Chapter
2 – Scrapping at the Surface
“Crucify him! Crucify him!” I hear being said
over and over again in my head. Visions of being spit on, mocked, and whipped
continue to haunt me every night as it does now.
“No one knows my sin.” “No one knows what I’m
going through.” “No one knows what evil I’ve done.” “No one knows what is good
anymore.” Echo as well. Every sin committed is whispered to me by the countless
faces on my shawl, weighs heavily on my shoulders, and gets heavier with each
new sin. Few help me bear the weight and remove what they added.
Waking up in a cold sweat, I try not to let
the pains and worries of my dreams get to me. Morticia told me that this is
normal for those blessed by suffering, and yet, it’s felt like nothing but a
curse with only a few things that make it bearable. Nevertheless, I have to
keep my head up and hopes high for my friends, family, and the Sufferer.
I have to especially control myself around my
parents and other friends because I don’t want any unnecessary new difficulties
if they know the true intentions of me being with my new friends every day. My
dad notices the changes in me, and says, “Don’t be so worked up. Today’s a day
off and you should enjoy it to the fullest.”
“And don’t forget to ask your brother if you
need anything!” my mom adds.
“I will!” I say as I leave the house after
finishing my breakfast. I’ve actually been asking my brother for a lot these
past few days and am starting to wonder if he’s starting to suspect something.
It could also just be me since he always seems so happy to help and has been
encouraging me to ask for more.
As for the Light, his smiles and the look on
his face always unnerve me. He doesn’t talk too much to me and whatever he says
are simple helloes and goodbyes.
At today’s meeting, I bring my concerns up to
my friends. “I’ve been suspecting that he must know that we’re doing something.
He’s the true king of the world and his powers go beyond those we can
physically see. Because of that, I say we do more than the information
gathering that we’ve been doing these past few days and start doing some real
damage.”
“The information you’ve gathered has allowed
us to find key areas where priests, scholars, and teachers are trained to
influence the people of this city. They are also data centers containing all
the false truths that they preach.”
“These places are secret because of this and
their inhabitants are isolated so they can concentrate on their studies. You’ll
have to destroy each center using the powers of your Necessary form to protect
the youth and young adults they influence.”
“It’s unlikely you can walk in and out
without hurting anyone as if the souls in there deserve mercy. We’ve thought of
getting our hands on remote explosives, but we doubt that your brother would
allow you to go there even if you brought along Morticia with you.”
“It’s a shame that people must get hurt
today, but that’s the nature of war and love. We’ll go ahead with our plan with
your go-ahead, Adler.”
“You’ve already thought this through as
thoroughly as you could, so who am I to say no?”
“Thank you. I will be going with Morticia and
you while Eddie and Jessica will go to another location.”
“Let’s do this then. Try to stay as safe as
you can everyone!” Eddie reminds me that there’s no safety in conflict, only
staying alive or dying, and I can’t help but tepidly agree. Angelo, Morticia,
and I get in Angelo’s car while Eddie and Jessica get in Eddie’s car. Morticia
lays her head on my shoulder and puts her hand in mine while we sit in the back
seat together. “Angelo, is this your car or your parents?”
“Mine though I didn’t earn it. I don’t have a
job, but the systems in place encourage the jobless to be lazy so that there’s
no such thing as the poor or charities in this society. Using the unemployment
money I was given, I used it to buy this car and whatever else our group
needed.”
“Do your parents mind that you don’t work?
Mine pushed me to get a job as soon as I was of age because that’s what my
brother did too.”
“No, they don’t mind. They only care that I
appear to be happy and nothing more and you should as well. I don’t mind being
in silence while Morticia and you enjoy each other’s company.”
“I care if you’re actually feeling well and
not just appearing to be so. I know how it is when you have to put on a face to
make others not worry about you when you’re really hurting inside.”
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine,
really.”
“Are you sure, Angelo?”
“If you must know, I’m already feeling guilty
and concerned about reintroducing necessary sadness to the world. Since
everyone is happy every single day of their life, they’re going to have a hard
time adjusting to the way things were before. The Light managed to take over
the world because a majority of the world was miserable and they chose to serve
him so they could live in endless happiness and peace. Who’s to say that won’t
happen again if we succeed in freeing everyone? The Sufferer only knows.”
Morticia holds my arm tighter. “Well, we
shouldn’t think about that and just do what’s right. Besides, we can’t
appreciate happiness without sadness, so think of your role as something more
positive than it already is.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Adler. I’m
ashamed to say that I forgot to view sadness in that way. I’ll be sure to share
with you any more of my troubles.”
“The same goes for you, Morticia. You should
remember that we appreciate the gift of life because of death. If you don’t
believe me, then I started enjoying life more ever since I met you, so stop
being so glum.”
“I’ll try.”
Seeing Morticia and Angelo with smiles on
their faces makes me feel better. I know and feel their pain both figuratively
and literally. I’m just saying what I heard from the Sufferer, and even though
the truth doesn’t completely make us feel all that better, ignoring it would
make things worse, and bearing the pains of our responsibility together will
get us through our future challenges.
Our destination is now in sight. It’s a
series of connected buildings that look like a school with large walls surrounding it that are heavily defended by turrets and guards. One of the gate guards asks what I’m
doing here and I answer that I’m here to learn some information for my future
career. He then asks how I knew of this location, and I answer by saying it’s
because of my brother. My answers are partially true and acceptable to the
guard who lets us through.
While in this place, I see that it’s more
like a glorified church than a school because of the stained glass windows,
pictures, and statues of the Light, the many kings who served him, and people
who notably served the Light in history. Most people here wear gold robes and
have headpieces with gold veils that have the symbol of the Light on them,
which is a cross with a snake below it. As soon as the people here see me, they
start gathering around me, asking questions, wanting my autograph, and asking
me to put in a good word for them to my brother.
I didn’t think I was this popular. “Thank
you, everyone, but I really need to be somewhere!” Despite my words, the crowds
don’t give up and allow us to go deeper into the building.
“We don’t have time to be stuck here all day.
I’ll get these people off us.”
Angelo transforms into his Necessary form and
a mist comes out of his hollow chest and face. Everyone around us starts
crying, sobbing uncontrollably, and even hurting themselves. Some are so sad
that they try hanging themselves or using sharp objects to stab their chest,
neck, or head. It’s no wonder why Angelo is so concerned about bringing sadness
into the world if this is how people react to it. “Keep going!”
Snapping out of it, I try to ignore the
depressing sights and sounds around me and head deeper down into the school.
The intel we found told us that the servers for this place should be on the
furthest level down past a particular door that is of course heavily guarded by
four guards who are armed with rifles, submachine guns, and shotguns. They ask
us what we’re doing here with their guns pointed at us and what is Angelo.
“My powers aren’t doing much to them. It’s
your turn to do something!”
“O-okay!” Morticia transforms and uses her
powers to make the guards decay.
Meanwhile, I’m only half-transformed and
hardly make the guards suffer to paralyze them. They manage to get off a few
shots at us that have no effect on us before Morticia completely turns them to
dust.
“What are you doing, Adler? You’re supposed
to be committed to this.”
“Let’s talk about this later and just get
this done!” Morticia uses her powers to break open the secure door and then
uses them to destroy all the servers. The destruction of the servers seems to
have caused a chain reaction as the entire building starts to shake and crumble
around us.
I’m fully transformed now and help stun the
guards with suffering while Morticia clears a path for us and kills the
remaining guards outside. By the time we get back in Angelo’s car and drive
off, the school behind us has crumbled into itself and fallen into the ground
as if being eaten up by the ground.
“What was that, Adler? You gave Morticia and me
confidence in our powers not too long ago, and yet, you were hesitant in using
yours?”
“I’m…I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Calm down, Angelo. This was Adler’s first
time in action and using his powers on others.”
Angelo sighs and then says, “You’re right.
I’m sorry, Adler.”
“No, you’re right. As your leader, I
shouldn’t be this hesitant and hypocritical.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself. My first
time using my powers involved using them on some of my siblings and friends
hoping they would come to their senses, but well, you saw what happened to
those other people I used them on. They were then taken away to receive help,
however, I haven’t heard from them since.”
“My first time was…uh…”
“You don’t have to tell me if it makes you
feel uncomfortable.”
“No, I want you to know this so you know
everything about me. My first time using my powers was for sinful purposes.
Since I have control over death and decay, I have the power to permanently
remove people from this world, so I thought it was a good idea to use it during
a meeting of our most powerful enemies in the world, not really caring that
their friends and families were caught in the crossfire.”
Morticia buries her face in my chest. “The
only comforting thought I can have about it is that they didn’t feel anything
when it happened and that most went to a better place since few know the evils
they are committing while the rest, those who originally served the Light to
put the world under his control probably got what they deserved and will
eternally suffer for it.”
I hold Morticia and say, “It’s okay. That’s
all in the past now. My view of you hasn’t changed, and I still love you.” I
then kiss Morticia on the forehead. Today has been beyond exhausting. When
Angelo, Morticia, and I get back to the alley, we find Eddie and Jessica
already there weirdly close to each other’s faces. They immediately separate
when they see us as if we ruined an intimate moment between them.
“He-hey, guys. I’m glad to see you’re all
safe and sound. We’ve finally done notable damage to the Light’s control over
the world even though it’s just a little.”
“Yeah, we sure did…”
“Did something go wrong? You should all be
more excited and cheerful.”
“Nothing unusual happened.”
“You don’t have to pick up for me, Angelo. I
messed up by hesitating to use my powers during the mission.”
Eddie stares at me funny for a second before
nodding. “Angelo is right. It’s not unusual to be hesitant when you first start
using your powers. We all were, especially since there’s no safe way to
practice them without someone getting seriously hurt. I know this from the last
group of people I was a part of.
“We tested our powers on one another to
strengthen one another, but we fought each other more than our enemy as we
tried to prove who was more devoted. Our group split up and I worked alone
until I met Angelo.”
“I used mine on my entire family and friends
to make us work together for the same cause under the Sufferer.”
“But we all ended up distancing ourselves
from one another because of our differences. I allowed myself to forget the
lesson that good cannot mingle with evil in the vain hopes of staying close to
the ones I loved. Now, I’m glad those people I once loved showed their true
colors because I’m better off without them.”
“After that, Eddie was nice enough to take me
in so we wouldn’t have to live alone and we both lack a home and family to go
to.”
“Thank you for telling me your stories. You
know what? Eddie is right. We should be excited and cheerful about our victory.
Let’s have dinner over at my house.” Everyone agrees, and we head over. I text
my parents that I’m bringing friends ahead of time so they can make enough for
everyone, and when they respond, I’m surprised they say they are already making
more because we already have company over.
Things become clear when I see Charlie, Enzo,
and Isla waiting outside of my house. “Hey, Adler! It feels like it’s been
forever since we last saw you. I’m glad you brought your new friends along.”
“That’s your girlfriend next to you? It’s
about time we met her.”
“We thought we’d surprise you by being here
since it’s been so many days since we last hung out. You didn’t forget about
us, did you?”
To be honest, I kind of did. “I’ve just been
really busy is all. I’m glad you’re here.” My old friends greet my new ones
while making small talk with one another. More surprise guests are inside as I
walk in with Morticia.
“Brother! I’m glad to see you’re here with
your new friends. I knew this would be a party so I brought over my best wine
and cases of my favorite beer.”
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Adler?” My
friends and I are frozen when we see the Light. Is this a sign that he knows
what we’re up to? Will something happen at dinner today? We all try to act as
naturally as possible but can’t help but feel tense and awkward even during
dinner as my new friends and I sit across the large table from my old friends
and family. While waiting for dessert, Morticia uses this opportunity to step
outside, which I, in turn, use to do the same.
“Do you think the Light knows?” Morticia
whispers. “Why do you think he’s here? Did your parents tell you?”
“I didn’t know he’d be here and don’t know if
he knows anything,” I whisper back. Morticia buries her head in my chest as we
hold each other. “Can we do something if he decides to act? We have to be able
to, right? The Sufferer is the true God of existence.”
“You’re right, but that’s only if He wants us
to do something. Trust me when I say that many have tried to fight the Light
directly with their powers and failed because they wanted to free the world now
rather than when the Sufferer said so.”
“Hey, you two. I haven’t intruded on anything
private, did I?” Morticia and I are startled by my brother’s sudden appearance.
“No, not at all!” I say as calmly as
possible.
“You aren’t proposing to her yet, are you? I
mean, I proposed to and married Lyana before I turned one hundred. Ah, those
early years when we were expected to do nothing, not even go to school or have
a job.”
“I’m…going back inside.”
I do the same as Morticia, but my brother
stops me. “Can I ask you something in private?”
I smile and nod to Morticia that everything
is fine and agree to hear what my brother says. “What is it?”
“Is everything alright between you and your
old friends?”
“Yeah, I’ve just been busy with my new
friends is all.”
“I hope you’ve been busy deciding what you
want to do as your career. It’s fine if you aren’t and I’ll back you up if our
parents get on your case about it. They’re just worried that-”
“That I won’t be as great as you?”
“You be great in your way and don’t compare
yourself to me. It’s not healthy. Besides, if you want to be a king like me,
you’ll have to wait until my ten-year term is up until you shoot your shot at
it.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be king even if I
tried nor do I want to be.”
“That’s fine. Just do whatever you want and
don’t let anyone tell you what you want to do,” my brother says as he hugs me.
“I’ll be proud of whatever you choose to be as long as you don’t cause me any more trouble.”
What my brother says sends shivers down my
spine. Now I’m really starting to suspect that he knows. Further confirmation
comes when I see the Light walk up from behind me even though I’m pretty sure
he was in the house.
“You wouldn’t want to trouble your brother,
who loves you so much, would you?” the Light says. “Do whatever your heart says
and avoid whatever causes you pain. Your brother and I just want to see you
happy with your life.”
As my brother and the Light go back inside,
I’m frozen in place outside by fear. They know.
