Right, where was I?
Thankings to all reviewers. This story seems to be more popular then 'Army of exiles', which is good I guess. Oh well, replies are at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 3:
I woke up at seven a.m. the next morning, and got up two hours later. I never liked getting up early unless I have to. I never usually did anything worthwhile in the extra hours, just stumbled about the house looking like a zombie's passport photo and rummaged about in the fridge and got cold as I decided what to eat.
Anyway, it was Sunday so I treated myself to an extended rest, got up, shaved, showered, brushed my teeth, arranged my features so as to appear presentable to the general public.
The fridge and cupboards were both half empty, consequently I couldn't satisfy my stomach's desire for a tuna sandwich. Instead I had a bowl of cereal, I can't remember what it was but in the grand scheme of things I guess it's not that important.
Strangely enough, I didn't think too much of my bizarre conversation with the plant program the night before. I think that at the time I assumed that he was just a delusional youth who tried to impress females, or males depending on which way his sexuality directed him, by telling them that he was a program. It had been known to happen. When I thought about it however I doubted that he was trying to seduce me.
I considered this thought whilst I consumed my mystery cereal. During the next hour my brain was occupied in trying to determine the cause for the unspeakably high figure on my gas bill. I think that's what I was doing when I heard a knock the knock on the door.
When I opened the door, I was surprisingly surprised to find him standing on the other side. I had expected this, but a part of me didn't really believe that it would happen.
"Much better" he said instantly, "now you are fit to make the decision."
I stood silent for a few seconds, struggling with a confussion that was becoming disturbingly familiar to me.
"What decision is that?" I finally said.
"Come with me."
I'm not sure why I went. This sounded like a scam of some description. For example, I go with him and get beaten to death by him and a few of his friends. Alternatively, I go with him and my house gets ransacked by a few of his friends. I knew that this was a possibility, even a probability, but I went anyway. (But not before slipping a kitchen knife into my pocket. If I was going to die, I was going to take a few of them with me.) Maybe I wanted to die.
Seeing him outside my house was not as surprising as finding a jet black Porsche resting silently outside my house. The confussion came flooding back as I saw it.
"If we were going to harm you then I would have shot you when you opened the door, or last night maybe. You should learn to be more trusting."
"Who's we?" I said a little harshly, trying to retain some of the dignity that had been torn from me thanks to the shocked expression on my face that came when I saw the Porsche.
"You know the answer to that question."
He was right, I did, or at least I thought I did. 'We' probably referred to the 'ascended' ones.
"By the way," I said as I climbed into the car, one hand still gripping the knife in my pocket, "I didn't catch your name."
"Manticore," he responded plainly as he climbed into the driver's seat and donned a pair of sunglasses, whether they were for practical or pretentious reasons I couldn't be sure, "I didn't catch yours either."
"Eri…"
"Wait," he said, cutting me off, "if you choose to be free, you must shed the symbol of slavery that has been forced upon you.
"I wouldn't call my name a symbol of slavery."
"If you choose to join us then you'll more likely then not soon see differently, if you don't you can keep whichever name you wish. Now you must choose one."
"Um," I paused again, there seemed to be no way I could do this without humiliating myself, and it was hard to think of a name that was both suitable and interesting.
"Wanderer" I said as forcefully as I could.
"It's good." He replied emotionlessly.
I scanned his face for a while, waiting to see if he'd burst out laughing. In the end he didn't. The journey took longer then I expected it to. I thought that we were going to some run down, abandoned building in some equally run down, abandoned part of the city centre. In the end though, we ended up driving past a seemingly endless collection of fields and forests.
Most of the journey also passed in silence. Manticore said that all questions would be revealed when we arrived at 'The Destiny'. This was his answer to all two of my questions.
We eventually pulled over on a reasonably level area of dust that looked like a hastily built parking space. To the left there was a forest of what looked like pine trees.
"This way" said Manticore as he set off into the forest.
The walking portion of our journey seemed almost as long as the driving portion. It was equally quiet. There was nothing in the area to suggest that there was nothing for the next few miles but trees, more trees, leaves and yet more trees.
Since Manticore wasn't up for conversation, I became engrossed in thought. Consequently, I almost didn't notice that Manticore had stopped. He started to speak but didn't turn to face me.
"This is it, the destiny, the place where you must decide whether or not to leave your old life behind and join the ascended ones."
"It's a tree." I said with traces of humour in my voice, as well as irritation, not to mention fear.. If I was to be beaten to death there was a good chance that it would happen now.
Manticore glared at me for a few seconds before walking to, and somehow, into the tree. I stood staring in disbelief for a few seconds, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. It took me a few moments to realise what had happened, and slowly edge towards, and into the tree.
To be continued
A bit of a short one I know, the next one should be longer. Right, now for some replies.
Angel-of-lightness: Glad you enjoy it. Bah! Bastard situation I have with negligible credit. Oh well, grapes are duplicitous things, and, much like chocolate digestives, you can't stop with one. One with regards to food can be a disgusting occurrence. Yeah.
Agent Josie: May death rain on the moron who doesn't like Spike. Glad you have enjoyed thus far, and I can't help my poor memory any more then I can make it snow on Tuesdays. Right, now who the hell is Spike?
2. Sad.
4. You're not trying.
If this confuses, read my reviews of 'Things can only get better we hope' and it will still confuse, probably.
Thankings to all reviewers. This story seems to be more popular then 'Army of exiles', which is good I guess. Oh well, replies are at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 3:
I woke up at seven a.m. the next morning, and got up two hours later. I never liked getting up early unless I have to. I never usually did anything worthwhile in the extra hours, just stumbled about the house looking like a zombie's passport photo and rummaged about in the fridge and got cold as I decided what to eat.
Anyway, it was Sunday so I treated myself to an extended rest, got up, shaved, showered, brushed my teeth, arranged my features so as to appear presentable to the general public.
The fridge and cupboards were both half empty, consequently I couldn't satisfy my stomach's desire for a tuna sandwich. Instead I had a bowl of cereal, I can't remember what it was but in the grand scheme of things I guess it's not that important.
Strangely enough, I didn't think too much of my bizarre conversation with the plant program the night before. I think that at the time I assumed that he was just a delusional youth who tried to impress females, or males depending on which way his sexuality directed him, by telling them that he was a program. It had been known to happen. When I thought about it however I doubted that he was trying to seduce me.
I considered this thought whilst I consumed my mystery cereal. During the next hour my brain was occupied in trying to determine the cause for the unspeakably high figure on my gas bill. I think that's what I was doing when I heard a knock the knock on the door.
When I opened the door, I was surprisingly surprised to find him standing on the other side. I had expected this, but a part of me didn't really believe that it would happen.
"Much better" he said instantly, "now you are fit to make the decision."
I stood silent for a few seconds, struggling with a confussion that was becoming disturbingly familiar to me.
"What decision is that?" I finally said.
"Come with me."
I'm not sure why I went. This sounded like a scam of some description. For example, I go with him and get beaten to death by him and a few of his friends. Alternatively, I go with him and my house gets ransacked by a few of his friends. I knew that this was a possibility, even a probability, but I went anyway. (But not before slipping a kitchen knife into my pocket. If I was going to die, I was going to take a few of them with me.) Maybe I wanted to die.
Seeing him outside my house was not as surprising as finding a jet black Porsche resting silently outside my house. The confussion came flooding back as I saw it.
"If we were going to harm you then I would have shot you when you opened the door, or last night maybe. You should learn to be more trusting."
"Who's we?" I said a little harshly, trying to retain some of the dignity that had been torn from me thanks to the shocked expression on my face that came when I saw the Porsche.
"You know the answer to that question."
He was right, I did, or at least I thought I did. 'We' probably referred to the 'ascended' ones.
"By the way," I said as I climbed into the car, one hand still gripping the knife in my pocket, "I didn't catch your name."
"Manticore," he responded plainly as he climbed into the driver's seat and donned a pair of sunglasses, whether they were for practical or pretentious reasons I couldn't be sure, "I didn't catch yours either."
"Eri…"
"Wait," he said, cutting me off, "if you choose to be free, you must shed the symbol of slavery that has been forced upon you.
"I wouldn't call my name a symbol of slavery."
"If you choose to join us then you'll more likely then not soon see differently, if you don't you can keep whichever name you wish. Now you must choose one."
"Um," I paused again, there seemed to be no way I could do this without humiliating myself, and it was hard to think of a name that was both suitable and interesting.
"Wanderer" I said as forcefully as I could.
"It's good." He replied emotionlessly.
I scanned his face for a while, waiting to see if he'd burst out laughing. In the end he didn't. The journey took longer then I expected it to. I thought that we were going to some run down, abandoned building in some equally run down, abandoned part of the city centre. In the end though, we ended up driving past a seemingly endless collection of fields and forests.
Most of the journey also passed in silence. Manticore said that all questions would be revealed when we arrived at 'The Destiny'. This was his answer to all two of my questions.
We eventually pulled over on a reasonably level area of dust that looked like a hastily built parking space. To the left there was a forest of what looked like pine trees.
"This way" said Manticore as he set off into the forest.
The walking portion of our journey seemed almost as long as the driving portion. It was equally quiet. There was nothing in the area to suggest that there was nothing for the next few miles but trees, more trees, leaves and yet more trees.
Since Manticore wasn't up for conversation, I became engrossed in thought. Consequently, I almost didn't notice that Manticore had stopped. He started to speak but didn't turn to face me.
"This is it, the destiny, the place where you must decide whether or not to leave your old life behind and join the ascended ones."
"It's a tree." I said with traces of humour in my voice, as well as irritation, not to mention fear.. If I was to be beaten to death there was a good chance that it would happen now.
Manticore glared at me for a few seconds before walking to, and somehow, into the tree. I stood staring in disbelief for a few seconds, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. It took me a few moments to realise what had happened, and slowly edge towards, and into the tree.
To be continued
A bit of a short one I know, the next one should be longer. Right, now for some replies.
Angel-of-lightness: Glad you enjoy it. Bah! Bastard situation I have with negligible credit. Oh well, grapes are duplicitous things, and, much like chocolate digestives, you can't stop with one. One with regards to food can be a disgusting occurrence. Yeah.
Agent Josie: May death rain on the moron who doesn't like Spike. Glad you have enjoyed thus far, and I can't help my poor memory any more then I can make it snow on Tuesdays. Right, now who the hell is Spike?
2. Sad.
4. You're not trying.
If this confuses, read my reviews of 'Things can only get better we hope' and it will still confuse, probably.