PART IX

Jason awake in the world of unknown. This must a dream world he thought. But to him, this world is too strange. He never lived in this kind of world. He look around only to find an abandoned houses. Seem all the house here had been abandoning mysteriously whether vanish just like that or kidnapped in unpredictable time. Because he can see there a car that park nicely at the garage almost every houses or in front of the houses. But who could do such a thing.

Here seem like a huge neighborhood. The air flow creepily touch his cheek. The silent give him chill to the bone. He search for a living people but found none. If this is a dream, it just feel to real. He pinch his left arm fiercely.

"Ouch". He couldn't stand the pain. Didn't they said, if you want to know whether you dreaming or not, try to pinch your face, if it hurt, you not dreaming and if not then it mean you are in dream land.

He feel pain, so that mean he's not dreaming right? But wait a moment, isn't he's with Phoenix just know. He was sitting gloomy at the corner of the room. Why he's here when he open his eyes. When did he being shifted here? It seem nonsense because now the time is almost dawn. The sky painted beautifully with mixed color orange and red.

Even so, that beautiful sky can't ease a horror feeling inside Jason heart. Maybe he seen to much movie until a weird thought cross his mind. What if a zombie suddenly run from the houses and attack him? He is alone, he can't fight them all. He shrugged with the absurd imagination. That too scary. No way it will happen. He try to calm his pounding heart. He's not really a fan of horror movie actually.

He walk slowly and look around along the road in hoping to find a single living soul. But for now, the only sound he could hear is the sound of the wind that greet his ear in a creepy way. Sometime the soft sound of the metal clashing can be heard too which startled him. He turn around only to found a swing that moved by a wind. He hope so. He pray hard that the swing not move by itself. Even as a man, in this kind of eerie atmosphere while wandering around alone could send a terrify feeling to his deepest soul.

He hurriedly move to another house at front. And unconsciously he stand at the house which located in the middle. A faded fainting of green house sending a spine-chilling feeling to Jason but his leg won't move from that house. Damn you leg! Why don't you move?. He cursed.

He is afraid to look inside but his legs seem to have it own thinking. Why of all houses, this the most scary looking house would be chosen. What a great choice. He want to laugh out of fright, definitely not because happiness.

The feeling to search inside the house getting stronger. He in the end had to give in with his leg and his feeling. There must be something that attract him to this once beautiful house before disaster take place and change the whole neighborhood. What could be?

His heart pounding hard. Afraid of what he might found inside or whatever creature that will greet once he's inside. He take a deep breath. The sky getting darker. He need a place to stay and a light. A little fire would be nice to warm his coldly alone night. He hurriedly go through his clothe, all the pocket to search for something that can give him a light.

Thankfully, he found a matches and a small torchlight. He so happy with it and really want to shout out to express his happiness but then again, he remember one of a horror story he had watch, where the actors found something that can save themselves and shout happily, suddenly a monster came out of nowhere and started to chase them and eat them eventually. Eiwww … he doesn't want that happen to him. He don't want to die in this spooky place. Damn you thought, why are you come at the wrong moment and scared me out of wits. Jason can help but to curse.

He step on the stairs. A 'creak' sound can be heard loud and clear in this silent place, the sound startled him. He stop and look right and left. To see if something awake by those sound. Like the horror movie, someone make a noise something will come. He hope it not happened in his situation.

When the air stay still and not a single movement can be detected he continue to what he was doing. There a 3 steps he need to climb and all the stair making a creaking sound each time he step on it sending shiver to his spine. Every time the 'creak' sound making it entrance, Jason heart beating loudly afraid something creepy might suddenly pop up in front of him. He reach for the door and it making the same creaking sound. It is distress Jason.

Why this house making such loud creaking sound whenever I touch it. If it to deteriorate why wouldn't it collapse already. And most importantly, why wouldn't I already wake. This dream is to horrible to face. Why wouldn't I dream some beautiful place surrounded by living people. He cursed so much in his heart. This is so crazy to begin with.

When he enter the house, all the furniture still there but all worn out. The house is to dark, with the help from his tiny torchlight he walk around the living room. Luckily, he found a wooden chair that still intact and a sofa that still can lay down, just brush out the dust a little bit to clean it. Voila, he can sleep in comfortable sofa.

Jason continue his search and found a newspaper. He take it and his jaw dropped when he saw the date of the newspaper. Year of 2022. What?! He couldn't believe it. He wasn't even born at that time. It is like 200 year back. How could that be possible? Is he time travel?

Why would he be here? This place had nothing to do with him. That why he didn't recognize this place. Because he is never been here. He's back to the living room. He use the paper to light a fire on the fire place in the living room. Thank God he found a few broken wooden chair and use the wood to light the fire together with the newspaper. The night air just to cold. He don't want to be freeze out to his death.

When the fire light up and the living room receive a dim light from the fire, Jason can see a bit clearly the living room. Ah, there… near the door hanging a few picture. He get closer to it but can't clearly see whose in the picture. It littered by a dust. He take all the hanging picture and bring it back to the fire place. To have a better view of the picture.

He wipe the dust that covered the frame with his clothe and the people inside it revealed. There a 2 person, one is a bit older but still look handsome. Jason bet at his youthful, he surely have a lot of fan girl. And then he saw the teenage behind him. He look carefully.

No… no…it can't be. He look for a thousand time but it is clearly him. His eyes won't lie though. Dylan? It it his house. Why on earth would I be in his house? He take another picture. This time the picture taken at the backyard. Dylan at this time smiling handsomely while wearing a basic army school uniform. Owh he really enter army school when his teenager, Jason guess. That's why he is so good at fighting skill.

If this is Dylan house why did he the one to enter. Is he and Dylan shared a memory? Is this actually Dylan memories. Jason could not stop thinking. There must be something that connect him to Dylan if he can be here. But wait.…how can he enter dead man memory? What? Is it to some sort of communication that tell Jason, Dylan still around or Dylan spirit actually linger around him for reminder to keep his word. Arghhh….Jason can't think anything right now.

He take a deep breath to clear his mind. Now that he know, this is Dylan some sort of memory. The man beside him must be his dad, because he can see the resemblance. He really inherited a good genes from his dad. The handsomeness and the intimidating aura. But if this is when Dylan were in his teenage year, how old are Dylan in now. How come he be still alive with a smooth skin. No sign of aging at all.

Jason couldn't help but sneer. The Monarch really found a way to persevered body not to rotten. And Dylan is the best example. Jason shrugged just thinking about that. The technology to combine human and robot had been develop by Monarch for a long time and they success in doing that. But never cross in Jason head that aside from it they also success in preserving human body for a very long time. Are those old folk who sit on the throne want to live as immortal?

But Jason only ever know one human subject that is Dylan whose used as experimental material. Maybe because Dylan is the first subject or the only subject that are succeeded, they very furious when they learned their valuable subject had run away from their cage. Apart from Dylan, there is no other in his knowledge.

But for Jason, whatever Dylan are, he is human after all. Being treated only as experimental subject is inhuman to began with. Imagine how sad Dylan must feel. He is not a thing to be tossed here in there and had to endure all kind of pain from a sharp needle that pierce through his skin just to obtained some sample.

So Jason brace himself and tell himself, if this is really Dylan memory, he wouldn't waste it just like that. He need to explore more. He had made a promise so he need to keep it. Even Dylan is not around anymore but that doesn't mean he neglected the promise he made.

Jason stand on the bottom of the stairs. Looking up at the dark pathway. He's heart is still beating fast, feel like it about to burst out from his skin. He really admit defeated with horror scene like this actually. With the cold spooky air, he body shaking a bit, from fear or from the cold chilled night he couldn't be sure which one.

He step on the first stair, 'crack…creak…' sound of floor being stepped on really annoyed Jason. He curse again. Never in his life he curse so much then he does now. Whenever there are sound either from the stepped on stair or the sound of the wind outside the he automatically curse.

He didn't open the first door he found, he just continue walking to the second door as like he's body react on it's own, like he's body recognize which door he should enter. Slowly he turn the doorknob and open the door. Praying hard that behind the door nothing something scary lurking in the dark.

He carefully enter the dark room. With his small torchlight, he look around. The room, even though a bit messy and shattered but still familiar to Jason. Why he feel like it have known this room for his life? He move around the room, found a child playing, a miniature house. Jason smile, this must be Dylan plaything when he was a child. He then found a drawing book. Wow..he so talented Jason could not help but amaze seeing the drawing made by Dylan. At the end of each drawing, Jason could see a name written ' By Dylan Odinburgh'

At last, Jason found Dylan family surname. All this time Dylan only know that he was called Dylan. Turn out that Dylan was he's real name all along. And knowing Dylan father's name will help Jason to search for Jason family history. He already seen Dylan father picture. But one thing he curious about that, there is no women picture in all the picture he had seen. Where the mother could be?

When he see the drawing Dylan made, his sorrow come haunting him back. Why does he need to sacrifice himself when they can actually escape safely. He let the sorrow overtaken him. The fear that exhibit his heart all this time easily replace by sorrow. He close his eyes and when he least expect something to happen.