Introduction of Hosen 4: Billy

After hours of walking, they finally found an empty flat in which they could rest. The silence made the room seem even emptier when Hosen took out his notebook to write down everything he had witnessed. He immersed himself in his duty without uttering another word.

"What are you writing?"

The curious child peeked over the man's shoulder, prompting Hosen to snap the notebook shut in his face.

"What's your surname, Billy?"

He asked instead before the boy could sulk about not being able to read his secrets.

"You're changing subjects…" That he did. "But fine, I'll tell you." Even with how much he tried to hide his offense, his lips betrayed his act through a slight pout. "McGuffin. I'm Billy McGuffin."

Hosen eyed him shortly as if he was trying to remember an important detail.

"Alright, you can look inside." His notebook was opened back again.

"Why did you ask for my surname?"

Billy blinked, full of curiosity, and leaned forward, closer to see what was written inside.

"I wanna give you back to your mother if we find her."

"But my mum is dead," Billy said innocently, causing Hosen to stare at him in disbelief. "She died three years ago in a car accident." Trying to cross the road when some psychopath drove through a red light, and now she was gone. A hit-and-run incident where the perpetrator was never found.

"Then, I'll bring you to a shelter." A quick switch of decision, but the kid was already too engrossed in reading his scribbles to answer.

"After the invaders had appeared, the Yellow King's(1)* influence became widely known. Infected many minds with madness, who then began their killing spree. However, he is not affiliated with the unknown effective transformation of the corpses to its will; their bodies winded into coiling masses, becoming very aggressive in nature. Assuming the entity's name, they were under the unknown Spiral's control. I have seen at least nine on my way, but I can safely assume there are dozens, if not hundreds more… Is that what my dad turned into?"

"...yeah." There was a beat of silence before Hosen voiced a response.

"Hmm…" The boy continued reading while he scribbled along.

"The Spiral's control turned out to be unexpectedly strong; thus, will have to take care of that issue as soon as we find its trail. Can be associated with the color green because bruises of the same shade grew upon the rot of their skin. Sixty percent of the city was destroyed during the first wave. At least eighty-five percent of people are presumed dead. The pungent odor of death overtook the streets. From my observations, frost follows wherever Ny'ghan Grii(2)* are moving, so it is a characteristic sign to take note of and avoid at all costs."

Billy blinked in confusion.

"Why are you writing all of this?"

To which Hosen ruffled the boy's hair playfully.

"You don't need to know."

It made him pout once more.

"Fine. Whitey likes to have secrets, I won't pry more." He kicked a pebble with his sole; his puffed cheeks made him look closer to a pufferfish than a human. "Whitey seems like a special agent or something..."

Still, the nickname the man received caused him to twitch an eyebrow as he silently noted the events, per usual, sitting in the corner of the room.

"..."

Billy, however, was quite bored standing in one place, doing nothing.

"So…" He initiated a small talk. "Any sports you like?"

"...I'm not a very sporty guy." Hosen did not take the pen off the page.

"I like to play tennis!" The boy continued. "Every Sunday, my mum brought me there and watched me play against older kids because I was that good! And, after Mum died, Dad took me there to keep the tradition. He even played against me sometimes. I always won, of course!"

It appeared that the boy didn't have only bad memories with his father. He also had some good ones, and he cherished them dearly.

A pure child's love is worth more than any other kind. Shame that many don't appreciate it.

Billy was a friendly kid, from what it looked like. He didn't mind the evil. He was loved and genuinely loved his father, even with all the pain inflicted on him, no matter how bad of a treatment he received.

Or maybe he was much too young to understand how these wounds on his body had formed. Even now, Hosen could take a glance to find them hidden under his collar, but it wasn't his place to right the wrong.

"I see. It seems like you had a lot of fun." But his attention was elsewhere. Somewhere beyond the nostalgic times, he was calculating the outcomes of his future choices and counting seconds one by one.

1632, 1633, 1634…

"Yeah! It was a lot of fun! Whenever the ball curved towards me, I-"

Hosen closed his notebook.

"Alright. I hope you've rested enough. We have to move."

"Eh—? But I haven't even told you about my special moves yet!"

"That can wait." Safety came first.

He put a finger to his lips, a sign for the boy to stay quiet and, after hiding his notebook in the back pocket, he turned his gaze to what was beyond the entrance. The characteristic screeches echoed in the distance.

A step through the door frame and they saw a group of people gather on the other side of the road. What an odd twist of fate that they'd stumble upon someone else in this vast land of destruction and solitude.

A chance of one in a hundred.

It might have been too much of a coincidence, if Hosen thought about it. Suspicious... The possibility of them being raiders never left his mind.

But who knows? Maybe they were the good guys all along—the true nature of a human remains a mystery.

Billy's smile grew wider, and his peepers sparked with hope when he saw fellow survivors struggling to get away from the disasters. He was ready to get to them asap. Waving his hand, a gesture that would easily give away their position, he inhaled air into his lungs to call out until-

"Wait."

Hosen held Billy by his shoulder to stop him from going further.

"Don't go there." 

A thick mist poured out to the middle of the streets, slowly moving its way towards their location. White obscured their vision after it spread around—both could see no more than five meters ahead because of its high density.

The survivors were embraced by the heavy smoke, and soon, they screamed through their teeth due to an unforgettable pain.

Their demise was certain—their skin melted, burning them alive as though acid was poured all over their bodies. The haze surrounding them evaporated in dark red, and then, there was silence.

"We were five seconds too late."

Hosen uttered softly before tugging at the boy's backpack, hoping they could retreat to where they came from.

"But what about the group ahead?"

Billy, however, grew concerned. They finally met other humans, but now they were gone…

"We can't help them. Let's go."

There was a reason why Hosen chose this building to rest—it had a few stories. In case of any fumbles, they would have at least another way out. The faster they run upwards, the better. To avoid being melted alive, they needed to escape the ground floor and climb to the rooftop as quickly as possible.

Still, even when the man urged them to leave, the boy hesitated about going without the others.

"Go!"

Finally, his raised voice snapped the boy back to reality. Both darted inside up the stairs, but-

"Argh!"

By letting Billy go first, Hosen exposed himself to the fog's influence, which seared his shoulder. The pain was sharp enough to shut down his mind for a split second, only to bring him back to his senses and heighten his caution. He could feel the air particles biting into his wound, digging through his skin, and burrowing deeper into his flesh.

Luckily, he was quick enough to escape in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding having his entire body succumb to the severe burns.

"Whitey—"

"Quick!" He ushered.

They didn't have time to stall.

The dense fog trailed closely behind them, following their every step.

Everything would have gone smoothly—they would have escaped the clutches of the chasing mist sooner—if it wasn't for the fact that their way on the evacuation stairs was blocked by a locked door.

"No…"

Billy's hope faded with each passing second. He stared at the closed entrance powerlessly; his shoulders hung low.

But even when the boy seemed to be near surrender, Hosen didn't plan to die here.

"Help me."

Thud

A powerful slam against the door sent an echo down the staircase. Once, twice, until the kid snapped out of it and joined in, rushing to help. They rammed into the hard, wooden surface together—it was too early to give up.

Thud- thud!

One time, a second time, and for the third time…

The mist was closing in.

Fourth, fifth…

"Come on!"

It was right at their backs.

THUD!

Sixth—

The white cloud came just inches ahead…

"Whitey, please—"

THUD!!!

"Save us!"

Until finally, on the seventh hit, the hatch gave in, sending them tumbling forward under their own weight.

The two instantly rose to their feet, breaking into a dash as fast as they could. They rushed upstairs—the fog chased after them, crawling onto the steps of the staircase like a cautious predator, so close to licking their soles.

If they were one step ahead, it made sure to catch up in the next. Two steps over they jumped, and the mist was already obscuring the bottom. Hopping three at a time up the evacuation stairs, they hoped they could soon escape this nightmare.

And there it was, the roof's exit, which they scurried by, not even noticing that whatever was chasing them had halted on the second floor. Only their distinct, heavy, panting gasps cut through the silence of the ghost town.

"What the… Ha... ha… So we ran all this way for nothing…?"

Billy chuckled dryly while trying to catch his breath. The scientist's heart, too, nearly jumped out of his chest after such an intense chase.

He glanced back at the entrance where the deadly fumes stopped its pursuit.

The mist didn't seem to reach that high.

Two stories at most, is what Hosen noted when his body calmed down from the rush of adrenaline they were both exposed to.

Looking around, they were above the fifth floor's rooftop—as far as he knew, they were safe, for now. So, after having a moment to take a breath, he ripped his white coat and wrapped the material around his burned wound without so much of a wince or a yelp.

Nameless Mist(3)* appears to be highly acidic. It obscures vision and erases all sound.

The screams from below were no longer audible, though they should have been. Instead, an eerie silence enveloped the area, with not even the sound of the wind.

After crossing continents, it finally ended up in Manhattan, but soon will roam across the whole globe, claiming many lives. While in chase, it drastically changes its speed.

"You sure like to write a lot."

The little boy noticed, bringing Hosen out of his focused state.

"...it helps me remember."

"Remember what, exactly?"

Billy tilted his head in confusion. Was this man forgetful? Or maybe had a bad memory like his dad?

"Everything. I like to archive everything I witness." Hosen answered without pausing his hand motion. "Who knows, maybe the stuff I write would be of help to someone else in the future."

"What a weird hobby." Nothing was more painful than a child's honesty.

You are weird, he wanted to retort but held back his tongue—weird for tagging along with a stranger and treating him friendly like a second parent. With each of their interactions, this brat had become more and more cheeky.

But such comments weren't necessary.

"Are you an alien, Whitey?"

"What?"

Confusion was written all over Hosen's face, for the second time today. This kid sure brought up some odd topics randomly.

It was obvious he was bored. Just running around and waiting in a safe place weren't cutting it. A child would remain a child, even in these circumstances; switching topics rapidly was his way of coping with the boredom.

"Well, you kind of seem different from others. Your hair is white, and in general, you look… colorless."

"I was born with albinism."

He straightened the misunderstanding instantly by telling his usual lie. That ought to work well on people from the past since they didn't ask for more afterward.

Would it work on a curious child, though?

"But then, why is your blood pink?"

Apparently not.

Billy pointed at Hosen's shoulder, questioning him further.

"When I get hurt, it's red. Normal blood is red, right? Why a different color, then? You must be an alien in disguise!"

"..."

Hosen's head shifted down in contemplation, seemingly gazing at something distant. It was an inevitable truth that his blood's color was an ugly shade of magenta, unlike others. He seemed like an oddity from the human race, an ugly outsider who didn't belong here. Not out of his own volition, though…

"...I'm a human."

"Huh—"

Their back-and-forths were cut short when the boy realized the mist had started changing. Pure whiteness that spread across the city turned into an impenetrable, blinding darkness instead.

"Woah—!"

Billy was ready to run up to the railings. He had an unfathomable urge to look down at it forever-

"Don't look."

But the scientist forbade it. One sharp glare kept the little guy in place, away from the building's edge. The boy didn't quite understand why, but it worked.

"If you do, you'll go insane."

Thanks to the old books and transcripts, Hosen knew what lurked in its shadows.

The nameless mist appeared white on the outside, but the closer to the middle one came (if someone survived that far), they'd see an ever-shifting shape of a figure surrounded by a black cloud conglomeration. As he moved, the mist moved with him, shrouded in mystery, enveloped by darkness, immersed with its center.

Hidden from the human eye, the entity was anchored to multiple dimensions, like a black hole whose contents remained unknown. While he, who existed simultaneously in different worlds, waltzing around unbothered, also served as a portal for other ancient beings to pass through.

No one should try to grasp the nameless mist's existence, nor should they search for the entity walking inside.

One look at him would turn anyone crazy.

And that was exactly what Hosen put down in his trusty notebook.

"Let's get out of here." They shouldn't stay too long in this metaphorical eye of the storm. "Do you know the way to the closest shelter?" He asked.

It would be much easier for him to move around without additional baggage in hand. If he left the boy at a safe place he wouldn't have too many concerns for the future.

"Yeah, I do."

Billy didn't have to think twice about his answer since he knew this area pretty well. It was his path to the tennis court every Sunday!

"It's that way." He pointed a finger northwest.

"Alright." Without other concerns, Hosen kneeled with his arms tucked behind. "Hop on my back. It will be faster with this method."

And the boy obediently did, at this point fully trusting the man who saved his life three consecutive times.

"If you see some changes of color in you, tell me immediately. I'll let you off for a bit before we continue."

"Mhm. I will."

"Then, let's go."

Careful of his own condition, Hosen jumped from one roof to another, with Billy piggybacked safely. Stopping from time to time, they were able to outrun the mist's slow pace, and since it didn't trigger to hunt immediately, it became stranded between the buildings.

Soon, they found themselves right above the shelter one building ahead.

The scientist scanned around to find anything that could help them go down before the acidic cloud obstructed their way. Unfortunately, the white fog spread enough to border them, closing them off just meters away from their destination.

"Goddamni-"

He held his tongue to avoid influencing the little guy with bad words.

Hosen sighed; they were stuck up there again, without any means to cross the road.

"?"

Billy's innocent yet confused head tilt was enough to make him feel guilty about his choice of words.

"Stay here."

He set the boy down, keeping him away from the roof's railing.

As for himself, he had to collect his composure and think of a way out—using logic and reason. This was no moment for emotional frustration.

Looking down, as he wasn't as affected by insanity, he saw that the mist hadn't spread that far just yet. Only their building seemed surrounded while the other side of the road was fine.

It didn't mean they could take their time, though. No one knew when the mist would move again.

Further ahead, he also caught a glimpse of three men pacing back and forth around the shelter's building—a rescue team, probably. Since they were looking for survivors, Billy should be safe with them.

If that was the case, then they were in luck.

"Do you have a lighter?"

"I don't, but… Ah! Would a phone be enough?"

After grimacing for a split second, the boy rummaged through his backpack to find his phone hidden deep in an inside pocket. Then, he showed his trophy with a bright grin.

What an energetic one.

"That will suffice."

 There was no signal, obviously—all the phone lines were dead—but that wasn't the reason why Hosen needed this device.

He switched the flashlight option on.

"Thanks."

Immediately after Hosen took it in his hand, he waved the light above his head until the three below noticed. All of it was done in complete silence—none of them wanted the possessed bodies or the invaders to discover their location.

Once the men saw the signal, they waved back, confirming that the two survivors were safe to come down.

The message was received clearly.

How would they climb down, though?

Well, Hosen came up with a silly idea. Earlier, he had found metal wires connecting their building to the safe, mistless area across the street—angled perfectly for sliding down to a lower floor.

"I don't think anyone would be using thede anymore."

He ripped out one of the thin pipes from the wall, steam gushed out of it with moderate heat. Nothing too serious. Then, he bent the metal with the help of the railing into a handmade hanger.

"You like adventures, don't you?"

He turned to the boy before putting the bent pipe onto the metal line.

"Yeah. Adventures are fun!" At least one of them was enthusiastic about it.

"Right." All children do. "Then, I have one for you."

The man showed him the way to hold onto the hanger without falling.

"Glide down this rope. Don't fall midway." Hold onto it for dear life. "Three rescuers are waiting for you on the ground floor. When you land at the second building, go down the hallway stairs as fast as possible before the mist takes over."

Billy nodded, listening carefully to the scientist's instructions.

"Got it."

"Then go. They will tend your scratches down there."

"And you, Whitey?"

Billy's head snapped back with interest piqued. Was this man going to leave him here?

"I have… some things left to do."

His gaze was already directed to the next goal in mind.

Now that the baggage was gone, he was able to focus on his original objective, but he couldn't directly say that to a child. Not one who seemed to bond with him pretty well.

"When we meet again, tell me all about your special tennis moves." It was the last goodbye between the two.

"Mhm. I sure will." Nodding, Billy clutched the crooked pipe tighter. "See ya, mister."

He wasn't calling him whitey anymore, just plainly a mister. An act of respect, but it made Hosen feel a tinge of loneliness in his cold heart.

The boy's feet pushed off the edge when he hopped onto the makeshift zipline, swinging him to the other side. The last thing Hosen saw was Billy rushing downstairs and out of the door, where the adults caught him safely.

"What about the other one?"

They asked, looking up, but they couldn't find even a shadow of the second survivor.

"He said he's not coming."

Billy uttered, still lingering his eyes towards the roof before the rescuers brought him inside. The man on the roof was already gone.

And so,

Their ways parted forever.

(1)*From: "King in Yellow" by Robert W. Chambers, 1895 and "The Yellow Sign" by Robert W. Chambers, 1895

(2)*From: "The Invaders" by Henry Kuttner, 1939

(3)*From: "Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft" by H.P. Lovecraft, 1932-1934