Unremembered and Unimportant: Chapter 5 - Ending and Beginning Again

Chapter 5 – Ending and Beginning Again

Unknown to the inhabitants of the city, Josephine and Memphis are moving from shadow to shadow to avoid detection and the notice of the Light of the World they are tasked with banishing. The two manifest themselves out of the shadows in a dirty alleyway as they plan their next move.

“How are we going to get to the castle from here? I didn't see any more shadows for us to travel to,” Josephine says.

“We can hijack someone’s shadow assuming they’re going there or maybe go into several shadows like we were doing as we move forward,” Memphis suggests.

“We were doing that, but it’s a bit too risky since shadows don’t last long here except for this alleyway, I guess. Isn’t it strange that this is one of the few places that isn’t lit up?”

“Every light casts a shadow. Besides, it makes sense that they wouldn’t want a trashy area of their golden paradise to be lit up. They want it hidden like their sins.”

“You’re right. I think we should go with your plan seeing as how it’s the only thing we can do. We’ll just have to deal with any difficulties from there-”

A sudden loud thud sound scares Josephine. She looks around for the source and can’t seem to find what it was or what happened. Turning to ask if Memphis saw anything, her words are caught in her throat by how still he is. A realization of what happened freezes her in place as Memphis turns around to reveal the gaping hole in his chest.

“Memphis!” Josephine says as she runs to catch him as he falls to the ground. “Memphis! Memphis!”

There are no signs of life in Memphis at all. The only thing that remains is a faint smile as if he were going to say something reassuring to Josephine. An overwhelming light fills the once-dark alleyway while Josephine cries and holds Memphis’ body. Three arms come out of the lights and surround Josephine with their embrace. In the sky, a black light forms, and now the entire sky looks like a singular eye.

“Josephine, don’t fight us. You see the result of our power. The Servant isn’t doing anything to save you. You will finally get what you deserve,” a feminine voice from the sky says.

All three hands point at Josephine and slowly change her back to what she looked like. As this is happening, she doesn’t do anything except continue to cry as any fight in her is gone and is now replaced with surrender and despair. Now back to normal, Josephine feels a faint numbness block out her sadness and bits of anger. The hands then move to make Memphis’ body disappear into nothing, which spikes her feelings before the numbness takes away the pain. She is taken by the hands out of the alley and put on a pedestal in the streets to be seen by everyone.

“Behold, a true selfless servant. You are to do everything she says. Shower her with praise. Make sure she is loved. Protect her from hatred. If she wants you to be her lover, then you are to do so without a second thought,” the feminine voice says.

From the crowd, Josephine’s family and friends emerge. They seem to have a halo around their heads and a white light shining from their eyes.

“What? Am I being put into a dream again?” Josephine asks.

“This is no dream. This is reality. I got them here and influenced your loved ones to always love you as they should. I knew you were coming. I know your every desire and wish to fulfill it.”

“You don’t know anything about me!”

“I knew you were coming. I know about the feelings that you had for the boy and the feelings he had for you. Both of you yearned for love and fell for each other so easily because of it. One wanted to be loved because she thought she would be useless and depressed without someone showing any love to her. The other wanted love because he wanted to think he was worth loving.”

“So, why did you kill him and leave me alive?”

“From what we’ve seen and heard, you seem like the one who would be easier to convince to stop when given everything you wanted and we appear to be correct. Live in peace and harmony with us and convince the other Dead and Conduits who come here to do so as well and you’ll get everything that you want and keep the people here happy. It’s everything that you wanted, isn’t it?”

Knowing that she can’t disagree, Josephine doesn’t say anything. The three arms disappear and the sky goes back to normal. Everyone whom the Light has given to Josephine begins fawning over her and asking her what they want her to do.

“Leave me alone!” Josephine says as she runs back to the alley where Memphis died. She sits on the dirty floor and starts crying again. “I’m back where I started…but in a worse condition…”

Appearing from the shadows, the Servant says, “I am still here for you.”

“Are you?! Where were you when they killed Memphis?!”

“Here.”

“And you had to let him die.”

“I did.”

“For what reason? Tell me!”

“It was his time to go so that you would know the value of feeling alone.”

“I don’t see the value that you’re talking about.”

“I do know that you at least see that there’s no value in getting everything you wanted.”

“I kind of learned that the first time it happened.”

“But you had to be reminded of it so that you would come back to Me.”

“Come back to You? For what reason? I have nothing to give You.”

“You still have your life.”

“My life is worth less than nothing.”

“I can still make that into something.”

“Why put me through this? Do you hate me? Do you like seeing me suffer? Why not give these tasks to someone who can do them better than I can?”

“I do this to make you into the person you were meant to be because I love you more than you love yourself. This process is painful, but I bear the pain with you and give you the strength to make it through it.”

“Then why allow me to fail so many times when I’m trying to do what You want?”

“Your failures and losses bring you closer to Me. In victory or defeat, I can make you into something greater. Only trust Me a little and you will be able to move mountains and overthrow false gods.”

“Okay then. I did trust You a little before. Maybe it’s time that I trust You more.”

The Servant reaches out His hand to Josephine who takes it. A deep and yet somehow bright darkness enters her that dispels the light around her. Seeing her newfound power, she walks out into the streets towards the castle where her target is. As she is walking toward it, those who are under this Light of the World’s influence are freed from it once her darkness touches them. Most are confused and unsure what to do or where they are while others remember that they are Conduits and use the abilities given to them by the Servant to dispel more of the light and destroy the angel apparitions of light that this Light of the World has conjured.

Again, the eye in the sky reveals itself and attempts to strike down Josephine with lightning from above, but none of the strikes can manage to pierce her darkness. Every servant that the Light sends against her is blinded by the dark or runs away in fear because of it. Now at the castle, the other Conduits make their way inside while Josephine sits on the steps of the entrance.

From above, the same feminine voice from before says, “I can give you whatever you want. Just get rid of that accursed darkness you radiate!”

“It’s not my darkness and I don’t need anything,” Josephine says.

“You know that’s not true. I know how you truly feel! You want what I just gave you and more! I can bring Memphis back to life if you help me. Watch and see.”

An apparition of Memphis appears in front of Josephine who appears more handsome and well-dressed than he was before. Knowing that this isn’t him, Josephine turns her head and the apparition is consumed by the dark.

“Stop denying your emotions and desires!” the Light says.

“It’s better that I do because following my feelings and getting what I want has only left me miserable. It is the right thing to do after all,” Josephine says.

No further words are said by the Light and the rest of its false light is dispelled from the city. Presuming it to be banished, Josephine leaves the city. People in the streets are either celebrating their freedom, hurling insults at Josephine, or running away from her. Looking into her reflection in one of the store windows, she sees that she’s changed.

Her clothes, hair, and eyes are all different though the scars and stitching on her body remain the same. She smiles at her new appearance and because of the satisfaction she has from learning something new but old. For the rest of her life, she’ll continue to learn this lesson, fall and rise, and grow in wisdom. Though she may be hated, forgotten by the world, and mostly alone for the rest of her life, she’ll be remembered in the heart of the Servant, the only place worth being remembered in.

The End