Shifting Depths of Sanity | Act I: There Is No End
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Dad, please. I gotta go. Someone's waiting for me."
"Who? Your friends? They can wait. Aren't you going to wait to eat?"
"Father, I'm not even hungry."
"Lies! You didn't even come down last night to eat. You can at least wait."
"No, I can't. I need to go now."
"If you leave right now, you ain't getting food for the night!"
"So what? I AIN'T HUNGRY."
"Son..."
CREAK!
"SON YO--"
SLAM!
Sigh.
Sorry, dad.
Ever since my little absence, Dad hasn't been exactly... good with me.
He tried to get me up for supper last night, but after seeing I was knocked out cold and wouldn't budge to eat... he left me there.
And now...
Well... you know.
I had to go either way.
She's waiting for me.
Walking down the streets again.
Say, I've never been one for questioning my routine...
But it feels so weird to look at this... road the way I do now.
I've been down here so many times... and I can't even bother to remember what it's name.
I know it seems insane but... it gets me thinking about all of it.
Gets me thinking about the world beyond this wretched town.
Mum's always told me that despite how horrible things are here...
The world outside... it's not any better.
Hopefully she knows what she's saying.
Hope it ain't a lie... because I just wanna leave.
But anyways...
Something's off with me though.
These days, I've been feeling... weird.
My body is all of the sudden frail.
Like glass, it can break at any moment.
I mean... I never felt like that.
I may not be like those other men, with big and tuff limbs, and their straight, sometimes boastful chests (Saw them once coming around town. Seemed like outsiders)...
But I wasn't half bad.
I could handle myself in a fight. I'm pretty agile for my age and I can get around pretty quick.
I could handle kids like Anthony.
Wish things were like that yesterday.
...
I'm sick, aren't I?
I've seen people like that.
All soggy and numb. Couldn't even move an inch.
There were different types of sickness, of course.
Some were light, some hit strong...
But unfortunately... They all end the same way.
...
God... I'm in trouble, eh?
Hopefully, I'm not. These things could go away on their own.
Just gotta keep myself straight is all.
I think.
...
God, these streets are full today.
As I trotted around the place, I could see people just standing everywhere.
Some seemed like they were buying some things.
Probably not much, but eh. It's something, at least.
Others seemed to be talking a lot though.
From what I could gather, many were talking about some new order from the Royal Family.
Don't know what it is, but from the general mood of it all...
Didn't seem any good.
"Wench!" A voice exclaimed, seemingly out of nowhere.
SLAP!
I stopped, trying to see what was going on.
However, I had an idea.
"Please, sir! I'm sorry!" Another voice exclaimed, pleading.
"Sorry for what, you wretched winch?! You came up to me! How dare you affiliate yourself to me with such nasty and dastardly words?"
"PLEASE!"
SLAP!
Sigh.
As I got up to the crowd of people that formed up, spectating the whole thing, I soon feel witness to what was all the commotion.
It was simple.
A man, wearing such clothes that were all teared up and ravaged, seemingly fighting with a woman. A young one at that. That's probably why he called her a wench. She wore some decent wear, it being a bright brown dress.
They were both down at the floor, with the man dragging the woman up to him, slapping her in between his shouting and her pleas for mercy.
"PLEASE!"
"Women like you shouldn't even on the same level as us! Always filled with such trashy thoughts and some kind of notion that we, such proud and robustious men, would ever be even part of your flirtatious plans! Such filth!"
"PLEASE SIR! I beg of you!"
SLAP!
I tried to look away. Such events like this is nothing to watch with content.
Unlike the other people around me.
They just stood there, devoid of any thought or sane emotion.
SLAP!
Up until now, the woman had done nothing but pleading to the man for it to end.
But now...
She just cried out in pain as the abuse started to ramp up, shortening each pause after the last.
This... This was just torture now.
I... I can't stand it anymore.
As the woman cried out even louder, I brushed through the crowd, trying to get away from the scene.
It was too much.
This kind of stuff was common everywhere.
But this...
This was different.
And unlike the others...
No one wins anything here.
It's just mindless and pointless fighting.
The cries started to fade after a while, but that was only due to the distance I was making from the scene.
I didn't expect to run.
After all, it's worse than to run away from the scene of the crime than to just stand there.
But not like I could do anything either.
Not like this.
After running a bit, I started to calm down a bit, slowing down and trying to recuperate the pieces of my mind after the rush of emotions I felt during that moment.
I... I... I also felt kinda... Kinda tired after the run.
Normally, I wouldn't be.
But...
I am now.
God...
I was so tired.
But I couldn't stop.
I had to see her again.
Before...
...
I don't want to even think about what may happen soon.
But I have to go.
As I continued to wander through down the familiar roads, I tried to take my mind off the topic of death by trying to focus on other things.
On other... positive topics.
Like Lentil.
Like Mr. Lundi.
Like... Kiri.
...
But it didn't work.
All they made me think about how they may react... if they knew that I was sick.
I could imagine Lentil's, probably for Mr. Lundi, but Kiri?
I didn't want to imagine the horror and despair on her face once she finds out.
I know we've only known each other for a couple of months but...
It feels like forever somehow.
And I just feel so attached to her for that reason.
It's like we're soulmates... Somehow.
I may not believe in that rubbish, but it almost feels like we were destined to be together.
It's a little far-fetched, sure, but that's just how strong our relationship is.
And that's how bad I'm feeling, knowing that things may end.
...
Well, let's just hope for the best.
Even if the best isn't good enough.
After a few turns around the block and after a bunch of time wasted, trudging around the town like a snail, I could finally see the park once more.
At long last.
At the sight of it, I picked myself up from my moody measures and step by step, I started to speed up once more.
Pit... Pat...
Pit... Pat...
Pit.. Pat..
Pit.. Pat..
Pit. Pat.
Pit. Pat.
Pit pat.
Pit pat.
PIT PAT.
PIT PAT.
PIT PAT!
PIT PAT!
I swiftly ran through the muddy road, seemingly getting closer and closer to my destination.
My feet crashed into the ground, picking up dirt and sending it through the air as I rushed through lines of people, and across puddles of water.
For a second there...
It almost felt like I was normal again.
The adrenaline was getting to me, sure.
But for just a moment...
I felt so spirited and free.
And good.
I felt good.
I guess all I need was a whiff of fresh air and some wind blowing through me.
Who would've thou--
SLIP!
Out of nowhere, my feet seemed to fly off into the air, sending me gliding across the field, as I slowly realized my predicament.
Oh boy.
This is going to hurt...
Again.
I tried to brace for impact, but I couldn't cross my arms in time, in order to soften the fall.
Like I said again...
Oh boy.
CRASH!
Grazing through the grass, my head seemingly split as it hit the ground several times.
And as quickly as it all happened...
The quicker it took me to...
To...
To pass...
Out...
...
...
...
...
...
Ugh.
Ow.
My head... it...
OW!
As I finally grow conscious again, my body sent out a reminder of just how bad it felt.
While not as strong as before, my body ached at all the bruises.
From my legs all the way to my forehead, they all quaked in pain.
But I could still stand up. Barely.
As I put myself back up, although not being able to even move myself a meter before having to hang on to a tree, I looked around the place.
It was all a bit blurry, considering what had happened, but I couldn't make out anyone.
No figure in sight.
This place was devoid of anyone, which was odd.
Every time I came by here, there were bound to be women and children, all spending their time together, either playing with other or just having a nice conversation between one another.
Something was off.
Where...
Where was she?
I looked up at the sky, trying to guess the time by configuring what position was the sun at.
I assumed it was the afternoon.
The middle of the day.
Surely, she would be here, right?
Did she forget or something?
No...
No she wouldn't.
She designated this time and place herself.
It would be hard to believe she forgot about me.
Right?
...
Maybe something came up.
Yeah, that might be it.
Maybe her father wanted to take her somewhere and she had no choice but to go.
From the last time I encountered him, he seemed like the man to take her only daughter somewhere nice.
The only thing is...
Where?
Ugh!
Come on, Deus!
Snap out of it!
Keep yourself together.
Stop thinking for once and start doing.
If Kiri ain't coming, we can at least go somewhere else.
Yeah...
We should.
Ah yeah!
Today, I was going to go visit Mr. Lundi!
That's right!
Then let's go there then!
"Hey there, Deus."
I froze.
Who...
Who was it?
Lentil?
Kiri?
No, their voices sounded completely different than this one.
As I slowly turned around, I tried to keep myself together in order to make myself look presentable and nice to hide the fact that I could be sick.
Who was it?
...
Well, that's unexpected.
"You alright there, mate?"
"Yeah. I guess. Didn't expect to see you here...
Alan."