"I've brought in a guest, Valerie. He's unconscious from the smoke. Surely you'll help him recover." A cat meows at another as two Elsen carry The Batter into an apartment room. Valerie, who was resting under the dining room table, looks up to see the body the two citizens carried.
"He's not from here. Did he enter the city?"
"Yes, I saw him walking outside. He seems to be unaware that Jerusha doesn't accept visitors without approval. He'll be fine now that his body is enveloped by the atmosphere but for safe measures give him the serum."
"Okay, Pablo. Give me one moment," Valerie stretched his paws outwards before prancing into the bathroom. "can one of you two give me a lift? Place the man on the sofa." The Elsen carefully place The Batter onto a sofa just near the apartment door. One of them follows Valerie and picks him up, shifting him near the medicine cabinet. Upon opening, Valerie's tail wraps around a plastic veil with a violet hue. The Elsen breathes quietly as he returns Valerie to the ground. Pablo purrs patiently and watches Valerie do his handy work of feeding The Batter the serum.
"Excellent work, dearest brother. I expect no less."
"Thank you, brother. It's very kind of you. Thanks to you two as well. Your help is everything we have and need. It is much appreciated."
"...Thank you..."
"Yes... Thank you... Very much." The two Elsen smile and retreat into the kitchen. They begin to prepare the cats dinner, as well as their own.
The Batter slowly regains feeling in his arms and legs. Then his chest. Then his eyes. Prior to waking up, he saw a person. Standing. Waving a hand. He saw red pouring down the person's chest. He tried to move towards it, in hopes of... Saving that person. But he couldn't. It was just a dream, and the person continued to wave, bleeding out. He watched in horror, blood pooling around the waving person. When will he give out? When will it end? Don't die. Don't die, please. The person waved one last time before dropping onto the blood covered floor. The Batter's heart sank mildly as he watched the body grow cold. That person is alone now. I'm alone now. Why. What is this. What does it mean. He was unable to find out, because he is now awake and alive. Two cats sit on his chest, waiting for him to notice them.
"Greetings, visitor. I am The Judge and this is my brother, Valerie. I rescued you from the city entrance. Visitors aren't welcomed without the proper paperwork, fellow stranger. Consider yourself lucky that you survived the smoke at all. Usually bodies would pile up in front of the entrance. But you. You look different." The cat with an ominous grin meows as The Batter listens with a heavy head.
"The serum I gave you will offer immunity from the smoke, an important element for survival in this cityscape. Usually, when people are born in the hospitals, they are injected with the serum right after they're taken from their mothers. It lasts a lifetime, so no need to worry about deadlines." Valerie adds, twitching his tail eagerly. "May I support Pablo's observation by saying you indeed are different from what we've seen before. Are you even human? I don't sense any humanity coming out of you." The cats jump off of The Batter and let him sit up on the sofa. He looks around and sees a contemporary world. Golden flowers adorned the entire room, giving the area life and color. A small portrait of The Judge and Valerie hangs peacefully on a white wall. The Elsen in the kitchen are their caretakers. It's like he was back at the inn, having a cup of tea with Jair. So simple. So clean.
"Since we've helped you, we'd like to know your name, stranger. And why you are here." The Judge mews while Valerie grooms his tail. The Batter turns his head toward them and opens his mouth. He yawns aloud, catching the cats by a subtle surprise. "I guess we'll have to uncover your identity later. It's too late to be asking questions anyway. Our guest room is currently vacant, reside there for the night and we'll talk more later."
"Do you want anything to eat?" Valerie speaks up. The Batter slowly nods and the Elsen take notice. One of them pulls a plate out of the cupboards and serves The Batter some white rice accompanied by a chicken breast. Valerie guides The Batter to the dining room table and seats him next to an Elsen. "It's nothing fancy, but you're our guest. And guests can't sleep with an empty stomach."
"You're too kind, Valerie."
"I try my best." The cats indulge in compliments and meowing as one of the Elsen hand The Batter a fork and knife.
"Umm... I hope... You um. Like it. I made it myself." The Elsen says, sighing loudly before he begins to eat. The Batter quickly eats away and takes a brief pause to taste it. The food is good. It's almost like Jair's cooking.
"It's good."
"...You think so?... Thank you." The airy Elsen is pleased and continues eating, a smile and optimistic vibe surfaces and can be felt by The Batter. The little family and The Batter enjoy their meals until it's time for bed. The Elsen shared the master bedroom with Pablo and Valerie, while The Batter slept alone in the guest room. He dreamt a dream he created, depicting the image of saving that waving person. He made his way towards it and stopped the bleeding. It wasn't enough. It wasn't the right dream. He only woke up to realize it was merely midnight, knowing from the clocks around the room. There were many clocks hanging around the walls and ceilings. This way, nobody will lose track of time in the guest room. In Jerusha, it was always dark due to the clouds of smoke above. The clocks were all the people had to tell whether it was day or night. But tonight, The Batter is restless. The endless ticking surrounding him is becoming a bother, and he wasn't able to save that waving person. Tonight is a bad night.
-ON ON ON-
"Sleep well?" Valerie's voice wakes The Batter from an uncomfortable slumber. The smell of more food enters The Batter's nose. It's a sweet, aromatic scent with a hint of spice.
"No." He mutters, lifting himself up from the mattress in the middle of the room of clocks. His head feels dull, the constant ticking having entered his brain.
"My apologies. Next time we can situate you in the living room. It was poor judgement on our behalf."
"What are they making for breakfast."
"French toast. It's a delicious breakfast item. Have you tried it before?"
"No, I haven't."
"Then surely we can teach you how to make some for lunch. Our caretakers love to take some to work." Valerie mews and crawls away from the guest room as The Batter follows suit. In the kitchen, the two Elsen happily cook the french toast to a nice warm crisp and place them onto plates. Before you know it, they're seated once more, eating their freshly made meals. The Batter tastes a piece of the toast and finds it amazing! A delicious treat that filled him beyond expectations. If Jair learned how to make french toast, he'd love to order it every time he visited the inn.
"So..." The Elsen who didn't cook yesterday moans, a little tired from eating too fast. "What do... you think? I... Make the breakfasts."
"It's delicious. I've never tasted anything like this." The Batter says, a sign of emotion can be felt from his words. The Elsen happily finishes his food and breathes mildly. Valerie and The Judge give out purrs of approval and the dinner Elsen smiles widely. The table is full of cheer and optimism.
"You're a great addition to the family, stranger," The Judge meows. "but can you give us your name and reason now?" The family looks at The Batter as he finishes his last piece of toast.
"My name is The Batter. I'm here to purify Jerusha."
"...Purify...?" Breakfast Elsen asks.
"You want to purify Jerusha? As in clear the smoke?" Valerie adds, his tail curled in interest.
"Yes. By clearing the smoke, the Sun can forgive you all. You can confess and be freed from sin." The Batter stands from his chair with a strong sense of authority. It can be felt among the small family.
"It's like you've truly awakened," The Judge purrs. "if you can truly bring light back into Jerusha, then I'll help you with the information I have concerning the smoke shafts. But you're going to need a way inside, and I know the right person who can help you enter the Grand Factory."
"Tell me. Where can I find that person."
"He's at a place called Le Théâtre de coeur. Its four blocks east from here. I can guide you there."
"If you're leaving, can I come with you, Pablo?" Valerie mews.
"No, I want you to stay with the Elsen. It's unsafe out there."
"I don't want you to go outside either."
"I'll return. I just have to take him there and I'll be back as soon as possible. I promise."
"Okay. Be back for dinner." Valerie's tail slumps down as he speaks with a saddened tone. The Judge then jumps down from his chair and accompanies The Batter out of the apartment. The air remains level, it doesn't feel thin anymore. The Batter inhales a massive amount of air an breathes it out, feeling a little sickened by the smoke. Jerusha is silent. As if time had stopped and all is frozen. Tall buildings and businesses cast shadows on the empty streets. The street lamps offer little assistance in brightening the dark world.
"It's dangerous out here, Batter. We must walk quickly to avoid any unnecessary confrontation." The Judge informs The Batter, moving swiftly down the street. They run past the first two blocks and are stopped by an Elsen standing in the middle of the street. He's emaciated, breathing loudly and forcefully to stay alive.
"He seems harmless. Let's pass by him." The Judge suggests, taking a step forward to see if The Batter will follow.
"No. He needs to be purified. His soul must be put to rest." He says, slowly approaching the Elsen.
"I wouldn't go any closer than that, Batter."
"I will bring you a new light. You will be free." The surrounding smoke suddenly lifts away from The Batter, and a light shines on his right hand. From the beam of light, a bat materializes and glows furiously at the pained Elsen. He suddenly screeches and takes the form of a Critic Burnt, a large headed, charred skinned Elsen in a tremendous amount of pain. The Judge watches, intrigued by this new power.
"Purification in progress."