to leave me?"
"You need to finish your studies. Im leaving tomorrow."
"You're just leaving me, like that. What about work and ME! Why?"
Mum place her still full mug on the coffee table, standing up and heading towards her room.
"MUM!" I yelled, heat radiating from my face and core. When she didn't reply, I tried again, "mum?"
"You're 20, you can look after yourself."
"That's not the point" I say as my voice cracked. My heart was breaking, and so was hers.
Tears welled up in Mum's eyes as she looked at me one more time before closing the door. I could hear the key turn afterwards.
Locked.
Somebody, who has only cared for me my whole life, always wanted the better for me, was now shutting me out of their lives? I could see what was happening. Doing one last thing for Dad, without me. To do what they would have, had I not been there to ruin it. I felt sick to my stomach.
I went to my room, shoved my books into my bag, and promptly left for university.
*****That evening******
Flinging myself into the small apartment and chucking my bag to the side, I immediately sensed something was off. Standing and listening, I took in my surroundings. I could hear jazz music upstairs, children's tv shows playing to the right and nothing to the left. All is normal, as there is no tenant to the left. All clear… except for in here. Turning my head knowingly to the fridge, I saw a little pink note was stuck there. I snatch it off reading it.
Charlie,
I hope you understand this someday
and chose to not hate me for this
but I have left today, and have paid
the rent for the next two months in
advance.
Mum.
"WHAT! YOU HAVE LEFT ME! ALONE" tiny pieces of the note dropped from my hand. A nearby chair fell to the floor. Written study notes were thrown up and fell back down like confetti. But I couldn't think. How could I? All I saw was white rage. Rage that stung. Rage that burned. Rage that rang in my ears. She really left me. My own mother. Mother? Mum? Left her daughter?
"Close your eyes" I told myself, tears streaming down my face.
"Firstly, calm the fuck down. You need to control yourself. This isn't the end of the world yet."
I leaned back against the wall and tucked into the corner, head between knees in my hands. I took a moment to just breath. In and out. In and out. In. And my body shuddered. Tears flooded out. My breathe was hot on my hands and my hands were wet. Bringing my face up into the cool air, and wiping my hands on my shirt, I tried again to breath. This time, it worked.
"Secondly, you need to check yourself." I muttered. "You now have no mother," sniff. "No father," I stood up, and walked to the bathroom to face the mess I was. "But you're able to look after yourself." As I washed up, I thought to myself. Where do I want to go from here?
Stay here, you gotta work, study and maintain the apartment. Keep going down the pathway Mum had prepared me for my whole life. A small thought in the back of my mind decide to pipe up.
But you could leave? Find mum, or maybe…..
My thoughts drift too Rapture. Could it be real? But what if…
Snapping my head up, sly grin crossing my face.
"You crazy bastard" the reflection spoke.
It was decided. I would go follow an invisible La La Land, taking with me nothing but the clothes on my back.
"Andrew Ryan, whether you like it or not, you got yourself another citizen."