(BRIEF A/N) The Lucas segment of this chapter starts in the middle of the last chapter. Additionally, from here on, the prologues will all be from the perspective of the same mystery narrator...
(Prologue: ?)
Before I started running, I would've said that I was just a normal man. I was just me. I never thought I was born to be anything important, even if my position suggested otherwise. That's because I knew there were always greater powers at work; always bigger fish, sharks, ready to engulf anything that stood in their path.
That was before I got caught up in this mess.
My shark is the biggest of the lot. He's wealthy, he's powerful, he controls all that he surveys. Every little thing, it's his, planned out to perfection. That's why there's nothing I can do, nothing that even the bravest of men can do, except run. Run like hell, because if I'm seen out here, well, anyone could be on his side. With the right amount of money, anyone could talk.
I escaped his prison. That's a first; that's a miracle. Few beat the shark once. But my odds would have to be astronomical if I can evade him once again. He's sharp, he's clever. He'll have noticed my absence by now. It's only a matter of time before he catches up.
And so, I close my eyes and keep running.
The icy north winds scorch my skin. I know it's going to be a long, long way to civilization. I haven't eaten in days, except for the occasional blackberry. Hunger roars in my stomach, threatening to knock me down, but I can't stop. I move onwards, ploughing over relentless terra firma.
I push through a bristling hedge. It's the dead of night, and yet I know I cannot sleep, I can only advance. The moon glows like a cold beacon in the sky, fading in and out under the increasingly rapid clouds. What will I do when I get to a village? I haven't planned that far ahead yet. All I know is that I am scared and that I must run. I can never stop running.
I can never stop running from Porky Minch.
.
.
.
~~o00o~~
Chapter 12: Listen
(Lucas)
~~o00o~~
.
.
.
"I don't deserve you!"
Ness's bitter words ring through my head as I toss through book upon book in frustration.
I've retreated to the library. After a distinctly awkward dinner with the others, I'm forcing myself to give Ness some space, but the combination of worrying about my best friend and the elusive Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures is making my mind spin.
I fall into a chair with a sigh.
My head throbs, filled with images of that figure bearing down on me in the shower. I lurch at the memory. Who were they? What did they want? I tried to attack my bloodied hair with some cold water earlier; it did some good, but the wound remains. The memory is still poignant. I've been ignoring the strange gazes coming my way, but it's becoming increasingly difficult as people become more and more intrusive.
I've stowed a portion of dinner away to give to Ness later. I'm fearful, but I am going to find out what's wrong. I am going to help him, even if it hurts me in the process. I know he's not coping with the situation well, and I wish to myself that I could do more. But we're in this maelstrom together. So I will do all that I can.
With this resolve, I pull a stack of hardbacks near me, and I keep searching.
This book, the book with Future Human inside, I have to find it. I'm not sure why the idea has gripped me so firmly, but I need to read about it, to find out what it wants, to find out what it is, why it keeps haunting me. It shouldn't bother me so much, because it's only a recurring dream, but I'm deathly curious. Any minute I'm idle, it prickles in my mind.
The library is as soporific as ever, the books piled high on shelves, some ancient, some modern. The gas lamps illuminate the worn spines of the highest books, the books that look as if they'd crumble if touched… but the book I'm looking for seemed new, I remind myself. It could even have been freshly inked. It hadn't been printed, that's for sure, instead, it had been written with a faint, square-like scrawl. But who had the author been?
Unfortunately, after a while of theorising through headaches, I'm left empty-handed. Once again, there's no sign of Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures, nor any sign of it ever having existed. Maybe it was all just a dream? Maybe the author took the book away? I sigh, frustrated - I need to be sure - but it'll take forever to search amongst this labyrinth. It's yet another mystery.
For now, I force myself to believe that somebody else must've taken it out to read, and so I leave the library in dismay. Time has moved on quite significantly, the sky looming a midnight blue, and it's about time that I visit Ness.
(Hours later)
I jolt awake.
Something's stirred me. My vision swims through the black air. Cold bites at my skin, and I quickly sit up, pulling my blanket further around my body. Through my fading dream, I blearily look up, and I catch a glimpse of a silhouette slipping through the door.
Wait-
I cry out, tumbling out of bed. Ness's side of the room is empty. So what is he doing, leaving the room at this hour? Where could he be going? I try not to freak out, standing up, running through all the possibilities in my mind. There's no rational reason why he'd be going out into the school. He couldn't possibly be going outside. So there's only one thing to do: follow him.
To my dismay, the hallway is deserted. Was I too slow? I look rapidly around, and I notice that a painting of some old king is swinging like a pendulum. I test it, pivoting it upwards, and I rotate it all the way around to reveal some kind of hidden entrance. A ladder plummets down into the cold abyss below. What had Red said? He'd said they'd come up the passages when we were returning from the forest - and they'd ended up on the top floor. This must be the way!
But despite my momentary exuberance, I freeze. Could Ness really have gone down there? Is he going into the forest? My breath hitches and I steel my nerves. There's nothing else to be done. I clamber into the hole, but as soon as I do, there's a rushing noise behind me, and the painting swings shut, sealing me in pitch-black darkness.
"Ness!" I cry out, but my voice only echoes off the walls. There's no reply, no sign of life. My heart skips several beats; I feel the cold rungs of the ladder with my hands and feet, fully aware of how immense the drop below would be. All my muscles tense with fear. I take a deep breath, catching some kind of dust in my throat, causing me to cough and splutter. I need to go down, for Ness, but it's so dark, and it could cave in at any minute, and I could fall…
I scream as my hand slips off a rung, sharply throwing me back into reality. I desperately scramble to grip back onto the ladder, and I start to climb down as quickly as possible, my feet slipping, my eyes shut tight in blind terror. I need to keep going for Ness. The ladder seems endless, torturous - I feel sick, my chest is thick, my throat closing up. I can't breathe. I can't breathe! My head throbs harder, and I scramble down, down, down…
Ground! Solid ground! I laugh, giddy with relief… but the relief is shattered when I hear a dense crunch, and I feel the ground shake beneath me.
A small clump of earth rolls off my head, and onto the floor. My worst fears are becoming a reality.
The passage is caving in.
I scream, another particularly violent tremor cascading dirt to the ground. My legs carry me of their own accord, plunging through the darkness with no idea of where I'm going, only following my intuition. The rubble roars behind me. I collide face-first into a wall, expelling a mighty thud as I slam into the ground. The noise behind me rises in a crescendo. I spit out dirt, trying to scramble to my feet, but I slip once more, cutting my hand on a jagged stone. I gasp for breath, eyes screwed up, all alone, ready to be consumed…
But the noise stops.
I nervously open an eye. Have I gotten lucky? It doesn't sound like the passage is caving in anymore…
Turning, I nervously crawl backwards, away from where the noise had been just seconds before. Once I feel safe enough, I scramble up, thanking my lucky stars and shaking like a leaf. I'm done with dark spaces for the rest of my life.
The sound of footsteps ahead reminds me of my purpose. Ness.
I break into another run, my hand trailing the wall. The footsteps ahead of me seem to break into a sprint, and suddenly a blinding light fills the passage as I turn a corner into a junction; one of the routes is heavily illuminated; but the footsteps continue down a darker branch, so I follow them, praying that no more rocks will fall.
The path begins to slope upwards. The distant cry of wind fills my ears. The footsteps fade into it, blending with the upcoming noise, and I strain to hear where they went. Nonetheless, I keep running, the passage walls growing damper and damper, until suddenly…
I plunge into the cool moonlit air of the forest. But my relief is short-lived, as a sudden clap of thunder shocks me senseless. The wind screams, tearing at my blanket and my pyjamas. A thick sheet of rain pours over my head, soaking me in seconds.
"Ness?" I cry out, looking desperately for his silhouette through the howling trees.
A crash sounds to the left, so I sprint after it, trampling sodden mud underfoot. A figure darts out from behind a trunk, before hurtling in the other direction. I follow for all I'm worth, leaping over fallen branches, thinking fearfully of the river. Ness wouldn't - would he?
The thought tears through me like a knife. I run. I'm faster than him - I have to be! But he runs too, he runs like his life depends on it. He glances behind him, just as a flash of lightning strikes - his face is illuminated for a split second, a mirror of exhaustion and terror - but just as he's looking the wrong way, he trips, sprawling to the ground, and he covers his head-
"Ness!" I exclaim, practically falling onto him. His body shakes. It shakes so much. I pull him up and into my arms, getting the blanket around his shoulders as lightning cracks in the distance. I've got him - it's okay. I've got him. We're in the middle of the woods. In the middle of the dark, freezing woods, in the middle of a thunderstorm. But I've got him.
"L-Lucas!?" Ness exclaims in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
"Y-You woke me up!" I cling to him like a small child. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you were the Face, or something!" Ness exclaims. "I was running away, and-"
He's cut off by a blast of thunder, and I jump.
"What's happening, Ness?"
"The grave." Ness shudders. "I couldn't get it out of my head - I - I felt drawn to it, Lucas, and then there was this music - I couldn't sleep, not without thinking, without wondering..."
"You - You-" I stare at him in horror. "You came outside, alone, in this weather, in those dark, horrible passages, just to look at the grave? Why didn't you wake me?"
"You wouldn't have let me come." He tugs at his wet hair, shivering, looking down. "I'm sorry, Lucas-"
"Yes I would've!" Lightning strikes nearby, and I grip Ness's hand tighter. "It's not safe to be out here alone!"
"Lucas..." There's a pause, before he looks down at the grass, his teeth chattering. "You came all this way for me."
"Of course I did, you idiot! I was worried sick! I thought - I thought you were coming out here to commit - to commit suicide or something!" I feel my eyes welling up. "Do you know how dangerous this was? The passage collapsed behind me, Ness, we have to find another way back, there could have been anything down there. And there could be anything out here! Please, please, never do this again."
"I'm sorry, Lucas." Ness pulls the sodden blanket around me, trying to stop my shivering. A crash of thunder sounds overhead, the rain lashing our miserable selves.
"No. No. Don't apologise," I strain, holding him tight. "Just… be careful, please, I worry about you..."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry!" Ness shakes, and I pull him into a tight hug, wrapping us up in the blanket. We cling to one another like we're eight years old again, and we've just escaped Porky, or like we're lost in the streets, the Sharks circling their prey. The rain pours down my back, my wounded head throbbing under the weight of a million bricks.
"Ness, don't be sorry." My voice sounds higher than usual. "W-We're going to be okay."
Ness gives a tiny shake of his head. The wind howls louder, the rain plastering my hair to my forehead. Lightning flashes violently nearby. I hold Ness tighter.
"Let's get out of here," he mumbles.
"Not until we've found the gravestone."
"What!?" Ness stares at me in alarm. "I thought you said - it's dangerous - and-"
"Well, we're here now," I say assertively. "I need to make sure you don't come out here again. Where is it?"
"It's right there." Ness points at a rock, protruding at a funny angle from the ground.
My eyes widen with this revelation. "Right there?"
"F-Funny coincidence, r-right?"
"Come on." I kneel, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling rising inside me. "Let's get this over with, and fast."
Ness nods. We get down on our hands and knees, ignoring the wet mud now clinging to our pyjamas. We dig away at the dirt and the leaves, revealing the remainder of the stone. It doesn't go much further down. I squint, trying to make out any inscriptions amongst the lichen, but it's far too dark.
"Wait for a bolt of lightning," Ness whispers. I silently nod my agreement.
Flash.
I blink.
Flash.
There's nothing else there.
Our names are inscribed as clear as day; in loving memory of Ness, and his best friend Lucas, but underneath, there's no date.
It's blank.
"W-What?" Ness stammers.
"I-" I wrack my brain. "I guess that's a good thing?"
"I don't understand - how can there not be a date?"
"I don't know." An uncomfortable feeling settles within me. "But I don't like it."
Ness kicks the dirt back into the hole. We stare at the grave in silence for a few seconds longer.
And that is our biggest mistake.
Everything happens at once. A mighty light sears my eyes. The ground is torn apart. I'm hurled to the ground, hearing Ness let out a cry behind me. My vision swims with stars as suddenly, there's a blow to my head, everything is falling still, and my world fades to black.
.
.
.
.
.
.
When I come to, my first thought is why can't I see anything? That becomes apparent when I try to stand up: I'm lying face down in the mud.
Everything aches. I attempt to turn on my side, but there are what feels like a million tonnes mounted on my back. The rain is still thick and heavy, pouring down my cheeks and into my half-open mouth.
I try to lift my head, spitting out what feels like half a terrarium. My mind swims in protest, but still, I try to make out the scene. The moon has swept further across the sky. The thunder and lightning are quieter now, and a faint light in the distance tells me that dawn is creeping. But one thing's for sure.
I'm stuck.
"Ness?" I cry out weakly. "Ness?!"
Right in front of me is the gravestone. I can read it more clearly now, and I reach out, using it as a lever, hoping to slide myself out from whatever this enormous weight may be. My body slips, my shirt riding up and coating my face and stomach with mud, but I feel myself moving, the weight shifting, first over my buttocks, then over my thighs, and finally my calves.
I wriggle myself free, ignoring the pain that remains in the small of my back. Gripping onto the gravestone, I haul myself to my feet, and what I see behind me makes me feel ill.
A great oak tree lies on its side, roots sprawled unnaturally like tentacles in the air. Its branches wave feebly in the dying wind, but its trunk, its thick, mighty trunk, that's what I was stuck beneath. It's a wonder I survived.
Where's Ness? I think in a panic, my eyes darting around. Next to a nearby pine, there lies a figure, pale and cold in the moonlight. I rush over at once, my heart pounding.
I shake him once, then twice. His pyjama shirt is scorched on one side, revealing an angry red shoulder. His skin flakes, flecked with tiny droplets of foliage and mud.
Of course. The pieces fall together in my mind. Lightning struck the tree, but it caught Ness too.
A gasp suddenly escapes Ness's mouth, and he falls forwards into my arms. I hold him as best I can, and he winces, his eyes flying open. Ignoring the pain of his weight, I haul him over to the pine, collapsing him down against it. I tear his shirt, trying to gauge the full extent of his burns. Along his chest, there's another; angry, red, and raw. I decide the best thing to do is to let the rain wash it clean, then get him up to the medical ward as fast as I can.
"Lucas?"
"Stay still," I instruct. I wring out the blanket on the ground as best I can, using it to clear away any remnants of the scorched fabric. Ness winces again under my actions, but he doesn't protest, he only continues shivering.
"What happened?"
"Lightning," I say, still focused on the task at hand. I use the shreds of Ness's pyjama shirt to cover up his wound, before taking a deep breath. "It struck the oak tree, but it looks like it got you too." I neglect to mention the fact that the trunk nearly killed me.
"Are you okay?" Ness asks faintly.
"We need to get you back to the school," I say, helping him stand. "We got what you came for. What way do we go?"
"Are you okay?" Ness repeats.
"I'm fine. Which way?"
Ness screws up his face, evidently in pain. I take his hand in mine, trying to ignore the dizziness threatening to overtake me.
"I don't know," Ness says weakly.
But suddenly, it's as if someone has flicked a switch inside me. My muscles tense, my hair stands on end, my mind racing at top speed. Something's happening.
"Listen," I say
"Wh-What?"
"Listen," I say again, more insistently this time.
I crane my ears, trying to hear over the hungry wind. Thunder rumbles in the distance, but I'm almost certain I can hear something else. I edge towards the noise. Ness follows suit, still looking very confused. I slot my hand into his.
"Keep listening."
"I don't-"
"Shh!"
There it is, there it was. Cutting through the wind, unmistakable. Like a snake; a hiss.
I inch closer again, leaving the grave and the fallen oak behind. I push through the lower branches of a small birch tree, behind which a faint light seems to glow. Ness winces, the branches brushing against his exposed shoulder, and I mumble a hasty apology.
"Have you ever thought," I whisper. "About when you're alone in the dark, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? That irrational fear, when it feels like something's there, watching?"
Ness gives a tiny nod of his head, now looking rather frightened.
"What if," I continue, edging towards the light. "What if it's not irrational?"
"You're scaring me," Ness whispers. "Please stop."
"Listen," I insist.
There it is again. A quiet hissing, permeating the night.
"I hear it," Ness murmurs, shuddering.
"Ness?" I whisper.
"Y-Yeah?"
"What do you think it is?"
Hiss.
Ness steps forward, quaking. "I don't know."
"Listen..." My mind whirs with possibilities.
Hiss.
"Some kind of monster?" Ness's hand tenses in mine. "Something awful?"
"No, listen closer," I push, throwing the blanket over my shoulder. We're so close, now.
"Can't we go back to the school?"
"That's not the sound of a monster, Ness." The wind whips up my hair, pushing it onto one side of my face. "That's something else."
"Then stop being spooky and tell me-"
"I think it sounds like a machine."
"A machine?" Ness gives me a puzzled stare.
"A machine."
Ness looks bewildered, wrapping his arms around his middle. "How do you know?"
"Instincts," I say, without thinking.
"Is it dangerous?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know what sort of machine it is." I tiptoe forward. "I think it's this way, behind this thicket…"
"Shouldn't we leave it alone?" Ness trembles.
"It could be important..." I push into the deeper trees. Ness groans, following after me.
Driven by curiosity, I peer around the corner, where the dim orange light glows. There, silhouetted by the illuminance, is a box-like shape, groaning, hissing, the sound of steam being ejected from a pipe. But why?
Ness steps ahead of me, curiosity taking over him too, our injuries forgotten. The machine is a little bit smaller than me, a dull grey, jutting out unnaturally amongst a tuffet of grass. Steal beams and pipes surround the outside, and then the source of light becomes clear: A big panel on top is half-open, revealing what appears to be some kind of hole.
"Don't touch it!" I exclaim as Ness reaches forwards.
"But-"
"It could be dangerous."
Ness takes a stick, prising the panel open further, before peering down the hole.
"Take a look."
I come closer, and I nearly inhale a mouthful of smoke. But down there, quite far, far below even the ground, there is some sort of fire.
"I wasn't expecting that." I step back, perplexed.
"Oh!" Ness makes a sudden movement. "I know what it is!"
"What?" I watch him.
"It's a chimney!"
My mouth hangs open - he's right. But why is there a chimney here? I momentarily forget the pain and the weather and the darkness as I think, forcing myself to concentrate.
But something suddenly hits me. "Ness?"
"Yeah?" He senses my distress.
"If this is a chimney… and the fire below is lit…" I drop my voice to a whisper. "Someone might be down there, possibly listening to every word we say."
I watch Ness's eyes widen, any remaining colour leaving his face. He indicates for us to leave. I nods rapidly, and we tiptoe away as fast as I can. But this time, we emerge by a clearing.
It's wide, allowing the extent of the moonlight to reflect off of the sodden ground. The rain now falls in a lazy drizzle, ensuring that nothing dares to start drying out.
"Ness?" I have another thought. "If that was a chimney, then what was all that stuff on the side? The steel?"
"I don't know - b-but, can we get back to the school now?" He's back to shaking again.
"Which way is it?" Worried, I wrap the blanket back around him.
"I don't care - just, somewhere, please - I'm scared."
"Those four trees - see them, there?" I point to the other side of the clearing. "Let's go that way." I'm guessing, and that's obvious, but Ness doesn't comment. Our senses heighten as we step out into the open, treading ever so carefully over the mud. My hand tremors, but against Ness's soft palm, I'm reassured.
Until Ness freezes in place.
"Everything okay?" I ask cautiously.
"Did you say those four trees?"
"Yeah…?"
"Then," Ness gulps. "Why are there five shadows?"
My heartbeat practically slows to a crawl. The wind seems to pick up as I examine the moon, the singular light source. And then the trees, the four trunks, casting their vast shadows on the grass. But then, in between… Ness is right. Something humanoid.
Something awful.
"Be very quiet," I whisper. "It might not have seen us."
It's shrouded in darkness. Maybe it thinks we haven't noticed it. My mind races through the awful possibilities of what it could be.
"Hello?" Ness calls boldly, and I panic.
"Ness! You'll bring it over!"
The figure jumps - I'm not sure if it had been expecting to be spotted - and it appears to shuffle forward. There is some kind of uncertainty, or perhaps it's a hobble, in its walk. I'm not sure which. It seems to be looking over my shoulder. I daren't tear my eyes away to find out why.
Its visage is dark behind the veil of rain and the shadow of the pine trees. I grip onto Ness's hand, my breath quickening, prepared at any moment to run or fight. Ness takes a brave step forward. The moonlight glistens on the ground, before in an instant, it catches the face of our opponent, and there's a sickening twist in my stomach. A matted knot of filthy hair. Empty, hollow eyes. Grey, webbed skin. I know that face. I've seen that face before.
That.
Face.
"RUN!"
I feel a hand in mine, and suddenly we're sprinting, hurtling against the driving wind. We pass the hissing of the chimney, bursting out of the clearing, plunging into the darkness of the forest. We dart as fast as our legs can carry us, weaving seamlessly around the trees. There's a crash behind us. I take a left, and Ness takes a right around a tree, our hands momentarily fall apart…
But then we're back together again, the rain and wind mercilessly blasting at our faces. Countless trees disappear behind us. My hair falls slick against my forehead; I'd almost convinced myself that it was a mere hallucination, that the Face couldn't be real, but here it is. It's here, and it's here for us. What if it finds the passages and gets into the school? Or what if it's been doing so already? The disappearances…
I get out of my head and I focus on running. I look behind me, but this time, there's nothing. No Face. No noise. It's gone.
We're safe.
"Ness!" I exclaim. "We can stop!"
Ness checks for himself, and grinds to a halt, gasping for breath. I hold on tight to his shoulders, and he winces, gripping onto mine in return.
"The Face," he manages wildly. "Here!"
"I know! I saw it too, you goof!"
"You're," he gasps. "The goof!"
I survey the scene. We've ended up in a different part of the forest now; the trees aren't as dense, or as broad-trunked. The storm seems just the same though, and a wave of pain rushes over me as I remember my damaged head.
"Why is it here?" Ness moans. "It must've boarded the train!"
"I think people would've noticed if that thing was on board!"
Ness laughs, but that mixed with being out of breath causes him to break into a coughing fit. I thump him on the back, concerned, but he soon resurfaces.
"Where are we?" He looks around, shivering.
"Safe, I think." I look up at the moon again. It's brighter here, kinder. it makes me feel more confident.
"Okay. Sorry again for getting us into this mess..." Ness groans.
"There's no lasting damage." I give him a tight hug. "It'll be okay. I'll get us back. It's freezing, though..."
Ness hugs me back, trying to warm me up. It helps a little, shielding me from the wind.
"Okay…" I calculate, trying to be smart for the first time all night. "I was wrong about the moon. I thought it would lead us back to the school."
"So maybe we should try the opposite direction?" Ness suggests.
"Sounds good."
Surprisingly, the forest doesn't look too dangerous anymore. The rain has eased off a little, and it's been a little while since we've heard a clap of thunder. There is still the occasional lightning strike though, each one giving us a bit of a fright as it materialises. The wind is still nasty as well; it's an awful northern wind, determined to rip us to shreds. A sort of path makes itself visible from out of the gloom, likely made by some sort of woodland creature at some point in time. It's helpful, as along it there are fewer sharp stones that can attack our feet. Resigned to the awful weather at this point, we walk in silence, but it's a comfortable silence. Despite the initial surprise of seeing the Face… I almost feel like I expected it, or at least, expected something to be here tonight.
"I'm tired," Ness says, yawning.
I move alongside him, letting him lean on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him in a bid to warm him up, making sure to avoid his patches of burnt skin.
"What if they think we're just another disappearance?" Ness asks miserably. He's losing hope. I can't let that happen. If he loses hope, we may end up stuck in this forest for a very long time.
"Well, Ness," I huddle up to him, burying my face in his neck, "If we are stuck, there's nobody I'd rather be stuck with."
"Agreed." He wraps an arm around me.
I hug him, but suddenly, I freeze, the hairs on the back of my neck once again standing on end.
"L-Lucas?" Ness frowns.
"Listen."
"I-"
"Shush!"
He's silent. I'm silent. I'm sure that for the second time tonight, I can make out another sound, something buried underneath the wind. But this time, it's different. It's the sound of hope, the sound of potential.
The sound of freedom.
"A river!" Ness exclaims.
"It must be!" I break into a smile. "And if we follow the bank, back to where we were with the others…"
"Then we know the way back!" Ness cheers. "You're a genius, Lucas!"
I race him to the bank, the hearty roar of the current filling our ears as we arrive. The river is full to bursting from the storm, a lot more intense than it had been on our last visit. To my immense relief, just a few metres away, I can see it. The bank where we spent the night.
Ness and I share a joyous high five, sprinting down the riverside. But nothing's ever that easy.
"Placet Auxilium!"
I whirl around. Of course. Of course, this night of nightmares wouldn't be complete without him.
Future Human.
Once again, it's different. It wears steel-plated armour now - great, just what I needed, for it to have a defence boost. Some sort of ticking comes from a set of gears that I can see underneath a web of wood and screws… but there's no time to observe aesthetics, and I pull Ness behind me, ready to fight this battle.
"It's the city guard!" Ness shouts.
"City guard?"
"From my dream - he was guarding New Pork City!"
"You've dreamt of him too?!"
"Yeah, but..." Ness hesitates. "This isn't a dream."
"Well, it might be. We've shared dreams before."
I step back, aware that Future Human has started coming forward. As it comes into the moonlight, I could swear that even the face is different.
"But, Lucas." Ness scrambles away from it. "This feels real."
"It can't be," I protest. "It's impossible."
"So is the Face!"
"Then maybe this whole thing has been a dream!" I shout, backing further away, frightened by this new reality. What if the other two encounters with Future Human weren't dreams either? After all, I hadn't remembered falling asleep in the library, or even in the forest... I'd woken up after passing out. After seeing it! But then - but then, what, how?
"Placet Auxilium!"
It's coming. I back further along the bank, trying to understand how on earth this can be possible. It sounds more desperate than ever, its face so contorted in agony. What's happened to it? Who did this?
My vision unfocuses and refocuses again; what happened the other times? How did I get away? In the Library, Ryu had been there, and then in the forest, that girl. But how does it all connect?
I snap back to attention, just as it swings a great metal arm into my side, and I double over, wheezing. I get ready to run, but then there's another hit, the ground beneath me gives way, and I'm falling, falling…
Splash.
I land in the icy current of the river. Instinctively, I gasp for air, but water rushes into my mouth. I splutter, desperately kicking, trying to fight the force of gallons of water rushing by. On the bank, Future Human turns to Ness, who freezes, wide-eyed and horrified. I kick again, trying to make some ground, but the cold shock is far too much, and I thrash desperately in place. I wildly grip onto a bundle of reeds, but they tear from the ground, sending me spinning towards a rock...
"Lucas!" Ness dives into the water. Future Human growls. My vision tints with red as I'm dragged further away by the foaming current. Ness grabs me by the hand, struggling to breathe. There's a splash as Future Human enters the river - I'd hoped that it couldn't, that it wouldn't be able to - but it's coming. The river is icy, icy cold, I'm sure it's freezing me completely, to the core. Ness tries to grab further up my arm, but Future Human grabs him instead with a rotting hand, and Ness yells, accidentally letting go. My vision slides to the back of my head - I can't be washed away, not now, not here - I grab onto the bank, desperately kicking my legs, my head pounding. I badly want to close my eyes, to let unconsciousness capture me, to give in, but I can't.
Ness is fighting Future Human - I hear screams - I scramble quickly up the bank, seizing what little strength I have left. I spin around, grabbing a tree for balance… but Ness! I need to help Ness! The thought grounds me a little, enough to give me balance. I duck under branch after branch, trying not to fall over. I reach his side, grabbing Ness's expectant arm, and he kicks frantically at Future Human's armour, just managing to pull free. I haul him up as hard as I can, and he grips the bank, sliding up the muddy slope into my arms. But there's no time for relief, as Future Human tries to follow suit; I grab a nearby stick, sending the creature tumbling back into the river.
"Placet Auxilium!"
"L-Lucas, what does that mean?!" Ness stammers, shivering from the infernal cold.
"I-It means, 'please help,'" I say, grabbing his hand, desperately trying not to collapse. "It keeps saying that, it keeps - every other time - I-"
"You want help? With what!" Ness yells, as Future Human fights the current.
"Nos Ardere!" It roars with fury.
"That's new!" I gasp, desperately battling to maintain consciousness - come on brain, come on body, you can do this, you can stay strong...
"How can we help!?" Ness insists.
"Dolor!"
Its voice rises into a scream, the mechanical body thrashing in the tide. Ness senses me about to topple over, and he yanks me close.
"That means 'pain!' What's painful?"
"Dolor!"
"Yes, pain, where?" Ness shakes angrily. "How? Please, we cannot help if you do not say!"
It wildly shakes its head, before giving a loud growl, effortlessly pulling itself onto the bank.
"Lucas!" Ness yelps. "It's coming!"
"Dolor!"
I can barely hear him over the wind and the ringing in my ears. I'm vaguely aware that we start running. Ness is leading, towing me along, leading us through the trees… I can just about make out the trunks in time to dodge them. But the rest is noise, Future Human screaming, the wounds in my back, and my head feeling as if it's about to burst, my vision darkening slowly…
We charge through a clearing, down a track, jumping over the fallen tree by the gravestone. The wind drives wildly at my face, picking back up into a furious howl. We move at seemingly impossible speeds, and then there's the school - and a light at the doorway-
"DOLOR!"
It's still here. We're not going to make it. My legs want to give in. My head wants to give in. Ness pants beside me, trying as hard as he can, but it's not enough. The hill is too steep, and the Future Human is too fast.
"Get down!"
A familiar voice: instinctively I duck, Ness and I rolling into a terrified pile. There's a blinding flash of light. Ness yells, I yell, my heart pounding, and all at once, the light rushes off, centring in a tiny ball before disappearing entirely.
A figure hurries over, their long hair manic and illuminated in the moonlight. They duck down to us, before turning to the school and shouting for help.
"What are you two doing?" A face comes into focus. It's Rosalina.
I have no excuse for her. Everything hurts far too much. The light, the noise… I want to collapse, but, but…
"Come in, quick." Rosalina helps me up, her delicate hands shaking. "Quick! In case anything else shows up!"
"F-Future Human," I gibber, as Rosalina leads us indoors. "Future Human!"
"Professor, Lucas is hurt!" Ness is saying, somewhere far away.
"Ryu has supplies - quick! What are you waiting for?"
We hurry, Ness helping me along, the warm, dry air of the school soon washing over me. We slow down once we're indoors, wading through a labyrinth of corridors. My consciousness threatens to slip, and Ness grips me tight.
"Get in!" Rosalina throws Ryu's office door open. "Fast!"
We have no choice but to obey. My mind swims. Future Human - here - I tell myself this has to be a dream. It has to be. This is all nonsensical.
Ryu looks shocked to see us, but after a distinct look from Rosalina, he sets about drawing up a couple of chairs. I'm put down on one, and Rosalina goes about bandaging my head. It's all very busy, very frantic. The light in Ryu's office is bright, and I have to close my eyes. Rosalina whispers something in Ryu's ear, and Ryu hums in understanding, placing a hand on my shoulder. Warmth begins to spread through my body. The pain lessens, the ache fading to background noise. A hot sensation burns momentarily on my scalp, before it's replaced with a gentle pressure.
"What's happening?!" Ness grips the table. "What was that creature?"
I collapse against him, trying to stay conscious long enough to listen. I need to know. I need to hear.
"Well," Ryu grimaces. "I wasn't planning on having that discussion at this time of night-"
"Is it to do with the disappearances!?" Ness shakes.
"No, no, it's not." Professor Ryu sighs, his head in his hands. "Hush, Ness, calm yourself down, I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you what I - what Rosalina and I - know."
Rosalina sits herself down. Ness fidgets in anticipation, so much so that I nearly slip from his shoulder to the floor. Ryu's eyes find Rosalina, who gives a tiny nod.
He speaks. "The situation is complex and very deadly, you must understand this above all else. We don't know where these things, these creatures, are coming from. But, I have some certain skills from when I went to this school myself; I have figured out a way to... track them down."
There's a slight pause. Uncharacteristically, Ryu looks rather nervous.
"If one of them is near, I can detect it, and I can therefore find and neutralise the threat. But we do not know what they are. Nor do we know how they operate. All we know is that they are here, and potentially very dangerous."
"You know about them?" Ness tenses. "There's more than one?"
"They look different each time," Ryu says. "There must be."
"But what are they?"
Ryu closes his eyes and then opens them again. "As I said, we have no idea. I confided in Professor Rosalina, and she did not know either. They appear to be part human, part machine."
"Like… a sort of cyborg?" Ness scratches his cheek.
"Book-" I manage to utter. "In book - I saw, in book-"
"You saw them in a book?" Ryu gives me a sharp gaze.
"It was called - was called Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures..."
"Can I see it?" Ryu stares intently at me.
I gasp for air, colours flashing in front of my eyes. "Gone - gone, from library..."
"That is unfortunate." Ryu looks pained.
A million questions burn through my mind, but I cannot muster up the strength to ask them.
"When did you first see them?" Ness asks.
"Well," Ryu grimaces. "I first saw them in the library, at the same point that I believe Lucas saw them too. I was coming in to find an account for that history lesson we had, and to my horror, I noticed that it had cornered Lucas. I saw it next when Bayonetta came to my office to inform me that it was attacking Lucas in the forest. And then, one chased you both through the corridor-"
Ness gasps. "So there was something after us!"
"Yes." Ryu gives a wry smile. "But I thought it prudent to keep that quiet. Then came tonight, I, uh, tracked it again, and there it was, outside the window. I sent Rosalina to get you two to safety. Now, I'm sure you've noticed the pattern?"
I have. But I don't want to admit it. It fills me with dread.
"Lucas…" Ness's gaze shifts in my direction.
"That's right. They always seem to appear around Lucas."
"But they're impossible!" Ness shudders. "We must be dreaming! No offense, Professor, but magic doesn't exist!"
"They are indeed impossible." Ryu smiles serenely. "I do not pretend to understand them at all. Magic, on the other hand, that is a very different matter."
Ness takes a deep breath. "They must be related to the disappearances."
"But that's the funny thing." Ryu furrows his eyebrows. "They can't be. I have only tracked those four, I'd know if there were more. They don't go anywhere near the disappearing people."
"So, we have two mysteries to solve," Rosalina says quietly. I'd almost forgotten she was there.
"And they're both dangerous!" Ness shouts angrily. "We need to evacuate the school!"
"We can't," Ryu replies calmly. "I told you, because of the virus, we cannot re-enter Onett city-"
"But Lucas is in danger!"
"Ness," Rosalina says. "I know you care deeply about Lucas, and I know this is scary, but we are putting in measures to keep you all safe."
"Not enough measures," Ness protests. "We just got attacked!"
"Well." Ryu's face darkens. "It doesn't help that you were in the forest in the dead of night. You might as well be looking for trouble."
"We were - we were just-"
"Save it. Please, do not bore me with an excuse."
"This cannot be real." Ness folds his arms. "We have to be dreaming, and that is that."
"I've told you before, Ness." Ryu glowers. "You need to start learning what is real, and what is not."
Rosalina quickly stands, looking between the pair as if they might start duelling then and there.
"I think it's time for bed, don't you?"
Ness gives in instantly, and as we leave the office, I get the strong impression that I'm in terrible, terrible danger.
.
.
.
.
.
Eventually, we're back in our temporary dormitory. We decide to change into our day clothes; our pyjamas are either soaked through or torn to shreds. Ness paces back and forth, whilst I lie down, unable to sleep amid my aching mind.
"They're after you, Lucas." Ness turns sharply to face me. "Something is definitely after you, and someone is behind the steel men, the figure in the shower, the Face..."
I turn over onto my side, facing him. "In the book, the men were called Future Human."
"What was the icy blast that put out the fire?" Ness continues, his head in his hands. "How did Rosalina 'neutralise' the Future Human? I don't understand it."
"It doesn't add up," I say.
"Bayonetta - she told me in Business that she'd seen you in the forest, and that she got Ryu to deal with it."
"I saw a girl," I remember. "I saw her behind a tree when it was closing in on me. But what was Bayonetta doing in the forest?"
"Oh." To my surprise, Ness goes pink at that. "Uh, well, she was with Wario. When I ran off, I saw them, uh, doing things, you know, like… sex."
"Gross." I feel ill at the thought.
"But then," Ness resumes his pacing, "How does the Face fit into all this?"
I tremble, remembering seeing the haggard Face. It had a body, at least; concealed by shadow, but a body no less.
"And then, the disappearances?" Ness collapses into his bed. "The Grave? The figurine? And that chimney, what was that doing there? Then there's Olimar and Meta Knight up to something too. I don't get it!"
I think, processing all that we saw in the forest. Never have I been more afraid, more bedraggled, even on the streets of Onett. Never has any night been quite so intense.
"We need to listen," I whisper.
"Listen?"
"Listen - what was it saying? Why Latin? Why does Future Human speak Latin?"
Ness hits his pillow with frustration. "I don't know."
"We've got to count it up," I say. "Count up every little detail, every single clue, because if we don't, nobody will. There has to be a rational explanation for everything, everything that is going on here, all the impossible events…"
"Do we tell the others?" Ness asks. I shake my head.
"We shouldn't drag them into it."
"Yes. You're right. We shouldn't."
"Do you still think Ryu could be behind it all?"
"Anyone could be behind it." Ness shrugs. "We can't trust anyone but our friends."
I shudder. I already have an idea - someone who's been after me for a very long time. A bowler hat threatens to enter my mind's eye, and I quickly push it away.
"Bowser?" I suggest, just to distract myself.
"Too stupid."
"Yeah." I laugh, and it creates some warmth.
Ness yawns, stretching. "Tomorrow might be nice and normal."
I laugh again. "Yeah, right. Nothing's ever normal with us."
"True… I'm sorry for causing, well, tonight," Ness sighs. "I can't believe you came all the way out for me..."
"I'm just such a great friend," I say.
"Too right you are." Ness smiles. "If only I could be like you."
"Ness..." I blush, turning away. I don't like when he says such things. "Don't beat yourself up. We got some answers, the grave was blank, and we know more about Future Humans now. We know they're changing, we know there's more than one. We know that Ryu and Rosalina know about them."
"Yeah…" he looks down. "But you also got two nasty head injuries. I'm surprised you don't have permanent brain damage."
"Maybe I do… I'm still hanging out with you, after all."
"Hey!" He pouts.
I laugh. "C'mon, we should sleep." I move to pull my blanket over myself, before remembering it's now cold, wet and muddy. The storm rages outside, now seeming a million miles away.
"Yeah," Ness agrees, and I shiver. It's freezing. I look over at Ness's bed as he buries himself below the covers. It looks so much warmer than mine…
I sneak over. He's surprised to see me, but he happily lets me snuggle up to him, wrapping his comforting arms around me. We're just friends, I remind myself. He just so happens to be warm, and cuddly, and the best person to grace this earth.
But even before I can sleep, images hang in my mind. A great beam of light, scattering the Future Human to the winds. A ray of ice, beating down the incandescent arms of the fire. Creatures, neither man nor machine, a hybrid of both.
And then Ryu: Magic, on the other hand, that is a very different matter.
For the first time in my life, I think I'm beginning to agree.
A/N
Things are hotting up. I've left clues all around the place as to what's going on… but they're hard to spot! And I promise, less chaos and drama in the next chapter! It'll be a nice soft one. Probably. (Edit: It wasn't.)
This took just two days to write. I've had a lot of free time…
~ ReadyForTeddy
