Chapter 10: Quoth

Chapter 10
Quoth

It was a midnight dreary. I was already weak and weary. But I found her.

She was not far from me, but I was not the only one searching for her. Something dived at her through the rain. It was only a blur in my noise.

My eyes were closed, but I ran toward her. I couldn’t stop. To stop was to lose, and I hated losing as much as I hated waiting.

I could see her holding an umbrella in the rain. She was under a streetlamp, oblivious to the danger. She only turned toward me. And in that sound, I could see her smile.

A terrible cry.

I opened my eyes and saw it, large and furious.

I leapt at her.

The Affect sliced through the rain.

Her umbrella soared down the street.

The streetlamp toppled.

I held her close.

Glass shattered.

A great gust upon us.

Nothing more.

I looked up. An empty street.

“Hank?”

“Shh.”

I closed my eyes and held onto my cell-phone. The city under falling rain – rooftops and empty streets. Nothing. Only the two of us lying in the street. I opened my eyes and helped her up.

“Hank. What’s going on?”

“There’s an Affect after you.”

“After me?”

I nodded.

“What is it?”

“A raven.”

“Oh. They’re known as Rocs.”

“That’s comforting.”

“But I’ve never seen one able to do that.”

The streetlamp was severed in half – a clean cut. Electricity cackled from the truncated post.

“Let’s not wait around.”

I grabbed her hand and pulled toward an alleyway. She refused to move.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re getting out of here.”

“No.”

I turned toward her.

“We face it.”

I bit my lip.

“Fine. Lead the way.”

She led me into the street to grab her umbrella. We then ran under the light of a streetlamp, and she held the umbrella above us.

The Roc cried once more with glottal pitch. I closed my eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“Finding it.”

The rain was cut from behind us.

“Behind us!”

She turned around.

“OH! Duck!”

I fell to the floor with her. Another great gust of wind. She grabbed my hand and pulled. We ran, and I heard the streetlamp fall to the floor. The glass shattered and spilled into the street.

“What happened?” my voice resounded all around us – a kaleidoscope of sound.

“That’s no ordinary Roc.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s really big.”

“That’s why I wanted to run.”

“You didn’t say how big it was.”

It was true. I didn’t.

“Well, what now?”

“We face it.”

“You need to broaden your horizons.”

“Like you?” she smiled.

“Like me.” I nodded.

“Maybe later.”

Hypocrite.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to another streetlamp.

“Let go of my hand and lie down with your foot in the umbrella’s shadow.”

“What?”

“Do it!”

I did it, but I shook my head the entire time.

“Where is it?”

I was already searching for it, but this Roc flew above the cloud stratus. It negated all visibility, even mine. It was smart, and it was fast.

Sound is faster.

I already knew where it was as soon as it entered the clouds.

“It’ll be coming from the North!”

“Which way is North?”

I pointed toward the direction.

“I see it.”

I opened my eyes and turned to see the Roc in its full size. Its black wings spanned the entire street, darker than night. Grace clutched her lipstick.

“Closer.” I could hear her whisper.

Time stops when waiting – even if it’s less than a second. We had better win.

She swung. It was only the lipstick in her hand when she began her swing. It was a long thin blade when she had finished. The Roc’s left wing was severed from its body, and it crashed into the street, sliding and tumbling toward us – toward me. I lay on the floor, unable to evade it. I felt something pull at my feet, and I was dragged barely out of the Roc’s path. It tumbled past me and blew off my toque.

I looked up and saw Grace let go of my feet. She sat down and sighed.

“That was close.”

We both sat there wheezing. I closed my eyes.

“Grace.”

I heard where the voice came from, but I couldn’t believe it. I knew birds could imitate human speech, but this wasn’t imitation. This wasn’t even a bird.

I opened my eyes and saw Grace standing above the Roc. They were under another streetlamp. They stared at each other, and it seemed as if there was lament in the Roc’s eye. She angled her lipstick at the Affect’s head. It all happened so quickly, but the Affect soon bubbled and disintegrated into the street.

The rain flowed down Grace’s face. I picked up my toque and walked over to her.

“What was that?”

She shook her head.

“Okay.”

I walked her to her apartment.

“Good night, Grace.”

“Call me?”

“Not tomorrow, but soon.”

She nodded. “Do you need an umbrella?”

“No, I like the rain.”

“Take care. Good night.”

I nodded.

She closed the door. I walked back into the rain. I listened to the city through the rain and I heard two voices.

A woman’s whisper: “We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

And

Terrible laughter.

But that was only for a moment, and then it was quiet. Only the rain and my footsteps. I walked toward my apartment with my toque in my hand. I would be sure to wash it tonight to use it for tomorrow.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Delay

Hi all. Sorry about the delay. There will be no 2nd update this week. What I will do, however, is have a double release on Monday.

Chapter 9: Synesthesia

Chapter 9
Synesthesia

“What are you doing? Yelling like that at night?”

A woman yelled at me from above.

I opened my eyes and stared at her. She was leaning out her window on the third floor. I couldn’t believe it. I knew she was above me. I knew she was on the third floor. I could feel it. I could see it. Her voice had echoed off the walls above me.

“You’re just a kid!”

Her voice trailed off, but it did nothing for me. I sighed and closed my eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice painted the surroundings in black and white. As it spread, I could see more and more. It reflected off the walls, their nooks, their crannies. I could see her building’s fire escape dangling above me. The voice traveled down, and I could see myself. My eyes were closed. I was only listening. But her voice ended, and the vision faded.

“Boy, do you need help?” she yelled louder in case I had not heard.

The vision returned. But the sound traveled further than before. It came in contact with the churning engine of a bus. My vision expanded. I began to see the city through the bus, and with each sound the bus came in contact with, my sight grew. Many voices and noises faded out, but if they continued, I could see more and more. And then, I saw a skull ribbon.

Something rested upon my shoulder, and I opened my eyes.

The woman stood in front of me. She sighed in relief. “Good, you’re not hurt. I thought you may be dying.”

“No. Not me.”

I stood up.

“Are you okay?”

“What does it matter to you?”

“Boy, that may be the stupidest question I’ve ever heard.”

I wrung my mouth.

“Just ‘cause I don’t know you doesn’t mean I’ll turn my back on you. The world’s hard enough as it is, so we gotta watch out for each other.”

“Hm.”

“What are you doing out here, boy?”

“Searching.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Almost.”

“Then get going. If you let it slip away, you’ll never forgive yourself.”

I remembered where the noise had taken me, and I ran.

“Crazy boy,” the woman laughed. Her voice faded behind me.

It wasn’t far to my destination, but as I said before, waiting feels an eternity. I arrived, but no one was there. Of course she wouldn’t wait. She didn’t know. Was she still alive? I closed my eyes and listened. Any sound would do. Any.

But none came. I was alone in the night.

“Grace!”

My voice flooded into the dark, but it only reached so far. So I ran with my eyes closed, shouting, hoping it would come across something.

Liquid fell upon my face.

I opened my eyes. I looked up, and I saw the rain fall. Weather forecasts didn’t say it would rain, but I wasn’t complaining. I closed my eyes, and I saw the city. I was everywhere at once. Roofs to walls to skyscrapers to houses to the streetlamps and people still out on the streets. An endless dream of noise and visions to decipher. But I only wanted one. And I found it. I found her. Beyond a few buildings, she walked with an umbrella in her hand.

But I also found something slicing through the air, diving toward her.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Chapter 8: Searching

Chapter 8
Searching

I awoke in my bed. My body felt sore, and my head throbbed. It was dark. I glanced at my clock: 9 at night.

How did I get here? Was it all a dream? I only had questions and a headache.

A clatter came from my kitchen.

I was up and walking toward my kitchen. I could see the kitchen light on and someone’s shadow. I entered silently and saw a girl with black hair making a sandwich.

“What are you doing here?”

She turned toward me. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“Terrible.”

“Sounds about right.”

“What happened?”

“What do you remember?”

“We were in the alleyway, and you—“

I bit my lip.

“You swung to kill me.”

“Well, that’s half right.”

“Well, explain to me then.”

“I knocked you out.”

“How? Why?”

“With my Aspect—”

“With a sword.”

“My Aspect can change.”

I stared at her.

“My shadow can become an object of any size and shape. You saw a sword, but it became a mallet as I swung at you.”

“You haven’t answered why.”

“Because Aspects disappear when their users lose consciousness.”

“You knocked me out to stop summoning them.”

“Precisely,” she smiled. “At least, you should know how to summon them now.”

“Great, I can become a beacon for suicide.”

“Are you hungry?”

I saw she made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I didn’t even own any peanut butter and jelly.

“Yes.”

She handed me the sandwich and began to make herself another one.

“How did we get here?”

“Well, after the fight, I carried you home.”

I stared at her. “And your Aspect became—“

“A wagon.”

“And you carried me on a wagon.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t care anymore. Her Aspect was beyond my comprehension. I took a bite of my sandwich. It was good, but it wasn’t peanut butter and jelly.

“Is this—“

“Strawberry jam.”

I laid down the sandwich.

“Not good?”

“No. I just lost my appetite.”

“I’m sorry about the strawberries. I like them.”

“I do too. I just don’t eat them anymore.”

“Why not?”

I shook my head.

“Go home, Grace.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

She packed up her belongings and walked to the exit.

“Don’t forget these.”

I handed her the peanut butter and the jam.

“Keep them,” she smiled. “Call me tomorrow?”

“Good night.”

I closed the door. I walked into the kitchen and looked at the sandwich. Strawberry. I was done listening.

My phone rang. What does she want? I walked over to it. Blank. It must be laughing at me. I threw it onto my bed, and it opened.

I could hear the scampering of a rodent, moving along. Then I heard the honking of cars, the voices of people shouting, the blaring of sirens, the ringing of alarms, and still, the scampering of a rodent. Suddenly, I heard a terrible caw, the rodent squealed, the scampering was gone, replaced by the powerful beats of a wing. All other sound died out. Only the beating of wings. And then a voice.

“Hmm, my phone is out of batteries. Well, if he calls, he’ll just have to wait until tomorrow.”

Click.

I heard nothing else. I ran to my phone. The call ended.

I called.

“Sorry! I’m not here right now! Leave a message after the beep, and I’ll call you when I can! Beep!” The phone then beeped afterwards.

I ran out of my building. I looked left and right, but there were more than just two directions. She could have gone down any street. But of all the choices, standing still was the wrong answer. I ran right. I looked for her as I ran, but I didn’t see her. I yelled her name out into the night, but there was no answer. I even asked if people had seen her, but no one had or no one cared to notice. I didn’t know where she was. I could become a beacon, but even then, would it focus on me? I stopped in an alleyway and leaned against a wall to catch my breath. A flyer was on it.

Take the time to listen to the words of another and the sounds of the city. Who knows what you might hear.

Visit www.listentoyourpeers.org/

This was the last straw.

“Who am I supposed to listen to? What am I supposed to listen to? I asked others and listened to their words, but no one knows where Grace is! And why should I listen? Listening to others got me in this mess! Listening to others ends in pain! That’s why I stopped listening! I had stopped listening!”

I slumped down. I could see windows illuminate. I didn’t care. I had no answer.

“Fine. I’ll listen.”

I placed my phone against my ear. I closed my eyes. And all I did was listen.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Chapter 7: Outbound

Picture is up. Story coming tomorrow.

Chapter 7
Outbound

I sat in class, but I couldn’t pay attention to the Professor. He was just background noise. I was staring at my phone, looking at how it had changed.

Phonebook:
Dad
Grace
Mom

“Call me after class!”

Her words still echoed in my thoughts. I closed my phone and focused on the lecture.

Class ended early. I walked out of the class and opened my phone.

Calling Grace:
Connecting…

I only stared at the phone.

Grace:
Connected: 0:01

“Hi!”

I put the phone up to my ear.

“I thought you weren’t going to call.”

The time was 2:12. I had told her I would be out of class at 2:20.

“I’m early.”

“You know what I mean. Well, where are you?”

“Next to Steinberg Hall.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

Before I could say anything, she terminated the phone call. I closed my phone and stood in front of the hall. I only had to wait for one person before. This was not something I was used to or wanted to become used to. When waiting for someone, no matter how short that time actually is, it feels an eternity.

“Hey!” a voice called from behind me.

I turned around to see her walking toward me.

“Miss me?” she smiled.

I glared at her.

“Okay, sorry.” She leaned back and raised her hands in a defensive gesture.

“What do we do now?”

“I don’t suppose it matters. Being with you, we’ll find an Affect or two.”

“Then I’m going.”

“Where?” she asked.

“I don’t know. But there’s no use waiting.”

“Okay.”

We left campus and entered the city. We were at an intersection waiting for the walk sign. When it came to our turn, Grace began to walk. I grabbed a hold of her and pulled back. A car sped through a red light and nearly hit her.

The driver honked at us and cursed us as he sped down the road.

“These are the people you want to protect?”

“Just because one person acts that way doesn’t mean the rest of the world does.”

“Have you heard this city? The noise of people pushing each other aside.”

“Well, you pulled me back,” she smiled and continued forward.

I shook my head and followed her.

“So how do you usually find an Affect then?”

“I roam the city like we are now, but that’s for drones.”

“Drones?” I asked.

“Remember how Eason said there are generic Affects and unique Affects?”

“Yes.”

“The generic ones seem to mindlessly attack and are harder to track, hence drones. Unique Affects follow a pattern. They’re the ones I track and usually target. I call them primaries.”

“Why primaries?”

“Because that’s the first kind I encountered,” Grace nearly whispered. Her voice returned to its perkiness. “But you seem to be able to find,” she considered for a moment, “or attract drones.”

I wrung my mouth.

“And stopping any Affect is better than none.”

“I don’t even know where to begin.”

“By trying.”

“Well, they called me.”

“Maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe you reacted to them?”

I turned down an alleyway and walked toward a boarded, abandoned building.

“Where are you going?”

“To try this in a place where no one will see.”

We entered into the building, and I opened my phone.

“So who do I call?”

“I don’t know,” she laughed. “This is your Aspect.”

A tremendous help.

“But focus. Call out to them.”

I felt the green button would be a good place to start. Call out to them huh? I pressed it.

Outbound…

A soft high pinging.

“That’s strange.”

“What?” she asked.

I showed her my phone.

“That is strange. Do you hear anything?”

“No.”

"Well then, that's pointless."

I was ready to end the phone call when I heard something skitter above us.

"Did you hear that?"

"No what?"

"I don't know. It sounded like-"

“Behind you!”

She threw herself at me and knocked us to the floor. The phone flew out of my hand. I could hear something swish through the air above us. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up. We were soon running toward the door.

“Why can’t you fight it?”

“There’s no light in here!”

“What?”

“Trust me! And end the phone call!”

“I can’t! I dropped my phone!” I could see its light shining in the darkness. I could see something skitter past it.

“We’ll get out first, deal with these, then get the phone!”

We were almost out the building. The sun’s light that shone through the doorway was touching us, but an arachnid-like Affect descended down before the door. Grace grabbed her lipstick and swung. The Affect was cleaved in two, and we were out the door. We found ourselves in the alley with both directions guarded by Affects. And I could hear more coming.

“I’m sorry.” She let go of my hand. She turned toward me and swu—

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee