Chapter 4: Unplanned Events
At the dock of the Huysman Harbour Company...
"It seems that you have cooled down after yesterday, you looked like if you saw a ghost," the security guard said. His colleague wasn't in a good mood if he must be honest. The fog was even thicker than yester and for the temperature was it the same.
Come on Bernard, don't be upset about it. We will have a great time to watch the soccer match of tonight, maybe you are going get some free money, so see the positive side of life.
Joey brought some donuts for the match, there were on discount in the supermarket and he got accustomed to the Dutch habit of buying things who were only in the sale. It was for him also to get something to try out, sometimes he would like the new discounted product and sometimes it turned out to be trash. He had saved a decent amount of money and so, he was in a good mood tonight.
Bernard was the opposite, it appeared to Joey that his colleague wasn't completely over the illusion of yesterday. He himself didn't saw it and for some reason that calmed his friend.
While he was settling himself in the warm cozy chair, Bernard walked out to the dock for the check, nervously inspecting any small detail of the water.
"Are you really going to search for that mysterious blond girl, which you described to me?", Joey asked and remarked that his answer didn't reach his friend.
It is here nice and warm, why would he look for a girl that doesn't exist?
It was an illusion for Joey, a hallucination. An image of something made by your own foolish brain, whose imagination could go to the roof. He has read some articles about it, while his friend was away and it was always a projected imagery through the eyes of the creator.
However, Bernard was his friend and he won't be worthy of calling himself one if he didn't help him. As nice as his chair was, he putted himself to stand up and go out to check the terrain by himself. His watch was almost at ten o'clock at night, the match of the soccer rivals has already started.
With the scarf around his neck, he stepped to the outside world to assist his colleague for the check.
The fog was thick, he almost couldn't say which side of him was east, west, south or north. His sense of direction was completely off guard and so, he also needed to rely on Bernard.
"Where are you, I can't see that much!", he shouted to get a sense of location, he could see just the floor and a few meters forward.
"There she is! Right next to you!", his buddy shouted enthusiastically, almost fanatically.
Bernard, are you having a mood swing? You can't just say that after the grumpy expression you wore just five minutes ago. Of course, she-
His thought got interrupted by seeing the vague female silhouette moving next to him. His eyes started to expand, his breath was holding himself in and he instantly believed his colleague.
Since when are his fantasies coming to life, since when are these things real?
The mysterious figure was running away from them and headed straight for the closed gate. The gate itself was two and a half meters high and was made of semi-solid mesh, it was good enough to prevent robbers to climb over it.
However, the figure didn't need to climb, it transcended right to the mesh, through the gate and the person became solid in a short period after that. The mist became suddenly less and clarified the description of Bernard's earlier encounter.
It was indeed a blond girl, probably a teenager, fifteen years old. For the short time span that she was close to him, Joey recognized the emotion on her face, an emotion that was communicating something wrong about the situation.
"Why did she look scared, what have we done to her?", Bernard asked him, the eyes were disconnected from reality, completely staring forward.
"Maybe your search has frightened her," Joey tried to cheer him up, but as a human possessed by a demon, Bernard didn't reply and ran immediately to the gate to unlock it. While his breath started to calm down, the hands were holding the keys and putted with thrilling fingers in the key hole.
"I would like if you stay here to keep an eye on the dock and the gate, I will make sure that she won't get hit by a truck if I find her.', he explained to Joey and was far enough away from him to ignore the comment.
What's wrong with him? However, I must admit, that was odd, almost weird.
He found himself left behind by his colleague, who headed after that mysterious teenager that the both witnessed. The thought of that he had seen a supernatural phenomenon, was passing through his mind and made a lot of sense. Normal people aren't supposed to walk straight to a gate of mesh, normal people won't turn into fog and reverse.
He won't listen, I am more worried about him, that he won't be struck by a car or truck. It seems that he got kicks out of other things, things that maybe will cost him his life, I would only lose some of my money.
Joey took a deep breath and sighed with a smile. He putted a rag out of his pocket, who had a smell that was chemical and disturbingly calming.
Well, at least I don't need this anymore, it turned out fine for me on this part.
His old cell-phone began to ring, the sound was like an old 8-bit Gameboy, but distorted. It was clear that his mobile phone was an old model and had experienced a lot, but it still worked for where it was meant for.
"It the dock safe? Can we moor?", a voice asked through the speaker. It was a rough voice, affected by the salt air of the see through his years, while his English was heavily accentuated with his foreign dialect.
"Yep, it's safe. My colleague won't be a nuisance, he had something different to do," he answered and saw how a medium sized ship moored on the dock.
He couldn't read to name of the ship, which was written with graceful little symbols. However, it didn't mind him, because he could use the extra money for the defect washing machine he and a few others used.
The ship wasn't moving anymore and the gangway reached the ground of the Netherlands, which was wet due to the weather of the last days. The little water pools combined with the transparent mist, made at first sight a mysterious impression for the visitors.
A group of four passengers took their first steps in this country of low lands, merely above the sea level. The group was sub divided into two pairs, one couple seemed loveable, the other duo was quite tense.
"Europe, the contingent of countries that are looking the same, are the same, but are still different. The contingent where all the cheap fantasy settings are based off, while completely ignoring the more interesting and real history of Europe," the older man said, or at least, that's what Joey assumed. The man was hiding his face behind a mask and was wearing a lab coat, but his pose was resembling an adventurous spirit of a child with wild imagination, ready to explore this new and dangerous place.
"Wherever we are, you are as dumb and weird as always."
A young and ambitious woman, who was also dressed in a lab coat combined with a green sweater, sent the snarky comment to him.
"I do prefer something warmer, but your cap will be useful here," a grown-up boy said to the girl next to him. While his real age was almost eighteen, people tended to estimate his age higher. The almost vaguely pink color of the head wear was off for a man like himself, but it was given to him and he didn't bother about his looks.
"Before we left Japan, I have research and studied the weather patterns of the United States and all of the coast of Europe. The weather tended to be colder here, so I decided to buy some extra caps for the case you get a cold," the girl explained, who was sticking as glue to him. Her cap was the same model only with the addition of a small lovely pink colored heart.
"I bought them also for you, it can freeze at night over here," she commented with a cheerful voice and putted without permission a similar looking cap on the head of the older man.
"That's kind of you miss Harima, you also added a small and unique touch to it. I like the conical flask on it, I would like to show to my son, he would also approve it."
"However, that son of yours is even more crazy. Of course, he would approve it." the woman said, while her eyes were almost piercing through the girl's head. The reason was that her own personalized cap she got from her, had a small light purple skull on it.
"Don't argue over it, what would the security guard think of it. We are already looking odd enough," the older man tried to calm it down and turned his masked face to Joey.
Odd is a rather weak word for this group, but supernatural is too weird for them too. I think I would keep it by weird.
"However, here is the money that we promised you for leaning your service to us and letting us slip through the border patrol," the man said and handed over an envelope with a good pack of cash in it. It was already in euros, which was great, now he didn't have to make excuses for why he needs to exchange that much paper money.
"It is no problem, if I am honest, I must admit that it is even a delightful meeting, I have never met this kind of interesting people," Joey replied, while he was counting the money.
That corporation where he works for, Nebula, is a rather loyal and honest company. They will pay me great if I do my part of the deal good, silently and safely.
While he was putting the envelop in his pocket, a car with mirrored glass stopped before the opened gate. His colleague has forgotten to lock it, when he followed the girl.
"I see that everything is managed well, well then, let's move to our new residence for the time that we are here," the man decided and his crew agreed on it, but for various reasons.
The captain of the ship, was also off the boat and explained to him what was going to happen next.
"We will moor after this somewhere else, where we will get checked, however, they will find nothing suspicious, because those four are already in the country."
"That is reasonable, have a good night," Joey responded, while his mind was being curious about the item in that steel cubic case that the older man was wearing with him.
-Somewhere on the street, close to the harbour...
Why I am doing this, why have I done it?
For some people, it was a necessary question to evaluate their own lives, a question that could decide their new path in this reality. Others are asking themselves the same thing, due to confusion over a thing that turned out differently than expected and forced them to take a different route, for the better or the worse.
Why I am doing this, why have I done it?
For her, it was for both reasons and it made her walking through the mist for almost an hour straight, without resting.
She only knew that context was always relevant and that that said context was someone's past, a foot mark of their own choices and decisions. For herself, she couldn't imagine the things that she did the last hours without him being involved in it.
Damn it, fuck it, curse it, curse that damn beautiful part of live, damn it.
"Let's start by living together," he said, when he they did it for the first time and now, she got this corrupt mess, this abomination. She looked into her wallet where she found the pack of cash of yesterday's client, her make-up set for when she's on the way and that kitchen knife, that damn cursed kitchen knife.
I can't get rid of it, why in the name of god does the world need this kind of twisted items?
The knife was wrapped around with a cotton lap, who was gotten red from the blood, but she herself wasn't cut and that made the conclusion, that it wasn't her own blood.
I am hoping that they will find him late or that they won't find him at all, which will never happen. I can't go back to it now, I want to leave it as fast as I can, but where can I hide?
She won't get it cold; her fur coat kept her warm while she was wandering on the harbour side of the city without a clear goal in mind. Hoping for a new client tonight, she had made herself up and had chosen this time for an ironic femme fatal look. The purple of the coat was accentuated around her eyes, while she wore long and seducing eyelashes.
"Miss, help me!", a young beautiful voice screamed to her. Like everyone who was in dangerous, she sounded scared as hell, however, the voice contained a noticeable hint of doubt. In the next second that past, a girl who was in possession of a jealous making amount of blond hair, was already clamming to her. While Astrid was still startled by the girl's appearance and behaviours, her focus and attention where completely on edge when she heard the next few lines of the situation.
"There she is, with that prostitute!"
"She is way easier to find than what we had anticipated."
Inside, she sighed happily, it seemed that they haven't found him still and didn't recognize her. Though, that didn't mean that she wasn't scared by the group of four, who were going to approach the girl, who seemed to be in her puberty.
"Don't worry, don't fear us, our boss is worried about you, we won't hurt you."
What's with them? What he just said was straight out creepy pedophilic talk, but he sounded honest though. They aren't lying and they don't to be pedophiles by themselves.
Abnormal was the term that she wanted to use for describing this moment. They didn't lie, but they were looking dangerous and were definitely going to kidnap the girl.
In an attempt to calm herself a bit, she observed the clothes of the guys and recognized their outfits. For her, it was quite unsure if this was a coincidence or not.
I can't fight them, if I do, then the situation will escalate and the only thing I want now, is a hiding place.
The girl stood frightened behind her and Astrid's appearance didn't matter in this moment. The four men began to get close to them, while in the distant the start of a vehicle's motor was faintly hearable.
I can't take her on my back, maybe if she was younger, but she is too old for being carried. There is just one thing I can do now and it won't solve the problem.
Her expression became serious, while her head was turning to the mysterious girl and whispered:
"Would it be okay if we ran, I don't have the courage now to take them on."
There was communication between them that didn't required words or speech, humans are capable of impossible things when they are threatened.
She took the teenager's hand and together they fled from the men, who started to follow them.
"Grab her before it is too late!", one of the thugs took the leader role, but it wasn't necessary for the group.
I knew it, this is going to be a real mess, a mess where I have dragged myself into, I am going to be the cause of this conflict.
She had seen these guys countless times and their business didn't clash with hers. In fact, they have met each other and held useful conversations. However, she knew that they have become enemies in the last day and now both parties are going to interfere with each other's, she was hundred percent sure of that.
At the apartment complex of Uthan...
I am wondering, is she still in the apartment?
Uthan stared to the wooden door on the ground floor, it was the place where he had spoken to the girl. He was reminded by the careful approach that she took towards him, he couldn't blame her. However, he wanted to thank her for the help she gave him.
That was an awkward situation with her, I didn't saw that fluency coming from her, at least not that advanced.
While he was waiting on the response of him knocking on the door, he turned his head to the script, which contains a lot of paper, but little dialogue for his character.
Still, is wasn't that strange as my encounter with Ruri Hijiribe, she's going to play a major role in this movie, just like me.
An answer didn't come, it appeared that she wasn't home. There was no reason for him to think that she could live somewhere else and so, his hope wasn't completely faded out. It would really lighten his mood if he had someone who could talk to, even it was just a small talk about the weather.
They chose me because of my horrific face, didn't they?
He went upstairs to his own department, while he was wondering if he must be happy or sad with his look.
I could have expected it, they want me as the serial killer, as the villain of this movie.
"Well, at least I got a day off, so I can check her door tomorrow," he said to himself, while the key was unlocking the door to his residence.
As an apartment, it had everything you needed to be able to live on your own. The kitchen was prepared for almost every recipe and after the meal, you could put the dishes in the dishwasher. He could wash his clothes with his own washing machine instead of the public washing rooms over in Washington.
The problem, however, was laying by Uthan himself. He seldom cooked his dinner at home; he bought his meal always on his way back to his department in the capital. Due to that, he didn't have any cooking skills nor cooking knowledge, he had only a grasp of the most basic technique, the technique of boiling an egg in hot water.
"I'll miss the cereals with milk, though, the bread here is at least consumable."
The closets were slowly being filled with groceries like a pound of cheese, a varied range of sliced meat, a few small cups of butter and chocolate sprinkles. He was lucky to found a cooking book in English, so he could work on his cooking skills.
He also bought a lunch box so that he could prepare his lunch if he wanted too. Today somewhere around 12 o'clock, the lunch boxes of every person around him unfolded their precious sandwiches, which was sometimes only a slice of cheese or what seemed like chocolate paste.
It seems that I must adopt myself to the country and the role in the movie. However, I am not that happy with the latter.
His dinner of today were instant noodles, together with a boiled egg. The variety of ingredients that he could find in the local supermarket was large in seize, but it was changed to a more divers arsenal of styles, from European to Asian via South America and on the way back the Middle-East.
While he was enjoying his ordinary meal, he laid the script in front of to read the scenes that he was going to play over two days.
His first scene was meant as promotion material, a sneak preview of the plot that was going to peak the audience's interest. The reason for the so-called scene zero was the fact that the original actor was famous over in Japan and that it also would feature Ruri Hijiribe as one of the main actors.
His scene was centred around his first victim, who he needed to kill by banging the victim's head against a solid wall. The notations suggested a gloomy lighting set-up and was asking the actor to act as intimidating as possible.
Before he went back to his apartment, the eccentric manager, who was called Max Sandshelt, questioned him if he had the strength to play the scene. He told him that it was acquired for the scene and Uthan didn't look that powerful.
In response, Uthan stated that he had learned self-defense over at the Police Academy, who had toughened him up a bit, so he would be fine on that part.
I am worried that I might must restrain myself, my muscles are looking weak, but they really aren't.
From the view of a bystander, Uthan's body seemed to be fragile due to his length, which was with 190 centimeters pretty tall for an American. In Washington he would stay out in the crowd, but here in Rotterdam, he could hide himself in the public if he wanted.
Almost everybody would be surprised when he showed his strength and agility. He wasn't that hefty, but his flexibility made it more than worth. So far back as he could remember, he has gotten always that physicality, even in his younger days at home.
He would play with his father, crawling and romping around the furniture until one of them was exhausted of the activity. He had for a child a normal recovery rate, his bones would recover as fast as every kid would do at his age.
Like normal families will do, his family loved him for what he was, cause even in his childhood, he was wearing that eerie face.
In kindergarten, the naivety of the children made them less suspicious about his looks and he had an enjoyable time, which quickly turned into a test of endurance at elementary school.
Was he strong enough to hold himself together in his new environment, to endure all the suspicion that he received?
Unfortunately, the nasty comments about his 'evilness' broke him in less than two weeks, where after he was taken care at home and became a home-thought individual.
Why didn't you help while I was in school? Why now? Why now monster face?
He threw the script to the corner of the room and after he putted the dirty plate in the dishwasher, he headed to his comfortable bed.
My brain is hurting me, it needs rest. No thoughts of slamming and cracking the skull of an unconscious person against a wall.
His actions for the scene were already repeating in his head, while he was brushing his teeth. The reflection of the mirror changed almost to a film screen with his scene projecting on it.
Shut up head, just shut the fuck up.
As much as he wished, his last thoughts before he fell asleep were the details of the murder.