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

Unremembered and Unimportant: Chapter 4 – A Tease of Hope

Chapter 4 – A Tease of Hope

It’s been a few days since Memphis and Josephine started working together and they’ve managed to banish many Lights of the World and grow in strength, especially Josephine who can bear with the hatred she faces and the enemies that the Servant sends them towards. Today, they enter a settlement that the Servant has cleansed from the influence of the Lights of the World. It is inhabited by Conduits whose purpose is to keep this area pure and make a simple living here. The weather and daylight cycle is natural here with days and nights passing along with days of rain, snow, low and high winds, and the occasional spike or drop in temperature. All seems normal until the light grows brighter and a being manifests from it.

This being is comprised of three heads. One of which is an old man with a crown, another is a head with a crown of thorns, and the last is that of a bird. A spiky cross is on the being’s body and the entirety of it gives off a comforting feeling.

“The Servant has appeared to us again!” a Conduit says as everyone in the settlement drops what they’re doing and races over to give the being praise and homage.

“What do you think? He doesn’t look like He usually does when I see Him, but He seems like the Servant. His presence and radiance sure feel like it,” Josephine says.

“You’re right, but there are subtle things to watch out for,” Memphis explains, “I don’t think the Servant would tell us to go here just to see Him again in a different form.”

“Maybe it could be that and to take a break. I need one after all the traveling and banishing we’ve been doing.”

“We’ll get our rest when we get it. I don’t think now’s the time yet.”

“I guess there really is no rest for the Dead.”

“Just take my hand. I have a feeling that we’re going to have to use our abilities soon.”

“We might as well always be holding hands at this rate,” Josephine says before the two hold hands without a second thought.

“Are you seriously suggesting that we do? I mean I don’t have a problem with that!”

“I…um. We should pay attention to what’s going on.”

“Right, right.”

Memphis and Josephine can’t help but blush and smile at each other before turning their attention to this supposed manifestation of the Servant.

“Blessed are you, my child,” the entity says, “For all your hard work, you shall be given rest for a time as I will be protecting this area with my own hands as a reward. Your crops will grow larger and cattle will multiply without your input and your illnesses will be cured.”

As the entity is speaking, what it promises happens in front of the eyes of the faithful as people are cured, fields of crops grow larger, and cattle multiply. Josephine contorts her free hand while the entity continues to speak. Eventually, Memphis notices her doing this.

“Remember, you’re a Conduit, not the light itself. We can’t just use our banishing abilities when we want to,” Memphis says.

“Yeah, I guess I should know that by now. Still, I want to get this over with if something is up. Whoever this is seems to be the real deal,” Josephine says.

The entity notices the two and floats over to them.

“Josephine, Memphis, my faithful servants. You made it just in time for me to give you your due reward,” the entity says.

“As much I want to be rewarded, I’d like to ask you some questions before enjoying them,” Memphis says.

“Of course. Ask me anything.”

“What do you mean by resting for a time? Should we stop working?”

“You should. There’s nothing wrong with resting since you need to refresh so that you can later go back to work with renewed strength.”

“Right. What about these miracles you’ve been performing? What’s with the sudden and gracious reward?”

“My faithful deserve this after all the suffering that they’ve done, don’t you think? Are you saying that you want more? I can make that happen if you want.”

“I want nothing more than what I deserve.”

“And what do you deserve?”

“Whatever the Servant says as I deserve.”

“Are you saying that you don’t think I am who I appear to be? What other signs should I make to make you believe me?”

The crowd of faithful believers begin to crowd closer to Memphis and Josephine all of whom are either beginning to feel hostile towards them or begin to question if who they are seeing is really the Servant.

“Of course, it’s the Servant. This place has been purified from evil and look at everything we’ve been given,” one argues.

“But do we deserve such gifts so suddenly? It seems like something a Light of the World would do,” another asks.

“My faithful people, do not let your doubts shake your trust in me. If what I haven’t given you is enough, tell me, I will listen, and I will give.”

“The only thing we want is what we rightfully deserve and we pray that we get it,” Memphis says before bowing his head down in prayer.

The other faithful do the same and Josephine follows them. Even though some don’t pray and just watch to see what happens, the entity begins to contort and break apart until the true Servant emerges from it. The light in the area seems to have been adjusted as if the sun’s radiance had dimmed. Everything that the fake Servant had given the people disappears as well in a flash of light as if they were never there.

“You did well, Memphis,” the Servant says.

“Thank you, Lord,” Memphis says.

“What about our reward-” one of the people says before the Servant disappears.

“Your reward is the life you are living now. Treasure it.”

Besides the people here who are sour about not getting anything, the faithful among them thank Memphis for helping them see the deception of the false Servant. They tell him and Josephine to stick around and relax while they prepare lunch for them as a reward for helping them.

“No, we shouldn’t. There’s still a lot that needs to be done,” Memphis says.

“Like what? The Servant hasn’t given us any new task yet, so I’m sure we can stick around for a bit to catch our breaths,” Josephine says.

“I guess you’re right. Okay, we accept your gracious gift, but also, pray for us so that we’ll know what the Servant wants us to do next.”

The faithful thank the two and bring them to a small restaurant that they’ve established that is surrounded by a garden of flowers. They tell the two to sit and relax while their meal is being made and speak to them as if they were a couple, which makes them realize that they’re still holding each other’s hands. In a moment of embarrassment, they let go and apologize to one another before sitting down in awkward silence.

“So, why do you want to keep rushing to the next destination?” Josephine asks to break this silence.

“Because the world is still largely under the influence of the Lights of the World. Not even a place like this is safe from them as you saw,” Memphis says.

“There’s plenty of other Conduits out there who are taking care of them. Didn’t you say that everyone has their role to play in the Servant’s plan?”

“Yeah. Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t be able to stand being like these people who are tasked with settling down, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t complain too much if it really was what I was supposed to be doing.”

“I’d prefer it over constantly being on the move.”

“Believe me when I say that we don’t have it as bad as other Conduits like us. Some can manifest their abilities at will, speak words of unfathomable wisdom that can convert the hearts of hundreds at a time, and are known for great deeds and because of it, they are constantly asked to help out and can hardly catch their breath since most people know them.”

“All blessings seem to come with a curse.”

“Or rather they come with crosses and responsibilities all of which I gladly accept.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do?”

“You know it.”

“But why does doing the right thing bother you so much besides the matter of fact of it?”

The owners of the small restaurant bring Memphis and Josephine their lunch and then leave them alone. While they eat, Josephine watches Memphis and waits for an answer.

“Come on, you can tell me,” Josephine says.

“What’s there to tell? You already know the primary reason,” Memphis says.

“What’s the secondary one then?”

“Something that belongs in the past and one that I’m still trying to make up for.”

“Tell me about it. We’re working together so we might as well tell each other what bothers us.”

“Alright, fine. Before I followed the Servant or even cared about what was right and wrong, I was a human trafficker. I sold and bought prostitutes for my boss and had my way with them to test their ‘quality’. There were even times when I had to kill them for running away.”

“Before, I was a prostitute myself who did heinous things and was told to convince others to do the same. I hated every second of it.”

“But if you were a prostitute then that means we could’ve met before and never knew it. Josephine, I’m sorry for everything that I did even if you don’t remember seeing me or knew that I was behind you being sold or given away to another slave master.”

“Don’t worry about it. Like you said, it’s in the past and you’re making up for it now.”

“Still, it doesn’t feel like I’m doing enough.”

“How about we walk around this place and enjoy the sights? It’s one way to repay me if you still feel guilty.”

“Alright. We haven’t gotten a sign as to what to do next so we might as well.”

Josephine does her best to hide her excitement and only barely manages to stop from giggling. After lunch, the two take a tour of the area and are shown around the nearby garden, the farms, and the church. They are told the history of every place they visit and talk to the faithful here and get to know them. Before they know it, it’s dinner time and they are invited to supper and a celebration afterwards. Memphis has his doubts about staying, but Josephine and the other people here convince him to stay. The two sit around the center of the settlement and are served meals while the musicians start to play their music.

At first, they play songs of suffering and strife and then move on to playing more uplifting songs and finally end with songs of love and happiness as if they are telling a story with each song. When the last set of songs begins to play, the people begin to sing and dance and get Josephine and Memphis to join them. Even though Memphis is shy to do so at first, Josephine takes him by the hand and makes him dance. Eventually, he enjoys it and even sings along with Josephine and the others. The final song that the musicians play is a slow love song. A song that is only danced to by couples and one that Josephine makes Memphis dance to as well.

“I’m…I’m not good at this. Dancing that is. Heh, I must look like a fool to everyone here,” Memphis says.

“I don’t think that. I think you danced great even if you were a bit silly,” Josephine says with a giggle.

“Josephine…I don’t know if we should-”

“Shh. Let’s enjoy this moment together.”

As the two look into each other’s eyes and the song ends, Josephine and Memphis kiss each other at the same time as if they were thinking the same thing. While everyone goes to sit down to eat dessert or go home, the two continue to look into each other’s eyes.

“I can’t believe you’d kiss and fall in love with someone like me,” Memphis says.

“I can’t believe the same thing. I’m just a nobody after all who would be useless without you,” Josephine repeats.

“That’s not true. I’m sure you’d be fine alone.”

“I’d rather not think about that. Just promise me that you’ll never leave me and will always be at my side.”

“I will. I promise you that and that…I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Josephine and Memphis kiss again before resting for the night in a room in the inn prepared for them. They rest together in the same bed while holding each other’s hand with smiles on their faces and a peace and warmth in their joyful hearts that they’ve never felt before.

Unremembered and Unimportant: Chapter 3 – Bringing Back the Lost

Chapter 3 – Bringing Back the Lost

“Josephine! Breakfast is ready!” her mom says from downstairs.

At the sound of her mom’s voice, Josephine jumps out of bed with a smile, stretches, and runs downstairs. She eats breakfast with her parents and gives them a big hug and kiss.

“What’s gotten into you? You act like you haven’t seen us in years?” her dad says.

“I just love you is all. Is something wrong with that?” Josephine asks.

“No, not at all. I love you too, baby.”

After eating, Josephine and her mom cook meals and clean up the house for the get-together today while her dad tends the garden, lawn, and outside decorations. Once that is done, the family eats lunch together and Josephine’s parents tell her that they can handle the rest and she is free to see her friends. She does so and visits them at a park near a lake that they like to frequent and speak of old times. A bit of time passes before they go to Josephine’s house, have their daily get-together, enjoy the sight of the stars, and then say their goodbyes. While she looks up at the stars, Josephine feels both happy and empty as usual, but at the same time, she wishes for this day to happen again and again for the rest of her life.

For the many days she’s been here, Josephine has hardly changed the formula of the day. She may include more work, have her loved ones praise her deeds more, and get kisses from a crush she had, however, she’s happy in the cycle that she’s trying to perfect no matter the changes. During the next day, the neighbor comes down to her from the sun.

“Josephine! I’m glad to see that you’re enjoying yourself and happy as always,” he says.

“I am and thank you again for allowing me to have it,” Josephine says, “Will you be joining my family and friends for our get-together today?”

“Thank you for the offer, but not today. I came here to inform you that one of the Conduits of the Servant may be passing by here and to stay on your guard. Don’t let this news disturb your happiness though. More Lights of the World should be here soon so that you’ll be granted the same powers as I so that you can make people happy in a similar way to the way I do.”

“Okay, thank you for letting me know. You should stop by more often to spend time with us. It’s great having you around.”

“I love spending time with you as well. Your reality is wonderful and you are one of the few people I’ve met who are as selfless as I am and that only wants to see people happy for the rest of their lives. I’ll see you again after the Conduit is taken care of.”

The neighbor dissipates into light and leaves Josephine slightly worried.

“Nothing should happen,” she tells herself, “The Servant let me get overtaken by the neighbor. Surely, this other Conduit will as well, but then again, I was never anything special.”

Josephine’s friends and family appear, surround her, and give her support to take away her worries and make her smile again. Another happy day passes before another one comes. As the day goes along and Josephine is spending time with her friends, she sees an unfamiliar face in the park that she didn’t put there. In the distance, she sees a young man standing on a rock looking around until he sees her.

“Hey!” he says to her while waving with a friendly smile on his face.

This young man wears black rags, has gray skin with only one patch of light beige skin around his mouth, and green eyes with a faint gold glow in the center. A gold light seems to emanate from the man which makes the surrounding light seem dim in comparison. Josephine knows that this must be the Conduit that the neighbor was talking about, however, she doesn’t know why nothing is being done about him and why he’s here in her reality. In an attempt to get rid of him, she shifts reality in a way to exclude him from it and even resorts to imagining people shooting him all of which have no effect on him besides amazing him with what’s happening as if she’s performing simple magic tricks for him.

“Woah! How are you doing that?” the young man asks.

“Because this is my reality and I want you out of it,” Josephine says.

“Your reality? This place is a dream and not reality because reality is reality, and in reality, you’re sitting on a park bench with two older people. Are they your parents?”

“Yes.”

“I kind of figured since you look like them. I’m sure you want to get them back to reality, so you should help me so we can get everyone out of here. We don’t have much time since my light can only keep the neighbor confused for so long.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What? Why not? I thought that was why the Servant sent you here.”

“It was but look at me now. The Servant didn’t help me one bit and I’m glad that He didn’t because I finally get to be happy in the way that I want.”

“And what way is that?”

“By making my friends and family happy.”

“What friends and family? This is your dream and everyone in it besides you and me is fake.”

“They’re real to me! They’re real here.”

“But that doesn’t make them actually real. Is making fake people happy what you want to do?”

“No, because I’m happy here as well! The neighbor makes so many people happy by giving them their own reality to live in.”

“You don’t make people happy by making them live in a dream. Besides, there’s more to living life than trying to be happy all the time.”

“And what would that more be?”

“As far as I know, it all boils down to doing the right thing with your life and making the most of it even if you don’t get to be happy for most of it.”

Josephine immediately remembers what the Servant told her about making her life right and the responsibility she felt in doing so. It’s almost as if she can hear the Servant’s voice in the man’s own.

“Tch.”

“You know it’s true.”

“So what if I do? I can’t help you banish the neighbor.”

“Yes, you can. With my help that is. That’s why I’m here. Take my hand.”

As Josephine reaches out to the man, she sees that part of her is transforming back to normal along with her dark aura, however, her darkness is complementary to the man’s light both of which begin to dispel the light of the neighbor.

The reality created by Josephine’s mind and the neighbor’s power begins to dissipate along with everything and everyone in it. In the distance, she can see her friends and family disappear and cry out for her to help them.

“Look at me,” the young man says to get her attention, “They aren’t real, but they are real in reality. You can make them happy there.”

“My friends abandoned and hate me now and I don’t know what my parents would say,” Josephine says.

“There’s a chance that they’ll accept you for doing the right thing. You’re their daughter after all. Why would they hate you?”

After a moment of hesitation and consideration, Josephine takes the young man’s hand causing the false reality around her to shatter. Her parents alongside her also wake up and are confused as to what happened.

“Mom? Dad?” Josephine tepidly says as she approaches them.

Her parents are a bit confused and startled at first by their daughter’s appearance.

“Josephine?” her dad says.

“Is that really you?” her mom adds.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“What happened to you, and who’s that boy?” her mom asks.

“I was brought back to life by the Servant and this boy helped me free you from the neighbor’s light.”

“Why did you do that for? I was living such a good life.”

“Why are you helping that devil, the Servant? It causes so much suffering for people who just want to be happy. I thought you wanted others to be happy,” her dad says.

“I do, but I’d rather do it in the right way.”

“Right way, wrong way. What does it matter when it’s all a matter of opinion? What does it matter when people are happy?”

“It-”

“We were perfectly fine in our reality. We weren’t hurt and no one could be hurt in those wonderful dreams of ours,” her mom says.

“But-”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. You’re obviously not the same daughter I raised who did whatever she could to make people happy even at the cost of her own happiness.”

“But dad, I-”

Josephine’s parents don’t listen to her as they walk away. The sky turns dark and it begins to rain making everyone run away from it or into shelter except for Josephine and the young man. Again falling to her knees like last time, she covers her face and tries not to cry while also keeping back a burst of hysterical laughter.

“Josephine, don’t worry about them,” the young man says.

“I hope you’re happy!” Josephine yells not only at the man in front of her but also at the Servant. “You got what you wanted! Now leave me alone!”

“Josephine…”

“I gave up what made me happy and now I’m hated by my friends and family and there’s no chance that I can get any of it back! Is this what doing the right thing is like because I hate it!”

“Doing the right thing can be painful and it involves suffering sometimes without getting any relief, thanks, or payment for it.”

Something about what the man says resonates with Josephine as she knows it to be true from experience from before even helping the Servant. The man then hugs her.

“But you don’t need to do it alone because I’ll be helping you and together, we’ll fulfill our purpose in life for the Servant,” he continues to say while giving Josephine a reassuring smile.

A tidal wave of emotions fills Josephine as she feels reinvigorated by the man’s words. It feels to her as if she’s been swept off her feet by him and feelings of love begin to grow inside her. The moment is interrupted as the man notices the Lights of the World who are with the neighbor approaching them all of which are covered by their light that shields them from the rain.

“What did you do?! Why did you ruin our happiness?!” the neighbor says.

“It was the right thing to do,” Josephine says as she stands with the man by her side.

“Well, the next right thing for you will be to suffer and die for what you’ve done to me and the friends I’ve made.”

“Take my hand!” the man says while holding out his hand.

When Josephine does as the man says, a bright light bursts from the man’s other hand that he’s holding up. The skin on his body turns completely beige while Josephine’s skin doesn’t turn all grey like last time. Darkness brighter than the Lights of the World come from her and from her darkness rats with the limbs of cats and the claws of monsters come out. While the light from the man burns the lights and keeps them disorientated, Josephine’s rats tear them apart and eat them from the inside out. By the end of it, there is nothing left of the neighbor and the other Lights of the World besides muck and decomposing flesh. The young man’s body turns back to what it once was and the light from his free hand disappears.

“Glad that’s over. It was cathartic,” Josephine says.

“Doing this can be from time to time. Thank the Servant that it ended in our favor,” the young man says.

“I’m surprised that your body didn’t turn completely grey.”

“That’s because my body and mind are mostly in tune with the Servant. You’ll reach that point soon enough and I’ll teach you how.”

“Yeah. Thank you…for everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Don’t mention it. I also couldn’t have banished all those lights without your help as well. My name is Memphis, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

“My name is Josephine. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Memphis and Josephine smile at each other and blush a bit before Memphis clears his throat and looks away.

“We should get out of the rain,” he suggests.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

The two make their way out of the area together as they begin their journey. For the first time in a while, Josephine feels as if her life will get better and that it is worth living as long as she is with Memphis.

Unremembered and Unimportant: Chapter 2 – Struggle of the Weak and Naïve

Chapter 2 – Struggle of the Weak and Naïve

As Josephine wakes up, she sits up and rubs her shoulders. It’s still raining and as dark as it was when she fell asleep. Regardless of the weather, she heads out and hopes to encounter the Servant again. In her wandering, she finds others who are Dead like her who have the same stitched together and half gray, half their original skin color on them. She finds them talking to the same people who fled from her, yelled insults, and threw things at her not too long ago.

Approaching one of them she says, “Hello. How did you get these people to talk to you? They didn’t want anything to do with me yesterday.”

“The Servant gives us the grace and talent to do different things. You’re just a Conduit for His changing will,” the Dead woman says. The people of the town begin to notice Josephine and slowly back away from the evangelists. “I think it’s better if you went on your way.”

“…yeah, but I don’t know where I’m supposed to go next.”

“The Servant hasn’t told you?”

“No, even though I talked to Him yesterday. I admittedly didn’t think to ask and just wanted to rest.”

“I understand that, but you’re among the Dead and a Conduit for the Servant. There’s little to no time to rest.”

“I…I know.”

Josephine stops herself from giving an explanation for her want to rest knowing that the Dead woman would view it as an excuse as everyone like her experiences the same things and continues on anyway.

“Regardless, we do have a Conduit here that will give you an idea of where you might need to go. He’s the man in a black hood and covered in ashes over there,” the woman says while pointing to the man.

“Thank you.”

Going over to the man, Josephine sees him praying on his bleeding knees.

“Excuse me? I was told that you could help me find out what the Servant wants me to do next?” Josephine asks.

The man looks up at Josephine with a genuine smile on his face despite the muck and blood coming from his eyes and head.

“Bless you for your service and want to serve the Servant. I was told about your arrival by Him and already know where He wants you to go,” the man says.

“Does He always tell you what you need to know?”

“Not always, but I am always talking to Him and I always see Him. He doesn’t always answer all my questions though. Still, I have an unfathomable blessing that few others have. In fact, we all do because we were all spared from justice despite our sins because of the Servant’s mercy and willingness to patiently wait and suffer for our sins. Do you know that He is the source of all truth and love? That is why He is the Servant. He does so much for us that we are obligated by love to do the same. And did you know that-”

“As much I’m sure that the Servant loves your splurging about Him, you’re beginning to scare away the converts as much as that girl is,” the woman from before interjects.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll go back to praying and doing penance. As for you, Josephine, the Servant wants you to go north to erase another Light of the World, which will be straight ahead after turning the corner over there,” the man says while pointing in the direction Josephine is meant to go in. “Be careful around this one because it’ll challenge you in a personal way.”

“Thank you.”

As Josephine walks away, she breathes out as if she had just run a marathon. The man’s endless ramblings about the Servant somehow made her feel mentally exhausted while she was listening to him. She knows that he was right in what he was talking about, but also that she still has a lot to learn before she can love the Servant like the man does. While passing through the area, she realizes that she’s going through her old neighborhood. There are Dead and Conduits like her trying to convert her friends and neighbors to the truth, and unlike yesterday, they’ve opened their doors and seem to be having a civil conversation with them. The sight of this somehow makes Josephine both disgusted and relieved at the same time, so she walks away from the scene to not interfere with the evangelists.

Continuing on, she walks out of the rain and back into the lights produced by the Lights of the World. Josephine is both relieved to be out of the rain and nervous at the same time and becomes distraught at the realization that she’s constantly being torn in two by her emotions.

“Come on. Just look at the positive side of things. I’m making up for the actions of my past and helping others in the process,” Josephine says to herself.

Soon, Josephine finds herself in a suburban town with farms surrounding it. There’s not a person in sight or sign of life anywhere. Further in, Josephine explores a restaurant and finds people sitting and standing around motionless with smiles on their faces. Trying to get their attention, Josephine pushes them and tries talking to them, all of which result in nothing. She then tries to act as a Conduit for the Servant’s influence as she did before, but again, nothing happens.

“Maybe I have to find who’s causing this like I did last time,” Josephine says to herself while continuing to wander around the town until she comes across her parents who are in the same state as everyone else.

Her parents are sitting on a park bench overlooking a river. They’re smiling and holding each other in their arms. This sight tears Josephine in two as she is both happy to see them and worried for their safety and what could’ve happened to them to make them like this. She touches their faces and then hugs them.

“I’ll save you, mom and dad. I love you,” Josephine says.

While walking around, Josephine begins to notice that her skin is changing along with her outfit. No longer does she look like a stitched-together Frankenstein monster dressed in rags. Instead, she looks as she did before she prostituted herself for others. The people in the town are now moving while some are phasing into reality bit by bit. Among the people that are appearing are Josephine’s old friends. They approach her with friendly faces.

One of them says, “It’s so good to see you again!”

“Huh?” Josephine says.

“We’re sorry about what we told you yesterday. We were just upset at what you did, but now that we’re all in something better, it doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t have mattered to begin with because we’re friends and we shouldn’t hate you no matter what you do.”

“You’ve done so much for us after all.”

“I’ve made an ice cream cake as my way of making up. Your favorite!” a friend says while showing Josephine the cake.

The design on the cake and what’s happening reminds Josephine of happier and simpler days when she would help out around people’s houses in the neighborhood and at school. She begins to cry tears of joy until she shakes her head and the feeling off of her.

“No, no, this is wrong,” Josephine says as she walks away from her friends.

“What’s so wrong about it?” a man says.

Looking around her, she doesn’t see the source of the voice even though the voice sounded like it came from somewhere close by.

“This is! This is fake!”

“Does it feel fake to you? What about smell? How about the looks of it? I can change whatever you want. This is your reality, after all.”

“What are you talking about? Who are you?”

“You can think of me as a friendly, concerned neighbor. I give everyone who enters my neighborhood the reality they want after picking through their memories.”

“I don’t want this! Let me go!”

“Don’t lie to yourself. You always want to be loved for what you do by your friends and family. Speaking of which…”

Josephine’s parents appear in front of her and give her a hug. As her parents shower her with affectionate words, she pushes them aside and runs away.

“Stop it, stop it, stop it!” she says.

“What’s wrong? Is this not to your liking?” the neighbor says.

“This can’t be real. Even if this is, I saw my parents sitting motionless. What did you do to them?”

“Nothing. They are still sitting on the bench along with you. Both you, your parents, and everyone in this town are sitting or standing around in a state of undying, perpetual stasis with each one experiencing their own perfect version of reality.”

“A reality that you control?”

“No, they control their own reality. What you see and hear are all informed by your own wants and desires. In this way, everyone can live the life they want to without having to interfere with anyone else’s dreams.”

Knowing about her control over her circumstances, Josephine tries to imagine her way out of this reality and hears her family and friends screaming out as she does it.

“They’re not real, they’re not real,” Josephine says to herself.

“You can do anything you want in this reality. Why break free from it? Why cause your loved ones so much pain?” the neighbor asks.

“They’re not real!”

“They’re real here. Everything that you want to be real is real as long as you stay here. Why would you want to go back anyway? The Servant doesn’t need your help for anything. He has servants that He’s blessed with better abilities than you. You saw them not too long ago, didn’t you?”

“…I have, but He told me to come here to erase your false light.”

“One of His servants told you that He said that, but you didn’t hear Him say it yourself. It’s also obvious that you can’t do anything to stop me like you did with the other Light, so if anything, He sent you here and allowed you to be enraptured by my light so you can live in your own paradise.”

“No, that’s not true!”

“Is it now? Think of what you are to the Servant. A Conduit to His light. One of the Dead who no longer live for themselves. A sinner who spent her entire life in opposition to Him even if it was unknowingly. To Him, you are disposable. You’ve done your penance already. Now, it’s time to live your life for yourself and no one else. So, tell me, what do you want?”

Josephine is again surrounded by her friends and family who influence her to make a certain decision just by being there and looking at her with happy faces.

“I…I…I want to be happy and make other people happy.”

“And for what purpose?”

“Because it’s what I want to do.”

“That’s the right mindset to have. It’s the same mindset I have too, in fact.”

From the light of the sun, a being made of multiple heads appears. Tongues from one mouth on the body connect it to the mouth on its head and also act as pseudo arms and legs for it. The head on the body is the only one with its eye open and this eye is comprised of many colored eyes.

“It’s always bothered me to see people unhappy and in pain. In my old neighborhood, I was a community worker,” the neighbor says from the head on his chest as he approaches Josephine. “Because of the way the world works, no one could stay happy for long. One neighbor would die, another would fall into financial hard times, a parent would lose their job, a child would be hurt in an accident, and so on and so forth. It wasn’t until the Star, that had the light of the morning sun, did I think there’d be an end to the sadness and pain. Along with the other Lights of the World that it came with, it made the world better and made other Lights of the World, which included me. When I was offered the power to put people into an undying stasis where they would live in a reality of their making that fit their beliefs while also not interfering in the reality of others, how could I refuse it?”

The neighbor comes close to Josephine as he floats in the air. All his faces smile at her in an uneasily comforting way. Josephine gives a slight smile back in return.

“I understand,” Josephine says.

“I’m happy that you do and happy that you’re living for yourself and your own happiness. Maybe if the Star or another Light of the World comes by here, you can do the same as I do. Until then, I hope that you continue to be as happy as you can be.”

“Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy everything you have, neighbor.”

The neighbor dissipates into particles of light that go back into the sun. Josephine’s family and friends talk to her and to each other about how to spend the day. She enjoys her time talking, eating, playing, and doing community activities together. She’s happy to finally get what she wants, but at the same time, she can’t ignore a feeling of emptiness to it all.

Unremembered and Unimportant: Chapter 1 – Journey of the Insignificant

 Chapter 1 – Journey of the Insignificant

Today is another sunny day in the world. People happily wake up and go about their daily business with a smile and a welcoming anticipation for the day’s events. They worship the Light of the World of their choice and those who don’t worship live in harmony with those who do. Among the happy inhabitants is a woman dressed in black rags. Half of her body is brown while the other half is a cold gray all of which is separated by black stitching. One of her eyes is black and gold and her other eyes are red, black, and gold. No one is concerned about her even with the sinister smile on her face.

The woman enters a place of worship where a Light is meeting his worshippers and blessing them with wealth, possessions, and whatever else their heart desires. One person is even given the love of their life as the Light puts a spell on the lover so that they feel the same love the other feels for them. Before the couple can walk out, the mysterious woman emanates a darkness from her hand that wakes up the hypnotized lover from their trance before approaching the Light who takes an interest in her.

“My faithful worshippers, we are witnesses to a miracle. Before your eyes is St. Josephine,” the Light says.

Everyone in the worship center claps and cheers for Josephine and touches her as they pass her by and tell her how much she inspired them by her example. She has trouble moving forward for a moment before shaking her head and continuing forward.

“I’m surprised that you remember me,” Josephine says as she stands before the godlike entity of light.

“Why wouldn’t I?” the Light asks with a comforting smile on his face. “You were a woman of the people who did everything in her power to help people and make them happy and doing so until the moment you died.”

“I died the plaything of sick people. They tortured and raped me to their hearts and the demented hearts of everyone who watched.”

Everyone in the room waits for Josephine to continue talking as if she hadn’t made a point.

“And? You made so many people happy. If you didn’t constantly relieve people of their dark needs, who knows what they would’ve done to people in public.”

“Public, private, it doesn’t matter. I was tortured and so were other people.”

“It was your choice to be involved with it, and as far as I remember, you enjoyed it for the most part and invited others to do the same.”

Josephine turns her head in shame.

“…yes, I did, and I regret doing so.”

“You did? Even though you helped hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of people feel happier, which was what you wanted? Even though you received the praise of the people you helped and were showered with riches, possessions, and whatever and whoever else you wanted?”

“You gave me everything I wanted as long as I did everything you asked and believed what you wanted me to believe and convince others to follow my example. If I didn’t, you would’ve killed and thrown me in the trash earlier like you did with the rest of the Dead, but you won’t hurt anyone else anymore!”

As Josephine begins to levitate, the other half of her body turns gray and the rest of her hair turns red. Darkness then radiates from her that somehow shines brighter than the light from the godlike entity in front of her. It begins to consume the light around it and melt the Light itself into nothing more than dried bones and tattered clothes.

Everyone who witnesses this has their eyes opened to the truth that what they were worshipping was no god at all and that the foundation of their welfare and happiness is gone. In their fear, they run away while Josephine’s darkness continues to spread and have the same effect on everyone else it touches. Soon, the people in town are awakened by the dark and are unsure of what to do next, especially when the other Lights tell them what has happened. One of these Lights appears in the minds of the town and lets them know that they can run to any of them for help.

Josephine can even hear their voice as they say, “St. Josephine will no longer be considered a saint for the heinous and blasphemous crime that she has committed today.”

Those who aren’t running away towards another Light or cowering in their homes hurl insults and objects such as trash at Josephine when she passes by them. As the darkness continues to spread, the sky also changes as it quickly becomes cloudy and rains soon after. Because the people of this town know only sunlight and days and nights of endless sunshine, the rain scares and forces them to either run faster away from the town or run into a nearby building or house and lock it up so the rain doesn’t touch them. Continuing on her way, Josephine finds her way to her parent’s house and old neighborhood. She goes up to each door and tries to get them to open up for her.

“I don’t want anything to do with you!” one of her neighbors says.

“You’re a traitor!” a friend yells from inside the house without opening the door.

“You’re a disgrace!”

“Go away!”

“Get away from us, devil!”

All these insults from the people she once loved make her hesitant to knock at her parents’ door, but she does anyway with the small hope that they may answer.

“Mom? Dad! It’s me, Josephine! I’ve freed you from the influence of that false light. Please, open up,” she says while knocking.

Josephine knocks again and again and doesn’t receive an answer.

A next door neighbor yells out from their house, “Leave them alone already! You aren’t their daughter anymore!”

Seeing that her parents aren’t answering the door, Josephine walks away from her home and neighborhood. She tries to keep her head high before falling to her knees and crying in the rain. An entity forms out of the rain in front of her and holds up her hand with one of His nail-pierced hands. His body is pierced by many nails on His back, eyes, and head. As Josephine looks into His eyes, she sees that He understands her pain and she can feel her own being shared with it along with the rest of the pain and sadness that the entity bears.

Josephine doesn’t know what to say and just feigns a smile that appears demented as if she’d gone insane.

“I know how you feel. Speak and I will listen.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Josephine admits, “I’m thankful for this opportunity you’ve given me to make up for my mistakes and wake people up from the corruption of the Lights, but at the same time, I’m beyond miserable because I am hated by everyone I once loved. I know that you said I would be when you first talked to me while I was dying, but it was easy to accept the difficulties at the time. Will things get easier from now on? Will I ever be loved by another person again? Will I be forced to be homeless, despised by the world, and alone for the remainder of my new life?”

“You know the answer to all of those as I had told you how your life would be. It will not be easy living this new life of yours. You will be hated by the world as I am hated and will find no place to permanently lay down your head in peace, but you will not be alone because I will be with you through it all to bear your suffering and sadness and empower you to make it through what I have in store for you.”

The Servant disappears in the rain as if it were never there leaving Josephine not entirely alone but feeling like she was. Knowing that sulking in the rain will do her no good and that it would be a waste of the second chance she has, she picks herself up and looks for a secluded place to rest. She eventually finds one place in a dark and dirty alleyway that is dry enough to rest in and secluded so that no one will find her. After collecting the various rags and covering herself with them, she lies her head down with tears still in her eyes not only for herself but also for the people she loves.