Chapter 29: Cries in the Night

City A

Lori considered her family a normal one. They lived in the suburbs, and she goes to a public school a few blocks away from home. Maybe her parents were a bit too strict on her and her brother, but she didn't really give it that much thought because no family is perfect.

Until her parents went insane under the church's influence, and they started going into hysterics.

Now, she was stuck in the house, taking care of her brother as her parents recuperated in the hospital. She didn't even want to visit them. Last time, her mother was crying out loud, saying that something was coming for them. They kept saying that the end was near, that the demons were here.

It was crazy, stupid even. Lori couldn't show her face due to the humiliation her parents' current state brought. No matter how the officials said it was a pandemic, she felt embarrassed as the girl whose religious parents went nuts over music. That's it. That's what triggered the hysteria of those many people. The pandemic they kept on saying is basically the fear of music and cults.

Was it rock music? She grumbled as she wiped her brother's bum for the third time tonight. For one small child, he kept on producing large amounts of poop. It irritated her very much. She didn't want to be in this house playing mommy.

So Lori did what any teenage babysitter would do. She cleaned the baby and then put him in his crib. The sight of the baby irritated her. She wanted to chill in her room, pretend to work on her assignments but probably simp on some boy bands. Now, she's stuck with a baby 24/7. Classes were also suspended because some of her classmates' parents also went under the same state.

At least she wasn't the only one, she thought.

The baby started crying, and the nerves on Lori's temples were starting to appear. She was about to lose her temper. 'It's a baby, Lori. It's a baby, it will be okay.'

Lori suddenly felt the urge to hum, and hum she did until she wasn't humming anymore but singing.

From becoming calm to her eyes went blank, Lori's mind became absent. Her beautiful voice started to take effect. The baby yawned and slowly blinked. Both of them didn't notice the white fog at the end of the crib suddenly surrounding them as Lori sang words she's not familiar with.

Lori was in a deep stupor as she sang sweetly while her brother's hands started grabbing the air. It was as if it was fighting something that wasn't there.

A loud snap woke Lori, and when she regained her composure, she checked the time. She couldn't believe it. Did she just sing for three hours? But that wasn't the most surprising or horrifying thing.

In front of her was her brother, sleeping so gently yet not so.

His cherub-like face looked peaceful, but his body was in a position that no baby would sleep in at all. Both his hands were raised high, his fists were curled, and he looked stiff as a rock. In a state of panic, Lori tried to shake him.

"Come on, Jake, wake up," her voice shook as she tried to wake him. But for some reason, she could not lift him from the bed. It was as if he was made of stone. He was as cold as ice, and at the part that she touched, it looked almost brittle.

Thus, at midnight, echoed her cries in the dark.

***

Physma Island

Matthos was tired of pretending. For one, he's being called by the council to do some charity work. On top of that, he needs to do research. The community leaders expect so much from him being the son of one of the founding families. He has a life outside the normal life.

So now here he was, near midnight in the office reading scriptures on Leonard's works. He wishes everyone's end of the world is the same as the one in Rita Skeeter's "End of the World" song, which is caused by love.

Why can't people's end of the world be individual and phoenix-like? That the end provides a new beginning, from the ashes, you shall rise into something else?

It was one of those days where he can't help but complain when his phone suddenly rang. It was Agent Ramos. It triggered him more.

"Yes, boss?"

In a deadly calm voice, Agent Ramos spoke, "A case in City A. Parents had hysteria. Their child went into a coma. Correlation?"

Na Da